Senior Citizen Me's Got HANDS!
Have you ever said something that's so out of the blue that it almost feels like the world itself stops to acknowledge your stupidity?
I'm talking, like, going out to eat and accidentally saying you too to your waiter when they tell you to enjoy your food. You can lie to me if you want, but you can't lie to yourself—you've felt their confused gaze on you, seen the faces of your friends as they struggle to hold in their laughter. Not a fun feeling.
Or, that awkward moment when you're all flustered because you missed a homework assignment and you accidentally call your teacher Mom.
Happened to me once in sixth grade, actually, with my math teacher. The whole class laughed. Nancy Bobofit called me mama's boy for a month after and talked exclusively in a baby voice whenever we interacted—usually when she was stealing Grover's lunch and I was telling her to eat a slug.
Though, I think, all things considered, I got lucky it happened before Ms. Dodds took over.
That mistake could've been deadly. Literally. Or, maybe, in some weird way, it would've made dealing with her easier. I could've taken pride in being the first and only demigod to get away with calling a Fury mommy.
Anyway, I think I took those beats or two of awkwardness to the next level with my weird request.
Actually, it's more like I skipped the next few levels and then escalated them all the way to the top, just like the elevator in the Empire State Building—straight to 600. No questions asked.
I'm pretty sure the whole multiverse froze when I finished asking Monaxiá to fight.
Monaxiá himself was unchanging and neutral, like a human-god-whatever who'd somehow been transformed into an ultra-realistic statue.
If you gave me some velvet rope and a few turnstiles, I'd whip up a presentation of him that could be featured in the Louvre.
The dripping noise somewhere off in the cavern stopped. The air felt heavy and still, and everything stopped moving like someone was watching everything happen on a flatscreen and hit pause to get up and grab more popcorn.
And, well, I get it.
We just got done having a heart-to-heart, trauma dumping, and just overall talking about our feelings in a way that would've made Sephy proud.
All those sessions just talking about my feelings paid off. I finally learned how to communicate in a healthy and meaningful way, and what do I do with my newfound skills?
Ask a friend—actually, we're more on an acquaintance level, I guess—to fight.
It's like sitting down to watch a Hallmark movie in a small Christmas town, and the two main characters end up fighting aliens at the end, instead of winning the bakery competition. It just doesn't make sense.
"I know this sounds really weird," I added. Understatement of the century. "But just hear me out. You're good at identifying weaknesses in people's combat, right?"
For a long moment, the only response I received was silence. Not that I could blame the dude. My request probably made it seem like I was off the rocker.
Blasting through the multiverse probably predisposes you to all levels of craziness, and with that last request, I'm not doing myself any favors.
I might have just convinced Monaxiá that I belong in a straitjacket with celestial bronze chains locking me up.
Finally, he responded, his voice slow and measured, almost as if he were still trying to come to terms with my sudden, insane request. Even though it was over something small, I still reveled in the fact that I shocked him for once. It was nice to see a disturbance in that otherwise calm pool of emotions. "Yes, I am…"
"Well, I'm in need of that. You fighting me will help me fix weaknesses I didn't even know I had," I raised my hands. He just raised an eyebrow. "It's an abrupt request, I know, but it's not, like, a trick or anything. I really do just want to fight. I think you're uniquely suited to show me my faults in an… educational way. It's in your résumé, after all."
It was a sound plan. Monaxiá was more than strong enough to handle my full power, including all the little tricks I had up my sleeve—I knew that for sure. It was hard for me to accurately gauge his power, but given everything he'd said, I knew he was at least on par with an Olympian.
So, if I was being serious about improving myself, he'd be the one to ask. I also knew he was blunt enough to give it to me straight, and that I'd be able to allocate my points accordingly after we were done training.
Think about it like this. If I fight, let's say, Jason, and ask him to analyze where I need improvement, he won't be much help because he won't know my true limits.
Sure, he'll be able to give his two cents based on the limitations he thinks I have, but they won't be accurate, because I'll be altering my fighting style just for him to contend with me.
It's kind of like taking it easier on a younger sibling while playing video games. Or, in my case, an older sibling—Triton isn't very good at video games. I tell him all the time that the absolute heater of a PC our dad got him is wasted on his talents. Or, lack thereof, rather.
Anyway, when you play with someone worse than you, you might alter your skill level to keep the game closer. You might use weapons you know are bad, or try strategies you know wouldn't work in a competitive setting. It might not be the objectively best way to do things, but you'll do them for the sake of keeping the game competitive and not hurting the other person's feelings, even though you know you could flat-out destroy them if you wanted to.
Another example is when I fought Piper a while back, and I didn't even attack her unless it was a direct counterattack.
If you'd given her a post-game interview—as she was writhing on the floor with bruised ribs—she would've told you, after telling you to eat a sock, that I could've been more aggressive, and not have waited so long to attack.
And it wouldn't be true at all. My true style isn't quite that defensive—it's just that I wanted to prove a point to her, and the easiest way to prove the point was to only counterattack. Again, not a good reflection of my fighting style as a whole, but that would've been her perception of it.
That's where Monaxiá comes in. Because he's so much stronger than me, he can give me the same in-depth breakdown of my style as I did for Piper.
It's kind of like what Triton does for me when we train. Given all the stuff Monaxiá's been through, though, I expect that he can probably give me a better idea than Triton can.
Triton was a general once upon a time, sure, but he's rusty now. Years of doing nothing but eating, drinking, smoking coral, and living the rockstar life will do that to you.
And, if I'm being utterly honest, that's one of the reasons I still haven't gone all out against Triton—a part of me doesn't know if he can fully handle it without us capsizing the beach and ruining my mom's house.
I don't know if I can beat him outright, but I do know that he won't be able to limit the damage. He's not careful enough right now. Sure, the capability is somewhere in there, but I'm sure it's like trying to play a video game you haven't touched in a few years, or trying to play a sport you haven't practiced for in a while.
Possible…just difficult. I'm not sure I'm willing to risk my mom's house on that whim.
On the other hand, Monaxiá trains demigods—I'd argue that it's a whole other skillset entirely. Plus, without the need to lie about the Game to him, I can show off every trick I have.
Even so, I braced myself, expecting a barrage of questions as to why I suddenly wanted to go toe-to-toe, or warnings as to why fighting him would be a stupid decision. I didn't need those at the moment. I knew it was probably stupid, insane, or any other adjective you could come up with.
But I also knew it was the one thing I needed at the moment to help me grow.
I'd hit a plateau, power and skill-wise. I needed someone to break me out of it. Someone to guide my transformation into whatever the next tier of power was.
Even if it would be a little embarrassing, I'd still get access to a suite of moves and ways of thinking I couldn't even fathom—stuff I just haven't been exposed to yet. Plus, who knows me better than, well, myself?
Yeah. Exactly.
To my surprise, I wasn't bombarded by questions. All I got was a pair of glowing eyes boring into my own—the green and red swirled together, smushing together like a bowl of yogurt being whisked at lightspeed.
My eyebrows furrowed. "Alternatively, we could keep talking about our feelings. You seem like you could use some therapy…"
"No, there's no need for that," Monaxiá's deep voice came forth once more. Rivulets of something peeked through his words, leaking into his tone like a dam slowly being unleashed. It felt like he was doing whatever the spiritual equivalent of turning a car engine on. "Are you sure?"
And that was it. There were no questions about how or why, only if I were certain of my choice. And it was then I realized that, regardless of his divinity, he still knew who I was, far better than anyone else because he'd lived a life so similar to mine.
Honestly, my way of thinking was probably an open book to him. We probably still had the same color and pizza place—Cugino's, of course. And blue. Duh.
"I'm sure," I answered, a wide grin forming on my face. "You'll help me break my plateau. Don't take it easy—I need to know exactly where I need to improve. I know you're probably thinking about how strong you were when you were my age, but don't. I can handle it."
