Second Arc: Successor Of Poseidon?
"Haaaaaahhh! " a roar tore through the forest and a human body was sent flying backwards, the skin turning green and purple as a deadly poison coursed through his veins. He smashed into a tree and a brutal crunch sounded as his bones snapped and shattered. Then he fell forward, coughing and retching. Percy stepped forward and grabbed his neck as he lifted him into the air, and the poison surrounding him spread into the victim even faster. The victim moaned weakly. "P-please… Sir…"
Percy's eyes glowed a wicked green and blood lust filled the air around him. He felt a flame like no other burning in his chest. It felt like a volcano was erupting deep inside him. His mind was empty with nothing besides rage. Rage that filled every vein, every nerve, every fiber of his being. "Where…. Is… HE!? "
The man in his grip stiffened and his eyes rolled up, fear clouding his expression as he sputtered with poison and terror. He was trembling and it was obvious that he could feel the poison coursing through his body. "He's… he's… G-Gone! He's probably returned to the Misty lands that are under his jurisdiction!"
Percy growled and flicked his arm and the man smashed into the ground, smashed into a pulp, his flesh splitting apart in a festering mess, his bones already shattered as his body burst open like a blood bag.
Percy was like a poison Demon as he swept forth, his poison spreading like a fog. His mind remained blank, save a hated face that filled it, making him tremble as he rushed in the direction of the Misty lands. The prince of Mist… the one who had killed the one he loved.
As Percy went, the forest around him wilted, the creatures inside all perishing in seconds as his poison spread like an endless fog. Before long, he had passed the forest, rushing into the lands of Mist, and then into human settlements.
Screams.
Crying.
Bodies. Rotting in minutes of their death.
"Let them all Die! "Percy howled at the Heaven's and the poison within him surged. The Demonic poison rose to the skies like a blanketing fog as it swallowed entire cities, leaving nothing behind but death and destruction.
Warriors were called, warriors also fell. The poison was a natural disaster that no man could stop. Even the poisonous beasts that inhabited the swamps were unable to resist as they were poisoned and perished. The green smog rose like an ocean, blanketing the land in a shroud of death as every living thing around him perished.
But through this poisonous shield that even mighty warriors were unable to break through, a single old man, wearing white robes, his beard streaked through with white and gray, his eyes filled with the vicissitudes of time, calmly strode through, hand waving in front of his nose as if brushing away a foul smell.
He stepped to the top of a hill, then shaded his eyes as he looked into the distance, focusing his gaze on the figure covered by poison, the figure of Percy. "So that's the poison host? " he smiled thinly, then brought his palms together, a blinding white light erupting between his hands. His eyes glowed similarly and as the glow spread, the poison around him thinned, sizzling as it was burnt away through his purifying powers. For this was the greatest healer of all time, Medical Saint who could stop even death, Ascelepius!
Percy's gaze was clouded by the poison and his rationality had long been eroded. He didn't notice the presence of the Medical Saint within his poison domain, and even if he had, he might not have been able to stop him. But he noticed him when a sudden pillar of light tore the clouds of poison, a shining blade of purification that was unstoppable.
Before Percy could even react, the pillar of light had already engulfed him, completely destroying the poison swirling around him.
Ascelepius leapt down from the hill, walking forward as he kept a careful eye on the end of the pillar, where Percy was trapped. "Looks as if the Poison host has no rationality remaining. If so, even the soul has probably been consumed. The least I can do is purify the corpse and let the him rest in peace. "
He frowned and a staff of light appeared in his grip, then he raised it up and in a single sweeping motion, the staff elongated, shooting up into the heavens.
"You let her die! "
"you coward! "
"can't you even avenge her? "
"Are you going to let those murderers escape? "
A harsh cacophony of voices were screaming in Percy's consciousness, like a crowd of vengeful spirits. Each word they spoke. Each point they made. They all struck deep into his heart, into his soul, bringing forth gut wrenching pain. "Who are you?! " he roared into his soul, driven mad by fear, rage and confusion.
