Disclaimer: I do not own Campione or any of its characters. I only own my OC's
Chapter 31
Chizue wasn't too surprised about the fact that she had regained consciousness in a hospital, quickly realising where she was when the first thing she saw was a white ceiling above her and the distinct smell of disinfectant reached her nose. The dirty blonde woman's body ached something fierce as she tried to move, still paying the price for her reckless use of magic, and her frankly suicidal confrontation against Hideyoshi/Heracles. Not that she would allow such a trifle to keep her down, rising from the hospital bed, fueled by nothing but sheer willpower-
Only to be pushed down all of the sudden, as Chizue had failed to take notice of the other occupant in the room.
"I thought I raised you to be better than this. But I guess stubbornness runs in the family after all."
The young woman immediately recognised that voice, having heard it for the vast majority of her life since her adoption. "Mom?"
The former Hime-Miko looked up at her caretaker, her aunt turned adoptive mother: Tetsu Shimizu. She was tall, especially for a woman of Japanese descent, being quite a bit taller than most men that Chizue knew. Her ash blonde hair was cut short, not going further down than past her chin, leaving her souvenir from the oldest Campione fully at display. Where her left eye should have been was covered up by a black eyepatch, with some of the scar tissue from the wound peaking out towards her temple. It was only one of many wounds that remained from that confrontation, but it was with little doubt the most striking and visible, the rest easy to hide beneath clothes. Had the elder Shimizu decided to do such a thing.
Instead they were on full display, as if she was flaunting the wounds she had acquired like badges of honor, displaying her toned and sculpted stomach and arms in the process. Considering that each and everyone of those old wounds were visible proof that she had put up a fight against the oldest god slayer currently alive, could one understand why the woman might feel confidence in showing off her old battle scars.
Before the younger of the two blondes could say anything else, was she lifted back up as if the older woman hadn't pushed her down just moments prior. All with the ease of an adult lifting up a small child, reminding Chizue that even if her guardian was by technicality retired, did she still put in more work at the gym than her.
"I got here as soon as they called me." The matriarch of the Shimizu household immediately informed her daughter as she brought her in for a hug. And as her mother's firm arms encircled Chizue, couldn't she help but be a bit embarrassed by how safe and secure she felt as the hug enveloped her. As if nothing outside of this small space could possibly harm her, and everything would be fine.
But not everything would be fine…
She had failed to bring any semblance of Hideyoshi up to the surface, all that seemingly remained was Heracles as far as she could tell. A fact that made her angry, not only at the now at large Heretic god, but mostly at herself for not having been able to do anything, even at her very best. Even when she had gone past her own capabilities, was she still not enough. And knowing that was crushing her inside.
No matter what her mother did, would that not change, it was a fact that would remain indefinitely. That she had failed. That she had lost Hideyoshi. That no matter how strong she was, wasn't it enough in the end. She was still weak.
Unbeknownst to either member of the Shimizu household, reacted something with those emotions. A small, unnoticed spark of electricity danced momentarily on the top of the younger female's pointer finger.
…
Athena couldn't help but question herself why she was doing this as she managed to slip out from her half-brother's range, barely having managed to survive the clash that had taken place moments prior. There was no reason for her to go to these lengths, much less in helping out her former enemies in any way. They had been the reason why she had lost her former powers once more, back when she teamed up with them to take down Typhon. And she had paid the price, her godly powers having been burned up in the god-killing flames of the Father of Monsters, leaving her a mere shadow to her former powers as a Divine Ancestor-
Heracles was in quick pursuit, immediately closing the distance that she had created, Ayamari and Yagarish poised to strike once more. The goddess of Wisdom parried the lightning-covered club as it swung towards her head, her scythe barely diverting its path even the slightest as she was pushed back quite the distance by even that brief contact. She was barely given any time to avoid the second club as it appeared before, having momentarily turned into wind as the Grecian hero threw it, and as such barely managed to duck underneath its path.
-Had she just turned her back on them back then everything would have gone her way, once she attained her full power could she have possibly fought against the Monsters' Progenitor and come out with her godly status intact. Although, that was an option that only came about from hindsight, and she still doubted that she could have taken Typhon down by herself if she had been given the choice to run back then-
Her brother kept up the pressure, going after her as his last attack missed. Electricity enveloped the club that remained in his hands, before it shot off towards her like a bolt of lightning. Athena still kept up with this relentless assault, her scythe managing to divert the streak of lightning before it could reach her. The redirected discharge struck the returning Yagarish as it flew towards her from behind, dispersing it back into wind before it could strike her.
