Quick apology for this being out a little over a day later than the final date I set. Woke up Monday and finished the chapter after a few hours and was ready to upload it, but the power went out unexpectedly. Its back on now, but me and my family have literally no clue why it went out in the first place. In any case, I hope you enjoy the chapter and the next one I'm looking to have out by the 15th at the latest, since I'll be working on other stuff as well.
Anyways, on we go!
The Olympian God of Destruction:
Chapter 11: The Titanomachy IV
"Well, look who we have here." Rhea smiled, as the familiar light of teleportation glimmered through between herself and her children during a brief lull period. Any thought of training being put on hold as the figures of Zeus, Metis, Gaea and Beerus appeared before.
"Apologies for the interruption, Rhea." Gaea said kindly, removing her hand from Beerus' shoulder. "It is just that the youngest has finished his finished his preparation, and according to Metis, is ready to spar his eldest brother here, and I thought it'd be a good idea for them to start here."
"So that their siblings can watch them, I presume?" Rhea all but read her mind, as she folded her arms beneath her bosom and smiled a little wider.
"Quite." The protogenos nodded. "I believe it could be some good entertainment for us, as well as a good learning experience for the rest of her children to see them both have a go at each other."
"Hmm. Can't say I disagree with that." Rhea shook her head with some amusement, glancing at her youngest and eldest boys before looking out over the rest of her gathered children. "All of you, we'll be taking a break for now, it seems. Get yourselves comfortable, as I'd say we're about to see something good between your brothers."
"Heh. Was wondering when this was gonna happen." Hades grinned, thrilled to get to see his brother Beerus in action again, whilst curious about his younger brother Zeus will fare. "This should be fun to watch."
"For once, I completely agree with you, Hades." Poseidon nodded, grinning a bit himself as he walked up beside him.
"It is good to see you both." Hestia smiled warmly at the two as she came closer, before briefly focusing her attention on her twin. "How have you been faring in your special training, by the way, Beerus?"
"It's been going fine, I suppose." Beerus shrugged, giving his kind-hearted sister a small smile himself. Her close presence never failing to make him feel just a little warmer. Her natural effect on everyone, as he well knew by this point. "How has yours?"
"We're all making good progress according to mother." She replied affably while motioning an arm around proudly at her other siblings-in-training with her. "Won't be too long now before it's all set and done."
"Good to hear." Beerus nodded in understanding. "I suppose I'll have to come around soon enough and see how far you've all come with my own eyes. But first," His eyes glanced to his side, looking over to Zeus. "I have something else to get to."
"But of course." Hestia said understandingly, looking between the two. "I'll leave you both to it then."
Zeus motioned his head respectably in affirmation while Beerus grunted his own, as she began walking away to give them their room. A call coming out from their mother as she moved away, telling them to follow her.
"Be sure to enjoy yourself out there, young one." Gaea told him with a beatific smile of her own, before making her way away. Her enormous breasts giving a noticeable bounce with each stride she took, as she followed her daughter toward their spectating spot.
Metis took that moment to whisper something in Zeus' ear, which Beerus picked up with his impressive hearing.
"You know what you need to do, yeah?" He nodded, and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Good. So long as you remember that, everything's fine."
Hmm… How curious. Sounds like she's formed a battle plan with him. Beerus thought as he smirked amusedly. Let's see where this goes, and if I'll be able to enjoy myself here as Gaea says..
"Good luck out there, Beerus!" The soon-to-be god of destruction was snapped out of his thoughts at that, turning towards the cheery feminine voice who'd called out to him. His eyes landed on Demeter who waved at him with a bright smile on her as she walked back from him. "Hope you have fun with your spar!" She remarked good-naturedly before blowing him a happy kiss when she saw he was looking.
Beerus crushed the memory of those very same lips on his not too long ago before it had to chance to resurface, as he waved back awkwardly. Face set between neutral and a grimace, as he mentally hoped that she didn't get the impulse anymore to do that to him again and make him even more confused and weirded out by his new body in the process.
He spotted Hera coming up right by her a second later, sending a rather peculiar look his way as she walked with an odd sway to her hips. A bizarre, knowing smirk on her features as though she'd figured something about him, though as to what, he wasn't quite sure.
Eh, it was probably nothing. He need not concern himself with whatever was going on in that woman's head, at least for now. He had a more pressing, and as Demeter had put it, hopefully a fun matter to get to with his baby brother.
Metis had left Zeus' side by this point and went to join the others who were moving a fair amount away. Joining up right beside Rhea and Gaea as they came to a stop a decent distance from them, all eyes coming on them intently.
"Shall we get started then?" Beerus asked loud enough for everyone to hear, as he fully turned to his brother, placing his hands behind his back and pressing his fists together in a rather casual, relaxed stance. "You're free to go first if you want. I'll wait for your attack."
"That's mighty kind of you, brother." Zeus met his gaze as he turned as well, the two only about two metres removed from each other. His expression serious, focused. His electric-blue eyes narrowing on him like a hawk. "You certain you don't want to attack first?"
Beerus could tell he was just trying to be courteous there. "Yep. Go right ahead." He motioned him on. "First move's yours. Do try not to waste it."
"As you wish." Zeus acquiesced. Then, a split-second later, his muscular frame sprung forward from where he'd previously stood, giving him a solid amount of momentum and quickly closing the distance between them, as he reared back a fist.
Not a half bad punch, but he's telegraphing it a bit too much. Beerus thought as he saw him come close. And just as Zeus thrust his fist forward, carrying a decent level of force, Beerus easily dodged the punch and watched his little brother starting to sail by him as he side-stepped the predictable blow. Overextending as well. Someone committed a bit too much to that.
Deciding to go light for now, Beerus struck out right into Zeus's flank with a simple kick, aiming directly for the left side of his ribcage.
