Netori: Reborn as the Human Aphrodisiac

The Weaver's son.

Though Caligula's various cryptic statements already hinted at this reveal, the declaration still took the crowd off-guard. The Weaver had a son? Here in the Spiritual World?

Why? What was the point? Just to fuck with us?

"Hohoho, kidding, just kidding…" Caligula chortled while trading blows with the Archfiend. But now, no one believed him. "Strange, when I called myself a god, you were skeptical. But now I say that I am the Weaver's son, and you buy it outright.

I could be lying, you know? I don't lie…but I could be…you don't know…and I love that part the most. Torturing the mortal mind is such a…rewarding and underrated pass time.

All immortals should try," Caligula's tone softened as he rambled, the Winds of Destiny wrapping up the Goetic Archfiend in Denial—that same divine power that Nabu had relied on early.

That divine power wasn't unique to Fate Gods and worked best on Sid-powered armaments, but this Archfiend happened to be an armament-type demon. Combine that with the Winds of Destiny, and Caligula's Denial became a crippling blow.

The Winds of Destiny wrapped up the Archfiend from top to bottom—forcing it to clash with wraithlike shackles to escape the mad god's divine suppression.

"Tell me I'm dreaming, or my world is made up of idiots. Of all the Archfiends you could have summoned, you chose an armament-type demon? What's the use of an armament-type demon against a God of Fate?!" Watching their new asset become a liability, Akamana lost her cool. Failing to accept that she'd wasted her half of the Ars Goetia for this laughable result.

One job, Sucuria! You only had one job!

"A Fate God can't be an Antigod; it's an oxymoron! Caligula is an Antigod of Malice not a God of Fate.

I am the most knowledgeable native of the Purple Dawn, more than you for sure! But even I didn't know the bastard had a connection to Ahriman—or the Weaver for that matter! How the hell could I know he could summon the Winds of Fate?

Have some heart! You had half the Ars Goetia for this long and you still don't know we're not powerful enough to choose what we summon? This is just bad luck!" Too aggrieved and wounded to allow disrespect, Sucuria clapped back with ruthless efficiency.

Meanwhile, inside she broke down.

This isn't right. Why is my life so hard? Those people get everything for free. They don't have to work, just take a jog in the street, and a divine-class treasure will drop into their hands. Me I work so hard. Every step of the way, I have worked so hard.

What I have, I earned. But what I earn…I don't get to enjoy.

Sucuria didn't want to cry, but the tears flowed out anyway. Her eyes turning bloodshot as she faced Akamana. The Grand Priestess recognized that look. That same look the 16-year-old her used to have.

Each day cursing herself…for all that bad luck.

Wait, bad luck?!

'Yes, why did I not think of this? Today, nothing is going right. Almost as if fate is against us. Fate IS against us. Mithras, we came prepared to end the Blood Aristocracy, forgetting that behind them stands the Weaver. They are the heroes in Marduk's story.

How could the heroes be allowed to die early?

Cutie pie, we—no, I…got sloppy.' Akamana bit her index, cursing herself for this result.

The Weaver's Devotees must all select a Path: Madness or Despair.

There is no exception. If they don't choose, Marduk chooses for them. But the trials are always proportional to the rewards and blessings. The Mad got Luck, and the Desperate got Power.

Trajan for example chose Despair and got his blessings by preserving his humanity despite all that Marduk tried to make him hopeless. And on the Path of Madness, Caligula is the emperor—a thousand times more blessed than any Trajan.

In hindsight, this plan wasn't that good. But in hindsight, everyone's a genius. So Akamana couldn't let this realization possess her—moving forth with the counterattack.

"I know you never had a sister to share your dirty laundry with, but please don't get emotional on me now. I need you sharp and ready to fight for your life. Hadubrangr and you are the only Blood Nobles to have mastered the Rite of Negation. Without Dark Glory, that's impossible. So, I assume you're just borrowing your Abominations' Rites of Negation.

You tamed yours after all." Akamana probed, and aware that she couldn't hide something so obvious from a fellow mistress of the dark arts, Sucuria just nodded.

"Good."

'Zagan!' Akamana called, summoning her strongest undead from the depth of oblivion.

'At your service!'

'Sucuria, summon your Abomination and chain-lock your Rite of Negation with Zagan's. Elektra will close the Gates of Malice while Belphegor and Zagan buy me time with Caligula. I will end him within five minutes.' Akamana sent a clear message, but now confused by Caligula's tricks, the crew didn't follow.

Even the undead looked skeptical.

"You do realize that unlike your brother I don't have Ahriman's protection, right? I am not connected to Ba'al Agan or the Ancestral Demon. Before the Heart of Malice…staying loyal to you is already a lifetime accomplishment. How can I cast mantras? Much less chain-lock two Rites of Negation to suppress an Antigod on drugs?

Grand Priestess, you overestimate me."

"Likewise, I can't possibly close a Gate of Malice powered by Ahriman's Heart. He opened 24." One after the other, Zagan and Elektra voiced their concerns. Only Belphegor accepted the assignment with a smile, but since that one was suicidal by default, his support didn't help.

"I know. Trust me, I know.

As a leader, I feel ashamed for putting you in this position, but the situation is spiraling out of control. If we don't retake the reins, we're screwed. And to do that, I need five minutes.

Holding on will be the difference between victory and defeat. We can't lose! I cannot allow myself to lose…to anyone but Mithras." Akamana made her position clear, the intensity of her glower making even her brother recoil from the pressure. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e'm,p| y- r

As a fellow girl boss, how could Elektra not understand her childhood idol's mood? That statement was enough. The crew went to work. Their shadows piling up on the scene as they unleashed their best at Caligula and his infernal cohorts!

At first, Caligula stayed defiant, but when the twofold Rite of Negation struck, the mad god's face twisted—not at the realization his physical attributes were getting crippled, but because the Heart of Malice that his dominance relied on was now connecting to the Ars Goetia through Akamana!

"Madwoman—hell no she isn't!" Realizing what Akamana was up to, Caligula threw caution to the wind, desperately trying to cut Akamana down before she could complete her mantra.

Alas…the Rite of Negation wasn't just for show. And Caligula…isn't Mithras.

Belphegor's hammer sent the antigod reeling, Zagan catching him from behind while Sucuria's Abomination bombarded his soul with parasitic worms!

"Hell yes, she is. Lesson of the day from an old timer. The Art of Trash Talking isn't so much about what you say, but how you back it up. If you can't back up your smack, you're just a loser.

Trying to compete in insanity with grand priestess Akamana. You must be mad.

Ohoh, what am I saying…of course you are," Zagan said with a gleeful laugh…before collecting a piece of Caligula's soul for dinner!