“Ever driven a chariot before?” Nerio asked with some worry, and Miori shook her head.

  “Never. When would I ever get the opportunity?”

  “Well, that’s an issue. We’re up against Mars, after all,” Nerio commented as she peeked out of the gate. The oval-shaped arena had a barricade running through the center to turn it into a single, circular racetrack. Chariots waited for the two teams behind the gate, each with two horses in the front, though given the glow they gave off, they didn’t appear to be flesh and blood.

  “Neptune conjured those. So that we can clash with our full might without hurting innocent lives,” Nerio said with a nod, and pointed towards sickle blades that were fastened to the axle mounts of the chariots, pointing forward.

  “You see them? One way of taking out the opponent’s chariot is to overtake them and slash their horses’ legs with these. Once a chariot can’t move anymore, it’s out. However, most Deogemma will just fight each other directly while driving next to each other. I’m sure Mars prefers that, too.”

  She gave said Deogemma an awkward smile as he stepped up next to Miori and Nerio. The quick glance he threw Nerio’s way was a warm one, but still, the determination to win this contest was written all over his face, and evident thanks to the armor he was wearing.

  He wore a large, plumed helmet, and a bronze breastplate which looked like it was molded after his physique.

  Venus was right beside him, giving Miori and Nerio a little wave before she clung to Mars, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Her perfect, marble-colored skin contrasted with his suntan which he doubtlessly got from his farm work.

  “Well, Nerio. Sister. I like you both, but I will take the win today,” Mars announced, turning towards them and giving them a nod.

  “We’re going to crush you!” Venus announced with golden laughter. “And then I’ll kiss your injuries all better,” she added, winking. Nerio gulped and took a step back, even appearing like she was trying to hide behind Miori as Venus pierced the poor woman with her gaze, as if she was about to devour her.

  Miori gave her attendant a confused look and she only shook her head, whispering “I’ll explain later,” while Venus was all over Mars again, running her hands over his chest while she looked at him with adoring, if not lustful eyes, which she sometimes shot Nerio’s way, too.

  ***

  “The contestants have mounted up! Let me explain the rules: This is a chariot race with permitted combat! A team loses if all its riders are off the chariot, or if their horses are disabled! Horses may not be attacked with Deogemma abilities, only with the chariot’s blades! Alternatively, this race will go on for seven laps, and the winner is whoever crosses the finish line first!”

  Miori was handed the reins as well as a whip, and she carefully guided the horses towards the start- and finish line, right next to Mars.

  “Our contestants have arrived! One last wave towards the crowd and then: get ready!”

  Miori gripped the reins tighter, furrowing her brow as she looked ahead in concentration.

  A month ago my life was ordinary and on track… how did things end up like this, that I’m chariot racing in the world of gods?

  “Start!”

  Mars immediately cracked his whip, and his chariot soared past Miori, who scrambled to follow; she cracked the whip with much less experience than Mars and immediately struggled to catch up, grimacing.

  “So, about you and Venus…” Miori spoke, trying to fill the sounds of racing horses and moving wheels with something else, as they slowly inched closer to the god of war’s chariot.

  “Right… she, uh… well, she’s Mars’ lover, and everyone knows, even though she’s Vulcan’s wife.”

  Miori furrowed her brow, shooting Nerio a short quizzical glance before she focused back on the road.

  “And what does that have to do with you?”

  “Uhm, she… she knows I slept with Mars when we went farming. And now she kind of… haunts me,” Nerio admitted sheepishly.

  “What, like… she tries to catch you alone, to get revenge or something?”

  “Well, that’s the thing, I don’t know! She looks at me this weird way and it makes me feel strange all over… I don’t know if she wants to kill me, or…”

  “…fuck you?” Miori asked dryly. Their horses were now at the height of Mars’ chariot’s cockpit. Venus turned around and gave them a little wave, then she even blew them a kiss.

  “…uuu… I really don’t know, mistress.”

  “It really looks like the latter to me.”

  “But what if she just pretends and then puts a knife in my gut?”

  Miori let out a sigh and looked at Venus, who gave them another smiling wave.

  “…no, I’m a hundred percent sure that she’s going to devour you in… the good kind of way,” Miori commented with a raised brow.