To his mild surprise however, Zeus' form glowed and disappeared, leaving behind specks of gold as his kick missed its mark. His instincts then came to life as a dim light resurfaced behind him and ducked, narrowly avoiding a sweeping kick from a now air-borne Zeus aimed at his head. Before he could glance back at him, Zeus' form vanished the same way once again, and reappeared by his side with another fist already cocked back.
Beerus was quick to snap his focus to him, and as he saw the fist begin to sail forward in its predictable path, he was already in the process of leaning back to avoid it. Once Zeus vanished again however, only to re-emerge at his front and right in his guard with his fist still flying in, the former GOD of Universe 7's eyes widened ever so slightly, as he swiftly reclined back. The knuckles of his younger sibling sailing in and looking to be only just missing him by a hair.
The instant he saw Zeus' hand begin to open up however and saw the cheeky grin on his face just as his body gave that faint glow again, Beerus realized instantly he'd made a slight error. The silver-haired fledgling's body then once again flashed away before reappearing in the direction Beerus was reclining back in. The latter's eyes snapped up to him as he loomed over, hands clasped above his head before he deftly swung them downward. His upper body swinging down with it in an axe-handle strike plunging toward the elder brother's exposed features. Looking poised to smash his skull in.
Reacting quick, despite his leaned back position, Beerus torqued his hips sideways as he kicked off of the ground, his body spinning through the air and off to the side. Not only avoiding the axe-handle blow that swung down on nothing but air, but also left him with his body turned at an elevated position, with a perfect shot right by Zeus' own exposed head.
Huh… So, he can spam that teleportation ability, can he? Beerus pulled his outer leg and narrowed his amber pools. Nice little trick, but I've already dealt with something like this before. Swiping his leg forward like a cleaver, it cut through the air as it arced right for the side of Zeus' temple with about half the force he'd bludgeoned Atlas with in his first strike against him. The purple-haired deity expected him, if able to react, to teleport away again, possibly to take him from his back this time.
Instead however, once Zeus caught the blur of his leg cleaving toward his face, his form shimmered slightly and before Beerus' even more surprised eyes, changed shape. His body morphing just as the front of his foot was close to touching his skin and turning into an obsidian-skinned snake that speedily coiled up around the swung appendage. The serpentine head hissing as it reached by Beerus' exposed stomach, and the serpent suddenly morphed back, becoming Zeus' muscular form once more. The younger brother now also air-borne, and in front of Beerus as his knees came up to his chest, before letting out a grunt of exertion as he thrusted his feet forward with breakneck speed. The soles of his feet stomping right into the surprised elder brother's chest, causing the latter to let out a light gasp of air as a solid shockwave billowed out from the strength of the dropkick and sent Beerus's body hurtling back. A stronger gust of wind blanketing the area as the former used the blow he'd delivered to backflip away and land gracefully in a crouched position.
Meanwhile, Beerus grit his teeth as he careened through the air, forcing back control over his hurtling form with relative ease and flipping over as his feet dug into the ground. Twin trenches forming in the soil as the friction built up and slowed him down until he came to a stop a second or so later. The trenches formed by his feet several metres long and a good few deep near the end, as he found himself a good half a kilometre away from his initial position.
"Well now, isn't that something?" Gaea grinned with her arms crossed beneath her massive melons, pushing their supple flesh up as she watched the first exchange appraisingly. "Zeus is the first to land in this little duel."
"Yes, and with a sublime counter using shape-shifting no less." Rhea nodded approvingly with a motherly smile of pride, as she too crossed her arms beneath her bosom. "The counters I've seen from my other children so far in training aren't quite that good when it comes to split-second decisions like that was. He's been trained well, it seems."
"The praise is appreciated." Metis smiled a bit with appreciation, but otherwise kept a stoic expression. "However, this spar has only just started. Zeus has plenty more to show."
"As I'm sure Beerus does too." Gaea added with a knowing look. She, along with both other women could tell the older brother wasn't even trying yet. Same with the two's siblings watching on beside them, despite being a little surprised themselves that Zeus stroke home first, they also knew Beerus had yet to actually exert himself properly in any capacity. She didn't doubt Zeus knew this too, as he kept his eyes locked on his brother from the distance he'd created between them.
Beerus touched a hand to his chest, feeling only a small tingle on it from where he'd been hit. The strength behind it had been good, but barely even enough to put a very light bruise on him at most before it instantly healed over. Even still, whilst he wasn't trying yet, the fact remained Zeus had struck first blood with that cheeky stunt he just pulled.
"Heh," He chuckled, staring out at Zeus with a hint of mirth. "Not bad, Zeus. For a first exchange, that was alright." So, he can not only spam teleportation, but also shape-shift, huh? Now this certainly is amusing.
"There's more where that came from, I assure you, brother." Zeus called back, tensing his body in preparation for his brother's next response. Keeping an eye on him for any sudden moves. "You gonna start using your arms now?"
Beerus only smirked at his reply, bending his legs as he brought his arms back behind him, fists once again touching against each other by his back. All as his body naturally began to lean forward heavily. "Not just yet. You'll have to work a little harder for that."
Just then, Beerus launched himself forward, his form blurring as the ground beneath him ripped apart. An entire chunk being torn right out with a shockwave as he shot forward.
Zeus' eyes widened, almost completely blind-sided by his brother's huge jump in speed, despite knowing he'd been holding back, as he closed the distance between them in no time. The purple-haired deity already within his guard again as he swung his foot up in an arc at a blistering speed toward his chin. The silver-haired god only just reacting in time and teleporting away, narrowly avoiding have his head probably kicked off by barely a centimetre. The sheer force alone behind the kick whipping up a powerful wind gust that billowed through the area.
