Okay, I'll just get this out of the way here, just so you're all up to date on my current situation. As you've noticed, we just passed February, and all I've managed is just this one chapter for you guys, as opposed to the 2 I promised coming in that month. At this point, me not being able to get things out how I wanted may as well be a running gag due to life, college work, and other stuff, lol.
In any case, to be more serious, I'm gonna have to apologize to you guys one more time, because as pointed out above, this became what was supposed to be the only chapter releasing that month, due to the aforementioned causes. Why was it late then and arrived on March 5th instead? Lack of power and sufficient internet, really. There's some work going on where I live, and they had to turn the power off apparently to do it safely around noon on the 28th, not long after I uploaded the latest chapter of one of my other stories, and when it came back on the next day, the internet was worse than bloody McDonalds and I spent more time than I'm comfortable admitting frustratingly trying to upload this thing. Its only now that it's finally working and letting me upload, which is a pain.
Getting back to the other stuff, I wish it weren't the case, but unfortunately, the limited time I had for fanfiction and doing multiple stories on top of that was a bit too much to handle to squeeze out two chapters of this. Hell, even if I'd just been doing this fic alone, with the benefit of hindsight, I'm still not sure I could've pulled out two chapters, given the stuff for my other fics I pushed out were already half-way done before the month of February even started, which made them easier to complete despite my workload and other obligations.
So, you know what? To keep things less taxing on me, given college work and all that, until the summer time rolls around, I'm not gonna go for two chapters of this in a single month. Because combined with everything else, I'm just gonna be brutally honest with myself at this point and say that isn't feasible. This story will still be updated once a month though, as that actually is feasible for me, which means you should expect another chapter in this month, seeing as this was actually the February one, then April and May. Once we hit May, I'll let you guys know what the more regular schedule of updates will look like for this story during my summer break.
I, again, hope I haven't disappointed you guys too much with this news. Even with this setback though, I'll do my best to bring you guys hopefully quality content in the upcoming chapters, including this one, for sure.
So, without further ado, away we go.
The Olympian God of Destruction:
Chapter 23: The Titanomachy XVI
Zeus, I hope you know what you're doing…
This was the most prevalent thought running through Metis' mind. The barrier having turned see-through on both ends again as she watched the proceedings from her safe vantage point within the barrier. Her eyes mainly stalking that of her consort's figure like a hawk, as he engaged his father in open combat. Watching as both deities lit up their section of the sky with flashes of red and blue, as they soared through the heavens and barrelled through the clouds like torpedoes.
Zeus' interacting with Kronos in such a fashion was most certainly not a part of her plan. However, she had no doubt that Zeus saw what she saw, which was a reluctance from the Titan Lord to go all out and use his True Divine Form. For that reason alone, she was able to not have herself be too worried about her lover getting cut down in an instant, and allow him to make such an amendment to her strategy for the time being.
Provided he keeps at range as much as possible, he should be fine against Kronos as he is. His only concern with Kronos in his regular state is the scythe, so as long as he makes sure to keep away from its attacks specifically, he should be able to handle him.
Thankfully, from her observation, that was exactly what the fledgling god was doing. Keeping any close quarters interactions with his father as low as possible, while mostly engaging in ranged combat. Zeus making good use of his newly crafted weapon by hurling one thunderbolt after another to either keep his opponent at the right distance, or to match and cancel out Kronos' energy attacks. Being wise in his actions, rather than reckless, as they fought. Something that was a good sight to see, given his opponent was someone who, with one good blow with his weapon, could end both the fight and Zeus in the blink of an eye.
Trusting Zeus to know how to handle that situation and not screw up like that, Metis allowed her eyes to turn downwards, as she felt the familiar, and very much unwanted presence of another Titan clinging to the mountain a good deal below her. She didn't show much of any concern for him though, not even when his heavily musclebound form soared up to her through the air on the other side of the barrier not a moment later. His hands and feet gripping on to the magical wall even at a ninety-degree incline without issue, despite neither his muscly fingers or toes being able to indent themselves into the smooth surface.
"Well now, Atlas. It looks like you've managed to get your brutish-self back up here…" The Oceanid remarked snidely. The 2nd generation Titaness utterly non-plussed by the older and bigger Titan's angered growl and seething glare from his brown eyes directly into hers, as her arms remained folded beneath her bosom.
"Quite the arrogant wench, aren't you?" He sneered back, clearly fully recovered from Pan's earlier screech, as he ignored the cacophonous sounds of fighting behind him. "You certainly weren't this confident back in our fortress, when you didn't have this flimsy little barrier here to give you an illusion of safety."
"'Flimsy'? 'Illusion of safety'?" Metis arced an almost incredulous brow, as her expression remained stony. "Those are some bold words there, Atlas. Especially when you and I both know that without Kronos' scythe, you don't have what it takes to get through it. By all means though," She let out a light chuckle. "you're free to try."
"I'll do more than try." Atlas scowled deeply, eyes glinting with malice. "This barrier, contrary to your misplaced confidence, will not last. It will eventually be broken by us, and once I make it through to you-"
"Let me guess," Metis piped back in, cutting the hulking Titan off with an unflinching disposition as she propped one hand over her hip and let the other fall by her side, as her tone turned derogatory. "Once you get through, you'll 'make me regret ever siding with those opposed to the Titan regime', and either throw me into Tartarus, have me put to Kronos' scythe, or, knowing you and your ilk, taken as a 'war prize' after you've thoroughly beaten me." She then rolled her eyes, not looking worried in the least about any of that coming to pass, seemingly. "You can spare me the details of whatever punishment you're cooking up in that thick head of yours, Atlas, as I have no desire to hear about your plans to either cut me up, imprison me for eternity, or take me as a glorified sex slave."
Her divine aura glimmering over her curvy body, she glared at the Titan general as she stood her ground. "So go ahead, give it your best shot. Because I'm not going anywhere, and should you manage to somehow break through, I'm more than willing to fend you off."
"Hmph. Is that so?" He grunted back, eyes narrowing as his dense aura began to dance over his even denser body. "Well then, I can't wait to test that confidence of yours, and see just how well it holds up in reality!" His voice boomed, as he brought one fist back, and smashed it back down on the barrier, sending out a sizeable shockwave that ever so lightly shook the hyper-enforced, holy mountain, but otherwise, had no actual effect on it or the magical barrier.
"I'm shaking." Metis remarked sarcastically, seeing his punch predictably fail to yield any result. "Truly, an awe-inspiring display of your might." A small smirk then crossed her lips again. "By the way, it seems there's one small detail about this barrier that you are still unaware of."
"Oh yeah? And what's that?"
Bouncing off the ground in an instant, the Oceanid tucked her knees up to her chest, lightly squishing down her clothed breasts, as she focused every ounce of power that could be mustered in her base form, right into the soles of her feet. Her legs shooting forward in a blur of speed before the Titan could react, and phasing right through the wall of magic to crash right into Atlas' unprotected face in a powerful dropkick that took him by surprise, snapping his head back and sending him flying back from her. A decently loud BOOM echoing out from the impact, as stray droplets of his golden blood fell from where he'd been to the ground far, far below.
"That unlike you and yours, we and our allies are free to leave and enter the barrier as we wish, and can attack you through it if we so choose!" Metis shouted out to the Titan who she'd sent packing a good mile or so away with her cheeky attack. A slightly bigger grin forming from satisfaction on her features with having struck him, as she landed back on the summit's floor with grace. The lower end of her tunic fluttering high in the wind momentarily from the aftermath as she stood firm, exposing a healthy helping of her pale, shapely legs.
