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"Two suitable candidates? If we combine their skills—we should be able to forge a perfect God Cloth, shouldn't we?" Saori said thoughtfully.
"No, no, no!" Mika shook his head, waving his hands dismissively. "We can only choose one—not both." Gabriel nodded in agreement.
"Why?" Saori asked, puzzled.
"When forging a Divine artifact like a God Cloth—it's best to have only one smith God involved. After all, two individuals—especially Gods, with different styles and—strong personalities, would find it difficult to reach a consensus."
Mika could already envision Hephaestus and Goibniu clashing over the design—even though forging a God Cloth was a rare opportunity, even for them.
After all, it required incredibly rare materials—many of which, based on Gabriel's blueprints, came from other worlds. Facing such a project—a collaboration between worlds, even a smith God would be—enthusiastic, to say the least.
"Besides, their skills might not be as—refined as we'd like. We'll need to provide them with guidance and resources—which will be costly. And we're not just creating one or two God Cloths, but potentially many more. We need to be—strategic with our resource allocation."
"Furthermore," he added, puffing out his chest slightly, "There's only one assistant position available for this project, and that position—is mine."
"So that's the real reason," Gabriel chuckled, seeing through his pretense.
While Mika might claim it was about efficiency—she knew he wouldn't relinquish the assistant's position to anyone.
This stemmed not only from his passion for forging but also his thirst for knowledge. Participating in such a project would be an invaluable learning experience. And having another—more skilled smith God involved would only hinder his own progress.
"Besides, choosing just one—simplifies things," she added with a smile.
Yahweh—as the most powerful Goddess in Orario, wasn't afraid of any God. And both she and Mika had grown significantly stronger during their journeys to other worlds.
While the Gods of Orario had always varied in strength—there had never been such a clear hierarchy. However, Yahweh had now truly surpassed them all. She was the strongest.
But even so, she didn't want to reveal Mika's ability to travel between worlds to the other Gods. She was well aware of their—whimsical nature.
Such a revelation would disrupt her peaceful existence.
They would all want to join his journeys, and if refused, they would undoubtedly cause trouble. While she was powerful enough to suppress them, Orario wasn't lacking in Gods with a penchant for—scheming.
And a conflict between Gods could have devastating consequences for the lower world.
Humanity would suffer—their stories overshadowed by the Gods' power struggles. Neither Mika nor Yahweh wanted that. And Mika had many human friends in Orario; they, too, could be caught in the crossfire. It was, after all, his home.
Neither of them wanted to destroy it, especially since there was a less destructive, more—subtle approach.
For instance, bringing this Hephaestus under their control, making her—an asset.
After all, Yahweh was now the strongest. Recruiting a few subordinates shouldn't be a problem, and while she had always been a solitary figure, she was also a capable leader.
Astraea—the Goddess of Justice—whose Familia was renowned throughout Orario, was already under Yahweh's control.
After Mika's return from the Type-Moon world, Yahweh, having glimpsed the deeper mysteries of that universe, had realized a simple truth:
[There was always someone stronger.]
As Mika grew more powerful, so too would his enemies. She suspected that by the time he was strong enough to take her on his journeys—her own power, compared to his adversaries, would be—insignificant. She couldn't offer much assistance on her own. And she was already the strongest in her world.
Therefore, she had begun considering the possibility of building her own—network, of gathering allies for Mika. If one wasn't enough, then she would simply recruit more.
Besides, having experienced the power systems of other worlds, and the rapid growth they offered, she believed Orario's Gods also possessed vast—untapped potential.
She had chosen Astraea as her first target—a decision based on careful consideration.
They had battled in Heaven, during the Gods' War for territory—and Astraea had proven to be a formidable opponent.
Moreover, her personality was—agreeable, unlike Loki and Freya, those troublemakers Yahweh hadn't even considered.
Furthermore, the members of the Astraea Familia were all quite talented, though currently too weak to pose a threat to Mika, Airmid, and Mellie. And they were on good terms with Mika and his Familia.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Yahweh had chosen Astraea. And that was why she had been so cautious. Once her alliance grew stronger, she could afford to be more—direct. They would have the power to protect themselves.
——
Having chosen her target, she had acted swiftly, persuading (or rather, coercing) Astraea into submission.
Astraea—though slightly annoyed by Yahweh's methods, hadn't truly resisted. After all, she had once served Zeus in Heaven—during their war for territory. While that allegiance had been short-lived, becoming Yahweh's subordinate wasn't…unpleasant.
