No.
The word pulsed in Percy's mind like thunder.
He saw Silena fall in slow motion.
Saw Luke's sword slide out of her chest, glistening with crimson blood.
Saw her eyes… not wide with pain, not with fear. Just… serene.
As if, in the end, she was only caught in her memories.
"Ikki..."
The name escaped her lips like a sigh, almost too soft for the cruel world around.
And then, Silena fell.
Percy screamed.
His body moved before he could think. He lunged toward her, arms outstretched to catch her, scooped her out of the air as she tumbled through the sky.
Percy's chest tightened so much he could barely breathe.
This couldn't be happening.
Silena, who always tried to cheer others up. Who cared so much about everyone around her. Who deserved a better ending.
She couldn't just… disappear like this.
Luke took a step back, still looking at his own sword as if he didn't understand what he had done.
Percy felt something dark rise in his throat. Rage. Pain. Despair.
He didn't realize when the ocean around him responded.
The sky, previously heavy with dark clouds, now swirled in a violent spiral. The sea below trembled as if ready to swallow everything.
He called out to Silena.
"Hey. Silena. You're going to be okay."
He pressed his hand against the wound. Tried to channel the water, the energy, anything.
But deep down, he already knew.
She was out of time.
Percy felt Silena's fingers weakly grip his arm. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes beginning to lose their shine. But when she looked at him again, there was still something there.
One last spark.
"Percy..." Her voice came out as a whisper, almost carried away by the wind.
He leaned closer, holding her as if he could stop time from taking her away.
"I'm here," he said, his voice choked.
Silena blinked slowly, the words seeming to weigh on her tongue.
"Ikki..."
The name escaped her again, this time with a tone of pleading.
Percy's chest tightened.
"I can take a message to him," he said quickly. "Whatever you want me to say. Just... just talk to me, Silena."
She smiled faintly, a small, almost invisible smile.
"I'm sorry..." Her tone was fragile, and Percy hated how her voice sounded so small, so distant.
"Sorry for what?" He shook his head, tightening his grip on her hand as if it could hold her there. "You didn't do anything wrong, Silena. Talk to me. What do you want me to tell him?"
Her eyes shimmered with something indefinable; sadness, regret… love.
"I wanted more time..." Silena whispered. "I wanted… to tell him myself."
Percy felt a lump in his throat. He wanted to lie, to say that everything would be alright, that she would have that time. But the warm blood on his hands and the way the light in her eyes was beginning to fade told a different story.
She swallowed, gathering what little strength she had left.
"Tell him..." Her voice trembled. "That I always loved him. That… he was everything to me."
Percy nodded quickly, his eyes burning. "I will. I promise, Silena. I'll tell him."
She smiled again, weaker now.
"Even after everything… the good memories were stronger." Her expression softened, as if she was reliving it all again, only without the pain, without the regret. "He… was always my best memory."
Percy's chest tightened with a pain he couldn't name.
Silena's fingers loosened on his arm.
She let out one last sigh.
And then, she was gone.
The storm around them roared. The waves surged, as if the sea itself was in mourning.
Percy stood there, holding her lifeless body, feeling the rage and sorrow mix inside him until he almost choked.
He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.
"I promise," he repeated, his voice thick with something dangerous. "He'll know."
Percy felt his chest burn in a way that had nothing to do with exhaustion. It was rage. Pain. Guilt.
But above all, it was power.
The water around him obeyed his call before he even asked. With a single motion of his hand, he raised a figure sculpted from water, a humanoid silhouette that held Silena gently, as if she were still there, alive, breathing.
Because she should be.
The humanoid floated, encasing her body in a crystalline bubble. Percy clenched his fists. He wouldn't let her sink into oblivion.
She deserved a hero's funeral. She deserved to be remembered. She deserved to go home.
But first…
Percy didn't think. He just moved.
Luke barely had time to raise his sword before Percy was on him.
The sea around them exploded with his rage. Waves surged to the sky, swirling in a vortex of pure fury. Every drop of water vibrated with his pain, every current twisted at his command.
The air grew heavy.
Percy attacked with all his might.
CLANG!
The impact of Riptide against Luke's blade echoed across the ocean.
The force of the blow sent Luke sliding backward, still hovering in the air, but Percy gave him no space. He pressed forward again, striking relentlessly, each movement more brutal than the last.
He wasn't fighting to win.
