Immortal Paladin

[POV: Athena]

Athena lay peacefully asleep in the grand bedchamber of her palace atop Mount Olympus, the silken sheets pooled around her waist like spilled moonlight. Her naked form glowed with an ethereal radiance under the soft starlight filtering through the marble columns.

Golden waves of hair cascaded across the pillows, framing a face of timeless beauty with high cheekbones, full lips slightly parted in slumber, and long lashes casting delicate shadows over her flawless olive skin.

The curves of her athletic yet feminine body, honed by centuries of divine warfare, rose and fell gently with each breath, unadorned save for the faint glow of divine essence that seemed to emanate from within her.

The day appointed for the contest between the Supreme Bearer and the Supreme Heart had finally arrived. It was a contest whose outcome would reshape the balance of powers that governed the Greater Universe, and by the decree of His Majesty, the Supreme Fate, no god, emperor, or sovereign beyond those directly involved was permitted to interfere.

The Supreme Fate had been chosen to preside over the agreement as its sole arbiter, yet circumstances beyond Athena's understanding had prevented His Majesty from attending in person. Thus, the burden of representing Him had fallen upon her.

The decree had come while Athena slept.

It was not spoken through lips, nor carried upon the wind. It descended directly into her soul, overwhelming every thought until all she could perceive was the boundless authority of the one who governed destiny itself.

"Athena of Olympus. Hear My decree.

"I appoint you My representative and arbiter of the contest between the Supreme Bearer and the Supreme Heart. You shall witness every vow, every battle, and every judgment in My stead. Neither favor nor prejudice shall sway your heart. Your eyes shall become Mine, and your words shall carry My authority.

"The existence of this contest is not to be revealed. You shall not disclose it to gods, mortals, spirits, or any living soul. Should any inquire, you shall remain silent. Such is My command.

"Fulfill your duty faithfully, and let destiny unfold without interference."

The dream ended as suddenly as it had begun.

Athena awoke before dawn, her heart still trembling beneath the lingering weight of His Majesty's presence. Even after countless eons as a goddess, she had never grown accustomed to standing before the Supreme Fate. Every audience reminded her how immeasurable the gulf between them truly was.

Without hesitation, she clothed herself in divine armor. Bronze greaves embraced her legs, the aegis rested upon her shoulders, and her spear returned to her grasp as though it had awaited this very day. Once fully prepared, she summoned her faithful Pegasus. The winged stallion descended from the heavens with a triumphant cry before kneeling before her, allowing her to mount without delay.

Together, they departed Olympus.

The journey toward the Hollowed World was long, crossing countless realms suspended within the Greater Universe. Throughout the flight, her thoughts wandered to her brother.

Ares would have delighted in witnessing such a contest.

A battle between two Supreme Beings was the sort of spectacle that would entice even the oldest gods into abandoning their thrones. Yet the decree of the Supreme Fate remained absolute.

Athena had accepted His command, and no curiosity, familial affection, or divine obligation would compel her to betray His trust. Not even her own brother would hear a single word.

Eventually, the Hollowed World entered her sight.

Athena slowed Pegasus instinctively.

The world before her was unlike anything she had witnessed throughout her existence.

It was not merely vast. It inspired a profound instinctual warning that urged even a goddess to keep her distance.

An immeasurable sphere floated within the void, its entire surface engulfed beneath an endless mantle of black filaments. The darkness resembled neither mist nor shadow. It crawled like living threads woven together into an impenetrable cocoon that concealed everything beneath it.

Athena extended her divine perception toward the surface, only to find her senses swallowed whole. Not even her godly sight could pierce beyond the veil.

Whatever secrets lay beneath that darkness remained hidden from every eye save perhaps those of the Supreme Beings themselves.

Guiding Pegasus around the immense sphere, Athena searched patiently for the appointed venue.

It did not take long.

Far above the ocean of black filaments rose an enormous platform. At first, she mistook it for an island suspended in space, yet as she drew nearer, she realized it was something altogether different.

It was the summit of an impossibly enormous tower.

The remainder of the structure disappeared beneath the endless darkness blanketing the Hollowed World, leaving only its highest point exposed above the surface as though the entire tower had been buried beneath the planet itself.

Two figures stood upon that summit.

Neither radiated overwhelming divine light nor distorted reality with impossible phenomena.

To ordinary eyes they would have appeared almost unremarkable.

Yet to Athena, entrusted as the arbiter by the Supreme Fate Himself, they blazed like twin stars marked by destiny. Invisible seals rested upon each of them, affirming that these were indeed the Supreme Bearer and the Supreme Heart.

