Myths Reawakened

Hestia consumed the Fruit of Life and Fruit of Knowledge, completing the level-up of her evolution. Milia still had to transform from her original angelic form to a human, while Hestia didn’t, which was why she finished much faster.

Hestia gained Sacred Virtue-level Golden Law and the four wings that belonged to a Cherub. After ranking up, she had automatically left Hesione’s legion. The cross-shaped stigma on her chest morphed.

Originally, her stigma was the uniform emblem of a cross-shaped scale for Hesione’s legion, and now, it was a thin golden blade with four wings, shifted to the left side of her chest.

Wayne could see the mole under her left chest, smaller than a sesame seed. He had gotten a clear look and confirmed the change.

After her promotion, Hestia tucked her four wings in and moved to the center of the temple, getting on one knee to bow to the Anointed One. Dressed in a white clergywoman’s battle outfit, her voluptuous figure could match that of the Lord of Lust.

Yet she looked solemn and dignified with her long blonde hair running down like a waterfall with slight ripples, as well as a halo representing light above her head. Her purity set her apart from the Lord of Lust.

“Is it just me, or does she look even lewder...” Wayne mumbled to himself, tightening his arm around Hesione. He gestured at Hestia to get back up.

Hestia stood up solemnly. It broke her heart to see the Śār she admired trapped in the Anointed One’s embrace, unable to leave or even attempt to leave. What she wouldn’t give to swap places with the Śār.

Let go of Śār Hesione and come at me!

Hesione rolled her eyes. That was why she didn’t want Hestia to become a Sacred Virtue. Given her figure, appearance, and serious, stubborn personality, her lusty influence would sooner or later knock the Anointed One down.

Moreover, Hesione had ordered Hestia to revert to her angelic form by going into the Spring of Reincarnation, and Hestia was too loyal to defy her order. Why did Hestia still look like her lewd self?

Wayne watched the two angels with interest. Things were always entertaining when they were together.

Soon, Milia appeared with a halo on her head. As the Sacred Tome would suggest, she leaned female and had reincarnated into a human woman. Since she hadn’t reincarnated into the mortal realm, after consuming the Fruit of Life, she had molded her face after Hesione and Hestia. To demonstrate her loyalty, she had chosen to give herself black hair and black eyes just like the Anointed One.

Her body, on the other hand, was based on her good friend Hesione rather than Lust incarnate. Hesione had to have won over the Anointed One for a reason.

The white robe hugged her straight shoulders and curves, looking pleasing without sticking out too much. She was the type who would look almost boyish with her clothes on. Wayne almost didn’t recognize her.

As for her personality, the Fruit of Life wouldn’t influence her in that. She was still the same enthusiastic... girl.

In appearance alone, she looked around eighteen, still a bright, energetic student in school, but the student actually had a dragon tattoo on her shoulders.

Milia got on one knee in greeting. Then she shot a pointed look at Hesione as she rose back up.

Good friend, I’ve only gotten this far thanks to your pillowtalks, so don’t hesitate to tell me if you ever need anything.

I understand even without you saying anything. You want to take down Mikhael and become the sole viceroy, don’t you? Just wait. I’ll make sure to lead the charge.

She very much acted like someone with a dragon tattoo.

“Milia, Hestia, you’re the newly promoted Seraph and Cherub. As the Sacred Virtues...”

Wayne pontificated with the inviolable authority of the Anointed One, his tone rising and dipping for dramatic effect. His authority would be more impressive if he weren’t holding a Śār in his arms.

He looked at the two Sacred Virtues while monologuing. In others’ eyes, he had favored Hesione so much that he promoted Milia and Hestia to make her happy. That wasn’t the entire truth, though it was a contributing factor.

The reason he promoted Milia to Seraph was eighty percent the offense Gerar and Vilkul had done to him and twenty percent Hesione. As for Hestia... If he didn’t give her a high enough status, she would be leading a difficult life for numerous reasons. To name a few: her sharp tongue, her alluring figure, and the fact that as long as she was in Heaven, Hesione would not rest easy.