He was fighting to kill. Luke had already killed Ikki's mother previously, and Percy always wanted to settle things with him. But now, after Silena's death, his fury reached another level.
Luke blocked, deflected, but for the first time in the fight, he seemed to be retreating.
"You..." Percy gasped between blows, his blood boiling. "You killed her!"
Luke clenched his jaw. "It was a reflex. I—"
"SHUT UP!"
Percy spun in the air and brought his sword down with such force that lightning danced across the clouds above.
Luke blocked at the last second, but the impact ripped a gash in the ocean itself below.
He stumbled back again, his face finally showing something other than his usual carefree confidence.
Percy didn't care.
He was going to end him.
But before he could advance again, the sea churned.
It was then that Percy remembered Oceanus, who was still imprisoned. He was almost escaping; Percy could feel it.
He looked at Oceanus, still roaring within the liquid prison. The Titan thrashed, trying to expand his form to escape.
Only Percy wouldn't let him.
All the water that made up the prison seemed to vibrate in response to him. He felt its weight, the absurd pressure growing with each second.
Heavier.
The Ocean's Force answered his desire.
Percy felt the weight of the ocean pulsing within his body, the unique ability Ikki had given him fueled by his unstoppable rage, growing stronger like a furious heart beating in sync with his own.
The sea roared with his fury, the storm raged as if the world itself mourned for Silena.
He looked at Oceanus, still trapped in his liquid prison, and knew exactly what to do.
The water responded.
The ocean below trembled.
Percy's ability took full effect on the water holding Oceanus, increasing the weight. Half the water of the world's oceans began to concentrate above the Titan. Over 675 quintillion tons of pure water compressed into a single force, becoming a crushing, impossible weight, comparable to an entire planet pressing against a single being.
Oceanus tried to resist. He tried to expand his body, to merge back into the ocean, to escape the prison Percy had created. But it was too late.
The water that held him was no longer just a prison.
It was a god-crusher.
The pressure increased exponentially. The force was greater than anything on the surface of the Earth, more intense than that found at the core of any planet. The weight of the waters surpassed a thousand times the mass of all the world's continents and mountains combined.
Oceanus's body wavered. His face, made of stormy sea, contorted in agony.
"IM-POSSIBLE!" He roared, his voice reverberating through the water, the sky, the world itself.
Percy tightened his fist.
And the ocean tightened with it.
The liquid prison around Oceanus collapsed in on him, as if the sea itself had decided to swallow him whole and never let him go. The Titan screamed, his body flickering, compressed by forces beyond comprehension.
Every drop of water around him weighed as much as a continent. And Percy was focusing all of it on a single point.
Oceanus roared again, but now the sound was muffled, distorted, as if he were being sealed inside the sea itself.
His essence flickered.
His eyes flashed with fury and panic.
The Titan of the Ocean was imploding.
Percy tightened his fist one last time.
And Oceanus broke.
The Titan shattered into millions of water droplets, dissolving completely into the surrounding ocean, absorbed by the prison itself.
Silence fell.
The sea stopped roaring. The storm ceased.
The only thing left of the Titan was the calm water of the ocean.
Percy gasped, feeling his energy drained, but he didn't stop. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to rest.
Because Luke was already moving.
The former champion of Hermes lunged forward like lightning, his blade stained with Silena's blood gleaming with a lethal sheen. Percy barely had time to defend himself before the sword collided with Riptide in a deafening clash.
Percy flew back with the force of the blow, but recovered in midair. His heart beat like a war drum. His body pulsed with power.
He attacked.
The surrounding water responded, propelling him like a torpedo as he delivered a blow with enough force to cleave an entire mountain range in two.
But Luke blocked.
The shockwave rocked the ocean itself. The air around them vibrated. Percy gritted his teeth, pushing with all his might. He could feel the divine power within him, raw, unstoppable, a force of nature.
But Luke…
Luke was holding firm.
As if, for some reason, he were stronger.
Percy felt something cold crawl up his spine. The impact of the collision still vibrated through his bones. His arms trembled with the effort, but he didn't back down.
Luke held his blade steady, eyes burning with something between defiance and acceptance.
Then, without warning, he dropped his guard.
Percy didn't hesitate. He lunged forward like a thunderbolt, Riptide flashing as it descended with all his might towards Luke's chest—
SHHK.
The blade cut… and stopped.
