Percy Jackson: Shadows Rise

by SkyRunn3r

An ancient civilization revived, plots amongst the Gods and a new prophecy all amidst the second gigantomachy could herald the end of the Era of Gods and Olympus as a whole. With Percy sacrificing himself to Nyx, the remainder of The Seven struggle to save their friends and family without him. Sacrificed, but not dead… How far is Percy willing to go in order to save his family?

33. Chapter 32: Sisters of the Storm

Chapter Thirty Two: Sisters of the Storm.

Comment Replies:

TomorrowCarpe Diem: Thank you kindly, I really appreciate the compliment! Enjoy the Chapter.

HellRaiderS: As always, enjoy the chapter!

Lekka: I wish it was on chapter 42 right now as well. Haha, thanks for the review and enjoy the new chapter!

Lord of the Skies: Thanks so much for understanding, and I'm sorry to hear about your dogs. Im really REALLY glad to hear you like the OC's, i spent a lot of time developing them as 1. I was too lazy to read the Magnus Chase novels for a norse character and 2. I tried my best to keep them unique in the sense that they aren't rip-offs of another PJO character. So it's really nice to see them getting some love. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Rory: Always a pleasure to see these reviews, let's get into it. What you understood in regards to my take on prophecies is spot on. As for Hades Pov, I'm glad you appreciated the different views of the Big three and the roles they are playing. As for fight scenes, if you enjoyed the last one with Asbjorn, hopefully you'll enjoy this one with Ren. I really did enjoy writing the last Percy pov and it just felt right that all this magic hes using and power hes wielding would have an effect on not only his mental state but his physical state as well. As for how i mention a plot this complex, i dont know. I think im going grey haha. Anyways, Enjoy the chapter and thanks again for the long review, always look forwards to reading and replying to these.

Super Fast Potato: Glad to hear you like the story! Here's what you've been waiting for, maybe? Haha, enjoy the chapter!

M0NAX1A: Thanks for the comment, glad to hear you like the story and worry not. I have no intention of abandoning the story. My life is just utter chaos right now combined with long work hours. But I promise I am working on it.

Julio Abel: Thanks for the high praise! I try to write at a quality I myself would enjoy reading, so I'm glad to hear it's up to par! Enjoy the new chapter!

: So do I hahaha, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Talentedtal4200: Thanks for the compliments, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed reading what i've written so far! No worries about me giving up on it however, not until it's done anyway. Enjoy the chapter!

Psairohith02: Thayes blessing grants percy some of the powers of her domain. Which is the depths, the coldest and deepest parts of the Okeanos river. So hes not immune to it, but when compared to an average person he might as well be. With Thayes blessing and his own demigod blood which already granted him some resistance to cold underwater. Hope that clears it up! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!

M95806152: Thanks for the high praise! Enjoy the chapter!

930CLL: That's some high praise, reading this whole thing four times over is something I know my editors have done but I can't say it didn't make me smile knowing someone else did it just because they enjoyed it that much! I'm glad to hear you love worldbuilding as it's something I've spent a lot of time on with this fic. But worry not, i'm not giving up on or abandoning this fic, life just enjoys getting in my way haha. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as much as the last one!

As always i'd like to throw a shout out to my Beta readers and Editors, as well as those who are in my discord. I really appreciate all your help with editing and pre-reading chapters. If you want to be a part of that process, provide input/feedback on the story and have access to OC artwork and chapter teasers feel free to join.

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Ren 5 days 10 hours after Eripus

The steady thump-thump-thump of the helicopter blades roared out as their Fuji UH-1 helicopter moved above the city of Tokyo at a rapid speed. Passing a few dozen feet above the rooftops in a tight formation as Ren looked down on her city, Or rather, what remained of her city.

Nearly half of Tokyo was underwater, and what little remained of the city was either collapsed, engulfed in flames or in some state between the two.

The government had already projected casualties in the millions, amongst them were the Prime minister and most of the cabinet, alongside millions of civilians, military and rescue personnel and tourists.

Reports from the various branches all spoke of the same problems, too many injured and not enough supplies. That was before you talked about the power outages, service delays, food and gas shortages, all of which would no doubt indirectly kill millions more. What made it worse was that as far as anyone within the Onmitsu could tell, this was happening everywhere. The mortal methods of communication between Kyushu, Hokkaido and Shikoku had all gone dark hours ago, save for the other institutes who all reported similar stories of death and destruction.

Dozens of refugee camps had been set up, and many of them were overflowing with casualties, Ren thought to herself as she grit her teeth. But those were the least of her worries, as the earthquake and the giant tsunami had been the first in a long line of perfectly timed catastrophes.

After that, a series of vicious attacks occurred against Onmitsu facilities across Japan, by Oni and their human allies. All of the attackers bore the mark of Shuten Doji, the self proclaimed King of Demons. Powerful military grade explosives had been used alongside magic and conventional weapons. The facilities that were attacked lasted an hour at most before succumbing to the assault. Then the enemy forces had massacred anyone who got in their way, and rumor was that they had stolen several powerful and ancient relics from the vaults at the various institutes.

More concerning was the presence of the reported sighting of the mark of Shuten Doji. The Demon King had never been truly slain. The hero Minamoto and his brother Yorinobu had simply managed to cut the Demon King into pieces, and separate his body, thus trapping the Demon King.

However, his body had been kept safe by the Onmitsu for generations, hidden away in their deepest and most secure vaults, many of which were now subject to attack by enemies bearing the mark of the Demon King.

But of course none of the council members would admit to anything, which meant the situation was likely far worse than what the rumors spoke of. However there was one small ray of sunshine. The cultists and oni bearing the mark of shuten doji were still leaderless. As the head of the infamous Demon King lay deep within the vaults of the Tokyo institute which was guarded by some of the most powerful and proficient warriors the Onmitsu had. Which meant that the cultists were no more of a threat than any other mortals, and they would remain that way as long as the Demon King's head remained locked away and the demon king himself in a deep slumber. That knowledge alone had taken a weight off of her shoulders, she didn't know had been there.

Her father and three other Gods had helped to kill Shuten Doji alongside the legendary hero Minamoto No Yorimitsu hundreds of years ago. A feat she might need to live up to should the cultist actually get ahold of the withered head of Shuten Doji. Ren grimaced at the thought. As if all she needed right now was an ancient demon warlord who had once tried to rule Japan and now had the army behind him to make his goal a reality.

But she had to focus. There were more important things that had to be taken care of immediately. The Tokyo institute wasn't one of them. It had been spared mostly due to its upper levels being entirely underwater now. Not that it had any real effect on the functionality of the institute itself, as the lower levels were effectively a self-sustaining fortress.

Luckily it had its own power grid and supply, and as luck would have it, all of their sensors and wards had remained intact. It was with those defenses that they had been able to detect another threat, one that was far more imminent and far more dangerous than Shuten Doji.

The Demon Namazu was awake.

The King of Catfish, a demon the size of a small island, who brought disaster and misery upon Japan every time he awoke. It appeared now as if he was not only awake, but moving and moving towards Tokyo at that.

So it was with reluctance that the council had dispatched twelve other operatives and the three of them alongside an entire detachment of JSDF forces. Ren wasn't sure if she trusted any of them, not that she had much of a choice. The other Oniwaban were similarly dispatched like her, cleaning up dozens of messes as Yokai and other Evil spirits escaped their various prisons and seals and began to rage across the countryside.

They desperately needed backup, which under normal circumstances meant calling in the less experienced Niwaban to fill the ranks, but even they were currently deployed across Japan trying to put out what fires they could in a never ending game of catch up.

Ren wanted to put a stop to all the destruction and the death. Just the sight of Tokyo made her feel physically ill, but first she had to stop a demon from destroying what little remained.

Then she could focus on keeping her promise.

"So what do we do?" Tsu Yon asked hesitantly as her headset crackled, causing her to adjust her mask slightly as she winced, before replying coldly. "Same as always, we send the demon back to where it came from."

"This is more than your average demon Ren, they say it…" Akiyama started to say before Ren cut her off.

"They say he's a force of nature, and that he attacked and sank two separate battleships just minutes before the tsunami hit Tokyo bay." Ren said in a calm voice.

"Two battleships…" Tsu yon said softly.

"Just means it's a big fish, so we'll need a big fire to cook it on after we kill it, '' Ren said as she resumed staring out the hangar door.

"Ren this isn't the time to be joking around. We need a plan!" Tsu yon snapped back.

"That is the plan Tsu, I'm going to kill that fish, no more time spent under a rock. No more plaguing Japan with disaster after disaster. We were given permission to do as we thought was necessary, well I deem it necessary." Ren said as Akiyama nodded in agreement.

"Well I don't know if I do!" Tsu yon fired back, "It's our job to maintain the balance between our world and theirs! I don't see how killing him solves anything. We need to return him to his prison and find out how he escaped in the first place. Someone or something helped him, and its probably the same person who helped those greek monsters get here in the first place!"

"Do you see balance out there Tsu?" Akiyama said quietly. "Because I don't, all I see is destruction and death… He's escaped before and he will again, how can you be so sure it was some grand plot?"

"Even if it isn't, even if this is all Namazu acting alone, it's still not our choice! There are some rules we can't break! And our oath to keep the balance at all costs should be one of them! The Gods chose to imprison him, we must respect that decision" Tsu snapped back.

"It's fine, you don't need to break any rules Tsu. This is a freebie on me. I've got a bone to pick with Namazu anyway." Ren replied in a calm voice. "That's my city down there, both my father and your grandfather have been incredibly clear about my role in our world. I was born to act as the guardian of Tokyo, the servant who connects the mortal and spirit worlds. So how do you expect me to let the one responsible breathe the same air as me after all the lives he just took?"

