You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Oedipus complex?"

Akame opened her eyes wide and pointed at herself, "Me?"

She might believe it if you said she had a sister complex, but as for a mother complex... she doesn't even remember what her parents look like. Before Iori, her only relative was Kurome.

"What a joke, Oedipus complex and all that... That girl is much younger than Kurohime."

"It's normal. 'Loli moms' do exist in this world, and certain groups of people get excited when they see them."

"How could there be such a person—"

"Have you forgotten Tiamat, whom you met in Chaldea?"

"Well!"

Akame was speechless. When she thought about what she had seen and heard in Chaldea, she actually felt that what he said made a lot of sense.

She did indeed witness Fujimaru Ritsuka and others calling Tiamat "Mom"... What's puzzling is that, besides Tiamat, there was another extremely voluptuous female Servant who also claimed to be everyone's mother.

Besides that, there's an even stranger type there: male mothers...

Hmm, could it be that I'm just ignorant? Is this what common sense is for people in the 21st century?

"Those petite children..."

"This is not surprising; there are actually two types of Oedipus complex."

Like a scholar, Iori patiently explained to Akame, "One is dependence on the mother, and the other is the desire to protect the mother."

You are a very responsible person, and you see your family members as needing protection. Therefore, even if you imagine a mother in your dreams, she is a petite and endearing type.

"Yes, is that so?"

Akame looked as if she had just realized something.

"That's right, you don't need to feel confused. There's nothing shameful about liking little moms."

Rather, it is precisely because of their strong sense of responsibility and protectiveness that such delusions arise.

and so--

Only men who like cute little girls as mothers are real men!

"Oh! I see, I understand now. As expected of Iori, you are truly knowledgeable!"

Iori's image is majestic and imposing, and Akame's admiration for her grows stronger.

However, someone inconsiderately disrupted this harmonious atmosphere:

"You're really stupid, believing such a ridiculous thing so easily."

Athena appeared in the room at some point, glanced at Iori indifferently, and then said to Akame, "The little girl you saw is not a figment of your imagination, but a real person. She is Pandora, the 'woman who gives all things.' She presided over the reincarnation ritual of the god-slayer, so she calls herself your mother."

"God Slayer..."

A look of realization dawned on Akame's eyes, and it was at this moment that she noticed the changes in her body. Information about "power" and "protection" automatically surfaced in her mind.

"This is...yes, I have become a god-slayer...this is the power I gained after slaying a god, and that girl is—"

She suddenly looked at Iori: "You're lying to me again?!"

"I can't help it, you're just too cute, it's impossible not to want to tease you~"

"So cute... what are you saying in front of others?"

Akame turned her head away. "Well, I'll forgive you this time."

"They're easy to deal with"—this thought crossed the minds of both Iori and Athena.

However, the former evoked feelings of pity, while the latter was met with anger at their lack of ambition.

In the eyes of Athena, a proud and arrogant earth goddess, a girl who is manipulated by a man must be the most tragic existence in the world, even if she feels very happy.

"So now I'm a god-slayer too... just like you, Iori?"

"Yes."

Iori nodded with satisfaction. "Your performance in the battle was perfect, and of course, you were also lucky."

"I also want to thank Athena."

Akame looked at the silver-haired girl and said sincerely, "Without your protection, I wouldn't have been able to fight that monster."

Bless me!

Athena glanced at Iori, but the man's expression remained unchanged, seemingly unconcerned.

"No need to thank me. I was just doing my job. After all, this man has ordered me to protect you."

"No, even so, I still want to thank you properly."

Iori and Athena met eyes; the man's clear gaze held a hint of coldness.

“Akame is very important to me, so I can’t forgive the person who attacked her… I must prepare a thank-you gift for you.”

Just wait and see—Athena clenched her fist tightly upon hearing this, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force.

She suddenly regretted it… Although a goddess shouldn’t be so weak, Iori made her feel an indescribable threat. She had a feeling that something she absolutely didn’t want to happen was going to happen, which was truly unsettling.

As the catalyst for the conflict, Akame didn't notice the subtle change in the atmosphere between the two, and was still feeling happy and shy about Iori's words, "a very important person."

"Speaking of which, you haven't been exposed to the power system of this world before. Although the materialization of the soul is highly malleable, it would be difficult for you to adapt quickly on your own. I also happen to have obtained a new power, so I can practice while helping you adjust."

Iori took Akame's hand: "Anyway, let's familiarize ourselves with a few basic abilities of a Godslayer first... Athena, are you interested in trying it out?"

"what?"

"Cruise travel".

……

Stretching across the sky like a golden island, or a giant whale traversing the clouds, its leisurely and composed swimming posture is just like a god-king who rules the universe descending to earth.

The golden ship that carries the sun!

This is the palace of Ra, the supreme god in Egyptian mythology, just like the golden crow in the East and the chariot in Greece, a vehicle that pulls the sun around the world.

However, in comparison, the golden ship itself also has the symbolic meaning of "the dwelling place of the gods". It is because of the gods' help to Ra defeat Kakweed time and time again that the sun can rise from the east every day.

In other words, this is actually a special power that combines the functions of a vehicle, a palace, and a fortress. It has the mobility to travel around the equator in a single day, and it can also spread the sun's fire that destroys humanity.