  They pulled to the right side of Mars’ chariot, and both were ready; Miori summoned a spear into her left hand while holding the reins, as Nerio summoned her own, plus her shield. Mars already held a gladius in his right hand and Venus, oddly enough, remained entirely unarmed.

  Miori and Nerio both stabbed at Mars, who evaded by building distance with the chariot, looking at them with a challenging glare. He was like a completely different person to the kind man on the farm, as his eyes betrayed a lust for combat.

  “With the first lap done, the combatants are now locked in chariot-to-chariot combat! Love and war meet war incarnate twice! How will this end?”

  Mars brought his chariot back to theirs, and they crashed together, with Miori almost losing her balance. She quickly grabbed the edge of the chariot’s cockpit and braced herself to not fall off.

  Nerio then thrust her spear towards the riding couple again, only to have it caught by Venus, who gave her an innocent smile. Nerio visibly strained to yank the spear back multiple times, but appeared unable to, with Venus giving her an alluring wink, slowly pulling Nerio closer until she let her spear vanish and fell on her butt on the deck of the chariot.

  “Damn! We need to build distance, mistress! She may not look like it, but Venus is the last daughter of the sky, and as strong as a Titan!”

  Miori nodded, though most of what Nerio said didn’t mean anything to her; she pulled the reins and guided their chariot away from Mars’, who pulled ahead of them in turn. Nerio summoned a bow to her side, nocking an arrow and taking aim at Mars’ carriage. Miori pulled the reins over her head and wrapped them around her waist before she joined Nerio, summoning a bow to unleash multiple arrows at the couple on the opposing chariot.

  Mars answered them by summoning a large shield which he slammed down on the back of the chariot’s cockpit, covering Venus and deflecting or blocking any of their shots. Venus then jumped up, nimbly landing on top of the shield while she let out a laugh.

  “We have entered the second lap, and the desperate struggle continues! Mars’ defenses are impenetrable, as is expected from the personification of war! However, Venus appears to have planned something!”

  Nerio let out a curse and raised her bow to shoot at Venus, but the beautiful woman did something completely unexpected: she jumped.

  She landed in the cockpit of Miori’s chariot with an unnatural grace, and before either of the two occupants could even react, she grabbed Nerio by the jaw and gave her a little kiss, making her freeze in place; Miori could see conflicting feelings go through Nerio’s facial expression as it looked like she experienced a thousand different emotions all at once. Then Venus turned around to address Miori with her beautiful, melodic voice.

  “I’d like to talk to darling Nerio here in private… and I promised my love that I’d let him have a duel with just the two of you.”

  “What are you saying? This is a two versus-” Miori didn’t get to finish her objection, as Venus simply jumped off the chariot, taking poor Nerio with her. From what she could see, Nerio was being pinned against the arena wall – whether in a sensual or threatening manner was not clear to Miori from the ever-increasing distance.

  “Oh! Venus jumped off her opponent’s chariot, onto the racetrack, taking Nerio with her! The two are disqualified, leaving only the chariot drivers! An exciting turn of events as we approach the third lap!”

  Miori’s eyes darted back and forth from the track in front of her and Mars’ chariot, which was still two horse lengths ahead of her. He looked over his shoulder in turn, giving Miori a smirk, wrapping the reins around his waist before he summoned a spear and shield into his hands.

  “Come, sister! Let our hearts sing the symphony of battle! Let us clash, so that I may finally take your measure and decide whether you took my lessons to heart!”

  Miori grimaced and cracked her whip, accelerating until she was right next to Mars, then she summoned her trusty halberd to her side.

  “We could have a normal duel any other time, instead…” she said with a weak grin, but Mars merely scoffed.

  “Bah! Only a fool waits for the ideal conditions for combat! You need to seize opportunities that reveal themselves and make the most of it! Now come at me, sister!” Mars shouted with a booming voice, and Miori accepted his invitation.

  ***

  The clang of steel rang over the galloping sounds of hooves on dirt; every strike was accompanied by loud cheers or gasps, while Mercury kept up his spirited commentary.

  “By the Earth Mother, these two don’t hold back at all! The race is all but forgotten as two personifications of war clash with all their might! A spectacle for the ages!”

