I'm only Human

The phrase {Boost} continued echoing while Artemis grit her teeth. He definitely did not recently unlock the sacred gear. Her huntresses had leapt to the tree's and notched their arrows but they pinged harmlessly off his armour.

"The supernatural have grown fat off human suffering…. Your very arrogance demonstrates why I hate the supernatural…. You don't care for humans; you don't care about our lives. We are just pawns to be used as weapons…" Issei growled with venom as he remembered Irina's death. She was just an ant to the supernatural and she was crushed by Kokabiel without remorse, without care he wouldn't be crushed. He had avenged her and he would show that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Artemis channelling some of her power into an arrow let it fly before rapidly notching another one, it impacted Issei's scale mail with a sharp thud but Issei only took one step back, she had poured too little power into it. The arrow lit up with a grey hue before it left Artemis's bow and a trail of power following after the arrow. It burned through the forest creating a large barren plain having destroyed many of the trees.

However, Issei Hyoudou dodged it quickly before charging the goddess. Her huntress let loose a barrage of arrows which did nothing to slow down the juggernaut. A trail of green power left in his wake as he charged like an immovable force. This was the power of the red dragon emperor. Artemis was grateful that she drew the ire of the Red dragon emperor her huntress would not be able to survive hits from him.

He leapt into the air his fist cocked back, Artemis quickly rolled out of the way. His fist impacted the ground and sent a shockwave of force blasting some of her huntress of their feet. Artemis dug her heels in and would not budge. The scale mail vision turned towards her, she could practically see the hatred in the emerald slits.

This time she notched three arrows and quickly channelled her power into it before firing them in a spread. Issei leapt back and to the side dodging all three but Artemis a testament to her skill had already released another trio. He dodged one only to be hit by two, he quickly raised his arms in defence.

The arrows exploded on contact with his armour kicking up dirt and earth. He was flung back off his feet. He managed to quickly right himself.

"This is the power of a goddess…" Issei mused internally as he gazed upon the goddess of the hunt her bow already notched. Her amber eyes narrowed on him as her cloak blew gently in the wind.

[Focus on dodging, do not rely on the scale mail. It will protect you but even dragon scales have their limits.] Ddraig advised

"Time to fire back with our power…" Issei suggested

[Show this goddess we aren't going to bow so easily!] Ddraig roared in approval, the dragon getting fired up. Issei throughout both hands with palms exposed before the call rang out.

[Dragon Shot!]

"Evade!" Artemis curtly ordered her huntress as two bursts of dragon energy blew through the air. The huntresses leapt acrobatically as did Artemis but Issei and Ddraig grinned. The dragon shots suddenly split into smaller forms as they peppered the area, knocking out and wounding some of the huntresses. Artemis growled in frustration and anger as she surveyed her knocked out and/or wounded huntresses.

"Pull back! I'll handle him!" Artemis ordered they have severely underestimated him and she would be damned if her huntress died because her idiotic king thought it would be a good idea to force someone into your faction.

"We won't let you fight alone!" one of her huntresses retorted

"We will follow you into whatever battle no matter the odds!" another affirmed, Artemis bit her lip in frustration but also joy. She was happy she had such devoted followers but frustrated they wouldn't heed her orders; they would only hinder her.

"You will stop her from fighting to her true strength" Issei suddenly spoke earning looks of surprise, especially from Artemis.

"She would worry about you. Pull back this fight is out of your leagues…" Issei declared before a chorus of [BOOST!] rang out as an oppressive armour began humming off his armour. The huntresses sent one look at their goddess before reluctantly pulling back, they backed off and lowered their weapons but still continued to observe the standoff.

"Thank you" the goddess begrudgingly thanked him

"You shouldn't lose people dear to you especially when it can be prevented…" He spoke honestly all of a sudden, doubt began weighing on the goddess and her will to fight began coming into question. She had doubts from the beginning, however, the more this continued the more she found her doubts being justifiable.