It seemed that was enough for Monaxiá, as he nodded, grabbed the hem of his cloak, and tossed it off.
The newest Olympian was dressed in a plain, form-fitting t-shirt and a pair of joggers with combat boots on. He was as wide as a barn door, and his overall build was like a midpoint between my own and Jason's, except he was taller and had a longer reach than both of us.
I eyed him.
His muscles were telling; even without being a god, he would've had more than enough size to deliver devastating blows but at the same time, his reach and sinewy muscle would've left him agile enough to dance circles around an opponent.
Honestly, a bit unfair if you ask me. It's like if you asked someone to get in an RPG and create the most broken build they could think of to min-max every fighting necessity you could want covered.
I took a deep, steadying breath as I began to hop on the spot, warming myself up in preparation for the chaos we were bound to descend into.
Glancing back towards my adversary, I finally activated [Observe]. I should have probably done that ages ago, but I guess I was a bit preoccupied with our conversation.
Instantly, his stats flashed across the screen, far more detailed than they were the last time.
[PERSEUS JACKSON]
[OLYMPIAN]*
[SON OF POSEIDON]
[SON OF HESTIA]
[PATRON OF HEROES]
[WEAPONMASTER]
[GOD OF MONSTERS]
[HERO OF OLYMPUS]**
[BANE OF THE PROTOGENOI]
[IIIIIIIIIIIIII]
[LVL]: 300
[HP]: 2,000,000/2,000,000
[SP]: INF/INF
[MP]: INF/INF
[FEALTY]: OLYMPUS, CAMP HALF-BLOOD, CAMP JUPITER, POSEIDON, HESTIA
[STR]: 3600 (+600)
[VIT]: 2700
[DEX]: 2100 (+300)
[INT]: 330
[CHA]: 600 (+120)
[WIS]: 500
[LUC]: 200
*|| Because of his status as an [OLYMPIAN]*, these stats may be subject to change based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to): his anger, how much of his divine form he is showing, and his battle lust. ||
|| The title [PATRON OF HEROES] allows Monaxiá to ignore most of the ancient laws when it comes to demigods, allowing him to interact with them freely. ||
**|| The title [HERO OF OLYMPUS] offers triple [EXP] from godly missions and double [REP] with deities. Now defunct due to his ascension to godhood. ||
|| The title [BANE OF THE PROTOGENOI] is the third and final tier of the title [GODSLAYER]. It grants the user double EXP when involved in a fight with a deity! This effect scales, doubling for every immortal opponent, tripling for every Olympian, quadrupling for every Titan, and quintupling for every Primordial! ||
[...] With this being an alternate universe, you cannot rely on the Game to give you additional information as before. Tread carefully. [...]
Compared to Artemis or Lupa, he had far more points funneled into strength and vitality as compared to dexterity, although the latter wasn't lacking by any means. He was definitely an all-around fighter but with far more aptitude for close-quarters combat.
Even more interesting was how much lower his charisma was in comparison. Granted, it was far higher than any mortal's, but compared to other gods it was laughably low.
Then again, considering how much he loathed manipulation, it made sense it would be so much lower as compared to those who made it a daily pastime. He wouldn't be the kind of guy to use his charm to get things done for him.
Also, it seemed I managed to come across something I didn't expect. [GODSLAYER] had tiers? Color me surprised.
Wait, that meant this dude had defeated a primordial in order to unlock it.
Shit.
At least that means my guess from before was somewhere in the right ballpark.
Taking a moment to settle myself, I bent my knees slightly, resting my weight on the balls of my feet. I twisted back up, shifting into a lunge to the right, and then one to the left. My legs were a bit stiff, but nothing that would actively hold me back.
I'd probably be able to ease into some of my kicks as the fight continued.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" He asked, a slightly condescending tone in his voice. I wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or not, but he kind of sounded like how Smelly Gabe used to sound when I was a kid. "Too scared to make the first move?"
For a moment, I was taken aback by the sudden change in tone. Where did the friendly Olympian I'd been talking to vanish?
Understanding smothered the small amount of confusion I briefly felt.
It's the first basic rule of fighting—try to get your opponent off-kilter so you can force them into making some dumb mistakes. Make them make it easier for you to get through their defenses. It's like getting them to defeat themselves on some level.
He's trying to goad me into an attack, or at least unsettle me. That's probably why he's tapping into his best impression of our shared shitstain of a stepfather.
A bead of sweat ran down my temple as I realized that all bets were off. Monaxiá meant for me to truly experience a battle, and wasn't leaving anything out.
Even so, I couldn't help a small grin cross my face, my anxiety slowly overcome by a bubbling sense of excitement. The least I could do was show him I was above that level of psychological warfare. "Oh, my bad, grandpa. Are you too old to move? I thought being a god prevented any knee problems from developing. I might have some Tylenol if you need some halfway through the fight."
I caught the barest hint of a grin on his face before he shot forward. Between one heartbeat and the next, he'd crossed the distance between us, getting right up into my zone. He moved so fast that by the time he was in front of me, the wind at his back still hadn't even caught up.
I barely even had time to react before my muscles screamed, and I was forced to throw myself to the side, getting the hell out of his range. His fist went sailing right where my solar plexus had been.
The mere wind-up of the blow sent ripples across the cavern, causing the room to tremble in anticipation. Even though I managed to evade its direct path, I felt the rush of displaced air, a tangible reminder of the power contained within that single strike.
I glanced at his fist, the breeze of his hit sending pleasant shivers down my spine. A frown formed on my face. I'd already pegged Monaxiá for a close-range fighter, but even I hadn't expected him to close in on me that quickly.
Usually, when there's as significant of a size difference between two fighters as there is between us, the taller fighter would look to maintain enough distance so that the other won't be able to hit them, while their longer reach would still allow them to control the pace of the fight.
Meanwhile, the shorter fighter's best strategy would be to get up close and personal, cramping the taller fighter up and using their long reach against them since they won't be able to put as much momentum behind their blows.
That was going to be my original plan. Keyword: was.
The ground cracked beneath my feet. I dashed forward towards where Monaxiá stood. The deity had his back turned, not even glancing over his shoulder. His back was an open target, almost begging me to launch a powerful kick towards it.
I entertained the thought for the barest moment before stopping just short of where he stood, sidestepping towards my right. The second my foot touched down, my quads tensed, and I shot forward again, before turning myself around so I was facing Monaxiá once more.
The god had an easy smile on his face, almost as if he were happy with me ignoring the opening. Or what seemed to be one, considering how he was clearly unclenching his fist, almost a sign as to what would have happened if I'd fallen for the bait—my face being caved in, if any of you wanted to know.
I threw all my weight forward again, emulating my previous movements down to the smallest detail I possibly could. However, instead of sidestepping, I dropped low and swept my leg out, trying to trip him or at the very least set him off balance.
I managed to achieve neither outcome as he simply stepped back, deftly avoiding the attack. My kick spun over the ground, slamming down with enough force to rupture a line.
I couldn't give up though. There was no way I could contest him in strength, and trying to close the distance wouldn't work either, so my only option was to keep him on his toes.
Leaping back up, I spun to his right before throwing a quick front kick at his thigh. He simply shifted his leg and deflected the hit, so I used the momentum from his block to transfer all my energy into a hook kick toward his midsection.
Only this time, he parried my attack, using his hand to gently nudge it off course.
This time though, I could sense a warning behind his move. For the barest moment, his grip tightened around my shin, almost as if he wanted to let me know that he could have easily grabbed my leg and done whatever he wanted with it. The deflection was a warning of equal magnitude, with just enough force to break my flow, but not enough to make me stumble.
The fact that he didn't even need to speak to point out my mistakes, and more importantly, that he chose to correct them instead of capitalizing was a bit humbling. I drew a quick breath as I righted myself, turning back to face him.
This time around, he'd opened his stance a bit more, almost as if he were inviting me to attack him.
