Chapter 811: Resolving Past Issues. 3
"... I understand." The expression of anger in Agnes's eyes diminished, and a cruel coldness appeared on her face.
"So you're just accepting everything because you feel you can't retaliate, you're trapped... In that case, I will provide your way out."
Persephone narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"We'll do it the old-fashioned way. We'll fight to the death, and the loser will be at the mercy of the winner."
"Of course, Victor won't interfere."
"... Are you stupid? Do you think I don't know your husband?"
"When you're about to lose, Victor will intervene, and even if you dislike that action, he'll simply confine you to a basement, pamper you until you forget your grievances."
"And as Aphrodite's husband, I know very well that he's capable of turning the most rational, cold, and emotionless woman in existence into someone who forgets everything and focuses only on his pampering."
Agnes had no words to deny what Persephone said, so she looked at Victor for support.
Unfortunately, reality was disappointing at times.
"She's right, you know?" Victor spoke.
"Goddammit, Victor! Can you support me here!?" Agnes exclaimed in frustration. "And do you think I'll lose to her!?"
"Yes, you will lose." The response was immediate.
"... Vic."
"One thing I can acknowledge is that, unlike before, she has truly grown stronger and transformed completely as a woman. She's now on par with the primordial gods of this pantheon."
Agnes swallowed hard when she heard what Victor said. Yes, she was strong, but she didn't have the confidence that she could fight a primordial goddess and come out victorious; she wasn't an anomaly like Victor!
"If she fights without the restrictions I'm imposing on her, even with the new change in Fafnir's sword, you'll lose."
Agnes could only remain silent in the face of Victor's truthful words.
Persephone controlled her expression and prevented herself from smiling. Seeing Agnes's frustrated expression, Victor sighed, "Don't misunderstand, Agnes. I'm not saying this to belittle you; it's just reality. The only women who can stand against Persephone in her own territory now are Jeanne, Rose, and Scathach."
"Jeanne is obvious, I don't need to explain why. Scathach and Rose are grandmasters and can sever concepts. Even if Persephone somehow corners them, they can simply 'cut' through everything in their path."
"If you were to fight Persephone, only defeat awaits you, in this case, being death itself."
"So, if you think I'll let you die in a foolish duel, then you're looking at the wrong man."
"I'd rather confine you in the mansion ten thousand times and pamper you until you forget everything and don't think of dying again."
Agnes felt a variety of emotions—anger, sweetness, a shiver from Victor's obsessive gaze, and a slight blush.
But she didn't give up. Without thinking much, she said, "... You're the Lord of Hell, Victor, you can bring me back!"
"Agnes... When you die, you always lose something." Victor spoke extremely seriously.
"... This." Agnes swallowed hard when she saw Victor's gaze.
"And from the moment you die, as a strong supernatural being, you're not under my jurisdiction. You'll be judged by the primordial beings, and there your soul will be divided and recycled."
"The woman who will emerge in hell won't be 'you,' but a completely different woman with the darker part of your soul."
"Do you think knowing this I'd let you die?"
Agnes fell silent. Of course, he wouldn't let her die; he wouldn't be Victor if he did.
"So, what should I do?! I want to kill them! I want to torture her! But I won't be satisfied with her accepting this without reacting!" She pointed at Persephone.
"There's no satisfaction in that!"
Knowing that this woman could easily defeat her and would only accept death because of Victor's presence was extremely humiliating.
Victor looked at Agnes, then at Persephone.
The goddess of the underworld shrugged when she saw Victor's gaze.
Victor sighed; this really was a show of hypocrites, with himself being one of them. The more strength Victor gained, the more he realized a reality.
Every supernatural being is a bunch of hypocrites. They give justifications, claim it's for the greater good, but in the end, they're the ones committing the greatest atrocities.
An example of this was the situation between Persephone and Agnes—neither of the women was saintly.
Agnes was a former hedonist who did as she pleased. It was this same woman who kidnapped Adonis and kept him imprisoned for a long time while exploiting him... Yes, 'love' was born from this act, but the deed itself was not undone.
