I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"You have angered me."

'Although it hasn't transitioned to the next stage yet, it has already taken a significant amount of damage. Is it getting serious now...?'

"...Get ready!"

Chapter Sixty-Four: Wisdom and Strength

Poseidon slowly rose, and the ocean currents surrounding her instantly changed from raging and explosive to gentle and natural, flowing around her like ribbons in a soft form, becoming a barrier against attacks.

Her body, too, was draped in an increasingly magnificent ocean veil by the converging ocean currents, swelling into a sea giant several meters tall, with scales covering her limbs and joints, possessing inhuman characteristics.

"I acknowledge your strength."

"But if that's all... then I'll show no mercy."

Holding the trident in front of him, Poseidon withdrew from the pillar of fire unleashed by Robin III. Surrounded by scorching steam, Poseidon solemnly raised the trident in his hand.

"It's a coordinated attack, everyone be careful."

As a Navi, Fubuki immediately noticed something amiss and spoke up to warn others.

"I am the Lord of the Ocean. The entire sea shall obey my commands!"

'Splash splash...'

The waves surged and the ocean currents boiled.

The boiling saltwater from the 'Saltwater Spring' was drawn to the three tips of the trident, converging into three bright blue halos.

"Here, I will demonstrate my power!"

Poseidon summoned a massive warhorse, roughly shaped like some kind of marine creature twisted into its form, and possessing similar fish-like characteristics. She swung her trident, and the warhorse reared up and neighed in response.

The terrifying water ring spread rapidly, transforming into an unstoppable and incomparable wave just before it reached Amamiya and his group.

"You cannot defy the gods, nor can you resist nature!"

[Destruction of the Spring: Deals massive, unblockable, and irresistible water-type damage to all enemies, ignoring their weaknesses. Inflicts the 'Saltwater' status on damaged targets, depleting all SP each turn.]

[Beast of Domination: Turns all its own weaknesses into 'weaknesses,' but deals double damage and always crits. Immune to knockdown and will not die when its health is depleted; restores all health and dismounts.]

The floodwaters were raging, and the surging waves made the girls behind Amamiya, who were not under the main pressure, feel a suffocating sense of pressure.

"yes……"

The Cheshire Cat, lying on Kayoko's head, lazily meowed and waved its paw, opening a kaleidoscope-like, fairytale-style graffiti portal.

"Human strength is indeed insufficient to resist floods...but..."

Never underestimate the power of wisdom.

"Compared to the power that comes with strength and the endless conflict... we are born of human wisdom, we emerge because of human faith, and we come together because of the fundamental nature of humanity."

"The power that comes from wisdom should not be used blindly."

"...Athena?!"

The 'Athena' who appeared from the portal did not respond to Aru's call, but instead raised her hand and summoned a high wall woven from olive branches.

Poseidon scoffed dismissively and increased the control and output of the trident current in his hand.

"However, even the highest walls of wisdom have cracks, and fragile wisdom cannot stop the flood immediately."

"The advantage of 'wisdom' lies in its collaboration and evolution alongside suffering."

Athena spread her five fingers, and the 'wall of wisdom' she wove instantly became intricate, seamless, and impenetrable.

"My heroes..."

While battling the ocean currents and storms driven by Poseidon with one hand, she turned back and gently reminded the Amamiya group, who were on high alert: "Please... seize the opportunity."

Lush olive branches drooped down from the laurel wreath on her head, extending and clinging to Amamiya and her entourage, eventually weaving into what appeared to be a simple vine armor.

"Relying on your 'wisdom'... go ahead and do it."

【Branch of Peace: Restores 100% HP and SP to all allies, removes all negative effects from all allies. Eliminates all enemy attributes and prevents all allies from falling down. Restores all HP each time damage is taken, and restores all SP each time SP is consumed.】

[Armor of Guardian Wisdom: Greatly increases the defense of all allies and reduces damage taken. HP cannot be reduced below 1. When taking near-death damage, restores all HP and removes all negative effects.]

Compared to the awe-inspiring 'conquest' and 'power' brought by Poseidon, the girls behind Amamiya felt the 'wisdom' released by Athena more clearly.

This enhancement is a very gentle... yet unparalleled in strength.

The idea of ​​'inexhaustible power' is no longer just empty talk.

"Wow...it's getting exciting!"

Kirino, radiant with energy, raised her "Necessary Pain".

Having personally experienced this battle, which was almost like a myth come true... Kirino showed no signs of panic.

She was radiant and full of passion, and the "Necessary Pain" in her hand seemed to foreshadow the future.

"Fate... Loading!"

Sensing Kirino's intention to attack, the olive branch clinging to her hand moved in response, instantly attaching itself to and converging on the muzzle of the gun.

"The pursuit of peace...this has been the unchanging destiny since the birth of 'wisdom'."

Athena's voice seemed to carry a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Without aiming, Kirino pulled the trigger.

A golden magic circle, etched with the double marks of an olive and a chain clock, lit up the muzzle of the gun before it was fired.

The "future bullet," originating from the future, appeared from an unexpected place and struck Poseidon's giant warhorse with even greater precision in an even more unexpected way.

With a soft 'plop', though only a shallow splatter of blood appeared, it struck the vital 'eye'. The warhorse neighed in pain.

"Damn it... Athena. Your wisdom..."

