The Greece Antagonist

As night fell, the moon was obscured and the wind howled.

A moist draft laced with a briny fragrance wafted through the soldiers patrolling from the foot of the mountain to the square and the priests who were on night duty.

Under the cover of darkness, the moisture gathered silently in front of the doors of the Great Temple, revealing a tall figure.

It was nearly midnight.

The majestic Great Temple was empty and silent, save for three figures, one large and two small, kneeling before the burning sacred fire, engaged in their nightly prayers and hymns.

"Huff~"

Along with a gust of air that surged into the hall, the sacred fire in front of the statue flickered violently, its edges tinged with an eerie shade of blue. Read new chapters at empire

Someone's here!

Almost the instant they sensed something amiss, the three figures sharply turned around, their eyes warily fixed on the grand entrance behind them—

—or rather, on the sudden appearance of that figure at the door.

Gazing at the dour-faced man with an intense air of danger emanating from him, Medusa's heart chilled, and she blurted out, "Who are you? The temple is closed at night; we do not welcome outsiders!"

"I am here to collect a debt. Athena owes me something..."

Poseidon casually replied and, ignoring the warning, sauntered into the Great Temple he had long coveted.

"Owes you what?" asked Euryale on the right, unable to suppress her curiosity.

"A son!" Poseidon sneered maliciously, his aggressive, fiery gaze piercing ahead as he revealed his intentions, "Since she's not here, you will have to repay me!"

"Ah! You actually want to harm us!"

"It's all because we've reached the pinnacle of beauty..."

In front of the statue, Euryale and Stheno, one panicked and the other mournful, instinctively clutched their chests, lamenting their cruel fate.

"..."

Looking at the two flat figures flaunting themselves in front of him, Poseidon's face twitched, then turned blacker than the bottom of a pot.

"If you don't want to die, get out of the way. I'm talking about the one in the back!"

"..."

Suddenly, an eerie silence descended within the Great Temple as the two sisters, who had been clamorous seconds before, lowered their hands from their chests and looked at each other with smiles brimming in their eyes.

"Did this sea toad just say he wants Medusa?"

"Indeed, it seems he wants to take her back to be a relentless star, to bear children day after day."

Sea toad?

Upon hearing this, Poseidon flew into a rage, his once-handsome face turning a livid shade of blue, his chest heaving, struggling to speak.

However, just as he managed to calm his breath and was about to spew out angry retorts, the two sisters in front of the statue sharply turned and glared at him in unison.

Two pairs of dreamlike, purple eyes suddenly flared to life, chilling to the bone and filled with murderous intent.

—Like two venomous snakes, thoroughly enraged!

Their gazes locked, Poseidon's body was instantly coated with a lifeless pallor, his body and thoughts growing heavy.

"Hum!"

The sea's divinity within him, detecting the anomaly, burst forth from his pores in a blue flame, washing away the ashen layer from his body.

In an instant, his locked thoughts and senses flowed back into his body, and the now liberated Poseidon was shocked and furious.

A curse?

A petrification curse powerful enough to affect even a Chief God?

How could mere Lesser Deities possess such formidable divinity and authority?

"Tsk, he's not dead? That's disappointing..."

"Then, let's do it again!"

As soon as the words fell, the two sisters in front of the statue glared once more at the intruder, their purple eyes mysteriously gleaming.

Arrogant!

Aghast, Poseidon diverted his gaze instinctively, churning the divine blood within him, gathering the æther in his palm, and conjuring a dusky blue Trident, which he slammed onto the ground.

Suddenly, a surge of æther tidal waves rolled out, easily blocking the sisters' line of sight with a blue light screen.

How dare these mere Lesser Deities so insult him, a Chief God—death was too good for them!

Meanwhile, the Chief God from the sea could no longer hold back. Striding over the waves with unbounded fury, he raised his Divine Artifact.

If that's the case, then deal with these nuisances first, and afterward, enjoy the main course!

"Splash!"

Yet, the æther tides that had just converged in front of him seemed to crash into an invisible barrier, instantly dissipating.

Without the protection of the light, Poseidon's eyes, wide with rage, focused on the three pairs of fantastical purple irises.

—This time, even the cold beauty had joined the fray.

The complete Gorgon divinity thundered and ebbed, invading the God of the Sea's body, halting his forward momentum on the spot.

This is bad!

Realizing the dire situation, Poseidon instinctively gripped his Trident and fiercely slammed it to the ground.

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

In an instant, two sharp whistling sounds rang out. A gold and a silver arrow, swift as shooting stars, descended and knocked Poseidon's Trident from his hand.

Artemis! Apollo!

Recognizing the iconic divine radiance, Poseidon's face darkened, immediately sensing trouble.

At the same time, the temple shone brightly, forming a Labyrinth Barrier that seemed both sealed and unsealed.

A dazzling golden beam emanated from the statue, converging in the center of the hall to create the figure of a woman clad in Gold armor, one hand wielding the Aegis Shield, the other the Spear of Victory.

"It wasn't easy wanting to see you in private, Uncle..."

The deep and elegant voice echoed throughout the hall as the fully armored Goddess of Wisdom looked at the immobile Poseidon with a profound smile in her bright eyes.

It's a trap!

Seeing his grandniece, who was supposed to have left Crete Island, return alive and appear before him, the God of the Sea finally understood—he was the one being baited all along.