  Mars thrust his spear Miori’s way, and she caught it with the handle of her halberd. As she pushed the spear aside, she counter-thrust with her halberd towards Mars’ chest, but the strike was deflected by his shield, sliding off to the side and past his head. Miori tried to capitalize on it by hooking him with her halberd’s axe head, but she only managed to hit his helmet with a glancing strike as he swiftly stepped aside.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “Good! Show me more!” he demanded, before his spear and shield made way for a large war hammer. Miori’s eyes widened as she saw the instrument of war coming right for her chariot, threatening to smash it into pieces before she summoned a magic barrier to catch his attack. He grinned as he strained against her barrier and it was pushed back, together with her chariot.

  “Show me that you can think of strategies under pressure without succumbing to your old battle lust! Show me how much you have grown!”

  Miori finally felt his intent: this was all just a means to test her, rather than a true contest. She took a deep breath and let him drive her back for the moment, before she yanked the reins to the side and crashed her chariot back into his. She enjoyed his surprised face as she got as close as she could, summoning a gladius and shield into her hands, challenging him to do the same. He returned her bold assault with a laugh, mirroring her choice of weapon. Their shields were relatively small round shields, to allow them free movement over the edge of their cockpits.

  “A close quarters duel, then! Of course!” he bellowed, and soon the ringing of metal meeting metal filled their air around them. Mars’ strike at Miori’s head was swiftly deflected to the side, while she followed up with a quick strike with the shield’s edge against Mars’ head in turn, striking him sideways on the helmet while she kept his shield locked with her own blade.

  His retaliation came swiftly, swiping at her midsection with his blade, which she narrowly avoided and returned with a stab towards his neck. He caught her blade with his, turned it away from his body and hit her in the face with his shield; as it drew closer, Miori could see her own face for the fraction of a second before impact, and saw the battle-hungry grin she wore on her face.

  We have become more and more similar, haven’t we, Bellona?

  The god and goddess of war kept exchanging blows, and the clang of metal on metal became thunderous; it was like a symphony of sharpened steel, and Miori forgot her surroundings, until…

  “We have a winner! Team Bellona wins by a nose length!”

  Miori blinked as the crowd erupted in cheers all around her, and Mars lowered his weapon. They were still circling around the arena at breakneck speed, so they almost synchronously grabbed their reins and pulled them, bringing their chariots to a stop.

  “…I forgot myself,” Mars spoke with a chuckle as they dismounted. He grabbed Miori’s wrist and raised her hand above their heads, showing her off as the winner.

  “Now, why haven’t you used those strange weapons that I heard about? The ones that shoot beams of light…” he spoke quietly, looking at her from the side, and Miori fidgeted a little.

  “…I don’t know how. I did it because it was necessary, but I wasn’t… conscious. Besides, I could tell that you were holding back, too.”

  “Of course I did. You are not yet fully awakened, so I made it as challenging as it could have been. And as I suspected, you need just a little longer until you can unleash your full potential,” he affirmed with a nod and let go of her wrist again, stepping away from her and applauding her.

  Miori smiled and moved towards the gates of the arena, while the thunderous applause continued.

  “And with that, the second game is concluded and we move on into the next fights! After a short break, we will be back!”

  ***

  Nerio joined Miori back in the rest area for the fighters, staring into space as if her thoughts were somewhere else altogether.

  “I see you survived your talk with Venus,” Miori said with a little nod her way, and her attendant returned the nod half-heartedly. As Miori stepped closer she saw hickeys and lipstick marks on Nerio’s face and neck.

  “Oh my…” Miori commented, and Nerio’s head snapped around, locking eyes with her.

  “…she asked me to marry Mars.”

  “…what?”

  “He doesn’t have a wife, and he likes me. Venus is the wife of Vulcan, but it’s more a… political marriage. Jove wanted to keep an eye on her, as she’s technically a child of the sky, and he mistrusts the sky’s children, because his father was one of them. Either way, she, uh… well, she wants me to marry him and ‘play’ with them from time to time and she wants me to keep him company while she can’t be with him,” Nerio kept rambling, and Miori nodded along.

  “…it’s not exactly comparable, but I’m in a relationship with multiple women. It’s nothing to be scared of, Nerio, but I guess none of my lovers are as… intense as Venus appears to be.”

