"Kneel, mortal," Zeus commanded, his voice echoing like the hammer of the gods.
Lucius smirked, his lips curling into a defiant grin. "Mortal? That's funny, coming from a relic."
Zeus' patience snapped. He raised his hand, and the world itself seemed to hold its breath. A bolt of divine lightning as thick as a city pillar erupted from his palm, slamming into Lucius. The entire battlefield was engulfed in a searing explosion of golden light.
Silence followed. Smoke and debris spiraled into the air, the earth cracked and molten where Lucius had stood. But as the dust cleared, a figure remained.
Lucius stood there, barely breathing, his once-pristine shadow armor cracked, his body riddled with burns. He let out a ragged chuckle. "That all you got?"
Zeus narrowed his eyes. "Amusing. But foolish."