Wayne liked Hestia a lot. Back in the human world, she thought of him as Hesione and showed him great loyalty. Whatever he said would be her command. If he weren’t the Anointed One, with some integrity, another Anointed One would’ve made room for Hestia on the divine throne.

She was the combination of purity and lust!

Speaking of promotion, when Wayne made contact with the Tree of Life, he had considered turning all Sacred Virtues into Seraphim, but failed.

Elohim, the Heavenly Father, had limited the number of Seraphim to no more than four. That would be because the four Seraphim and Śārim corresponded to the earth, fire, water, and wind elements, representing the foundation of Heaven. They were the basic components of the Divine Realm.

That was Wayne’s theory, anyway. He was an intruder who had occupied the previous master’s property rather than the true owner of Heaven. Whether it was possible to turn all Seven Sacred Virtues into Seraphim would only be determined once Hesione took over officially.

“Viceroy Mikhael is capable and powerful. Hesione is still a little lacking in comparison. The two of you are each Hesione’s good friend and former subordinate, so assist her well. Don’t let Mikhael outshine her.”

“Understood.”

Milia and Hestia bowed and accepted the mission. When the Anointed One waved at them, they left the Heaven of Crystals together.

Once they were in the Heaven of Stars on the eighth floor, Milia moved out of her palace to allow Hestia to move in. Then she invited Hestia to her new abode.

“Hestia, I heard that when you were in the human world, you’d served the Anointed One personally. Is that true?” Milia had curiosity written in bold font on her face.

Hestia’s chest tightened. She waved at Milia and refused to talk about the depressing past. Every time she thought about it, her heart cried out in pain.

The Śār had maintained her dignity in the beginning. It was because of Hestia’s sarcastic remarks that she abandoned her principles and became the ‘shameless wench with no self-respect’ that Hestia said she was. In a way, it could be said that Hestia had helped put every single one of Wayne’s stains on Hesione.

Hestia had thought that Hesione was fucked. Only now did she know that without her, Hesione wouldn’t be so fucked.

Hestia sighed, looking up at the Ninth Heaven. She wondered what was going on in the temple right now. She wondered if her Śār was once again being tormented.

“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Milia waved at Hestia. “What kind of person is the Anointed One?”

You ask the right person!

Hestia looked at Milia gravely.

“Why aren’t you talking?”

“I can’t tell you anything.”

“Huh?!”

Milia was confused. Why couldn’t Hestia tell her? From her point of view, Wayne embodied many good traits, completely different from the rumors that Auriel and the other vermin had spread.

Take Mikhael as an example, the Anointed One had forgiven him even after he committed such a serious crime, allowing him to remain as a viceroy without even a slap on his wrist. That alone showed the Anointed One’s merciful heart. He was a good leader who took good care of his subordinates.

Hestia shook her head. “Those who know would know, and those who don’t know won’t understand even if they are told. I’ll just say that you shouldn’t ask around, Śār Milia. It concerns the reputation of Heaven, so me telling you the truth won’t do any good. Just play dumb. This is deep water you shouldn’t tread in. The truths have been buried, and Viceroy Mikhael is taking care of things...”

The nonsense only compounded Milia’s confusion. After a while, she cursed under her breath, concluding that Hestia was trying to replicate Hesione’s success to become a Seraph. That was why she wouldn’t tell Milia about the Anointed One’s preferences.

You’re a rival!

Milia’s expression turned serious. In Heaven, she belonged to the same faction as Hesione and Hestia, but within their faction, Hesione and Hestia were closer, and both were closer to the Anointed One. It was thanks to Hesione that Milia became a Śār.

She lacked autonomy. That wasn’t ideal.

The hot-headed girl let her imagination run wild. Clearly, she couldn’t depend on anyone but herself for progress. One could not go far on someone else’s path; it was better to forge her own. Besides, if she didn’t use her bits for promotions, wouldn’t her bits go to waste?

Milia had never wanted to become the leader. After being Hesione’s friend for so long, she still held a lot of respect for Hesione. Hesione was bold enough to offer her body when necessary, while Milia didn’t have the same level of conviction. She just wanted a little more autonomy.