Acknowledging that standing still would only leave her open to Heracles' continued assault, she rushed towards him herself. Quickly closing the distance, she swung her scythe towards him in a flurry of slashes. A barrage that her opponent met head on, deflecting attack after attack with his one remaining club. While those that struck his arms merely slid off without finding any purchase, as effective as a butter knife against concrete in drawing blood from the Protector of Humanity.
The wind motived club reappeared in his free hand, with winds and lightning immediately erupting out in response to Athena's failed attempt at wounding him. The goddess of Wisdom immediately retreated back at seeing the elements explode out from the brown haired god, his body momentarily wreathed in a sphere of wind and electricity before it quickly dispersed, having seemingly been nothing more than a momentary display of the power Heracles had usurped.
"I don't want to fight you, sister. But you give me little choice if you continue to stand in my way." the weapons he was wielding lowered, his stance becoming casual as he opened up the conversation. "So how about you lay down your weapon, so that I may continue with my obligation."
Athena almost wanted to go along with his wishes, her scythe lowering in the process. "I might not have been the greatest of rulers or siblings, but these last few days I came to know a life without burdens, to feel true kindness from someone else!." Only to be raised back up just as fast, determination clear in her slitted gaze as she unwaveringly starred down her brother. "And I would be throwing all of his compassion in the dirt if I didn't at least try to fight here and now!"
With speed not shown by the scarred goddess previously, she shot straight towards the god of Strength, her scythe hooking across his torso as she moved past him.
Heracles wasn't worried, taken aback, but not the least bit worried. Her blade had shown itself incapable of leaving a mark on him with how Body of Unmatched Strength had grown in his clash against that Campione previously.
Blood erupted from his chest as the blade managed to make its way through his skin, leaving a long gash that seeped blood across his entire midsection. But there was no pain, and the wound closed mere moments after it had been made. Once again showing how far the Authority embodying his physical might had come, leaving nothing but the blood that had made its way out as the only trace of the damage Athena had caused.
"All you can hope for is to stall me, and yet you continue to fight."
The goddess of Wisdom had managed to put some distance between them, magic pushing her body away from her adversary. Her scythe blade, which had momentarily taken on the color of the darkest night, quickly reverted back to normal. That wasn't the only thing that reverted, as for a brief moment flickered the adult form of Athena away, leaving the younger form exposed for everyone to see. Just as quickly reverted her visage back to her adult guise.
"And it would seem you can't even do that for much longer."
She hated that he was speaking the truth at that moment. Her body had been filled to the brim with divine magic, allowing her to gain a flawed version of her true powers back. However, she was quickly burning through the magic that she had drained from the book, and calling upon her powers in any capacity just sped up that process. Much like how an hourglass counted down time in sand, was her own body counting down to when she would turn back as the magic disappeared from her.
"Tell me, why are you going this far to protect our mortal enemies? There is no glory or reward at the end of your current path, all that awaits you will be death."
"You seem to have turned deaf, brother. I am fighting you fully aware of the consequences that might befall me. Which I am ready to accept without hesitation."
…
Godou couldn't tell what was going on around him, barely conscious ever since he had been struck by the usurped clubs of Melqart. Images and sound reached his senses, but none of it registered inside his head. Forming nothing more than blurry, incoherent soup that he couldn't make heads or tails of.
Even the voice of Verethragna, which had been incredibly audible alongside his thoughts, was now quiet and hard to make out. Almost as if it was growing quieter and quieter. Until he was no longer sure that he could hear the Persian god of Victory's voice at all. It got eerily silent, as the voice of the deity he had slain was the only noise that his brain could process even the slightest, not enough that the Japanese teen could understand what was being said. Just the fact that he knew that there was someone there felt enough.
Now, everything sounded so distant and unclear, as if his head was submerged beneath water. He recognised that there was… noise around him, but whether it were voices or the surrounding ambiance he couldn't tell. It was unclear to him, everything sounding murky and distant, unintelligible for his brain to properly process. Ultimately was it nothing more than white noise going through his head, his mind barely holding itself together as he tethered on the line between life and oblivion.
At any moment could his spirit tip in either direction, not leaning towards one over the other at the moment. But that could quickly change at a moment's notice, his natural resilience and recovery ability as a Campione working overtime at healing what it could as quickly as possible. The only thing it had to heal was what he had experienced towards the end of his clash with Heracles, together with his currently missing arm. Majority of the damage that he had suffered during his confrontation with the god of Strength had recovered while he fought, the Camel having kept his body together without ever stopping once.
Which in of itself was part of the problem. Even with the Bull acting as a generator, was there a limit to what one so inexperienced could effectively handle, especially in the utilization of an Authority that had limitations built into it. However, with those limitations lifted by Verethragna's support and the Bull's unending rise in power, he experienced a fully unleashed version of his Authority for the first time, a version that he wasn't ready to use. Especially considering that he had yet to fully make the Persian Warlord his own.
