The sounds of battle were all around Clarisse as Luke and Percy finished off the last automaton.
"See here's the thing Bellona, you can't only bring 200 robots to kill the best fighters in the universe. It doesn't work that way." As Clarisse readied her spear she heard a voice shouting behind her.
"Kick her ass babe." Percy had made a bench for Luke and himself out the parts of the automatons.
"Yeah Clarisse, take her out!" Luke yelled. Chuckling to herself, Clarisse allowed Bellona to rise.
"Fine demigod we will fight spear on spear." Bellona charged. Clarisse exhaled and sidestepped before she could be run through. Batting away the tip, Clarisse thrusted her spear narrowly missing the goddesses head. Using the butt of her spear Bellona swung at her opponents head but found nothing. Clarisse had ducked stabbing her spear into the ground; she used it as a lever to kick the goddess in the chest.
"I taught her that." Percy beamed. Luke simply rolled his eyes.
"Just watch the fight" He replied.
Going back and forth Clarisse was a machine, dodge, roll, stab, swipe, block. Bellona was beginning to tire and it was apparent her strikes were wilder, unfocused and less precise. After blocking another strike Clarisse punched Bellona with enough force to knock her helmet off. Bellona's eyes seethed with rage as she charged Clarisse grit her teeth and put her spear up as Bellona brought her spear down. The ground cracked under the force of the blow. Locked against one another and face to face, Clarisse began to push the goddess back step by step slowly gaining the upper hand. Bellona began to glow an angry shade of red and pushed her back.
"ENOUGH!" Bellona yelled as she swung her spear in a wide arc, the force strong enough to bring down every tree in a 2 mile radius. The wind picked up as Bellona was engulfed in a fiery wreath of light.
"No way." Luke whispered, Percy could only gaze thoughtfully at his girlfriend.
"I thought only Olympians had true forms." Clarisse said.
"Foolish demigod! I am conquest. I am Battle. I. AM. ROME." The goddess bellowed and sped forward at supernatural speeds catching Clarisse full in the face with her shield.
"Shield? When the hell did she get a shield." She thought as she was launched backwards from the force of the blow. Twisting in the air and landing on her feet Clarisse brought Longinus up just in time to stop a gladius down swing.
"Now a sword….she didn't have one before. She could just be materializing them but they've all had the strength of a symbol of power otherwise-." The light died down revealing her adversary. Standing a foot taller was Bellona in a Blood red Praetors armor set with SPQR emblazoned upon the chest. As they fought for the upper hand Clarisse was astonished at the change not only in power but in demeanor. She was brought out of her trance by a fist slamming full into her face sending her through several trees.
" I think I get it now." Percy said aloud
" Please share because I want to know how she keeps pulling weapons strong enough not to shatter on Clarisse's spear upon contact." Luke asked. As she laid dazed beneath the final tree Clarisse could see the goddess approach.
"Armis Roma. The armory of Rome. This is my power. I told you demigod I am Rome and as its goddess of battle all the weapons that helped shaped it from the Gladius of Cesar to the shield of Germanicus are mine to use, to materialize in defense of my country." Bellona said.
"So you're telling me that she can materialize artifacts of Rome?" Luke asked
"Yeah, those weapons were a tip-off Germanicus's shield and Cesar's Gladius. No wonder they could take hits from Longinus. Finally one of them got a bit inventive." Percy replied.
"So you can Materialize ancient weapons fueled by the power of the greatest mortal empire to ever exist." Clarisse said as she rose slowly. Wincing from the pain in her jaw.
"You see how outmatched you are now mortal?" an entirely Golden spear materialized in the hands of the goddess. " This is the spear of Romulus first of Rome, this is where you die mortal, if you have any last words speak them."
"More of a question really, If you could do this from the beginning." Clarisse's eyes dilated as her head fell into a slight tilt. "Why didn't you?" A wave of pure power spread forth flattening the landscape and knocking Bellona back.
