Son of the Hero King

Epilogue B8

In the royal gardens, Ambrosia sat alone beneath an ancient willow, her eyes closed in meditation. The Book of Akasha lay open in her lap, its pages slowly turning of their own accord.

For once, she was not spying on what her daughters were doing with Sol. If she had, she would have lost all concentration and would have been slightly outraged by how scandalous they were acting.

The grass around her had withered in a perfect circle, burned by the residual energy still emanating from her form. Using the Avatar of Destruction had consequences— the concept lingered, hungry for more to consume, to devour, to annihilate.

"Mother."

Ambrosia opened her eyes to see La Befana standing at the edge of the circle of dead grass, her expression grave.

"You have news of Asmodeus?" Ambrosia asked, closing her book with a gentle snap.

La Befana nodded curtly to her inquiry, opening her mouth, "His avatar was significantly damaged during Euphoria's manifestation. The connection to his true form was severed abruptly when the dimensional rifts opened."

"But he lives," Ambrosia stated, not a question.

"Yes," La Befana confirmed. "Though his true body has sustained wounds as well. It will take time for him to recover fully."

Ambrosia's expression remained carefully neutral, though a flicker of relief passed through her golden eyes. "And the witches?"

"Those who attempted to disrupt the wedding have been... dealt with," La Befana said, her voice cold. "Seventeen in total. None were executed as per Sol's orders, but they are contained."

"Good." Ambrosia rose to her feet, the dead grass crumbling to ash beneath her feet, surrendering to the destruction. "Any word from our observers in the Astral Realm?"

"The Divine Beasts are restless. There are rumors of a gathering."

Ambrosia's brow furrowed slightly. "Asmodeus should be present for that."

"In his current state, that may simply be impossible," La Befana pointed out. "Perhaps... another could represent the Snake."

"Perhaps," Ambrosia agreed, her gaze distant. "Though such a substitution would not go unnoticed by the divine."

La Befana observed her. "The display today will have consequences. The world witnessed power beyond mortal understanding."

"Yes," Ambrosia said softly. "The age of secrets is finally ending, I suppose. It’s a hunch, but I am more sure of it than anything at this point." She turned her golden eyes to the horizon, where the last traces of magical energy still flickered in the sky. "Change is coming for all of us, Befana. The kind that rewrites everything we thought we knew."

"You sound pleased."

"I am," Ambrosia admitted, a faint smile touching her lips. "It's been so very long since anything surprised me. I am newly discovering this emotion and relishing each moment."

* * *

High in the Sky Throne, a projection of Iris Diligentia stood before a massive viewing crystal, her image flickering slightly as she addressed the angelic council from her position in Lustburg. Gone was the ditzy, carefree woman who normally embodied the Supreme Daughter of Sloth. In her place stood a commander, her eyes sharp, her posture rigid with authority.

"Replay the sequence," she ordered, and the crystal obliged, showing Sol manifesting the eldritch maw that swallowed the second meteor whole.

The council chamber was filled with senior angels, their faces grim as they watched.

"This changes everything," said one elder, his white wings rustling with agitation.

"This confirms everything," Iris corrected, her voice crisp and commanding. "We've suspected his true nature for some time."

"He's not merely Blessed anymore," another councilor argued. "That power... It's beyond scope of classification. It’s wrong…"

"And the silver hair? The rainbow eyes?" a third added. "No mortal born has ever displayed such traits."

Iris's projection gestured, and the viewing crystal focused on the moment Sol manifested the eldritch horror— the mouths, the eyes, the hungry abyss that had swallowed a celestial object whole without any problem.

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"What troubles me more is this," she said softly. "This is no divine power we've ever cataloged. It resembles nothing in our archives."

The council chamber fell silent as they all contemplated the implications of Iris’ words.

"My relations in Lustburg have given me unique access," Iris continued. "The ditzy persona has allowed me to approach Mars up close without raising suspicion back then, and from what I have gathered from Sol, he is even more of a monster than he was. What I've felt..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "He is more than he appears."

"What does this mean for the Balance?" asked the first elder finally.

Iris's projection flickered as she crossed her arms, her expression hardening into something the council rarely witnessed— true concern.

"It means we proceed with caution. I've sent a formal message to him, extending our official congratulations on the royal wedding and requesting a diplomatic meeting."

"You can't seriously be considering—"

"I am considering all options," Iris cut him off firmly. "Including the possibility that Sol Luxuria represents something entirely new in the cosmic order. In a different time, we could have fought. But now it might not be the wisest move."

Her projection straightened, addressing the council directly. "Prepare the Longinus Protocol for full activation just in case. Double the patrols along all borders. And most importantly—" her eyes hardened "—prepare for an all-out war, to be deployed at any moment, at once."