"They want you to serve on the council, to help guid-" Tsu yon started to say before he was cut off.

"The council are a bunch of corrupt old geezers who care more about grant money and influence than they do about saving lives and protecting the balance." Akiyama said thoughtfully as she looked out at the city.

"Aki is right, if they cared at all about really protecting people, they wouldn't have sent any of these mortals with us." Ren said as she gestured towards the group JSDF soldiers in the helicopter, all of whom were staring at them with looks of confusion and anger.

"Ren, Akiyama. The mortals are risking their lives the same as we are. Show some respect." Tsu Yon snapped angrily.

"They're not risking their lives. If Namazu really did cause this, then they are throwing them away in a battle. A battle they can't hope to influence in any way." Ren snapped back, "I'm not disrespecting their bravery, just questioning the decisions of our elders and their superiors."

Tsu Yon sat there silent, his arms crossed as he simply looked away.

Ren could tell by his body language Tsu Yon was furious but she also knew that he agreed with everything they were saying, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Tsu knew that his grandfather looked at him as the rightful heir to the family and to the leadership of the Onmitsu and as such Tsu acted in a certain way, treating the rules of the organization like a personal creed.

For a few moments, just the sound of the helicopter's blades and the wind filled the cabin as Ren watched the Ocean ahead of them slowly grow larger. The sea normally lit by the lights of the city was instead a dark black blanket. Lit by dozens of spotlights provided by the Japanese Fleet.

It was at this point that four additional helicopters began to move into close formation alongside the one Ren was in. These four however, were far more heavily armed. Each of them carrying several machine guns and a pair of missile pods.

"ETA two minutes, rendezvous with strike team complete. Heading to the target location now." Came the crackly audio from the pilots over the headset as Ren grumbled and stood up, casually stretching her arms above her head. "This is Captain Fugasaki. We have orders to ensure the safe transport of the three Onmitsu agents aboard, ensuring the package gets to the drop zone safely. Conventional weaponry doesn't seem to affect or slow it down in any meaningful way, so do not engage unless you are forced too."

Ren adjusted the earpiece under her mask swiftly, then she tested the sheath of Sutomukuro, ensuring it wouldn't snag or catch during the draw. Her motions were practiced and calm as she checked all her gear, straps and knives.

For a moment there was silence until another voice crackled over the radio. "Captain, all due respect, they're children. If the fleet can't kill this thing, how are the three of them going to?"

"Orders are orders Sergeant. These three came at the express recommendation of the Emperor himself, and the Emergency Prime Minister's cabinet. So don't argue, just escort the three of them to the site and after that pretend you never saw them" The voice called out with authority over the radio.

Yet before Ren or anyone else could reply dozens of alarms went off in the helicopter all at once. In an instant Tsu Yon and Akiyama were on their feet, as alert as one can be. Meanwhile, the soldiers immediately began to look around wildly as the helicopter began to plunge through the air.

The helicopter they were in dipped lower towards the water as the roar of a cannon barrage sounded, the night sky illuminated by flashes as several warships unleashed a devastating barrage into the distance. Then a few moments later a dozen or more explosions shot water into the air, followed shortly by an ear shattering roar.

"Well, great to see Namazu is all fired up and ready to go. What was that about a peaceful resolution?" Ren asked as she reached up to grab one of the handholds, her other hand prepared to unclip the harness holding her in the helicopter.

An action Akiyama was mirroring almost exactly.

Almost as if to accentuate her point suddenly both of the helicopters on either side of them opened fire with their guns, and a literal rain of bullets vanished forwards into the darkness as voices crackled over the intercom once more.

For a second Ren could have sworn she could hear a strange bird cry over them.

"Enemies sighted, approaching from the North West."

"What the hell are those things? Are those wings!?"

"There are more of them, at least a dozen, no two dozen coming in from the northeast."

Ren watched with interest, her eyes trying to pierce the darkness as dozens of large shapes swooped about with ease.

"What the hell is that!?"

"It's fast, bank hard left! It's climbing above us."

"NO kind of plane can turn like that, what is that thing?"

"We need light up here! Get dispatch to send out another squadron. The enemy has air support! I Repeat the En-" The last words were cut off as another explosion lit up the sky, slightly ahead of them, as another helicopter plunged towards the ocean, completely engulfed in flames and missing the back half.

"There's an immortal up there Ren, I know you can sense it too '' Tsu said softly, yet his hands were clenched into fists. "This wasn't in the mission statement."

"Fuck the statement Tsu. We have a job to do and if it's here destroying helicopters, it's just as much of a threat as Namazu is" Ren said immediately as she snapped her head upwards looking around frantically in the darkness, and after a moment dozens of searchlights quickly climbed into the sky, sending beams of white light into the air, illuminating dozens of birds.

At least they resembled birds more than anything else, Ren thought to herself. They were all roughly the size of cranes, but seemingly made of bronze metal. In all her years of protecting Japan, Ren had never seen anything like them.

Yet dozens of them were swarming through the air, their beaks tearing chunks out of the helicopters, their metal beaks and feathers reflecting the light in a thousand different directions. It was chaos.

Yet in that chaos, Ren saw him, just a glimpse, a flash of white and brown as big if not bigger than the helicopter that had just tumbled past them.

Thunder rumbled and lightning crackled across the skies as she gripped the handle of her sword with one hand. Watching as one of the other helicopters pulled back and continued to open fire, chasing the target in the air, but it was far too slow to ever hope to catch up.

Another roar as the guns of the ships below them unleashed another barrage adding to the cacophony of noise that was assaulting Ren's senses. Yet she did her best to focus, trying to pinpoint the moving target amidst the chaos.

It was fast certainly, no more than a blur when it was moving, but it couldn't hide forever and as more and more spotlights were lifted to the air, and several of the anti-aircraft batteries on the battleships began to fire into the sky, further illuminating the darkness.

Another loud boom roared out as another Helicopter tumbled from the air, slamming into the water as some of the heavy ordinance onboard went off, sending a plume of smoke and fire into the sky.

In an instant they were alone, their escorts aflame and sinking in the water behind them as Ren tried to drown out the shouting of the soldiers and the crackle of the headset. Instead staring upwards into the sky, her entire body tensed, muscle straining like a taut wire.

"W-what the hell is going on?" Shouted one of the pilots over the intercom, as all hell broke loose, with dozens of voices calling out over the radio.

Another deep roar came from farther ahead of them out to sea as the waters began to churn and roil, like some sort of ancient beast.

"Someone needs to put a stop to whatever that thing is…"Tsu said to Ren and Akiyama as he stood up. "I can't move around in the air, not like the two of you can." he finished almost sullenly.

"What about Namazu?" Akiyama asked.

"We can figure that out if we manage to not end up drowning or dead when that things knocks us out of the sky." Tsu yon replied.

Ren turned to look at Akiyama, regarding the golden mask of her friend as Akiyama stretched and then unclipped the strap holding her into the helicopter. "Looks like it's time for us to get started, Ren. Let's not disappoint."

"Whatever that thing is, it's going to keep taking down these helicopters until someone deals with it, So it's not like we have much of a choice" Ren said darkly as she looked up into the air.

Tsu Yon nodded and reached into his pack, withdrawing two separate seals, both bearing the divine mark of Harmony, which he quickly spoke a small prayer over, before placing them on their armor somewhere secure.

Then Tsu sat back on his chair, slowly mumbling under his breath as the soldiers watched them in confusion. Not that Ren really cared if they understood what was going on, if she and Akiyama were going to fight a flying enemy in the air they needed every advantage they could get.

It took a second for Tsu Yon's ritual to take effect, but suddenly it was as if Ren could see or rather sense whatever Akiyama could. It was a seal meant to improve the effects of two battle partners but unfortunately it required a third to maintain the connection.

So while Ren and Akiyama's eyes glowed silver, the two of them took a moment to orient themselves and try to understand the rush of information they were both receiving.

"It hasn't struck again…" Ren mumbled to herself as she continued to watch the sky like a hawk.

Yet before she could do or say anything else, one of the soldiers turned around, glaring at her angrily. "So what, you give a damn if we die now?" he snapped, his voice coming in loud and clear over the intercoms.

"I always gave a damn, I just think it's pointless to send mortals into a godly conflict and if this doesn't prove it then I don't know what will." Ren said with a sigh, before she looked up into the sky.

Silence met her remark as Akiyama unclipped her belt and simply leaned backwards. Falling out of the open bay door to the shouts of alarm from the soldiers as she dropped away into the darkness. For a moment there was nothing and then suddenly Akiyama rocketed upwards, flying past them. A veritable inferno under her feet, as one of the soldiers all but leapt backwards.

Ren grinned, in an instant Sutomukuro was free of its sheath and slashing the harness holding her into the helicopter as she jumped out, her body crackling with electricity as she called upon her father's power.

The tug in her gut was intense as she felt the skies rumble and crackle at her call, before a bolt of lightning sparked into existence, the raw power of the storm, hers to command as it raced towards her.

Then in a flash of light Ren was a few hundred feet in the air, lightning crackling all around her as she instead focused her will. Just as she had been taught she envisioned herself as a weapon, every limb its own deadly blade.

Below her she could see Akiyama, billowing outwards as she flew through the air, Even from the height she was at Ren could feel the heat on her skin. The girl was a maelstrom of fire, just like the ancient dragons themselves.

All around her the strange metal birds squealed and squawked as Akiyama lit up the night sky with an explosion of fire.

Sending molten metal and charred bird corpses tumbling down into the waves far below.

Ren couldn't deny that it was a sight to behold, but her focus was elsewhere, her eyes were scanning, watching and waiting as she looked for her target. A task made more difficult as dozens of birds began to race towards her, letting loose their unbearable screeching cries.