Artemis was thrown out of her thoughts when her battle instincts kicked in and she calmly flipped out of the way of a dragon blast. She quickly drew her bow and launched an arrow that exploded against Issei's armour forcing him to stumble back as his armour took the hit. She quickly notched another arrow which he managed to avoid before leaping at her fist cocked back. She dodged once again but the very ground where she was had cracked and cratered from the impact of his fist.

Suddenly, he leapt forward once again although this time faster. Artemis caught off guard received a scale mail-clad fist to the face but a testament to the goddess strength she didn't take a step back. She then responded with her own vicious uppercut, cracking Issei's helmet and sending him flying several meters back.

Issei clutched his face, feeling a large deep crack down the middle of his helmet. This was the power of a goddess. He snarled in annoyance before punching the ground in frustration before leaping at the goddess of the hunt. The goddess narrowly avoided his leaping attack but was caught when he whipped his tail and hit her in the chest stumbling the goddess who was caught off guard.

He then attempted to kick the goddess but she managed to use her bow to deflect his kick before using it like a bat and slamming him in the chest. Issei's armour cracked slightly from the blunt force attack but adrenaline was surging through Issei's veins and he immediately grabbed the goddess wrists with one of his own before head-butting her. A small cut appeared on the goddess's forehead as golden blood leaked. The calm goddess expression morphed into one of frustration before she counter head-butted and cracked Issei's helmet in half the helmet falling from his face.

The human stumbled back and clutched his head feeling as if he just got hit by a battering ram. A warm feeling coated his forehead and the right side of his face. Disengaging the armour on his left hand he reached up to his face to feel wipe his face. His head was coated with a layer of his blood. Issei was taking deep breaths feeling winded having exerted himself but all he had managed was a small cut on the goddesses' forehead. It felt pointless all his exertions had culminated in merely annoying the goddess.

Artemis flicked away the small ichor leaking from the cut on her forehead. It was a mere annoyance but she had to say she was impressed. He had some fight to him but she noticed he was winded but even so doubt still festered, doubt on whether she could carry out Zeus's orders. The two faced each other their eyes locking, brown clashing against amber.

"You are taking your time Artemis…" A voice filled with malice and boredom echoed through the force. Everyone swivelled to look at the source.

A massive man over eight feet tall clad in silver spiked hoplite armour, the armour had blood and lava oozing from it. A pair of dark red eyes peered from behind the Corinthian helmet.

"Ares…" Artemis growled with distaste

"The god of war…" Issei muttered with realization, he was in a bad situation. Artemis was troublesome enough but Ares and Artemis would be a shit show.

"Father sent me, he feared you wouldn't be able to do as he requested. Seems he was right nevertheless I look forward to fighting the Red Dragon Emperor." Ares spoke haughtily and full of cockiness

"Ares this a stupid idea, we shouldn't force him to join us. I had my doubts but now I'm sure we shouldn't force him to join us" Artemis protested

"Humans are mere tools and objects to bend to our will" Ares spoke with disdain and disregard, Issei's fist clenched. He hated that they were so fat on their own power and age they disregarded humans as insects.

Reforming his helmet and snarling. Issei suddenly leapt at the god of war fist cocked back, the god met the dragon's fist with his own. Issei's armour crumpled under the power of the god of war, a cocky grin framed the god of wars lips.

"Weakling" Ares taunted

"Go to hell!" Issei retorted before he shoved his other hand into Ares' face

[DRAGON SHOT!] The blast of green energy hit the god of war and sent him flat on his ass.

However, a silver blur quickly danced through his field of vision before a silver gauntleted fist smashed against his face sending Issei Hyoudou tumbling. His armour screeching and buckling from the attack.

His face armour had cracked fully exposing his face. Issei quickly summoned the broken part of his helmet. He slammed his fist against the ground in frustration.

"Pathetic and Weak…" Ares taunted, Issei grit his teeth in anger. Anger that Ares's words were true.

[Issei maybe we should pull back? We barely could handle Artemis but if Ares is here as well…] Ddraig began trailing off

"We are as good as dead…" Issei muttered coming to the same assessment as Ddraig. Artemis was merely observing, the doubts festering and weighing heavier on her. Artemis came to a simple decision; she would observe but not intervene. Ares would want the fight to himself and it would relieve her guilt if ever so slightly and give Issei a fighting chance.

