Chapter 203: Eris

"Ugh... sir h-hero, please forgive me..." Isabella's desperate plea echoed in the confined space as she found herself pinned against the unyielding wall.

The hand around her neck, firm and unyielding, sent shivers down her spine.

Though she sensed that Adrian wasn't exerting his full strength, the threat of imminent danger lingered.

A casual closure of his hands, and her head could easily part from her body.

His strength surpassed that of ordinary knights, placing him in a league of his own.

Adrian, unmoved by her desperate entreaty, regarded her with emotionless eyes. Despite Isabella's tear-streaked face and the evident struggle for breath, his anger overrode any sympathy he might have felt.

"Tell me, why did you try to charm me?" Adrian's voice, icy and detached, cut through the tense air.

Isabella, panic gripping her, frantically sought an excuse that would satisfy the hero's inquiry.

The weight of the moment pressed upon her; failure to provide a plausible answer could mean the end of her existence.

In the relentless gaze of the hero, she grappled with the gravity of the situation. The fact remained that she had attempted to control him, an act that warranted explanation.

Even if she was the apostle of love trying to harm the hero was something that not even the pope or the saintess can afford.

Isabella found herself trapped in a labyrinth of possibilities, each escape route closing off as quickly as it appeared.

Attempting to shift the blame to the pope would only complicate matters, as Adrian could easily verify the authenticity of such claims.

The excuse of mere attraction felt feeble and insincere, a weak defense for a manipulative act. Her mind raced, desperately searching for a plausible explanation.

As the grip on her neck tightened, Isabella's struggle for breath intensified.

The wall against her back offered no reprieve, and panic surged through her as the impending threat of death loomed.

In a moment of desperation, she decided to divulge a truth, albeit one carefully crafted to protect herself.

"I—I just... wanted to see her..." she gasped, coughing as she fought to articulate her words.

"See who?" Adrian's cold inquiry hung in the air, demanding clarity.

"T-the beautiful lady... Inside of you..." Isabella managed to utter, her words strained and breathless. The admission, whether true or fabricated, hung heavy in the air. The grip on her neck showed no signs of relenting, and Isabella's vision began to blur as the lack of air took its toll.

Sensing the critical point, Adrian released his hold on her, and Isabella crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath between intense fits of coughing.

"Cough... Cough..."

Adrian, far from showing mercy, knelt down and seized her by the hair, forcing her to look at him. The realization that she was blind didn't deter him; all he saw was a woman who had attempted to manipulate and control him.

"You—what did you say? What did you see?" Adrian interrogated, his aggression evident in the firm grip on her hair.

"Ugh... ah!" Isabella winced, caught between the pain inflicted by Adrian's grip and the necessity to reveal the truth or a carefully crafted version of it

....

"T-the beautiful lady... Inside of you..."

Isabella's words hung in the air, an unexpected revelation that sent a shockwave through Adrian's consciousness. The tension in the room escalated as he grappled with the significance of her statement.

A beautiful lady inside of him? The notion seemed preposterous, an impossibility that clashed with the boundaries of mortal understanding.

The realization hit Adrian like a sudden storm, the questions swirling in his mind. How could this woman claim to see a beautiful lady within him?

The connection he shared with his mother transcended mere mortal comprehension; it was a bond that delved deep into the very essence of their souls.

Only beings of divine nature, equal or superior to his mother, could perceive the intricate details of their connection. Apostles like Isabella were far from possessing such insight.

Confusion and disbelief etched across Adrian's face as he grappled with the implications. Could this blind apostle truly see the essence of people?

The pressure became palpable, a convergence of celestial energies seeking to restrain him.

A dangerous dance unfolded in the sacred space, where the very fabric of divine influence tangled with mortal choices.

Adrian felt the weight of the divine forces bearing down on him.

Casting a glance down at Isabella, who remained lost in thought after their intense interrogat- 'conversation' Adrian contemplated on what to do with her, but seeing as she was fine for now, Adrian chose to ignore her.

'It seems the law of causality only allows them to restrain me and keep me in here for the time being' he mused, a realization dawning upon him.

The goddess's hesitance to engage in a confrontational war with his family underscored the precarious balance in the divine realm.

'Even though the gods backing her up can probably put up a good fight' Adrian thought the goddess's entire pantheon was weak, but seeing all of these hidden gods here his opinion of them slightly rose up.

'Let's test something, shall we?'

With a swift motion, Adrian coated his hands with aura, crafting an aura blade that hummed with otherworldly energy.

'If the balance isn't enough how about I'll give them the balance they need'

Raising the blade, he aimed to cut Isabella.

'Now save your apostle oh dear goddess of love' Adrian mused as he looked at the pink glowing statue.

Then with a subtle glance at the goddess's statue he smirked.

'I wonder if your... oh so dear queen will allow it'

Before the blade could reach its intended destination, the brilliance of light enveloped him entirely.

If there was no means of escape it's better to create one.

Adrian smiled as he saw his surroundings change.

.....

"S-sir hero, this is..." As Isabella woke up from her stupor, confusion etched across her face. She surveyed her surroundings, her senses overwhelmed by an intensity she had never experienced in her entire life.

The gods' reactions were unprecedented, the divine energy coursing through the sacred space enough to make even her, an apostle accustomed to such energies, feel nauseous.

The damage inflicted on her spirit when Adrian broke free from her charm left her soul struggling to adapt to the escalating divine atmosphere.

As she tried to regain her bearings, the ground quivered beneath her, and the light emanating from the goddess's statue intensified to an almost blinding level.

Instinctively, Isabella shielded her eyes with her hands, attempting to shield herself from the overwhelming radiance.

In the midst of her efforts, a sudden impact struck her abdomen, knocking the breath out of her.

Dazed and disoriented, she strained to comprehend the unfolding events.

Poof...!

The sound was almost drowned out by the divine symphony surrounding her. Isabella felt a sensation of weightlessness, as if something had whisked her away from the tumultuous scene.

Struggling to stay conscious, she attempted to open her eyes, catching a glimpse of the goddess statue looking down upon her with an inscrutable gaze.

Adrian was nowhere to be seen, and before her eyes could fully close, Isabella succumbed to unconsciousness, engulfed by the divine tumult that surrounded her.

....

"Well, well and here I thought you were too afraid to do anything.... Long time no see bitch"

In front of me was the goddess it's been quite some time since I've seen that pretty face.

"You...."

Judging from the pulsating veins in her head she wasn't at all that happy to see me.