"I am your hatred!"
"I am your Vengeance! "
"I am the one who sees your broken promises! "
"I am Styx! Goddess of Hatred! And you are Perseus Jackson, the one who killed the one who loved him most! "
Percy roared and a wave of poison burst from him, a tidal wave sweeping away the purifying power restraining him. He stormed out of the pillar of light, just as Ascelepius swung his staff.
A figure of poison congealed together, covering Percy. His eyes turned green and crimson and he leapt forth. "Roaaaaar! "
Claws of poisonous green erupted from his hands and he swiped, shattering the staff. Then he spun in midair and kicked at Ascelepius. The medical Saint was even faster, thrusting both his arms out, a wave of purifying power bursting forth. "Qi Wave! "
Percy's kick and the Qi Wave collided, and Percy was sent spinning backwards, crouching as he landed on the hill where Ascelepius had previously been. He snarled and leapt forward again. The surrounding poison all spiralled together, striking at Ascelepius.
Ascelepius stamped his foot down and he was suddenly shrouded by a layer of light even as he burst forward.
The two of them clashed in midair, and again Percy was sent flying as his chest split open, greenish blood spraying into the air. Ascelepius landed calmly, then turned to face Percy. "Calm yourself young man. I'm simply here to help. "
Percy growled as he landed in a crouch, blood dripping down his chest. His skin had completely turned blackish green and his body was surrounded by a thick green miasma. Even Ascelepius felt his heart tremble. "Styx… Soul?! "
Percy blurred and Ascelepius whirled, as Percy ran in an Arc, the poison around him all condensing into a gigantic river of poison. "My Hatred will drown this world! "
Ascelepius sighed softly, then raised both hands, a soft glow covering both of his hands. "I understand your pain… but I cannot let you slaughter the innocent! "
The two dashed towards each other, one carrying a river of poison and hatred behind himself, the other shrouded in the purifying light of healing.
Ascelepius ducked, swiveling under Percy's arms, then raised both his arms, his palms striking Percy's chest.
Boom!
Immediately the White qi was all flooded into Percy, and Ascelepius grimaced as his body was exposed to the poison surrounding him, and his skin immediately began to corrode. "Spirit of Styx… Begone! "
Percy staggered backwards, the white light covering his entire body as the poison around his all dissipated. But the hatred in his eyes didn't diminish as the poison from within his soul surged again! The poison and the purifying light clashed, and it was clear to Ascelepius that the purifying light was being suppressed!
He staggered back, then ran forward again, ignoring the poison corroding his body. He tackled Percy, slamming him to the ground. "Percy! If truly regret what you failed at, letting Annabeth die, then fulfill her last wish!"
Percy's body stiffened and his eyes cleared for a single moment, before filling with poison and rage. "Dead! Because of me!" he roared, writhing like a Madman.
"You must protect Stella! Before it is too late for her! " Ascelepius roared back at him, and immediately Percy's eyes cleared again.
Stella… the crazy girl?
He could still recall everything perfectly. And at this moment, the shroud of anger cleared from Percy's mind as he jolted up.
"Ahhhhhh! HAAAHHH! "Percy's eyes were opened wide and he rolled away from Ascelepius, clutching at his own head and screeching as a blinding white pain filled his head, covering everything else. Suddenly, he gagged and choked as bile rose up his throat, and wretched, wheezing and coughing violently. Inside his head, the screams had all died down and become quiet, and for now, the Spirit of Styx had exhausted herself, falling silent yet again.
Ascelepius sighed in relief, rolling away from Percy. He lay on the ground weakly as his skin glowed softly, healing his wounds.
Percy gingerly sat up, then turned to look at Ascelepius. He looked like any ordinary old man. He had no domineering presence, nor a powerful Aura. He could simply be anybody's grandfather. But from the memories and knowledge that Annabeth had gifted him, he immediately recognized this seemingly simple old man.
"Medical Saint, Ascelepius. " he acknowledged.
