Vivienne was holding the most destructive sword on this planet, said to be the crystallization of all hopes of mankind, the Holy Sword Excalibur. Its true might was only shown when the world faced a crisis—capable of slaying Gods with ease and brought about destruction similar to the end of the world.

This world used to be different, far more different before—a golden age where the Gods and Divine Spirits were numerous and ‘True Ether’ flowed through every part of the world.

However, Sefar, the White Titan destroyed everything.

Only with the combined might of Excalibur and Gaia did they barely manage to defeat her.

The aftermath depleted most of the True Ether. Gaia used her powers to break down the leftover True Ether into the inferior version ‘Ether’, or more commonly known as ‘Mana’.

Helios knew this much from Gaia.

Was there a better weapon for him to fight the existences preparing to bare their fangs at this world?

The answer was no.

Helios stared at Excalibur until his observation skill activated.

Yet, it had a major drawback.

“Dragon blood...”

Helios was tempted to bathe in Dragon blood to bring out its full power. However, his stubborn self was stuck up on returning to a human.

Then the only way was to find someone worthy to wield it—someone carrying the blood of dragons in their veins, someone possessing magical energy of a dragon.

Vivienne hugged the sword, or, rather her hope in her bosom. “No, please leave this sword. I begged Goddess Morrigan to find a chance to heal my wounds...”

“Goddess Morrigan? The Celtic Goddess of Fate and War?” Helios asked. “Isn’t she a big shot of the Irish Mythology faction? Why did she meet a lowly goddess like you?”

Vivienne’s lips twitched at the insult. “I am not a lowly goddess! I lost my strength after suffering grievous wounds during the fight between Evil God Balor and Lugh.”

Helios deactivated his authority.

Helios expected it to happen. It was already a miracle this fragment was stuck with him after reincarnation.

He crossed his arms on his chest and stared at Vivienne. “How are your injuries related to Excalibur?”

Vivienne heaved a sigh of relief when the blazing aura vanished. “Morrigan advised me to give this sword to the chosen King who pulls out the sword of selection. Thus, in later years, I will be known and revered as the Lady of the Lake.”

“So you are doing this for faith?”

Vivienne tightened her arms around the sword. “...Yes.”

“You do know that will take hundreds of years at the very least.”

“...I have no other choice.”

The Goddess seemed more airhead than Gaia. Are all Spirits like this? Helios mused with a smile.

“Can’t you ask another God to heal you?” Helios stared down Vivienne. “There are fuck ton Gods out there with healing abilities.”

“...I am poor,” Vivianne muttered. “I have nothing to give them in return!”

Helios stared blankly at the Goddess shedding tears for being poor—no trace of the cold Goddess ready to smite him down could be seen from her.

“I will help you with your wounds after you become my slave.”

“You still want to turn me into your slave?”

“Of course I will. You were about to kill me, so you should be ready to face the consequences when the tables have turned.”

“But enslaving a woman… is not honorable.”

“My father taught me to treat everyone equally. Going by the fact that if men can be enslaved then women are no exception.” Helios grinned as he tapped his cheeks. “But I will give you the freedom to choose—live as a slave or die.”

“That’s not freedom!” Vivienne rebuked. “Let’s make it a hundred years.”

“No.”

“Two hundred years.”

“No.”

“Fine, I will serve you for five hundred years.”

“Nope. You will be my eternal slave. Leave it or take it.”

Vivianne wanted to bail out from the eternal servitude which would literally be eternal unless someone killed her.

“Gaia.”

Helios called out to Gaia, who appeared immediately.

“Shirou? You called?” Gaia asked before turning around and tilted her head. “A wounded Divine Spirit and… Excalibur?”

Vivienne saw the girl with quite peculiar hair and trembled. A sense of kinship welled from inside her as if the one before her was someone related. She remembered Helios calling her ‘Gaia’ and then a realization hit her, harder than the curses of Warrior Queen ‘Scáthach’.

“Are you my mother?”

That was an odd way to address someone she had just met. But there was a time she used to be a newborn Spirit—weaker than tiny animals roaming about the world—and like spirits, Gaia was indirectly responsible for her birth.

Helios blinked his eyes at the complete 180 change in Vivianne’s expression. That didn’t deter his decision to enslave her—it only fueled it further.

Divine Spirit—the form of nature spirits after ‘Greater Spirit’ and second only to the unique ‘Planet-class Spirit’ with heavenly bodies like Gaia. A new Greater Spirit could rival the Ultimate Class beings while a Divine Spirit could rival the Gods on the basis of their authority. Unlike Gods who used Divinity to fight, the Divine Spirit possessed unique authority—though they were rather non-existent in the current Age of Gods.

Vivienne had a high chance of becoming one if Helios formed a pact with her.

Gaia snatched the Excalibur from Vivianne and gave it to Helios. “Shirou, keep Excalibur. It will be very helpful to you.”

Ignoring Vivienne’s teary-eyed expression, Helios received the sword with a frown.

“You know I can’t use this sword to its full potential.”

Gaia formed a delicate smile. “A being possessing the heart of a dragon and body of a human, you will find one soon.”

Even if I have to sacrifice my powers, I will make sure it happens. She might be able to cure Shirou’s loneliness and accompany him on his journey, Gaia thought to herself.

Helios, oblivious to her thoughts, snapped his fingers and out of nowhere, a spinning vortex, twice the size of Helios, appeared before him. Dubbed by Gaia as ‘Storage of Infinity’ or ‘Storage’ for short, it was an imaginary numbers space created for him to store anything.

Helios tossed the sword inside and nodded at Gaia. “Can you bind her to me, so she stays as my slave?”

His skill level of Spirit pact won’t be able to subordinate a Divine Spirit.

“Of course, leave it to me.”

Gaia never needed a reason to follow his whims!

“M-Mother, even you?!”

Vivienne was having a hard time believing her mother wanted her enslaved.

“Please rest assured. Shirou wouldn’t force you to do anything weird.”

“Then I am reliev—No, mother, please help m—” the next words got stuck in her throat.

Gaia was smiling gently, reminiscent of a gentle mother. However, her vacant eyes conveyed something else.

Gaia had her back facing Helios, so Helios couldn’t witness her smile.

“...I understand mother. Please continue.”

Like a little girl who couldn’t go against her mother, Vivienne obediently accepted her defeat.

Gaia touched Vivianne’s forehead. “Shirou, you can use Spirit pact now.”

Helios proceeded to use his [Spirit Pact] skill on Vivienne, consuming 110 MP.

Vivienne shuddered as the pure mana ‘invaded’ her body, slowly healing her wounds, and giving her more strength.

Helios observed her status.

Helios couldn’t guess how powerful this woman would be if she regained her former glory!

Helios gazed at Vivienne, causing her to fidget with her dress briefly before she snapped back.

“What is it?”

“How can someone like you become a Divine spirit?”

“Even though that sounds like praise, I feel hurt for some reason.”

“It could be taken as a compliment if you look at it from my perspective.”

“...”