Chapter 267 - 267: Look At Me...
"W… what the fuck is happening now?"
Charlotte blinked numerous times as she tried to recover her sight, but as soon as she did so, the dusty scenery unfolded before her. Dionysus was still kneeling to Van, while Athena was already back in the room, her eyes clearly pissed.
"This is enough mockery to our name, Dionysus!"
Sadly for Charlotte, as soon as her eyes recovered, an almost blinding light pierced her eyes as a sword and a shield appeared in Athena's hands, emitting a golden glamour. "If you do not accept your fate, then I will force you to accept it!"
"Sister, don't!" Another light emerged in the room as Artemis pulled the strings of the bow that suddenly appeared in her hands. Charlotte, whose eyes were finally adjusting to the brightness, once again could help but close them.
"Enough with the light show!" Charlotte screamed. Being with gods truly was changing her perspective in life, especially when it felt like they were blinding her with the sun itself. But still, even when she just recovered, she quickly rushed towards Van, trying to cover him from what was about to happen.
"Is it wrong to want to live!?" Dionysus then shouted, still kneeling on the floor, "We didn't deserve to die, Athena!"
"Have you not listened to my story? Our demise was our own fault!"
"Put your weapons down, sister!"
"Don't tell me you agree with this drunk, Artemis? I know deep down you know it too, none of us deserve to live, you just got lucky."
"Perhaps we should go, boy?" Charlotte then whispered into Van's ear, but she could only groan as Van shook his head. But this wasn't a bad way to die, Charlotte thought. At least she could boast she died because she got caught in a three-way between literal gods.
"But killing Dionysus? This is not the right answer, sister!"
"He has gone insane, Artemis. Killing him now would prove to be mercy."
"Like how you decided that all of us dying is mercy!?"
"Yes! Why can't any of you understand!? All of us will perish but we will live on through Evans, he is an Olympian, and that is enough! We are a virus, and if we were to live in another world, we would destroy it again, it is inevitable!"
"You're the one that's insane, sister!" Artemis pulled the strings of her bow even farther.
"You dare point your arrow at me? Do you remember that not once have you won against me? What more now that you are weakened with having a part of you taken away?"
"I can try."
"There are 64 scenarios that could happen here, and 63 of them involve you dying by my sword. Do not let the chance given to you go to waste."
"Then I'll take the last one as a win!"
"No, the last one is my shield crushing your head."
"That…" Artemis could not help but slightly flinch from Artemis's words, but as soon as she did so, Athena was already beside her. She tried to turn her arms, but alas, Artemis was gripping both her hands, not allowing her to release the arrow or even retract it.
Athena then hit Artemis's head with her own, causing her to step back a few meters. She was about to collect herself, but before she could do so, Athena's shield suddenly came out of nowhere and hit her straight in the heel, making her fall to the ground.
Athena then slid across the ground, catching her shield before using its momentum to spin herself, with the shield pivoting straight towards the fallen Artemis's head.
But before it could do so, Athena stopped her hand.
"You can't win, Artemis."
"Maybe not alone!"
As Artemis said that, Dionysus's fist was already only a few inches from threatening to hit Athena's cheek. Athena, however, only let out a small smile as she turned her head, letting Dionysus hit her forehead.
All the dust that gathered in the room was blown away in a ripple as a loud crack snapped in the air.
"Grah!"
But contrary to their expectations, it was Dionysus that let out a pained scream. Athena's forehead only had a slight red marking on it, but her expression did not change as she calmly stood up, but not before kicking Artemis away to another room.
She then stretched her arm as her sword once again appeared in her hand. "Seriously? I just said that that woman is stronger than you physically, and you attempted to punch me? Think, Dionysus, think."
"W--"
"You think I take pleasure in having to kill my own kin!?" Athena's voice then started to shake as she slowly approached Dionysus, "I will follow after you, dear Dionysus, you will not be lonely for long."
"You're the one who needs to think, Athena," Dionysus breathed out as his arms dropped, "We deserve to live."
"I think we're past that conclusion," Athena raised her sword as a tear slowly appeared from her eyes, "Be strong… and goodbye, Dionysus."
"We deserve to live!" Dionysus once again screamed as the tip of Athena's blade went through his neck.
"..."
"..."
"Is this your choice, young god?"
It went through his neck, or at least it looked like it, as Dionysus was still very much alive beside Van, who was now in the corner of the room.
"I thought that you have already made your decision of not wanting to save us?" Athena's sword trembled in her hand, perhaps a reflection of her quivering voice.
"I changed my mind," Van said as the golden streaks of lightning slowly disappeared from his eyes, "I think Dionysus has a point, Miss Athena."
"If you get swayed by pity, then I am afraid you have much to learn, young god," Athena shook her hand, trying to sway her trembling hand, "Your world will die with us in it."
"I don't think so," Van shook his head, "I think the three of you deserve to live."
"We have already--"
"Shut the fuck up, Miss Athena."
"..." Athena slightly furrowed her eyebrows from Van's shocking words.
"The three of you deserve to live, but as for the others that caused your universe to die… That's another story."
"Are you suggesting…"
"Yes," Van nodded his head, "Selected culling, I think it's pretty fair…
...no?"
"I have already thought of that, young god," Athena shook her head, "But for some of us to live and let the others die is… unjust. It is not my choice who gets to live or die, especially not with family."
"Does it matter? At least some of you get to live, because I am pretty sure that some of you want to live," Van said as he slightly tilted his head towards the once again confused Dionysus.
"But it would be unfair, young god," Athena once again shook her head as the sword on her hand fell to the ground, "If I did not think so, then I would have already suggested it from the start."
"...I will be the one to kill them anyway, not you," Van shrugged his shoulders.
"Even--"
Van did not even let Athena finish her words as he raised his finger, signaling her to shut her mouth, "And besides, last time I checked...
...I am the one in charge now."