ATHENA OLYMPUS
Veins throbbed on Zeus's face. — I will obliterate you for what you have done to my children! — His voice, a thunderclap, echoed across the battlefield. He bared his teeth with a frown.
— Silence! — The boy spat, his voice surprisingly calm amidst the storm of divine fury. His fist, clenched tight, hovered mere millimeters away from Zeus' chin, a brave challenge to the King of the gods.
The blow was instantaneous. Zeus, struck with the force of a comet, was hurled upwards into the swirling clouds, a sonic boom ripped through the meadow. The implacable mortal pursued him relentlessly.
Below, Poseidon, trident gleaming in his right hand, his left hand resting casually on his back, observed the aerial clash. His gaze flickered between Zeus and the mortal, then settled on the Saint, crumpled on the ground. — Because you're a Saint of another god, — he announced, his voice filled with chilling amusement, — I'll do it quickly! — He advanced on the Saint, his steps measured, each footfall a promise of pain.
"This is it," I thought. My moment of decision. Will I remain tethered to my father's fading glory, or seize the mantle of Queen of Olympus?
The mortal used the Emperor Solar Art, his movements were aggressively brutal. Each strike, a precise slash aimed at a vital point. While Zeus, drawing on millennia of experience, countered with the Master Bolt, his movements less flamboyant, more economical, Zeus's seasoned power was still stored deep within him, he didn't use any art or technique, just a sad dance of survival.
Meanwhile, Poseidon, toyed with the Saint, avoiding lethal blows, only causing tremendous torment in the Saint. The Saint, lay gasping, broken, at his feet. Poseidon raised his trident high. — I told you it would be quick, — he hissed, with a cruel smile twisting his lips, — and deadly!
A blur of motion. The mortal's fist connected with Poseidon's face with a sickening crunch. Nose bone disfigured, teeth flew, and the god of sea was launched backward, breaking the sound barrier with a thunderous roar.
Recovering with terrifying speed, Zeus descended upon the mortal like a vengeful thunderbolt. — MASTER BOLT: THE RULER! — he bellowed, unleashing a colossal beam of pure energy.
THE RULER was the lightning bolt that had quelled the rebellion of Hera, the first, and Ares, a weapon of absolute annihilation. "If this mortal survives this," I thought, "I will never again underestimate him!", I vowed. Even I could not withstand such power.
With blood on his face and a broken nose, Poseidon returned to the fray, his eyes burning with renewed fury. He lashed out at the Saint with a savage kick, then followed with a crushing blow that sent the Saint reeling.
— AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! — the mortal's scream was cut short as his body engulfed in searing flames. I saw his skin blackening, his hair turning to ashes. He was consumed in an instant, already a corpse.
…
— YES!!! — Hermes shrieked, slapping Helios on the back with unrestrained glee.
Aphrodite slammed her fist on the table, her face contorted with bulging veins. — Damn it!! — she snarled, with blood in her eyes.
Seeing Aphrodite's reaction I felt a flicker of satisfaction, sharp and undeniable, touching my lips.
— Looks like we cared for nothing... — Nyx sighed, leaning back in her chair, her voice tinged with weariness.
The assembled gods erupted in cheers, their voices loud with triumphant celebration.
— THAT'S IT DADDY!!! Hic! — Dionysus, swaying precariously, leaped from his chair, arms outstretched in a drunken embrace of victory.
…
A strange curiosity had stirred within me regarding the mortal and our marriage. But it was a morbid fascination, now extinguished, or so I thought.
— ZZZEEEUUUSSS!!! — The cry, raw and defiant, sliced through the celebratory din. It was the mortal child, his voice resonating with an indomitable will.
He stood, impossibly, within the lightning bolt's range. And flew to meet Zeus, landing another punch in his face that launched him away. As he moved, his body, a landscape of burns, regenerated with astonishing speed, as if time itself was rewinding. His royal suit that covered his entire body was now a tattered pair of shorts, revealing a physique of breathtaking... power.
"H-He... He is... remarkably... muscular..." I thought, swallowing hard as my gaze momentarily caught by the sheer physicality of the boy. I quickly averted my eyes, chastising myself for such frivolous thoughts.
His body resumed its previous glory, only the long brown hair was now too short. But even so, he remained extremely good-looking, not that I was paying attention to that...
…
This was a bucket of cold water on the gods, a silence as profound as it was unexpected. Aphrodite, her face radiant, her eyes burning with a newfound desire, was the only exception.
I surrendered myself more and more to the idea of being queen. Even if I somehow were to dispose of this human, the throne would be mine. It was inevitable.
The Treadway, stood beside the fallen Saint, and looked at him, his expression a mixture of awe and exasperation. — What's wrong with you?! — he roared, his voice thick with frustration. — He's destroying you!