Ascelepius laughed and sat up. "That's a mouthful isn't it? Just call me Ascelepius. "
Percy bowed his head, feeling a rush of shame and embarrassment. "I'm sorry… Annabeth… she… because of me…"
Ascelepius waved his arm. "My disciple… I found her as a baby and raised her as my own daughter… but I don't regret any moment of it since. She wanted to train under me, be my successor. But I wanted her to be my daughter, first and foremost. So I moved to a nearby village, and raised her, taught her what any man ought to teach his children. She learnt the medical arts too, but soon lost her interest in them when she met you. "
Ascelepius sighed. "these joyful memories are what are precious, young Percy. She gave her life for you, and I don't blame you for that. "
Percy felt like crawling into a hole and never coming out would be the only way to hide from his shame, but he didn't feel he had any right to hide in shame. He had to face every moment of this, otherwise he would be slighting the sacrifice Annabeth had made.
"I'm… I don't deserve to be the reason for Annabeth's death… " Percy muttered softly.
Ascelepius brushed his eyes with his hands and stood up, extending a hand to Percy. "That would be disrespecting her choice. I believe… in what Annabeth thought. If she thought you were worth dying for, then I trust in her. So I can't let you die either. "
"When I came here today, I feared that you were already lost. The Spirit of Styx is the most Vengeful of all existence. If she had the strength, she would submerge all of creation in the waters of her hatred and bring them all to perish! And so, her power's are lent to those who despair, those who hate. And you Percy, are a very suitable candidate for her interest. " Ascelepius spoke coolly, but Percy could see the tension in his eyes. "But those who attract the attention of the Spirit of Styx… rarely have a good end. Her hatred can overtake even the most firm mind. That is why… till this day, there have been many people who have gained the Mind of Lethe, Psych of Cocytus, Spirit of Phlegethon, and even the Heart of Acheron, but aside from you, till this day, there exist only three people who could bear the Styx Soul. Two of them went insane, and created atrocious disasters before being killed, and only one escaped a similar fate. "
Percy shivered as a sense of fear swamped him. He had very nearly gone mad and had even become a murderer after being taken over by hatred. That was when what Ascelepius had previously said clicked in his head.
"Wait! You said Stella was in trouble?! What's happened to her?! "
Ascelepius gave Percy a worried look, then ran his fingers through his heard. "I'll tell you as we go. Because I'm worried she may end up resurrecting a Demon who should never have existed. A demon who has already tried to kill her once."
Percy's heart skipped a beat and he quickly rose to his feet. "Wait?! What Demon? And why would she be trying to resurrect this Demon? "
Ascelepius gave a gloomy sigh. "Because love makes a fool out of all of us… Because that Demon who almost killed her…"
"He is her older brother."
-Earth, The Roman Empire-
Jason was seated in his room when he suddenly felt a prickle go down his back. His eyes narrowed and his spiritual sense expanded. He could sense a vague yet powerful Aura heading towards the Palace. Yet it was blanketed and hidden so well, that unless it hadn't intentionally shown itself to him, even he wouldn't have been able to sense it!
Jason felt his unease grow and he slowly rose to his feet. He brushed his hair with his hand and rose to his feet. Then he strode to his door, his unease growing stronger with each step. His pace quickened and he soon left his palace, heading down the main road, following that strange Aura.
After a few seconds, another figure fell into step beside him and he smiled faintly despite himself. "Reyna? What are you doing here?"
Reyna responded with a smile of her own. "I sensed you leaving in quite a fluster, so I decided to tag along with you. "
Jason chuckled softly, then continued on his way. The Aura was standing in a single place now, right at the edge of the Central City Rome. Of course, entry beyond that point wasn't so easy. Terminus, the god of Boundaries was an ancient God, and while his combat strength was not extraordinary, there was no one better than him at protecting Rome from intruders. Even the Half Step Primordial Lord's of Tartarus would find it hard to sneak past his powerful boundaries undetected. Combined with the power of the River Tiber, Rome was almost impregnable to any assault from weaker monster's.