"Ungh! You bitch!" Atlas roared in anger, as he came to a stop in the air, his rage-filled voice carrying throughout the sky, heard by many of those currently fighting, and unknowingly catching him some unwanted attention, as his fists clenched by his sides. His crushed nose almost instantly mending itself back to normal, with his muscles bulging bigger as his aura thickened around him, eyes almost glowing white with fury as he glared into the distance at, to him, a now smug-looking Metis. "I'll make sure you pay dearly for that little cheap shot!"
The sudden WHOOSH of air close by was the only warning Atlas got as it rung in his ears, his instincts kicking in and to shift his body to the side and barely avoid the upward, cutting arc of a silver blade, as it and its owner flew by his sight.
Themis! Atlas thought in outrage, recognising the Titaness instantly, and couldn't help the feeling of betrayal that wormed its way through him seeing her oppose him and his allies.
Before he could say or do anything, in that moment, he felt a strange aura he'd never come across before slam down on him, and felt his will to fight be sapped instantly, even if just for a instant. But that was all Themis needed, seeing an opening as his guard dropped completely, twisting the sword in her grip as she turned fully. Her own ferocious aura blazing over her figure as she moved forward and sliced down with her weapon. The cold, heavenly steel of her weapon biting into his shoulder, shearing through his muscly flesh and getting only a centimetre off from bone, as it cut downward diagonally right to his hip.
"The only one who will pay dearly here, is you Atlas, for not paying proper care on the battlefield!" Themis said coldly as the Titan's ichor splashed over her face as it sprayed out gorily from the deep gash she'd given him. His face a mask of pain, with eyes wide and shocked from her view, as another feminine foot ploughed into the side of his head whilst his guard was still non-existent, sending his body sailing at high speed with a billowing shockwave much further out in the same direction it'd been going. The Titan hearing and feeling the crunch of his skull, as it fragmented where he'd been struck, whilst the ichor from his still open, yet steadily closing wound, continued to gush out blood in a thin trail where he flew.
"That's supposed to be our horrid father's general?" Demeter scoffed, lowering her foot as she glared out towards their foe, who once again brought himself to a stop over a mile away from them. "I think you played him up a bit much yesterday, Themis. He doesn't seem all that tough." What he was though, as far as she was concerned right now, was yet another punching bag to let out her lingering frustrations on.
"Do not underestimate him, Demeter. I knew him and your father long before you or your siblings were born, and I can say with utmost certainty that he's the most dangerous enemy here, outside of Kronos himself." Themis replied cooly and warningly to her fellow goddess, her eyes never once leaving the somewhat distant form of the Titan general, as his body fully mended the damage they'd done to him. "It'd be wise for you to take him seriously, and most of all, cautiously. He hasn't even begun to get going yet with his power, even in his base state."
"Please, listen to her words, sister. She's known him from before, and has valuable insight into him, so it'd be wise for us to follow her lead in a battle against him." Hestia spoke calmly, tone mixed with a bit of concern, floating down a few metres behind her sibling as her comforting aura fell over her. Its invaluable effect kicking instantly and calming her sister down somewhat before she may've thrown herself headlong into a foe that, by Themis' account, she was underestimating.
"You'll both have to forgive me if I have my doubts about that." She all but scoffed, but listened to them regardless and didn't immediately charge on ahead. "All I've seen of him so far, is getting smacked away by Beerus, and now, getting smacked away by Metis and us after almost being felled by Pan's screech."
"I am aware, but those circumstances are different compared to what's about to happen." Themis was quick to cut, as she felt Atlas' rage even from there, and could see his face all but pulled into a snarl as he got ready to charge forward right at them. "You are not as strong as your brother was when he did that, and even then, I doubt Atlas was going all-out like he's soon to. Even with the three of us, or four, should Metis decide to join us, be prepared for a rough battle. For he is not known as the Titan god of strength and endurance for nothing."
"Hrrraaaaaagggghhhh!" A war-cry resonated out almost deafeningly from said Titan, his godly aura flaring greater than ever around his mountainous form, as he barrelled forward. His body becoming a speeding blur of mass, as he rapidly closed the distance between himself and the goddesses challenging him in less than a pico-second!
The trio were quick to scatter as they saw his charge, narrowly avoiding his racing form slamming into them, as the two sisters moved to the sides, and Themis upwards. To Demeter's surprise in specific though, she found her ankle being grabbed unto by his meaty hand just before she got out of range. And before she could even curse at this, the Titan's forward momentum was turned into a rapid spin that pulled her unwillingly along. Both his and her hair flailing in the gusting wind as their forms blurred, becoming what looked like a multi-coloured tornado with Demeter yelping helplessly at the act.
Shortly thereafter, in the blink of an eye, Atlas growled deeply as he let go of her ankle, flinging the goddess at absurdly high speeds towards her unprepared sister, who scarcely had time to let out a surprised grunt of pain herself, as her younger sibling crashed into her. Their bodies folding in on each other from the force of the collision, as they were both sent flying in a crumpled ball of bodily mass a good, long stretch out into the distance.
Themis, seeing this happen, was quick to let out a battle cry of her own as she propelled herself down, sword raised above her head for a downward swing intended to bisect the hulking Titan. She was just a smidge too slow to capitalise on the opening that'd been presented, however, as Atlas swerved and turned sideways at the last second to avoid her attack just as she swung down for his head. Her blade at best catching and cutting some strands of his trailing, long hair, as she dropped down to his level, before his large, meaty hands shot out. One latching in a vice grip that enveloped her hands, keeping her sword locked down in place while the other grabbed the top of her head.
"Of all the gods I expected to turn traitor, you were certainly not one of them." His deep voice rumbled angrily, as he glared down at her. "You should know better than most how foolish such a rebellion is, so why did you decide to throw your lot in with them!?"
"Nngh! Are you seriously asking me such a dumb question?" Themis grunted in pain, feeling the hand over her head squeeze down forcefully. The pressure being steadily applied not far off from cracking her apart like an egg. "Honestly… It seems for all your brawn, you have very little actually going on up in that head of yours, if you didn't see this coming!"
"Unngh!" A low, short, guttural sound left Atlas, as Themis shifted her body enough to strike up with her leg, smacking the front of her foot into his thick jaw hard enough for the flesh to ripple and for him to let go of her. Rather than pull back though, she took the opportunity presented to swing her sword forward and up in another diagonal slice, shredding through divine skin and muscle from hip to chest, and drawing a fresh gush of ichor from the wound.
The dainty hands holding her sword were wrapped around again however just as she finished the swing, Atlas' much larger hand squeezing down hard enough to garner a hiss of agony from the Titaness, as her bones quickly began to break under the crushing pressure being exerted. The much larger god's almost animalistic growl piercing through her ears, as his smouldering glare fell over her. His wound healing up even faster than it had before, as he yanked her close, bringing their faces only centimetres apart.
"Look who's talking!" With that yell, the mountainous god reared his head back before violently slamming it forth forehead first into her vulnerable face with a loud, harsh THWACK that was heard for miles. His harder head shattering her nose and squashing it deep into her face on impact, as her face caved inward. One of her eyeballs near popping out of its socket, whilst the quaking thump of his dense cranium broken and sent fragments of her front teeth flying from open, grimaced maw, as her own ichor oozed and spilt forth uncontrollably right as his head reared back.