I accepted the invitation. I had to break the entropy of the fight and try to catch him lacking by doing something completely off-tempo.
[Death Drop!]
I teleported to right in front of Monaxiá, already throwing a heavy shot toward his liver.
Barely batting an eye, he pivoted his body along the arc of my punch, bringing his arm up to deflect its trajectory again.
Thankfully, I was able to pull it back before he could grab onto it.
I exhaled through my teeth. I had a feeling he wouldn't be so forgiving if I repeated a mistake twice.
Time to kick it up a notch.
I drew a steadying breath while slipping into [Accelerate], almost grinning as the wheel landed on Section IV. Good, I knew I needed all the speed I could get.
I remembered the last time I'd used this combo on Kalios, and just how busted my hand had been. I had to be careful with how much mana I funneled into my attack, keeping it low enough that if I did catch Monaxiá, my joints wouldn't implode on themselves, especially since I didn't have direct access to a water source this time around.
A tingle ran down my forearms as I activated [Lightning Hands]. I didn't push them to their maximum potential, instead keeping it to a level where it would numb limbs upon contact, so even if he did deflect it, he would be slowed down.
[The Thousand Hand Technique] also hummed to life within me, remaining at a level where it would speed up my attacks but not to where a slip in concentration would cause me to break something.
My peripheral vision blurred as I rushed forward once again, feeling a bit of hope as I watched Monaxiá's eyes widen in surprise at my newfound speed. I threw a quick jab at his right flank, knowing he would most likely dodge to avoid it.
That would leave his left open, and then…
My train of thought paused as he simply used the back of his wrist to throw my punch off. Damn, guess I'll have to make another change then. Still, the numbness should be setting in now, and that meant he'd be open to another attack.
I allowed the momentum of his deflection to carry me forward, before planting my foot hard into the ground. The gravel gave a satisfying crunch as I spun, bringing my knee up to strike him at his exposed flank…
Only for the very same arm he'd previously deflected my strike with to grab it, stopping it in its tracks. A pocket of air exploded at the contact, blasting dirt away from us in a ring.
Damn, was my strike not enough to numb it? Either way, this time around it should have numbed him, especially since he'd straight-up grabbed my attack.
However, something was nagging me. Considering just how rough his hand had felt the previous time I'd been in contact with it, there was no way it ought to feel this soft or smooth.
Biting the bullet, I glanced down, only to have my eyes fly open as I saw a thin sheen of water circulating around his forearms, all the way from his elbows down to the tips of his fingers, close to but never actually touching his skin.
It hit me in a moment of clarity. He'd seen the signs of lightning and summoned a coating of water to absorb the impact of the electricity. Most likely, he'd condensed the lingering vapor around us, but either way, it meant that anything relying on numbing his limbs was out of the window.
Cursing softly, I allowed [Lightning Hands] to fade out, watching as he allowed the protective layer of water to evaporate too, letting go of my knee after giving it another squeeze. Even if it was a minimal mana drain, there was no point sustaining it when I knew it wouldn't work. I might have been able to sneakily reactivate it, but it was likely that Monaxiá would be able to summon the protective layer even quicker.
It was far better for me to conserve my mana at the moment. So, I'd kick it old school for a bit and try to work through his guard with my own power.
I braced my core and squatted, flinging myself forward with my fist outstretched. Instead of punching Monaxiá, who instantly raised an arm to block my punch, I pushed off his arm and corkscrewed into the air like a cheerleader.
I slammed an x3 gravity multiplier on myself with [Lunar Lullaby] and plummeted back down to Monaxiá with my leg spinning. At the last second, I spammed a [Death Drop] behind him, channeling fire into the hit.
CRASH!
Despite the fact that my kick had enough power to snap a school bus in half, Monaxiá turned and deflected the blow with ease, grinning as the fire fizzled into the cavern like fireflies in the night sky.
He grabbed my leg and gently pushed me back.
I used the momentum of his push to flip backward, creating another expanse of space between us.
I eyed him, realizing that he probably knew what I was planning to do with my first punch too. I should have realized that when he blocked my punch so openly and didn't react to me using it as a springboard.
Forgoing any more special tricks, I closed the distance between us and attacked with a flurry of punches and kicks, trying my absolute best to hit him.
Each attack of mine melded into the next, leaving almost no sign of where one ended and the other began. To human eyes, I would have been nothing more than a blur, and even if they caught it on a tape and slowed it down, they would have been hard-pressed to find any openings in my sequence.
And yet, Monaxiá simply weaved through each one of my attacks. It felt like I was trying to hit a cloud of smoke instead of an actual person with the way none of my strikes even came close to landing.
"Tighten up," he said, not even a hint of strain in his voice, speaking even as he weaved through my attacks, moving closer. "Your form is admirable, especially for your age, but you're still wasting movements, wasting energy. Every time you overcommit, thinking you can just flow into another attack, you give an easy opening! That might not be important when facing most opponents, even minor gods, but against higher tiers? You'll be smashed into the ground!"
Almost as if to exemplify his point, he waited until I threw another cross, weaving the strike and grabbing the front of my shirt in his crushing grip.
Right after, I became intimately acquainted with the fact that the size of his back was not at all for show. If anything, he was through some cosmic comedy even stronger than he appeared if the ease with which he launched me across the damn cavern was any indication.
I literally bounced on impact, a sharp hiss of pain escaping my lips as I landed again and skidded for a good fifteen feet before coming to a stop. Taking a long moment to gather myself, I flipped myself off the ground, wincing at the pinpricks of pain along my side.
Think Jackson, think.
If the reason he's weaving my attacks so easily is that he thinks he's got me figured out, I need to find a way to shake him. Kind of like what he did to me. So, my next question had to be if there was any way I could crack that sense of calm he had, not if I could break his guard.
The hairs on my neck stood up. A rush of warmth pooled in my cheek, spinning like a whirlpool of fire that inched up to my eye.
My eye surged with power, and I cried out—a white-hot whip of pain lanced through it, just as a concentrated pillar of red energy burst forward, beaming toward Monaxiá at the speed of light.
For once, the deity looked shocked before he quickly got out of the way of the blast, which carved its way through the cavern floor before drilling into the far wall as I tilted my head up. I rapidly shut it off as I felt my mana drain at an alarming rate, but the damage was already done. A cylindrical hole had been drilled into the wall, at least a foot wide and over five feet deep.
I was shocked into silence for a long moment, my brain scrambling to understand what in the world had just happened. And then I remembered: Horus' Eye!
"Thank you, Zia," I muttered under my breath. "That one's going to come in handy."
Monaxiá was silent for a moment, his intense gaze boring into mine, before a deep chuckle rumbled throughout the cavern. Mission failed successfully, I guess? "My, you are full of surprises, aren't you? But I think we've spent enough time testing the waters. Pick Anaklusmos back up and come at me, Percy. Let the blade taste the blood it craves."
"Agreed," I pulled out Riptide, spinning the pen's base between my fingertips. I wondered if Monaxia still had his. "Let's get right to the good part."
WABABABABABA!
Riptide sprang to life with a slight warbling noise, the blackened metal shooting out of the pen and into the cold air of the cavern. The flat of the blade glinted in the low light, and a sudden chill fell over us.
In my left hand, I spun IVLIVS. Monaxia's eyes caught the coin, and he looked at it with a harsh expression.
The surface of the coin glowed with black fire—Hades' specialty.
I flicked it up into the air.
For a suspended moment, the coin hung in mid-air, catching glimmers of ethereal light. Then, a surge of magic enveloped it. The coin elongated and twisted, reshaping itself into something entirely different.
The air hummed with residual magic as the dull metal gleamed and shifted until it formed a sleek, black javelin, its tip honed to a deadly point. The runes etched on the coin now danced along the length of the javelin, burning motes of dark mana into the air.
SLACH!
The leather grip of the javelin felt comfortable in my hand. Lastly, I slammed both of my fists into my chest and made a pulling motion—kind of like I was pretending to be Clark Kent turning into Superman.