Poseidon gripped the reins tightly, pointing his trident at Athena behind the Olive Barrier: "What is the point of your belief in the wisdom of others!"

"Only by possessing absolute power can one achieve perpetual victory and maintain sovereignty!"

"Without power... wisdom, no matter how much, is just empty talk!"

After a weak and feeble rebuttal that left everyone shaking their heads, the utterly depraved 'Poseidon' spurred his warhorse and launched a charge.

"The goddess of wisdom can also be a 'goddess of war.' However, a 'goddess of war' may not necessarily become a goddess of wisdom. Without sufficient wisdom to control power... no matter how much power one has, it will only be pale and powerless."

"My heroes... I'm counting on you."

Amamiya shook his head secretly as he listened.

So this battle not only has a segment about 'Athena protecting the Saints,' but also a segment about 'defending Athena.'

Before Amamiya could make a move, the cat with lapis lazuli eyes meowed and jumped down, its body instantly becoming enormous.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a fairy tale with 'growing bigger and smaller' as the key to the story.

Due to the frequency and popularity of its changes in size, it has even led to the naming of a childhood cognitive disorder as "Alice's Wonderful Adventures in the Sky Syndrome".

Therefore... it makes sense that the Cheshire Cat would also grow bigger, right?

With a swing of its paws, the Cheshire Cat, now hundreds of times larger, used its soft paw pads and sharp claws to block Poseidon's charge.

Then, with a backhand motion, he slapped it away as if he were kicking a roadside animal to death.

"The reason for yearning for peace is that I do not want the people and things I care about to be harmed or crushed into dust by extreme forces."

"The power born of wisdom... will be unprecedented."

Athena's voice was still gentle, but the thought that these words were spoken to Poseidon gave off a strange feeling of high-level taunting.

Poseidon, who was sent flying by the Cheshire Cat, pulled back abruptly in mid-air and then landed smoothly.

The ribbons that had gathered from the ocean currents on his body shattered, and his body became unstable once again.

obviously……

Poseidon's body has reached the point of imbalance.

"The time has come."

'Athena' offered a reminder... but there was no need for her to remind them further, as Amamiya and his group had already launched their all-out attack.

"You...don't push your luck!"

'Poseidon' roared and swung its trident haphazardly.

Her response was a direct attack from the pinnacle of wisdom – atomic flames.

The deep, dazzling bright blue instantly evaporated the seawater, then burned her and the warhorse beneath her.

"The power that arises from 'strength' is finite."

Human strength has its limits.

"But cognition is infinite, and the wisdom that arises from cognition is also infinite."

"Through the birth of wisdom, the creatures on earth were able to come into contact with the stars in the sky."

"How can you deny that the wisdom to conquer nature is also a form of nature?"

As 'Athena's' gentle and soothing voice rang out, the atomic flames released by Yuriko contracted and condensed into a single mass.

Then... it exploded again like a supernova, becoming an even more violent astronomical phenomenon—cosmic fire.

The dazzling bright blue light momentarily blinded everyone.

Even though Persona's 'friend or foe identification mechanism' did not become the target of the attack, Aru, Kayoko, Kirino, and Fubuki still felt an unparalleled, rapidly spreading, and parched wave of heat rushing towards them.

They instinctively reached out to block, while closing their eyes at the same time.

Although their view was blocked... they could still hear the sizzling sound, which resembled 'roasting meat'.

"Hiss..."

As the light faded, Poseidon's body was gradually burned away.

After the charred outer shell peeled away, it revealed its original, cowardly, and ugly appearance.

Coughing as he crawled out of the charred body was a believer dressed in a long robe, with the phantom of a cross swirling behind him.

...Judas.

And... it's still that Judas who's 'gloating because he's about to betray his master'.

[Cognition of Existence: Judas]

[Initial Level: 92]

Arcana: The Hanged Men

[Prototype Introduction: One of the twelve disciples of Jesus, Judas betrayed Him to the enemy for the price of a servant. Jesus gave her many opportunities to repent, but Judas refused to repent and remained steadfast in her betrayal.]

Judas wasn't inherently evil. It was only because she indulged her evil desires until they dominated her life's motivations that she became a slave to them. Satan then entered her heart and took control of her body.

'Is Phase Two about to begin?'

Chapter Sixty-Five: Arise, my servants, sing to welcome my arrival.

Carrying a 'cross' wrapped with crimson caltrops on his back, the traitor 'Judas' silently emerged from the shell of 'Poseidon'...

Or rather, they slowly crawled out from among the corpses.

Kicking aside the massive skeleton and wielding the cross to smash the fish scales blocking his way, the traitor 'Judas' remained silent and marched forward.

The seawater gradually receded and quickly evaporated completely.

The entire restaurant trembled slightly as 'Judas' slowly moved forward.

...More precisely, the stone sculptures began to tremble, and their stone outer layer started to peel off.

Judah leisurely approached the Poseidon's trident, which was magnified in sync with the trident, and reached out to touch it.

'Om—'

In the blink of an eye, the trident of Poseidon, which was surrounded by light, rapidly shrank and reshaped into a small cross pendant, which was held in the palm of 'Judas'.

"……waste."

Without even glancing at the enormous remains, which were radiating an astonishingly high temperature, 'Judas' made his assessment and then turned to look at Amamiya and his group.