9 of the 10 forms had become his to use as he wished. All that remained was the Youth, the form the Persian god of Victory had taken when he showed himself to Godou for the first time and led him down the path of a King. And yet had he pulled out more power from the Authority, and was as a result fully experiencing the feedback at this point.
His mind cleared, while his vision grew heavy with fog. Not the metaphorical fog that had obscured his thoughts and senses, rather actual fog, as all he could see was an endless expanse of nothing other than all shades of gray and a low hanging mist above and around him-
"I didn't think you would make your return so soon, Godou Kusanagi."
-all but the cave he had apparently appeared by, its presence an anomaly as far as the Japanese god slayer could tell. As equally an anomaly as the man it acted as prison for, feeling just as out of place as the structure that housed him.
"I hope you aren't here for a rematch, I fear I wouldn't be able to hold back if that were the case."
Godou knew that the dark skinned man said it in a jovial manner, like it was nothing more than a joke, but he still felt a chill run through his entire being. As if he had just laid eyes on a great beast he could not hope to fight. His memory of last time he was here was fuzzy, details and facts being just beyond his reach. His body remembered however, the fear that had been set into him as he stared down the mass of lightning as it was about to strike into him like a massive predator.
"How… how do you know my name?"
The white haired man actually looked a bit surprised by his question, his eyebrows raising ever so slightly upwards at his question. "Don't you know what this place is?"
"The Netherworld… right?" he answered, almost unsure of what importance that made.
"Yes, the Netherworld, the Boundary between Life and Immortality, and the housing of all the world's knowledge, be they the distant past or our here and now. Those like us have the privilege to freely partake in its abundance." The man moved closer to the cave's entrance, revealing his form fully as he exited the darkness that dwelled inside the cage. Godou couldn't help but feel that there was something new about the man's face as he saw him clearly. Even with his memory hazy from the last time he saw the man, could he tell that there was something somber about the way his golden eyes were looking at him. "However, this is something I have only had access to some time after your awakening to the status of a Campione. As the bindings that have kept me imprisoned have grown weak, allowing my nature to support me once more with your accomplishment. It has… allowed me to catch up so to speak… on a lot of things…"
"You are welcome… I guess?" The Japanese youth didn't really know what to say besides responding. Everything about the man and his imprisonment felt strange and out of place, as if it was something that shouldn't be here. And yet at the same time it felt like it belonged here, the thought of it being gone felt wrong.
"You have my thanks. Although, I fear that I might have inadvertently caused the situation that is currently plaguing you-"
"Wait, what!?"
"-So in repayment, shall I repay you in whatever manner I can to help. To make sure that you survive what is to come in your coming endeavor."
Before Godou had a chance to react further, parted the bars that stood between them as the only divider as the white haired man walked straight through them. The relatively thick and sturdy looking iron bars twisted unnaturally before snapping violently, but in a manner that ultimately only doubled the number of bars that were affected, at the cost of their length. The chains that kept him connected to the interior were already snapped off by the cuffs holding his wrists and ankles.
The dark skinned man's movements were fluid and precise, crossing the distance that remained before Godou had time to get a word out, placing his hands against the youngest god slayer's chest and temple.
"What are you doing?"
"Just using one of my Authorities to get a better understanding." the man explained matter of factly, his eyes shining with matching golden light as figures of a language Godou couldn't place. "I call upon the power of the gods whose weapons I have wielded. I have transcended above all other warriors, so let me call upon my powers once more. Techniques and tactics, weapons and armors, the divine powers, all have been mine to wield. Allow me to glean the secrets that dwell within."
…
The goddess of Wisdom didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. She was barely able to keep up at this point, her powers quickly diminishing as she did her best to keep her determined brother occupied for as long as possible. Something that was easier said than done with how relentless he was in his continued assault, never once giving her a chance to recover or retreat, immediately in pursuit wherever she tried to move.
His patience had run dry, and was now aiming to get her out of his way by force. Each of his swings with the weapons he had usurped caused the winds to kick up violently, some managing to send her flying even as she avoided the strike itself. It was being on the receiving end of those attacks that had left her tired and aching, her arms could barely hold her scythe with how her arms were shaking, her weapon having turned heavy and cumbersome to wield in her grip.
Athena pushed through, barely managing to avoid Heracles next attack as she hastily backpedaled to put some distance between them. Leaving another crator to be formed in the meantime, causing her to lose some height as she was caught in the indentation that formed by the raw force of the attack.
