Prostrate Yourself Before Your Goddess

If one were to inquire whether there's something entirely identical, without even a minuscule difference, in every city standing on Earth, the answer would be a resounding yes.

Every city has a prayer site called Goddess Statue. It takes its name from literally what it really is, being the statue of the Goddess. And this is where everyone, without exception, heading to right now.

It was almost like the Earth itself was going through a pilgrimage.

On the horizon, majestically facing the clouds, the golden statue made of golden sand. Fear, awe, and amazement filled the hearts of those who dared to slip a look at the reason for this creation. Cause of fear, merciless, sharp, gigantic eyes facing the heavens, challenging them.

Cause of amazement, the intricate art of the sculptor took even the tiny details, such as scrapes on the bracelets worn by the celestial beauty, on her wrist, below her shoulder, and above her feet.

Feeling of awe evolves from the mix of these two feelings, only to be amplified by the phenomenal being's hands, clutch one object each.

Objects Goddess's hands tightly grasps were truly befitting to her title. Left hand clutched onto a droplet-shaped hoop with a cross connecting directly below it. Key of life, an ankh, was in her clutch, showing she holds the life of others, even the life itself, in her hands.

In the sense of displaying power of the Goddess to mortals, her right hand was also not any different from the left, in another sense. A long, perpendicular staff with a forked end makes others realize who exactly she is by the meaning of the staff holds in history.

Tightly clutching the symbol of power and dominion, Was-Scepter.

One hand holds the life itself, while the other one holds the power itself. She was the Goddess everyone on Earth has to worship.

As they draw nearer to the Goddess Statue, their walking pace slows. It's an inevitable outcome, considering that everyone in the city must make their way to either the statue on their side or its parallel counterpart.

These two imposing Goddess Statues are visible from almost any part of the city due to their colossal sizes. Yet, the Goddess, in her mercy, refrains from dictating that her statues reach heights that would obscure the Sun—something, ironically, she has no authority over.

Gigantic but always beneath the clouds, the statues remain massive enough to captivate onlookers' eyes.

Everyone, regardless of their race, was in their best looks. It was as if a city-wide high society event was occurring. And if there's an event on this scale, there bound to be bodyguards out there somewhere.

Moreover, the Goddess Statues were up above the lives of the others, even the entire world.

That is why the job called the God's Guards exists.

After the Gods allegedly saved the Earth, two jobs abolished into the dust of history. Only to have their names change during the period of creating the statues.

Those two jobs were police and soldiers.

Police changed its name to God's Guards, while the soldiery system utterly uprooted by the doctrine that none of the countries living under the Gods can maintain their independent military force.

After the uprooting, as though someone up above ordered, a new job field came into people's lives along with God's Guard. It was God's Soldier. As if the Gods stole the name, only to add God next to it and marketing it as if it was something completely new.

And in front of such funny actions, people did nothing but clapping. Yes, they knew what was happening but didn't have the courage to comment on it, flowed their lives by congratulating the Gods for their cleverness.

God's Soldiers can hardly be found on Earth since they are always out on missions, primarily searching the other planets as scouts. That is why God's Guards are protecting the cities as police while putting their utmost effort into keeping out even the birds that are daring to get closer to the Goddess Statue.

Their attires were all the same without even a single bit of difference. Reddish yellow colored medieval-looking armor filled with stripes like that of waving sands through the armor. Areas lacking these lines are the golden pyramids on the front and back, intricately crafted by skilled artisans.

Their swords or spears didn't catch Leon's eyes. He had seen the God's Guards for as long as he could remember himself, which is why it's been a long while since his eyes lost the awe, but intrigue remained when looking at the other weapon they had on their belt.

It was a gray metal-like device with a sizeable cylindrical barrel, almost like a gun. However, there wasn't any trigger or anything else like that. Just like Leon, many others of every age were intently gazing at those gun-like devices.

Using one is the dream of many, but its usage is strictly forbidden for guards unless they find themselves in a situation that necessitates it. These laser guns are so destructive that guards must return them to their superiors after the prayer.

"Eyes on laser gun, huh?"

"And? Do you have a problem with it?"

Let out a short sigh, "Men…"

"I can see some females out here whose eyes are on laser guns, too."

"Impure ones."

Her unexpected words shock the three. It's quite surprising for her to say something like this, a departure from her usual demeanor.

"Just wow…"

Leon's exclaim changed the two beauty's expressions, one giggling while the other shooting laser beams from her eyes.

"Maria, what was that?"

"Jane, it's okay. She is at that age."

"It isn't okay. What if she becomes like those bas—Those people?"

Gently patted her closest friend's shoulder. Although it wasn't enough to vanish Jane's anxiousness, rooted in the worry of her child's personality, it could still ease her heart to some extent.