Yet as the first one reached her, Ren swung her sword around, smashing Sutomukuro into the metallic bird and calling upon her father's powers in the same instant.

In a flash she reappeared just above the bird, pushing off of it with one hand as she slashed it in half with her sword in the same motion.

Reappearing again beside another one of the birds she grinned. Compared to her, these birds were slow. Another quick series of slashes sent two more birds tumbling through the air in pieces.

She knew that below her, Akiyama was in the midst of a firestorm as dozens of these strange metal birds melted to slag around her. Yet for every few Akiyama killed, more came to take their place.

Then as gravity slowly took hold Ren looked back towards the group of helicopters, nearly a dozen of them were far below her, racing towards the sole helicopter carrying Tsu Yon and the soldiers as more and more spotlights were raised into the sky. It was in that same instant she spotted the creature, wings spread wide flying directly towards the formation.

She could see the glint of metal off the massive wings, and the weapon the creature carried, a glaive of sorts nearly fourteen feet long by her estimation.

Ren knew exactly what was going to happen if she didn't get there in time, whatever this thing was it didn't care about the lives of the crewmen onboard. Nor did it care about Tsu Yon, or anyone else who might be hurt.

But those lives and their protection were her responsibility.

Another flash of light and a resounding BOOM rolled out across the dark water as Ren vanished. Re-appearing in-between the helicopter and the monster in another burst of electricity, she felt the slight drain on her energy that always followed using her powers like this.

She didn't hesitate, her body already spinning as she sent Sutomukuro into a vicious swipe, her other hand drawing her shorter sword from the sheathe at her waist in the same motion.

But more importantly as Sutomukuro swung around with blinding speed she was rewarded by the harsh clang of metal on metal as her sword connected with the large polearm wielded by the creature.

The force of the blow would have sent Ren flying if she hadn't already vanished, using her powers more on intuition than reaction. She re-appeared in a flash of light behind the creature as she slashed downwards with both of her swords. Sending a spray of golden blood into the air as a roar of pain came from the creature.

Which Ren realized looked more like a giant human with wings than anything else.

He was nearly eight feet tall by her estimation, his skin a golden hue, and his face haughty and arrogant, but beautiful all the same. A pair of silver wings stretched out for nearly ten feet to either side of him, their metallic feathers glittering in the light.

The blow from her sword sent the creature tumbling out of the air for a moment, electricity arcing across its body before it suddenly spread its wings wide once more and elegantly rose back into the air a few dozen feet away.

Then in an instant, with a single flap of its wings, the creature was right in front of her, polearm already mid swing, set to cleave her in two. In an instant Sutomukuro and her wasakashi flew about her in a frenzy, deflecting several strikes. Most of which would have cloven her in half had they made contact of any kind. Yet with each blocked strike the man pushed her farther down towards the ocean below her.

However the final blow came not from the creature's weapon, but from its Wings as one of them batted her out of the air with ease, sending her hurtling downwards towards the water uncontrollably, as the irrational fear of plunging into the dark cold ocean nearly overwhelmed her. Ren slipped her wakizashi into her belt as she spread her limbs out, doing her best to slow her fall.

But in that same instant, she felt something grab her around the waist and she was spun around, before being released and launched back into the air by Akiyama, who had plummeted out of the air and caught Ren, spinning around and sending her flying back up into the air.

So quick was the change in direction that she actually saw a look of surprise on the winged man's face as he barely lifted his weapon up in time to block the rapid strikes Ren launched at him as she raced past him.

She heard the sudden shout of surprise as she sensed more than saw Akiyama sent forth a barrage of fireballs, all of them flying towards the man as he used his wings to cover himself, giving Akiyama time to close the gap towards him. As fast as a whip, Akiyama struck, lashing out with her concealed chains as they wrapped themselves around the man pinning his arms to his sides as she set the chains alight with her powers. Engulfing the winged man in crackling flames as the flames propelling Akiyama increased in intensity and she began dragging him back towards the ocean below.

Ren wasted no time, calling upon her father's powers several times in rapid succession as she launched a barrage of attacks from a dozen angles as fast as she could manage. Like some never ending drum roll of thunder cracks and lighting strikes, the air was filled with the smell of ozone. As golden blood flew through the air and the giant howled in pain, cursing in a strange language.

Blood trickled from where she had bitten through her lip, and a gash on her forehead left her half blinded. Yet she refused to relent, ignoring the pain in her body, and the growing numbness in her extremities as she hacked away at the target before her.

Golden blood flew through the air as the man howled under the assault, his arms ensnared by Akiyama's chains. However with a simple shrug and a roar of anger a golden aura pulsed outwards, snapping the chains in an instant. Accompanied by a heat so intense Ren felt her hands scald instantly, before she vanished in a flash of lightning, reappearing high in the air as she hung for an instant before gravity took hold. Ren couldn't maintain the assault any longer, nearly two minutes of constantly using her powers had left her feeling drained and she desperately needed a breather.

Yet she couldn't stop, the damned freak of nature wouldn't die, she must have landed a dozen fatal blows yet none of them seemed to do anything more than annoy him. Down below her, she knew Akiyama was desperately trying to fend off the creature in the air. What remained of her chains were spinning around her in a blur as blasts of fire roared out in all directions, illuminating the night as Akiyama let loose in a way she couldn't in the city.

As the wind whipped about her, Ren snarled at her own weakness, she could feel the exhaustion in Akiyama's bones, yet here she was trying to take a breather. While Aki fought alone.

Unacceptable.

Her eyes crackled with power and in a flash of light she vanished, reappearing behind the monster mid swing, her sword slicing cleaning through the man's bicep, tearing flesh from the bone and forcing him to drop his polearm before she yanked the blade free. In the same motion Ren reached out and grabbed hold of one of his wings, using her momentum to swing herself around and slash her blade deep into his chest as the man roared out in agony, before stabbing her sword deep into his side rooting herself in place.

Even amidst the agony of her assault the man spun about, using his free wing to smash into Akiyama, sending the girl rocketing out of the air. For an instant Ren was half worried, before she saw the glare from her flames far below them.

In the same instant, the giant reached out and grabbed her by the throat as she immediately began to slash at his arm and chest with one hand as her other hand grabbed his wrist, only to find it as pliable as a metal rod.

Ren could only watch helplessly as the metal birds swooped downwards after Akiyama as if they were following the giant's commands. They began attacking her before she could begin to make her way back up to Ren and separated the two easily.

Ren could feel Akiyama's exhaustion and her anger, she knew Akiyama was racing back towards her. But as another roar from Namazu sundered the heavens as more and more cannons roared out, Ren knew none of this was going according to plan and she also knew that neither she nor Akiyama could keep this up for long, so she did her best to calm her mind.

"I got it from here, you and Tsu Yon get to Namazu! Slow him down!" Ren screamed out, hoping desperately that Akiyama had heard, and was going to listen to her as she coiled her feet against the man's chest and kicked outwards. Vanishing in a flash of lighting only to reappear high above him in an instant, her entire body shaking as she felt the exhaustion truly start to set in.

The man's body fell out of the air far below her, smoking from where the latest lightning bolt had collided with him. Yet Ren doubted he was dead. Even if the lightning bolt had done anything to him, she doubted it was going to keep him down for long.

"Come on dad… show me what I need to do…" Ren mumbled to herself as the skies crackled and rumbled, then in an instant they opened, sending down a torrential downpour of rain she closed her eyes.

Then with a deep breath she called upon her powers, ignoring the exhaustion and numbness in her limbs as she called on her ki. She was the daughter of the dragon, and this thing had chosen to pick a fight with her.

In one fluid motion she reached up and tore the seal Tsu yon had placed on her armor off, then she slashed her own palm deeply, Wincing slightly as blood began to gush from the wound.

She was the daughter of the Dragon, but she was weak, she couldn't protect anyone like this.

"Anata o shōkan shimasu, Kobayashi" Ren said softly, calling out to her Shinigami as her blood rushed down over the tattoo on her forearm, sending a pulse of energy out into the dark night sky.

For a moment there was nothing, then she felt his hands on her shoulders as an inky blackness surrounded her in an instant.

"You summoned me Ren." Kobayashi's voice rang out clearly, yet still quiet as a whisper.

"I need to make another pact." Ren shouted out as gravity slowly took hold and began to drag her back downwards. The air rushed past her as she heard the furious roar of the giant below her.

"You know the price Ren, is it worth the cost? The immortal you fight is likely beyond you even with my help." Kobayashi asked curiously.

"Doesn't matter, someone has to stop him. So just take it! Six months is fine" Ren snarled as she held her hand out, wincing slightly as the icy cold claw of Kobayashi touched her fingers.

"As you say, six months of time in the mortal realm, for the power you would have had. A bargain is struck Ren, use it wisely." Kobayashi remarked as Ren felt an icy chill seep into her entire body, doing away with the pain and exhaustion. "I wish you luck, Daughter of the Dragon, you'll need it"

Even as the presence of Kobayashi faded, Ren felt more powerful than ever, and for now that was all that mattered. Ren's entire body crackled with electricity and she called upon her father's powers. They responded without question, without any resistance.

The skies and the storm were hers to command, and for an instant a smile split her face.

Far below her, she saw the glint of metal racing upwards as the winged man rushed towards her. So once more she gripped Sutomukuro in both hands, vanishing in a burst of electricity, only to reappear as a bolt of lightning slammed into the man's chest, alongside Sutomukuro.

"I'm back…" Ren snarled as she forced the blade deeper, calling upon her father's powers as she summoned all the power her body could hold, until she felt like she was bursting at the seams. Then the very heavens all but burst open, sending dozens of bolts of lightning crashing down around them, with several more striking both of them as they rocketed out of the air.