Zeus immediately appeared behind him to throw a punch at the back of his head, but Beerus, as if knowing he'd be behind him, leapt off the ground with his other foot in a back-flip. His body sailing right over the younger brother's fist as he looked down at him from a good metre above. Electric blue eyes managed to glance up, as the older of the two flipped fully while in mid-air, pulling one knee up to his chest right above his head. And once again, the younger brother only just managed to teleport out of there as the sole of Beerus' foot came driving down in a powerful stomp. One which caused a massive seven-metre wide and deep crater where it fell, pulverising the ground beneath it.
Zeus reappeared again sweating a bit, once again by his side with a fist cocked back and drove it hard into Beerus' cheek. The punch landing flush on the side of the elder's face, or so it seemed. He was taken aback in the next instant, when Beerus' face seemed to roll with the punch. His body twisting around using the momentum given and raising his outer leg up in another blurringly fast arc with a picture-perfect spinning axe-kick right towards his head.
He vanished again with golden specks, this time only avoiding the counter-attack by millimetres, as he reappeared right in front of Beerus again, already throwing another haymaker for the middle of his face, only to catch Beerus' smirk back at him. Before he could quite tell why, the blur of something was caught in the corner of his eye and slammed right into the side of his face before he could react. His head rattling momentarily as he was sent careening off to the side himself, his body ripping off a good chunk of ground from the edge of the crater they'd been in, as he was sent haphazardly rolling at extreme velocity across the area. Like Beerus, but with more effort on his end, he was able to right himself after a little bit, turning to face forward as he dug his hands and feet into the soil to slow himself. The act digging four similar sized ditches several metres long as he came to a stop in a hunched over position.
Meanwhile, the older brother lowered the same leg he'd used for the axe-kick prior, and gave his other leg a little scratch with it, before hopping out of the crater to more flat ground
"Uhh, what just happened there?" Poseidon asked in confusion.
"Not sure." Hades answered uncertainly, though no less had an almost childlike grin etched on him from enjoying watching the spar play out so far. "If I had to guess though, I think Beerus just feinted him with that spinning kick to bait him in for the second one…"
"Right you are, Hades." Rhea remarked, garnering the two's and by extension, the rest of children's brief attention. "It seems he knew Zeus would avoid the first using teleportation, as that's how he's chosen to avoid all his attacks up to now, so he used an attack that couldn't be so clearly seen as bait to Zeus to lure him into another." He'd also have had to utterly halt his momentum with it, and then reverse course in the other direction in the same instant. An extremely awkward manoeuvre from the looks of it, and one that didn't even carry a third of the force that would've been behind the blow that proceeded it.
"Looks like I got you that time." Beerus called out, bringing the spectators attention back to him as he rolled his neck around. Still looking rather casual about the whole affair. "You said there was more to come? You might want to kick it up a notch now then, Zeus. Otherwise I'm afraid this'll get boring rather fast."
Rather than look distraught or even annoyed, Zeus actually chuckled a little after shaking off Beerus' attack. The dark bruise that had formed where he'd been hit healing away in the blink of an eye. A sky-blue outline forming around his body, as the muscles around his biceps and thighs bulged. "As you wish!"
Rather than teleport straight away this time, Zeus blasted off the ground. His bulky frame zooming toward the stationary Beerus like a thunderbolt as he crossed the distance in no time at all. His fist reared all the way back, and from Beerus' perspective, was glowing dimly with the blue aura now outlining him. Beerus responded in kind by swiftly thrusting his foot up in a front kick aimed for his face. The fastest attack he'd thrown yet which looked set to collide and smash the younger relative's face as he came hurtling in.
Instead of being caught this time, Zeus' eyes narrowed like slits as he saw the kick snap out. His body shape-shifting right as it was a hair's breadth away and swerving around it, as he transformed into a small bird. His wings flapping once as he glided over Beerus' outstretched leg and moved right inside guard again.
Hmm… So, you can morph yourself into more than just a snake, huh? I thought as much. Beerus' smirk broadened a bit, as he used his other foot to leap back from the bird, going right over the crater he'd previously made. Before his feet even landed down on the ground though, the bird vanished in specks of gold again, and before his very eyes, reappeared not in his humanoid form, but in that of a massive, hulking bull with hair a perfect shade of white.
In a fraction of a second later, the bull's head ploughed straight into Beerus sternum, knocking some wind, spittle, and some drops of ichor out of his mouth as the horns stabbed into him. Zeus then immediately transformed back to his normal form to deliver a swift uppercut while he could. The punch snapping Beerus head back with a sizeable shockwave that expanded out as far as the spectators watching, hitting them all with a powerful wind gust and forcing their siblings to squint and shield themselves a bit with an arm.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity where Beerus was seemingly defenceless, Zeus pressed on with his assault, launching strike after punishing strike just as strong as the last and the same aftereffect. A left hook to the cheek followed by a right, then another left, then a right again, before cracking him atop his temple. Each one smacking his head around as well as forming a deeper and deeper crater beneath them from the force exerted, before he delivered a lightning-fast knee to the gut to bend him over. Which was then followed up immediately by him teleporting about a metre in front of him and smashing the front of his foot up right into his chin with a soccer kick that snapped him right back up again and off the ground. The deepening crater beneath having formed with the one Beerus created and then some.
Their onlookers were either left in some bit of awe or quite impressed by his displayed abilities that easily surpassed that of the spectating siblings, as Zeus struck him with a heavy punch to the gut and sent him flying back. Droplets of ichor spilling to the ground as he went from the two holes that had been pierced in him by the horns, but which quickly closed up and healed as his feet dug back into the ground again. Not that it meant much, as Zeus teleported by his side as a bird soaring in at top speed to build up a nice level of momentum before he morphed back and slammed into his cheek with another punch that sent him rocketing over to the side. Teleporting again, he met him just as his feet touched down with a vicious knee to his side that bent his body over a good bit, before continuing with another hail of blows. A combination of different punches and kicks in sequence to batter him all over his front.
