Aphrodite gazed at the stunned Phoenix and secretly sighed in relief. She couldn't comprehend why this newly born Campione possessed such overwhelming power.
The solar-like authority radiating from Phoenix felt dangerous—Aphrodite sensed it might harm her if exposed.
Yet she was relieved to find Phoenix still susceptible to her influence.
As the embodiment of beauty, Aphrodite wielded the power of allure. When she activated her authority, all living beings became captivated by her.
They would never harm her and would willingly sacrifice everything for her—especially men.
"Am I... beautiful?"
Aphrodite gazed at Phoenix before her, then suddenly stepped out of the seashell beneath her feet, standing barefoot in the air. The exposed pair of jade-like feet, merely glimpsed, would captivate both men and women alike with irresistible allure.
"...Beautiful..."
The word slipped involuntarily from Phoenix's lips.
"...Then do you... like me?"
Hearing Phoenix's response, Aphrodite's eyes lit up. She looked at Phoenix with unexpected clarity, as if suddenly realizing something.
When she asked again, Aphrodite placed her hands on the ancient yet luxurious veil draped over her body and directly removed it.
Only after Aphrodite shed this veil did Phoenix discover... she hadn't worn anything beneath it - the veil had been her only garment.
When she removed this garment, everything on her body was exposed to the air.
What kind of body was this?
Every part of her possessed the most beautiful proportions humans could imagine. There wasn't a single flaw on her. Without having seen her before, one wouldn't even dare to imagine such beauty.
She represented the pinnacle of human aesthetic ideals.
"...I like it..."
As Phoenix gazed at Aphrodite before her, she suddenly felt as if she were falling in love. For this woman before her, she would be willing to do anything.
As long as it made her happy...
The girl standing there embodied Phoenix's innermost ideal of perfection, the highest aspiration for a partner...
Her heart overflowed with admiration and... desire, the urge to possess her, to claim her as her own.
Yet Phoenix herself was also just a girl.
"..."
Hearing Phoenix's response once more, Aphrodite's smile grew even more radiant. Aphrodite realized... this powerful Campione before her seemed to have a slight problem with her sexual orientation...
She actually liked women...
Originally, Aphrodite's powers were slightly less effective against women than men, which had given her cause for concern.
But...
This Campione's sexual orientation turned out to be the same as her own... female...
Now things became much simpler.
"I love you. Do you love me?"
"Yes!"
"...Then... would you die for me?" Aphrodite stood completely exposed, her face adorned with an exquisite smile as she spoke words that carried terrifying implications.
Aphrodite was the goddess who governed love, beauty, and carnal desire.
Her powers were far from simple; they were actually profoundly terrifying!
As the embodiment of beauty, ninety-nine percent of men and fifty percent of women would develop affection for her, with a high likelihood of falling in love at first sight.
Moreover, with her power over love, she could act like a matchmaker, even making someone fall in love with a pig if she wished.
Similarly, she could make someone fall in love with herself.
And then there's sex... an indispensable element in matters of love.
Aphrodite, wielding these powers, could effortlessly manipulate and control others.
However, these powers proved significantly less effective against Campione and other gods. Otherwise, she would have been the ruler of Olympus.
She wouldn't be targeted by the Queen of Olympus.
So when facing Campione and other divine beings, to enhance the potency of her powers... she had to use her perfect body as bait.
Just like now, as the embodiment of beauty, even gods who prefer women would be drawn to Aphrodite.
By making them fall in love with her and stirring their desires, the effect becomes exponentially stronger than her powers alone.
Even Campione and gods are susceptible to this method.
"If you love me, would you die for me?" Aphrodite approached Phoenix bare-skinned, her large, expressive eyes gazing at her with pleading vulnerability.
Such a gaze made it impossible to refuse her request.
"Sorry! I can't!"
When Aphrodite was less than fifty meters away, Phoenix's dazed expression suddenly shifted to one of mockery.
"What?"
Aphrodite's face paled. Could it be... Phoenix wasn't affected by her charm?
But she was clearly attracted to women...
"Even with your beauty... I can't die for a bus, Aphrodite."
As Phoenix spoke, a beautiful feather materialized beside her. In the next instant...
She vanished... reappearing behind Aphrodite.
"Truly a goddess of love and beauty. You're the most perfect woman I've ever seen. But... why be a slut?
Are all Olympus gods like this? But... why isn't Athena like this?"
Phoenix whispered in Aphrodite's ear, her tone filled with regret.
"Go die!"
Aphrodite jumped in surprise at Phoenix suddenly appearing beside her. She hadn't even noticed how Phoenix had moved.
But when she heard Phoenix's words, she immediately became furious!
Bus... Though she'd never heard this word before, as a main goddess... she needed no translation. She understood their meaning instantly.
This was the instinct of a higher deity.
So she was instantly angered by Phoenix's address!
No one had ever spoken to her like this... People only praised her beauty, sought her protection, and prayed for love and beauty.
This was the first time someone had insulted her like this...
Hadn't she just slept with some males? Wasn't that common among the gods of Olympus?
As the most beautiful goddess, wasn't it normal to have some males? Compared to some other gods of Olympus, Aphrodite actually felt she was quite restrained.
As for Athena and the three virgin goddesses, they were the true oddities among the gods.
In all of Olympus, there were probably only three virgin goddesses.