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

Finally, the AI ​​personality in MC came to a conclusion:

The realm and dimension of the Throne of Heroes are far superior to those of the alien civilization that created the Moon Cell!

This is truly a surprising fact, because from a third-party perspective, the Throne of Heroes is nothing more than a database containing a vast number of Earth's heroes, capable of extracting data from it at critical moments to create an antivirus program (Grand) to eliminate dangerous viruses.

However, the concept of "Earth's heroes" or even "Earth's pantheon" is nothing in the eyes of extraterrestrial civilizations.

The spacefaring pioneers back then thoroughly cleaned up the Earth's surface, not only sweeping through the Age of Gods but also permanently altering the Earth's physical laws. And now they're saying a database's technological capabilities and conceptual sophistication surpass their quantum computer?

Even Athena herself didn't quite understand, because in her eyes, the MC was already an incredibly miraculous creation, but the complexity of the Throne of Heroes far surpassed it!

Considering the nature of Chaldea and the various strange Servants they have encountered... the Throne of Heroes is probably not just "independent of the timeline".

After experiencing Re:Creators with Iori, Athena gained a deeper understanding of parallel worlds.

"Star Trek Vanguard" is essentially just a background setting within the [Type-Moon] universe, while "Throne of Heroes" is closely related to the core of the Holy Grail War universe.

Within the framework of the entire Type-Moon universe, even when it comes to diverse concepts such as the Servant universe, the Throne of Heroes is extremely special and has a very high priority.

Of course, that's getting a bit off-topic. Athena didn't expect to be able to decipher the essence of the Throne of Heroes; all she wanted to do was absorb as much knowledge as possible.

——【The Wisdom of the Sky】

She is no longer an independent goddess, but belongs to Iori in the form of power. As a goddess of wisdom, her abilities are naturally related to discerning the truth of the world and collecting information about all things.

In a sense, she is Iori's external brain and search bar.

This time, Iori came to Chaldea to learn from the scriptures, so naturally, she was granted the privilege of using MC. As expected, the goddess of wisdom was in her element. Her powers and characteristics, combined with a supercomputer that stored all the information of the earth, made her like a sponge that was frantically absorbing water. These days, she has been living an incredibly fulfilling life!

The Throne of Heroes is rather special; Athena is powerless to grasp its true nature, and to gain any insight would likely require years of research. However, downloading data and building virtual models is not a problem.

(Actually, Iori's first task was to search for and analyze information related to 'creating the world' and 'restoring the world,' but these are basically plots only found in mythology and singularities... In short, in Type-Moon, the Throne of Heroes is always a central theme.)

Long ago, in this vast space, a breathtaking and silent tree appeared out of nowhere.

The trunk has a silvery luster, and its surface is rough but feels like gravel. If you calm down, you can feel the pulse of life, which is deeper and stronger than the breath of the earth.

What started as a small sapling sketched in the void quickly grew into a divine pillar connecting heaven and earth, nourished by massive amounts of data. Countless branches and leaves supported this starry sky, and each leaf shimmered with magnificent rainbow light.

Every leaf, every inch of bark, and every tendril of this tree is a virtual construct based on data!

Athena's eyes shone with divine golden light, and she manipulated the data about the Throne of Heroes in [MC] with her thoughts, weaving the "olive tree" that she loved with those "threads".

Although there was no wind in space, one could faintly hear complex rustling waves, as if an invisible hand was brushing across thousands of silver leaves, with light and shadow shimmering like ripples on a lake.

The tree trunk resembles a silhouette of the starry sky, with nebula-like mist floating within it, while its resilient roots penetrate deep into the infinite void. Threads woven by fate tightly entwine the tree's roots, like a veil.

If you have the ability to see through these appearances, you will see that at the core of the tree is actually a brain sealed in crystal!

This is a data hub, but also an unifying mechanism. Although it is essentially like a supercomputer, its performance and status are difficult to measure by conventional standards.

This is the "Brain in a Vat" from the world of Bleach, which can be said to be the embodiment of the concept of "imagination". Iori herself did not rashly devour it, but kept it in her hand to use as a tool.

In the original work, Quincy possessing the "Brain in a Vat" were feared because of their overwhelming power. Even Yhwach deliberately prevented them from receiving advanced education to avoid unlocking their intelligence. Once the full potential of the "Brain in a Vat" was unleashed, even the Quincy King would find it incredibly difficult to deal with.

