Chapter Text
In a land, far far away, the sun slowly rising up from the other side of the horizon, wiping away the silence of the previous night with its warm rays of light, waking up everything from their slumber. Those rays gently shining down an ancient stone arena, gradually making the signs of time which have affected the place such as cracks on the audience seats, fallen stone pillars and so on, stand out vividly under the rising sun.
Although the lively hustle bustle of humans has long been lacking from this place, it still held an air of solemnity like it has been since ancient times. In the middle of the arena, at the place where the battle table was placed between four stone pillars, the shape of a person with their back leaned against one of the cracked pillars as if sleeping slowly moved. Messy-purple hair, golden white armor, and a pair of boots with matching colors and winged decoration protruding out from the heel part. His eyelids gently fluttered and the gradually opened wide, revealing a pair of red wine irises with lean black pupils.
“…”
“Ah…It’s already morning?”
The master of the voice gently said with a sleepy tone. He began to stretch out then slowly rising up straight on his foot. He cautiously moved his eye to survey his current surrounding and then, brought the nail from the right thumb to his mouth, bit it while thinking at the same time as a die-hard habit.
“Let’s see, where should I hide for today? I really hope that he wouldn’t come this early…Egypt Hunting God that troublesome guy, he’s really stubborn isn’t it.”
The young boy who has just mumbled his complains out loud while biting the nail of his own thumb was none other than Greek Hunting God himself and the place where he stood was one of the seven Ancient Ruins of mankind, or to be more specific this place were both the Ruins and territory of the Greek Hunting God.
After Pandora reset the world, not only that all eight people from the Ancient Hunting God group were still able to keep their old memories, but they were also being brought back to their perspective Ruins. However, alongside with the defeat of Chaos, the only existence purpose of the Ancient Hunting God group in general and the existence of Greek Hunter to be specific has already ended. Still, for some reason they were still allowed to keep their immortality and continued to exist in this new world as Guardians of “the evidence of mankind existence” or in other words the Ancient Ruins. Was this also a part of Pandora’s power?
“If it really was the truth then why am I still remained? From the very beginning, I was never truly a part of them, both I and Imprisonment were just using them to fulfilled Lord Chaos wish, even after knowing it all, everyone told me that they forgave and accepted me but…”
Greek Hunting God frowned slightly, a melancholic expression clearly shown on his face.
“Can I really forgive myself…I wonder?”
His true name was Anātman, he was one of the two subordinates created by Chaos’s soul energy. Along with Imprisonment, he once tricked and took advantages of the same people who regarded him as “friend” for the purpose of Chaos. However, after everything, even when the truth about his identity was exposed, or regardless of his many attempts to harm the other members of the Ancient Hunting God the most serious case being that he nearly killed Egypt Hunting God. At the very end of it, all of them chose to forgive and accept both him and Atlantic Hunting God, willing to give them both a second chance. Especially Egypt Hunting God who was always determined to stop him at all costs.
Moreover, ever since they’ve arrived in this new world, the other Hunting Gods still sometimes came over to his Ancient Ruin for a visit but each time, Greek Hunting God always find a reason to avoid interacting with them. It’s not that he wasn’t happy to meet them, from deep inside, Greek Hunting God really wanted to accept the care and affection he received from the other Hunting Gods, he too also wanted to call them his friends.
However, because of the shame and guilt he felt from all the wrong things that he did to them has always made him feel that he was not worthy to receive their forgiveness, not worthy to call them “friends”.
After many failed attempts, most of the other Hunting Gods have gradually accepted the fact that Greek Hunting God need more time to sort out his own thoughts and it was best to not disturb him at the time being. However, of course there still remained a guy who clearly expressed his disagree to the solution made by the other Hunting Gods by stubbornly maintained his frequent visit to the Ruins of Greek Hunting God just to leave empty-handed. That stubborn person was none other than Egypt Hunting God, the one who Greek Hunting God nearly killed before. Still unable to face him after everything that happened, Egypt Hunting God good intention unintentionally making Greek Hunting God even more reluctant to face them.
Despite being scolded by Eden Hunting God many times, Egypt Hunting God stubborn nature still remain. Greek Hunting God remembered, there was a time when he was hiding behind one of the stone pillars during the arrival of both Egypt and Eden Hunting God to his Ruin, he accidentally overheard their conversation.
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“Greek Hunting God! Where are you!? Please come out, we just wanted to talk with you!” – Egypt Hunting God shouted while looking around for the trace of his friend.
“How many time do I have to explain to make you understand huh Egypt Hunting God? It’s useless, what you’re doing right now. Unless he actively reached out to us first then no matter what you said, he wouldn’t come out.” – Eden Hunting God crossed her hand, looking at her stubborn friend with a helpless expression.
“What do you mean useless!? Eden Hunting God, aren’t we all his friends? Shouldn’t friends help each other when they’re in trouble? Moreover, you also followed me all the way here, which mean you are also worried about him just like me.” – Feeling a little offended about what she just said, Egypt Hunting God argued.
“You are correct, I do worry about him we all are. However, I also understand that right now, what he needed the most is time to be alone. As a friend of Greek Hunting God, we really shouldn’t force him to do what he doesn’t want to do. Didn’t Chinese Hunting God repeat this to you many times before, Egypt Hunting God? Please, try to understand I know that you have good intentions and are also very worried about him, we all felt the same. However, what you are doing right now only makes him avoid us even more Egypt Hunting God!” – Eden Hunting God looked at him straight in the eyes and countered.