The goddess of Wisdom didn't even attempt to counterattack, having stopped making any effort in trying to wound the Champion of Humanity, as they were ultimately worthless. His skin was harder than adamantine, and all damage he suffered healed within moments of their infliction. Tiring him out wasn't an option, as the greatest hero of Greece could run without end for however long he wished. All she could do was keep him distracted, to keep him occupied for as long as possible.
But with the Sun having moved beneath the horizon at this point, felt the former goddess of Death that her resolve had begun to waver ever so slightly. Athena was still steadfast in her decision to stand in Heracles' way, to fight for Hideyoshi sake, so that he wouldn't continue to hurt those that he cared about. Even if the one before her was no longer the boy she had come to know. The boy that she had seen be utterly terrified of disappearing without warning. That had clung to the slimmest hope that there was anything out there that could save him.
And to see his fears realised standing before her, being forced to take a form that no longer bore any resemblance to the kid that had welcomed her and Diomedes into his house without much fuss. Not caring that they had been enemies just days prior. It was kindness she hadn't received in a long time, because why would anything she had been given be because of kindness. No, when people offered to her it was in hope of having their prayers answered. To gain her favor in upcoming conflicts. To have their walls stand tall in the face of opposition. There was always an agenda.
But with Hideyoshi, there had been no expectations of her paying him back in any way. Which is why she fought here and now, to repay him for everything he had given her, and as an apology for not being able to help him when he needed it the most.
Because even if it killed her, she felt that it wouldn't be enough.
"I don't want to kill you sister, but you are beginning to force my hand."
"Is that compassion I hear brother? I thought you didn't give that to our kind with all your talk about humanity." She knew fully well that she was taunting him, but she wanted to keep him talking, as he gave her some respite to regain some of her strength. Even if it wouldn't be for long.
"Who are you to talk about giving out compassion? Why have you been fighting me exactly, to save that Campione on death's door? This isn't like you at all, former Queen of the gods!"
Athena almost flinched at the way Heracles roared out her former standing, anger starting to make its way onto his visage.
"What happened to the cold and indifferent goddess that followed father because it was convenient? The one that was such a headache because of their constant planning to usurp and regain your throne, that divine inspiration struck the mortals with how you came into the pantheon. What changed? What is it that makes you willing to fight me to the death?"
The goddess of Wisdom fought about it for a moment, recognising that the one he was talking about was herself. And yet, at the same time felt it like he was talking about a stranger.
Rain started falling from the sky, a light drizzle that quickly turned into a rapid downpour. The water felt oddly refreshing to the Earth goddess as they ran down her pale skin and through her hair. The orange skies had suddenly grown overcast with dark clouds, blocking out the darkening sky. Plunging the city into an early night-
Athena smiled, an honest smile lacking falseness. "You. You are the reason Hideyoshi."
-a starless night.
…
Godou couldn't really describe what happened once the man had finished speaking. One moment they were standing still in the endless expanse of the Netherworld, and in the next… he had felt what he could only describe as magic flowing through him.
However, the amount of magic that entered his body was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His magic resistant exterior from being a Campione was overwhelmed mere moments after the flow started, and it only kept up relentlessly. It was like a whole ocean of nothing but magical power trying to rapidly flow through a small stream, the high pressure keeping the pace high while also spilling over.
And as he was swallowed up by the magic, he found himself no longer in the Netherworld. Beneath him was golden sand that stretched out all around him in an expansive desert, the sky mostly free from clouds as the sun beat down relentlessly from its perch in the middle of the sky. And yet was it not too hot, a pleasant breeze blowing across the desolate sand. But it wasn't devoid of life, as Godou could swear he could make out animals in the distance. And encircling the horizon, was what could only be a storm brewing.
"So this is what is up with your Authorities"
The Japanese King spun around, his eyes landing on the other occupant in this otherworldly space. This was the first time the dark haired youth actually got a good look at the prisoner, no longer obscured by darkness or distorted by the gray mists of the Boundary between Life and Immortality. Additionally, were the cuffs around his wrists and ankles missing, as well as the flower tattoos that had adorned his left arm. The snake tattoo was still encircling his right arm, running down the entire length of the appendage. His golden eyes were scanning his new surroundings, taking everything in while they were still filled with light and symbols.
"Verethragna's Persian Warlord and Melqart's King's Name, both quite strong Authorities that come at a cost, or it should be. Something isn't quite right."
"...What is this place?" He couldn't help but take his surroundings in with wonder. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and yet it all felt so familiar. Like a wave of nostalgia was coming over him no matter where he turned to look. As if it was something he had seen already at some point, and yet could he confidently say that he had never seen this place or anything like it before.
