Author's Note: Hiya guys! Welcome to Bronze Genesis! This is actually a fanfiction version of a story that I am currently working on by the same title. So if you see this on Fiction Press, that's the original one :3 Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy chapter one (And yes I will be rewriting this in the future).


Bronze Genesis

By

Veneficius Blitzkrieg

Chapter One: The Origin of the Way of Magic

/October 21, 1986|Rokken Manor|11:50 pm\

An arena as big as a football field is all that I see around me. Looking around, I try to remember what I was doing here; that moment of thinking, however, was put on hold when a metallic object zoomed towards me. I summoned two portals to reflect it back to its origin. Cackling echoed in the air around me.

"My, my… Have you already forgotten what we are doing here, Nico?" echoed a mysterious, feminine voice around me. Golden butterflies started appearing—first a handful, then a cluster, and finally an endless swarm. After a while, a golden brown haired woman in an elegant, dark brown ball gown appears before me. It was my great-great-great aunt Hecate Di Angelo, the Endless Golden Witch—my mother's great-great grandmother's sister. She then began scolding me—reminding me what we were supposed to be doing in this arena. After a while of reminders, as well as a few hits on the head from her, we proceeded to spar with each other.

"Come, show me what the Di Angelo name has become after twenty-six years!" exclaimed the great witch as she jumped towards Heaven where she remained afloat. Smirking at her decision to remain up there, I conjured up two towers that stood up to 250 meters on each side. A tower is equipped with 720 ports, totaling it to 1440 ports for both, with each port having a rapid firing ballista and a demon manning the weapon.

"Auntie, I hope you will not turn into butterflies to dodge this! The density of the War Towers' barrage might turn you into a butterfly pin-up display!" chuckling evilly at her, I flew in between the structures and floated around like a moth beside a giant tree. My aunt smirked and cackled as well as she shot a wave of energy blasts behind her causing an explosion. She glared at my face and yelled that she had done the same move to her teacher when she was my age. I gritted my teeth, knowing that she knew that I had been reading about her past battles. Lowering down my hands, I signaled the demons in opening their ports. With a snap of my fingers, they began the barrage towards my dear relative.

My aunt stared at them—the impending doom coming towards her. She also called forth a tower but, unlike mine, this one came from Heaven itself. It continued its descent and began absorbing the barrage towards it which left her unscathed. The tower stopped midway and my aunt floated towards it.

"Come, arise Sons of Ivaldi. Bestow upon me a spear worthy of my name!" chanted the Golden Witch as the falling tower crumbled into pieces. Out of the rubble appeared a spear worthy of the Gods. Legends say that this spear pierced through an entire battle line—granting the Gods victory over their foes. The spear lined up and I knew where she was aiming it; she was going for the heart—the center of my being.

"It ends now," yelled the woman in the gown as she snapped her fingers. The spear was now going towards me. Knowing fully well that nothing can stop that Divine Spear, I dismissed my war towers and summoned my Giants in battle formation. My aunt shook her head and called me foolish for thinking that mere giants can block Gungir.

"Oh, but this is where I throw YOU out of line! Come arise Disciples of Hephaestus. Grant me a shield worthy enough to protect and honor my name!"

My giants held their arms out. A flurry of Platinum Moths surrounded the arms of the giants and, from there, Platinum shields appeared on their arms. They crouched down and covered me up with their shields. The Spear and Shield met in thunderous applause; the Rules of Heaven stated that the Divine Shield and Spear can never meet in combat. Instead of impacting my shields, the spear flung off to the direction of the rising sun. I snapped my fingers, dismissing the shields and my giants, I was left with my aunt alone again as if the battle was just about to start.

"Well now, you haven't been a disappointment so far," praised the witch as she hovered back down to the ground, "but that doesn't mean you and I are not finished here yet." She shined a brilliant Golden aura while I did the same but with a Platinum hue and from there, we ran towards each and clashed. The fighting looked like an impressive lights show—swirling Platinum and Gold lights flying to and fro before they separated and repeated the whole thing again.

My aunt decided that this farce was enough and decided to stay in one place. She held out her hand and began to unleash an endless energy barrage. She shot energy blast after energy blast and I ended up dodging them all one by one instead of blocking or reflecting them back at her. Her gaze mocked me as she just floated in place while I danced around the arena. Sensing an opening, I dashed towards her and hoped this will put an end to this conflict of ours. But, apparently, she had other plans as time seemed to stop around us.

"Is this the best you have to offer, my nephew?" cackled the woman with the golden brown locks as she extended her hands towards the Heavens. She began chanting her same old ritual which would mark my end.

"Yes, at this moment. Let the Gates of the Golden Land open wide!"

A sensation like I was thrown inside a furnace rushed within me which caused me to fall down to the ground hard. I groaned and thrashed around trying to ease myself from this pain and all that my aunt can do was cackle endlessly as she watched her nephew writhe in pain at her own power. Pretty soon, her cackles died down, the sensation slowly disappeared, and time resumed. She reached out for me with a smile. I accepted it and she helped me up on my feet.

"You do know if you perform like this in the Academy, they could kick you out right?" she huffed out in disappointment.

"Yes, Great-Great-Great Aunt Hecate I do know that," I smirked as I know that she hated being called Great, "I am trying to get better in combat but you keep on calling the Golden Land on me."

All that my aunt could do was sigh and shake her head in disappointment as she began lecturing me on how to do my combat properly as well as trying not to lose by merely dodging and not even reflecting her strikes back. What? I hat conflicts unless provoked. After a few minutes and a boring lecture later, we eat and have tea. Well, she had tea while I had a cup of coffee. It is fun knowing that I can spend time with my relatives very often even though some of them are now beyond the plane of existence. Yes, my aunt Hecate is no longer with us. I will explain everything in a second.