Her blood spurts from her smashed in nasal passages, as well as her mouth, ending up painting his face with some small, stray ropes that made the huge Titan's face look all the more savage, as he gripped her throat with the huge hand that previously kept hers in place. Her own falling limply by her sides for a small moment, one barely clinging to her sword, as his hand just about circled the whole way round to the back of her neck where he squeezed down again. The brute Titan feeling and hearing the facially fucked-up goddess's croaks wafted over his features, as her windpipe strained under the compression being forced on it.
"It was not too long ago that you and I shared a bed, Themis." He spoke gravelly. A deep, enraged scowl plastered on with bared, grit teeth and a scrunched-up face dripping with golden blood that was not his own. "Back then, you were at my mercy as I laid with you in the thralls of passion. And now, you are at my mercy once again. Only this time," His free fist reared back and clenched harshly, muscles bulging and popping all along his shoulder down to his forearm, as his aura exploded out to its highest yet. "Unfortunately for you, it's on the battlefield as my enemy!"
With that resounding declaration, he made to strike forward. Aiming to impale his fist through the uppity, punk Titaness who dared challenge him, only to feel that strange aura from before slam down hard on him again. Its effect immediate once more, sapping him of his rage and will to attack for but a second, making his finger instinctively uncurl from his palm, as a haze of dangerous calm floored him.
"Not so fast, you thick-headed asshole!" Demeter screamed out with a brandish of her own boiling anger, worsened by the haphazard toss she'd been given into her sister earlier by the musclebound Titan, as she suddenly dropped down from above, delivering a vicious summersaulting kick with her heel atop his head. The back of her foot crunching down on his skull and snapping his head down. His chin clapping into his broad chest with a small, but strong shockwave that stunned the bigger god, and made him lose his grip on the face-smashed, disoriented Themis, whose brutally indented features were beginning to swiftly mend themselves back after the headbutt she'd taken.
Hestia's form flew into view, grabbing the goddess gently, but firmly by her shoulders and pulling her back away from Atlas range to potentially grab or attack either of them. The concerned, kind-hearted deity being sure to hold her steady, placing her back against her bosom to keep her aloft in the air as she recovered.
All the while, Demeter immediately launched into a flurry, following up her previous kick by punching him square in the face, smushing his nose deep into it with her knuckles, which rocked his head back a little, before reaching out and grabbing him by the sides of his head and pulling his face down into a barbarous knee-strike that she put all her strength into, earning her a small spurt of ichor from his nose as his head snapped up and back, as she no doubt broke it again with how unnaturally misshapen it was.
"Don't you dare think I'm done with you!" The blonde all but screeched, arcing her leg at blistering speed as her body twirled, pounding into the side of his bulky neck, which made his head bend down over her shin with grounded teeth grating off each other. All before making them clatter as her leg slinked down, her body turned, and her other lithe, perfectly smooth leg shot up in a high side-kick that bashed the sole of her foot up right under his chin rocked his head back a second time. "Our battle has only just begun, you prick, so get ready for a beatdown you're in dire need of!"
With that said, she reclined back in the air, folding her knees up to her chest, before pumping her legs out straight with an even rough dropkick than before right into his sturdy chest. The attack making Atlas exhale sharply, some droplets of gold blood flying from his mouth, as his huge frame was sent shooting back, colliding into the hide of Mount Olympus and cratering the shape of his body into it with a tremendous, near ear-drum popping THOOM!
A brief lull moment in their battle achieved, Themis was given the necessary time to fully recover from her previous wound. "Thank you." She exhaled gladly, giving a small smile to Hestia, and to Demeter, as she pulled away from the former. "I appreciate your saving me there. Rest assured I'll do what I can to pay you both back for that."
"There's no need to thank us." Hestia shook her head. "We're allies, after all. If we don't back each other up when the other requires our help, then we'd hardly be deserving of the trust you're willing to put in us by joining our side in this conflict. Isn't that right, sister?"
"Mhmm…" Demeter gave a small sound of approval on that, though it was clear she wasn't fully listening, as she appeared distracted by something.
"Something wrong?" Themis asked with some bit of concern, eyes warily looking past her to Atlas in the distance, who had yet to move from his indentation into the mountain, thankfully.
The blonde goddess turned to face the two then. Or more specifically, Themis, with a raised eyebrow and somewhat incredulous look. "Did I hear him right? Did you really have sex with that guy, Themis?"
"…Are you really asking me that of all things now?" Now it was Themis' turn to start looking incredulous.
"Did you, though?" Demeter pressed on, further disbelief entering her tone, as her eyes flicked Atlas' way before going back to the Titaness. "No offence, but I thought someone like you would've had higher standards than a god like him."
"Ugh, we are not having this conversation now." The Titaness rubbed her temples, feel a migraine setting in that wasn't caused by Atlas headbutt. "Yes, we had sex. Long, long before you were born, trust me. I allowed him to under the promise he would convince Kronos to give me the proper standing I should have with my domains. Something which, as you can probably tell, he never actually did. The bastard." She said, failing to hide the bitterness in her voice from being played like that.
"Ah." Demeter winced alongside Hestia, as the former turned her attention back to Atlas, just as he pulled himself out of the mountain. "Well, that explains it, alright. I don't even want to imagine how humiliating that must've been. Giving yourself to him, all for nothing like that."
"Well… I wouldn't say that." Themis' cheeks burned slightly with a tint of red. "Much as I have a great distaste for him after that, I can't deny that he's a heck of a lover. He's as well built down below as the rest of him is, and if nothing else, he knows how to use that trunk of his damn well."
"I… didn't need to know that." Demeter cringed, getting a humoured snort from the older goddess, and a shake of the head from her sister, who'd have also preferred not hearing that.
"A word to the wise then, young Demeter. Next time, don't ask." Slight blush disappearing, the Titaness moved forward and next to the younger goddess, as she fixed her attention fully to Atlas, as did the other two, when they started to hear distant chuckling from him.
Giving his neck a few cranks with his hand, the fully healed Atlas levelled his gaze on Demeter in particular this time, as his chuckles continued to ring out. "My, my. You're quite the feisty one, I'll give you that." He spoke out loud enough for the trio to hear. "Got some good spirit to you, something I quite like in a goddess. Although, if that's the best you had to give," His chuckles stopped, and his tone suddenly colder than the arctic. "I'm afraid you're in way over your head, if you think you can beat me."
"Oh yeah?" Demeter narrowed her eyes, as did Themis, but for different reasons. "Tough talk from a guy who's been getting his ass kicked most of the time. Stop being so full of yourself. You're clearly not as strong as you think you are in this state, so unless you're about to ascend, you can quit it with your half-assed trash talk, because you're fooling no one."
I really wish we hadn't walked in on Hera resting Beerus on her bosom. You've become far more agitated than you usually are after that. Hestia couldn't help but think to herself with a sweat-drop, recalling the near explosion the middle sister had almost had when they'd paid a visit to check up on their dear brother. She'd ended up having to play peacemaker throughout that entire visit, and had managed to get Demeter to leave without a fight breaking out. And as a consequence, Demeter was agitated beyond belief, and even now after running through a plethora of their father's forces, she'd still yet to sate the aggravation she held, and that could potentially get her in serious trouble here, if she wasn't careful.