Electricity arced off of both of their bodies, and the immortal could do little more than scream in agony. Ren wasn't done however, as she grabbed hold of him firmly, ignoring the screams of pain he was making. She needed to get him away from the convoy and away from her friends.

So she looked at Tokyo, the remaining high-rise's scattered about, gleaming in the distance and with a scream of rage she did her best to move both of them.

An instant later Ren crashed into the roof of one of the high-rise's, alongside a bolt of lighting that seemed to tear the skies asunder. The immortal slammed into the roof cratering the upper level and smashing through it into the floor below. Ren's skin was steaming as she rolled and eventually came to an abrupt stop against the edge of the roof. Letting out a low groan before forcing herself to her feet.

Yet even as she stood, the sound of laughter slowly began to ring out from the still smoking body of the man as he slowly forced himself to his feet. Rising out of the hole like some sort of fallen angel. A look of anger was clear on his face as he regarded Ren.

"You fight well in the air for someone who can't fly, little Demigod." The winged man called out cruelly, a snarl splitting his face as Ren gripped her sword hilt tighter and did her best to not lunge at him then and there.

"Who the hell are you! Why are you attacking Tokyo!?" Ren snarled, "Answer quickly and I promise you your death will be as quick!"

"You can't kill me, little demigod." The man said with a chuckle, raising his arm to show as the bicep knitted itself together. "Not without help, and once I'm done with you, I'll go kill the other two."

"Want to test that theory?" Ren snarled in reply.

"How quaint, I suppose demigods don't change no matter where their parents are from." The man replied, "When Gaea finishes this little cleansing of hers, The Titans will rule once more unopposed. Then all you mortals will remember them, the children of the Primordial's and you will remember that this world is theirs to rule by right!"

Ren stared at him confused, none of it made any sense. "Who the hell is Gaea?"

"Gaea is the very earth you walk upon, the same earth your kind has polluted and ruined. She asked that I come with Namazu, who offered his services to her so freely to ensure the job was well and truly done." The immortal said with a sneer.

Ren's vision all but narrowed, "So you and this Gaea planned all of this?" she asked quietly.

"I am but her humble servant Zelus, Son of Pallas and Styx, Titan of Zeal and Envy. Gaea's grand plan is not my design but I will play my part all the same and wh-'' The Titan started to say before he was forced to swing his polearm around and protect himself.

Before Zelus could finish speaking Ren launched herself at him, her sword strikes were imbued with the power of her father as booms of thunder roared out to accompany each strike. So fast and fierce were the blows that she actually forced the Titan to take several steps backwards.

Almost immediately Zelus' face went from haughty and arrogant to confused and slightly concerned as Ren attacked. This entire fight so far had been on his terms, in the air, a place she couldn't move freely.

But down on the ground?

Amidst the rooftops of Tokyo?

This was home turf, and she was about to show this immortal just how much of an outsider he was here.

Zelus charged forwards as Ren rushed to meet him, diving to the side and cutting open his stomach with a clean blow in the process. Then she turned around and lifted her sword into the air, her gaze focused on the Titan.

To a casual observer it would seem as if a particularly vengeful lightning god had decided to remove this specific rooftop in particular from what remained of the tokyo skyline..

A seemingly never ending barrage of lighting tore itself from the sky to crash into the building, with each strike Ren landed a blow, vanishing in an instant before Zelus could fight back only to reappear her sword flashing, the blade superheated and glowing white. Each slash filled the air with the scent of burning flesh and ozone.

Zelus was slow, far slower than he needed to be on the ground to keep up with her at the very least. In the air it was a different story, but now that her feet were on solid ground, she had no intention of letting the titan get airborne again.

"ENOUGH!" Roared the immortal as he swept his polearm out in a wide circle before it slammed into the rooftop where Ren had been moments before, shattering it into a thousand tiny pieces, as the very building itself groaned in protest.

Luckily for her, she was a dozen feet in the air, already above the Titan. So even as Zelus gathered himself and prepared to leap into the air, Ren was ready. Spinning around as she fell to slash Sutomukuro across his back and unleash the powers of her father with a boom, the force of the blow sent the titan staggering forwards before he crashed to the ground face first.

As she landed lightly on her feet, Ren wasted no time and rushed forwards. She almost saw the attack before the Titan thought of it, Leaping into the air over him nimbly, easily dodging the polearm which was swung around at waist height. Her feet touched down on his shoulder, slowing her down if only for a second as her sword flicked out like a whip, slashing across Zelus' eyes. Ren was already long gone when the Titan's hands moved up to his face as she stood perhaps ten feet behind him.

Zelus howled in pain and clutched at his face as golden ichor gushed from the wound, yet the look of mounting horror on his face as the wound failed to close on its own was evident. Instead a surge of golden light from the titan healed most of the damage as he turned his hate filled, bloodshot eyes on her.

"What are you! What kind of demigod can injure a Titan!?" Zelus roared as he launched himself at her, his polearm swinging wildly, as Ren avoided the clumsy strikes, waiting for an opening.

Zelus seemed tired of the cat and mouse game, instead opting to charge forwards, his hand reaching out to grab her as he lunged forwards with the polearm. Only he was too slow, and as his left hand dropped to the ground, freed from his arm with a single swing Ren couldn't help but grin.

Even still the Titan tried to swing his weapon at Ren, who vanished in a flash of electricity only to reappear a dozen or so feet away. The Polearm smashed into the roof, once more, as golden ichor poured from the Titan's wrist. Ren meanwhile lifted her hand and beckoned the Titan onwards.

With a roar, Zelus unleashed that silvery aura again as the building shuddered and gasped its final breath, starting to collapse downwards as Ren tumbled downwards alongside much of the roof.

Zelus let loose a maniacal laugh as he launched himself into the air, his large metallic wings flapping loudly as he began to soar off.

Yet Ren simply called upon her father's powers, her bloodshot eyes locked onto the fleeing form of Zelus. Then in an instant she appeared, a blast of electricity signaling her arrival as she plunged Sutomukuro into Zelus' back.

"We aren't finished yet…" Ren managed to get out through gritted teeth as she called upon her father's powers again, sending them crashing onto a large garden rooftop, scattering what little plants and furniture remained as Ren rolled free from the Titan's back easily.

No sooner had Ren's feet touched the ground, that she turned about and rushed forwards once more, her every fiber focused on her swordsmanship as she deflected a clumsy blow from the Titan's wings and dashed between his feet.

Her blade a blur as golden blood gushed from a dozen wounds on Zelus' legs. Ren barely had time to move clear of him as the titan crashed to the ground face first howling in agony.

Another contemptuous swing of her sword later and one of the Titan's Majestic wings crashed to the ground. Drawing a wail of pain from the Titan. Zelus had said something about no God helping her, but that wasn't entirely true. It was possible that Zelus didn't know about Kobayashi, a death god, and Ren hoped that really was the case.

At best Ren had a few seconds to figure something out, as Zelus just kept getting back up, and she had no real way of putting him down. No matter what she did, he just kept healing, it seemed hopeless she thought to herself for a moment.

Yet she had to admit that ever since she had made a new pact with Kobayash, her strikes had done more damage to the titan.

Then she paused, gripping her sword hilt tightly, and looking up at the sky above herself as it roiled and crackled with lightning. Below her, Tokyo was in ruins. Where only a day before had stood her city, now all that remained were flooded rubble choked streets.

Had she acted sooner, perhaps things would have been different, she thought remorsefully before she turned her gaze back towards the Titan, who was struggling to his feet.

At the very least she had someone to take her frustration out on.

Then with a scream she tore the mask from her face, shaking out her hair as she did so and turning around to regard the Titan with a look of utter contempt. Electricity arcing off her body along the metal railings of the rooftop as she slowly withdrew her wakizashi.

"I am going to flay the skin from your hide, you little demon!" Roared Zelus as he struggled to his feet, "We threw this entire country into Chaos, mortal blood runs in the streets and where are your Gods!? YET STILL YOU FIGHT! WHY!?" The titan roared as he struggled to his feet, his entire body glowing.

"I am the Daughter of the Dragon, and a sworn warrior of the Onmitsu. I will not run from the likes of you, or your mother. As for my Gods? They need not waste their time with a simple servant such as yourself, my blade shall be more than enough" Ren said in a serious tone as she settled into her stance and smiled widely.

Barely able to contain the joy and pride she felt as the skies roared their approval, the heavens themselves seemed to glow with an intensity not unlike the sun itself as the Titan let out a roar and charged forwards, his polearm thrusting towards her with deadly accuracy.

Yet even as he moved, it seemed slow, clumsy to Ren, like he was moving through mud.

In a moment that seemed to stretch a lifetime, she dashed forwards, spinning underneath the giant's weapon as both her swords swung upwards, severing his remaining hand at the wrist and sending the weapon crashing to the ground.

Even as the Titan's roar of pain echoed out Ren increased the pressure, her feet touching the ground and launching her right back at the Titan as she spun around him, a whirlwind of sword strikes and lighting as the look of anger on Zelus' face went from anger and confusion to fear.

Dozens of wounds opened up on his chest, and legs as the Titan stumbled backwards, trying desperately to protect himself with his wings.

She might not be able to kill him outright, but she had watched, recorded. Done everything the onmitsu had trained her to do. She knew how long it took him to heal, it was some sort of magic like the mystics of Kyushu used and she knew she had roughly twenty to thirty seconds to injure him in any kind of substantial way before the titan had a chance to heal himself again.

She wasn't sure if his hands were needed for the process, so taking them first had been another step in her evaluation of her enemy.

