"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
Butch Salvatore stood motionless, his sharp eyes capturing the tiniest of Goliath's movements. It had been a long time since he was in a battle last time, and the excitement of it was exhilarating.The old man also blocked the villain, allowing Tyler and Kat to escape with the other girls. Goliath, on his end, was dripping with anxiety. The Tyler Grant before him differed significantly from the one he faced minutes back.The other Tyler had been powerful, undoubtedly, but his inexperience and recklessness were evident. The new one, assumedly a clone, had a gravity of confidence that comes with a lifetime of battle hardiness.Moreover, Goliath was afraid to move carelessly because he feared Indra's Astra after the last exchange. One swipe of that weapon could tear him in half easily. Little did he know his opponent wasn't really Tyler Grant, nor did he possess any mythical weapons.Watching Goliath cringe before him, Butch's thoughts wandered. 'It seems my pupil has gathered a large ha
Butch Salvatore guffawed loudly and heartily. "Little Britta delayed you, huh? That much was expected. You can ignore her childish tantrums."Tyler pursed his lips. "You pretend you don't care about your granddaughter, but that is a pretense. You love her more than anything. Don't forget she's a grownup now."The old man shook his head. "Never mind, son. We have a bigger creature to fry. Although, I wish Britta could see me in my actual form before the battle started. Did you know she was the one who summoned me from prison? She was really worried about you."Wham! Tyler dissipated a dozen demons with a swing of his sword while having the conversation. "Enough beating around the bush, master… I need to speak with you about something important—""We don't have the time—"The young man was adamant. "I insist!"Butch sighed. "Fine. I'll give you a few seconds if you pass a test. You must successfully wipe out the pesky shadows and seal the Hetacomb well's mouth. An open door to the under
Tyler's alarm was justified since he had already experienced the power of Goliath's weapon in his last encounter. Izanagi's Spear always reached its target. Its attack was unavoidable, indefensible, and inevitable.Last time, Tyler got a reprieve from the weapon's devastating effects by defending through Indra's Astra, which was a loophole. Presently, he expected Butch to at least try to dodge. That way, the old man would lose a limb and still survive. A direct hit meant only death.To Tyler's dismay, Butch refused to move from his position. In fact, he stood confidently as if they were playing sports."What are you doing, master?! Dodge the attack!" However, the old man ignored his pupil's words.Pluck! Butch Salvatore casually snatched the Izanagi spear out of the air with his bare hands. He twirled it around and practiced a few moves as if it were a dummy weapon.Both Goliath and Tyler were utterly shocked. "How did you do that?" the former asked, his fanged jaw hanging. "Did you j
Tyler let everything loose. He activated Athena's Insight, Hephaestus' Touch, and his other abilities altogether. There was no point holding back anymore when the enemies had multiplied, spewing peak hostility. Even his Master was critically injured."What are you doing?" Butch asked with a ridiculous look. The Kraken monster had already eaten the old man's right arm, but he had healed the wound with martial arts techniques. One-armed, he still stood tall with a daunting presence.Tyler was stupefied by his Master's endurance, but it was not the time for admiration. "Isn't it obvious, master?" he snapped. "I'm going to end them!""Caution, son! Don't be reckless at this point!"Tyler clenched his jaw angrily. "I don't care about caution right now! These two fiends—Dagon and Veronica, were the ones who killed Kat mercilessly with a surprise attack. I wasn't even around to protect my wife. Goddamn cowards!""The Red Marauders have caused a Mayan genocide in El Medalla over the past year
"I don't understand what's going on," Tyler said to his Master. "Why did Dagon and Veronica kill Goliath, and take his soul core? Aren't they supposed to be allies united by evil?"Butch Salvatore shook his head. "I suspected something was off about the two from the beginning. There is no honor among the evil, son. Always remember that.""Then why did they attack you when you were about to end Goliath? Wouldn't that delay their purpose?""Because I would have shattered the horseman's soul core. Clearly, Lazarus Briar sent the two human pawns to collect it at any cost. He must have intentions to use the core for some nefarious purpose."Tyler furrowed his brows. "Then why didn't we stop them from collecting the core? You're not making any sense."His Master’s voice was solemn. "I had seen Goliath's death in this manner, which was unavoidable. Trust me. Things are happening the way they are supposed to happen."The young man looked at Butch in confusion. "Master, if you have actually se