"Hehe, unless I'm bringing out my ascended state, huh?" Atlas seemed more amused than anything at that, despite the clear anger still boiling over his face. "How insolent." His muscles, all across his body, bulged out greater than ever, thickening densely as his aura did the same, his power reaching a point where steam began to waft off his form, as his eyes took on a dim, pure-white glow. "For Themis, if she does so first, such lengths would be necessary. But for you?" He scoffed, readying himself for another charge. One that had Themis on higher alert than ever, as he pushed out the fullest extent of his base power to the fore. "Not a chance!"
"Get ready, you two!" The Titaness exclaimed, readying her blade with the tip pointed in his direction, as her divine aura flashed strongly. A sign for her two cohorts to do the same, noting the urgency in her tone. "He's about to come at us full throttle now, so do not be impetuous!"
Meanwhile… With Styx…
"Nngh!" Theia grunted, position held aloft in the air below her adversary. The bones within her forearms shaking, as she had them raised up in full guard with her knees tucking in, tanking the full brunt of a barrage of blows from the eldest Oceanid. From swift and punishing punches to clobbering knees and kicks to her front, the harsh, meaty THWACK, THWACK, THUMP, THWACK of flesh striking flesh in a cacophonous symphony almost melding in with the other loud sounds of combat going on throughout the vast, endless sky.
"You should've known when to stand down, Theia!" Styx growled. The discordant, yet to her, harmonious sounds of her attacks striking down on her opponent with furious fanaticism echoing in both Titanesses ears as the younger, but no less powerful one pushed down on the elder. Ears perking high enough to hear and enjoy the creaking and crackling of one of her hated enemy's bones, as she felt the other's barely holding out against her blistering blows belabouring down with the kind of consistency and ferocious zeal that would've put a mini-gun to shame. "You'll only have yourself to blame for whatever happens to you next!"
"Fuck you!" She howled back. Deep bruising having formed all along the trail of her guarding arms shielding her chest and face an unsettlingly blackish-blue shade to contrast otherwise pale, quaking skin, as her limbs scarcely had the time to heal in any capacity before more damage was heaped on them by the younger deity's relentless assault. "Nrgh!... Did you really think I'd just sit on my ass back at Othrys after the way I failed my brother-husband and let your lot take him down!?"
Seeing a slight opening present itself finally between Styx' vicious hail of strikes, Theia pushed past the pain and numbness in her arms, knowing it'd heal over anyway, as she suddenly pushed. Her form turning sideways to avoid the latest punch, before grabbing on to her assailant's own forearm with a hand, and bashing up with the elbow of the other into her jaw, clattering and breaking some of Styx' teeth against each other while snapping her head back. Her body being held back from going with it, instead being yanked down with a snarl from the older Titaness, as she rammed her knee up into her gut, driving the air and ichor-mixed spit out of the younger goddess' mouth.
"Once I'm done with you, I will get inside your little safe haven and get him back! No matter what it takes!" She exclaimed wrathfully, sapphire aura flaring and expanding like the explosion of a supernova, as she grabbed and yanked Styx' head back by her hair, tearing some out in the process as she smashed her fist into her lips, further breaking her teeth behind them before she struck her with another, just as hard, this time shattering cartilage and bone from her nose as it was crunched deep into her face.
This, all before a third and final one almost sent an eyeball flying out as it broke her orbital bone, before sending her careening back to crash into the mountain several dozen miles down from where Atlas had struck into just a moment ago. A sizeable clump of her long hair being ripped off and held within Theia's enclosed fist from this, before the latter opened her hand and thrust the worthless strands out to the wind behind her, bruises over her forearms well healed by now, as she charged forward.
Styx barely had time, as her body pulled out from the body-shaped indentation in the mountain's hide, to pull up a guard with her forearms before her face as Theia shot in. The older goddess crashing into her with a blindingly fast and brutal stomp that smashed her the recovering deity back-first right back into the indentation, sending spider-cracks forming out around it as she groaned.
She was forced to endure something much worse with Theia's follow-up though, as she back-flipped off her raised arms, putting some distance between them before shunting forward. The aura around her hand hardening and focusing sharply, as her fingers uncurled, standing up with the tips of her tall nails pointing out straight beneath the vague shape of a spear her aura took around it, as she ploughed it directly and mercilessly through fabric and flesh by her exposed belly with a horrible SQUELTCH!
"Uhg-guhg!..." Ichor spewed from both Styx's open, almost mended maw, and right out of her punctured gut over Theia's arm in a garish display, gushing and cascading down to the ground far below, as the latter's hand pierced deep. Part of the former's ribcage being sheared through with the sound of metal scraping along a chalkboard, as the elder Titaness hand plunged through her intestines, ripping them apart inside her, biting into her spine before finally coming to a halt within her.
"You like that, bitch?" Theia hissed venomously as she reached up through Styx' failing guard and grabbed her neck. Further abhorrent squelching and scraping noises following as she vindictively and savagely gyrated her plunged hand, causing more agony to her foe as it dug and tore into more of her innards, chipping away at her bones as well, drenching her tunic a damp gold. All as she squeezed down tight on her neck, slowly crushing her windpipe with her dainty hand, as her fellow Titaness dropped her worthless guard finally and feebly clung to the forearms of Hyperion's sister-wife with her quivering hands.
Rather than hear choked sobs or despondent cries of pain and misery to sate her growing bloodlust, Theia was surprised when all she heard, was gargled, bubbling laughter rising from Styx' blood-dripping lips. Her facial expression, while certainly masked with smarting, held an edge of odd humour to it that had Theia more on edge than ever.
"What's so funny?" The Titaness growled, shaking off the sudden apprehension such strange laughter exhibited from her, as she glared a hole through her adversary's skull.
"Kuhk!... Eheh… You sound… just as arrogant and cocky as your bastard of a husband did…" Styx grinned cruelly and spitefully, gold blood painting over mended teeth as she let out a choked, gurgling chuckle at Theia's expense. "Oh, if only you could've seen with your own eyes… gngh... just how badly Beerus made him pay for his hubris…"
"What…?"
Styx' eyes began to glow. The aura around her body slowly rising and waving along like the calm tides of the sea, before a raging storm arrived. "How unfortunate for you, little Theia… Kuhk!... Heh, you came all this way to get him back, when he's not even here…"
Theia's eyes widened. Body trembling with rage, but also anxiousness, as she could tell that Styx wasn't lying. "Not here? W-What do you mean? Where have you put him then!? Answer me!" She screeched, spit flying from her mouth and splattering unto the younger deity's face, as she leaned in close, putting but a few scant inches between their faces.
"Fuh-From one scorned wife to another… I'll tell you…" Styx' grin stretched out into a near face-splitting, baleful smile that held a kind of disturbed satisfaction behind it, with which few others besides herself were capable of. "Guh-Gaea took away what was left of him after the battle…" Theia's eyes widened further in shock at this knowledge, not noticing immediately that Styx' grip on her forearms was no longer shaky, but exceedingly firm, as she revealed to her the harrowing truth of her husband's fate. "Buh-Believe me when I tell you… you're not ever going to be seeing him again… Not after the pitiful state Beerus left him in…"
"Gaaaaahhh!?" Theia screamed loudly not a second later, not of anger, but pain, as she was unprepared for Styx' hand over the arm choking her neck thrusting up in a fiendish fashion, jamming it's fingers and sharp nails at full speed right into her eyes! The digits gouging them out in one fell swoop as they hooked deep inside her skull, right down to the now very bloody knuckle, as ichor spilt copiously over her hand from the squishing and grinding out of the goddess' eyeballs into paste. Styx being just as merciless in the gyrating of her digits now within her enemy's cranium, as Theia had been with the hand that pierced her gut.
