The light around Astraea dimmed slowly as her form faded, leaving me alone with the obsidian mirror pulsing in my chest. Her final words still echoed in my ears.
"When the gods fall, the echoes are felt across the stars."
With a breath, I willed the mirror to open the way again. The air shimmered like heat waves over scorched earth, swirling into a vortex of shadow and light.
"I walk the path of dominion, bearer of conquered might—open the veil that separates realms. By Authority, I command: Return."
The Authority responded, golden glyphs spinning around me before pulling my body into the fold of space. The journey back was shorter this time. The world reassembled around me like shards of stained glass snapping into place.
I stood once more at the edge of Kuoh Town.
Everything felt… quieter. The town hadn't changed, but I had. I bore the weight of another god's myth, another divine concept bound to my soul. Zeus's Authority crackled beneath my skin like a sleeping storm.
I pulled my hoodie tighter and walked toward the school. My presence was already being felt. Subtle shifts in the supernatural air. Whispers.
The devils had noticed.
At the gates of Kuoh Academy, two figures waited.
Akeno, in her usual calm elegance, gave me a soft smile. Koneko, ever the stoic one, simply stared—eyes narrowed.
"You've been gone for three days," Akeno said.
"Not exactly a vacation," I muttered.
Rias was waiting in the clubroom, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. But her aura betrayed her relief.
"You vanished into the Dimensional Gap," she said. "And came back with something… louder."
I didn't reply. The mirror inside me pulsed once, and her eyes narrowed.
"You killed another god, didn't you?"
"…Zeus."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Even Kiba stopped polishing his sword.
"Of this world?" Rias asked carefully.
"No. Another version. Another world. But his death… it ripples. Your Zeus will feel it soon enough."
She looked at me like she was staring into the future—uncertain and dark.
"You're becoming a beacon," she said. "The more you kill, the more they'll come. Some to stop you. Some to test you."
"I know," I said. "Let them come."
There was a knock on the door.
The room tensed.
Xenovia and Irina stepped in, both of them looking battle-ready.
"Church got word," Xenovia said. "A divine resonance from Olympus shook the Vatican's wards. They think a war is coming."
"And they think it's my fault?"
Irina gave me a hesitant smile. "Let's just say they're watching."
I sighed, then stood. "I didn't start this war. But if they want it…"
Golden sparks danced at my fingertips.
"By storm's dominion and sky's wrath—Authority of the Thunder King, awaken."
Lightning cracked outside the window.
"…I'll finish it."
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