Let's go, Aphrodite. Juice me up.
KRRRRR!
I felt warm swells of energy on my arms and chest. They were powerful and deliberate, like a ship out at sea, roving over waves the size of a train.
Pink ribbons of light shone on my skin, crisscrossing and connecting like veins. The lines gleamed softly, and my arms and chest became coated in smoky water. The water traveled up past my neck and around my face, hooking into my ears and eyes.
My ring shook heavily, regurgitating more pink lines that cocooned and wrapped around my body like strings of linen. The lines hardened and melted together just as a final layer of bone appeared on my back, forcing me into an upright position. The second layer of bone hardened to life on my chest, framing a pink ball of energy that was still humming, right over my heart.
Aphrodite's power flew through my veins, now unbidden. I felt her warmth and love, and all of my senses were immediately cranked up to eleven. The slightest breeze against my skin felt like a cascade of tiny sparks.
I could almost taste the charged particles in the air, a flavor of vitality that tingled on my tongue. It was how I felt in the dream with Artemis—I felt attuned to the very pulse of the universe.
A small pink visor appeared in front of my eyes, displaying the Game's HUD. "Let's go!"
"An impressive display. And I see you've gotten your weapons blessed by Lord Hades," He said, a sharp grin crossing his face, eyes alight with excitement from the duel. I was happy to see that. No matter how much he'd been through, the part of him that was Percy Jackson just couldn't help but be excited to fight. "And the coin… it's similar to the one Jason used to possess in my world before it was destroyed."
I nodded. It seemed the adrenaline from the fight allowed him to ignore any bad blood between them for the moment. "Yep, he gave it to me before switching over to a warhammer. It suits him better honestly."
Monaxiá's grin only widened at my comment. A pulse of electricity sparked between us. "Well, I guess I ought to draw my blades as well."
I waited for him to summon a blade into existence, considering he had nowhere upon his body to sheathe a weapon before the two rings I'd previously noticed began glowing. One a fiery red and the other an iridescent aquamarine. The twin bands flowed almost like water, morphing in the air before settling into a pair of twin swords which the deity deftly caught in his grasp.
For a moment, all I could do was stare at the blades before me. They were both Greek xiphos like Riptide, but their materials were far different. Their colors were similar to that of the rings, one aquamarine and the other orange-red. Both of them seemed to glow, far brighter than the dull light Riptide emitted. A shiver ran up my spine upon seeing them, almost as if I could taste the power imbued within their bodies.
"Damn, those are some beautiful blades," I said, whistling softly. "What do you call them?"
And yeah, I knew he named them something. He had to. Any Greek warrior will tell you the same thing: a good blade deserves a good name. There's a level of superstition involved with it. The warriors of old held the belief that a weapon would perform better for you if there was a level of familiarity involved.
Monaxiá just chuckled, before tilting the one in his right hand, the aquamarine one, towards me. It glistened in the low light of the cavern. I cocked my head to the side—it felt like the sword was calling out to me for some reason. "Well, you ought to be quite familiar with this blade."
I blinked. I stared at the sword again. A tendril of warmth burrowed into the space between my eyes. "Pretty sure I'd remember holding a sword like that. You think it's one of those multiversal differences we talked about?"
The god only laughed at my comment. "I'll give you a hint. Look at your right hand."
The involuntary gasp came too quickly for me to stop. The swords couldn't look more different! "Wait, that's Riptide? You pimped it the fuck out!"
Another sharp grin crossed Monaxiá's face. He balanced the blade on his hands and tossed it up and down. It made a slight shimmering noise, tinkling like wind chimes. "Yes, it is. It was reforged with Atlantean Steel upon my ascension to godhood. My father said the material was a far better way to not only connect to my element but also honor the original creator of the sword." He paused for a moment, a quick flash of emotion passing across his eyes before he tilted the other blade.
"Now this was one that was created after my ascension. Mom—Hestia, that is—had said it would probably be prudent to ensure that my dual nature of water and fire were balanced. And along came this beauty, forged from Volcanic Steel. Pyrkagiá."
Firestorm, I mentally translated, finding it apt how the two blades were almost counterparts to one another. I added reforging Riptide with Atlantean steel to the top of my to-do list for this summer. "Kind of like yin and yang. Cool. And them being rings?"
Monaxiá just shrugged. "I thought a change was in order. And it's a fair bit easier to access too. After all, they are my symbol of power, so it would be awkward if they got lost in my pockets."
I knew he meant for it to be a light joke, but my mind all but froze at his words. Those swords were his symbol of power.
Like Zeus' Master Bolt, my dad's Trident, or Hades' Helm of Darkness. Those blades contained power similar to those weapons, which could raze cities to the ground in the blink of an eye.
I was fighting a nuclear warhead holding two hydrogen bombs.
For a moment, my breath hitched, before I forced myself to breathe. This is what I wanted. No more punches being held back.
Warmth pooled in my chest—this was going to be my hardest fight to date. And somehow…it was exciting. I felt alive. I could go all out, actually all out without holding anything back.
"Not going to pull out your own set of armor?" I asked, my own face breaking out into a sly grin.
Monaxiá chuckled, the sound far lower and more dangerous than usual. "No, not this time. I think it would be better for me to fight you freely. However, I think it would be a bit better if my weapons mirrored yours at the very least."
"What do you…" I began before the words died in my throat. Firestorm had once again begun to morph, before settling into the form of a javelin eerily similar to the one I myself held.
"Perks of being the god of weaponry, these two can take the form of any melee weapon I wish." The grin on his face had a much more dangerous air about it this time around.
Before I could even begin to speak, it felt like the very air around me had doubled in weight, pressing in on me. It was the exact same feeling I'd felt when I had first entered this universe when Monaxiá had popped in out of nowhere and sent my entire HUD into a moment of chaos.
In the corner of my screen, I could see an orange exclamation mark pinging. Guessing it was something urgent, I clicked on it, wondering what exactly was so important for it to show.
[WARNING: CHANGE IN STATS]
[PERSEUS JACKSON]
[OLYMPIAN]*
[SON OF POSEIDON]
[SON OF HESTIA]
[WEAPONMASTER]
[GOD OF MONSTERS]
[IIIIIIIIIIIIII]
[LVL]: 900
[HP]: 20,000,000,000/20,000,000,000
[SP]: INF/INF
[MP]: INF/INF
[STR]: 10800 (+1800)
[VIT]: 8100
[DEX]: 6300 (+900)
*|| Because of his status as an [OLYMPIAN]*, these stats may be subject to change based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to): his anger, how much of his divine form she is showing, and his battle lust. ||
|| The title [SON OF POSEIDON], having been boosted by the [OLYMPIAN] title, permanently grants 10,000,000 [MP] and boosts the rate of mana regeneration. ||
|| The title [SON OF HESTIA] is a boosted form of [HESTIA'S FAVORED], further boosted by the [OLYMPIAN] title to permanently regenerate health by 50% and increases by a factor of 10% for every 1000 [HP] below half! ||
|| Derived from his status as the god of combat and weaponry, the title [WEAPONMASTER] grants innate knowledge of said fields, providing instantly maxed-out levels relating to weapon usage as well as different combat styles. The only exception is archery and related fields due to them still being Apollo and Artemis' domains. ||
No backing out now. I slipped into my stance, my knuckles whitening against the grips of my weapons.
The Game flooded over Monaxiá, lines of binary swirling through his body and over his broad shoulders. To my disappointment—but not surprise—not a single inch of his body was covered in the telltale red warning spots.
I figured I'd kick the fight off with [Atlantean Swordsmanship] to, well, test the waters. Puns aside, it's my most versatile form. It's been battle-tested for years by soldiers of Atlantis. As such, it's basically a form that's been created to fit lots of different body styles and levels of mobility.
The only thing is, well, the Atlantean military tended to use shields and lighter swords, instead of swords like Riptide, which are xiphos.
