Chapter 44: Let's Talk About Reason
Hikigaya was not someone particularly good at comforting others.
Fortunately, the one he was trying to comfort—Liliana—wasn't someone who was difficult to deal with, either.
So when the two of them walked out of the room, their expressions no longer showed any trace of unhappiness.
Of course, if there were no tear streaks on Liliana's face, it would have been even more perfect.
But that wasn't important. After all, gods don't care if their opponents have cried.
If there was anything Hikigaya and Liliana had in common, it was that once they made a decision, they acted quickly and decisively—like, for example, fighting a god.
"Are you sure your people saw traces of Poseidon's divine power?" Hikigaya asked Liliana as they sat in the car.
Thanks to the wealthy Lady Liliana Kranjcar, he was finally not riding a long-distance bus for once...
Clearly, he was a godslayer who could take whatever he wanted from the world, and yet every trip he made was by bus. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. Where had the dignity of a demon king gone?
Other people had "swagger always by their side," while he had "bus forever stuck to his butt"...
So lame… Seriously, stop remembering.
"Yes. Our Bronze Black Cross has plenty of informants on this island. This morning, at the port of Cagliari, an ominous wind arose—we are certain it was divine power."
"That's the capital of this island, right?"
"Yes. Sardinia and its surrounding islands make up the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. The port city that serves as the capital has a long history—it was established by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC."
"A port, huh…" Hikigaya said no more.
Since the Mycenaean civilization, Poseidon's position in mythology had become rather awkward.
This once-supreme god, after the glory of the Minoan-Mycenaean period, saw his status diminish rapidly with the rise of Ancient Greek civilization, becoming far less important in reality than his name suggested. Whether as god of the sea or of horses, he was not unique. Only in his role as god of earthquakes was he singular. Overall, his standing and importance were far beneath his fame. His main worship areas were in the Isthmus region, especially Corinth and other coastal areas. However, after the Greco-Persian Wars, his status did rise somewhat—after a Persian fleet was destroyed by a storm, the Greeks bestowed upon Poseidon the title of "Savior" and credited him with the naval victory. That was one of the key factors that allowed the Greeks to repel the Persian Empire. After losing control of the seas, the Persians' ability to deploy forces in Greek regions was greatly weakened.
From this, it could be seen that although Poseidon was not the only sea god, he was extremely powerful. In Theogony, he bore titles like "Poseidon, Earth-Bearer and Shaker," "Deep-Flowing Earthquake God," and "God Who Rocks the Earth with the Roaring Waves," showing that his dominion over the sea was closely tied to his power to shake the earth.
Thinking of this, Hikigaya felt a surge of excitement.
Only by fighting such an opponent would he be worthy of the title "godslayer."
They arrived at the Port of Cagliari around 4 PM. The sky was clear. Although it was only March, the sunlight already felt like early summer.
Upon entering the city, Hikigaya felt a strange energy fill his body. Strength and heat surged through every vein, reminding him that his archenemy was near.
The air was thick with the presence of a god.
Hikigaya and Liliana bid farewell to Karen, then found a local hotel to stay in and enjoyed a proper dinner.
Then, Hikigaya declined Liliana's offer to accompany him, and went out alone, walking all the way to the seaside.
The night sky was cloudless, and the moon and stars cast silvery reflections on the sea, revealing its deep mystery.
The ancient Greeks held an ambivalent attitude toward the sea, much like how the ancient Egyptians felt about the land.
They viewed the calm Poseidon and the benevolent ocean nymphs as the peaceful and beneficial aspects of the sea. Its unpredictable nature, on the other hand, was associated with Poseidon's wrath and destructive sea monsters. To the ancient Greeks, the sea was both a symbol of life and hope, and a place of death and rebirth.
Hikigaya walked slowly along the shore, listening to the waves crashing against the rocks.
Suddenly, thunder rumbled from the sky. The moment the sound rang out, Hikigaya felt a strange stir in his heart. Without any logical reason, he knew—that sound was caused by his destined enemy.
To a godslayer, aside from gods and fellow godslayers, no other creature was worthy of being called an enemy.
Especially gods—they were the true, the only enemies. No matter how powerful a mortal was, they didn't count. A godslayer's enemy must be a god. That's just how it was.
Hikigaya looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were rapidly forming and soon spread over his head.
The god… was in there.
BOOM—!
A bolt of lightning flashed through the clouds, illuminating the dark sky. What followed was a violent wind. The once calm sea turned vicious, with towering waves crashing about.
A similarly violent heat wave erupted from Hikigaya's body. The crashing waves and fierce wind were blocked outside his barrier.
"Oh? A godslayer of this generation?"
A deep male voice echoed from the sky.
"You are the Sea King, Poseidon, brother of Zeus the King of the Gods, right?" Hikigaya's voice rang out through the wind, resonating in this chaotic domain.
"Of course. But I am the strongest king of the gods. The fact that you cannot discern that proves humans are trash."
With a mocking laugh, the god revealed himself.
Just as described in myth, Poseidon wore golden armor. He was a tall, well-built middle-aged man with black hair, holding a trident—pardon, a three-pronged spear.
Hikigaya also noticed a golden whip hanging from his waist—according to that witch, this was the very whip that had once broken apart the War God...
"I finally recovered, and I thought I could fight that boy again. But to think I'd encounter a godslayer instead... No matter, I'll have a fight with you while I'm at it."
Mythologically, Poseidon had a rough and combative temperament, and it seemed that in this world, he still couldn't play the role of a quiet and peaceful god.
"What's wrong? Don't want to fight me?" Poseidon's gaze burned as he looked at Hikigaya. "I've already decided: I'll kill you first, then I'll kill everyone in this city, and finally I'll drown this entire island."
"Oh? Any particular reason for that?" Hikigaya asked curiously.
"Hmph, good question. Zeus may be exalted, but he talks too arrogantly. He dared order me off the battlefield. Since this place was once home to his people, I'll destroy it out of spite," Poseidon snorted, speaking angrily. "I drew the gray sea as my eternal dwelling. Hades governs the underworld, Zeus claimed the heavens and the clouds, and Olympus and the Earth were shared among us. Since it's shared, I can do whatever I want with it."
Such a strong "bratty kid" vibe…
Hikigaya was speechless.
So he said, "Come on, be reasonable. You said it yourself—it was once his land."
"No!" Poseidon shook his head like a rattle-drum. "I hate reasoning the most!"
"That's fair. Reasoning really is the worst..." Hikigaya gave a thumbs-up to this god who so shamelessly admitted to being unreasonable. Then he rolled up his sleeves. "Let's fight."