Besides—she was intrigued by Yahweh's tales of other worlds.
——
"That's unexpected," Mika said, stunned, after hearing about Yahweh's recent activities from Gabriel. "As expected of her…" He had never doubted Yahweh's power—but to bring another God under her control…it was a bold move.
He and Astraea were on good terms. While he had always respected her as a Goddess, their relationship had now shifted. She was now Yahweh's subordinate, which, in a way, made her his subordinate as well.
To have such a noble and virtuous Goddess serving under him… While he had considered such a possibility—seeing it become reality was still somewhat—surreal.
The world was changing. His own influence had grown exponentially in such a short time.
"So, it's Hephaestus, then," Gabriel said with a smile, seeing his thoughtful expression. She had chosen Hephaestus over Goibniu without hesitation.
After all, besides Mika, Yahweh's Familia consisted entirely of women. Adding a male God to the mix would be—awkward. And for Yahweh, one—unique companion was enough.
"Hephaestus…" Mika recalled the red-haired Goddess of Orario. She played a significant role in the Danmachi story, a close friend of Hestia—Bell Cranel's Goddess.
She was also the Creator of the weapon that would accompany Bell throughout his journey. Mika was quite familiar with her. He was also good friends with Tsubaki Collbrande—the master smith of the Hephaestus Familia. They had even ventured into the dungeon together on several occasions.
"Hephaestus it is, then."
"I'm counting on you, then," Mika said with a smile.
He had no doubts about Yahweh's ability to—persuade Hephaestus. She was a cunning strategist, and with Astraea's assistance, her plan would undoubtedly succeed.
"When are we returning to Orario?" Gabriel asked, eager to begin.
Saori looked at Mika expectantly.
He had promised to take her to another world. And since he could control the flow of time during his travels, she wasn't worried about leaving Sanctuary.
"Let's wait a bit longer. I'd like to—refine my skills a bit more," Mika said, recalling his battles against the other Gold Saints.
"Very well," Gabriel and Saori agreed. For them, a few more days were insignificant. There was no need to rush.
They left, and Mika, after absorbing the knowledge he had gained from his recent battles, resumed his training. His power continued to grow.
——
With such excellent sparring partners at his disposal, Mika didn't even want to leave Sanctuary. After all, battling Gold Saints was—exhilarating.
With their Gold Cloths protecting them, they could fight anywhere, regardless of the environment:
The Surface of the Sun—Exploding Planets—even Black Holes.
They had battled in all sorts of extreme locations, pushing each other to their limits.
And as Mika grew stronger, these duels were no longer limited to one-on-one matches. Any Gold Saint seeking a challenge could join him; he was happy to provide the—arena.
It was in this competitive environment that the Gold Saints' power increased dramatically. They learned from each other, exploiting weaknesses and refining their techniques.
Mika, watching their progress, couldn't help but look forward to the upcoming Holy War. He wondered how Hades's army would fare against such a powerful force. "It will be—interesting," he mused with a smile.
"Interesting, you say?" a voice asked curiously from beside him.
Startled, Mika turned and saw a figure clad in a Gold Cloth, their face hidden by a mask, a feature unique to female Saints.
It was Alfia—wearing the Libra Gold Cloth.
The other Gold Saints had initially been surprised by her presence, but they had grown accustomed to it, even impressed by her rapid progress. In just a few months, since awakening her Cosmo, she had reached a level comparable to Aiolia's.
It was astonishing.
However, Mika wasn't surprised.
This was the expected growth rate for Alfia—a prodigy whose talent had been acknowledged even by the Gods.
If not for her illness, she might have even been the one to slay the Black Dragon. Now, free from her weakened body, and having embarked on a path even greater than Falna, her true potential was finally being unleashed.
While the Seventh Sense granted immense power—Alfia's potential was far greater. She had once been capable of transcending the limits of Falna and achieving Godhood. And Mika believed she could still achieve it. Therefore, the Seventh Sense was merely a stepping stone for her.
"Just thinking about some—interesting possibilities," Mika replied with a smile.
"After this training, my skills, both physical and mental, have reached a—satisfactory level. I've reached a plateau for now. I'm planning to return to Orario."
"Returning?" Alfia couldn't help but feel a pang of…homesickness. It had been a while since she had last seen her world.
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