"The inner world of Kings, a internal domain that borders the Netherworld and the living world. Something that all god slayers possess, but few even know exists. And even fewer know how to access this space, often taking a near death experience to just get a glimpse of." The man paused momentarily, taking a look around himself as well. "Although, you are guaranteed to see it on your last journey to the Netherworld."
That explanation felt like it both answered his question, and left him with a lot more questions at the same time. Although none was demanding to be answered at this very moment, as another question had appeared in his mind after fully taking in everything the man had said.
"King's Name? I don't remember that being the Authority gifted me." Confusion clear on Godou's face as he turned his attention fully towards the individual responsible for taking them here.
"Well, what Authority do you believe you have been carrying inside yourself all this time then?" The white haired man asked in response, his golden eyes turning skywards as the formerly cloudless sky quickly grew heavy with dark clouds.
"Lord of Flies"
The gold orbs turned away from the skies, focusing in on the god slayer who this world belonged to. "And how do you know that?"
"With help from a friend… another Campione" Godou wasn't sure why he hesitated there momentarily, or why he felt like omitting Dante's name in this conversation.
"And how knowledgeable would you say this friend of yours is?"
The Japanese King's brow furrowed, getting the feeling that he was indirectly insulting Dante's method of helping him, especially when he knew it worked last time. "Enough to help me at the very least."
"Even when you got Melqart's power?"
"No… he had to leave for some urgent business before he helped me through it. But I felt more than capable of doing it on my own-"
His world suddenly turned upside down momentarily, before just as momentarily returning to upright, and ultimately stared he up towards the clear sky as he landed on his back. The dark skinned man having tossed him like a rag through the air with minimal effort. But even if he had done a full rotation before landing on his back, didn't it hurt from the impact, feeling as if he had landed on a cloud.
"And yet is there more for you to use, as I managed to activate one of your dormant Authorities when we got here. Tell me how much, or little in this case, have you actually used Melqart's Authority?"
Almost sheepishly raised Godou one of his hands, no more than four digits revealed as he wordlessly told how minimal he had made use of the gift his second accomplishment as a god slayer had granted him.
The man didn't make it known if he was disappointed from getting that information, just being silent and his expression unchanging. "Well, seeing as underutilization seems to be the root cause of this dilemma, shouldn't it be too hard for me to fix."
Immediately felt Godou how the air changed around the white haired man, his body tensing at the sudden shift. As magic erupted out from him violently, as if a explosion of magical force had gone off, with the man as the epicenter.
"I shall create a path through the seven gates of fate, for that is the duty I have been given. No matter what may happen to me, shall I undo all that keeps me here. Fate shall be rewritten, that all for the sake of the world."
A brilliant flash of prismatic light filled his vision, blinding tones of the rainbow being all that he could see for a moment as the man, or at least something close to him lit up like the Sun.
As the burst of light dimmed and Godou regained his vision, took he immediate note of the weapon that now rested in the man's hands. What he recognised to be a double edged sword, it however seemed to be lacking a crossguard as far as he could tell. What was most eye-catching however was what appeared to be embedded along the blade's length. Seven jewels were placed inside small indentations going straight through the sword. Each one in a color of the rainbow from violet by the handle, all the way up to red closest to the point. Each gemstone still shone brilliant enough that the Japanese King could tell that they shone, even in this bright world.
The sword raised above the man's head, preparing to be swung as it followed his movements. "I give you until dawn breaks the next day. After that you will have to train to get these powers back."
Godou couldn't tell if the sword had actually been swung after the man said that, as far as he could tell, had the sword simply teleported into the ground. But barely a moment later, he felt that something was happening. But more importantly, could he see and hear it.
The calm breeze that had swept past suddenly grew in power, becoming the roaring winds of a storm. Massive storm clouds quickly formed in the once tranquil sky, bringing with it the violent rumbling of thunder and constant flashes of lightning. Only for it to be drowned out by the sudden downpour that came down from those very clouds, covering his inner world in a mighty monsoon. Godou could feel each and every one of those powers roaring to life inside of him, within his very being, like their sudden awakening had filled them with boundless energy.
"It is about time you made it out of here." The man's eyes began to lose their shine, similarly to how two of the gems in his blade had lost their luster after his swing, as both the red and orange jewels nearest the tip now lacked their shine from before. "I expect you to make these powers your own in the future, I want something of a challenge from you at some point."
Before Godou had a chance to respond, had the sword already passed through him, the man wielding it having suddenly appeared in front of him, sword at the end of its swing. And just like the gemstones before it, faded the shine inside the yellow stone. And with its light disappearing, did Godou the same. Leaving not only his internal world, but the Netherworld as well. Shunting the man back to his prison cell of rock and metal bars as he returned to the Boundary between Life and Immortality.