"Woah… he's actually giving Beerus a beating…" Demeter commented with no small amount of surprise. Even knowing that the older of the two was definitely still holding back. "It doesn't even look like he can defend himself right now…"
"Are you sure about that, young lady?" Gaea asked her pointedly with a smile, one that was mirrored by Rhea as she garnered her attention.
"What do you mean?" The blonde beauty asked back with some befuddlement, only for Hera to scoff and be the one to answer her.
"Look closer, Demeter." The youngest sister said, whilst she folded her arms around her midsection and scrutinized the supposed 'beating' going on. "It's not even close to as one-sided as it seems at first glance."
Demeter did so, looking in as close as she could, and saw Zeus land another punch right into Beerus' cheek. On closer inspection however, she, along with the others could make out their older brother's head wasn't really snapping away, but more rolling with the punch like it'd done before. The next several blows that rained over his face being much the same, as rather than have any pained expression, Beerus was grinning like a madman instead.
"You see it now, young Demeter?" Gaea asked politely as they watched Zeus strike out with another knee for his gut, which made contact, but only just, as Beerus pulled his stomach back right at the point of collision. "Zeus's first flurry certainly landed full-on, but his latest set is being cleverly neutered. Beerus is moving his body in tandem with the force and direction of Zeus' attacks, so while they're making contact, the overall amount of power he's actually being struck with is greatly diminished."
"I see it, yeah." She nodded affirmatively, watching as an uppercut was thrown by Zeus again, and as soon as his knuckles clipped against Beerus' chin, the latter wilfully rotated both his body and head up where the punch was heading. His eyes kept on Zeus' movements the entire time and flawlessly moving in sync with his strikes. "But why isn't he fighting backing then?"
The fledgling goddess was given her answer not even a moment later, when Zeus overextended himself with a straight punch aimed for Beerus' nose. A glint sparking in the elder's amber pools, as suddenly he ducked underneath the punch with a speed he hadn't yet shown, leaving an afterimage behind where the fist sailed through. And then, in a timeframe so small light might as well have been moving at a snail's pace, one of Beerus's hands finally flew out from behind his back in a clenched fist and propelled forward directly within Zeus' exposed front.
"Guh!" The air crashed out of Zeus's lungs, as the heavy blow to the gut sent him rocketing forward with a thunderously loud sonic boom echoing behind. His body hurtling directly into one of the smaller mountains upon Crete and smashing into it with a seismic shockwave that billowed throughout it. The entire isle lightly shaking from the impact for a brief instant.
Even knowing he'd been holding back all along, the siblings watching outside of Hestia blinked in astonishment at the sudden turn of events. Gaea didn't look surprised in the least, and nor did Rhea really, given what she'd been told about his skirmish with her brothers and nephew a while back in Kronos' castle. Though she did whistle, looking very impressed seeing her eldest son's powerful counter flip the scales completely in his favour in one go. Then again, they were probably never against him truly to begin with.
Metis, strangely enough, didn't react in the least to seeing her consort effectively get smacked away in such devastating fashion. Her face was calm and collected as she watched the proceedings with her hands clasped in front of her below her waist.
Beerus tilted his head and spat a small glob of ichor unto the soil beside him, before bringing a hand up to his neck and cracking it twice as his head tilted back and forth. The fledgling god grinning amusedly despite the small bit of ichor also dribbling from the corner of his lips. Those latest attacks had packed much more power behind them than any of Zeus' previous attacks, and more than he was expecting if he was being honest. That alone confirmed his suspicion that Zeus had also been holding back up to now, it seemed, and perhaps still was to some extent. Whatever reason he was doing so, probably to get a read on him first, meant nothing to him at the end of the day.
"Hmph! Don't get ahead of yourself now, Zeus!" Beerus snorted derisively, pulling back his outstretched arm as he spoke loud enough for his younger sibling to hear him from the considerable distance, he'd just sent him. "You've got some solid power to you. That, and the effective use of those two abilities in combat is rather impressive, I'll admit. However, it seems as though your hand-to-hand skills are rather lacking by comparison. Even with all that vanishing and reappearing you were pulling it couldn't mask just how painfully predictable your moves actually are."
"Ugh…" The silver-haired fledgling deity groaned, as he rose himself up out of the wide crater formed in the mountain by his hurtled body. A massive bruise having formed where he'd been hit, his ribcage partially caved in from the blow, with golden ichor dripping from his lips as he stood back up to his feet. The wound beginning to repair itself rather quickly already. "I'm still learning, brother. And I'm far from done!" He said gruffly, before his form all but shimmered away.
Beerus caught the flash of his youngest brother's body zooming towards him at breakneck speeds in the meantime, as a dark purple outline formed over him. Some of his real power being brought to the fore, as he now saw him coming as though it was in slow motion, and watched the fist aimed directly for his face coming in with a sharp eye.
Rather than dodge it though, Beerus brought his own hand up, and caught the punch in his palm. The attack shredding the ground beneath him apart once more, forming the deepest crater yet, as rocks and debris flew and scattered up everywhere. Yet Beerus himself didn't budge an inch this time.
"You've got decent ferocity, little brother." The purple-haired former GOD of Universe 7 complimented, before using his caught fist to pull the younger of them and drill his knee into his just then healed midsection. The counter leaving his brother gasping as he bent over. "But you lack any real finesse with your attacks." He then followed up with a hard chop to the back of the neck, reminiscent of his former master and friend Whis, which sent Zeus slamming face-first into the hard soil beneath them. This made the crater they were in several feet wider and deeper as a result. "Without it, no matter how much power you're packing, you're just an idiot flailing his arms about. As soon as one gets over those two abilities of yours, you'd be doing nothing but hoping to land a lucky shot on a sufficiently skilled opponent."