  “Hah! She’s not one to settle for just one lover. I hear she’s always out there, copulating with someone. I heard stories that she did it with Jove himself, too… or was it Bacchus? They have a son, and he has a massive-”

  Miori quickly raised a hand to stop Nerio right there, but her mind wandered back to Ayame – technically, when she started her relationship with Miori and Seika, they did so with the understanding that Ayame was just a friend with benefits, who wouldn’t limit herself to just sleeping with the two (or four, counting Minerva and Bellona) of them. And yet, Ayame appeared to be entirely loyal to them, causing Miori to believe that there was more to Ayame’s feelings than that, something she didn’t want to admit to herself, due to their complicated, shared past.

  “Well… if you’re marrying Mars, that means you won’t have time to be my attendant anymore, hm?” Miori said to Nerio with a little smile, and the attendant rubbed the back of her neck.

  “That’s right… so I won’t accept their proposal just yet. Until Princess Bellona has fully recovered and you can return home, at the very least.”

  “Wait, you…?” Miori started.

  “Oh, I knew from the start. But it was better to let you think I didn’t, so slip-ups were less likely, mistress,” Nerio said with a wink.

  “And now for our third contest! A duel between the members of Group B to determine who gets to fight in the finale! Please welcome Princess Minerva and everyone’s favorite, Pallas!”

  Seika didn’t fail to notice the roaring applause that broke out at the mention of Pallas’ name. She realized how little she knew about her new friend’s previous life in the city.

  “The rules are simple: the combatants will fight to first blood with spears! The use of Deogemma powers is prohibited, making this a pure contest of martial prowess!”

  Mercury’s voice boomed over the arena again, and Seika took a deep breath to calm her racing mind. She glanced towards Pallas, who grinned her way, patting her shoulder in turn as they waited for the gates to open.

  “What’s the long face for?” she asked with a jolly-sounding voice.

  “Well, I might as well give up, now. Whenever I fought with my sword, it was Minerva’s mind who guided me, and I don’t know how to fight with spears or any other weapons for that matter.”

  “Oh, my dearest friend!” Pallas laughed and stepped closer, leaning towards Seika’s ear and whispering. “We’re not fighting for real.”

  “Huh? We aren’t?” Seika looked at Pallas with an incredulous expression.

  “If skilled combatants went at it for real with only weapon expertise, a fight wouldn’t even last five minutes. No, this right here is showmanship! Don’t worry, I will give you cues. That way you can block me and counterattack without worries. We’ll make it exciting for everyone watching, got it?”

  Seika furrowed her brow and thought about Pallas’ words for a while.

  “…so, like wrestling?”

  “…something like that,” Pallas confirmed with a smile and stepped ahead into the arena, waving to the crowd. Seika imitated her, but while Pallas got roaring applause and cheers, ‘Princess Minerva’ got less than that, with some people opting to only give the polite minimum.

  Fama’s stories caused some real damage… I’m so sorry, Minerva.

  The two took position in the center of the arena, with Pallas giving Seika an unfading smile as the latter looked around nervously. Some human attendants walked up to them, handing them spears and shields. Seika accepted the shield, then grabbed the spear and froze for a moment; there was a familiar feeling of repulsion that coursed through her as soon as she grabbed it, and by the looks of it, Pallas felt it, too.

  “These spears are weird. Someone must have tampered with them, so let’s not hit each other with the blades, alright?” Pallas spoke quietly, and Seika nodded.

  “…you can thrust however you want; I’ll be able to dodge or deflect. I’ll signal where I’m striking.”

  Seika nodded again. “How will one of us win without striking the other?”

  “I’ll have you bash me in the face with the edge of that shield and show them my bleeding lip, then I’ll declare you as the winner.”

  Seika took a deep breath, steeling her resolve for the strange little show they would put on.

  ***

  Discordia sat on one of the outer benches of the arena as a spectator between humans and lesser Deogemma; most kept their distance, some because they recognized her, others because they didn’t like the looks of her. She preferred it that way. Her eyes furrowed as she watched the spectacle below. People around her cheered and let out shocked gasps in sync with the combat below as the duel went on much longer than Discordia would have liked. Instead of the more experienced granddaughter of Neptune making short work of the human pretending to be Minerva, they exchanged blows like equals.

  Young Pallas is playing her games… did she notice?

  She gently caressed the deep green crystal she wore, dangling from her necklace: Lethe, her latest child, who she loved so much. It had become a tick for her to caress the young one when she had to think about her next course of action.

  If they noticed, then they won’t strike at each other with purpose. What can I do?