If the power of the spell is sufficient, the golden ship can cover the equator with flames in just 24 hours, and no country along the way will be spared!

This wasn't what Iori was most satisfied with, because he didn't lack wide-area AOE attacks. What truly delighted him was that by riding this ship, he could obtain the symbolic meaning of the "sun."

This wouldn't normally be a problem, but he happens to possess the power of [Bull Slayer] from Mithra, which can amplify his abilities in every way and remove many restrictions. To put it another way, it's like Gawain receiving the blessing of "Nightless".

In addition, Vereslana's [White Horse] power has also been greatly increased.

If you absorb the sun's fire on the ship and then activate the [Bull Slayer] buff, and then unleash [White Horse] with all your might on top of that, its range and destructive power will be astonishing, even surprising Iori!

This thing's firepower output alone even surpasses "Ryujin Jakka"—I couldn't help but think to myself.

If Iori were to put in the effort to compress the firepower into the small blade, it would undoubtedly become another "Zanka Katana"!

Of course, if this power can only be achieved on a golden ship, then its application scenarios will undoubtedly be greatly limited, and it will not be as flexible as when used alone.

Overall, the ship is quite good, and Iori is very satisfied with it.

There's only one problem...

"It's so dazzling!"

"So bright...so hot..."

"..."

Iori sat on a golden throne, with a disc behind him radiating light and heat like a miniature sun. He himself was also coated with a layer of gold and enveloped in radiance, making him impossible to look directly at.

—That's right, this thing will automatically light up when you sit on it!

Chapter 441 This is no longer a matter of being petty.

"Darkness, devour that arrogant sun!"

As Akame's thoughts flashed through her mind, her cherry lips parted slightly, and the power of her words traced ink-black strokes in the void, flowing and surrounding Iori. The dazzling golden light on Iori's body immediately dimmed, dropping to a level that was visible to the naked eye.

"Is this all the power you have?"

Iori stretched out her hand, and the solidified dark power slowly flowed into her palm, carefully sensing its mysteries. "To be more specific..."

"It can condense and manipulate the dark elements separated from the 'Primordial Water.' It's a consumable item that can be condensed and stored using incantations and then used when needed. However, there is a storage limit, which is related to my 'container size,' or simply put, my soul strength."

As for the effect of this element... it's very subtle.

Akame closed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and then said seriously, "Its nature is to absorb fluctuations—simply put, it's to neutralize enemy attacks."

Regardless of the attribute of the spell power (magic power), it can absorb it upon contact with its energy fluctuations, just like a black hole that accepts all.

However, the mass of the element itself will decrease accordingly, which means that it cancels out the other element.

...It seems to lean towards defensive capabilities.

"No, this is not simply passive defense."

"It's more accurate to say that this is one of the most terrifying attack methods."

Iori and Athena both spoke up in rebuttal, then exchanged a glance.

Akame asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"Being able to negate different types of magic means that the enemy's defensive spells are ineffective against you."

Iori urged Akame to think it over: "If this element were added to an attack—it would be a natural enemy for those who rely on magic but have average physical abilities!"

"Now that you mention it...that's true!"

Akame, being a professional, immediately came up with a new tactic.

She could easily combine her Zanpakuto with her powers—one to conceal her form and spiritual pressure, the other to ignore shields and negate attacks. If used for assassination against someone…

Athena kindly reminded her, "However, this power must also have limitations. For example... how effective is this element for 'divine protection'?"

As she spoke, Athena waved her small hand, and several faintly visible silver runes appeared in front of her, exuding an aura of magnificence and nobility.

"The so-called 'divinity' is the sublimation of one's divine nature, the manifestation of one's achievements, and the essence of a god. It is not merely a defensive measure—how do you feel about that?"

"..."

Akame tried to manipulate the dark elements to access Athena's divine protection, but after a moment, she shook her head.

"While it's not ineffective, it's much slower than sealing Iori with sunlight."

"That's because Aizen Iori has no intention of fighting you. If he were to focus on resisting, given his high level of divinity, even if he is not a true disobedient god, he could still bestow divine protection."

Athena said seriously, "This element should be able to completely absorb ordinary magical power, but not that it can absorb power imbued with divinity. Moreover, the density of magical power should also affect the absorption rate."

"So... this is completely useless when dealing with unruly gods and other powerful beings of the same level?"

Akame was somewhat disappointed. "I thought I could finally help Iori."

"It's too early to give up. You've only had this power for a day."

Iori shook her head: "I know a demon king who uses a sword. His power is very simple, but he uses it in many different ways. He can use many things that normal people would never think of as swords. Even I suffered a lot back then."

Athena glanced at Iori.

A lot of suffering? Nobody would believe that!

This man lied so easily to appease his wife... He's definitely no good!

(In reality, Iori had never witnessed Tony's various magical sword techniques, because he never gave him a chance to demonstrate them.)

"The same metal can be used to forge shields or swords. The same grain can be used to fill one's stomach or to brew wine... Different uses will naturally lead to different products."

Iori said expectantly, "This power has great potential for development, and there should be many possibilities waiting for you. It depends on how you use it, Akame."

"Ok!"

With her crimson eyes as clear as autumn water, she looked at Iori and nodded.

"Yes, does this power of yours have a name yet?"

"I haven't named it yet, so I'll just call it 'Blackwater' for now."