"Sir Terminus. " Jason greeted politely as he strode past Terminus. Terminus didn't respond, but Jason was quite used to it. Terminus might be a God, but he still had to guard the entire border of Rome. Especially at this time when the Orthrys empire was beginning to make alarming movements. He had his hands full monitoring the entire border at full strength to ensure no one managed to break in.
Jason and Reyna walked past without any problems, and before long, Jason caught sight of two figures standing off by the distance. His heart jolted and he immediately grew tense. He had distinctly sensed just one Aura! Just how powerful were these two?
Reyna chuckled and her hand rose, a dagger already gripped tight. They had been partners for so long now that she could immediately sense Jason's surprise, and as such she was already preparing for any unexpected surprises. But before either of them could move, a soft laugh rang out.
"Sorry for visiting you without letting you know beforehand, Lightning Emperor. "
The melodious voice twinkled and Jason grew even more tense. He distinctly recognized the voice. She was the one who had taught him how to truly harness his Asura Powers!
"Enchanting… Thief. So it was you. No wonder the Aura was so unique. Only you could change your Aura like that. " Jason muttered coldly.
She laughed again. " Don't be so distant from me old friend. "
Jason snorted. "You are the leader of the Asura's, you should take that responsibility seriously and help the rest of us prepare for the fight against the Orthrys Empire and Tartarus! "
Enchanting Thief shook her head, her face still obscure under her mask. "I am simply a teacher. I do not lead the asura's. The Asura's only answer to the Asura Council! And you are a part of the Council… aren't you, king of the Asura's? "
Jason observed her, wondering what she was planning. "Regardless, why are you here now? You don't go anywhere without a clear motive in mind. "
Enchanting Thief gave him a small bow, then stepped back, gesturing to the figure standing next to her. "You were worried about the Successor of Poseidon? Here he is. Successor of Poseidon, the Berserker God Asura!"
Reyna narrowed her eyes. "Another Asura? Why did you bring him here? "
The figure next to the Enchanting Thief stepped forward. He swept his hood of his head, black and unruly hair tumbling down to his shoulders. He reached up and plucked the mask off his face, sea green eyes flashing as he met Jason's electric blue eyes. "I am ranked second among the Asura's, Successor of Poseidon! And today I came here to challenge you, Jason Grace, Successor of Zeus and First Ranked among the Asura. I challenge you for the place of the First seat of the Asura Council! "
Jason's lips curved and his eyes glinted coldly. "Why do you want it? "
He smiled back and stretched out his hand. "To take control of the Asura's! And then I will lead them to war against Earth, and help Tartarus over run everything! "
Jason's eyes grew colder and his smile faded away. "Very well… tell me your name then. "
"My name is Theseus! Successor to Poseidon! "
Jason's crackled as sparks erupted all over his body and he stepped forward.
The enchanting thief clapped her hands. "Duel between the two Asura's! Open, Asura Domain! "
A subtle feeling spread through the air around them and suddenly Reyna felt like there was a wall between herself and the other three.
"This is the Asura Domain! Within this only an Asura can enter, no one can be forced inside against their will. If either of you wish to forfeit, you will immediately be separated from the Domain. And your strength within the Asura Domain doesn't depend on your cultivation. This is a test of your Asura Powers, so all your strength depends on your Asura Power's!"
The Enchanting Thief clapped her hands again. "Those are the only things that you need to know of. Now you two can start whenever you want to!"
Jason exploded with sparks and a spear appeared in his grasp and he lunged forward. A heavy boom shook the earth and Jason missed.
A heavy sword had slammed into the ground and Theseus had used it like a vault, leaping out of Jason's range. Then he landed lithely on the ground and raised his weapon, smiling at Jason.
'I have an advantage in terms of range of weaponry, but his attack range isn't much worse than mine. Plus the Shockwaves and airwaves of his weapon make up for his shorter weapon. He has a a complete superiority in terms of brute force, so a head on clash would be hard to maintain. His speed isn't worse than mine either! In that case, I'll have difficulty drawing the battle out and tire his stamina out. ' Jason's thoughts flew by rapidly as he raised his spear to his shoulder again.