The act was enough to get Theia to recoil, pulling her hand away from Styx' neck and latching on to the wrist of the hand burrowing its fingers through her eye-sockets, attempting to wrench the hand away from her face.
Styx' hand didn't budge though. Remaining pressed against her foe's temple as her fingers dug down and gripped themselves tight inside her skull, refusing to let go as she pushed forward, using the shock of the eye-gouge to wrench Theia's hand out of her gut and tenderized insides. The punctured hole in her abdomen oozing out her life-fluid as she did over the blood-coated hand that had bits of flesh and a small shard of bone hanging off her fingers.
"You like that, bitch?" Styx shot the goddess' own words right back at her with a visceral feeling of pleasure, ignoring the grievous wound over her midsection, as it quickly mended itself. A few stray strands of blood flying out from the rapidly closing wound, as Styx pushed herself out of her body's indentation, and swung the two of them around, flipping their positions before slamming Theia's back right into the body-shaped crater she'd just been in. The younger goddess earning another sharp, but very gargled cry of fresh agony from Theia, as she took a page out of her book, stabbing her hand straight through her abdomen in the exact same fashion the former had done to her.
"You know what? I think I'll do you a favour…" Leaning her face closer to Theia's with a strongly malicious gleam in her glowing orbs, allowing the hate to flow through her like the waters of her river connecting Gaea's plane to the underworld. Her whole form brightening under her aura as she was one small step away from ascension. "Once we're finished here, I'll be sure to reunite you with your husband. All so I can see the despair in your eyes at his condition, before the same fate falls on you!"
Meanwhile… With Hades and Poseidon…
"Hah! What's the matter old-timer? Having a hard time keeping up in your ancient age?" Poseidon laughed goadingly from several metre distance, as several of his latest trident thrusts struck Koios in his sides and shoulders, leaving deep gashes as a spray of ichor flowing out behind the Titan followed. The much younger of the two's form blurring out of sight after breaking his opponent's latest attempt at a pitiful guard.
"Gungh!... Damn fledgling!..." Koios groaned through grit teeth, a spear having materialized in hand not too long ago to combat his nimble, and clearly faster foe's own weapon. His grip tightening on the shaft as he managed to see Poseidon charging forward, and propelled it forward, hoping to stab into his cocky enemy, or at the very least, force him to block or pull back.
Poseidon instead met his thrust dead on with his own, the middle tip of his mighty trident crashing against that of Koios' spear with a deafening CLANG, creating a massive shockwave that blasted out around them. The latter's teeth gnashing in frustration as he exerted as much strength as possible to match Poseidon, veins popping along his muscular arm as the vibrations from the clash had goosebumps raising up it. All the while the younger god seemed to be taking it easier, letting out another laugh that further served to piss the Titan off as they both fought for dominance.
"Not bad, old-timer! It looks like you've got some decent fight in you after all!" The tanned god quipped, as both deities were forced to disengage, pushing the other back a good number of feet. Though this didn't stop Poseidon from swiftly stabbing forward with his trident even as he flew back, sending out a pressurized, projectile attack that tore through the Titan's exposed hip, sending out another spray of blood from the open wound. "All the same though, you appear to be quite rusty in your old age. I'd wager a guess that you have not done battle like this in some time, have you?"
"Gnnh!..." Koios winced, enduring the sharp, but brief pain as the wound healed up quick, readying his spear for a counter-assault. "Arrogant little prick!... Your cockiness will be the end of you!" He said angrily, before he gasped as another projectile thrust struck and cut through his cheek this, slicing way back into his ear where it nipped a chunk of it off with brutal accuracy and another spurt of blood.
The Titan then, like had been the case for the majority of this battle to his chagrin, was forced totally on the defensive, blocking and dodging through another barrage of trident shots that Poseidon sent out. Bobbing and weaving his muscular frame around desperately to avoid getting perforated worse than Swiss cheese by his adversary's relentless onslaught of ranged blows.
"Hmph. You're calling me arrogant, old-timer? Hah! Talk about projection! If anyone here is arrogant, it's you and your lot, for having the misguided belief that you could come to our abode and take us down with little more than brute force." Poseidon scoffed, as one strike after another landed and ripped through sections of his foe's body, despite his best attempt to block or evade them all, shredding through flesh and scoring a gush of ichor.
As this was going on, Krios was arguably fairing much worse against Hades, as the former couldn't so much as land an attack on his opponent's person, despite being able to sense where he was. All attempts ending with hitting nothing but air, before being struck by an invisible enemy hard enough to shatter bone. The Titan helpless before the unseeable elder brother of Poseidon, being battered and flung about through the skies in near all directions, suffering through one wound after another that healed up just as quick as a new one was dealt.
"Damn it, what kind of magic is this!? Why is it my eyes cannot see, nor can my attacks connect!?" Krios exclaimed, both in deep vexation and fear, as he flew back from where he sensed the hostile presence next, able to do nothing other than keep his guard up and be ready for whatever came, as he was given a small reprieve. "Who in the world are you, cretin? Or better yet, what even are you!?"
Hades, though he could not be seen by anyone present under the cloak of his helm's invisibility, smirked almost ferally, not unlike a bloodthirsty shark who'd spotted dying prey in the water. Taking a degree of pleasure seeing his enemy so on edge and anxious. "You ask what I am, foolish Titan? Has it not become clear to you by now?"
"So, you can speak, after all." Hearing the grave voice of the second son of Kronos reply to him finally, Krios grit his teeth, beads of divine sweat trekking down his brow as he glared over at the unseeable presence. Unbeknownst to himself, staring directly into Hades darkly amused eyes as he barked out. "You bloody vermin, show yourself!"
"Hehe. Vermin? Is that what you've decided I am?" Hades had to stop himself from laughing near hysterically at his Titan foe. Or rather, his Titan punching bag to be more accurate, given the latter couldn't do a damn thing to him so long as the helm was worn over him. "How foolish. You believe me to be but a worm before you, despite how helpless you currently are against me. A fact that wouldn't even change if you ascended here and now."
Before Krios could reply to that nugget of information, Hades burst forward and was upon him in no time, drilling his invisible fist directly into his solar plexus. The blow driving the air and ichor-mixed spit out of the Titan's yawning maw, as he wheezed painfully, being bent over the younger god's arm as his flesh caved inward, having Hades' fist buried wrist deep and breaking through his ribs like fragile twigs.
"If it makes you feel better though," Hades began, making himself visible for the first, and only time, with his helm shining ominously with a dark aura over his head. A savage grin dancing across his masculine features, as he pushed Krios back, forcing his caved torso off his now bloodied fist and giving the Titan a brief glance at his face as he was thrust back. Allowing him to gaze directly into eyes that'd turned a pitch black and radiated a darkness from them, amplified from the helm, that made it feel like one was staring into the great abyss, as Hades cocked a fist back. "Here I am!"