"Now, show those gods the might of us Rakshasa Raja."
…
The former Queen of the gods couldn't tell what had happened once the rain started to pour down from the skies, all Athena knew was that she felt power coursing through her unabated, slowly but surely rising higher and higher for each second that passed. Her once dwindling magic had returned full force, and with it came even more power, like a river about to overflow during the rainy season.
Her mind no longer needed to focus on maintaining and distributing her meager reserve of magical power, allowing her to focus entirely on fighting her brother. Without any need to worry about her powers running dry.
The blade of her scythe turned black as the darkest night, nothing more than pure darkness as all light that hit it disappeared. The curved blade became a blur as Athena went on the offensive, finally done with being constantly on the defensive now that she had something that could wound the Greecian hero.
However, the god of Strength could keep up with his goddess of War sister, his two clubs allowing him to easily bat away Athena's polearm while simultaneously making use of her weakened guard. To his surprise, could she keep up with his counterattack in kind, making use of her weapon's pole portion to block his swings. A stalemate where neither of them gained any ground, while both of them recognised that their opponent hadn't gotten fully serious.
All while this was happening, could Athena practically feel as the scar tissue of the burns left by Typhon's god slaying flames was slowly but surely healing. The ruined, red-ish skin tissue being broken up and replaced by pale unmarred skin. And with the burns disappearing, felt the goddess of War as her divinity was just as slowly returning to her. Not only as her identity of Athena, but those of Medusa as well, as well as those of her identity as Queen of the gods-
Her scythe moved to block one of his many attacks, only to immediately lift up from the ground as Yagarish unleashed a sudden storm from itself, the combination of force and strong updraft sending her flying. The great hero was quick at following up his attack, effortlessly jumping after her, the force destroying the nearby surroundings as he quickly reached and surpassed mach speed. Ayamari sparked to life once more, taking advantage of the situation its brother had left for it…
Only for the Protector of Humanity to notice that the arm wielding the club refused to move.
The male god looked over at his unresponding arm, only to immediately notice that it was entirely encased in stone. Healthy, sunkissed skin replaced with rough, gray rock.
"To see you have regained the power of your eyes, sister."
Heracles' arm of rock started to crack, a network of lines quickly running along the length of his transmuted arm. Only to return to normal moments later, as the god of Strength seemingly flexed his arm back to normal. Something Athena had expected, having not for a moment thought that her power would be anything more than a momentary hindrance, having instead taken the opportunity to put some distance between herself and her brother.
Something which the club wielding god responded to by throwing the lightning coated weapon towards her, becoming a pillar of electricity as it left his hand. It was too fast for her to react, an explosion of sound passing her moments later the first indication that it had already passed, followed by a rumble of thunder that was heard across all of Tokyo. The third was the sudden searing pain that flared up along her side, followed by the right side of her body growing fully numb.
"But against the very forces that already bested you once before, won't they be more than a momentary hindrance."
She knew that there was truth to those words, having lost her powers when she was her strongest. Back when her eyes were the bringers of an immediate death upon anything that entered her vision. Even the gods were weary of her powers, unsure whether their Queen had the power to turn them into statues as well. However, they would all eventually come to realise that the power of her gaze wasn't nearly as effective against them as it was against mortals. Athena still had the power to turn them to stone, but it was far from permanent and doing so was incredibly draining.
The numbness quickly alleviated, the pouring rain washing away all the damage she was facing. Her side, which had a large chunk of it burned off, quickly stitched itself together as everything that were missing grew back and rearranged itself to its rightful place in mere moments.
Just in time to get out of the club's way on its return trip, barely managing to get out of its way as it flew back to Heracles' empty hand just as fast as it had left it. A second sonic boom echoing into the distance. Athena righted herself, just as comfortable moving and fighting in the air as she was on solid ground. Something she noticed couldn't be said about her opponent, as he quickly began descending as his upwards momentum petered out.
Only to suddenly stop as he reached a similar altitude to her own, standing just like her on nothing but air. A feat that perplexed Athena for the brief moment she had to think, before the dark haired deity once more went on the offensive towards her.
Mighty winds not too unlike those of a hurricane kicked up around him. All while lightning as if from a thunderstorm shot out in all directions. Up here in the air, Heracles truly looked like a god of Storms in this very moment. And his own attacks with the two usurped clubs matched that moniker, his every blow was strong and relentless, an uncountable number of blows raining as he never once let up his offensive. Giving Athena no room to go on her attack.
