Ana and Tania had already been flying for several hours when they arrived at a massive city in the middle of the Martian desert. They had moved ahead of Khine and the malakim, who had stayed behind to face a group of monsters lying in ambush among the mountains.

  “We have to keep going and trust in their strength,” Tania said to Ana, who was the one most reluctant to leave them behind.

  At last, the two of them alone reached what appeared to be a city.

  White buildings resembling luxury condominiums stretched out before them, all aligned along what looked like the city’s main avenue. Ana and Tania were surprised to find such a magnificent city on the surface of Mars—it made the fragile structures on Palas look almost primitive by comparison.

  “Wow… these people really seem to like luxury,” Tania said as she walked along, observing the opulent residences.

  “Yes. I expected Ares—well, you know, a bloodthirsty god of war with no strategy—to be incapable of creating a civilization like this,” Ana replied.

  The city was completely empty. Most likely, its inhabitants had been evacuated to keep them from taking part in the war. Igigi and malakim probably lived here, along with their families.

  The goddesses continued forward until they reached what they assumed was the central plaza. It was rectangular, and at its center stood a gigantic fountain topped by an enormous statue of a vulture. Water poured from the creature’s beak, feeding the structure below.

  But even more astonishing was what stood to the left of it: a colossal Egyptian sphinx. White with golden accents, it towered above them. Its face bore a chilling expression—serious, sorrowful, as if it were silently weeping. The structure was so immense that the goddesses couldn’t even see where it ended.

  “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Areópago were nearby,” Tania said, admiring the sphinx.

  “I’m afraid I must disappoint you. Areópago lies very far from here. This city is merely the residential villa for the servants and personnel of our lord, the great Ares,” a voice said from atop the sphinx. The speaker couldn’t be seen due to the statue’s height.

  “Who’s there?” Tania asked.

  “Show yourself!” Ana commanded.

  A man leapt down from the top of the great sphinx, landing on the ground with one hand braced against the floor. His skin was very dark, and his hair was a striking reddish color, like a burning sunset, braided tightly. His eyes were crimson, matching his hair. He wore a golden crown, his chest bare, and a skirt-like golden armor with white fabric flowing from its sides. Golden bands adorned his wrists and ankles, and a massive yellow cape billowed behind him.

  “Greetings, beautiful ladies. My name is Mahrem, the Ethiopian god of war—and I am Keres number seven. I’ve already equipped my totema, because I do not underestimate you in the slightest,” the god said as he straightened up.

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  “I’m Tania, and this girl here is Ana. We’re introducing ourselves since you had the courtesy to do so,” replied the fire-haired goddess.

  “Tania and Ana? Strange. I was certain you were the goddess Tanit and Morrigan,” the Ethiopian god said.

  “There it is again… that name,” Ana muttered, covering her face with her left hand.

  “These are our human names, and we’d like you to use them when referring to us,” Tania said firmly.

  “Of course, Tania and Ana. They’ll be the names engraved on the gravestones I raise for you once you die here,” Mahrem replied coldly.

  “How thoughtful,” Ana said dryly.

  The god hunched forward and summoned two extremely curved swords into his hands—so curved they resembled sickles.

  “These blades are called shotelai,” he said.

  “With them, I’ll decapitate you swiftly, so you won’t suffer much.”

  Ana placed a hand on Tania’s shoulder.

  “Leave this one to me. You keep searching for Areópago. We can’t rely on anything this guy tells us,” said the dark-haired goddess.

  “Will you be alright?” Tania asked.

  “Of course. I’ve grown very strong with my intensive training. This guy means nothing to me,” Ana replied.

  “Alright. I’ll leave him to you,” Tania said, turning her back and moving away.

  “I see you’re overconfident—but I won’t let anyone leave this place,” Mahrem said as he hurled one of his swords at Tania.

  Before the blade could even come close to the Punic goddess, Ana blocked it with a shield formed from her dark wings. Applying a bit of pressure, she shattered it instantly.

  “How did you destroy my sacred blade?” the Ethiopian god demanded.

  “Mahrem, right? I already told you—I’m far stronger than you,” Ana answered calmly.

  “Then try to withstand this!” the god shouted, lunging toward Ana’s neck while spinning to gain momentum.

  His blade struck Ana’s neck—but it couldn’t even leave a bruise.

  “They’re sacred blades! The weakness of a Saturn-aligned goddess like Morrigan!” he shouted in frustration.

  “Weren’t you going to call me Ana?” the goddess asked.

  “Yes. Sacred weapons are my weakness—if they’re strong enough to defeat me. Your divine level is far too low. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to defeat you here,” Ana continued coolly.

  The Ethiopian god leapt backward and began spinning like a top, shouting:

  “Yeduri āwilo nifasi (—Violent tornado— in Ahramic)!”

  He spun so violently that a tornado formed at his feet, tearing apart everything around him. Even the massive sphinx behind him crumbled into pieces despite its size.

  “Wow… destroying this plaza feels like such a waste,” Ana remarked.

  The god spun faster and faster. The tornado became a blinding white column of wind.

  Suddenly, it vanished.

  Mahrem reappeared like lightning in front of Ana, sword drawn, and shouted:

  “Nech’i negodigwadi yimetali (—Strike of the white lightning— in Ahramic)!”

  The stored energy erupted, creating multiple white vortices that obliterated everything around them. The once-beautiful plaza now looked like the ruins of an ancient civilization.

  Ana simply leapt over the attack.

  “Now it’s my turn,” she said midair, summoning her sword, Dyrnwyn.

  Gripping it with both hands, she struck the ground with a devastating slash that cleaved through the Ethiopian god. The impact unleashed a wave of dark energy that completely destroyed the great sphinx behind him. Its massive face crashed to the ground, staring upward with a terrifying expression.

  “So… s-strong…” the god muttered, his body split from his right shoulder down to his waist.

  His severed halves collapsed beside each other as he lost consciousness. Ana dismissed her sword.

  “Was he that weak… or have I just become that strong?” the goddess wondered.

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