"Whuh-" Hades' fist collided with Krios face then, striking it so hard it almost completely shattered his skull as his features caved in much like his gut, knocking out chunks of teeth in a bloody spew as the Titan was sent rocketing back unceremoniously from the blow. His body sent rapidly streaking toward his brother Koios like a bullet.
Unfortunately for Koios though, he did not notice this fact until it was much too late. Only having time to widen his eyes seeing his brother's body approach just as it was mere metres away as he dealt with Poseidon's trident attacks to the best of his base ability, before Krios crashed straight into his chest with a booming THUMP! The air being knocked from Koios divine lungs from this as the two Titans, crumpled up together now, were roughly launched back together from the force.
They would get no reprieve even then however, as Poseidon took full advantage of this. The tanned deity ceasing his ranged, projectile attacks swiftly as his form shot forth toward the duo with his trident held straight toward them by his side. He then thrust it forward right as the sandwiched brothers were slowing down, the three sharp blades of his crafted weapon goring right through the chests of both and piercing right out the back of Koios. His attack skewering them both on his trident like a pair of helpless fishes and spilling ichor from both sides of each Titan's torso, further staining their already bloodied and ripped up tunics.
"Heh, nicely done there, brother! Your assistance, while not needed, is very much appreciated!" Poseidon remarked aloud with glee over the joint moans of agony from his impaled victims. "After all, it's not every day I get to skewer two uppity Titans on this here trident of mine!"
Hades, still visible as he phased into existence near his brother, was for once, amused by his little brother's antics. Though it was more the skewered position itself that their Titan foes were now in for the moment, which had him letting out a small chuckle at their expense. "I suppose it is not, Poseidon. Though, if I'm being honest, I expected a bit more of a challenge from them, given how they're supposed to be our bastard father's most powerful allies."
"Gnnh!... Fuck you…!" Krios spat, both figuratively and literally, ichor pooling out of his maw almost as much as the gaping hole in his chest travelling right out his back from the trident running through him. Nothing but boiling hatred frothing to the surface, as both flesh and bone were shredded in equal measure, with his spine cut in half, and were it not for his brother being pressed on his back, it would've been jutting out precariously from the exit hole with how violently it'd been ripped in two. "You-nngh!... You think that this is all we have?..." He huffed and wheezed, tasting his own ichor as he glared balefully up at both brothers. His divine aura rising from his impaled body despite the pain present.
"Well, outside of your True Divine Forms, which you've been barred from use of, by the looks of things, yes." Poseidon shrugged, intentionally shifting his trident's weight and position so that it gruesomely stirred and grinded the insides of both Titans, Krios with the shaft, and Koios with the tri-pronged blades. Forcing both to grunt and groan through their grounded teeth, as to their surprise, divine water began to coalesce around the weapon currently stabbed through them both.
The aqua swirled sharply and with a sense of controlled grace, as it encompassed the weapon from the tips of the blades poking out Koios' back, all the way down to the end of the shaft. Its clear tendrils of heavenly liquid also travelling all the way up and around Poseidon's holding arm, rapidly twisting and turning like a vortex as it submerged the limb within its thin, but dense depths. All as a thick, wavy, sea-green aura fell over both it and Poseidon himself.
Poseidon's almost jubilant smile then vanished, along with any air of amusement as a dark scowl to match the presence Hades gave off etched over his now glaring features, which glowed a lighter, sea-green hue. "The real question is, do you two old-timers sincerely believe that that was the best we could do?"
This brat… Both Titans thought simultaneously, as they heard the sound of the sea's whistle and splashing waves in their ears, as though they were right beside it. And as the summoned water enveloping Poseidon's trident like a maelstrom began to churn through their guts like a meat grinder, the two couldn't help but be reminded of someone they had not seen in a long time, as they looked into his glowing eyes and felt his aura. He feels… just like Oceanus!...
"Because I assure you," Poseidon went on, gripping the shaft of his trident hard as he willed the water surrounding it to become wilder still, vaguely forming the shape of razor-sharp spikes as it swirled around dangerously. The watery spikes carving deeper into their organs, flesh and bone all around it almost like a chainsaw, before, with a widening of his radiantly glowing pools, he exclaimed. "it isn't!"
Then, with a hard torque of his wrist, the divine water-coated trident swung back and forth in a zig-zag pattern, cleaving both Titans in two. The upper parts of their torsos being ripped away gorily from the lower half and their legs in a shower of blood and guts that poured from their bisected areas, as both ends began a very steep fall. The shocked expressions of agony showing on both Titans faces, even if such a lethal wound would only last for a moment before both were back to full health, as they plummeted down far away from the younger set of brothers.
Poseidon then let out a sigh. A small grin returning to his features, as he regarded his brother Hades a bit more casually, now that they had a small window of reprieve. "You know, as much as I appreciate this weapon, a part of me really wishes it could do what Beerus' sword did to Hyperion. So that way, we wouldn't have to deal with those two in this war, again."
"Can't say I argue with that, brother." The older sibling nodded. "Even still though, we all have our own unique benefits with our weapons, and I get the feeling that none of us have truly scratched the surface of what they're capable of just yet."
Poseidon hummed at that, recalling what Beerus had already shown that each weapon was capable of without their more unique attributes being thrown in or amplified, nor just how insanely powerful they'd become in time with their growing strength and abilities. "True, true..." A pause. "I'd still prefer that destructive power to end an enemy, though."
He got a slap to the head from a tickled Hades in response. "Just drop down there and keep up on those two with me, will you?"
Poseidon simply chuckled, following his brother's lead as he flew down to their, for now, falling enemies.
Around that time… With Prometheus and Epimetheus…
"Nngh! Damn, what are those two playing at!?" Iapetus barked angrily, as he and his sons disengaged from their own combat briefly, allowing the father of the two to witness his two siblings getting utterly torn asunder and fall away, shamefully, in pieces. "How are they allowing themselves to get decimated like that?"
Even though it was clear that the question was more rhetorical than anything, Prometheus was still quick to respond slyly. "Perhaps this is what happens when you become too complacent. Those who are hungrier, and more ambitious, end up passing you out."
"Well, that, and a little helping hand from the Cyclopes never hurt anyone." Epimetheus not-so-subtly revealed as he glanced over his shoulder at the current goings of the 'battle' above them, before turning back to a downright thunderous Iapetus, who looked far from amused. "No one except for you guys, of course."
Tch. Damn Cyclopes' inventions… I should've guessed. The elder Titan grumbled, as his focus went back fully to his sons. "I might have to agree with you there. To have allowed all of this to happen… we truly have been quite complacent."
"Perhaps if your side had treated us a little better father, and had Kronos actually listened to what I had to say, among other things, then you wouldn't be dealing with this right now." Prometheus sniped back unashamedly, getting a nod from his brother in agreement.
Iapetus merely sighed. Not even attempting to dispute the claim. "In any case, that complacency will have to be rectified once this war is over. Something like this can never be allowed to happen again."
"Oh, I agree." Prometheus nodded. "The only thing is, you and yours aren't going to be the ones in power when all is set and done." He pointed behind him to Mount Olympus, as though it signified the group of young gods' he'd pledged himself to, as a collective. "They will. The Olympians!"
Iapetus snorted. Not buying into that for a second. "'The Olympians'? Oh, how original. Naming themselves after their abode. Tell me, did you just pull that name out of your ass now, my boy, or did one of them come up with that 'genius' title?"