The former Queen of the gods had no choice but trying to keep up with his never ending assault, but quickly realised that doing so simply wasn't possible, as several attacks made it through her guard each moment that passed by. Each hit damaging her body so substantially that hadn't this mystical rain healed her continuously, was she sure that she would have most of her body missing by this point.
But it was healing her, making her stronger, getting rid of the scars that were left behind by the god of Deicide's dark flames. Every inch of disfigured tissue a seal on her powers, making it a wonder that she could fight with almost all of her powers despite their presence along her entire body in this rain. There was still something that was missing even with her powers mostly restored.
A particularly nasty blow bypassed her defence entirely, pulverizing half of her collarbone together with the connected shoulder and arm shattering from the shockwave that traveled through her. Sending her crashing to the ground like a shooting star moments later, the resulting impact bringing more destruction to their surroundings in the form of the crater her body formed. The area had already been utterly devastated by the clash between her brother and the Japanese Campione. But with Heracles continuing to bring out more and more power from his usurped Authority, was the surroundings unrecognisable from before.
Large chunks of the infrastructure had been uprooted by the mighty gales he had swung forth, while large scorch marks stretched vast distances across everything where lightning had struck. All while large craters had formed wherever his feet had made contact with the ground, spreading out in vast cracks that had shrunk and grown with each step he took as the ground shifted to his power.
Athena was quick to get back up from her most recent contribution to the devastation they had brought about, her shattered bones having already realigned and begun to grow back together just as she caved in the ground. While the fine powder that once was her collarbone had managed to set itself into its rightful place as the incredibly tiny shards that once was her skeleton did its best to reform into solid bone. Leaving her arm to hang limply by her side for the time being, simply having to wait for it to recover properly before she could use it once more.
A heavy impact shaking the ground nearby informed her that her brother was once more giving chase, having stopped keeping himself airborne in order to crash straight down. What dust would have been kicked up by the fall was dispersed by Yagarish's mighty winds before it had the chance of obscuring their vision in the slightest. Leaving Heracles to dash towards Athena without hindrance, propelled forward by the winds of his club.
His legs suddenly turned to stone in his charge, causing the Protector of Humanity to falter momentarily, only to return to normal moments later as his own power expelled whatever influence her eyes had on his body. All it had done was buy her a sliver of time.
Which was just enough for the last of her scars to properly heal up.
…
"Hahh… hahh… hahh…"
Her legs were burning, having not once stopped running since she started. Each breath she took felt like breathing in fire, her lungs screaming out in agony for every breath that did its best to supply her with enough oxygen. The falling rain did little to quell these flames, barely cooling her body as she tried to get home. Back where there was some semblance of safety, even if the back of her mind screamed at her that there was no such place, having already been proven how little protection the Kusanagi household would ultimately give her.
Shizuka did her best to ignore those voices, wishing that she could go back to living in ignorance. Back before she became privy to the existence of magic. Back when figures of inhuman power didn't force her into their affairs. Back when Hideyoshi was just a normal boy she had a crush on, and not one of these great beings.
The brown haired girl's steps faltered for a moment as she thought about the boy, almost sending her tumbling across the slick and wet asphalt as she just managed to catch herself. The reminder of what he had become sent her mind spinning once more.
There was no proof that supported her claim, being nothing more than a feeling she had gotten when her eyes had landed on the dark haired man's face. There were so many things pointing away from it being Hideyoshi. His hair not the same lovely short blonde that she was used to seeing. Instead being a very dark, borderline black, tone of brown, a veritable lion's mane in length and volume. And his skin told of countless hours underneath the sun, while her memories of Hideyoshi brought about images of a boy with at least sun kissed skin, was it nowhere near to the extent of Heracles' tanned body.
And yet, even with his features sharpened with age, could she still see traces of her blonde classmate in his face. Even as the eyes looking towards her had been the color of gold rather than blood, she recognised the kindness that had lied hidden beneath the surface. That had been more than enough for her to call out to him, to call out to Hidde, something which seemed to have gotten some reaction out of the otherwise stranger.
Sure, his reaction had primarily been one of confusion, but she could tell that it had turned into contemplation all of the sudden. Recognising the fact that she had an easy time understanding his thoughts' general direction simply by looking at his face. A combination of his face showing clear signs of his feelings, and because she was so used to reading his face already.
And then he proceeded to apologize to her, before he simply let her go and turned to go away on his own. As if him kidnapping her had been some kind of accidental happenstance, a shift so sudden she had trouble processing what had just happened due to the sudden whiplash. Before she had a chance to process it, was there another sudden change, as the one bearing Hideyoshi's face turned back towards her. Only this time, his gaze caused her blood to run cold.
Fear. So primal and all consuming had washed over Shizuka that she'd felt faint, compelled to run while her legs remained petrified in terror.