Athena guided Pegasus downward until they landed a respectful distance away.

The two did not acknowledge her arrival.

Their eyes remained fixed upon one another.

The oppressive silence between them carried enough pressure to make entire pantheons hesitate.

Athena straightened her posture and raised her voice.

"I am Athena of Olympus, daughter of Zeus, Goddess of Wisdom and War, representative of the Olympian Pantheon. By decree of His Majesty, the Supreme Fate, I have been appointed arbiter of this contest. I shall witness every agreement, every battle, and every judgment rendered this day. My words shall bear the authority entrusted to me, and my rulings shall stand as His own."

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Neither Supreme Being replied.

They continued watching each other as though she had merely announced the rising of the sun.

Suppressing the unease that crept into her thoughts, Athena unfolded the divine scroll bestowed upon her and began reciting the agreed terms.

"By mutual agreement between the Supreme Bearer and the Supreme Heart, this contest shall proceed under the following rules.

"Each Supreme Being shall appoint six champions drawn exclusively from their respective domains.

"These six champions shall be organized into three separate units. One unit shall consist of a single champion. One unit shall consist of two champions. One unit shall consist of three champions.

"The contest shall contain a minimum of three matches and a maximum of five matches as determined by the progression of victory and defeat.

"Every champion must possess cultivation equivalent to the earliest stage of Ascended Soul.

"Under the Longevity Method, this shall correspond to a Perfect Immortal possessing a single layer of immortality.

"Under the Transcendent Method, this shall correspond to a Demi-God who has yet to fully realize their divinity.

"The Supreme Being whose champions are entirely eliminated shall be declared the defeated party.

"The Supreme Being whose champions remain standing shall be declared the victor.

"Should every champion fall, resulting in a draw, both Supreme Beings shall personally engage in single combat. All equipment shall be removed. Their cultivation shall be suppressed to the earliest stage of Ascended Soul until the duel concludes.

"Upon the declaration of victory, the prior agreement entered into by both parties shall immediately become binding.

"Should the Supreme Heart suffer defeat, ownership of the Tower shall become the exclusive property of the Supreme Bearer.

"Should the Supreme Bearer suffer defeat, he shall bear the child of the Supreme Heart."

Silence followed.

Even the endless void seemed to pause. Neither Supreme Being objected nor questioned the conditions. They simply stood there, allowing the weight of the agreement to settle upon the battlefield.

At last, the Supreme Bearer spoke.

His voice was calm, yet the instant it reached her ears, she felt the arrival of something vastly superior to herself. It was not mere authority. It was existence itself pressing upon her soul until even breathing became strangely difficult.

"Where's your master? He's being awfully late."

Athena met his gaze despite every instinct warning her not to.

"His Majesty, the Supreme Fate, is presently occupied with matters that demand His direct attention. By His personal decree, I have been entrusted to represent Him as the arbiter of this contest. Every judgment I render shall carry His authority."

The Supreme Bearer's expression remained unreadable.

"That doesn't sound right."

Golden clouds slowly seeped from his body.

At first, Athena found the display almost disappointing. Compared to many gods she had encountered, his outward presence seemed strangely restrained. There were no collapsing stars, no shattered dimensions, and no overwhelming displays of impossible power.

Then the clouds spread.

Only then did Athena realize her mistake of underestimating him.

The pressure hidden beneath that quiet exterior descended without warning, crushing every thought inside her mind. The golden clouds did not simply radiate strength. They declared absolute supremacy over conflict itself. Every instinct honed through countless wars screamed that standing before him with hostile intent was utter madness.

As expected of the Supreme Bearer.

Among his own people, he was revered not merely as a conqueror, but as the God of War Himself.

Before the suffocating silence could deepen further, another voice drifted across the platform.

It was gentle, relaxed, and almost amused.

"Now, now, give her a break."

The Supreme Heart smiled faintly, sounding impossibly calm.

The moment the Supreme Heart spoke, the suffocating pressure that had pressed upon Athena’s soul eased by a fraction. It was a small mercy, but it was enough for her to gather herself again. For one brief instant, she thought the worst of the situation had passed.

It was a mistake.

The Supreme Heart vanished from where he stood and reappeared in front of her so suddenly that the air itself seemed to crack. One moment he was several paces away, and the next his hand had closed across her face with terrifying ease, his palm engulfing her features as though she were no more than a fragile doll.

“Maybe, if you are gone, your master will find time for himself to come here.”