Percy's heart froze.
Luke didn't stagger. Didn't cry out.
Didn't bleed.
The sword stayed there, pressed against his skin, but it hadn't cut more than a superficial scratch.
Percy's eyes widened. "What...?"
Luke gave a half-smile, almost as if he were amused. "Surprised?"
Percy pulled the blade back and attacked again. CLANG!
This time, he aimed for Luke's side, a blow strong enough to split a car in half.
But… nothing.
Luke's body absorbed the impact as if it were made of pure titanium.
Percy recoiled, feeling adrenaline surge through his veins. "This… this isn't possible, but it explains why Silena couldn't kill you..."
Luke tilted his head, studying him. "Oh, but it is."
He brought a hand to the spot where Percy had struck him, running his fingers over it as if testing the skin. No sign of pain. No real mark.
Then, as if it were nothing, he looked at Percy and said,
"I bathed in the River Styx."
The world seemed to stop.
Percy felt his stomach drop. "What?"
Luke smiled. "I became invulnerable, Percy. Just like Achilles. No matter how strong you are, or how much water you control. You can't hurt me."
Percy tightened his grip around his sword.
The River Styx… the only way to become truly impenetrable.
He swallowed.
But then, something sparked in his mind.
"Achilles had a weak spot," Percy murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Everyone who bathes in the Styx has one. If I find yours—"
Luke laughed. A light laugh, almost condescending.
"You'll waste your time trying," he said, twirling his sword in his hand with ease. "You might be the great hero of the prophecy, but even you can't win."
Percy's eyes flashed with rage. "That's what we'll see."
He prepared to attack again, but Luke raised a hand.
"Don't be naive, Percy," he said, and his tone was… indifferent. "Kronos's plans are complete. And now, not even Ikki could stop him."
The name made something inside Percy twist.
Ikki…
His heart pounded.
Luke stared at him, as if he could see the thoughts swirling in Percy's head.
"You feel hope because you still believe in him, don't you?" Luke said. "But even he can't change what's coming."
He tilted his head.
"He is powerful. More powerful than any of us imagined." Luke shook his head. "But in the end, he's just another piece on the board. Not even he can stop fate."
Percy gritted his teeth. "Ikki will find a way."
Luke lunged forward, and this time, Percy knew immediately that something was different.
He was fast.
Too fast.
One moment he was yards away. The next, he was in Percy's face, the blade of Backbiter coming straight for his throat.
Percy blocked by pure instinct.
CLANG!
The impact threw him backward as if he'd been hit by a train.
He steadied himself in the air, heart hammering against his chest.
"How…?" Percy gasped, eyes wide.
Luke didn't answer.
He simply vanished.
Percy blinked, and suddenly, Luke was behind him.
The son of Hermes attacked without hesitation, his blade whistling through the air in a lethal arc.
Percy managed to deflect at the last second, but only because his instincts screamed.
He spun and attacked back, aiming for Luke's chest, but—
Luke disappeared again.
Percy felt something cold crawl up his spine.
It was as if time itself was being manipulated around Luke.
Every time he moved, it was as if the space between them simply didn't exist.
Percy clenched his jaw, trying to focus. "What is this…?"
Luke reappeared a few feet away, twirling Backbiter in his hand with ease.
"A gift from Kronos," he said, casually. "He is the Titan of Time, after all."
Percy felt his stomach sink.
Luke was using time against him.
It wasn't just speed. It wasn't just agile movement.
He was manipulating the moments between each blow.
Decreasing Percy's reaction time.
Accelerating his own attacks.
He was invulnerable because of the Styx. And now… he was fast enough that Percy could barely keep up.
Luke smiled. "Don't look so glum. You should have expected something like this. Or did you think fighting the leader of his army would be so simple?"
He vanished again.
Percy tried to predict the movement, tried to sense the distortion in the air—
Too late.
Luke appeared at his side and landed a solid kick to Percy's stomach.
The impact made the world spin.
Percy flew backward like a cannonball, tumbling through the air before he managed to right himself. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his body.
This was bad.
This was very bad.
If Luke could move like this…
If he could manipulate time around him…
How was he supposed to beat him?
Percy gasped, his mind spinning as fast as his feet tried to keep up with Luke.
This was unfair.
The guy was already invulnerable. Now he could manipulate time, too?
How do you fight that?!