"Does it even matter?" Prometheus shrugged, taking the jab in stride for what both of them knew was something he had, in fact, just pulled out of his ass. "What matters is that they'll win in the end, and usher in a new era by doing so. Of that, I have no doubt."
"Hmph. I beg to differ." The father of the rebellious Titans scoffed, as he curiously kept his arms lowered to his sides, rather than re-enter a battle stance. Something both his sons were quick to notice.
"Not going to try attacking us again there, father?" Epimetheus asked with a tilt of his head, as he folded his arms over his chest. A cheeky grin playing over his lips. "Have you given up already?"
"Hardly, my son." Planting his hands on his hips Iapetus eyed them both critically. "I just don't see a reason in continuing our battle as it is in our base states, what with one of you being able to predict my every attack before it happens and react to it in kind. There's little point in progressing with something that'll just go on in an endless loop of me getting countered and being unable to utilise my own unique ability at any point." His eyes then narrowed sharply. Knowingly. "That's the real reason you two were made to target me specifically, isn't it?"
"Guilty as charged." Prometheus shrugged once more, this time with a grin as he mirrored his father and propped his hands on his hips. "While we're on that subject though, mind telling us why your lot chose to show up in base form rather than being ascended from the beginning?"
"Come now, you think we'd be that foolish?" Iapetus rebuked coldly. "Don't play coy with me, boy. We're well aware of a certain trio of hundred-handed, fifty-headed, ugly giants that were broken out of Tartarus not too long ago as well, and their suspicious absence from the battlefield. As soon as we noticed that none of them were in sight, we knew not to engage with our full strength, even before our brother ordered it so. None of us would be dumb enough to do so without knowing where those bastards are, for we know from first-hand experience what those repulsive brothers of ours are capable of."
"Well, you and the elder Titans do, that's true." The Titan of forethought acknowledged, having never seen the Hekatonkheires in action himself, but having been told of their might by his father in youth. Something that had him suspecting Kronos had thrust them down into Tartarus for more than just how ugly they were. "However…" Prometheus' eyes glowed a faint gold, as a vision of the future hit him, making him chuckle at his father's claim. "When it comes to truly recognising such a threat, are you sure everyone remaining is gonna keep in lockstep with that?"
"What…?"
Meanwhile… Up above…
Damnit all… Pallas thought to himself, cursing his position as he narrowly dodged a punch from Kratos, then a swinging kick for his head by Bia as he pushed back, before being forced to just barely block a double, one-footed dropkick from Nike and Zelus using his recently materialized spear. The latter of which had him grunting as he was forced back in the air, having abandoned his now wrecked chariot the instant this four-on-one bout had started. The god having done little other than evade his children the whole time, as there wasn't much chance for attack.
"What's the matter, father? Having trouble keeping up with us?" He heard his daughter, Bia, ask mockingly as she rounded to his side and charged him for another attack.
Pallas, seeing this, managed to push his two other children away and pull back just in the nick of time to avoid the strike and deliver a swift counter with his spear. Or so he thought.
Bia smirked, seeing her father's full attention shift to her briefly, as she brought herself to a halt just out of his range with her fist raised up in the air. Her voice smug as she simply said. "Got you~."
Pallas' eyes widened when he felt the air shift right behind him, and before he could do anything, felt two hands grab on to his head, before he was wrenched back into a barbarous knee that struck his spine. "Ack!" He gasped in pain, as he felt the skeletal structure of his back bend and contort along with his body in a rather agonising angle, before he reversed grip on his spear and aimed it behind him before thrusting it down.
To his surprise though, he heard a grunt of pain alongside the unmistakeable sound of his weapon piercing through flesh and bone, drawing out a few spurts of blood that doused the side of his shoulder and neck. His wide eyes shooting back to see that Kratos, rather than dodge his spear, had elected to eat the counter-blow instead. The beefy god letting the cold, sharp metal bite deep through his own muscly shoulder, so that the arm it belonged to could grab on to the shaft despite the flaring pain that rewarded him for it, while circling his other arm around his father's neck, locking him in place.
"No more avoiding us, father." Kratos' deep, gravelly voice remarked with a hint of satisfaction, as Pallas struggled to break away from his son's hold, but to little avail, even when he drove his elbow into his gut once, twice, then thrice. His efforts earning him little more than pained, but enduring grunts from the younger god, as he kept his hold of him firm. His bulky arm only tightening around the older Titan's neck, as he growled out. "It's time you got dealt your punishment for betraying us!"
Before Pallas could even say anything in reply, he felt the wind, spit and ichor get knocked out of his maw, as Bia shot in and drove her fist deep into his gut, practically burying herself down to the elbow, as she cackled with glee below the arm still holding his spear.
"You like that, daddy? Because there's going to be a lot more where that came from!" She said with a level of joy she only felt when being violent, as she pulled her fist out of his caved gut, dripping with his golden life fluid before thrusting that same fist up in an uppercut that snapped his head back with a deafening CRACK! A cry of bliss leaving her as she did.
"Ugh!... Fucking bitch!" Pushing through the dizziness and pain, Pallas reached out with his free hand and grabbed Bia by the face, aiming to snap her neck like that and chuck her away.
"Nngh… Guh!" Spit and ichor flew from Pallas' mouth yet again as Nike flew in then, delivering a vicious knee to his only half-way mended gut, before smacking him hard across the face with a swift, deadly elbow that snapped it to the side and almost turned his head facing the opposite way round from the force. Several broken teeth being ejected from his bloody mouth in the process, as he lost his grip over Bia, before his two daughters joined together, torquing their hips in unison as they each swung themselves around and smashed their heels directly into his lower sides. Simultaneously shattering both his hips with a resounding shockwave that was felt for miles!
"You deserve every bit of this and more once mother gets her hands on you." Nike said coldly, but with her own vicious smile relishing their traitorous father's pain and suffering, as her more muscular sister laughed in agreement beside her.
A shadow was then cast above him, causing the Titan to look up just in time to see his other son's foot stomp down on his face hard enough to crunch his skull. The blow eviscerating every bone in his nose as it flattened like a pancake beneath the weight and momentum of the sole crushing down on it, while chipping and breaking his front teeth in a ghastly show of force as his face was caved inward.
"Anything else to give, father? Or will that be all from you?" Zelus goaded, before hopping up from his estranged parent's features, somersaulting around, and then swinging the heel of his other foot down in a cleaving blow that bashed down on the lower section of his gaping mouth. The heel belabouring through both regenerating teeth and bone alike with such incredible force that it both broke, and ripped the lower jaw of the Titan clean off! Ichor spilling out uncontrollably from his torn mouth as bits of flesh hung from the space where the now falling chunk of flesh and bone once was.
By this point, the pain had become so intense for Pallas, that he'd let go of his spear as gargled, guttural sounds of agony rose through his torn apart, blood-oozing jaw. A mistake he'd regret immediately in his tormented mind, as Bia grabbed and pulled the spear free from Kratos shoulder, garnering little more than a slight wince from him and a small oozing of ichor, before she aligned and thrusted it forward. The cold, sharp metal stabbing through Pallas' chest and running right through his heart with a nasty, audible SQUELCH!
"Heh, this is a nice spear you got here, daddy." The goddess embodying force laughed with a cruel, teasing air. Feeling no remorse, only pleasure, from finally getting to hurt their father like this. "It's a great weapon for impaling your enemies on. And speaking of impalement~." She turned to look over at each of her siblings with an all too sweet smile that promised nothing but torture for the Titan. "What do you guys say, after we've gotten a few more licks in, we stick this thing right up where Helios definitely doesn't shine?"
