The God of the West Wind silently reflected, and before him, faced with Zephyrus's suggestion, Hera resolutely refused.
In some respects, the Heavenly Empress and Zeus truly shared similarities; neither could be regarded as a standard definition of a good person, yet neither lacked the courage to confront danger.
Before the Divine King revealed his strength, she had dared to stand here, and now that Zeus clearly had the upper hand, she had no thoughts of retreat. However, looking at the God of the West Wind beside her, Hera's gaze softened.
"The Divine King will remember your loyalty, Zephyrus, and compared to the other deities, you have proven yourself with your actions," she said.
"Perhaps you are not as naturally powerful as some deities, but in the era of faith, that is not an issue. The Divine King once told me that the status of the gods should rise and fall by his command, not by natural strength or weakness... Perhaps you are worthy of a higher position."
"...This is merely my duty, Your Majesty," he said.
Taking a deep breath, the God of the West Wind bowed once more, his heart filled with tremendous excitement. A correct choice in the Second Era elevated him to possess Intermediate Divine Power, truly entering the upper echelons of the gods, and now another choice laid the path of Great Divine Power before him.
Even considering the Heavenly Empress's intent, perhaps he might also have a chance to sit in one of those twelve principal godly thrones?
Lost in his reverie, Zephyrus stood by Hera's side like a guard. The battle in the sky grew more intense, but Mother Earth's decline became increasingly evident. The God of the West Wind silently awaited the end of it all. However, at a certain moment, a nameless terror surged within Zephyrus's heart.
He abruptly looked up, searching for the source of danger, yet despite looking around, he saw nothing.
Everything was the same as before, as though it was merely an illusion. But the growing sense of fear in his heart told him that something was definitely happening.
"This is..."
Unlike the restricted battle on the Great Earth, in the vastness of space, several star domains were ripped apart in a blink, numerous celestial bodies turned to dust. However, the force that had just collided retracted immediately after contact, moving on to further reaches.
Perhaps it happened a few times, or perhaps thousands of times. At some moment, on the very edge of the starry sky, close to a realm beyond the world, those two inscrutable forces finally differed ever so slightly in might.
Rip—
With the last sound fading, Laine's figure emerged. The colors black and white dissipated from his hands, and opposite him, Erebus also stood, only the torn edges of his clothing testified to the result of their recent clash.
Clearly, in the brief encounter, for the first time, the power between the two Ancient Gods had shifted.
"After making up for the deficiencies of Divine Power, so this is the strength of 'Spirituality' at this moment... No, if not for that authority which split from the 'Cycle' of power, meant to end all things, you wouldn't be much stronger than me," Erebus reflected.
The Divine Power flowed, and the torn edges of the garment were mended. Erebus seemed to show no displeasure about having lost a move just now.
"But this is just the beginning," he said calmly.
With a calm demeanor, Laine simply stated the facts.
"The first era we met, your power was such, and now, it remains the same. For millions of years, it has almost never changed," he observed.
"Perhaps, as the world's Source Power rose, the 'quantity' of your power increased, but your 'symbolic' ratio in the world has not changed in the slightest. However, within the domain of the latter half of Great Divine Power, this is far more important than the mere accumulation of 'quantity.'
As Laine said, if in the first half of Great Divine Power it might be possible for 'the world to elevate, and the deities to rise with the tide,' in the latter half, such ease would no longer be found.