Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

If it were any other time, this might not pose a problem; perhaps Aphrodite would even take a liking to him for resisting her charm with sheer willpower, for not every deity can do so. But now, things were different.

"Ares—?"

"Aphrodite, I..."

"Bang!"

In the dark of night, following a muffled sound, Ares tumbled out of the Goddess of Beauty's palace. He rose from the cold floor and was about to say something when a pile of clothes thrown from behind the door hit his face.

The doors then shut firmly, as if its mistress no longer wished to lay eyes on this loathsome fellow. And though the War God was typically quick to anger, he found he could not muster any rage at this sight.

This was his and Aphrodite's first private encounter, and he had not anticipated such a turn of events. For a moment, Ares began to doubt himself, wondering if there was something wrong with his own body that had led to this situation.

Of course, the War God could not come up with an answer, but with things as they were, he had no choice but to gloomily dress himself and walk towards his own palace. At this time, Ares was unaware that inside the tightly sealed palace, the Goddess of Beauty was grinding her teeth in frustration.

Tall and handsome he may be, she thought, but in actuality, he is all show and no substance, always so quick to make excuses. In that moment, Aphrodite, who had been quite content with their marriage, began to consider other prospects.

It was a different beginning but the same conclusion. Even though the suitor of her original fate had become her husband, it seemed that the fate of the Goddess of Beauty remained unaltered.

...

In the Spirit Realm, before the Well of Reincarnation, Laine was clearly unaware of everything happening on Mount Olympus.

He had only sensed the fate fluctuations from the birth of the Little God of Love, seized this opportune moment, rather than actively observing the events on Mount Olympus. He could never have anticipated that his actions would be detected by the War God's battle instincts.

Detecting shifts in fate or having a clear premonition without the appropriate authority, these are feats normally within the reach of Great Divine Power. Had Laine known of Ares's experiences that day, he might have been amused, while acknowledging the strength of the other's godhood.

Although Ares may not always come out as the victor in myths, it is mainly because his opponents are stronger. As far as godhood is concerned, Ares is actually considered one of the most powerful deities, even if his aspect of [War] is inclined towards personal brutality and injustice.

But those were idle thoughts. Now, observing the water in the well which seemed to be boiling, Laine nodded to himself.

After returning from the Nine Realms, he had brought back some dragon eggs. Most of them had hatched by now, except for the very first Time Dragon which had yet to emerge.

The reason Laine had chosen [Time] over [Order] and [Samsara] initially was precisely because the former two did not quite fit.

[Order] was not unique to the Spirit Realm, and [Samsara] was dismissed because of the very being that was at this moment gradually reincarnating. Otherwise, birthing a [Time Dragon] seemed to be a perfectly reasonable option. (see 3-59)

"But something is still missing... it has fate, it has spirituality, yet it also needs substance to serve as its vessel."

"Fortunately, my previous preparations have finally come into use."

Nodding slightly, Laine extended his hand, and a clot of blood that had been forgotten for an era flew out of a palace where treasures were stored, crossed spatial barriers, and landed in his palm. (see 2-11)

It was the blood of Uranus; Keto, once the dangerous creature of the sea, later transformed into a goddess embracing false beauty using it. But that transformation had been an unintended consequence of Laine's action; his true intent had been to claim the blood which later gave birth to the Three Furies and Aphrodite.

At that time, Laine was unaware that the death of Eros began with him, but that did not prevent him from noting the shared name between the Little God of Love and the Primordial Deity, based on future memories. Hence, as a precaution, Laine took a scoop of the blood and kept it until today, and now finally, it had found its use.

This blood, originating from the same source as Aphrodite, easily replaced the Goddess of Beauty's place in fate. With it as a material, it was enough to serve as another kind of 'matrix' for Eros's rebirth.

"Go on, this is most fitting for you."

With a flick of his finger, the vial carrying the blood shattered upon impact, falling into the churning well below, initiating an even more intense transformation. Standing at the edge of the well, Laine watched the scene unfold quietly.

"Enter this world... and then ask Him for recompense."

"Since [Desire] has collapsed, let something else serve as the proof of your birth."