If Pallas could've at that point, he would've cursed them all for their horrid actions against him. Alas, all he could let out was an angered and hurt gurgling noise, as his other children nodded in agreement with Bia's words.
He couldn't help but think, why was he letting this happen? For how long would he have to endure such torture from his spawn, such humiliation, before Kronos gave him the go-ahead to ascend?
And the latter being over the threat of these 'Hekatonkheires' he showed such concern for, yet weren't even here. Nor had they made any move to attack, despite the numerous opportunities he was sure they could've taken by now.
What, was he supposed to just wait until those giants made a move? If they even made a move? For all they knew, the threat of those giants, whom had been locked up in Tartarus well before he was born, could be little more than a farce in this situation. A clever ruse of them hiding away until they decided to strike, when in reality, they may not be involved with the defence of Mount Olympus at all. Effectively making him be forced to endure the harsh persecution of his bastard children for minutes, hours, or even days, given how they spiteful they were, for absolutely nothing.
For as much as he pledged his allegiance to Lord Kronos, even he could see how paranoid the Titan king of the universe had been of late. A lot of them did, despite his attempts to hide it. It was entirely possible that Kronos was simply overthinking these so-called monstrous giants lack of appearance, and was allowing his paranoia to get ahead of him.
And even if he wasn't, then that still left the lingering question as to when exactly they'd be allowed to cut loose and use their True Divine Forms? Surely, he didn't expect them to wait forever until those giants potentially made their move, right? Because they sure as shit weren't getting anywhere as they were now. In fact, it didn't seem like anything would move forward, outside of his children's abuse, as he felt them bludgeon his body repeatedly with their attacks, knocking his head around, breaking his bones and rending his flesh repeatedly every time they'd healed up or were close to. Mutilating him with their arms and legs, as well as his own spear to add extra insult to injury.
I can't wait much longer, Lord Kronos… He thought, turning his gaze out over to where Kronos was, currently zipping around in his own aerial projectile battle with the silver-haired deity. The progressively more aggravated and frustrated god hoping and waiting out through the constant abuse for Kronos to finally give them the command he desperately wanted right now to get these… pests he called children off of him. To teach them and those they'd allied with a lesson they won't soon forget. Please, give me the order, Lord Kronos. I cannot stand for this embarrassment much longer!
And so, giving his lord the benefit of the doubt, he waited. And waited. And waited some more for the order that never came. Time simply ticking by as, all the while, he could hear the disrespectful, ungrateful little shits around him effectively having a laugh and enjoying themselves at the expense of his torment. Like his sole purpose for existing at the minute was for their malicious pleasure. Driving him further and further to the edge, until…
"Alright then," Bia said with a sickening grin that he'd love nothing more than to tear off her face, as she pulled out and held his spear in hand, dripping with his ichor all over the sharp tip. Her other siblings having halted in their beatdown of him momentarily. "I think that's enough preamble, brothers, sister. How's about we give our mother a sight to see while she deals with Theia, and finally shove this spear so far up his ass that it comes out the other end? No better way to humiliate this prick of a father we have, I'd say."
"No argument from me." Kratos rumbled.
"I'd say mother would love to see that." Nike nodded.
"I agree." Zelus affirmed.
You bloody brats! Pallas seethed, his rage spiking to an all-time high as veins began to pop all around his neck and face. His regrown jaw gnashing its teeth down as he felt the eyes of his so-called children on him with the desire to complete his humiliation, no doubt before continuing his torture any just to sate their depraved lust for vengeance on his person.
As he noticed Bia readying his spear, his eyes snapped over to his lord one last time, with one last sliver of hope that Kronos would end his suffering by finally giving the order, and allowing him to ascend and properly deal with these uppity little shits he'd once proudly called his sons and daughters.
It didn't take him long to realise, as Kronos continued to waste time humouring that other uppity god in projectile warfare, that again, no such order would be forthcoming. He was being left to his own devices here.
Something finally snapped within him in that moment. His eyes beginning to glow a magenta red in unbridled fury, as the final tether of his self-control was shredded apart, much like his insides would be if these impudent gnats impaled and made a further mockery of him.
I've had enough of this... He thought, his breaking point reached as an almost animalistic growl rose up from within him. A white-hot, primal rage beginning to consume him as his power began to rapidly climb higher. Something his children were all too quick to notice, but wouldn't be fast enough to do anything about. Screw waiting for an order! I don't care if there're some stupid giants waiting in the wings or not, I refuse to allow this embarrassing exchange to go on any longer!
His body beginning to shine brightly, along with his power shooting sky high did not go unnoticed by the other participants in the battle, as a shockwave burst forth from him, sending Kratos flying back behind him, and the rest of his trash spawn away from him. The four forced to shield their faces, while the others further out felt the immensity of his divine power flow out throughout the skies like a wave of magenta fire.
And from her perch upon Olympus, watching this all play out, Metis only smirked slyly. The goddess pleased seeing another piece fall exactly into place, as she watched Pallas unknowingly become the trigger for the next stage of her plan.
Meanwhile… On the Isle of Crete…
As that bright flare of Pallas' aura went off, bathing a large swath of the sky above a light hue of magenta-red, the three hundred-handed ones watched from below. The trio smirking like absolute savages as each stood by several towering piles of massive boulders that reached just as tall as they were, and nearly three times the width.
"Be watchful, Kottus, Gyges." Briareus, the oldest of the three Hekatonkheires, said as they watched everything clearly unfold. Their overwhelming size allowing them to see across vast distances as though they were right next to them. "Metis' signal shall come soon. And when it does…"
Reaching behind him, half of his hands laid over various boulders, gripping unto them in anticipation as his monumentally huge muscles tensed and bulged in anticipation. His brothers following suit as he picked up the top one from his pile, and began casually tossing the sizeable boulder that easily filled out his uppermost hand up and down on his palm, as a truly titanic, dark greyish-blue aura enveloped both him, and every boulder he touched.
Briareus' teeth then bared across all of his fifty faces in face-splitting smiles, as he riled up his brethren with one solemn, but bloodthirsty declaration.
"We're gonna squash those puny punks into paste!"
AND CUT!
That's the end of that one. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and its fighting to some extent. I've already touched on the new circumstances up above, so I won't go into that again.
What I will say for this chapter though, for those of you who are myth buffs, I am well aware there's nothing, at least from what I found, that states that Atlas and Themis were ever involved with each other at all in the myths, according to any poet. That's just something I threw in there for a little bit of spice, small bit of humour, which may or may not have landed, and a little bit of backstory on something Themis tried when she didn't get the position she should've gotten under Kronos' rule. And also, to be fair, there was definitely a lot of sex going on in the Titan era, so it wouldn't be that hard to believe. Just look at Tethys, she popped out thousands, potentially countless spawn, still in counting, with Oceanus. To say some of them were going at it like rabbits would be an understatement with birth numbers like that, lol.
Also, before anyone asks, the siege will most likely be ending in the next chapter, and from there, we are very soon moving on to the final act. Yeah, that's right, I'm going for it. This saga has to end at some point, after all, and I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of my Summer break in September. Plenty of battles to come, and plenty of shine for the Olympians' side other than Beerus coming, as the latter was already a given.
Anyways, I'll see you all in the next chapter!