"Huntresses we are to merely observe. We… shall let lord Ares finish the mission." Artemis declared putting her bow on her back before backing away from the clearing. Her huntresses sent her questioning looks but seeing the expression on their mistress's face answered them, she didn't agree with what she was tasked to do. Her huntresses were loyal to her and no one else and once they knew of her decision and gleaned its reasoning they agreed with it. Issei glanced to her, his face unreadable behind his helmet but if Artemis had to guess it was a mixture of thanks and surprise mixed with a bit of suspicion or wariness.

"Indeed Artemis leave the job to men who actually know how to get things done" Ares insulted flippantly with a wave of his hand. The god of war quickly raised his hand to block a dragon shot Issei sent his way. The god seemed unfazed by it and this only served to anger Issei more who charged forward unleashing a barrage of punches.

Ares using his armoured arms to deflect the barrage of punches with ease but Issei didn't let up. Ares seemed bored judging by his absolute boredom.

"Weak and pitiful! I wonder how you even achieved balance breaker!" Ares retorted before he counter-attacked and uppercut Issei sending him tumbling and rolling across the floor after flying for a few meters.

Issei lifted himself on his arms but blood began dribbling down soaking the ground beneath him.

[Issei we should…] Ddraigs words were cut off as Ares' foot slammed onto Issei's back, slamming him into the ground. Issei's armour screamed against the armoured foot while Issei quickly tried to use his arms to stand up but it was futile he was completely at the mercy of the god of war. Issei grunted as he felt his armour slowly crushing around him.

Artemis fingers twitched in a mixture of doubt, should she intervene? It would ease her consciousness but her rational mind screamed against it. He was just a human and there was more for her to lose should she intervene she would be in direct defiance of Zeus's orders. Her huntresses did not fail to notice the doubt on the goddess of the hunts face.

"So pitiful… so pathetic…" Ares taunted with a sadistic grin as he savoured Issei struggling beneath him. Issei struggled with all his might but it was futile, he received a brief reprieve when Ares lifted his foot only for him to be slammed down back into the ground as Ares stomped him.

Issei's wills began crumbling as he squirmed beneath the god using all his might to try and get away from Ares. It was useless then began the barrage, Ares slamming his foot again and again. With every slam, Ares insulted him,

"Scum" slam

"Weak" slam

"Pathetic" slam

Issei's armour absorbed some of the damage but Issei could feel his body screaming and his bones shaking as they threatened to snap. Yet he was silent much to Ares annoyance but this was the sad truth about mortality, Issei Hyoudou was experiencing a universal fear, a fear of death.

His silence only egged Ares on more as he began stomping harder.

"Let me hear you scream!"

"Let me taste your fear!"

[DAMMIT ISSEI GET IT TO TOGETHER!] Ddraig roared trying to snap his partner out of his fear-induced state. Issei's right hand dug into the ground attempting to claw his way out from Ares grip, an unconscious instinctual action, a desperate automatic move to preserve his life.

Ares while using one foot to keep Issei pinned used his dominant right foot to slam down on Issei's wrist and finally Issei's wall broke. A harrowing scream echoed through the clearing as Issei's armour finally cracked and his wrist snapped. Blood began seeping through the pores of his armour and soaking the ground beneath him.

The scream shocked Artemis and her hunters and the goddess was immediately thrown out of her thoughts. She reached for her bow out of instinct but then again doubt it was the right thing to do but sometimes the price of doing the right thing is high. Artemis hesitated.

Ares let loose a bloodthirsty laugh before stomping rapidly and this time Issei's armour cracked. Sharp snaps followed as Issei's bones broke unable to withstand the force, Issei screamed as he felt his body contort and crack. His armour unable to contain the blood seeping from his internal injuries gave way like a dam as his blood soaked the ground beneath him.

Artemis face was locked in a tense expression as her and her huntresses watched what was essentially the torturing of the wielder of the boosted gear. He had attained balance breaker and that was an achievement but Artemis came to the conclusion he lacked combat experience. Artemis had enough and she drew her bow and notched an arrow but before she was about to channel her power into it.