She might not know how to kill him just yet, but she was going to figure out how, and fast. Her gaze flicked towards the ocean for a moment, and in the distance she could still see the spotlights and flashes of gunfire high amidst the clouds.

Her friends needed her, they were fighting against hopeless odds without her, and she was wasting time here.

Zelus stumbled backwards under the onslaught, wings covering him as Ren growled in anger. She stabbed her wakizashi downwards through the top of the Titan's foot as he howled in pain and jerked backwards forcing her to yank the wakizashi free.

In an instant, Ren slashed forwards with her other sword, nearly taking his foot at the ankle as his wings slashed outwards forcing Ren to leap backwards as the Titan stumbled backwards to one knee, screaming in agony.

However as he stood up again, he let out a roar as his remaining wing snapped forwards, sending dozens of razor sharp metal feathers flying in her direction. Only her lightning fast reflexes saved her as her swords weaved a protective barrier of steel around her.

Sending dozens of the feathers flying only to be lodged into the rooftop around her, and after a few moments she paused, blood dripped from a dozen different wounds on her body as she glared at the Titan defiantly while he looked at her in shock, "You should be dead…. And that look in your eye reminds me of another ever so annoying demigod…" Zelus snarled, mumbling something in a strange language, most probably Greek, as his hand regrew at the end of his wrist with a sickening popping sound.

"I'm going to enjoy Killing you all the more after this." Zelus shouted angrily as his body began to glow a golden color and all the metallic feathers scattered around the rooftop began to fly back towards him, swirling around him in a whirlwind of steel as Ren prepared herself.

"Die demigod" Zelus stated flatly as he gestured forwards. Meanwhile Ren called upon her father's powers as the skies above Tokyo came alive. Roaring like an ancient beast as Ren leapt forwards, her body trailing arcs of electricity behind it as she swung her sword forwards.

Tonight was not the night she was going to die, not if she had anything to say about it.

Thalia 5 Days 12 hours after Eripus

Thalia could hear the banners snapping in the wind and the murmur of the growing crowd. She stood beside Reyna and the other members of the Nine, excluding Annabeth. They were on top of a large wooden platform which had been erected on the beach alongside the many funeral pyres.

As more demigods trickled in, forming a large crowd in front of the platform, Thalia did her best to stay calm. Both she and Reyna were expected to speak during the funeral. Annabeth said that whatever they did, it had to mend the rift that had grown between the two camps. One that Octavian had only worsened with his attacks. Worse still, Annabeth wasn't present. No one had been able to find her in the morning hours leading up to the funeral and at this point, they had no choice but to proceed without her.

Which had left Thalia in a bit of a pinch. Annabeth was supposed to speak alongside Reyna and Thalia. But now, Thalia and Reyna would have to make do without her, she had left sometime during the night.

Thalia understood that with or without Annabeth the funeral had to happen, and someone from the Greek camp had to speak alongside Reyna. That didn't mean Thalia was looking forward to addressing the demigods regardless. With Nico's temperament and reputation and Percy…gone, the only other Greek child of the Big Three in camp was her. Piper claimed it would add some weight to what she was saying. So now Thalia had to speak to several hundred angry and emotional demigods alongside Reyna.

A yawn escaped Thalia's lips as she shook her head vigorously and slapped her cheeks, trying to stay focused. But no matter how hard she tried her thoughts kept straying. It had been a long, sleepless night. One of many in recent days. Yet even as the sun rose over the pristine waters of the lake and the morning birds began to sing, Thalia's mood remained black.

This was due to the fact that Thalia had spent most of the night thinking about the conversation she had with Rachel and the others. Even if she agreed with the group's decision, she was still struggling to come to terms with the lie they were about to tell. Eventually the restlessness had caught up with her. Growing tired of lying awake in her bed, she instead chose to head to the funeral site early, as she had yet to go near the place.

Upon arrival, Thalia was exhausted, angry and nervous, all at once. Questioning everything she had thought she knew about Olympus and her life. However, as she reached the platform for the funeral, the faint sound of sobbing caught her attention.

In an instant the look of confusion went to one of recognition as she followed the sound up onto the stage.

There she spotted Juniper, leaning against one of the two lone funeral pyres on the raised platform. Each covered by a large burial shroud. One was light green, embroidered with dozens of flowers and animals and bore the symbol of Pan. Underneath it lay the body of Grover Underwood. The other was a bluish green embroidered with a stunning array of aquatic imagery, fish, waves and other sea life. It bore the symbol of Poseidon and it was folded neatly into a square. The one which was supposed to be for Percy.

Thalia had never thought herself an overly emotional person. But just looking at the empty pyre left an ache in her chest so intense she felt like her breath had been taken away. Without a word Thalia had crouched down and laid a hand on the dryad's shoulder as she tried to think of the best thing to say. Grover was dead, how else could she phrase it to soften the blow? Thalia thought despondently.

Before she could say anything, Juniper let out a choked sob, her face a mask of pain and grief as she leaned forwards to place a kiss on Grover's forehead, before she pulled the shroud back over him. Weeping silently as she did so.

It had taken some time to convince her to leave the satyr's side, and longer still to get the dryad to sit down in a tent with a cup of something warm in her hands. It wasn't something Thalia herself was fond of but she had seen Artemis do the same with new huntresses who were in shock or grieving.

After that, Thalia just sat there by the tent flap, watching the sky slowly go from a deep blue to a faint rose gold, signaling that dawn was approaching. It was sometime after that Juniper began to speak, she explained what was going on and why she was there.

Apparently Grover had fallen deeply sick a few days prior around when Percy had disappeared. Within hours of the events at the House of Hades Grover had collapsed, and shortly after he had fallen into a near coma-like state. It had only gotten worse from there, and the night before last had been the end of it. His body had failed. No amount of healing magic had been able to fend off whatever was killing him.

Thalia felt sick to her stomach. She didn't know what to do and she wasn't close enough with Juniper to know how to help. But she understood vaguely what was going on, it had something to do with the empathy connection that Grover and Percy shared. She was sure of it. The same one Annabeth and Grover had used to track him when he had gone missing earlier that summer.

The loud screech of a bird overhead snapped Thalia's thoughts back to the present as she looked at the crowd, standing on a wooden platform alongside the rest of the members of the prophecy. Their backs towards the lake as they faced the growing crowd of demigods, hunters, spirits, satyrs and legacies. Yet the absence of the Olympians themselves was still noted, and the anger over the heavy losses on both sides burned in her gut.

The entirety of Camp Half-blood's demigods who were able to attend, stood clustered to the right, while the legion was assembled in neat lines on the left.

Thalia had been to shroud burnings before, members of camp and the hunt respectively. But she had never seen so many pyres to be burned, ever. The rows of wood and fabric stretched along the beach in both directions.

She looked at Leo, who stood off to the right hand side. "I don't know if I can do this." Thalia managed to utter out quietly, more to herself than anyone else. "I don't want to lie to them..."

"And we agreed that nothing good would come of that, we know what might happen if we told them the truth…this is the plan we decided on and it's a little late to back out now." Leo added as he looked away from Thalia and towards the crowd. "Just remember, all of us are here to support you." He added as he gave her a slight smile and a gentle thumbs up.

"All you have to do is keep the Greek side in check, Reyna has her part to play in this as well." Frank added, but Thalia could hear the strain in his voice. She could tell by the way he refused to look at the crowd how nervous he really was.

"Don't worry Thalia, you got this…" Piper added in, almost immediately, following her voice. Thalia felt the knot of anxiety in her chest lessen, if only slightly.

It felt like the entire world was sitting on her shoulders as she looked over the crowd gathered on the beach. Normally she would have been mad at the daughter of Aphrodite for using her powers, but Thalia also knew that she really should be saying thank you instead.

Yet before she could dwell on that her attention was drawn once more towards the crowd.

All of them were battered and war torn. Their spirits bruised but not yet broken. Roman and Greek alike clutched their weapons in trembling hands as a cold breeze gusted across the beach. The only sound save for the crashing waves and the occasional bird cry. Not unlike the silence of a cold winter's night. All along the beach were raised pyres in rows stretching in lines along the white sand.

Pennants of every color lay strewn across them. Symbols to Hermes, Ares, Mars, Athena, Minerva, Aphrodite, Venus and Apollo. The Legion symbols, and those of Camp Half-blood. Greek and Roman, Gods major and minor. Each and every one of them were heroes, demigods who had stood against an army of monsters and worse, only to pay the ultimate price.

But as she saw the sheer number of pyres, she couldn't help but feel the weight of guilt settling into her stomach. What could she have done differently? What could any of them have done differently? They were supposed to lead them, not watch as they were helplessly slaughtered. Not sit by as they lost friend after friend to another war of Olympus' own making.

There had to be some way that they could have avoided this. She would do anything to avoid having to light the six pyres to the far left of her, which were draped with silver pennants, decorated with Artemis' bow and arrow motif.

Yet even as she thought about it, Thalia felt worse. There were more dead than anyone cared to admit and in the coming days, Thalia was sure there would be more. And now here they stood, the 'Heroes of the next great Prophecy', destined to save everyone standing before her. Thalia and the others had to lead them, but she wasn't even sure she believed in the cause anymore, let alone their ability to win the war.

But she knew that if they were to stand any hope of surviving for what is to come, she had to convince them they had a chance. She had to convince them alongside Reyna to let bygones be bygones and fight a war against a Primordial Goddess at impossible odds.

Thalia had never felt so sick to her stomach at the thought of talking to people. But the demigods before her needed some hope, they desperately needed a guiding light. Something that Annabeth said they needed to provide. And watching as many of the demigods' faces were already wet with tears, Thalia could still see the faint traces of determination, and she knew Annabeth had been right.

