Epona and Rodrigo landed on one of the mountains near Areopagus, where they decided to wait for the others to arrive. They were at a very high altitude, and the cold was brutal—so much so that Rodrigo began to shiver.

  “Oh, come on, Rodrigo—can’t you get used to sudden temperature changes yet?” Epona said, laughing.

  Rodrigo looked at Epona’s smiling face and felt more at ease. He truly loved seeing her with her totema: how her features looked brighter and more beautiful, how her hair turned as white as snow, and how her eyes carried a special shine. The young tannin couldn’t help but smile back.

  But those beautiful pink lips—with a faint gloss—were what he adored most. Rodrigo couldn’t think of anything except touching them with his own. He blushed and turned away.

  “I have to say… your totema is… strange. That mask looks intimidating… but your eyes look very beautiful,” Epona replied with her usual smile.

  Rodrigo blushed even more and kept trying to look away while quietly appreciating the compliment.

  Epona chuckled softly.

  “It’s not my totema, but it told me its name was Ehécatl and that it came to protect me,” Rodrigo admitted, a bit embarrassed.

  Then, like lightning, a fireball appeared above them. The moment it faded, they saw it was Tania, arriving.

  Rodrigo and Tania finally locked eyes again after the incident in outer space. Even though Tania had never seen the young tannin wearing that totema, she recognized him immediately by his eyes.

  “Oh great, it’s Tania,” Epona muttered in a sour mood.

  “Hi, Epona. Sorry I’m not the person you were hoping for,” Tania replied with a smile.

  The Punic goddess landed beside Rodrigo and stared straight into his eyes, making him nervous.

  “You look really good with your totema, Rodrigo. Where did you get it?” Tania asked.

  “It isn’t mine. It showed up to protect me in my last fight,” Rodrigo answered.

  “Oh—something connected to your past, maybe?” Tania asked.

  “Possibly,” Rodrigo said.

  Tania looked into his eyes again and took a deep breath.

  “Rodrigo… I feel better now. My mind is clear. More than apologizing, I want to tell you this: I don’t care who or what you are—I trust you. I’ll fight beside you, shoulder to shoulder,” Tania told the young tannin, extending her hand.

  Rodrigo shook her hand. Then Tania quickly pulled him in and hugged him.

  “Thanks for helping me, Rodrigo.”

  Rodrigo was startled at first, but once it sank in, he hugged the goddess of Carthage back.

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  “Well, kids, we didn’t come here so you could fool around—save it for when we’re back at a tavern!” Athena’s voice rang out above them.

  Tania and Rodrigo separated and looked up. Athena and Horus were flying overhead.

  “Athena, Horus—I'm glad to see you!” Epona said with a smile.

  Horus stepped in front of Epona and placed his right hand on her shoulder.

  “I know you helped Mithras and Sol in their battle. I appreciate it,” the hawk god told the horse goddess.

  “Well, it was nothing… but I couldn’t help them in their last fight, and I had to leave them behind,” she replied pessimistically.

  “Don’t worry, Epona. They’re both fine—and because of that, Mithras was able to help my disciples,” Horus answered.

  “And Sol? Where is he?” Epona asked.

  “J-just here, Lady Epona,” came the nervous voice of the blond god, who was standing behind a hill.

  “Sol! I’m glad you’re okay,” the blond goddess said happily, wearing an angelic smile.

  The blond god immediately blushed.

  At that moment, all of Mars trembled, and a massive divine power could be felt—one that felt very similar to Ana’s.

  “Whose divine power is that? It’s enormous!” Athena asked, shocked.

  “It’s Ana’s power, I’m sure of it!” Epona shouted excitedly.

  “No… that can’t be Ana. That power is gigantic,” Tania said, stunned.

  The clouds raced across the sky and the sun moved unnaturally fast. The sky rapidly darkened. More than an hour had passed in mere seconds.

  Then Ana’s voice echoed in their minds:

  “Guys… I’m sorry. I’ll stay here.”

  And in that instant, they all felt her divine power shut off.

  Rodrigo immediately tried to fly toward Ana, but Tania grabbed his arm.

  “No, Rodrigo. We have to focus on our objective,” the goddess said.

  “Ana won’t die, Rodrigo. I’m sure of it,” Epona told him, as he lowered his head in frustration.

  “Incredible… she reached a divine power of that magnitude in a split second,” Horus said, amazed.

  “Guys—don’t lose sight of the goal. Ana is very strong, and I know she’ll be fine,” Athena said as she stepped in front of them and looked toward Areopagus with determination.

  The others nodded.

  Then the sky turned a deep crimson, and Ares’ voice boomed across the landscape.

  “Welcome, winners of my game. Congratulations on finding Areopagus, and on defeating ten of my strongest warriors,” Ares said.

  “I don’t know how you expected to stop us with warriors that weak, Ares. You’ve always been a loser—and you’re always destined to lose because you can’t think strategically,” Athena shouted.

  “It’s true, big sister… seems I’m destined to always lose to you. Or will this time be different?” Ares’ voice replied.

  “Tell us—where is Anpiel?” Epona demanded.

  “When you come to my palace, you’ll see him suspended above it—at the summit of the volcano that makes up this mountain. But even if you rescue him, you won’t be able to save him,” Ares answered.

  “What do you mean?” Tania asked.

  “I placed a Chronoxiphos sword over him. No matter where he goes or moves, the sword will follow. And when time runs out, it will pierce his heart,” Ares replied.

  “Then we’ll destroy the sword,” Epona said furiously.

  “The sword is an emanation of my divine energy. Unless you defeat me—or my ichor runs out—you won’t be able to destroy it,” Ares replied.

  “If what he says is true, then he’s right. Those swords used to be used to punish humanity when they lost faith in us. A kind of totalitarian blackmail—used by our kind against humans when we saw them as nothing but energy livestock,” Athena said.

  “Then that means we only have to destroy Ares,” Horus said.

  “Looks like it,” Athena replied.

  “You really think you can?” Ares said, amused. “Less than fifty minutes remain now.”

  “Why are you obsessed with Anpiel’s life? Tell us!” Epona shouted.

  “Why would I answer you, insignificant igigi?” Ares replied with a question.

  Epona clenched her teeth.

  “Don’t try to negotiate with him, Epona. He only understands blows—and that’s exactly what we’re going to give him,” Athena told the horse goddess.

  Ares sat back on his throne and opened his left hand. Inside, he still held the golden sphere he had seen earlier.

  He stared at it and thought: Just a little more.

  “Fine. I’ll wait for you here, seated on my throne. Don’t worry—I won’t move. Who will be the first to reach me? It’ll be interesting to see,” Ares said, ending the transmission and returning the sky to normal.

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