—And this thing, in the hands of the goddess of wisdom Athena, is beyond just adding wings to a tiger.

This is practically Athena's signature artifact!

Now, this brain, manifested externally as a "tree," connects to and absorbs the vast knowledge of the Throne of Heroes, collecting all myths, classics, legends, and anecdotes from ancient times to the present, and will also perform calculations on modern and future technological civilizations.

Just as starlight filled the outline, the various elements that make up the tree became more and more complete, and the tree's appearance gradually became more realistic.

Finally, what appeared inside this [MC], in the endless sea of ​​stars projected virtually, was a colossal object that blotted out the sky, resembling the World Tree from Norse mythology.

But after it was completed, the giant tree shrank rapidly and proportionally, eventually disappearing inside the "brain in a vat"!

"Heroic Spirit Database... Integration successful."

In a daze, everything returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

The only change was that, through this process, Athena seemed to gain some kind of opportunity, and her petite body was gradually covered by a large number of spiritual particles, resulting in a huge change in her overall appearance.

She looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with silver hair that was purer than the snow and ice of the Alps, extending all the way to her waist and hips. Her eyes were closed and her face was calm, as if she were still immersed in a dream and had not yet woken up.

Fair skin and a flat, uncurved figure, born from a "wise brain"—which fits the myth of Zeus and Athena.

Perhaps it was the high compatibility between the goddess and the "brain in a vat" that caused this wonderful chemical reaction, even elevating Athena's realm to a higher level.

The clock ticked relentlessly, and at a certain moment, the girl, who had been hugging herself like a baby, slowly opened her eyes.

"..."

She glanced around silently and then snapped her fingers softly.

"Clap~"

The free starlight particles gathered around her, and after a flash of light, they formed a well-fitting outfit.

She wore a white Roman-Greek style dress, paired with a golden laurel wreath and a few simple accessories, and on her feet were a pair of leather sandals that showed off her ten cute toes.

"Hmm, it's truly nostalgic... I never imagined that without relying on the power of the 'Trinity,' simply by elevating the divine essence of 'wisdom,' I could be restored to this state."

The girl looked at her own attire, then used magic to create a mirror that reflected her entire body.

"That's enough. I still possess the perfect body of a young girl, as always... Sigh?"

The girl paused slightly, then placed her hand on her chest in a daze.

Unripe fruit, gently undulating curves.

A little...small?

No! The size should be the same as before!

But why... even though she had never paid attention to this before, Athena didn't think her size was unsuitable.

However... however...

For some inexplicable reason, she would always think of Aizen Iori's repulsive face, and then the thought of 'it would be better if he were a little older' would inexplicably pop into her mind.

"Tsk... Why should I worry about something like this?"

Shaking her head to banish unnecessary thoughts, the slender girl rallied.

She had absolutely no interest in Iori in any romantic sense; in fact, she almost loathed him. It was to the point that even if all the men in the world died, she would rather become a lesbian than even glance at him.

Yes, as both the goddess of wisdom and the goddess of chastity, Athena would never stoop to pleasing men, much less change her image for that purpose.

...However, on the other hand...

That man is far too powerful now; even if Athena were to return to her prime, she couldn't possibly force him to his knees. Although she doesn't want to admit it, she'll most likely never be able to fight Iori by force again.

Even so, the goddess should still retaliate!

Think carefully, Athena. What is that man's weakness? What is the best way to hurt him?

The brain in the vat is activated! Awe-inspiring wisdom is awakened!

"it is good!"

Athena raised an eyebrow and suddenly had a brilliant idea.

[If I bewitch him until he loses all face in front of his woman, then I can just abandon him after using him, wouldn't that be great?]

The thought of how Iori had humiliated her in the past, even when he was "playing" with those women, filled Athena with resentment.

From the perspective of retaliation, she should humiliate Iori severely in bed as revenge!

Of course, she's a virgin goddess and wouldn't do anything too blatant... but she believes she has the ability to control the situation!

"Heh... what kind of expression will this man have when Sera and the others see his shameful side?"

With a cold laugh, the girl revealed a triumphant expression, as if she had everything under control.

This incident fully illustrates a principle.

There's always only a fine line separating the goddess and Aqua.

……

"call out!"

"call out!"

"call out!"

In a quiet forest, on a relatively spacious clearing, Iori was conducting his daily physical training. The short, sharp sound of something cutting through the air sounded like swords being wielded, but it was actually his straight punch.