Persephone wasn't any different, and in a way, neither was Aphrodite. Looking at this through the lens of the supernatural world's rules, Adonis was in the wrong because he was weak.
If he were strong enough, he could have resisted Agnes and Persephone.
If he were strong enough, he wouldn't have been exploited for his beauty.
Because of this, Victor's feelings were more stable in this situation. The 'hatred' he felt for Persephone stemmed from his own weakness, and when he evolved into a dragon, that useless 'feeling' just... Disappeared before his immense pride.
Pride that the man from the past was no longer him. Today, he was different; he was... Superior.
He couldn't dismiss that this feeling was just a waste of time for him. Of course, despite thinking this way, he wouldn't lessen Agnes's or Violet's hatred, and no matter how he thought, he would always stand by their side.
From Victor's point of view, the two women were quite similar.
Speaking of 'Morality,' the only person in Victor's group who could speak of it was Jeanne. Even though she was one of the oldest beings alive, the number of times she intentionally harmed another soul was very low.
She truly was a saint, and because of her exceptional character, only she could speak about morality here.
Seeing that the situation wouldn't be resolved easily, Victor made a decision.
"Follow me," he said as he rose from the throne. It was obvious that this wasn't a request, but an order.
An order that no one denied.
Victor walked toward the back of the castle, specifically to the heart of the dark underworld.
"... This direction..." Persephone narrowed her eyes. "You, how do you know-"
"Dragon eyes," Victor responded as if that explained everything.
"Oh..."
Upon reaching the heart of the underworld, everyone saw a massive sphere where various souls were constantly flowing.
"What is this place?" Violet asked.
"The core of the underworld," Persephone answered.
"This is my first time here... Only the Rules, the king and queen of the underworld, can enter here," Aphrodite spoke while looking around with her divine senses.
Victor gazed at the core, using his eyes that see the truth of everything. He focused on the crucial points of this 'system' in front of him.
The core of the underworld was nothing more than something created by the primordials for the soul system to function. Victor had something similar in his hell, and from what he saw, the two cores were alike, with differences only in customization.
Customization being the landscape of the respective hell.
"Thanatos." A shadow appeared beside Victor, and soon the god of death stood next to him.
Thanatos glanced at Persephone for a few seconds. He sighed internally and then looked at Victor. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
"You and Persephone will assist me with something."
"Get ready." Victor snapped his fingers, and the connection with the underworld was returned to Persephone.
Fushhhhhhhhh.
Persephone's power exploded, making Agnes's and Violet's faces tense. Even Aphrodite herself couldn't believe what she was seeing.
'She's so strong... No wonder Victor analyzed it this way,' Aphrodite thought.
"What are you doing, Woman? Control your power," Victor narrowed his eyes.
"Y-Yes!" Persephone stuttered a bit, surprised herself by the sudden return of her connection.
Persephone's power began to stabilize, and soon everything returned to normal, though the pressure around Persephone was now noticeable.
This sight only made Agnes and Violet grit their teeth in frustration; it was all the proof they needed to realize how strong the goddess had become.
"Hmm... Your power isn't stable," Victor analyzed.
"It will take a bit to return to normal," Persephone replied.
Victor nodded. "I'll give you 5 minutes to regain control of your power as a Ruler."
"After that, you will help me with something."
"Yes."
...
Sitting on a throne not far from Persephone and Thanatos, Victor observed the woman preparing herself. He recalled Persephone's words and smiled slightly. 'She truly has become a good woman, so different from the past.'
Feeling someone pinching him, Victor looked at Violet on his lap. When he saw her lifeless gaze, "What are you thinking right now? Hmm? Tell me..." his smile grew, and he kissed her.
"Humppf?"
Victor playfully tussled with Violet for a few seconds, then pulled away.
Violet pouted. "I don't like that. You should just let me pamper you, and I'll lock you in the basement."
"Impossible. It will be you who ends up locked there."
"That's why I hate this situation. You were supposed to be a herbivorous protagonist who lets me do whatever I want!"
"Never."