Despite the pain he was in, Zeus's eyes narrowed as he struck out from the ground, torqueing his body as he swung a leg out, attempting to sweep Beerus clean off his legs. Something that failed as Beerus jumped back and easily avoided it, as the younger of the two surged back to his feet. His knees bending as one foot came out before the other, and he launched himself towards the elder sibling. A flurry of blows, both punches and kicks flying out from almost every angle as he got within striking distance. Teleporting around him as well every few strikes to keep him from reading his movements as easily.
"Oh, please…" Beerus bobbed and weaved around each and every one regardless, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he dodged all of the attacks coming for him without issue. "What did I just say?" Side-stepping a straight left, Beerus's hand shot out and slammed palm-first into the man's face with enough force to push him back a good number of yards away from the crater. His heels digging into the ground and leaving small, twin trenches as he was forced backwards before coming to a stop. "Your vanishing act won't give any advantage against me now. Even with it, I can tell exactly what you're going to do before you even do it, because you're telegraphing your attacks way too much."
"Hehe… You can tell just like that, huh?" Zeus rubbed his sore face a bit as he recovered from the damage that'd been inflicted. Questioning a bit as to why it was so quickly, when Atlas and their father hadn't been able to do so but chalked it up to Beerus having enough control to not do the same to him. "You really are something, you know that brother?"
"You only just figuring that out now?" Beerus replied somewhat teasingly, as he moved out of their latest crater. His aura still present around his frame as his muscles bulged a bit themselves. "In any case, I think that's enough playing around now. If you've got any power left that you haven't used yet, I suggest you bring it out. Trust me, you'll need it."
"He considers that playing around?" Poseidon said somewhat incredulously. "We're not even at the level they just showed just yet, and he calls that playing around? Way to make us feel inadequate…"
"Now, now, Poseidon. It isn't really that surprising is it?" Hestia glanced at him kindly, not put off in the least by their brother's statement. "After all, he's had a full grasp over his inner power since the day he got us out of our father's stomach and is continuing to grow in strength even now. He's still well ahead of us all, so this shouldn't come as a shock. The same can be said about Zeus to a certain degree as well, seeing as he also apparently has a full grasp over his own, whilst we're still training for ours."
"Hestia's right. There's no point bellyaching about it." Hades spoke up again, looking excited at what he was seeing. "Just keep watching and enjoy the show, brother. Try to learn from watching them, because I know I am."
Poseidon sighed knowing they had a point as he and them brought their attention back to the two brothers out from them, just as Zeus started… laughing?
"Something funny?" Beerus asked with a small bit of bemusement as his little brother seemed to go into a bit of hysterics.
"Sorry brother…" Zeus said as he calmed down, an odd deal of mirth in his eyes as he locked gazes with his elder. "I don't know what's come over me. I must admit, before we started, I was still quite nervous coming into this, knowing how strong you are. But now," He rose a hand and looked at it as it shook. Not with fear though, or even the slightest bit of trepidation. "I can't explain why, but for some reason, all I'm beginning to feel is this odd thrill within me. This strange feeling of exhilaration that's like nothing I've ever felt before…"
"Oh? Is that so?" Beerus grinned wide enough to show his teeth. The former GOD of the now erased Universe 7 understanding almost immediately what was going on. It was a feeling he himself had felt on occasion during the old days of his previous life and was sure to feel again in this one. Zeus was experiencing the excitement that only a true warrior could during battle. "That's good to hear."
For the first time since meeting his youngest brother, Beerus felt like he could genuinely relate to him. A connection to him bred through their individual fighting spirits.
"Heh. My apologies again brother." Zeus got a hold of himself after a moment, his electric-blue eyes beginning to glow as the aura around him became denser. The fullest extent of his inner power being drawn to the surface., making his muscles pop and bulge even further as he locked eyes with his older sibling once again. "It appears that I've kept you waiting. Shall we continue?"
Beerus's amber eyes also began to glow, as his aura thickened just a little more. His grin spreading wider as he felt something akin to delight bubble up within him. "Bring it."
Zeus didn't need to be told twice. The instant those two words had left the elder's lips, he all but burst the ground beneath him with a shockwave felt by all, as he surged forth like the return stroke of lightning.
Beerus' legs spread apart in a defensive stance, as he brought his forearm up to block the punch that came shooting. The soon-to-be destroyer god remaining rooted in place, as a missive shockwave blasted through behind him, ripping the ground asunder and shattering debris past the crater behind him. A trench forming about a twenty metres long and over ten metres deep as the Isle shook again. Though a little more lightly than before.
Using his other hand, Beerus struck out with a punch of his own which hit nothing but light specks as Zeus teleported away again, only to reappear above him, fist cocked back before he threw down for his skull. An attack that Beerus saw coming easily and hopped away to avoid it. His feet skidding a little off the ground as he watched massive chunks of the ground get smashed off as Zeus' fist impacted where he'd been. A dust cloud being kicked up from it, briefly obscuring his view until it was quickly dispersed as he came charging back out in bull form once again. His four musclebound legs stomping the earth beneath him down in heavy hoof prints.
Rather than get hit like he did the first time, Beerus waited until Zeus' horns were mere inches away before he bent down crouching and twisted his body so that his back faced the oncoming bull. His shoulder come to touch right around the bull Zeus' neck as he came upon him and reached up above to grab him by the horns. Using a mix of some of his strength and his shapeshifted brother's own momentum, he pulled the bulls bulky frame right off the ground and flipped the four-legged creature's body around as he tossed him over his shoulder in one go.
