Tania collapsed to the ground, clutching her head with both hands.

  “So this is where we were meant to die, right? This is the grave Whoranat chose for us,” she growled, before dropping her hands and letting out a roar like a cornered lioness.

  Her power surged so violently the earth trembled beneath them.

  The sky turned blood-red as flames engulfed her entire body.

  “Stop, Tania! You won’t accomplish anything like this!” Ana yelled.

  Tania lowered her head and fell silent again.

  “That’s right, Tannit. You two would have died here if I hadn’t intervened. Lel had no idea I would learn about this,” Athena said calmly.

  “Tell us everything you know, Master,” Ana demanded without hesitation.

  “They’re my brothers… aren’t they?” Epona asked.

  Her words shocked everyone—except Athena.

  “That’s right,” the Greek goddess answered. “Lel has mobilized the Celtic gods to overthrow the Norse gods—who have fiercely resisted the spread of his perfect monotheistic religion.”

  Athena sat down beside them.

  “What exactly are they planning?” Ana asked.

  “I don’t know exactly when or how it happened,” Athena said, “but it seems an eloah murdered Odin.”

  Everyone froze.

  “So Anat summoned the Celtic gods and offered them Yggdrasil—under the condition that the Nordic lands be Christianized. Right now the Norse gods are sealed away, unable to use their Bifrost bridges to reach Earth or travel between realms.”

  Silence weighed on everyone.

  “That same eloah who killed Odin also freed Loki,” Athena continued. “She told him his mission was simple: kill the two of you. If he did, she’d name him the new anunnaki of the Norse gods.”

  “What he doesn’t know is that tomorrow, a squad of Celtic gods will come here to kill him anyway.

  The excuse? Avenging you… and mourning the death of his ‘little sister,’ Epona.”

  Epona stiffened.

  “At the same time,” Athena went on, “the Celtic gods plan to take Asgard from within. Thanks to that eloah, they can travel across dimensions freely and have already positioned themselves near the Asgardian throne. Thor, Tyr… none of them will be able to lay a hand on her.”

  “Ep… did you know about this?” Rodrigo asked.

  “No,” said the goddess of horses. “But my brothers told me about the mission and assigned me to find Ana so she could complete it.

  “When I asked why Taranis or Belisama—far stronger gods—couldn’t do it, they said they were preparing to fight a powerful enemy.”

  “Now… it all makes sense.”

  Tania frowned.

  “Now that I think about it—we crossed into Frankish territory, but Toutatis, the Celtic grigori, never approached us.”

  “Of course,” Athena said. “I entered those lands knowing Toutatis wasn’t watching them.”

  “He and the Celtic gods are preparing to kill Loki.”

  “But without totemas… there’s no way we can win,” Tania muttered bitterly.

  “Trash like that giant nearly killed me… how humiliating.”

  “We have to trust Anpiel,” Ana insisted.

  “It’s been almost fifteen days, Ana. He’s probably crucified at this very moment in front of Bitchanat’s damn window,” Tania snapped.

  “I think you’re in luck,” Athena said.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “I heard there was great turmoil today in Lel’s totema warehouse. I don’t know what caused it, but it might have been your malak.

  Though honestly, the chances of a mere angel infiltrating Lel’s defenses, stealing totemas, and returning to Earth are practically zero.”

  “It was Anpiel!” Ana shouted.

  “I hope so,” Epona replied.

  Tania and Rodrigo both nodded.

  Athena then turned around to leave.

  “And what will you do, Master?” Ana asked.

  “I fulfilled my promise to help you,” Athena said. “But I can’t do more. This matter isn’t important to my organization. That idiot Horus will probably scold me for slipping away for personal business.”

  “Wait, Master,” Ana said, running toward her.

  “Let me join your group, please!”

  “Ana!” Tania snapped.

  “To hell with Lel! I won’t serve a bunch of bureaucratic gods who want me dead—and invade other realms because of some stupid religion that’s only bringing more suffering to the world.

  “I may not share my Master’s cynical view of humanity, but at least I know she tries to help them in her own way.”

  “Then I’ll join as well,” Rodrigo said.

  Epona and Tania stared at him, uncertain.

  Athena smiled softly—then her expression turned stern.

  “Epona, Tannit. I’m not trying to change your minds. But you need to hear one last thing.

  It’s about Lord El.”

  The two goddesses stiffened.

  “Lord El is dead,” Athena said darkly, “and someone has taken his place.”

  “What do you mean?” Tania demanded.

  “This didn’t happen recently,” Athena said. “It was long, long before now. I don’t know exactly when, but I suspect it happened when Lord El stopped making public appearances.

  “Whether he invented monotheism or not… the one sitting on that throne now is the being humans call YHWH or Allah. And he is the one benefiting from the massacres and deaths these intolerant religions produce.”

  Rodrigo felt uneasy again.

  He had accepted the existence of gods…

  but if there was a “true God,” shouldn’t He be above them all?

  Now Athena was claiming God was the villain.

  “Must be Allah,” Rodrigo thought—but kept it to himself.

  “Monotheism seemed like a good solution to our problems,” Athena continued. “But it is fundamentally intolerant.

  “In the past, humans who worshiped me also worshiped other gods—Isis, Mithras, Celtic gods… Faiths mixed. Cultures blended. Even the Romans adopted Celtic gods like you, Epona.”

  “Yes,” Epona said softly. “Many Romans worshipped me, especially in Gaul and Britannia. I never cared if they worshipped others besides me.”

  “Exactly,” Athena said.

  “And if humanity had continued down that path, they would have kept fighting their own battles without using us as fuel for religious wars.

  “But now, all those holy wars are empowering just one being. Lel told us that god didn’t exist…

  But what if He does?”

  Silence spread like a shadow.

  “Tannit, tell me—” Athena began, but Tania cut her off.

  “Tania. Call me Tania,” the fire goddess snapped.

  “My apologies, Tania. But aren’t you bothered by this… considering you’re Lord El’s youngest daughter?”

  The group froze.

  Rodrigo’s eyes widened.

  “Tania was God’s daughter!? How was that even possible??”

  “I’m surprised you knew that,” Tania said. “But I never met my father and I’ve never seen him. It means nothing to me.

  “I am a soldier. I fight where I’m told. I don’t care about humans or what happens to them.

  “I don’t care if Lord El was my father or if he was killed—whether he was real or not. I am his dog, and I obey his orders. Understand?”

  “Tania, stop lying to yourself,” Ana said.

  “What do YOU know!?” Tania yelled.

  “I saw your smile when you freed the slaves. I noticed you weren’t wearing that necklace you loved—you used it to free them.

  “You gave up one of your greatest treasures to save unfortunate people.

  “I know why Lel hates you and calls you a coward despite being one of their strongest goddesses.

  “I know you surrendered your civilization because their child sacrifices horrified you.

  I know you can’t return to your people.

  “I know you cry and scream at night from those traumas.

  You love humanity just like I do!” Ana shouted.

  “Shut up!” Tania screamed, falling to her knees and pounding the ground so hard it cracked beneath her fists.

  “Shut up… shut up…” her voice broke into sobs.

  Ana approached and embraced her.

  “We all carry something, Tania. Let me help you,” she whispered.

  “You’re not a soldier. You’re a goddess who loves humanity. Leave that past behind.”

  “Well… I suppose if I don’t accept, I’ll end up dead in a ditch anyway. And since my brothers used me as a sacrifice, I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” Epona said, resigned.

  “Let me think about it… all right?” Tania murmured through tears.

  “All right,” Athena said. “And I’ll protect you all until your totemas arrive.”