There was a hidden fire underneath, just waiting to burn. Thalia had to hope that she and Reyna could ignite it.

All of them knew what it was like to lose those around you. They had felt the hopelessness Thalia felt just looking at those shrouds. They had lost so many in such a short time, they needed someone to remind them of what they were facing, and who they themselves were.

A quick look to her left showed Reyna standing beside her, and both of them locked eyes for a moment before Thalia sighed and nodded her head. "Let's get this over with…"

Reyna gestured towards two Legionnaires holding larger horns flanking the platform, and in an instant, the two raised the horns to their lips, letting out a deep booming call that echoed back from across the lake.

"You all know why you're here today!" Reyna called out. "Today we stand together as one. United for the first time in our shared history. But this is no joyous occasion. Today, we stand united in grief, united by the pain of our loss, and united by the duty we still have to send off our brothers and sisters, Greek and Roman alike ontowards the next step in their journey. Today, we stand united to honor the heroes we've lost!" Reyna finished as Thalia took a deep breath and stepped forwards.

For a moment she thought of the rehearsed lines Annabeth had worked over with her yesterday, and the conversations she had with Reyna. But in that instant all of it vanished, and she stood there, heart racing as she tried to think of what to say.

Anything to say.

For a few moments no one spoke as many of the demigods Roman and Greek alike looked confusedly at each other. Sweat beaded on her forehead for a moment and she could almost hear Percy calling her a pinecone head for freezing up.

Just the thought of it set a jolt of irritation through her as the skies above them rumbled and Thalia looked around the crowd as the air around her sparked slightly.

She could see that all the crowd were paying attention to what she had to say, for better or worse. With a quick prayer to anyone listening that this would go well she started speaking. "For those of you who have yet to know me, my name is Thalia Grace. A demigod child of Zeus, and lieutenant of Artemis' Hunt." Thalia paused, swallowing nervously as she looked around the crowd.

"We are the children of the Gods and the burden on our shoulders is a heavy one. We live, and die by the sword… but the losses we suffered, and the grief we face today is unlike anything we have encountered before. Not since the great wars have so many demigods fallen in battle, and today we gather to pay our respects." Thalia added as she tried to ignore the nervous fluttering in her stomach. Doing her best to do exactly as Percy would have done, and say what needed to be said.

"Each and every single one of you lost the chance to live the life of a normal child. It was stolen from you the second you discovered who and what you really are. From the moment you walk through the borders of the camp as children of the Gods, we are told that our lives are in constant danger...that monsters roaming the wilds are ready to rip us apart. Since then, you have all taken on the responsibility to rigorously train, so you could one day protect yourselves and those around you. You were trained to fight, to protect, but most importantly…to survive."

"It's not fair that we are expected to fight and die for simply being born different. But Fate has other plans. Today, we once again find ourselves facing the threat of annihilation. We didn't choose to fight in this war, just like we didn't choose to fight the Titans...but this won't be the end of us." Thalia added as she paused for a moment.

"Says who? I didn't choose to be born, and I certainly didn't choose to fight in a war against immortals. We all saw that warrior fighting the Titans, and then the Olympians right after. It's beyond our capabilities, asking us to fight them is suicide!" A voice called out from the crowd.

Thalia shook her head in disagreement. "You're wrong, don't ever underestimate what you as a demigod can do. We may not have chosen this fight, just like we didn't want to wage war against the Titans. Fate simply chose it for us, we thought it was a death sentence then too." Thalia added as she paused for a moment.

"But when our collective survival was at stake, we fought them anyway, to protect those we care about, and against all odds we won! We defeated the Titans at The Battle of Manhattan! The cost was great, Greek blood ran in the streets of Manhattan just like the Roman blood did on the slopes of Mount Othrys. In the end it was the Titans who were defeated, and we survived. On that day we showed Gaea, and all the monsters of this world, who we were, and what we could do." Thalia finished.

The crowd was silent, their faces caught between a mixture of grief and pride, and all the while nothing but the sound of the crashing surf and the wind disturbed the silence. It was then that Reyna and Thalia both raised their hands.

"Now let us pay respects to those who fell, protecting those beliefs."

At this signal several Praetorians, camp counselors and demigods from both sides stepped forwards carrying lit torches as they walked towards the rows of pyre's. As if they were waiting, several trumpeters and drummers from amidst the Roman ranks began to play a slow melody.

Thalia backed away and stood there silently as both Will and Malcolm along with two Legionnaires walked up onto the platform. All of them held pieces of paper, which contained the names of the dead. Each name was read loudly and clearly, the parentage and their camp, and only then was their pyre lit.

And so it went for an hour as they stood there on the beach, the heat from the dozens of burning pyres scorched the sand and sent clouds of smoke into the air. Until finally the last pyre was lit when the last name had been read.

The trumpets and drums continued in the background as Thalia, Reyna and the other members of the prophecy thanked the four demigods as they left the platform. When they were gone, Reyna and Thalia walked to stand back at the front of the platform.

"The names you've heard today, will go down in history as heroes, warriors who fought valiantly against Gaea and her monster armies. Their story will be told to future generations when we win. But for that to happen, we need to consider what was done in the past and what we do today, for the choices we make going forwards will define our future. We can't afford to fight alone anymore, even the strongest among us have to learn that lesson…" Thalia said as she fought back the urge to be sick.

"As many of you may have heard, Percy Jackson fell in battle deep within Tartarus. He managed to close the doors of death and save Annabeth Chase, whilst fighting against the manifestation of the pit itself. This is a feat worthy of our greatest Heroes from the legends of old." Thalia called out loud and clear, doing her best not to scream in frustration as dozens of voices rose in cries of anguish and rage at that statement from both the Roman and Greek sides.

Yet Thalia did her best to continue unabated. "If one among us can achieve a feat like that, what can one hundred, five hundred, what can all of us achieve if we work together!?" Thalia shouted as she gestured towards the demigods.

"His sacrifice bought us a fighting chance! The doors of death are under the control of Thanatos once more, and together we can finish what he started! We can win this war, we have to win this war!" Thalia called out, trying to put as much conviction into her words as she could manage. "Percy Jackson may have died but the principles he stood for remain. We stand here today, in honor of the sacrifices made by Percy Jackson, and all those that have fallen by continuing to live on, by continuing to survive! For the first time in our history, the two camps, under the senior leadership of both Greek and Roman, will stand united to ensure our continued survival! And this all started with Percy Jackson, he stood as a bridge between our two worlds, a bridge that both New Rome and Camp Half-Blood cannot afford to ignore." Thalia finished as suddenly a voice from the crowd called out.

"How can you suggest we fight alongside them? Don't you remember what they did? To Katie, me and everyone else who were injured or killed when they attacked?" Travis shouted from the crowd as he pushed his way forwards, a nasty burn scar covered almost the entire left side of his face. "I know you're a huntress and not a camper but how can you side with them!"

Yet before she had a chance to reply it was none other than Clarisse who spoke up. "Shut your mouth Travis. Huntress or not she was here fighting alongside myself and everyone else. She risked her life for this camp and for all of us. Don't you dare suggest she cares about this place or any of the campers here less than you do." She finished as she turned and nodded towards Thalia.

"This isn't about what camp you call home, or which aspect of the Olympians you pray too. This is about survival and in order to do that, we need to work together." Thalia started to reply before Travis cut her off again.

"Percy and Annabeth were supposed to work together with the Romans and look where that got them! They were the best of us and we've all seen her, she looks like she went through hell. As for Percy…" Travis slowly died out at the end as a somber look fell over his face.

A slow murmur of discontent began to build within the crowd as Thalia watched on in silence for a moment, doing her best to control her temper and not scream in frustration at the sheer insanity of the situation.

"He didn't die because he worked with the Romans. He didn't die fighting for the sake of pursuing glory or for the will of Olympus. He died fighting…to defend our right to live. If it weren't for him, the Doors of Death would remain under Gaea's control and with her waking, it would have meant the end for both camps if not the Gods themselves. To waste the chance he gave us would be a dishonor to his memory. I'm not going to let that happen, not after everything he has done for us, all of us." Thalia said as she looked down at Travis from atop the platform before shifting her gaze to the Romans.

"I-I don't know if I can forgive them, let alone work alongside them. How can any of us trust them not to turn on us?" Travis replied, the anger in his voice echoed by several other Greeks calling out in agreement.

"You're right, trust must be earned and there are debts that must be settled. As much as we wish to be a force united against Gaea, we cannot be united while there are those who seek to ruin us from within, while there are those, who let their greed, and lust for power drive them to commit unspeakable atrocities." Reyna said in a solemn voice, speaking before Thalia had a chance to reply.

A ripple of shock went through the Greeks as they turned to look at Reyna. Yet before anyone had a chance to shout out or talk back Reyna continued on, her voice loud and clear.

"As such, today you shall bear witness to the judgment of Rome. For us to show that the few who plotted and committed crimes against the Greeks do not represent the Legion…or New Rome and her people." Reyna added in a calm voice as she stood beside Thalia.

Then a blare of trumpets echoed out as two dozen Praetorians entered the camp and headed down the beach, dragging the limp and chained forms of several demigods between them.

After a moment, five figures were dumped on the ground in front of the platform. Unsurprisingly, Octavian and his cronies looked as awful as she remembered.

All of them were wearing simple robes and had been stripped of their armor and weapons, as well as any formal rank or insignia.

Gwendolyn, the captain of Reyna's Praetorians strode forth, carrying a large scroll as she came to a stop and gave a crisp salute to Reyna before turning to the crowd and addressing them formally.