The son of Hermes vanished and reappeared in front of him, the blade of Backbiter slicing through the air with lethal precision. Percy dodged narrowly, feeling the edge of the sword graze his arm.
He stumbled back, heart hammering.
If it went on like this, it didn't matter how many waves he summoned or how much force he put into his blows—he simply wouldn't be able to keep up.
So, he needed a different approach.
He needed speed.
Percy felt the Ocean's Force pulsing within him. The ability Ikki had given him…
If there was any way to use it to turn the tables, it was now.
He thought about water.
About the states of water.
About how it could change depending on temperature and pressure.
The answer came like a flash in his mind.
Cherenkov radiation.
Percy barely remembered the science class where he'd heard about it, but something in his gut, or maybe the power of the Ocean's Force, told him it could work. Light traveled slower in water than in a vacuum. But if something moved within water faster than this reduced light speed, it would generate an incredible effect, a blue glow and a violent displacement of energy.
He felt that through his unique ability, he could replicate this scientific phenomenon, boosting his speed.
The air around him crackled.
Percy felt the ocean pulse with the idea.
He could do this.
Luke reappeared right in front of him, poised to strike.
But this time…
Percy wasn't there.
A blue flash shimmered in the water that gently surrounded Percy's body. He felt his body being pulled, not in an ordinary way, but as if he was becoming part of the ocean itself.
He moved.
Too fast to be seen.
The air vibrated as he crossed the distance between him and Luke in the blink of an eye.
The son of Hermes' eyes widened.
"What?"
Percy reappeared behind him.
The water was glowing.
It was a phosphorescent blue, something ethereal, that enveloped Percy like a second skin. His vision was clearer, his reflexes sharper.
He spun in the air, the force of the water swirling with him, and attacked.
Luke had only a second to turn—
CLANG!
The impact was violent.
This time, it was Luke who flew backward.
Percy grinned.
Now the fight was fair.
The ocean trembled.
The sky ripped open in flashes of blue and gold.
Percy and Luke clashed in the midst of the storm, each blow reverberating through the world like thunderclaps exploding at once.
Every second, they vanished and reappeared in flashes, faster than anyone could follow.
Percy's sword, Riptide, descended like a blue meteor, illuminating the ocean below.
Luke raised Backbiter at the last instant.
CLANG!
The impact opened a crater in the sea.
The waters were split in half for miles, revealing the ocean floor far below.
The clouds in the sky parted, torn apart by the force of the collision.
Luke spun time around his body, moving before Percy's strike could finish.
But Percy was already gone.
A blue flash crossed the space, and he reappeared above Luke.
Luke barely had time to react before Percy struck him with a devastating blow.
The explosion of the impact spread across the sea and sky, creating a vacuum of energy that sucked the entire storm inward.
But Luke didn't fall.
He manipulated time, slowing the force of the blow at the exact moment of impact, preventing himself from being shattered. Then he counterattacked, the time around Percy distorting.
Percy felt his body being pulled in impossible directions. For a second, he existed in two places at once. Luke appeared before him, attacking from all angles simultaneously.
But Percy saw it coming.
He bent himself into speed, pushing his body beyond its limits. Luke couldn't keep up.
The blade of Riptide connected.
Luke grunted in pain, the blade skittering across his skin.
Percy spun in the air, feeling the impact reverberate across the ocean.
The sea below exploded.
The sky above dissolved into thunder.
They fell in opposite directions, gasping for air, hovering over an ocean that was now completely calm, as if even the sea itself were breathless.
Luke looked at Percy. There was something in his gaze; frustration, annoyance… and perhaps, for the first time, a hint of wariness.
He clenched his fists.
"It… doesn't matter," he said, his voice tight with anger. "You might be fast, but neither you nor Ikki can stop what's coming."
Percy narrowed his eyes. "Is that it? You're running away now?"
Luke smiled, but there was no humor in it. He kept his sword lowered, watching Percy for a moment. Then, as if he'd just remembered something, he tilted his head and said casually,
"Oh, before I go… Tell Ikki that if he wants revenge, we'll be waiting."
Percy's eyes narrowed. "Changing the subject now, coward…"
Luke offered a small smile. "We'll be waiting at Mount Elbrus. In Russia."
Before Percy could react, the air around Luke seemed to distort, as if space were folding in on itself. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, like an image being erased from a mirror of water, leaving only the ocean breeze in his place.