As the council dispersed to carry out her orders, Iris's projection remained, staring at the frozen image of Sol in his half-dragon form, silver-scaled and otherworldly might crisscossed in a maniacal manifestation of horror.

"What are you?" she whispered, the facade of the carefree, bumbling angel completely gone. "What are you really?"

* * *

In the divine realm, fourteen thrones sat in a perfect circle, each occupied by a goddess gazing into a massive pool that reflected the mortal world below. The atmosphere was tense, charged with conflicting emotions.

"One of our Sisters ascended," Ira, the Goddess of Wrath, stated flatly, her crimson eyes narrowed. "Though she is now diminished and wounded. There is no way for her to enter the Divine Realm.”

"She was a fool," Superbia, the Goddess of Pride, sneered. "Ascending without preparation, without believers."

"And yet," Luxuria interjected softly, "she nearly succeeded in her goals, rendering us helpless to intervene."

All eyes turned to her— the Goddess of Lust, eternal and beautiful, her expression contemplative rather than concerned.

"You don't seem troubled by today's events," Invidia, the Goddess of Envy, observed suspiciously.

Luxuria smiled enigmatically. "Should I be? My Blessed completed his wedding, despite all interference, and his team managed to take down a goddess, albeit one that was greatly limited. If anything, I'm proud."

"Proud?" Avaritia, the Goddess of Greed, laughed harshly. "Your Blessed revealed powers no mortal should possess. He devoured a piece of a god's concept. He transformed beyond recognition!"

"And you find this... unexpected?" Luxuria asked mildly, genuinely confused by her outburst.

A charged silence fell across the divine circle.

"You knew," Castitas, the Goddess of Chastity, said quietly. It was not a question, a statement made in trembling voice.

Luxuria merely smiled, her fingers tracing patterns in the viewing pool. "I chose him for a reason, sister."

"What is he?" demanded Acedia, the Goddess of Sloth, her usual lethargy absent in the face of this development.

"A catalyst," Luxuria replied simply. "A necessary change in a stagnant system."

"A threat," countered Invidia, her voice tight with genuine fear. "His power... it reminds me of—" She stopped abruptly, unwilling to voice the comparison even though everyone knew what she was speaking of. Thirteen sisters shivered in unison as they remembered.

Luxuria's gaze was the only one that softened at the memory. "I understand your fear, sister. But it is misplaced. What you saw today was merely a glimpse of potential, not intent."

"You speak as if we should simply accept this development," Superbia scoffed.

"I speak as one who recognizes the winds of change," Luxuria replied calmly. "We have grown complacent in our divine isolation. Perhaps it is time for new perspectives."

"What measures should we take?" asked Gula, the Goddess of Gluttony, speaking for the first time. "We already have confirmation that Dream, Dawn, Hatred, and Death are alive. If it continues at this rate, Time and Space are most likely going to wake up soon alongside other gods."

"Observation, for now," Luxuria suggested. "Let us not act rashly because of fear. Mother gave us full authority. Not even Ymir matches us here. The true problem is down below."

"Perhaps," Invidia said slowly, "we should invite him to the Divine Beast gathering."

Shocked silence greeted her words. They were more surprised that the one to propose this was none other than Invidia herself.

"You can't be serious," Avaritia finally sputtered. Then her eyes narrowed, “Wait, is it a scheme to make him leave the Mortal Realm?”

Sol was powerful. Yet his power was the most concentrated in the Mortal Realm, where the gods were limited. But outside of it? The goddesses could unleash all their powers and even use their cosmic forms.

Invidia tried to defend herself, but Luxuria beat her to it.

"Actually," Luxuria said, her smile widening, "that's an excellent suggestion. Asmodeus is currently indisposed. Sol could represent the Snake in his absence."

"Are you sure?" Superbia asked. "I know you believe in him, but he is still a King."

"He is clearly no longer merely mortal," Castitas interrupted gently. "And such an invitation would allow us to gain a better understanding of his nature in a controlled environment."

The goddesses exchanged uncertain glances, the weight of the decision hanging in the divine air where all of their gazes intersected. All but one, Luxuria, who relaxed further and lounged lazily, as though she had already won the argument and everything was going how she wanted it to.

"It would be unprecedented," Acedia mused, her usual drowsiness momentarily forgotten.

"These are unprecedented times," Luxuria replied, her gaze returning to the viewing pool where Sol's image still rippled. "And sisters? He was never merely mortal. Never."

She smiled lazily at the mention. Things had taken a turn she had not expected, and yet, her smile grew wider as she looked up.

Work faster, Sol. The time you have at your disposal is shrinking faster than you might think.