All it means is that I have to tweak the form a little. No biggie. You are talking to the crown prince, after all. If anyone has a right to desecrate customs that are thousands of years old, it's me.
Just don't tell my dad.
I rolled my shoulder back and surged forward, IVLIVS scraping against the ground like a warning siren.
As I ran through my openers, I eventually decided that I wanted to start the fight with a simple viper beheading strike. If our childhoods were the same, it would've been the first move Luke ever taught us.
"Ah!" I grunted, slamming IVLIVS down like a pole and bouncing myself forward. My feet barely had the time to touch the ground as I leaned forward, transferring the energy of the movement into a throw so hard that the muscles in my shoulder ached for a brief moment.
The lance shot through the cavern like a missile, electricity crackling at its tip. There was this whistling shriek, almost like a banshee, as IVLIVS cruised toward Monaxiá.
"Throwing your weapons down already?" Monaxiá's deep voice rumbled over the sound. The barest hint of a grin was on his face.
"Something like that!" I called out as I ran forward and leaped into the air, executing a series of acrobatic twists and turns. At the apex of my jump, I flicked my hands out, sending putrid green fireballs at Monaxiá.
"Fire against a son of Hestia, Percy? Do we need to remedy your knowledge of the Greek gods?" He batted them away with Riptide. The flames sizzled as they hit the ground, sparking across the cavern like firecrackers. "Chiron must be losing his touch!"
On the way down, I noticed the glint of my lance as it reached his chest. I could tell he knew I was planning something, but he was curious enough to let me try it. He sidestepped the lance and let it sail past him.
Showtime.
I activated a series of [Death Drops], flinging back and forth from my spot in the air to behind him. On the third series of teleports, I grabbed the lance out of the sky and flung it back at him, letting the momentum carry me backward and spin into the ground.
While I was there, I spun on my back like a tortoise, attempting to steal his balance and sweep his legs out from underneath him.
Monaxiá replied with a crushing stomp to my shin that told me everything I needed to know about how the ground game was going to go with him. As I took a second to writhe on the floor, I saw the position of IVLIVS in the air.
Fair enough. I'd have to stick to my original plan.
I felt a tug in my navel as I teleported back in front of him. my sword at the ready, poised to strike with deadly precision at the opportune moment. As IVLIVS closed in, I lunged forward with a lightning-quick motion, bringing my sword up in a sweeping arc, the blade gleaming like a nightlight in the glow of his weapons.
I saw his muscles tense. At the last second, I teleported again, this time, right on top of him.
[Lunar Lullaby x 4]!
My arms dropped like a sack of potatoes as I brought my sword down with about 23,185 pounds of force—that's 20x the force generated in Mike Tyson's punches. It's enough to melt through the guard of any mortal, and, if I wasn't wearing my armor, it would probably crush the bones in my arm.
CLANG!
Spiderweb cracks exploded under his feet, splinters of rock and ground blasting out in a funnel of power, like woodchips caught in a tornado. The ground lurched and shifted off-kilter, like a top spinning with reckless abandon.
It wasn't enough for Monaxiá, though. His sword didn't even shake as it parried the hit. A shockwave of energy began building between us, a bead of momentum.
FWOOOOOM!
My grip tightened around the hilt of my sword, the worn leather rough against my calloused palms as I flexed my muscles to hold on for dear life. Monaxiá pushed back, and the bead of momentum dissolved into a column of wind that erupted everywhere like candy out of a piñata.
The force of the shockwave was so strong that it swept through the air with hurricane-like intensity, tousling my hair and causing it to billow behind me like a banner caught in a thunderstorm. My jacket's zipper snapped as it flung open underneath my armor.
"Good, but not good enough," Monaxiá whispered. His voice grew darker, and his nostrils flared. a shimmering wall of mana materialized around him, a barrier of pulsating energy that had the low buzz of a transformer.
My lance, which was whizzing at his back at the speed of a fighter jet, came to an abrupt halt, its momentum arrested by the invisible force of the mana wall. Sparks danced along its length as it quivered in midair, trapped like a bird ensnared in a cage.
With a sound like a thousand rubber bands snapping, IVLIVS clattered harmlessly to the ground.
I must've gotten two, maybe three more seconds of airtime before Monaxiá pulled his sword back and flung his fist forward.
I slammed the flat of my blade against his knuckles and tried to leapfrog over my sword and smash his head in, but he easily wrapped his hand around Riptide—yes, the sharp part—and flung it aside, grabbing my leg and slamming me back down into the cavern.
I clambered to my feet and flexed [Mana Manipulation], forcing Riptide back into my hands as Monaxiá switched gears, taking the offensive with a lunge that I barely ducked.
I tried to return it with a slash of my own, which was deftly blocked.
"And now, let me see how you perform without your special tricks," Monaxiá said as a warning, dipping low and barrelling toward me, spinning his weapons.
I met him in the middle, and we began trading blows. My first few hits missed, and the next time Monaxiá slashed, I parried.
Bad move. The weight behind the blow sent a heavy jolt through my arms, leaving my flank exposed. Monaxiá capitalized on it, hitting it with the flat of his blade. I winced, knowing that without my armor, my entire abdomen would have been bruised black and blue by that hit.
I didn't even get a second to breathe before the tip of his lance was rocketing towards my chest, forcing me to roll out of the way. I popped back up, but any space I'd created between the two of us instantly vanished.
CLANG!
Riptide flashed through the cavern in a streak of bronze, sparks scraping the edge of Monaxiá's lance as I deflected the hit.
Another pocket of air exploded, cracking the ground underneath us.
I pulled back, rolling my shoulder and trying to dispel some of the aches that had settled into my arm. My exosuit and the constant stream of water on my skin were supposed to stop those little aches and bruises from making themselves known, but Monaxiá was so strong, he overpowered those.
"You have another gear," Monaxiá hefted his javelin. The fiery burn of the blade sent shadows dancing across his skin. In the low light of the room, Monaxiá's face looked…different, somehow. He looked meaner and stricter. More serious. "I can sense it. I suggest you enter it, or this fight will be over soon."
If it was anyone else but him, I would've taken offense to the statement. Hell, maybe it was his attempt at being funny. Either way, I'd felt the power behind his hits, and I knew he was right. If I kept letting myself get slammed like this, I'd be too tired to go all out.
First, I activated [Pyrokinetic].
I felt a tingling sensation coursing through my veins. With a slight grunt, I summoned forth the elemental energy that dwelled within me thanks to my aunt, and in response, green flames ignited upon my skin with a krackakrackakracka noise like fireworks.
At first, they flickered tentatively, like embers kindling in a dying fire. But as I focused my will, they surged forth with renewed vigor, illuminating the cavern with their eerie glow.
Each flame seemed to pulse with a life of its own, casting a mesmerizing display of greens and emeralds that danced in harmony with each other. Some flames spiraled upwards, reaching towards the heavens with an almost reverent fervor, while others cascaded downwards like waterfalls of emerald fire.
"This is an ability I got from Auntie Hestia," I informed Monaxiá as the fire traveled up my arms and around my shoulders. It roped around my neck and bloomed outward as I said, "Basically, it's like a power booster. My hits land harder, my attacks burn brighter, and my senses all grow exponentially more potent, all with her blessing powering the transformation like a divine battery pack. This probably doesn't apply to you, but to anyone else, the fire seeps into them and acts like poison after a while."
I exhaled slowly and activated [Angelic Trigger].
A silver aura enveloped my body, shimmering like moonlight upon a tranquil lake. It pulsed with a gentle rhythm, casting an iridescent glow that seemed to seep into every crevice and corner, infusing the air with the gentle sound of birds.
The aura shivered and waned, before exploding around me in a column and wrapping around my senses like a comforting embrace. It tingled against my skin, sending sparks of energy coursing through my veins.