For him now, no matter how many punches he throws, it won't bring any real improvement. He does it simply out of habit, as a way to relax.

However, he seems unable to calm down today and is inexplicably restless... He sent Athena to do data analysis while he came to the training ground to relax. Isn't that a bit unfair?

'Is it more efficient for me to use the Brain in the Vat myself or for her to have it? My fighting style doesn't seem to be able to... but the application of this artifact is not limited to combat.'

Rather, it would be a waste of its value to treat it as an ordinary weapon or tool.

"...It's so quiet today."

Iori frowned slightly, her doubts gradually turning into unease, as if something unseen was stirring in a corner. In short, something was not good, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"Are you alright... I guess so."

Iori couldn't think of any potential problems he might pose.

"In the entire Chaldea, only Ritsuka's matter is relevant..."

"I'm working hard, and you're just daydreaming here!"

"Um?!"

Without warning, Athena's voice rang out.

"Good afternoon. You seem to be having a lot of free time, Iori."

"Athena? You've come out of Minecraft?"

Iori was somewhat surprised that Athena would take the initiative to talk to her at this time, but she didn't pay much attention.

But Athena was unusually interested in chatting with Iori today: "Are you surprised that I finished my work so quickly, or are you simply flattered that I came to see you?"

"...I'm flattered?"

Iori was surprised because Athena's tone and voice were somewhat different, and... she usually seemed to have a bitter and resentful feeling, but today she seemed a little... flirtatious?

"You are...Athena?"

"What, you don't recognize my voice?"

As the voice faded, the light of the spirit transfer shone at the edge of the training field. Wearing a laurel wreath and a Greek dress, with a suspicious curve in her chest—but as everyone knows, there were no breast pads in ancient Greece, so it was just a simple case of puberty.

—The girl gracefully walked out of the magic circle.

She calmly extended her hand to Iori, as if waiting for him to catch it.

Then, looking at the astonished Iori, the girl smiled playfully and gave him a stiff wink: "Once again, we meet in this manner... Aren't you welcoming me, a more mature 'queen' version of myself? Aizen Iori."

Chapter 510: A bloodbath caused by tax evasion.

Is this thing poisonous? Iori held the "brain in a vat," which had been completely refined into crystal, and her eyebrows twitched slightly.

After speaking with the Spirit King in person, he learned the true nature of this thing. Just as he had thought, it was indeed not the Spirit King's brain, but a life form born from chaos, just like the Great Monk Bingzhubu.

The reason why the Great Monk possesses an independent personality and consciousness, while this thing has yet to develop consciousness (the Quincy that emerged in the original work is also "young"), is because, apart from the Soul King, these special life forms are essentially things like rules and concepts, and it is normal for them not to be personified.

The Great Monk was given a name by the Spirit King, which is equivalent to "enlightenment" in cultivation novels, allowing him to be born into the world in his current form.

The "Brain in a Vat" has not yet encountered a similar opportunity. If the original storyline continues, it will have to wait until Yhwach is resurrected more than a hundred years later, and the Quincy King, with even greater power, will be able to give it a name—[The Dreamer].

Incidentally, Barragan's power of aging is on par with that of the Eye Monk and the Visionary. However, this Hollow is not the true owner of this power; it is something like a fragment of the Soul King, which was accidentally reincarnated and stored in his body.

Thinking about it this way, Iori really has a lot of good stuff, but he is still somewhat resistant to direct "organ transplantation" and can only study it slowly.

Of course, none of that matters. What matters is that Iori suspects this brain has some mysterious buff that can make people brain-dead!

V from the original work, Yhwach from this timeline, and Athena now... all three of them exhibit overconfidence, which leads to many actions that are hard to watch...

Iori couldn't really comment on how clumsy Athena's "seduction" was. As someone who had seen it all, Iori wasn't going to be bewitched by someone just by beckoning him with a flick of the finger. On the contrary, mere physical attraction and teasing were useless.

He has very high standards and requirements!

For example, there's Sera, who went from being innocent and guileless to becoming a cunning saintess; Esdeath, the queen chosen by Khorne; and the naturally ditzy, gluttonous, long-haired, black-haired, red-eyed girl; and the expired twin-tailed loli... cough!

Compared to these attributes, Athena's choice to follow the path of "Aqua" is indeed somewhat disrespectful to Iori.

You're not some desperate virgin—right, Mr. Kazuma?