The bull, while careening through the air, morphed into a bird that twirled its winged frame several times to gain control of itself as it turned back in Beerus direction and glided toward him. The purple-haired god brought his hand out in response to catch the bird as it came speeding in, only for it to morph again, this time into a tiny fly that buzzed right through the gaps of his fingers. The fly looking poised to get right up in his grill until its trajectory was stopped cold. Its tiny body get trapped between the index and middle fingers of Beerus' other hand that shot out to intercept.
"Now where do you think you're going?" Beerus asked cheekily, before flicking his wrist and fingers, sending the fly hurtling away with another sonic boom to follow after it.
Zeus body transformed back to normal as he flipped through the air, digging his heels into the ground to stop himself as he launched back in, tearing up another chunk of earth in the process. His body torqueing a little as he wound up a powerful blow that made veins appear around his arm. His aura glowing around his clenched fist as he thrust forward, only to be met with punch back from Beerus colliding with his own. The combined force sending another huge shockwave passing around them, cratering the ground they stood on wider and deeper than ever as the Isle quaked again.
"Heh. You're persistent, I'll give you that." Beerus remarked earnestly, as they separated. "But persistence can only get you so far!" He yelled as they came back in, beginning to trade blows with each other. Most of which were dodged by the other, either using just quick reflexes in Beerus' case, or teleporting and shapeshifting in Zeus's. The few that did land were surprisingly blocked by both parties, though the younger doing so with noticeably more effort than the elder, as they whizzed around the area. Shockwave after shockwave coming forth as they left one crater after another in their blurring forms wake.
"It seems this has become quite the spectacle between the two, don't you think?" Rhea commented astutely from a safe distance away. Both amusement and pride in her motherly eyes as she saw her youngest and oldest sons battle intensely. The former attempting to block Beerus's latest punch, only to be sent flying back this time from the sheer force behind it, as Beerus increased his own power output.
"Indeed." Gaea nodded close to her side, as she watched Zeus recover quick and jump right back into the fray trading attacks with his brother. Even though he was starting to get steadily knocked away more and more as he did. "Beerus is certainly not going easy on him. I can tell that he's now finally begun taking him somewhat seriously, though its obvious he isn't using the full extent of his own inner power. Even still, I can tell he's enjoying himself out there."
"Both of them are, it seems." Rhea observed, catching the two smiling madly at each other as they battled on, pulverizing the terrain as they went. The younger seeming unperturbed despite starting to get slowly overwhelmed. She then chanced a glance beside her at Metis, who didn't seem the slightest bit worried even now, when it started to become clearer that Zeus was most likely going to lose. "What do you think about this, Metis? Zeus has done well, but it doesn't look like he'll be claiming a victory with how this fight is starting to go."
"Claim a victory?" Metis mouthed, not put off in the least by the rather factual statement from the mother of seven. Her eyes never leaving the fight taking place before them. "I believe there's a misunderstanding going on here."
"Hmm?" Rhea blinked, making a sound of confusion at the Oceanid's words, but couldn't dwell on it for long, as her attention was drawn back fully to the high-octane spar between her sons.
"Come on, is that all you got!? Put your back into it!" Beerus bellowed with some bit of elation, as a veritable storm of blows was traded between both. Every third strike of his landing on Zeus despite him blocking and sending him flying back, only for him to immediately teleport right back into his grill for another round. Beerus occasionally using his arm or knee to block or parry the strikes that would've taken more effort to dodge. "You call that a guard?" He yelled before finally breaking through and burying a fist into his little brother's gut, knocking both wind and spittle mixed with ichor from his open maw. "And here I thought just your attacks left much to be desired!"
Zeus coughed hard, but otherwise steeled himself to continue the bout. Undeterred by Beerus' blatant trash talk. "Oh yeah?" Their hands locked together then, as they seemingly entered a test of strength. "I could say the same back to you, brother! Your punches are starting to feel a little limp, if I'm being honest!"
"Oh, shut your trap, you blowhard! Acting tough won't get you anywhere!" Beerus began to push him back, forcing Zeus' heels to dig deep into the ground just to keep himself steady as he got overpowered.
Even still, he met his brother's damn near manic gaze with his own, undaunted by his fierce power. A far-cry from how he'd been before. "You should take your own advice, brother!" He replied as he came to a stop. "Otherwise, you might end up on your ass!" He bellowed back, as his foot sliced up through the air, and for the first time in a while, his attack clipped soundly into his brother as it nailed him under his chin. The kick snapping Beerus head back and clattering his teeth together, as his grip seemed to slacken compared to Zeus's.
"You cheeky little shit!" The moment was exceedingly short-lived, as Beerus' own leg swung, clipping Zeus' other leg and knocking him off his feet before the other could come back down. The aura around Beerus's body glimmering just a little more as his body wrenched forward. His hands slipping away from Zeus's as he reared back before crashing his fist down into Zeus's face in the next instant, battering him hard into the ground below. The Isle shaking more than ever from the enormous shockwave produced as a ginormous cavity formed from the silver-haired god's impacting frame, bigger and deeper than any ditch they'd made yet in their spar. A sickening crunch following it, with the blow shattering his nose in just about every place as it caved into his face.
"Might end up on my ass, huh!? Don't get ahead of yourself!" He shouted hotly, before rearing back again for another destructive punch. One that stopped just before hitting the ground as his younger brother's frame shimmered out from below him, reappearing a few metres away from him. Ichor spilling down his chin and over his chest as his nose quickly began repairing itself.
A wide, toothy smile showed on his bloody face despite the temporary 'face-lift' given to him. An unearthly joy resonating through him in a way he simply just couldn't explain, despite the pain he felt. This exhilaration pumping through him right now was too intoxicating. It was almost equivalent to the deepest thralls of passion he'd had with Metis when they were having sex, and that was saying something!
"I'm not done yet, brother!" He yelled strongly, starting nasally before reverting back to his normal tone of voice. "Not by a longshot!"