A blinding yellow light flashed onto the clearing and Ares and Artemis glanced up. Huntresses all took a step back in fear. There was Gabriel with her 12 angel wings shining holy light onto the clearing while also blocking out the sun. The angels usually sweet and smiling face is replaced with a stone-faced grim expression of anger. Behind her were hundreds if not dozens of light spears pointing at the clearing. Even Ares froze at the prospect of so many light spears.

Then suddenly the ground began freezing as if the cold fury of hell itself was manifesting. Everyone turned to the source to find Serafall her eyes poised with fury and anger while Behemoth stood behind her the cracking of his knuckles echoed through everyone's ears.

"Truce?" Gabriel spoke calmly

"Truce" Serafall nodded her agreement as both women stared at the god of war fury evident.

"Behemoth…" Serafall calmly ordered her only peerage member who didn't respond but acted

"YOU DARE PICK A FIGHT WITH US? GABRIEL AND SERAFALL?" Ares roared challenging his hot-headedness coming to the forefront

"You foo…" Artemis was about to reprimand the god of war for taunting two high ranking faction members but was stopped dead in her tracks when Ares was lifted off the ground by the 8 foot Behemoth.

Ares immediately attempted to kick and punch the behemoth who seemed unfazed before he threw the god of war like a ragdoll sending him through several dozen rows of trees. Only for him to be bombarded by dozens of light spears. The god of war barely surviving stood with golden ichor leaking through several cuts in his armour.

"Artemis, get him out of here… this is the only time WE will extend mercy…." Serafall threatened as she walked closer to Issei's still form with Gabriel landing beside her. Artemis clenched her fist in anger at her brother's stupidity but leapt at the chance to avoid the ire of two factions.

"We apologize for our actions, Lady Serafall and Gabriel. I shall relay to lord Zeus that the Red Dragon Emperor is under your protection." Artemis apologized politely with a light bow before she ordered her huntresses to leave and to take her shocked brother.

Serafall and Gabriel spent no time flipping Issei over. Concern evident over their faces.

"Ise?" Gabriel called his name

"Issei can you hear me?" Serafall asked as well

His eyes flickered open and shut, his vision blurry but he could make them out.

"S-Serafal-l G-aabri-eel" he managed to croak their voices before coughing some blood and falling into the realm of unconsciousness while Gabriel and Serafall screamed his name.

Issei was in his mindscape sitting and his head hung in shame. Ddraig was behind him silent, the dragon's emerald eyes watching his partner carefully.

"I am weak Ddraig… even after killing him I'm still weak…" Issei spoke to his dragon partner

"You have only sparred Issei its different to real combat. You faltered in experience something which you can only gain with time dear partner. You were overwhelmed there was only so much you could do" the dragon comforted, Issei titled his head down and stared at his body

"Am I dead Ddraig? I could feel it… the coldness... the fear… the loneliness… "Issei asked the dragon calmly with resignation accepting the fate he died. Issei expected a response from the dragon but was surprised when he felt a pair of warm soft arms wrap around him.

He froze in surprise pausing for a few moments before a soft laugh filled his ears.

"So much potential in this one Ddraig it's unfortunate I could not meet him earlier…" Issei glanced up to see a beautiful blonde woman with green eyes, she reminded him of Gabriel.

"Elsha, it's a pleasure to finally meet you Issei Hyoudou…"

This chapter took a lot longer than I would have liked it to but here we are. It was a pain to try and get the power ratings correct. I also wanted to represent Ares in a different way a lot of people represent him as a weak god and he is basically all talk. I really disliked that representation sure he maybe all brawns and one of the least liked Greek gods but he is still a god and a god of war.

Also Issei has only had spars and not much combat experience and that was what Ddraig and Artemis were hinting at and the reasons for this is he was a closely guarded church secret so while he may have balance breaker he doesn't have much fighting experience which Ares and Artemis outclassed him in. I am going to move on to focus on more Serafall x Issei in the next few chapters because we need some romance and plus I do want to explore the couple and character develop Isssei some more. Anyway please leave me your thoughts and until next time!