The Saint, on the ground, spitting blood, his breath heavy, managed a weak whisper. — Y-Yes, Lord... I... I realize...
Surveying the Saint's broken form, the Treadway sighed. — We need more Qi...
— … What...?! What is your greatness talking about? — the Saint stammered, his swollen eyes wide with confusion.
What followed was an event that would be etched into the very fabric of divine memory, a moment that would leave gods and goddesses speechless for generations to come. Here's the thing, as Zeus and Poseidon, bruised and battered, struggled to their feet, the Treadway raised his right hand, clenched tight, towards the sun. And then, with a Herculean effort that defied comprehension, he literally: PULLED THE SUN CLOSER!
— HAAAAHHH!!! — The muscles in his arm bulged, veins snaked across his body, his form radiating an almost blinding aura. He grasped the sun, drawing it towards him with sheer force. I could see golden tendrils of Qi, like shimmering chains, binding the celestial body to his hand.
…
Watching the impossible, Dionysus promptly fainted.
I was petrified, caught between laughter and terror, utterly incapable of coherent thought. I could only stare, transfixed, at the unfolding spectacle. I was already strategically prepared for any outcome, my mind raced with a thousand possibilities.
— IT'S NOT POSSIBLE THAT THIS HUMAN DOESN'T DIE!!! — Helios screamed with veins on his face and his eyes trembling in despair.
Nyx rose, her hands trembling. — That settles it, — she declared, her voice laced with dread. — Zeus will fall. We must prepare for war!
— Battle? — Morpheus whimpered; his voice barely audible. — Master, we cannot defeat someone who has the strength to pull the sun...
Hecate bit her lip, her legs shaking uncontrollably. — How... how is this even possible?! — she muttered, her mind grappling with the sheer impossibility of what she was witnessing. — Even with magic... this is absurd! And he did it only with Qi?!
Eris, who had been so vocal earlier, was now speechless, her bravado replaced by stunned silence. She had her tongue shrunk.
A triumphant laugh echoed through the hall. — YES! — Aphrodite cried, raising her fist in victory, her face alight with joy.
Hebe stared at the screen, her eyes shining with admiration. She was enthralled.
I had always known that Zeus' arrogance would end badly eventually. The order of Olympus was about to be reorganized. That was a fact.
Within minutes, the heat radiating from the now-nearby sun was almost unbearable. Even the gods, who never perspired, felt beads of sweat trickling down their brows.
…
On the battlefield, the air shimmered with heat, the scent of ozone and burnt flesh clinging to the swirling dust. Zeus and Poseidon, their divine arrogance momentarily shattered, stared at the Treadway.
Their postures were rigid, jaws clenched, brows furrowed in a mixture of awe and simmering rage. The silence, broken only by the crackling embers of lightning, was thick with tension.
His gaze unwavering, the Treadway extended a single index finger towards the blazing sun. —Sun, — he commanded, his voice resonating with an almost casual authority, — stop here, in the meadows of Miragea! — He ordered the SUN?! The celestial body, the source of all light and life, was treated as a mere celestial chariot, subject to his will.
"Who does that?!" I mused, a flicker of amusement dancing in my eyes.
A Pandora's box full of surprises, that defined the Treadway. He was a paradox, a phenomenon of raw power wrapped in an enigma. He defied expectations, shattered conventions, and laughed in the face of the impossible. I just settled back on the throne, resting my chin on my hand, a discreet smile playing on my lips. This... This boy's audacity was... captivating... Huh...
The Saint, his face streaked with sweat and grime, his eyes wide with disbelief, gaped at the Treadway. — Wha... BUT WHAT WAS THAT?! — he stammered, his voice cracking with fear and awe. The very foundations of his understanding of the universe were crumbling.
— Now, — the monster grunted, his gaze shifting to Zeus, — we have a perfect source of Qi for the final minutes of this lesson. — The words were spoken with the same nonchalance as if he were commenting on the weather.
He turned to Lancelot, his expression hardening. — I won't protect you anymore, Lancelot, — he stated, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. — Kill Poseidon, or you die! — the ultimatum hung in the air, cold and sharp. He delivered it with the same casualness he had used to command the sun.
Then, with a burst of speed that defied my perception, he launched himself towards Zeus, shattering the sound barrier with a thunderous boom. His fist, cocked and ready, was aimed squarely at the king of the gods' face.
Poseidon, his pride wounded, materialized in front of the Saint. He lashed out a swift, powerful punch, his fist colliding with the Saint's. The impact sent the blonde Saint staggering back several steps, his feet churning the scorched earth.
The Saint's surge of strength coursing through him was palpable. The sunlight, now so close, seemed to fuel his Qi pool, rekindling his power. His expression hardened as his body took an offensive stance.