“I…so what you are saying that the only thing that we can do to him are to sit back and wait?” – Unable to argue back, Egypt Hunting God reluctantly gave up and slowly averted his eyes away.
“I’m afraid that it’s the only way. Come on then, let’s go back, we shouldn’t disturb him anymore Egypt Hunting God.” – Seeing that her stubborn friend has finally willing to accept her words albeit a little bit reluctant. Eden Hunting God shortened the distance between them and placed a hand onto his shoulder, , making Egypt Hunting God lightly startled and facing right back at her face once again.
“I believe that someday, he will definitely be willing to open his heart up to us, Egypt Hunting God and when that time come…” – Noticing his reaction, Eden Hunting God looking straight into his eyes with a gaze much gentler than before, wide open golden eyes, smooth white skin, high nose, rosy cheeks, full lips, and crimson red hair styled into multiple braids. That elegant face smiled widely – “We will all welcome him back together.”
“I–I…a–alright then, I’ll trust you, for now…” – Overwhelmed about what just happened, his voice faltered slightly, Egypt Hunting God quickly turned his head away from the smiling girl but from this angle, it could still be seen that both his neck and ear were visibly reddened. Seeing that, Eden Hunting God couldn't resist but secretly flashed a mischievous smile, not forgetting to tease him a bit by innocently asked.
“I’m glad that you understand, but hey why do you keep facing away? Is there something strange on my face Egypt Hunting God?”
“N–nothing! It’s nothing! Y–your face is cut– I–I mean normal! Normal! , nothing out of the ordinary! Let’s go then, quickly! If you don’t hurry up, then I’ll go first!” Egypt Hunting God quickly stepped forward and use his Soul Energy to teleported back into his own Ruin, not knowing that Eden Hunting God who he left behind were giggling to herself satisfactorily.
“Haha…I don’t expect Atlantic Hunting God suggestion are really that effective, I really should thank him properly next time.”
Right when Greek Hunting God was about to sneak away, Eden Hunting God suddenly speak.
“Greek Hunting God, I know that you are here.” – Listening to those words made his whole body froze instantly, not knowing whether to answer or not, Eden Hunting God continued to speak.
“You don’t have to force yourself to come out or answer but please stay for awhile and listen.” – Eden Hunting God set one of her hands onto her heart, as if wanting to imply that what she’s about to say are completely honest words coming deep from inside of her very soul.
“We…truly wish to be friends with you, if you need more time to think for yourself then I completely understand. But please, don’t ever forget, dear Greek Hunting God. To us, you were, are and will forever be a member of the Ancient Hunting God Tribe, a like-minded comrade, and a precious irreplaceable friend. We will always be here, waiting for you, no matter how long it will take.”
“That’s why…come back to us alright? Greek Hunting God.” - Eden Hunting God ended her speech with a sincere smile while facing at the exact pillar where Greek Hunting God was hiding as if trying to spread her sincerity to the person behind.
“…”
“I’ll be on my way then, see you again my dear friend.” – Finally, Eden Hunting God used her Soul Energy to teleported back into her Ruin.
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“Comrade and friend huh…how strange, I kept thinking about it again…but Eden Hunting God, don’t tell me that you really think that stubborn idiot would obediently agree to sit still in one place.”
Greek Hunting God signed and lifted the corner of his mouth up, resemble a little smile. Like what he just said, after that day Egypt Hunting God no longer came over to his Ruin for around two weeks, during that time his Ruin also became strangely quiet. However, when moving on to the third week he became impatient and slipped right back into his old habit, frequently came over to visit Greek hunting God Ruin again leaving him no other choice but to find a new place to hide from Egypt Hunting God during those visits. Sometimes, he wandered around hidden spots inside of his own Ruins, other times using his Soul Energy to completely teleport away from his Ruin and only returned when he was sure that Egypt Hunting God has already given up.
No matter where he teleported away to hide, in the end Greek Hunting God still returned back into his Ruin every single time, not once did he ever think of going anywhere else. That was one of the reasons why Egypt Hunting God were so persistently with his visit nearly every day with the hope that he might someday stumbled upon Greek Hunting God.
“The reason why that I always come back to this place is that if I left, I truly have nowhere else to return now. Although this Ruin, along with my identity as a Hunting were only fake from the very beginning but gradually…I’ve somewhat regarded this place as my home already.” – Greek Hunting God sighed again.
“It’s like playing hide and seek huh, both me and him. Alright then, if that’s the case then today I’ll try to use The Badge of “Travel King” then, I wonder where it will lead me today?”
The Badge of “Travel King”, in this new world they still exist all over the world, acting as portals linking directly to all of the places that “Travel King” has set his foot on by giving out a certain amount of battle points. If the user has no particular destination in mind, then the result of each usage time would be completely random. For that reason, Greek Hunting God rarely ever use the Badge because, the same Badge exist inside each of the Ruin of the other Hunting God as well. Therefore, if he was not careful, he might encounter them.
“It doesn’t really matter where it takes me, if I was unlucky enough to end up in of their Ruins then I’ll just simply use my Soul Energy to get away.”
Greek Hunting started to leave the “Arena” part to the place where the Badge of “Travel King” remained deep inside the “Temple” part of his own Ruin. He quickly arrived at the place, taking out the battle points reader device from his pocket, Greek Hunting God place it close to the Badge. After a while, the Badge of “Travel King” emitted a faint white light, quickly covered his whole body, Greek Hunting God reflexively closed his eyes.