"Octavian Thompson, Augur of Camp Jupiter & 1st Centurion of the First Cohort. Michael Kahle 2nd Centurion of the First Cohort. Bryce Lawrence Probatio of the Fifth Cohort. Christopher Tallow 1st Centurion of the Second Cohort and Lidia Hawthorn 2nd Centurion of the Second Cohort. The five of you are charged with treason against New Rome and her allies, conspiracy to seize power, and disobeying direct orders from your Praetor." Gwendolyn called out as her voice faded into nothingness.

Thalia observed the scene unfolding in front of her as Octavian tried to scream something out, but the gag in his mouth proved relatively effective. Resulting in some muffled grunting and thrashing at best. The rest of his group were equally bound and gagged, with Michael Kahle and Bryce Lawrence straining at the shackles on their wrists, as if hoping they would burst apart.

"The punishment for these crimes would normally be expulsion from the legion by stripping you of your rank and official titles. But given the severity of your crimes and the consequences of your actions, the punishment levied against the five of you have been adjusted accordingly." Gwendolyn added in an emotionless voice.

"The punishment is death…a verdict delivered by the order of our current Praetor." Gwendolyn called out as a whisper of shock ran through the assembled Legionnaires while the Greeks looked on approvingly.

"Do you think it's unjust?" Reyna called out as she turned to look at the Roman columns. Her sharp gaze scanned the crowd as she held her hands outwards.

"Unfair that we punish those whose lust for power killed twelve of our allies and injured plenty more? His direct actions led to the deaths of dozens more Greeks and Romans alike in the following battle! How can we stand here, with our heads held high and ask the Greeks to stand by us, while we allow scum like Octavian and his kind to pollute our ranks!?" Reyna shouted.

"Look to your left and to your right. Greek or Roman doesn't matter! We all fight for the same cause, for our family and our friends. But the criminals before you don't fight for our shared goals. They instead scrabble for power and glory by trampling over the dead bodies of our own." Reyna added as she held her arms out wide.

"So long as I am Praetor, I will not allow his actions to continue! By the power vested in me by the Senate, I formally revoke all ranks and titles, as well as the citizenship bestowed upon you. You are henceforth to be stricken from all the Legion records, your names and deeds will be wiped from our history." Reyna paused for a moment, looking around the crowd as they held their breath in shocked silence.

Thalia looked around in confusion as several of the Legionnaires visibly winced, or looked away from Octavian and those beside him. "Lastly, as punishment for these crimes, I sentence you and your co-conspirators to death!" Reyna barked out loud and clear.

Gwendolyn walked forwards, ripping the gag from Octavian's mouth as he gasped, coughing as he filled his lungs with air. "Y-you ha-have no right t-to sentence us l-like this without the f-full Senate present! It's an a-act reserved for war!" Octavian wheezed as he glared at all of them.

"I did what was best for New Rome! If we had eliminated the Greeks we could have beaten Gaea on our own! Apollo showed it to me!" Octavian all but shrieked as he looked around at the Praetorians who had formed a box around him. One designed to keep the crowd of furious Greek demigods away from him, meanwhile Octavian shouted in anger, thrashing at his bonds.

As dozens of Greek campers moved forwards, shouts and jeers erupted as Thalia and the other members of the nine called out for quiet. Yet it took the Praetorians standing between the prisoners and the Greeks to ensure their safety for the few minutes it took for the crowd to settle down.

All the while Reyna stood frozen to the spot, her eyes cold and unforgiving as she glared down at Octavian.

"If you haven't heard by now Octavian, your orders to pull all the legions from New Rome and march them here have had some dire consequences for our city. Gaea knows where our home is and if the legion is here, who was left to keep our city and people safe?" Reyna snarled from atop the platform.

"I've just received word from the Senate that most of the outer city is in flames and many of the veteran legionaries were called back into service, with just as many dying. You have let the eternal city burn with your negligence and disregard for our own laws." Reyna said in a voice filled with anger.

"You had a singular duty. To protect New Rome and her people in my absence. Yet you allowed this foolish hatred of the Greeks to blind you even to that. New Rome has become a victim of your ruthless ambition." Reyna finished as she glared at Octavian as he knelt in the sand.

Octavian gaped at her like a fish as a murmur of agreement sounded out from the crowd as many of the legionnaires were now wearing looks of disbelief and anger on their faces.

"Y-You can't do this Reyna! All I wanted was to bring New Rome to further greatness, to help rebuild the empire like in the days of old!" Octavian shouted as his eyes bulged and the veins in his neck stood out starkly.

Thalia watched as Reyna walked forwards, nimbly leaping down off of the platform as she crossed the small space between them quickly.

Octavian for his part scrambled backwards, falling onto his ass as he looked up at Reyna, standing above him with her sword drawn. "Please Reyna, we've known each other for years now, you can't do this!" He managed to stutter out weakly as Reyna looked down on him with disgust.

"At the very least meet your end with dignity Octavian, it's more than what you offered the Greeks." Reyna said, her voice cold, as her gladius came to rest upon his shoulder, against the base of his neck.

The silence that fell over the beach felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, no one moved, Thalia honestly doubted they even took a breath as Reyna stared Octavian in the face, her eyes cold and her face locked into an emotionless stare as she looked down at him.

Thalia could almost see the way Octavian unraveled as he realized that no amount of begging or pleading would dissuade Reyna. That was when he went to scramble backwards in fear, his hands clawing at the sand.

Yet Gwendolyn and the other Praetorians simply grabbed his arms and dragged him to his feet, an action mimicked by the other Praetorians and their guards. "Get them out of our sight, take the other Praetorians and finish this. I won't spill his blood here, not where we are preparing to send off the brave heroes who fell in battle." Reyna said calmly.

"When it's done, string them up away from camp, I want everyone to see what happens to those who betray Rome and her allies." Reyna said coldly as she glared down at Octavian.

Octavian desperately tried to say something to prolong the inevitable, struggling fiercely against his bonds before Gwendolyn raised her mailed fist. Slamming it down against his face once, twice and then a third time, drawing a weak moan of pain from Octavian as he finally faded into unconsciousness. After a violent display of brutality before the surviving campers, Gwendolyn and the other Praetorians dragged the hopeless looking demigods away from the beach.

"If you think I'm cruel, I understand. But laws are the foundation of New Rome, and as Praetor I have a duty to deliver judgment and carry out justice. He betrayed his rank, title and duty to New Rome the minute he attacked the Greeks, knowing it would start a conflict. One he had been expressly forbidden from the beginning." Reyna said as she looked towards the Romans, before turning to face the Greeks.

"I owe you and your entire camp an apology, one that is owed in more than just words. If I hadn't been weak, perhaps prevented his rise to power in the first place, none of this would have happened. But instead, I left to aid The Seven knowing Octavian wasn't fit to lead. So his failures rest with me." Reyna said as she sheathed her sword once more.

"Yet his death is what I can offer you now, and as an assurance of our willingness to cooperate? Shall my life suffice?" Reyna asked as she walked back towards the platform. "Should my Legionnaires ever betray the Greeks, my life shall be forfeit."

The Roman ranks erupted into chaos as dozens of voices shouted out, yet Reyna held up a single hand towards them. "I already claimed Octavian's failings as my own, I will not let anything stand in the way of reconciling with the Greeks, it is the ONLY path forwards. So stand down." Reyna barked out loudly, casting a cold glare at the legion sending many of them scrambling to return to attention.

A murmur raced through the Greeks as Thalia noticed, not all the looks directed at Reyna were hatred or rage, a fair few looked concerned or even worried.

"I am the praetor of New Rome and I do not seek war with you. I beg your forgiveness for the crimes committed against you, and I understand the hesitation and anger you feel but we cannot face the threats of the future like we have in the past. Alone we will break, and I have no intention of watching my people and my city be destroyed and forgotten." Reyna said as she bowed low.

For a short moment no one spoke until Travis stepped forwards out of the crowd, looking towards Reyna angrily. "How can any of us trust any of the words you said? We are at a funeral supposedly to honor the dead, some of whom your Roman legionnaires killed!"

Reyna looked at Travis for a moment before she spoke, "I am not Octavian, I keep my word. If you do not believe me then I shall walk with you to look at his corpse. I assure you Gwendolyn and my Praetorians will do what needs to be done." She added calmly. Travis glared at her for a moment then he nodded his head and walked back towards the Greek crowd.

A slow murmur of approval started to pan out amongst the Greeks, but Thalia could see several, Drew included towards the back still casting hateful glares towards Reyna and herself.

Yet Reyna simply nodded in Travis' direction before continuing, "Then enough has been said about the traitor, he and his hateful deeds will not taint this ceremony any longer. So we must once more turn our thoughts to the fallen." Reyna said as she took a moment before continuing, "What more can we say of this tragedy? Those who fell are heroes. And one day I hope to stand alongside them in the afterlife. But it's not my time yet, it's not time for any of us yet. We still have a job to do! A responsibility, and one that has been passed down to us by past generations." Reyna called out.

"Each of you share the blood of the heroes of old, the very legends of our people are written about your predecessors! Their great victories, their battles and their defeats. The same blood that ran in their veins and in your veins too. Are you going to let Gaea send us scurrying to the corners of the globe in fear!? Will the destruction of New Rome, Camp Half-Blood, and dozens of other cities go unanswered!?" Reyna called out like a challenge, daring one of the demigods to talk back.

"We are the children of the Gods, and our predecessors never failed to keep this world safe, to protect all the mortals from whatever evil chose to rise up and rear its ugly head, in any age, at any cost." Reyna shouted as she drew her sword in one clean motion and held aloft in the air. The golden blade catching the sun's light and gleaming like a flaming spike. As the funeral pyres roared along the beach.

A motion Thalia copied, with a bronze sword she had taken from camp to replace her spear.