"Don't get cocky now, Zeus. It'll ruin you!" Beerus yelled back, as Zeus zipped in. Both rearing back before their fists crossed paths once again. A flurry from both coming after. Punches and kicks flying and shooting by, as both young gods once again started moving rapidly around the area. Their forms both zipping out of sight for brief instances as they smashed up more of the terrain and made Crete shiver.
Due to their training, all of the two's siblings could keep their balance perfectly from the aftereffects they were causing to the environment. However, that didn't mean they could completely keep up with what was going on, as their forms continued to disappear and then reappear in different location. Not through teleportation this time, but through pure, raw speed.
"Fuck me… I can barely follow what's going on at all…" Poseidon felt a few beads of sweat over his temple, in total awe of what he was seeing.
"Same here…" Hades agreed. Almost spellbound by the spectacle going on before them. "Gonna be honest, I didn't expect too much from Zeus going into this, but he's holding his own out there at a significantly higher level than anything we're currently capable of. I know Beerus must still be holding back, but I doubt even he's not impressed by Zeus's effort at this point."
"And this is only the surface, young ones." Gaea spoke up over the theatrics, garnering each of the sibling's attention, but not their sight, which remained on what they could see of their brothers fighting. "As impressive as this must look to you all, it is but only an insignificant taste of what you'll all be capable of some day. That, I assure you."
Those two especially in front of them. If they could shake and damage the Isle like this even when it was under the protection of her divine magic, it spoke volumes about the potential of not just Beerus, but Zeus as well.
No doubt this was making quite the impression on their latest visitors watching from afar.
For several minutes more, the brothers continued to clash. Zeus forgoing his teleportation and shapeshifting entirely in the final stretch in service to meeting Beerus fist to fist. Pure hand-to-hand, which certainly wasn't the brightest decision by any means, but the younger of the two didn't seem to care at this point. Not even when his guard was broken through one time after another and got dealt a vicious blow that broke his divine bones. His jaw, his arms, his ribs, and one of his hips, all in that order. Yet he simply came back swinging in spite of it all, each injury healing up as he did.
Heh, he really is quite tenacious. Beerus thought, observing every move from him analytically as he countered, blocked and parried his attacks while throwing his own back. The reborn deity noticing incremental changes in his stance, defences and attacks as this went on. His reactions to my attacks, as well as his own attacks… they're becoming sharper it seems. Before, in his eyes, Zeus's moves were little more than him flailing his arms around, with little real skill involved in them. At least compared to himself, anyway. Now however, while by no means perfect, or even remotely close to his level of skill and technique, his movements were becoming more fluid. Becoming less janky with every small moment that passed. Ah, he's learning from me as he fights. And quite quickly too. He noted astutely. Zeus was paying attention to every detail that he could about how he moved around, and was soaking it in like a sponge, using them to improve his own in the process.
Even though it was by no means enough to bridge the gap and allow him to bypass his guard at all, Beerus still found himself being impressed. Even a little nostalgic, as this strangely reminded him of his second battle with Son Goku once he'd been granted the Super Saiyan God form.
Eventually though, Beerus broke through Zeus's guard once again with a ferocious haymaker to the face. The crunching of his nose shattering inward again reaching his ears as Zeus was blasted off his feet and sent hurtling back at frightening speeds. Before he could recover though, Beerus blitzed into existence right where he was going. His feet off the ground as one leg raised high into the air, like a guillotine ready to fall down on its prey and cut down with enough speed to show a blurry arc of its descent. His heel slamming into Zeus' temple as he came close, and sending him smashing back first into the ground, giving another mighty quake to the Isle as a gigantic crater was made yet again from the collision.
Beerus twirled right as he was about to land, his feet coming down on either side of his waist as he bent down. Zeus, perhaps just on pure instinct, threw a punch from the ground toward his face, which was caught by Beerus without any problem. Even with the intense shockwave and blast of wind generated from the contact. Despite being in the process of rapidly fixing itself, his face still looked quite the mess, with golden blood splotching it, with his nose looking quite crooked and damaged. His forehead partially caved in from the heel he'd just taken to it. Ichor dripping out of his mouth and not completely fixed nasal passages.
Rearing back a fist, Beerus pumped more power into it than he had yet. A menacing dark-purple glow highlighted a bit with gold shone through, as his aura coalesced densely around his clenched hand. Veins beginning to pop around his heavily muscled arm, as the power being condensed into his fist produced waves that travelled out well past the crater he'd made and lit up enough for everyone to see it clearly. And feel its pressure too.
Zeus found himself mesmerized for a moment, looking up at his brother and feeling the sheer amount of destructive power being packed into that single punch he had cocked back.
"Its over." Beerus said matter-of-factly. Not a hint of hyperbole in his tone, as his fist rained down like a crashing meteor.
The resulting explosion of force that came right after shook the very foundations of the divine magic, enhanced Isle. A stupendously strong shockwave along with gale force winds buffeted all around Crete, cracking the ground all around the crater in a wide radius like an egg before chunks and pieces of debris broke off and flew into the air. The others, who were far enough away to not deal with the splintering terrain, did still have to deal with the immense shaking the ground did beneath.
The siblings were forced to shield themselves with their forearms more than ever, grunting hard as the power behind the wind and shockwave forced them all back. Their heels digging into the ground as their hair flew back wildly. Metis being much the same in this instance to a lesser extent. Only Rhea and Gaea were not pushed back by it, though that didn't stop their hair from fluttering back like crazy as well. The former's eyes squinting, whilst the latter's vision was momentarily covered. A sound of surprise leaving her lips as the updraft was great enough to lift her gargantuan globes of flesh high up from her chest, hiding her face almost entirely. They were kept like that for a good moment, before the forceful blasts of wind and the shockwave finally calmed down. Her bouncy mounds of heaven coming down back unto her folded arms with a hefty, audible boing as they wobbled profusely on their perch. Nipples all but scrapping at the calming gusts still buffeted them all.