Theseus had an easy smile on his face as he charged forward. Jason swayed back and his spear jabbed forward, wreathed in lightning as he struck at the same time.
Theseus didn't slow down, seemingly intent on trading blows, then suddenly flickered to the side as he appeared to Jason's left.
Jason's eyes widened Slightly and he swiveled upon his heels, swinging his spear around in a curve. At the same time, he hopped backwards. Theseus swung down and he missed, instead smashing a crater into the ground right in front of Jason. However, neither side relaxed, as Jason was jolted by the strong Shockwaves, almost falling over.
Theseus borrowed the momentum of his slash, using it to lift himself up into the air and letting his sword take the brunt of Jason's spear, before withdrawing his sword and falling down with an even faster slash than last time. Jason swiveled to the side and his body erupted with sparks and his eyes filled with roiling electricity. His speed erupted and he jerked backwards, thrusting his spear up right at Theseus.
Blood sprayed as Theseus was swept up by the spear, electricity covering his entire body in an instant. His eyes widened and he flew backwards, his sword carving a ditch in the ground beneath him as he flew away.
He grit his teeth and grabbed the hilt of his blade with both hands, forcing himself to a stop before launching forward again.
Jason moved even faster, his entire form turning into a streak of lightning as he dashed forward in a curve, his spear tearing forward!
Boom!
Theseus coughed up a mouthful of blood as he was struck again, jerking backwards and collapsing weakly on the ground. Jason snorted softly as he stared down at him. "If that's all you have, then you can just accept your defeat Successor of Poseidon! "
"Accept… defeat? From just… this much? "
Theseus raised his head and smiled as his eyes turned crimson. "Since I was born, I was trapped to train within the depths of Tartarus! I was tortured and beaten into shape in much worse ways! This much… is nothing! "
Theseus roared and his body burst with blood. Jason's eyes widened, then his pupils shrank as a terrifying Aura swept forward from within Theseus. The sky darkened rapidly, the light from the surroundings all being drained away. The colors of the world around them slowly leached away, turning bland and grey.
Fine cracks spread out all over Theseus's body, and he slowly rose to his feet, his eyes crimson and dripping with blood as he stared at Jason like an awakened beast.
"Awakening of the Asura: Berserk!"
A wave of power exploded around him and he streaked forward.
Jason flinched but he was too slow to react as Theseus appeared before him instantaneously, slashing down.
Blood exploded from Jason's chest as he was thrown backwards.
Theseus didn't stop there. His sword twisted in his grip and he appeared behind Jason, slashing down again.
Jason roared and a storm of lightning rained down from the sky, just barely deflecting the blow.
Theseus growled and thrust past the lightning and met Jason's spear thrust with his weapon!
The air shattered between the two and they skidded backwards. Theseus slashed down three times in succession and space shattered around him, a terrifying storm of space energy and shards exploding to life around him!
Jason jabbed forward and his spear turned into a blur as he defended against the space storm, each thrust countering the space shards swirling around him.
"W-what the hell just happened?! " Reyna turned to the enchanting Thief.
"That is Theseus's Asura power! Berserk! " she replied in a satisfied voice.
Reyna was still watching the battle with wide eyes. Jason was being forced onto the backfoot! "What kind of power is that?! "
"the power he created after suffering his entire life within Tartarus! The power to grow stronger by trading away his own life! "
Jason staggered as Theseus's sword smashed into his chest, sending him tumbling away. Theseus was covered in his own blood now, the cracks on his body growing with each passing second!
"When Theseus goes berserk, his power rises dramatically! But in exchange he keeps taking damage for every second he uses this ability! The only way to win is to defeat his enemy before he himself falls! "
Reyna shivered. "But Jason… he… "
The enchanting Thief giggled. "Indeed. The Roman Emperor still has one more trick left. If he plays it well enough, he just might be able to defeat Theseus! "
AN: Yes, I am continuing this story. I was taking a break for my exams, and now I'm back to continue!