A premonition of death struck Athena so violently that her divine instincts screamed in alarm. The laws that composed her existence began to unravel under his grasp, not in a way that felt like pain alone, but as though the very foundation of her being had been seized and was about to be rewritten. She could not breathe. She could not resist. She could only feel the immense, overwhelming difference between them.

Then the Supreme Bearer was suddenly above the Supreme Heart.

An axe kick lashed down with enough force to split the sky, and although the Supreme Heart raised a hand to block it, he was still blasted downward like a shooting star. The impact sent a shockwave through the dark sphere beneath them, causing the black filaments across the Hollowed World to ripple in response.

“I have no desire to see you perish,” said the Supreme Bearer, his voice cold and composed, “But I am curious about what makes you tick.”

Before Athena could even draw a full breath, the dark sphere covering the Hollowed World stirred again. An enormous hand burst forth from the black filaments, vast enough to eclipse the sky, and seized her in its grasp. The force was unmistakable. The Supreme Bearer had been planning to capture her.

Fear surged through her, sharp and immediate. Athena tried to flee with Pegasus, but the mount and rider alike were suddenly wrapped in a series of silver halos, each one tightening like a divine shackle. Her mount, her divine movement, her ability to escape, all of it was sealed at once. Athena felt the full weight of helplessness pressing against her ribs.

Then she saw the Holy Emperor, the Supreme Bearer, looking down at her from above with a chilling calm that made her spine go cold.

Space around her folded.

In the next instant, the Supreme Heart had escaped with her in his embrace, tearing her free from the impossible grip with a speed that made the world itself seem to bend around him. His expression was sharp with irritation, and he sounded furious enough to ignite the void.

“Da Wei, you madman! You were thinking of capturing Fate, didn’t you? No wonder the guy didn’t come. Get down here, you fucking prick!”

The Supreme Heart released Athena at last, and she stumbled only a little before forcing herself upright upon the tower. Her pride burned hotter than her fear now, but she had enough sense to know that resistance at this moment would be meaningless. She was still only at the peak of Ascended Soul. In front of beings like these, her cultivation was a candle before a storm.

The Supreme Bearer descended as if nothing had happened, the golden clouds around him slowly dispersing. With almost infuriating calm, he offered, “I apologize, Lady Athena. I won’t do it to you again. You are safe. I guess, we should get on the program.”

Athena inhaled once, then stepped between them with all the dignity she could still command. Her posture remained straight, her chin raised, and her voice carried a sharp arrogance that was not entirely false.

After all, she had not come here as a spectator. She had come here as the chosen arbiter of the Supreme Fate Himself, and without her, this contest could not even begin.

“I am the arbiter,” she declared. “I am the one standing between you and the fulfillment of this contest. Without me, your agreement cannot come to pass. So both of you will refrain from anything reckless, anything foolish, and anything that interferes with my rulings. I am here on the authority of the Supreme Fate, and I will not tolerate disrespect from either of you. Do I make myself clear?”

Her heart pounded beneath her armor, but she refused to let it show. Even if her words bordered on bravado, they were not empty. She was representing the Supreme Fate. His existence was her protection, and His command was her responsibility. That alone gave her enough steadiness to continue staring at the two Supreme Beings without flinching.

The Supreme Heart exhaled through his nose, sounding annoyed. “Fine, fine, let’s go on the program. Fate, that fucker. After I showered him with gifts, he decided to stand me up.”

The Supreme Bearer smiled at that, though his expression carried a strange amusement rather than offense. “I guess it’s better this way, though it’s kind of sad I was unable to test my Anti-Fate stratagem.”

“I knew it,” muttered the Supreme Heart. “Fate’s slick like that, so you have to try harder.”

Athena did not take offense at their words, though it made her distinctly uncomfortable to hear them speak so casually of the Supreme Fate. She forced herself to remain composed and lifted her hand, signaling that the important part of the arbitration was about to begin.

“The battlefield will not be fixed,” she said clearly. “Its terrain will be randomized by the laws of the contest. I will not permit any interference from either of you. You will observe the battle from above and leave the field untouched until the contest is decided.”

As if summoned by her decision, Pegasus descended through the void once more. Athena mounted at once, and the moment she urged him upward, the two Supreme Beings rose with her into the open sky, each taking position above the battlefield below.

Athena drew herself up in the saddle, her gaze sweeping over the strange and terrible arena beneath them. She could feel the hidden danger in the place, the buried enormity of the tower, and the oppressive weight of the Hollowed World surrounding it all like a sealed tomb.

Then she raised her voice.

“By the authority vested in me as arbiter of the Supreme Fate, I declare this contest open. Summon your champions. Let the battle proceed, and let fate witness who shall emerge victorious from this agreement.”