So, having quickly realised the situation she found herself in, the young girl did the only thing she could do at that moment: call for help. Shizuka didn't know why she called out for her brother in particular, unsure if it was done after subconsciously remembering the last time she called out to him and he arrived in response. Or because that, despite it all, knew Shizuka from the bottom of her heart that she could always trust him to keep her safe.
"Aah!"
Not being able to take the continued strain any longer, her legs failed to move all of the sudden, sending her crashing onto the wet street beneath her. The young girl did manage to catch herself as she was falling however, although rather awkwardly as the fall was way too sudden and she was very tired at the moment. Resulting in one of her wrists to turn violently at the angle, sending a shot of pain up her arm as it sprained in response to the pressure.
The young girl got slowly up from the ground, her already wet clothes now absolutely soaked through along the entire front. Her knees also throbbed in slight pain, having hit against the hard road when she caught herself from falling face first into it. But the worst would have to be her left wrist, agonizing pain throbbing from it each second, all while seeing it not respond to her attempts at moving it, however slight she tried in order to not agitate the pain any further. Quickly leading Shizuka to believe it might be broken.
Tears that she thought she had managed to stave off made their presence known as they threatened to spill forth. Burning behind her eyes as she did her best to hold them back once more, only to quickly realise that it was a losing battle. Feeling the moisture in her eyes about to spill over and run down freely, not that anyone would be able to tell in that case, her face already wet from the downpour. Her tears could have already started falling down her cheek, and no one would have been able to tell.
The young girl forced herself to start moving again, even as her legs screamed in protest from the exertion they had already been put through. Which combined with the pain pulsing from her knees should have kept her from moving, but instead forced the Japanese girl her legs to move once more despite their protests.
…
Everything hurt.
Pain that could only be compared to her divinity burning up in Typhon's black flames enveloped Athena's body. The reminding scars, which had for the briefest of moments completely healed, had quickly started spreading back across her body.
The rain that for those blissful minutes had soothed all her pains and healed all wounds, had turned into an excruciating attack that brought her to her knees. Each droplet of water brought great pain, like being stabbed by a knife. And wherever the rain rolled along her skin, it felt like it was burning her, eating away at her like a corrosive acid. Her powers, which she had burned through before the heaven's blessing supplied her with more magic, had disappeared with the rain turning on her.
"To think that god slayer manages to be a thorn in my side even at death's door."
The former goddess of Wisdom, forced to once more donn her guise of a child, could barely make out the words of her brother as the throbs of pain overwhelm all her other senses. But even through the excruciating agony, could she still tell where her brother was at all times-
"I should have realised earlier that it was one of Melqart's powers that allowed you to fight for so long, sister. But that shouldn't be an issue now, as I wrestled control over that power."
-Making it easy for her to know that he had moved to stand in front of her. She expected him to finish what he started, to make sure that she wouldn't be able to get in his way any more in the future. Whether that would be through incapacitation, or something more permanent, the former goddess didn't dare think about.
'I'm sorry, Hideyoshi. I just wish I had told you that I appreciated everything, that I actually started to think of you like a brother-'
The pain that plagued her senses suddenly abated, allowing her to feel as something was draped over her aching body, shielding her from the rain. It was warm and very large on her small frame, easily enveloping her in its comforting warmth as it kept the rain from getting to her.
Athena looked up, confusion clear in her one remaining eye as she met Heracles' golden gaze. The hero of Greece had gotten down to her crumpled height, kneeling in front of her, his larger body protecting the parts of her that were still exposed as he affixed the pelt that had been draped over his shoulders around her. The pelt of the Nemean Lion.
"What are you doing…?"
Her voice was weak, a clear sign of the level of exhaustion she had been pushed to in her battle against her fellow Greek deity. Heracles just smiled a little as he continued to cover her up with his prized pelt, pulling the open lion's head over her own like a hood.
"We might have been foes until recently, but you are still my sister. I don't want to expose you to the powers of this Authority more than necessary, but keeping it up will also deter you from continuing your attempts at stopping me."
He started to move, clearly to continue his pursuit of Godou and the others. She couldn't allow him to get away-
Pain shot through Athena's hand as she made the move to get ahold of him, exposing the appendage to the continued downpour. Her hand was quickly pushed back beneath the safety of the lion's pelt by her brother, his touch gentle as handled with her.
All the young looking being, neither a goddess nor Divine Ancestor, could do was look on as he walked away, surely to continue his eradication of all Campione. Tears of frustration welling up within her as she realised that she had utterly failed, clutching the comfy pelt closer to herself. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. All because it wasn't fair, wasn't fair that she had accomplished nothing and yet felt like she got so close.
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