The grand marble hall of Olympus shimmered with celestial light as all the gods gathered. The air trembled with divine pressure, and the scent of nectar wafted through the chamber. On the high throne, Zeus sat with his usual air of calm supremacy, fingers intertwined beneath his chin, golden eyes sharp and unreadable.
"Before we proceed," Zeus said, breaking the silence, "there is a matter that demands attention."
The gods looked around in curiosity.
Zeus glanced at Jin, who stood confidently among the deities, unaware of what was coming.
"A Divine Tournament," Zeus continued, his voice echoing across the pillars. "A celebration of strength and fate. If one succeeds, they shall receive... a choice."
Jin's eyes narrowed. "A choice?"
Zeus smiled cryptically. "To ascend. Or to return."
He never directly addressed Jin, but every word was meant for him. The gods stirred with interest. Athena remained silent, watching Jin carefully from her seat.
" He's playing a game", Jin thought. " He wants to test me again. Or distract me."
Later that day, trumpets blared, and the arena of Olympus was filled with divine spectators—nymphs, minor deities, demigods, and Olympians, all watching from the ethereal stands.
The first battle began.
Round One: Ares
The god of war charged with flaming fury. Jin parried his strikes, his aura glowing dark violet. Ares laughed like a madman, enjoying every second.
"Not bad, mortal-turned-god!" Ares shouted.
"You're not so bad yourself," Jin replied, dodging a flaming spear and landing a clean hit to his ribs.
One final strike sent Ares flying into the coliseum wall.
Round Two: Apollo
The radiant god played his harp mid-battle, casting illusions and arrows of light. But Jin had grown beyond illusions. His Abyssal perception tore through Apollo's tricks.
"Music's nice," Jin muttered as he closed the gap, grabbing Apollo by the collar and slamming him into the ground, "but I prefer silence."
Round Three: Hermes
The god of trickery and speed zipped around like a blur.
"You can't catch me!" Hermes mocked.
But Jin simply smirked and whispered, "Shadow Bind."
Chains of darkness erupted from the floor, catching Hermes mid-air.
"Well... shit," Hermes groaned.
Jin cracked his knuckles. "Caught you."
One by one, every god fell—Demeter, Hephaestus, Artemis, even Dionysus who drunkenly stumbled into the ring just to be stylishly knocked out by a gust of dark wind.
Then the final match of the tournament arrived.
Round Ten: Poseidon
The sea rumbled. The skies darkened. The coliseum filled with the scent of salt and ozone as the god of the oceans stepped into the arena.
"You've come far," Poseidon spoke. "But this ends here."
Jin's eyes narrowed. He could feel the weight of the sea god's presence.
"I'm ready."
The clash began with monumental force. Waves of divine energy crashed. Jin summoned void tendrils, deflecting Poseidon's oceanic trident strikes. The air tore apart as the two exchanged blows.
Poseidon grinned. "You've become something incredible. Truly."
Jin replied with a smirk, "And yet... I'll lose now."
Poseidon blinked. "What?"
Jin dropped his guard for a split second, and Poseidon's trident struck his chest. Jin crashed into the ground.
The crowd roared. The sea god had won.
But only Athena, watching closely, noticed the faint smile on Jin's lips as he lay there.
He did it on purpose...
Zeus rose from his throne, clapping slowly. "A loss, yet... worthy. From today onward, Jin Shang, you shall be acknowledged as one of us."
Golden light descended from the sky, enveloping Jin's body. His broken armor reformed into divine robes, black and gold, with a symbol glowing on his back—the Sigil of Balance.
Zeus announced, "From now on, you are the Olympian God of Equilibrium—the one who balances light and shadow, order and chaos."
All the gods stood and cheered. Even Hades nodded from the shadows. Dionysus handed Jin a flask of divine wine.
"To our new brother!"
But Jin's thoughts were elsewhere.
" I played your game, Zeus. But now it's my move."
Athena walked beside him, whispering, "You did well. But be careful. They'll try again."
"I know," Jin said, taking a sip of wine. "But this time… I'll be the one pulling the strings."