With each passing second, the silver aura grew stronger, washing over the wild flames and reigning them back in. Eventually, it settled all over my body, and my arms were coated in two identical rings of green and silver energy.
My vision unfocused and refocused. [Angelic Trigger] had the added benefit of boosting my field of view. I could now see directly to my sides without even turning my head. Factor that in with my [Eye of Power] and [Horus' Eye] and I felt like I could see everything.
"And this," I breathed. "Is how I balance it out. I call it Angelic Trigger and it basically soothes some of the aches I feel from that other form. There are a few other benefits, too, like heightened speed and awareness. I'm telling you this because I want you to know what I can do. That way, when this is over, you can accurately tell me where to improve."
"That's pragmatic of you," Monaxiá's voice rumbled. He didn't seem bothered by the holes in his shirt and the singe marks on his skin. If anything, he looked even more comfortable, somehow. Like he was right at home.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Leave it to Monaxiá to be all uncomfortable talking about his feelings, but comfortable being blowtorched. Not that it must've even hurt with his adoption, but still. It's the principle of it all.
"Let's test it," Monaxiá grunted, slashing his sword down. I matched his blow with Riptide, and for once, my arm didn't shake. A small grin appeared on Monaxiá's face as he said, "Good. That means I don't have to worry about breaking you now."
"Wait, what?"
Even with all my boosters to my vision I barely saw his lance drop from the ceiling at me. Wasting no time, I rolled as if my life depended on it. Thankfully so, as for where I had once stood was now a crater deep enough to fit a car or two.
His sword scraped against the ground as he slowly walked over to me, his gaze never leaving my own. Monaxiá didn't pause to admire his own destruction, even as a portion of the cavern looked ready to collapse around him. He merely extended his hand, calmly, recalling his other weapon to his hand and eyeing me.
"Better," he chided in a rumbling tone. "Come. I want to see more of this power firsthand."
Well, there was no way I could pass up on that offer, was there? I eyed the god, working through a few different approaches I could take.
"What's this Percy? Too scared to attack me? I thought your transformation was meant to make this fight more intense, not lead to you freezing in the corner." Monaxiá's voice held a teasing note to it, one a bit too similar to the one I remember Nancy Bobofit using back when I was in Yancy.
Again with the mind games?
I just grinned back. "Oh, I was just giving you a final chance to rest, maybe even back out. I don't want Aunt Hestia to feel bad when her only son is skewered like a shishkebab. If you're here, still, I'm guessing you're consenting—don't expect it to be so easy anymore."
I could see he was ready to reply, and I took my chance. Squeezing my eyes shut, I focused on the dormant power teeming within Dad's ring and forced it outwards in a blinding flash of light and sound. Far more intense than what I'd used against Piper, simply because I knew anything less would have no chance of being effective.
The searing light meant I had to squint too, but I knew where Monaxiá was, and the probability of him remaining at the same spot was a near certainty. Something that sudden ought to have disoriented him for at least a split second, and that was all I needed. Moving as quickly as I could, I made my way into his guard, swinging Riptide towards his exposed flank before the dark spots in my eyes or the ringing in my ears had even faded.
Every bit of sense I had told me the hit should have landed. Instead, I heard the telltale clash of steel against steel as his Riptide deflected mine.
Monaxiá had his eyes screwed shut, and his ears must have been ringing just as loud as mine were. How did he even sense me coming?
Almost as if he read my mind, the god smirked, shaking his head as if to remove any remnants of my flashbang. Opening his eyes, his flaming irises taunted me, his amusement at yet another of my failed tricks palpable.
"A good attempt Percy, but you seem to have forgotten our lineage. Sight and hearing aren't so vital in detecting your enemy when you can feel the very vapor in the air being displaced."
Gritting my teeth in frustration, I pulled back, running through my options once more.
Elaborate feints didn't seem to work so well, which meant I'd have to resort to doing something he wouldn't see coming. Which meant intentionally leaving myself open for an attack.
Was it a risky move? Absolutely. In fact, there were so many ways it could go wrong. But I had no choice, everything else I threw at him had been a complete bust.
At this point, a gamble was fine if it meant I had a chance of gaining an edge. My current situation couldn't get much worse either way.
Stepping forward once more, I allowed my mind to switch over to autopilot, my lance and sword weaving a tapestry of thrusts and slashes. I was pulling upon every memory I possessed, every scrap of knowledge I had regarding battle or swordplay.
Monaxiá barely moved from his spot, each one of my strikes parried with the gentlest of touches. It was honestly what I expected, with him being a century older than I was and, well, being the deity of said domain, he'd probably forgotten more about combat than I ever knew.
I snarled as another one of my attacks was parried, my eyes blazing with frustration. I swung my sword at the god, but the attack was too wild, having far too much momentum behind it for me to recover if it was parried. Monaxiá noticed it too, if the slight disappointment on his face was any indication. With a deft flick, he changed the trajectory of my attack, forcing it into the rocky floor of the cavern, knowing it would take a while for me to pull it out.
It was exactly what I'd hoped for. For the briefest of moments, I acted as if I were trying to pull my blade out, before channeling both [Fault Line] and [Seismic Wave] into the ground.
The cracks and groans as the rock buckled and split beneath my feet were music to my ears. Pulling back my now-freed sword with ease, I intensified the tremors radiating around me, hoping to strike Monaxiá off balance.
Glancing to my side, I noticed that he hadn't moved from his initial position either. Perfect. Digging my foot into the ground, I threw my shoulder into his gut, hoping to give the extra push needed to send him crashing down to the floor.
After who knows how long of constantly being parried or dodged, I finally made contact. My shoulder rammed into the left side of his abdomen with enough force to crush a normal human's ribs.
However, it seemed the deity still had a rude awakening waiting for me. I'd expected some level of give when I hit him. With the frame Monaxiá had, I knew he'd be heavy, but I'd accounted for it in the amount of energy I'd funneled into the shove.
I was wrong. The dude was built like a brick wall, and I'm quite sure he barely felt my shove. With how my shoulder was screaming in pain, I probably took more damage than he did. Zeus, he probably weighed twice as much as his frame suggested, and wasn't that terrifying?
Still, all unpleasant surprises aside, my plan worked. I could see him tipping off balance, and with the way his arms were hanging by his side, there was no way he could defend against a strike.
I couldn't help it. My lips stretched out into a wild, almost feral grin at the thought of landing my first attack. I allowed [Fault Line] and [Seismic Wave] to pulse one final time to ensure that Monaxiá wouldn't recover. As the rock crumbled beneath his feet, I thrust my javelin forward, knowing I'd land a hit.
The execution was flawless. The crumbling rock finally gave way, the deity toppling over. Time almost seemed to slow around us, even though I hadn't touched [Time Dilation] in the slightest. My vision tunneled around the tip of my lance, watching as it slowly made its way toward Monaxiá.
I'd learned this move watching Merlin with my mom over break. A lance poke—launching a pole of steel through someone with the force of a battering ram. Obviously, in the show, the move stopped at someone's chest, but in my mind's eye, I could see it blasting through someone's chest like a paper mache doll.
The move hinged around someone being off-kilter. The loss of balance would leave them open to a hard hit—without the momentum of the ground entirely beneath them and the support of their core muscles, any attempt of a block would be obliterated.
It was very much a finisher move. Plus, given the fact that the move was somewhat derived from a fantasy series. I assumed most people would be somewhat caught off guard by it.
It was all perfect until it wasn't. By the narrowest of margins, the tip of the javelin breezed over Monaxiá's chest, hitting nothing but air.
For a moment, I froze. What the hell just happened? Did my hand slip? No, I knew I'd aimed properly, there was no way I could have missed it! It couldn't have been the power, either. I'd been funneling enough strength into my hits to puncture the hull of a ship.
That split second of hesitation was enough to sway the tide once again. Monaxiá had bent backward almost ninety degrees at the knees, his sword stabbed into the ground and arresting his momentum. As I hastily pulled my spear back to attack again, he spun his own lance around in his hand, smacking the shaft into my knees. The force was enough to break my stance, sending my back crashing painfully into the now-cracked floor.