Where are my manners? The name's Nicholas, Nicholas Di Angelo—son of Persephone Ricci-Di Angelo and Hades Di Angelo. My friends and some relatives call me Nico for short. That demonstration of power you just witnessed was called the Way of Magic. It started off as a Di Angelo kind of magic but later on in time, it had been taught to several other people outside the family. From there, it just started spreading across the world. It has been known to be one of the most powerful forms of magic the world has ever seen. Basically, it means anyone who has studied this kind of magic can bend its laws at their will.

However, the manipulation of said laws can only be possible if the person has a high enough rank of power. The ranking ranges from Basic Bronze to Celestial, Endless Bronze to Celestial, Divine Bronze to Celestial, and Endlessly Divine Bronze to Celestial. Achieving Bronze to Silver, for example, is done within the premises of the various Magical institutions, academies, and schools found all around the world. But to go up even further in the ranks, like from Basic to Endless, the world decided to form a legendary council to keep that in check. The Divine Council, led by my grandmother—Demeter Di Angelo—they govern the ways and methods of how an individual rises up in the Way of Magic ranks. A series of tests and challenges are implemented to see if the individual is worthy enough to be ranked up to Endless or higher.

This is not the case if you were a Di Angelo. My grandmother, being the leader of the Council, made sure that we kept our tradition of ranking up the same as before which involved the mass murder of the sinful. For instance, my aunt Hecate achieved the Endless rank when she murdered sixteen people who were greedy individuals who cared for their inheritance and not the bond between siblings and family members. From that incident, not only she rose up in the ranks, she also met my uncle, Solis Magus; he was done with the family when she appeared in his life. When they got married, it was he who changed his last name and not my aunt. The rank that I currently held was the Endless Celestial and that was because of a perk of being a Di Angelo, our family trait—Divine Wisdom.

A family trait is an ability or skill that is passed down from your bloodline. The Di Angelo's trait allows us to retain all knowledge and skill passed down from the previous generations. However, this does not imply to the spouse's knowledge and skill. Upon reaching the age of ten, the Di Angelo can choose up to how much knowledge and skill will they obtain from past relatives; I chose to keep all knowledge until Aunt Hecate's time which is just at 1986.

Enough side shows, let's continue the party.

We walked out of the arena part of the manor, idly chatting—catching up on how I have been and the family's current status in world. My aunt giggled at the stories I would give her. She always found me to be super jolly—a happy-go-lucky person who sees the world as bright as the sun. We stopped by two cathedral-style gates and she looked at me with a slight frown on her face. I asked her if she was feeling alright and tried to cheer her up by asking her if I hit her too hard. She let out a small giggle but her face immediately went back to that same frown.

"My child, the world may seem to be a ray of sunshine but it is crazy, savage, and cruel. If they see one ounce of happiness and sunshine, they snuff it out like a mere candle still burning when dawn comes. I worry that a time will come when that sunlight of yours will disappear when life throws you a challenge that not even our magic may solve."

I nodded and embraced her. I assured her that even if I get older I would still be the same carefree and cheerful person that she sees before her. I looked up at her from our hug and saw tears in her sky-blue eyes. Wiping them away, I give her a small smile and she replied back with a grin of her own.

"Come now, it's time for you to go home. I am guessing that Persephone is having a field-day and is wondering where you are right now, "cackled the great witch, "Maybe she thinks I am holding you up here in 1986... Making you my eternal slave!"

"Aunt Hecate, the only slave around these parts would be Uncle Solis."

After we shared a good hearty laugh for a few minutes, we finally opened the massive doors. A vast array of Golden Portraits was seen at the hall inside. My aunt reminded me that this was the Hall of Endless Honor and Reunion. A special kind of magic was found within the paintings; anyone may phase through them and they relived the most glorious moments of the person they have chosen. But, if a Di Angelo phases through one, they were reunited with that relative and get to spend time for as long as that family member pleased. Seeing all the previous heads of the family as well as those who achieved high ranks in the Way of Magic, it brought me great joy and pride. We continued walking down the hall until we reached a portrait of a woman with hazel locks who sat in a dignified yet bored pose. She wore an Onyx and Gold dress, she seemed like a woman who you would want to meet at some point in your life. That woman was my grandmother when she achieved the rank of Divine at the age of twenty-five; as of now she is an Endlessly Divine Golden Witch.

"Someday, my dear nephew, you will be here at the Hall looking all dignified and mighty."

"Or I might look dignified and bored like grandma."

Aunt Hecate laughed at that remark and playfully slapped my back; she reminded me to pay respect to the current head of the family and leader of the Divine Council. We pressed on with our short walk until we reached my mother's portrait. The woman's locks are the color of roasted chestnuts being sold during the season of Giving and she had the same dress my aunt had on. She looked happy yet noble as she sat atop a chair glistening in Crimson and Gold. Standing behind her is a man with short black hair which, if given enough attention, had a small brown streak running down his fringe. That is my father, Hades Di Angelo—dignified and stoic is the pose he adorned for the painting. My aunt patted me on the back and told me to go on home. She also asked me to comfort my mother for making her think that she was trapping me here for all eternity.

"I will auntie. Don't you worry. Besides, if she thinks that way, I might be banned from seeing you for a few months or until she cools off."

"That is just like my niece! She has always been the worrywart," laughed boisterously the woman as she threw one last smile, "I love you."

Returning her gesture of love, I entered my mother's portrait and returned home.


Author's Note: Well, that is chapter one! A taste for what's to come :3 Please follow, fave, and review if you enjoyed the story. Chapter two will come out next week! So, I will see you guys then! There is a poll up on my profile, if you can please take some time to answer because I am really debating if I should push with Nico and Percy being a couple. Until then, this is Veneficius (Or Ven for short) signing off!