"Humpf." Violet huffed and just hugged Victor. She wanted to be pampered now; she didn't want to deal with this situation, which had become more complicated than it should have been.
She wanted revenge, but Persephone's easy acceptance of this revenge disgusted her and left her without a response. She wouldn't find pleasure in killing a woman who had already accepted her death.
She wanted to make her suffer through a duel, but she knew she didn't have the strength for that. Persephone was the queen of the Greek underworld, and she was also a Ruler. The earlier display had proven that.
In her territory, she stood at the same level as the first-generation primordial gods of the Greek pantheon.
'She's only this submissive due to my Darling.'
Feeling the caresses on her head, Violet's thoughts began to falter.
"Don't worry... I'll help you all get stronger. I'll personally train you."
"... Really?"
"Yes. I want you all to get stronger so we can play at night. After all, you won't be able to handle a nocturnal match with me."
These words made Violet shiver and caught the attention of Agnes and even Aphrodite.
"... Wait a sec, this is new. What do you mean by that!?"
"I'm a dragon, remember? And I'm at the top of all dragons. Among those at the top, I'm the most abnormal one. There are few females who can handle me now—probably only Roxanne, Zaladrac, Aphrodite, and Jeanne can."
Aphrodite smiled lightly when she realized that nocturnal activities were going to be even more intense.
'Come to think of it... I've never been with a dragon in all my existence... Hmm, preparations must be made.' Aphrodite thought.
"My body will break yours if you don't gain the strength to withstand it."
"... Basically, you're saying you're putting a hold on me until I get stronger, right?"
Victor still marveled at Violet's and Natashia's ability to twist everything he said and yet make sense in the end.
"Yes."
"... Impossible..." A look of horror appeared on Violet's face.
"I will do it... I'll do it! I'll train like crazy and become the most powerful!" Violet had never felt such determination to grow stronger.
Seeing the determination shining in Violet's eyes, Victor felt strange.
'Shouldn't I have done this from the beginning?' He felt foolish now, he always struggled to motivate the girls to train. Yes, they were motivated, and they always did their best to get stronger, but that determination wasn't abnormal like his and Scathach's or Haruna's.
Victor could only smile wryly. 'In the end, it all comes back to the three basic instincts: reproduction, eating, and sleeping.'
"Victor, what are you planning to do?"
"Put an end to this situation," Victor replied.
"... How will you do that?"
"By bringing Adonis back."
Violet, Agnes, Aphrodite, and Persephone widened their eyes.
"Is that possible!?" Agnes asked.
"Yes."
"Wait, wait, Victor. Isn't my father merging with your soul? He's basically you."
"Yes, he's a part of me."
"... And you're planning to bring him back... Which means you'll shatter your soul... NO! You can't!" Aphrodite growled as her eyes glowed in neon pink.
"I won't allow it! I don't care about Adonis! You're more important to me, Victor!"
Victor smiled gently, he placed Violet on the ice throne and stood up, he embraced the goddess of love.
"Don't worry, I don't have a suicide fetish either."
"Vic..." Aphrodite hugged him tighter.
Violet bit her lip and held onto his arm. "Darling, please don't do anything that would harm you..."
Agnes held Victor's other hand, her expression mirroring Violet's. "Victor... I'd hate to see you hurt because of my selfishness."
The three women were deeply concerned. The reason was simple: they knew Victor's capacity to do anything for them.
And when they said ANYTHING, they meant EVERYTHING, even the act of shattering his own soul would be done easily for them.
Victor caressed the heads of mother and daughter and spoke, "As I said, I don't have a suicide fetish. Shattering my soul would be equivalent to killing myself."
"What I'm going to do is simply temporarily project Adonis from the past using the system's connection."
"... How are you going to do that? Explain it properly; I won't let you do anything until I hear it," Aphrodite spoke.
Victor nodded. "Akashic Records. Do you know what that is?"
"It's a compendium that claims to have records of all events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intentions that have ever occurred in the past, present, or future in terms of all entities and forms of life, not just mortals but also gods."
"I've read about it in the human world," Aphrodite said.
