Crossover: The Problem Human of [Arcadia]

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Golden radiance swallowed Perseus whole.

Countless beams of light pierced through his body, weaving together into a vast, radiant net.

"This… impossible…"

When the net finally dispersed, Perseus's eyes were wide with disbelief. His body was covered in a thousand tiny bloody holes—marks left by Ryo's fists tearing straight through him.

Crack. Crack.

His armor groaned, fissures spreading across its surface. In the next instant, the divine protection—crafted by Hephaestus and blessed by the gods themselves—shattered completely, scattering like grains of sand.

This can't be real!

The thought hit Perseus immediately.

That armor was no ordinary relic. Forged by the god of fire and imbued with the blessings of Olympus, it was a high-tier divine gift, strong enough that even most four-digit beings couldn't scratch it.

Yet Ryo had smashed it in a single blow—and the force had cut through, injuring him beneath all those layers of divine protection.

That kind of attack power… it was like facing one of the strongest four-digit monsters. Like facing a god-born deity.

And a demigod like him could never hope to defeat a natural-born god.

Perseus activated the divine gift beneath his feet, his body sparking as he prepared to vanish in a bolt of lightning.

But just as he turned, his eyes locked onto Ryo, who had raised both glowing hands high overhead, his entire body blazing with silver-white light.

WTF

Before Perseus could blink away, Ryo's arm swung down.

Aurora Execution!

The ultimate technique of the Aquarius Gold Saint, unleashed through Ryo's imperfect imitation.

Cosmos burned within him, erupting as freezing air fired at lightspeed, striking Perseus at the atomic level and locking him in place.

In an instant, ice surged over him, trapping him in a coffin of frozen air and condensed vapor. From a distance, it looked as though Perseus had been sealed inside a crystalline tomb.

That was the power of Aurora Execution.

Helpless, Perseus was frozen solid, transformed into an enormous ice sculpture. The battle was over in the blink of an eye.

Well… if you could even call it a battle. It was nothing but one-sided annihilation.

Ryo lowered his arms with a weary smile, shaking his head. "Still couldn't bring out the true power of that move."

Aurora Execution, in its perfected form, wasn't just ice. It drove absolute zero directly into the enemy's body, freezing their very atoms. At its peak, it could force a kind of time-stasis within the victim.

But Ryo's "frost" just came from imitating the move; it couldn't truly reach absolute zero. His Cosmos wasn't refined enough either.

To really master Aurora Execution, he'd need the Seventh Sense.

To him, it was a technical limitation.

To everyone else, it was pure arrogance.

"Didn't bring out the full power…" Aishelia's mouth twitched.

Two moves. Not even straining. And Perseus was down.

This kind of power put Ryo in the upper ranks of the four-digit class, close to Demon Lords.

And even among them, not many could've handled Perseus so effortlessly.

Her mind wandered to Leticia. She glanced at Ryo, her expression a bit complicated.

"On par with Teacher…"

In Leticia's prime, taking down Perseus with two moves would've been nothing. With her Ophiuchus Sun Authority, it would've been even easier.

But Leticia wasn't just anyone. She'd been one of the Dawn Era's greatest rulers, the vampire who defined entire layers of the Little Garden. "The strongest vampire" was hardly an exaggeration.

And Ryo had gotten this strong in… what? Half a year?

Aishelia suddenly felt everything around her lose flavor. She'd lived nearly two thousand years, born a demi-god with natural advantages… and yet half a year of this human's growth had left her behind in the dust.

The gap was indescribable.

Arkeos and Oskar finally snapped out of their stupor.

"F-Father!"

They rushed forward, but Ryo casually brushed ice shards off his fist and said,

"Relax. He's not dead. I avoided his head on purpose. He should still be able to think, at least."

"…"

The hall went silent.

Arkeos stared at Ryo with thinly veiled wariness. Oskar was pale as a ghost, shaking with fear.

"Lord Perseus… do you have anything to say?"

Aishelia let out a small sigh, her gaze resting on the frozen coffin.

"…"

Another heavy silence.

Then, weak mental waves rippled through the air, forming words:

"…You win."

Oskar collapsed into the sofa, muttering in despair. "It's over… everything's ruined…"

Arkeos, after a long silence, turned to Ryo.

"What are your terms, Yagami?"

He knew his father. Perseus's pride would never allow him to bow openly. As his son, Arkeos could surrender in his place, preserving a shred of dignity and avoiding harsher conditions.

Ryo spoke calmly.

"Aishelia stays as leader. The alliance with [No Name] remains. But the next successor must be approved by both her and me. That's all. And I expect no reprisals against her later."

He hadn't come here to humiliate Perseus. The fact that a human had crushed him without resistance was humiliation enough.

Arkeos looked between the frozen statue and his silent father. At last, he gritted his teeth.

"…Fine. We accept."

Then he too slumped into the sofa, silent and drained.

Ryo turned to Aishelia with a smile. "It's settled."

She exhaled a long breath. "Yes… it is."

Aishelia might not love having a "supreme regent" hanging over her, but it was far better than being thrown out in disgrace.

And truthfully, her acceptance was made easier by that ridiculous contract with [No Name].

Thinking of it drew her mind to Laius.

She used to think he was at least competent. But after this… she saw clearly. He could handle small matters, but he lacked the balance and weight needed for true leadership.

If that was the case, she'd need to put him through more trials before even considering him.

And if he truly proved useless… Aishelia's eyes flicked toward Ryo.

Maybe their child would be the one with the talent to inherit [Perseus]. At least, she thought, the bloodline wouldn't be lacking.

"…Aishelia? Hey. Aishelia!"

Ryo's voice snapped her out of her wandering thoughts. She blinked, flustered.

"What? What is it?"

"I asked about the treaty between our communities." Ryo rolled his eyes.

"Oh…" She gave a small, embarrassed laugh, then turned back toward the frozen Perseus with a polite smile.

"Ancestor… to ensure the contract proceeds smoothly, would you mind stepping out of your ice coffin now?"

Perseus's silence radiated pure resentment.

— — —

Outer Gate 6969 – The famed Pleasure Street

A young man stepped out of a high-class establishment, golden hair cropped short and shining, a winged helmet perched stylishly on his head. His handsome face was slightly flushed as he rubbed his lower back.

"Whew… these mortals and their tech really have advanced. Thought I threw my back out in there."

From inside, a chorus of feminine giggles followed.

"My lord, do come again~"

"Of course, of course!"

The man—Hermes—grinned roguishly, waved, and cracked his neck as he strolled out the door, humming with satisfaction.

But halfway down the wide street, he shivered. A cold, commanding voice echoed in his ear.

"Hermes. Why couldn't I sense you for two days?"

'Athena?!' Hermes flinched, looking around nervously before replying with a sheepish laugh.

"Ah, Athena, you know how it is. Indra's heavenly army has been guarding the gates to the Lower Realm day and night. Took me a while to find a way around, that's all."

The goddess on the other end fell silent for a moment before her voice rang again, sharper.

"You've already lost two days. Perseus should arrive at his destination soon. I don't care where you are—deliver the sealed message to my knight before he gets there."

"Got it, no problem! Leave it to me."

Hermes slapped his chest with forced confidence. Once the link cut, he hunched his shoulders and cast one last longing look at the brothel behind him.

Then, with a sigh, the messenger god opened a portal and hurried toward [Perseus].

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