She imagined what the temple would look like in the future. During the meeting of the Seven Sacred Virtues, four of them would be in their chairs, while two sat on the Anointed One’s lap and one rested on the side of the divine throne.

“Yes, the Anointed One is human, and humans have two legs. He’s given me a clue!”

Hestia looked at Milia’s shaking head with exasperation. She had served Wayne as a secretary and a bodyguard in the human world and seen something like this many times. She didn’t even have to use her brain to figure out what Milia was thinking.

With Śārim like Mikhael, Milia, and Auriel, Heaven would sooner or later meet its doom!

Hestia didn’t expose Milia. In fact, she wholeheartedly wished for her success. Only when she succeeded could the Śār whom Hestia admired be subjected to less torment and hard work.

That’d be nice!

Hestia’s eyes lit up. “Śār Milia, let me tell you what the Anointed One likes.”

“What is it?”

“Stockings.”

“What are those?”

“They’re popular in the human world. The Anointed One invented them.”

“Divine artifacts!!”

***

Hell.

Heaven, the First Abyss.

Pride stood in front of the cross with a dark look on his face. He had gone to Heaven and reclaimed the name Mikhael, putting on a white robe with six wings on his back. He walked in the radiance in Heaven, surrounded by no demons but only the Sacred Virtues. He alone led a legion of angels, and the entirety of Heaven praised the viceroy’s name.

But he wasn’t him!

“What gives him the right to become the Viceroy of Heaven, while I must stay in Hell as Pride, subjected to the farce the six pieces of trash put on every day?!” Pride glared at Wayne. “Tell me why!”

“Why are you speaking to the Anointed One like that? You mean five pieces of trash. The Lord of Deceit isn’t a useless deadweight.”

Wayne picked his ear. Mikhael had a difficult personality, especially because of his pride. That couldn’t be more obvious by looking at his replica.

Before returning to Heaven, Mikhael had left a replica in Hell to keep an eye on the Seven Deadly Sins. The replica could never leave Hell.

That infuriated the replica!

He was Mikhael, too. Why was the other Mikhael allowed to don a new attire and receive praise and worship from others in Heaven, while he was forced to live with a tainted reputation in Hell? It didn’t make sense.

The replica demanded that they swap places every Monday.

The main Mikhael scoffed. Damn beggar from Hell was asking for scraps from Heaven. He should take a look at himself. Only in his dream could he take turns being in Heaven with Viceroy Mikhael, He Who Is Like God, the strongest angel, and the right hand of the divine throne.

Don’t make an angel laugh to death. Stay in Hell and play the role of Pride well!

The replica raged, challenging the main body to a duel... then lost.

The Viceroy of Heaven once again defeated the Lord of Pride in Hell!

Mikhael went to Heaven, pleased, leaving his replica raging in Hell. When Wayne met the replica, he was capturing angels in the First Abyss and demanding that they call him Mikhael.

It was quite a tragic scene.

“Why are you in Hell, Deceit?”

“You just called me Deceit. Where would I be, if not in Hell?” Wayne grumbled. “Also, you’re being so rude here. You’re not like this in Heaven.”

“That’s Mikhael, not me!” Pride snapped back.

“You can just share your memories with him. You’re one and the same.”

“That bastard called me a beggar and said I didn’t deserve it!”

Pride’s face distorted. As his resentment ran high, space crackled around him. It seemed like he would lead an army into Heaven right this moment to take out his frustration.

Resigned, Wayne politely dropped the topic and extended his hand. “I need more of the Seven Deadly Sins. Show me every Book of Hell you have.”

“Hmph, I need to show you just because you want to take a look? Are you Pride or am I Pride?”

Pride scoffed, drawing a black veil down. All the Books of Hell were inside. He would indeed give them to Wayne just because he asked, no questions about his intention.

Nom.

Wayne roamed the ocean of darkness and tasted every sin to sate his appetite. Clenching his fists, he savored the power of evolution rushing inside his body.

This... is power!