The impact forced the air out of my lungs, stunning me for a brief moment. However, I knew I couldn't stay in the same position for long. That was basically begging for the deity to attack me.
Grimacing at the building aches in my body, that too despite the constant circulation of water within my armor, I quickly rolled backward, using the momentum to build into a strong leap that extended the distance between the two of us once more.
I met Monaxiá's eyes again, noticing the amused glint that seemed to be present every single time one of my plans failed. I tried to brush it off with a cocky grin, but the image was tainted a bit by the way my chest was heaving as I desperately filled my lungs back after they'd been so forcefully emptied.
The god grabbed the hilt of his buried sword, effortlessly tugging it out of the ground. I braced myself for another onslaught, but it seemed he was alright with giving me a breather.
"Now, do you know what you did wrong?" He gave me a look reminiscent of the ones Chiron used to give me back in the day when I was still a rookie demigod wet behind the ears.
I almost growled in frustration at the light tone of his voice. "Mistake? Give me a break, you're like an evil, combat-savvy android. You're like my version of Android 17."
Monaxiá simply chuckled at my words, shaking his head. "Percy, I intentionally kept my reactions at a level comparable to yours in that moment. No, your mistake was quite small, and it wouldn't have mattered against most opponents. But against the best, it would have netted the same result as it did against me. Your mistake, Percy, was assuming how I'd react after you'd shoved me."
"What do you mean by that Monaxiá?" Even as I asked the question, I felt a nagging sense of dread that my oh-so-perfect plan wasn't as airtight as I'd initially assumed. But still, how? There was no way for him to recover instantly from that shove, especially if he was holding himself back.
Almost as if he read my thoughts, the god replied. "Your attack would have landed perfectly, but that was only if I tried my best to maintain balance. You were right in assuming that there was no way for me to recover in time, but you forgot to factor in that I had most likely realized the same. Then when I see your attack coming towards me, why would I try to regain my balance as opposed to letting myself fall and catching myself once I'm safely out of range?"
I opened my mouth to respond, only to choke on my words as Monaxiá vanished in a soft gust of wind. My senses screamed danger, but before I could even react, a violent blow smashed into my sternum, drilling me back down to the floor.
In under a minute, my lungs were once again emptied of air, only this time even more painful than before. My hazy vision finally managed to focus on the tip of the spear digging my chestplate with enough force that I worried the plate would crack. Slowly lifting my bleary eyes up, I met Monaxiá's feral gaze, feeling a cold chill run down my spine at the dangerous smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Maintaining the almost painful pressure on my chest, he leaned forward, his voice soft but more threatening than ever before. "Now, let's see just how well you do against an opponent who actually is leagues above you."
The very next second, he was gone, having retreated multiple steps to give me the courtesy of recovery. I gasped for air, something that was happening a worrying number of times. Digging my javelin into the ground for support, I pulled myself up, meeting his gaze once again.
I knew I had to pull out all the stops to stand a chance this time around. Once again, I activated [Accelerate] and watched the Wheel of Fate spin, praying that it landed on one of the latter two quadrants.
It seemed the Fates were kind for once. The Wheel landed on Section III, and I grinned as I saw the added +25% Attack Speed.
Dashing forward, I activated [Death Drop] once again, teleporting behind Monaxiá. However, I didn't attack, instead using [Death Drop] again, this time teleporting off to his left. And yet again, teleporting to his right.
I didn't stop, instead spamming the technique over and over, popping in and out of existence all around the deity. At the same time, I pulled upon the innate power of my dad's ring, channeling something I'd never expected I'd have to use. However, I couldn't take any risks, and [Image Projection] was one of my best options.
Every time I appeared in a new spot, I allowed a translucent afterimage of myself to be left behind. With each [Death Drop], I built up more and more clones, each one acting as yet another decoy. Once I'd surrounded Monaxiá with a miny-army of them, I started teleporting right where the clones themselves were, using them as cover.
After almost a minute of teleporting at a fever-tilt, I finally broke out of the assembled clones, stabbing my spear forward toward Monaxiá's exposed back.
Almost as if the universe itself were mocking me, the god gently swayed away from my attack, before stepping back and swinging his sword in a deadly arc.
The blade rammed into my armor, with enough force that I was seriously worried that it would crack. Even though it didn't, I could tell that, no matter how much water was circulating within, I was going to be left with a bruise that would paint the entirety of my abdomen.
Monaxiá simply watched as I rolled across the floor, barely able to stop my momentum after that blow. "That was a smart plan, but next time, leave some trace of your energy behind with each illusion. Otherwise, your actual body is far too easy to detect."
Monaxiá's grin grew as he slammed his sword down into the ground. Twin slabs of earth rose out of the cavern, grating and whirring toward me.
I launched my body and corkscrewed through the slabs, blurring toward Monaxiá. Roaring, I pushed mana into the [Thousand Hand Technique] and slammed my sword down.
RAHHHHHHHHH!
Another slab of Earth rose to protect Monaxiá, and my blade shattered it like a wall of glass. The four-foot pillar screeched as it exploded, and Monaxiá grimaced, flinging his javelin at me.
I danced around the tip and swung ILVIS, right as Monaxiá jutted his sword. Panicking, I felt my eye heat up again, and a pincer of red light shot out, rocketing his sword into the sky.
Now's my time!
I flipped my weapons in a reverse grip and launched forward, growling. I pushed power into my legs, trading some security for speed. I figured it would be okay for now, as long as his sword was still in the air.
Riptide's edge dug into the ground and I flung it forward, scooping a clump of dirt into the air in Monaxiá's direction. The cloud rose in the air like a ghost.
An inhuman scream tore out of the back of my throat as I lunged forward, needles of heat blooming through my arm as I activated [Immolater].
A bolt of lightning, fierce and untamed, split the silence like a celestial whip, tearing through the stagnant air with a deafening roar. Its jagged tendrils danced wildly, casting erratic shadows upon the walls of the cavern.
It parted the shower of dirt and rock, sending debris scattering in all directions. I was hoping the dirt would suck up some of the water vapor in the air, rendering his little trick from before somewhat less useful.
His arm blurring through the air, Monaxiá summoned his sword back into his hand and batted the bolt down. It exploded in a kaleidoscope of smaller strands of electricity that traveled through the metal, sizzling up his hilt and leaping past his face.
Sparks blasted into the wall behind him. The ground trembled beneath the force of its impact, echoing through the cavern.
I flung another lightning bolt at him, and he vanished.
I slammed down on [Accelerate] again, stretching my senses out into the world.
Left!
My sword vibrated as I parried a hit from Monaxiá. I jabbed ILVIS forward, and he danced around the jab, kicking me backward.
I curled my hands back and blocked the hit, twisting my fingertips forward into a fist around Riptide and slashing again, my instincts taking over and replicating a combo I'd seen Triton use once or twice.
Jab. Slash. Jab. Jab.
Block. Dodge. Parry. Block.
At the tail-end of my combo, Monaxiá caught my blade with his, and I used the moment of respite to send out another blinding light. I rolled back and flung more fireballs in a wide arc around me to suck some of the water vapor out of the air.
Eyes screwed shut, the god burst forward in a blur of speed, crisscrossing the tip of his sword in a motion that would've carved out my chest if I hadn't danced around it. It briefly caught the edge of my armor, and the force behind the slash tore through the right side like it wasn't even there.
I didn't even get the chance to tell if my plan to throw off his senses worked or not—Monaxiá and I were trading blows so fast that the fireballs looked like they were suspended in midair.
We ducked and weaved through the floating balls of green, raw power pulsating through my veins as I pushed my limits further and further, forcing my body to move fast enough to keep up.
Our swords clashed with the ferocity of two battering rams, each strike sending shockwaves rippling through the very fabric of reality—streaks of heat and power danced behind our swords like afterimages.
