Tyler narrowed his eyes. "Are you talking about a divorce? Is that even a thing among gods and goddesses?""Yes," Ixchel replied with a sly smile. "You can call it anything as long as rejection happens. Forever. Are you very attached to Tezcat?""You even dubbed the girl with a modern human name," the goddess added with a snigger. "Normally, we don't allow our partners to cross such boundaries. I can't imagine how hard she must have already fallen for you. But nothing is forever."Tyler furrowed his brows with concern. The jaguar goddess' repetition of the word 'forever' raised many red flags. He also wondered if love could really blossom between a couple formed from a divine shotgun marriage."Modern names are like leashes, son," Butch chimed in. "Goddesses usually live in their dominions, coming down only to bless and protect their followers and devotees. Sometimes they entertain themselves with humans but never stoop to their levels.""If Tezcatlipoca really accepted your given nam
Goliath's maniacal cackles echoed throughout the hilltop in El Abyssium. His evil aura expanded like a dark, suffocating blanket, striking terror into the hearts of Natalie, Gina, and Britta. They were frozen in place and time, but their proximity to Kat allowed them to perceive what was happening.Even the Green Monk's followers were overcome with despair. They had been led to believe all these decades that their lord and savior was a benevolent god who'd shower them with rewards after coming to power. Their fantasies were rudely shattered when it was revealed that Goliath was a horseman of the apocalypse—the bringer of the world's destruction.The old biblical villain had sacrificed innocent lives for centuries to resurrect himself. After taking damage from Indra's Vajra, he didn't even think twice before consuming dozens of his followers to regenerate. Humans were indispensable pawns and feeding stock for the monster.Kat was most devastated by the recent chain of events. Goliath h
Kat landed safely on the ground, instantly turning into her pink panther form. With breakneck speed, she circled the villain, looking for an opening.Goliath was a very powerful being, but his somewhat mortal body limited him. After Tyler cut off his penile arm, he was instantly weakened and had to eat his followers to regenerate.Kat's beast paws were strong enough to damage the old man's mutated body. If she clawed at him repeatedly, he would eventually run out of regeneration juice. A beheading at that stage would probably be fatal—she hoped.Kat found a sudden opening and bounded towards her target. She pounced at his retreating tentacle to lop it off with her claws.Boom! Goliath's monstrous tentacle mutated instantly, turning into a blunt arm. It lengthened and shot out, landing a heavy punch into the goddess' midsection.Blegh! Kat crashed into the ground, cracking the hill surface. She tried to get up instantly, instead retching blood. Her internal organs were all damaged, and
"No, this is impossible!" Goliath screamed in agony, struggling to recover his damaged body. "I banished you from El Abyssium! There's no way you could enter my dominion without permission!"Tyler offered him no answer. However, a realization dawned upon Goliath on scrutinizing the shimmering portal behind the young man."That looks like a time recall portal! It can't be! I can't even imagine how you managed to find a gate and a copious amount of energy. No human being could achieve such a miraculous feat alone by himself!""He isn't alone," a voice boomed on the hilltop. Another figure exited the mystical doorway and came into view. Goliath's jaw almost dropped to the ground in disbelief. The stranger was none other than another Tyler Grant.The ancient man's eyes darted back and forth between the two identical individuals. They were spitting images of the man he knew as the new Seraphim King, Tyler Grant. They did not even differ in their mannerisms and voices. What was going on?Th
Tyler shook his head in frustration and turned to leave. "I must go back and rescue Yara first," he said urgently. Britta caught up to the young man, grabbed his shoulder, and turned him around. "You're not leaving until we have a proper talk!" Tyler rudely slapped her hand off his body. "You saved me once, and I rescued you back! Now, we are even and don't need to see each other's faces again!" He was really pissed at Britta for dragging Natalie, Gina, and Yara into the El Abyssium mess. They wouldn't have to go through the Goliath trauma if it weren't for her. Thousands of innocent lives would have been saved as well. Moreover, Yara was still missing, but Britta insisted on talking. Did the Salvatore girl really possess a human heart? Did she think the world revolved around her? "Is this about the other girls and the armies of Sapphire City?" she retorted. "I didn't invite them to come to the battlefield! Your friends did!" "So, is it my fault?" Tyler demanded impatiently. Was
"Who is Tyler to YOU?" Kat asked Britta out of the blue. "And what are YOU to him?" The goddess was in her pink panther form with the young woman riding on her back. The duo were on the outskirts of El Abyssium, on their way to rescue Yara Mathews on Tyler's behalf. "What? I don't understand," Britta replied, confused by the goddess' choice of words. What was she hinting at? "He is nothing to me technically. Neither am I anything to him." "Don't lie to me!" Kat fired back sharply. She remembered their exchange quite vividly. "I was watching you two from a distance outside the gate. It was an intimate conversation between familiar people." "Actual tears, emotional outbursts, and rude words were shared. Do not fool me, mortal. It didn't look like nothing to me!" Britta was momentarily baffled by the goddess' anger. "So, I ask you again, Britta Salvatore of the Sapphire lands—what relationship exists between you and Tyler Grant? It is a simple question, demanding a direct answer." T
The Salvatore beauty shook her head, hanging onto the panther's saddle dearly. Kat's gallop was becoming unstable now that she was having a lively conversation with her rider."You don't understand. It was my job to make sure Tyler didn't get into trouble. My grandpa, the previous Seraphim King, imposed the painful duty on me.""I can assure you I have no romantic interest in Tyler! Anyway, don't deflect the question, dear goddess! Tell me about the secret marriage and divorce! That's news to me!"Kat sighed heavily. Her voice was sad but dreamy. "Our union wasn't established by legal paper or legitimized by mortal rituals. It was a divine marriage, a mystical contract between man and goddess.""Oh?" Britta exclaimed in surprise, recalling knowledge of the subject. Goddesses couldn't ordinarily marry human beings. Seraphim Kings were the exceptions.People like Tyler Grant and Butch Salvatore could tie the knot with a goddess of their choice if there were consent from either party. Ho
The Salvatore girl’s straightforward words delivered a knockout punch to Kat. Her grip loosened suddenly, allowing the victim to slip out of her grasp. Britta scurried away from her attacker, gasping for breath. The goddess suddenly looked like her actual age—a coming-of-age teenager. Tears welled in her eyes. "I don't know why he rejected me… But… But I'm sure there was a good reason…" Britta doubled down, realizing she had the upper hand now. "Let me give you the reason, innocent goddess! Do you know what kind of women lust after Tyler? An international pop singer! A billionaire heiress! A goddamn princess!" "Your ex-husband loves their attention and feeds on their one-sided love! But he always seeks someone new to quench his thirst. No wonder Tyler divorced you. Maybe he just got bored hanging around with a stupid goddess!" "Shut up!" Kat growled, raising her clawed hand threateningly. "Shutting me up won't change the truth!" "No, just stop talking…" the goddess insisted, this