A dust cloud had been kicked up again from the aftermath of Beerus' final blow, as all of the broken chunks and debris from the ground came falling back down and crumbling once they did. Once the dust cleared however, they all peered in to see what the damage was like.
What they saw however, was Beerus hunched over, with his fist stopped in its tracks just an inch off from actually striking home, with Zeus staring up right at it. His face totally unharmed as it fully healed back to normal.
"This match is done." Beerus stated a second later, loud enough for the spectators to pick up. He then pulled his hand away and opened it up as he brought it to his side, standing up to his full height almost. "I don't need to crush your skull to know that we're finished here, wouldn't you say?" He asked with an entertained smile, actually offering a hand to his fallen brother, showing a bit of genuine respect.
Zeus, recognising his sound defeat, simply chuckled again. No longer nervous or anxious around his elder brother, as he accepted the offered hand graciously. If anything, after what he'd just been through, he looked happy as he was brought back up to his feet. Content even. "I suppose so, brother. I concede. That was one heck of a match."
"I agree. You fought quite admirably, though rather sloppily by my standards." Beerus nodded, unable to stop himself from throwing in a harsh criticism with his praise. "I can't help but notice you're rather happy despite losing, though."
"A spar isn't about who wins or loses. The real purpose behind it is to show off what you've learned, and to improve upon what you have already through taking on another. To learn from your opponent so that you may be made better." Zeus grinned. "That's what Metis told me, and in that sense, I see this as a win regardless."
"Is that right?" Beerus laughed, glancing briefly over in said woman's direction. "Can't say I disagree with that. If I'm being honest though, I was under the impression she wanted you to come in and defeat me."
"Not even for a moment." Zeus shook his head. "She knew from the start it was highly unlikely I could beat you. She proposed this spar between us to prove a point to you."
"Prove a point?" Beerus looked at him curiously. "And what was that?"
"That we were actually worth a damn." Zeus relayed with unhidden gaiety. His tone full of humour. "She took offence to what you said before we all started training that we weren't worth a damn, so she set this up between us and trained me as hard as she could to prove you wrong."
"Did she now?" Beerus glanced back at her again, eyes full of mirth this time as he saw her smiling back at them. Not the least bit put out by her consort's loss. If anything, she seemed quite satisfied. "Well, I don't admit this often, but I have to say, that woman of yours did indeed just prove me wrong with your performance. She did quite the job with you. Not so much when it came to your hand-to-hand, but everything else was done quite well."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate hearing that." Zeus said, sounding quite pleased himself with the praise.
"She also said that both of us would benefit from this, and I guess she wasn't wrong there either." Beerus conceded himself, turning his gaze back to him. "I was aware of that first ability you used, since you used it with her to get us to this place after I smashed through Kronos' castle. I wasn't aware of the second though, where you can shapeshift into different creatures. I must say, I wouldn't mind learning them both myself after seeing how well you used them."
"I could teach you real quick how to do them, if you want?" Zeus offered kindly, before adding in slyly, "So long as you don't mind sparring with me more after this."
"Hehe, you want to run that back, do you?" Beerus laughed again, thoroughly entertained by the idea. "I don't think I mind those terms. If you want to be my personal punching bag, who am I to stop you?"
Zeus couldn't help but roll his head back and roar with a bit of laughter himself at that. "You're a real charmer Beerus, you know that?"
Beerus shrugged with a face-splitting grin, as they both started making their way back to the others. "So I've been told, Zeus."
"Real quick, out of curiosity, how much of your power were you actually using near the end there?" He couldn't help but ask.
"For the punch at the end, or before that?"
"Before that. Though I guess it couldn't hurt to know the other as well."
"For before, it was about ten percent, I'd say. The punch was nearly half." Beerus revealed with another shrug, and Zeus just shook his head in amusement.
"Damn, you held back that much, huh? You could've ended this any time you wanted, if that's the case."
"True, but where would be the fun in that? I quite enjoyed myself there, and just ending it sooner would've just spoiled that."
"Fair point, I guess." Zeus nodded with some merriment, seeing the logic in his words. If their roles were switched, he might have done the same.
"That was a truly a splendid display." They both heard a feminine voice from behind them, which brought them both to a stop, as neither recognised it. Both, now that they were closer, also seemed to notice their siblings, along with Rhea looking surprised, while Metis' looked wide-eyed and with her mouth partially open in shock. As if in disbelief of what she was seeing behind them. Gaea being the one exception, as she kept a knowing smile about her.
The two turned around at about the same time and came face to face with a stunningly beautiful woman with long, wavy brown hair in a flowing white cloak. One that neither knew but could both tell just from being close to her that she was powerful. No ifs ands or buts about it. She was flanked on either side behind her by four figures, each with their own cloak obscuring their features.
The woman smiled at them both but put more of her attention on Beerus. A look of recognition in her dark-brown orbs. "It is good to finally meet you, Beerus. I and my children are pleased to make your acquaintance."
Beerus blinked in befuddlement at this sudden, unexpected arrival. For a moment, not quite sure how to respond to her. He ended up settling for the obvious question first though. "And just… who are you?"
Her eyes shined, smile widening a bit. "Forgive my awful manners. I suppose an introduction is in order. My name is Styx, and I as well as my children, have come to personally aid you in the coming war."
AND CUT!
That's the end of that one. Hope you all enjoyed the spar. I didn't want it to just be a horrendous curb stomp from start to finish, as that would be boring, so I used the totally in character thing for Beerus to do so it could happen like this. Hold back extensively. I'm not the best with fight scenes so I hope it was written fine.
Hope you all liked the chapter, and I'll see you in the next one!