My Hermes System

"I don't think so…

…Right now, I want to rip you to shreds."

A loud silence echoed throughout the entire hall as Van stared Harvey straight in the eyes; but even with the cold tone in his voice, his face was still completely calm. Harvey, however, could not help but slightly take in a small gulp as he returned Van's glare.

Van was smaller than him by more than an entire foot, but it was as if he was looking at a giant bigger than anything he has ever fought.

"There he is."

But still, Harvey found the chance to let out a small chuckle; he was about to say something else, but Van's sigh overpowered his voice.

"But I won't…"

And after a few more seconds, the colossal pressure that almost flattened Harvey down completely disappeared as Van's sigh reached his ears, "…because as you said, I understand what it means to want to survive."

"Oh? So you really have chan–"

"Just a couple of months ago, I killed numerous people because they took away the future of my unborn child," Van did not let Harvey continue his words, "I did it for revenge… but after all of it was over– I just felt… empty. It was just a show of power to the people that they should not be messing with me…

…and I don't think I need to show that to you."

"…" Harvey did not respond as he just let out a small but deep breath.

"We're holding billions… trillions of lives in our hands… Compared to that, our problems… my problems are quite small– You are very small, Harvey."

"Now that really hurts my feelings, Van," Harvey muttered as he wiped the tiny sweat that wanted to trail on his cheek, "I bet you've been waiting to say that to me for a long time, haven't you?"

"Perhaps," Van breathed out. He stared at Harvey for a few more seconds, before turning his head towards Vivati, "…What do you think?"

Van finally understood why Athena brought along Vivati. Vivati has his memories, his pains– all the betrayal he felt, all the anguish and the disappointment, Vivati has all of it… and more. As the leader of an entire planet, she has the experience of deciding on behalf of a billion lives.

Her opinion on this would truly matter.

"He… looks very tired, Van," Vivati then said.

"…"

"…"

"…That's all?"

"That is all I wish to say."

So much for the opinion of someone who governs over billions of lives– Van thought as he let out a very long and very deep sigh. He then took another glance at Harvey, before shaking his head.

"Let him go."

"Are… you sure?" Athena quickly said as she placed her hand on Van's shoulder.

"His Soul is too weak to make a difference anyway," Van once again sighed, "And even if Gerald says he doesn't care about Harvey anymore, I am sure it would still affect him if we kill his brother– we can't have him losing focus. If I'm right… he should be as strong or even stronger than Odin, isn't that right?"

"That's… correct."

"And Harvey here has the experience of waging wars for more than a hundred years… we can use him to command the small troops," Van muttered, "He's not allowed to rest from wars yet… that is punishment enough."

"Van… You–"

And before Harvey could even respond, the force field in front of him disappeared, causing him to fall on the ground and kneel in front of Van; and now, as he looked at Van's eyes from below… he had truly, and finally realized the colossal difference between the two of them.

They… truly will never go back to the way they were before.

"Go get dressed. There's a party going on downstairs."

"A… par–"

And before Harvey could finish his words, Vivati ordered the guards to take him away.

"Shall we go back as well?" Van then said after letting out a long and deep sigh, "I'll just return here after the party to absorb the Souls."

Van was about to leave, but before he could even take 3 steps, Athena once again grabbed his shoulder.

"There's actually one more prisoner you need to see."

"…"

"…"

"…"

After a very short and awkward silence, Vivati was the one to break it with a sigh that almost reached deep into Van's bones.

"…Shit," Van then breathed out.

"I believe it is time I take my leave."

"Where are you going?" Van could only grab Vivati's wrist as she suddenly started to walk away, "Shouldn't you be here to offer your opinion or… or something?"

"I may have experienced all your memories, all your pain, all your choices… but your heart is still yours, Van," Vivati breathed out as she looked Van straight in the eyes, "And I can not… and will not involve myself in the matters of the heart."

"…Quite poetic for a mind rapist."

"T– that's…" Vivati wanted to rebuke, but in the end, chose not to do so as this was her only chance to leave.

"…Fuck," Van then whispered through his breath.

"Shall we go look at another part of your past, King Evans?"

"Wh–"

And before Van could even say a word, Athena once again placed her hand on another part of the wall, and similar to Harvey's cell, the bright and white wall disappeared, revealing the room inside.

And there, a woman was calmly sitting on the bed– her expression, as hard to tell as it was years ago.

But soon, her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

And just like that, without even meaning to… it was as if time stopped for Van; their eyes locked… almost as if they were once one in the first place. But finally, after what seemed like an eternity…

"…Evans," the woman stood up, her black hair smoothly waving as she did so,

"You… look so young. I wasn't able to see you clearly back when I saw you in the Branch."

"You… are the 2nd person that has told me that, Victoria."

"Evans. I… am truly sorry for what we did… for what I did," Victoria then said. And although there was minimal to almost no change in her expression– her trembling eyes were enough.

"I… am not asking for forgiveness–"

"You don't need to say anything," Van then shook his head before Victoria could continue her words, "I already heard everything I needed to hear from Harvey."

"Harvey… is also here?"

"Yes," Van nodded.

"I see. Even still, I need you to hear it fro–"

"I'm just also not used to you speaking too much," Van then let out a small but deep breath as he looked at Victoria's face. Although it was not as obvious as Harvey's, Victoria… already has grey strands on her hair.

They have been here for more than a hundred years… it was probably just because of the System that they managed to even live this long. Van could still remember the first time he saw Victoria– her face was almost completely red as she was sleeping on her desk.

"…Pft."

"Hm?"

Victoria could not help but slightly tilt her head to the side as Van suddenly chuckled. Was… there something funny with what she said?

"Athena."

And before Victoria could even ask what was going on, the force field separating her from freedom disappeared.

"Are you… letting me go?" Victoria muttered, "…Why?"

"Just ask Harvey."

"You also let Harvey go?"

"Yes," Van said as he looked at the guards following them, "Get her a room and clothes so she can join the party."

"Evans, I–"

"Let's talk in a different circumstance," Van did not let Victoria say another word as he ordered the guards to take her away.

"…"

"…"

"You don't agree with my choices?" And a few seconds after watching Victoria disappear into the hallways, Van let out a small but deep sigh as he looked at Athena.

"I do, I would have even advised you to let them go in the case you did not," Athena shook her head, "But still… to see the ones who killed Artemis walking freely still pains my heart. I understand letting the woman go… but for you to set Harvey free is something I thought you would have a hard time doing.

"Oh?"

"You truly are slowly embracing your godhood little by little– not letting… inferior beings get to you."

"…Is it really like that?" Van sighed, "I think it's because I still have lingering sentiment from when we were friends."

"No matter," Athena then sighed, "Victoria will be useful since she has the ability to amplify others' powers. She was the only reason the humans lasted that long against the Aesir in the first place."

"Hm."

"Anyway, shall we return to the party?"

"No. Since we are here already, open all the cells so I could absorb the Souls of the prisoners."

"…Okay," Athena hesitated for a second, but quickly grabbed the tablet hidden in her pocket. And as soon as she tapped something on it, the bright and white wall that once drowned the hallway all disappeared; revealing all the rooms hidden within.

"…You know how to use that?" Van then said as he looked at the tablet Athena was holding.

"…You don't? You've been here for months."

"W… well, I didn't have time to learn," Van awkwardly chuckled as he looked to the side, "Anyway, let's go."

"What?" Athena blinked a couple of times, "I thought you were going to absorb the souls of the Aesir prisoners?"

"Hm?" Van looked at her with confusion,

"…I already have."

"W… what?"