"Longinus, execute explosion order access code: War Princess." Clarisse said
"Order confirmed. Explosion measures active. Welcome War Princess." The spear replied. Bellona rose steadily staring at the demigod in rage but was confused by what she saw. From the spear a black metal like substance covered her opponents full body as it finished it began to steam. When the steam died down, Clarisse approached. Readying herself Bellona stood her ground as Clarisse walked towards then she blinked and only out of pure instinct did Bellon raise her shield in time to barely take the force of the thrust but then, heat and pain and force as she was pushed back. Bellona looked down at her shield arm, the shield was gone nothing but straps but that should have been impossible.
"You were kind enough to tell me all about your ability so here is mine: The lance of Longinus named after the spear that pierced the body of Christ in Christian manuscripts. It kills the divine so I thought aye why not. You've seen it explode but it also has poison and concussive blast capabilities but I don't need those, not now, not against you." The you dripped with venom and condescension. "Get up goddess. Die on your feet." Bellona bellowed in rage and somersaulted back to her feet.
"You dare!"
"Yes I do." Clarisse responded as she readied herself. Bellona and Clarisse circled one another. Neither in a rush to make the first move. Bellona broke first. Stabbing experimentally at the warrior she found her strike smacked to the side as Clarisse responded with a thrust of her own Bellona narrowly dodged by moving her head to the side. Clarisse smiled and Bellona barely had enough time to raise her hands to stifle the explosion. As she was knocked back she stayed on her feet. Clarisse simply nodded and charged forward, Bellona simply exhaled and met her charge head on, sword in one hand spear in the other. Clarisse swiped at the goddess pushing her back and forcing her on the defensive as the fight continued. Meeting the thrust of Clarisse her sword pain swallowed the sword hand of Bellona as an explosion left the sword broken and he hand leaking Ichor. Grunting and materializing a second spear the goddess rushed forward. Bellona was slowing down; her strikes were less powerful and easier to read. Clarisse was ferocious, swatting both spears aside and finding her mark. Pointing Longinus right in the chest of the goddess before unleashing a violent explosion that sent her flying until she landed with a thud right in front of Percy and Luke.
"You should get up." Luke said with crossed arms
"Seriously if you think she'll stop just because you're over here you are in for a beating." Percy added. Breathing heavily Bellona rose.
"Excellent, that's right goddess give me a fight." Clarisse said as she charged the battle goddess once again. After another exchange Bellona was sure she had to kill this girl here and now. With the last of her power she blasted Clarisse back.
"Mortal. This is my final attack and you will not survive." Shimmering into existence was a spear with a glowing red tip and silver handle. "The forbear to Rome was Troy. And this is the spear of the last Trojan hero. This is the spear of Hector." she said. Clarisse could feel the hatred rolling off the weapon.
"The anger of generations of Trojans of Romans. Every Roman who ever died with anger any descendant of Troy who died with hatred in their heart power this weapon." The spear glowed red as the goddess prepared to throw. Clarisse was unfazed and with all her strength leapt into the sky.
"Longinus! Execute Gungnir order."
"Order recognized Gungnir activated."
The spear glowed an ethereal blue as the warrior prepared to throw. Both warriors threw. The clash was deafening fiery red clashing with bright ghostly blue. Slowly the Spear of Hector began to disintegrate Longinus blasting through and catching the goddess square in the chest. As the blue light died down. Clarisse approached the fallen Goddess.
"Gungnir. Named after the spear of the norse God Odin. It never misses and neither do I."
Bellona spat up Ichor as Clarisse removed the spear from the chest of her foe.
"Well fought warrior. You bested me with the best of your ability. I salute you." Bellona said.
The body of the goddess turn to dust and spread in the wind.
"Don't flatter yourself. That wasn't my best." Clarisse answered. Turning on her heel Clarisse look at her companions and cocked her head and immediately dropped to a knee.
"I see so fighting a true form goddess without entering our true form can be…...taxing." Clarisse said.
"You were magnificent as always War princess." Percy said as he lifted her onto his back.
"Let's get you some primal ambrosia."
"With chocolate?"
"Of course, anything for my God killer."