By now, even Briseis, the weakest among them, was circling Night in a panic, wanting to help but not knowing how to ease his pain.
In fact, although Night was covered in blood, the situation was far less dire than it looked, and his dragon-born regenerative abilities were already kicking in.
Had Athena's healing been a second later, he would have likely healed himself anyway.
Still, Night maintained a calm expression. "I'm fine..."
He even turned to comfort Briseis and the others, smiling. "Now that what needed to be done is finished, let's—"
Before he could finish, the air began to heat up, turning scorching and suffocating.
Athena, perched on Night's shoulder, suddenly stiffened and a word left her beak that caused everyone's expression to change: "A god!"
It seemed that everything that had transpired here had not just been witnessed by the three of them, but by others as well.
Another god had descended.
"This scorching aura... even the earth itself seems to be crackling under the heat."
"It's the Sun God, no doubt about it!" Athena's voice echoed in their minds.
The group felt a chill despite the rising heat.
The Sun God?
Radiance spilled from the distant horizon, carving a path filled with golden light.
Then, amidst the searing glow,
Night, Achilles, and the others witnessed a scene of absolute wonder.
It was a chariot—four horses emitting a warmth and light as dazzling as the sun itself were pulling a carriage built of pure gold.
Night: Helios, the Sun God?
Unlike Apollo, who only held partial aspects of the sun's domain, this was the genuine, authentic Sun God.
Before the chariot had even descended to the human realm,
He felt the heat become unbearable.
The atmosphere rose in temperature, and the greenery around them began to wither, turning yellow and scorched before their eyes; some trees even began to ignite spontaneously.
Just as Athena was about to manifest and rebuke the visitor, the radiant chariot vanished!
However, the divine pressure remained locked over the land.
Then, a deep, resonant masculine voice rang out from behind them.
"Hero Griffith!"
What?!
They turned around and were met by the sight of a handsome young man.
According to the myths, he was a youth of striking features, sometimes appearing in a purple robe that symbolized nobility.
However, the Helios who had arrived on his chariot now stood before them with the powerful, muscular physique of a warrior and a set of battle armor.
His heroic and impressive appearance was so refined that, had they not already seen what Ares looked like, they might have mistaken him for the War God himself at first glance.
"Helios! Why have you come?"
Athena could no longer remain passive, leaping down from Night's shoulder and transforming back into a beautiful goddess as she blocked Griffith, refusing to take a single step back.
His intentions were far too obvious, heading straight for Griffith. She couldn't help but wonder if this was another immortal arriving with the exact same stubborn fixation as that idiot Ares.
Helios offered a calm explanation. "There is no need to be so defensive against me, Athena. I was merely passing through the heavens when I happened to witness some interesting scenes, prompting my descent. You must understand that even if I never actively try to pry, driving the solar chariot across the sky every day always lets me notice plenty of sights that normal mortals miss entirely."
Helios's words allowed Athena to lower her guard slightly, though it was only a tiny fraction. After all, this god truly was a man with far too much free time on his hands. Even though he was responsible for driving the solar chariot around the Greek world every single day to ensure the sun rose and set, the horses had long been trained on a fixed route, allowing Helios to completely let go of the reins and freely admire the beauties of the human realm.
It was said that when the War God Ares and the Goddess of Beauty were caught red-handed by Hephaestus during their affair, it was this very Sun God who had leaked the secret. He had looked through the sunlight illuminating the forge palace, witnessing Ares and the Goddess of Beauty inside the temple. It could be said that wherever the sun shined, this god saw everything.
Of course, although his ears and eyes could span the globe, his individual energy was limited, meaning he obviously wouldn't focus on every minor detail occurring in the world at all times. But this absolute restriction did not include the current theater of Greece.
Within the Greek camp favored by the heavens, the massive commotion previously stirred up by Ares and Athena had captured everyone's attention, a curiosity that had built up ever since the clash between Artemis and Athena a few days prior. The gods were all highly curious about the subsequent development of events, prompting Helios to pay closer attention, never expecting he would actually discover a scene like this.
"Hero Griffith!" the Sun God Helios called out once more.
Knowing that avoidance was utterly useless, Night finally stepped forward this time. As long as the visitor wasn't an completely uncommunicative god like the War God, he was still willing to attempt a dialogue.
Night offered a subtle bow, his tone remarkably calm. "Great Sun God Helios, what instructions do you have for me by calling my name?"
While he didn't know the exact reason for the Sun God's arrival, he only hoped this encounter wouldn't turn into a forced wrestling match like the one with Ares.
Helios merely expressed his open admiration. "I saw it, I saw everything. From your contest against Achilles to that noble sacrifice, tearing the armor straight from your flesh! Even the radiance of the sun is awed by it. What a pitiable, yet profoundly noble human."
The Sun God's gaze held a trace of pity, but he quickly realized that feeling pity for such a noble soul felt like an insult to his character. That proud spirit, willing to sacrifice everything for his ideals, his bond with a friend, and the resolve to defeat a fierce rival at his absolute best, was a warrior's light that brooked no desecration. In an era dominated by selfishness, where heroes displayed their greed without a single shred of shame, how could such a pure soul still exist?
Precisely because he sat high in the heavens upon the sun, witnessing far too many underhanded human schemes, he could truly appreciate how incredibly precious Night's will was.
"Let me ask you, Griffith, are you not worried?" Helios suddenly spoke.
"Worried about what?" Night countered.
"Peeling that armor away from your powerful body, leaving your limbs at risk of tearing apart from the sheer force of the separation, suffering such a horrific injury! Do you feel no fear at all? Furthermore, you might have to face Achilles at his absolute peak and fully armored in the future while you are in a weaker state without the divine artifact. Do you not fear losing?"
Helios believed that every warrior's heart naturally yearned for victory. Just like the moment Night won his match against Achilles earlier, the genuine joy that rushed from his heart was unmistakable. He had seen far too many heroes lose themselves and resort to any underhanded method just to secure a win and chase after glory. Yet Griffith had done the exact opposite.
Faced with the Sun God's confusion and questioning, amidst the pairs of eyes looking over and waiting eagerly for an answer, Achilles also stared intently at Night's back. He desperately wanted to know the inner thoughts of this man, still caught in a lingering sense of awe that felt as vivid as if it had happened just a second ago.
Night slowly closed his eyes, feeling the gentle breeze brush against his face, carrying a faint warmth from the previous heat of the sun that brought an inexplicable sense of peace and conviction.
.
.
.
(End of the Chapter)