  Someone sat down behind her and cleared their throat. A short glance confirmed that it was another member of her family: Invidia, her sister. Her arms were still bandaged and her face looked pale from the venom she was barely cured of recently. She didn’t say a greeting, instead she dropped a little bundle into Discordia’s lap.

  “I got hold of this before punishing Arachne. Don’t open it here! Unfurl it within view of the combatants, and they will make a fatal mistake,” Invidia whispered, then she got up and left again to deal with other things, doubtlessly another task given to her by their uncle Scotus.

  She examined the package and immediately knew what it was, which gave her an idea. Discordia rose from her seat and walked towards a different place: the balcony where Jove sat and observed the game.

  ***

  Seika and Pallas kept exchanging blow after blow, and by now, she even had a little fun with it, despite the tampering the weapons underwent before.

  She thrust her spear forwards and Pallas skillfully caught the blow with her shield, letting it harmlessly slide off to the side before she retaliated with her own spear, announcing “Step right!” before she committed. With the noise of the arena and the close distance between the two combatants, none of the spectators would hear them, so Seika obeyed, casually stepping to the right so that the spear would simply go past her.

  “Very good! I think we’re about ready for the finale!” Pallas announced with a wide smirk, and Seika nodded.

  “Thrust your spear at me. I will dodge to your left, just in range of your shield. Punch me with it!”

  Seika nodded, taking a deep breath as she focused on what needed to be done. She was aiming to finish this fake duel with some flourish, to keep both Minerva’s and Pallas’ good name. Everything around her was in slow motion as she put some weight behind a thrust towards Pallas’ midsection. She saw Pallas’ eyes on her weapon, and was certain that she would step aside, just the way she announced, but then…

  Pallas’ eyes darted upwards, somewhere behind Seika. She froze in place, and as Seika noticed that she wouldn’t step out of the way, it was already too late. The tip of the spear entered Pallas’ flank, and only then was her attention brought back to the fight, and she looked at the cold steel inside her flesh.

  “Ha…! Ouch. I guess I forgot to dodge that. I… saw the… I saw the…”

  Her appearance glitched like a corrupted video. Pallas’ eyes went wide, and she brought her hands to her head, screaming loud enough to split Seika’s skull. Cracks formed along her midsection, away from the spear and glowing with an internal, blue light, and Seika’s eyes widened in horror as she witnessed her friend’s injury. She quickly pulled the spear out and hurried to Pallas’ side who writhed on the ground, gritting her teeth as sweat formed on her forehead.

  “Pallas? Pallas?! What’s happening?”

  Seika pushed her hand on Pallas’ wound, though there was no bleeding to staunch, only a hole of ever-increasing size. Pallas kept screaming until the cracks covered her entire body and she simply split apart.

  Seika stared at the quickly disintegrating remains of Pallas’ body, in utter disbelief. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at her hands, holding a single, blue gemstone with a fine hairline crack on its surface.

  “Pallas…”

  “I’m… I’m here. Ow.”

  Seika stared at the crystal as relief and guilt mixed into a nauseating feeling.

  “I… I hit you. I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m fine, I’m just… oh. Oh! This is awkward, but… I don’t have enough energy to return to humanoid form. But I’m fine, promise!”

  “What happened, Pallas?!” Seika asked. The strange silence she surrounded by was rudely interrupted as her question was answered in the worst possible way.

  “Disqualified! Princess Minerva is disqualified, and the tournament is to be aborted! Princess Minerva received outside help to land her final strike, by none other than High King Jove! In all my years narrating these events, I have never seen such blatant and dangerous favoritism!”

  Mercury’s voice was soon drowned out by loud boos and angry shouts, and Seika lifted her head, looking at the balcony where Jove and Juno sat before. Jove held the Aegis, that much she could see, but she also saw a person with black wings leave the balcony in a hurry, while Juno was nowhere to be seen.

  She felt a hand on her arm, and a glance over her shoulder confirmed that Miori was by her side.

  “Seika… we have to leave! Juno told me to grab you and to lay low.”

  “You should listen to her. Hurry and go back to your mansion before a mob forms! I know you didn’t mean to harm me, and that Jove was probably tricked, but the people won’t care!”

  Seika was still too stunned to speak, even as she was escorted out of the arena, cradling Pallas’ crystal against her chest. She only knew one thing for certain: whatever plan Scotus’ family had, it was now in motion.