"Your memory is quite good," Victor said, impressed.
"Don't change the subject."
"Yeah, yeah." Victor kissed Aphrodite's lips.
The goddess of beauty pouted when she saw his affectionate gestures. 'He thinks this will distract me? He's very wrong if he thinks so!'
"In a simple way to understand, a place similar to Akashic Records exists somewhere in existence."
Victor spoke as he looked at the sphere in front of him. He walked toward the sphere and spread his wings.
"Everything is stored there." Victor narrowed his eyes, and his eyes could see even further. "And when I say everything, I mean literally EVERYTHING."
"All events in the universe are saved in that place." Victor reached out his hand toward the core in front of him.
"And what you're seeing now in front of you isn't just the core of hell, but it's also the 'door' to the entire system."
"... What do you intend to do with this? Only primordial beings can tamper with the system, you know?" Aphrodite spoke.
"That's a bit incorrect. I'm the Progenitor of dragons, a species that can control creation, and thanks to this ability, I can access the system on a smaller scale."
"I'll use my existence as an anchor, Persephone's Ruler authority as a door, and Thanatos's existence as a god of death to seek the echo of the past. With this combination, complications in the system won't occur."
"Echo of the past?" Violet asked.
"A memory. A trace. An echo of the past."
"You can call it various things, and yet none will be 100% correct... The most accurate way to try to explain this would be that I'll retrieve Adonis's record from before he fused with me and bring it into reality."
"And before you ask, no, this isn't time travel, but rather something more akin to a recording... A living, sentient recording."
Everyone displayed varying levels of confusion at what Victor was saying. The only ones who seemed to understand were Thanatos and Persephone.
A silence fell in the room until Aphrodite broke it by speaking.
"Just... Just how is this possible? Are you sure? Are you sure this will work?" Aphrodite spoke. She more or less understood what he said but still felt unsure.
"Yes." Victor stopped observing the system and looked at everyone. "The Ruler, the god of death are a 'code' part of the system, so no irregularities will occur."
"Of course, you need extremely precise control over souls and a connection to the soul to make this happen... If I weren't the Progenitor of vampires, it would never be possible."
"... You talk as if being a Progenitor of vampires is extremely necessary. Wouldn't just being a dragon be possible?" Persephone asked.
"The reason you need a Progenitor of vampires is that the Progenitor of vampires also acts as the Akashic Records in reality. Of course, it's on a much smaller scale and limited only to souls."
"... Victor... Darling..." Violet sighed. "Just how do you know all this? You evolved just a few hours ago."
"As I said, my dear, I can 'see' more things now." Victor's crimson-violet eyes gleamed.
"These things I talked about are basic concepts that someone with my level of perception can understand just by looking at the System."
Violet sighed again. "... Just don't hurt yourself, okay? You're very important to me."
"Just as you are to me, my honey." Victor smiled. "Why do you think I'm bothering to do all this?" He chuckled.
"I know you've always regretted not speaking to your father due to your mother's selfishness."
Agnes squirmed when she heard Victor's words.
Violet nodded and displayed a sweet smile.
"... If all goes well, I'll reward you... greatly."
"Oh? That makes me more motivated to work." Victor teased.
Violet walked up to Victor and held onto his arm. "I'm not joking."
Victor looked into Violet's eyes.
"I'll reward you, even if you don't do anything... All the girls will."
Victor raised an eyebrow, and from the corner of his eye, he looked at Aphrodite and saw the expectant smile on the goddess. He knew the goddess well enough to know that if even she was looking forward to it, it would be something he would greatly enjoy.
"I see... It seems my Empress is plotting something."
"Yes, I am."
"Hmm, I'm looking forward to it."
"You can count on it; you won't regret it. I promise."
"Mm, I'm a bit hyped now, so I'll work more." Victor laughed and stepped back.
"Hey, you two, come with me." Victor flew to the front of the sphere.
"... Yes!"
"Persephone, channel your authority into the sphere, and you too, Thanatos. Let me handle the rest."
The group positioned themselves at different corners of the sphere and pointed their hands at the Orb.
"Yes."