"She won't. She was just joking, right?"

Seeing her innocence-filled eyes, Maria just turned her head to check her feet. Then, let out a tiny voice, "Yes…"

After a brief silence during their walk, they are stopped by a guard—a young man with impeccably trimmed black hair, much like the others with hair on their heads.

His handsome face adorned with a gentle smile, is captivating to those who appreciate such features, but it seems to have black hole effect on these three women.

"This way, please, beautiful ladies."

Frowned a bit, 'B*stard.'

As usual, they follow the protocol, silently following the man to the back, where people are presenting their God Watches to the table.

One section of the table emits a blue circle, matching the size of the watch—a blue screen is placed in front of the seated man, while five guards stand beside him.

Beep!

"Go on," hearing the white-haired man's voice, the man in front of Leon took his way to the front, to where a few guards waiting with pillows.

Just when it was time for Leon to scan his watch, "Hold on, kid."

The seasoned guard's eyes were constantly on the back, checking people the entire time, "Hey, Neil Goodwill, come back here."

An apparent flinch took over his body for a second. Bowed his head and dragged his feet to the voice, eyes on the ground, hands tightly clutched.

If you have eyes, you can see his fear. And he had no other choice but to obey, like everyone else.

"Y-Yes, sir."

"As far as I can see, you live with your 84-year-old father, correct?"

"C-Correct, sir."

"Will he come later?"

"A-About that…"

"Be quick. We don't have the entire day," his gentle voice disappeared after seeing the man's wimpy side, raged up, "We also have to join the prayer, and you know that! Tell me if he will be here or not!"

"H-He is sick, sir!"

"Then why the hell didn't you tell us that sooner!?"

"I-I—"

The woman guard next to her, "Sir, please don't forget that we are in the presence of our Goddess."

Shot a fierce look at her for a second, took deep breaths for a few seconds, "Sigh, you are right. I hope our Goddess would forgive me for this mistake of mine."

"She surely will," an old woman behind in the line.

"Our Goddess is the most benevolent after all," and another random person.

Words flew for a few seconds, and then the guard turned his head to the two men beside him.

"If he is sick, he must be dirty," let out another sigh, "Any one of you can use water magic?"

Seeing both of them shaking their heads and just about to yell at the back where guards were brimming like a flock of sheep, the young man who introduced Leon and others opened his mouth.

"I can use it, sir."

"Aren't you the new guy?"

"Yes, sir. The name is Andrew."

"Alright. You know what your job will be, right?"

"Yes, sir."

Turned his head to the other two, "Don't forget to fetch a clean suit and shoes from behind," pointed at his back.

One side at the back was filled with brand-new suits and shoes, which both females and males can wear without any problem. That is why they were piled up almost like small peaks, parallel to golden pillows with the same colored prayer mat inside of the bag.

And the young man's job was to have the old man take a quick shower, more like pouring water from his head. Both this action and the provision of new suits serve a single purpose—the second rule of the prayer: Be presentable in front of the God.

'Excessive.'

"Any problem, kid?"

"Not at all, sir."

Leon's brief, fierce gaze didn't slip past his veteran eyes, but he chose to leave it at that. Turned his face to the reason for the delay,

"Hey, Neil, you will pay for the suit, shoes, and the trouble my man is going through, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then, wait at the back for your father," then took one more glance at the guards who were ready to leave, "I'm transmitting the location of that guy's watch into yours. Keep an eye on it."

""Understood, sir!""

The four knew that this was the mark of their embark.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

They took their way to the guards up in front, handing out prayer mats and pillows.

"Don't forget to bring them back," said the guard with no emotion in her voice, most likely uttered the exact words countless times today.

Jane, "Don't forget to smile from here on."

"Ye- Cough!"

"Mother…"

"It's okay, it's okay."

After getting their prayer set, they kept on walking for a few minutes more with smiles on their faces, be it forcefully, be it painfully. This was the first rule of prayer: Always smile in front of your God.

Carefully laid down the mat and pillow a little bit ahead of their mat, took their place in the circle created in every city of their continent. The massive circle was a scene to behold from the bird's eye's perspective, but not when you are among the crowd.

Although guards had already sprayed the area with flower scents, some still sweated, while the sick were profusely. A mix of both flowers and sweat can be smelled in the air, but everyone had to put their best smile on, regardless.

At the end of the circle were the guards, also in the same position as the others, waiting. Then, it didn't take long for a 2.50-metered Aqrabian woman, white-haired and wearing a robe, to appear.

She had a similar title as the God's Guards, Goddess's Priestess.

The front of her robe bears a pyramid similar to that of a God's Guard, while the back displays two arrows crossed over a shield.

A fierce voice, weirdly also gently, filled the air.

"Prostrate yourself before your Goddess."