"Gaea thinks she has broken us, she thinks putting our backs against a wall will scare us into submission. But she forgets! Rome had withstood everything that has ever been thrown at her! Today, New Rome burns, but the city is still there and our city shall never fall as long as we stand ready to rebuild her!"

"When have the Greeks bowed their heads to anyone? The Persians were cast back, the greatest war ever fought was waged by the Greeks and their heroes were immortalized. Heracles, Achilles, Odysseus, Hector and even the forefather of Rome, Aeneas himself!" Reyna shouted as the demigods looked on in silence.

"We are the inheritors of Rome, the greatest empire of all time! And by our side stand the Greeks, the most feared warriors of the Mediterranean. What army can we not defeat!? What challenge can we not overcome together!?" Reyna finished with a stern look over the crowd.

It was a motion all the legion copied, as suddenly the sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air as hundreds of Legionnaires pulled their swords free of sheathes and thrust into the air. All the while many Greeks maintained complete silence, not a word escaping their lips.

"Gaea may have struck the first blow, but we will strike back harder than she ever thought possible." Reyna called out and almost as if accenting her speech a thunderous roar of metal on metal rang out as the Romans in the crowd banged their sword hilts off of chest plates or shields.

"The fallen gave their lives to keep this world safe from Gaea, they could have run, they could have surrendered, we could have seen traitors like during the Titan war. Those too weak willed to stand against a foe stronger than themselves. But instead?" Reyna added, pausing for a moment to take a breath as she glanced towards Thalia.

"Instead we saw the greatest among us show what we are capable of. We saw demigods who willingly charged into a battle between Gods in the hopes that their actions would save just one more person." Reyna shouted as she leveled her sword towards the crowd.

"Their deaths proved but one thing, that we are unbreakable!" Reyna called out as suddenly hundreds of Romans smashed the pommel of their gladius off their shields. Sending a veritable wave of sound crashing over the funeral as Reyna looked towards Thalia, and it was with a nervous lump in her throat that Thalia began to speak once more.

"They struck at us, in the dead of night! Like cowards, like thieves in the dark…and why? Because Gaea is scared of us!" Thalia shouted out as she gestured towards the camp. "She's awake, she's more powerful than almost all of our Olympian gods…yet she still felt unsure, wary of us, so she tried to strike us down before we could assemble. Before we could join forces and fight as one." Thalia finished

Reyna stepped forwards, her armor still bearing the marks and damage from the battle at camp. The praetor herself was still covered in her share of bandages and injuries like all of them. But she stood tall and proud, and no one could deny that she was every bit the leader that the Romans needed.

"Gaea fears what we represent, fears what we could do if we unite against her. So she tried to break us separately, laying siege both to camp Half-Blood and our Fort across the field. Even with all her forces it was a feat she wasn't capable of, and while there may be new enemies and new challenges for us to face, we will face them united, as one just as we did then." Reyna added as she cast a glance towards Thalia, slowly lowering her sword as she nodded.

Thalia took a deep breath, hoping to the Gods above or below that her heart did not explode in her chest as she moved up to the front of the stage, fully aware of how every demigod in the crowd was watching her.

"We lost heroes, far too many. But just as we've lost them, we have seen new ones rise to fill their shoes, to carry on the mantle they left behind." Casting a glance back towards the other members of The Nine, her gaze wandering over Leo before she continued. "Each and every one of us is exceptional, we are the children of the Gods, with powers to call upon and skills honed over years of practice." Thalia said as her voice grew more confident with each word.

"Yet out there, beyond the camp, there are cities in ruins filled with desperate mortals who need heroes. A world falling apart at the very seams, and we need to try and fix it. Some might ask why, why is it our job? Why is it our duty to fight and perhaps die? Because the fallen didn't ask those questions, they stood against all odds, and in the chaos of battle they fought and sacrificed their lives because it must be done. It's because of their sacrifice that I know what we need to do. They already made the ultimate sacrifice, how can I be content with anything less." Thalia said as she looked at the crowd sternly.

"Today has to be the start of something new, what's happening now, it's bigger than all of us. I was on Olympus and I saw the carnage Gaea brought with her. If we don't do something, Gaea will destroy the Gods, Olympus and most of the world while she's at it, and what little remains will be ruled over by her children." Thalia added.

"A future like that can't be what's waiting in store for us, not after everyone we have lost, not after their sacrifices. Percy Jackson was one of my best friends. The last time we faced a foe that appeared unbeatable, he rose to the challenge. He took on the mantle to lead, to fight and to protect us because he understood what would happen if he didn't!" Thalia finished as she let her voice ring out across the crowd. "But he is dead and can no longer shoulder that burden for us. He faced down Tartarus, wounding him in the attempt to save Annabeth Chase and bought us a fighting chance by closing the doors of death." She said calmly as she walked over to stand beside Percy's pyre which like Grover's still sat atop the platform unlit, laying her hand on the blue cloth.

"I can't thank him enough for what he did for all of us. We stand here today, in honor of his sacrifices, by continuing to survive." Thalia finished as she gently withdrew riptide from the pyre, gingerly gripping the blackened hilt. "It's time we stop waiting around for someone to come and save us. It's time that we stand on our own two feet and start fighting for ourselves." Thalia said as she turned back to look at the crowd.

Meanwhile Leo and the others began to exit the platform as Reyna looked up at her from the beach. The horns roared out as Thalia called out two final names. "Percy Jackson, Camp Counselor, Hero of Olympus, Bane of Kronos and Praetor of New Rome. Grover Underwood, Lord of The Wild." Then as Thalia leapt down off the platform, a voice called out and several flaming arrows soared overhead and embedded themselves in the Pyres. It only took seconds before both were ablaze, and it wouldn't be long before the platform followed. Yet Thalia knew this wasn't over, it was almost like someone was guiding her hand. Percy had always been the firebrand to rally the demigods, but now they needed someone else.

"Let these fires carry the souls of the fallen onwards, but let them also signal the foundation of a new era." Thalia called out as she looked around the crowd, many of whom the Greeks included now bore looks of pride. "An era of Demigods! Where we stand united by our common blood against all foes! Not as the Romans, or the Greeks, but as Demigods!" Thalia shouted as she cried out "Gia tous pesóntes!" as the voices of a thousand or more demigods joined in accompanied by the metallic roar as dozens of swords were pulled free from sheaths and thrust into the air.

With quick purposeful strides she walked to stand behind the crowd, atop the dune rise headed back to camp. "I cannot promise you that this will be a war we all walk away from, but what I can promise you is that this is a war we will win! A war I know we can win, and one Percy knew we could. He left it up to us, and it's our job not to disappoint him!" Thalia shouted as she thrust the blackened blade of riptide into the air above her head. "Gia tous pesóntes! Gia ton Pérsi!"

The roar of sound that crashed over Thalia was deafening, from the screams and roars of the Greeks, to constant smashing of metal on metal and chanting from the Romans was nearly overwhelming.

Where moments ago enemies had glared at each other, now Thalia saw a single group of demigods, a fire in their veins as they roared out threats against Gaea while the sun finally broke through the dull gray clouds, casting light across the beach.

For a moment it felt like there was a ray of hope, but Thalia knew from experience. Things are always calm and quiet before the storm.

Author's Note:

Wow it's been a long time since ive had the pleasure to write one of these, life really has been somewhat rough these last few months. Between my SO getting diagnosed with Graves Disease, a funeral, my computer dying and needing to replace it. Add long hours at work and unfortunately I haven't had the time to spend working on this like I wish I could.

However I do now have several chapters written and hope to at least for the time being, return to a monthly (at-minimum) posting schedule. I currently have everything written up to the end of this arc in some way shape or form, and it is all going through Edits. Chapter 36 will be the final chapter with chapter 37 acting as a postlude of sorts for some events that hold significant importance in the next Arc. And chapter 38 acting as a sneak peak into the next arc and a new character introduction Pov.
Once the final chapter is posted I will be taking a short break in order to re-organize and make final edits to this Arc as a whole. This may take a period of 1-2 months, during which I will also aim to finish the artwork I've had half finished for the last year…. Including artwork of the Oc's and fleshing out the description pages for them in the discord.

I do apologize for how long this process has taken, but there is a lot of research and note taking behind the scenes before I even write the chapters. I have also spoken with my editors about ways to streamline my writing process which should help me with getting the chapters out on time. So in the next arc expect chapters to be around 10-14k and most likely 1-2 povs at maximum.

In order to reflect this many of the chapters of this book will be split into parts to make it easier to read and less daunting overall. This will be done while I am making any edits that I deem necessary before I consider this arc finished.

Now on to the chapter itself as I'm sure anyone who reads these is tired of me rambling about what I'm going to do in the future.

We got two POV's this chapter one covering the events in Japan involving Zelus the son of Pallas and Styx, who joined Gaea's side after he discovered what had happened to his mother with the return of the tartarii.

He's never mentioned in the books and it felt fitting that he would see gaea as a potential ally in his quest to save his mother. It'll be interesting to see if Ren can win that fight on her own or not. Likewise We finally get to see the deal that Ren and Kobayashi struck and the kind of trade off she has to make for the power she uses to keep Japan safe.

Likewise how did tsu yon and Akiyama fare in their attempt to halt Namazu without Ren? Did they succeed or fail? Are they dead or alive? Guess you'll have to find out next time!

As always folks, thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, I'm very sorry that the publishing schedule has been crap. But I'm not done with this story yet, not by a long shot. Until next time folks!

Extended Note: For those wondering Chapter 33 is at 14k words and is in the editing phase as we speak while I work on chapter 34. I may have taken a long break between updates but I didn't stop writing. I promise it WON'T be MONTHS before the next update. A week or two at most.