NOVEL NEXT Chapter 215: Campione!
— — — — — —
Milan, Italy
The crown jewel of Europe had entered the height of summer.
On the streets, ornate cathedrals stood proudly alongside bustling shopping districts, while men and women in all kinds of stylish outfits filled the city with life.
And yet, in the middle of one busy street—
A barefoot girl walked calmly along the pavement, dressed in an off-shoulder white robe in the style of ancient Greece. Her short silver hair framed a face so delicate and flawless that she looked as if she had stepped straight out of a myth.
Strangely enough, despite her striking appearance, the crowd flowed around her as if she didn't exist. People brushed past without so much as a glance, some even passing right through her.
The girl tilted her head upward, revealing eyes as dark as obsidian.
Sensing something, her pupils narrowed slightly.
"My snake is near. Hm? It vanished again?"
The ancient Mother Earth, Pallas Athena, let out a quiet sigh.
In this world, Metis, Medusa, Neith, Janata, Yatana, Asherah… different names born in different ages, all aspects of Athena.
But the many forms she took had splintered her power.
That fracture allowed the Gods of Steel to shatter her "Mother Earth" nature, scattering it across the land in the form of a divine relic.
That relic was called Gorgoneion.
It was the key to restoring her power and reclaiming her full divinity. The divinity of Mother Earth Goddess.
Feeling the faint, unstable pull between herself and the Gorgoneion, Athena closed her eyes.
"The connection flickers on and off… was it taken by a godslayer?"
Yup, this world was Campione! A world bound by myths and legends.
And yet, when a god sought to break free of myth's chains, they descended upon the earth as Heretic Gods.
Their arrival was a disaster for humanity—calamity, catastrophe, an irresistible force.
But that didn't mean humans never resisted.
Through Pandora's Circle of Usurpation, some mortals had slain these gods, stealing their powers.
Campiones. God Slayers. Demon Kings. Rakshasa Kings. Humanity had given them many names, but they were neither divine nor mortal—something beyond both.
Athena frowned at the thought of one of them possessing her Gorgoneion.
She was the goddess of war, yes, but her strength lay in strategy, not brute force. She preferred to reclaim her power with care and caution.
Only then could she take her revenge against those who had reduced her to this state.
"My wisdom tells me the one who took the Gorgoneion is likely a disciple of Hermes… those self-styled practitioners of magic."
She sniffed the summer wind, speaking in a flat tone.
"No human can completely seal my power. So, what comes next… is a game of hide and seek between gods and men?"
Her lips curved upward.
"Interesting."
She narrowed her snake-like eyes.
"To the nameless mage—I accept your challenge."
Avoiding the God Slayers while toying with Hermes' disciples… it had been a long time since Athena had felt this entertained.
The days of a god were simple, unadorned, and unbearably dull.
"If this is hide-and-seek, then I suppose I should put some effort into it."
Lifting her gaze, she looked up at a massive advertisement playing on a building's screen.
A commercial for a private middle school.
"Ah."
In an instant, her flowing Greek robes transformed. Now she wore a crisp white blouse tucked into a short blue skirt, paired with white stockings—an exact replica of the uniform in the ad.
"Though, for a human, that would be uncomfortable in this heat but…"
With a thought, a beige cardigan appeared over her blouse, matching the school's winter uniform.
"This should help me pass as human."
Her eyes wandered until they landed on a shop window displaying hats. Among them sat a knitted blue beanie, decorated with a pair of cat-ear shapes on top—cute, whimsical.
"Owl-like ears…" Athena murmured. "Owls are my companions. If this is a disguise…"
A moment later, a matching blue knit cap appeared on her own head.
She twirled once in front of the glass, admiring her reflection, clearly pleased.
"Well then… let the game of hide-and-seek with Hermes' disciples begin."
Smiling faintly, Athena was just about to step forward and start her search for the Gorgoneion when—
[Ding!]
A voice suddenly chimed.
〚I'm a Saint under Goddess Athena. My goddess has gone missing. Has anyone seen my lost Athena?〛
Athena: "???"
She blinked, baffled.
"My… Saint? What is that, some sort of gladiator in my service?"
[Ding!]
[Response detected. Per preset inquiry protocol, your reply is recognized as consent. Request accepted.]
"???"
"Hmm?"
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, though her tone was still uncertain.
"Is this the trick of a God Slayer… or another god? Yet I sense no divine presence here."
Athena's wisdom was second to none among the gods. If a being of that magnitude truly stood before her, concealing themselves perfectly, there was no way she wouldn't notice.
"Then… could it be some form of modern human technology?" she muttered, probing at the edges of her knowledge.
But before she could puzzle it out—
A young man appeared in front of her.
Black hair, black eyes, Yagami features.
And with him came a flood of divine power, so vast and suffocating it was like staring into an endless abyss.
For a split second, Athena felt as if she couldn't breathe.
—Victory.
Under the crushing weight of that power, shadowy figures flickered into view in the void around Athena and Ryo.
They clasped hands, singing praises with fervent voices: {Pallas Athena!}
{You are the exalted goddess of wisdom. You are the war goddess of strategy. You are the founder of law. You are the guardian of order. We praise you, we worship you…}
Normally, such hymns would bring Athena joy.
But instead... Her divinity cracked.
The aspect of her that embodied the Wisdom of the Heavens split apart, tearing itself from her and flying toward the young man as if returning home.
Without hesitation, it sank into his chest.
Athena's eyes widened.
The man—Ryo Yagami—stared down at the glowing fragment now resting in his palm, equally shocked.
The divinity pulsed once, then dissolved into his body.
At that instant, the heavens cheered, the earth trembled, as though a new "Athena" had been born.
Athena froze, her expression rigid.
Ryo looked just as stiff, gripping the air like he wasn't sure what had just happened.
The atmosphere turned painfully awkward in an instant.
.
.
.
(A/N: I'm using the Campione novel as the main ref here, not the anime. For example, Athena's eyes are black in the novel, not violet like in the anime. The anime is canon too, but since the novel is more detailed and informative, it's the priority.)