I executed another sequence of slashes, waiting for Monaxiá to block them. I intentionally used a series of horizontal slashes followed by a vertical one so he'd raise his sword to block them and—
I flipped under his guard and raised a hand.
A [Mirror of Aphrodite] shimmered to life on my fingertips as three bulbs of energy. They danced and flickered with pink light for a moment before spilling together and flattening out into a circle.
ROAR!
Point-blank, a massive column of pink energy erupted from the mirror, its ends flaring wildly like a string of fire being peppered with oil. It wrapped around Monaxiá, engulfing him in a bright light, before roaring and doubling in size.
The pillar of pure energy slammed through the wall behind him, a haunting screech floating through the cavern and evaporating the wall in a haze of heat.
The room lit up in a strobing pink light as the attack barrelled further into the Underworld, bucking wildly before abruptly petering out.
CRACK!
A blinding burst of pain exploded in my head. It felt like a hot iron had been driven straight into the bridge of my nose, searing through flesh and bone with merciless intensity.
A sharp, metallic taste flooded my mouth, the tang of blood mingling with the salt of my sweat. The force of the impact reverberated through my skull, sending shockwaves of agony pulsing through every nerve in my body.
My body lurched backward, and I saw Monaxiá—who was completely unharmed except for the singed clothes and spots of pink flame dancing on his clothes—pull his sword back.
Its hilt was coated in blood—my blood.
A roar echoed throughout the cavern as time resumed. The fireballs I'd thrown just now sailed into the open space where the wall had been, and my body sagged with tiredness. I wasn't used to fighting at that level for more than a few seconds at a time.
I lifted my hand to my nose and grimaced as my fingers briefly touched the broken mess. The sharp sting of broken cartilage made every slow inhale a struggle.
"You can't allow your pain to distract you!" Monaxiá called out, his eyes glowing a menacing shade of yellow. He raised his hand and made a crushing motion. "You need to be prepared at all times!"
Gravity intensified around me. It felt as though the very fabric of reality was folding in on itself. The ground trembled beneath my feet, fissures spreading like cracks in glass as the Earth gave way beneath me.
WHOOSH!
Gusts of wind tore at my skin as I plummeted through the darkness of the Underworld. The roar of the air rushing past my ears drowned out all other sounds, leaving only the thunderous beat of my heart echoing in the cavernous expanse.
My stomach churned with each dizzying spin, and the cold rush of air against my face felt like icy fingers clawing at my skin, sending shivers down my spine with every passing moment.
As the geyser of blood spurted out my nose and floated in the air above me, Monaxiá shot forward like a bomber jet, his glowing eyes streaking through the air as he plummeted toward me.
I glanced back up at Monaxiá and held both of my arms out. I only had a second or two to pull this off. A ring of fire gushed around me with a crackling noise, sending waves of searing heat radiating outward in all directions.
The heat was palpable, wrapping around me like a suffocating embrace as the flames licked hungrily at the air. My hands crackled with energy, the heat shimmering and distorting the world around me.
The energy turned into electricity that ran up and down my hands as I cupped them, activating [Pillar of Fire] and tripling it.
Volcanic lightning.
My mana stores dipped. Fire crackled between my hands for a second, before surging forward in a river of red.
The pillar blazed with an intensity that rivaled the sun itself, casting a brilliant light that illuminated the entire atmosphere with its radiant glow.
More. I need more.
I yelled, and ribbons of green fire danced and crackled along the length of the towering inferno, while bolts of lightning arced and sizzled, intertwining in a mesmerizing display of green and blue.
Plumes of smoke rose out of the fire, scattering across the sky like waves of foam.
Like a gentle stream of creamer pouring into a cup of rich, dark coffee, streaks of color began to unfurl across the dull land. The colors danced and mingled, swirling together in a graceful ballet of light and shadow.
The air trembled beneath me as the sheer force reverberated through the air, sending shockwaves rippling outward in all directions. Dust motes swirled around my feet—kind of as if someone took a snow globe and shook it like their life depended on it.
SCHEEEEEEE!
The pillar of fire split as Monaxiá came hurtling through it like a meteor, his javelin sucking up the fire. Sparks of lightning crackled across his torso, ripping his t-shirt into shreds and shearing burning holes across his skin—not that he even seemed to notice.
I cut off the pillar and drew my weapons again. Gravity resumed, and my body slipped downward in the air. I took a deep breath—urk!
I dry heaved as Monaxiá demolished my guard and stuffed a fist in my torso, twisting his fist and grunting. My whole body sagged even further.
Monaxiá roared and threw me back into the cave with so much force that my back cracked against the top of the cavern.
More droplets of blood rained down from my face like a shower. I reached forward and coated my fingers in the maroon liquid.
I flicked my hand at Monaxiá, exploding shurikens of blood at him to catch him off guard. They whirred toward him, singing through the air with a loud shrieking noise as I dropped back to the ground.
I know I said I didn't want to earlier, but right now, I think the only option I have is to drum up Oceanus' power again.
I was tired and hurt. My body felt like it was reaching its limit, but I knew I couldn't let the fight end this fast, or I wouldn't know my true power. And, if I didn't know my true power, I couldn't improve. If I couldn't improve, what was all of this for?
How did I do it in the fight with Aphrodite? I needed to let myself get mad again. And there was only one surefire way to do that.
Gwen.
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
Those kids on the dance floor.
Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum.
Liz.
Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum.
MJ.
BA-BUM-BA-BUM-BA-BUM—
"RAHHH!" I screamed as the rage surged into my body, freezing and numbing my senses. A chilling torrent, like a rush of ice, coursed through my veins, extinguishing every other feeling I had and replacing it with cold, apathetic anger.
Spikes of ice formed at my feet, and a ring of snow erupted outward, coating the floor and walls in a sheen of ice. The cavern became a desolate, icy landscape, and I stood at its center, a storm of anger swirling within.
[Gamer's Mind MK2] helped keep the rest of my emotions in check, but the anger felt good. Addicting.
Use my power, Perseus, Oceanus whispered in my ear gleefully. Let me live through you. Let my anger—
The voice in my head was cut off as the deity slammed into me, barely giving me enough time to prepare myself. My feet skid backward, the grating sound of rock and gravel causing me to wince. I looked up, ready to fight, when something felt different about the fight.
Monaxiá looked pissed.
I'm not talking about the anger he showed when talking about his past. No, I'm talking about the kind of rage that you can sense without even looking at a person. The kind of rage Hades had that day on the beach when Ares had taken his symbol of power.
For a moment, his eyes flashed yellow, and an outline of vibrant, menacing mana rose to life around his body. The gravity in the cavern doubled. My arms began buckling under the strain, even harder than they did when Oceanus had been mucking around in my head.
"What did you do?" The words ground past his snarling lips, more akin to a growl than a human voice.
AN: Oops! Clearly, I need to work on what a "week or two" means...either way, the chapter was so fat that we had to slice it. The next part of it needs a bit more tweaking, but we felt like delaying any longer would be doing you a disservice, so hopefully this doesn't make you hungrier. If it does, don't worry, because the next part will be out soon. I know, I know. That's what I said last time. But, you'll just have to trust me.
Also MAJOR shoutout to Manke and The Prophesied. Please check out their work! They helped hone the heck out of this chapter.
You can thank Manke for the chapter title, and some of the fight choreography toward the end. I completely stole his suggestion for the scene where the lance comes falling out of the ceiling too. Also, you can thank him for getting me off my ass. Just thank him for everything at this point. Maybe with a follow on one of his stories?
Also, I did a little poll in Discord to see if I should wait and update everything at once, or if I should do a two-parter like this. Want to be involved in the decision-making? Head on over. We'd love to have you. The link is in my profile.
More content and a more comprehensive AN to come soon. If it's more than a week, you can whack me with a mallet, you have my permission. See you soon! Yes, soon!
- Maroon