บท 185: Chapter 185: Lucian Vs. Heracles (End)
[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian stood poised, every muscle taut, his stance low like a predator ready to pounce. The intricate sigils carved into his skin glowed an ominous red, pulsating in rhythm with the beat of his heart. His eyes, black as the void, locked onto his opponent with unyielding determination. A thin smirk curled at the corner of his lips as he muttered under his breath, "Let's do this."
The next moment, Lucian's body blurred, becoming a mere streak as he launched himself forward. The ground erupted beneath his feet, a wall of sand exploding upward and swirling in chaotic arcs as he propelled forward with an unnatural speed. White rings of air rippled behind him, the sound of his departure echoing like a gunshot across the battlefield.
Heracles, towering and formidable, remained focused ahead, unaware of the danger speeding towards him. Lucian slid across the sand, body low and balanced, one arm outstretched while the other lowered, tightened into a fist. The moment stretched in silence, broken only by the thundering pulse of power surging through the air.
Lucian's fist connected with Heracles' midsection with a force that made the earth tremble. The god's eyes widened, a shockwave of pain surging through him as he hunched over, a spray of saliva escaping his mouth. The imprint of not one, but several fists embedded itself in his abdomen, a testament to the devastating speed and power of Lucian's strike.
Heracles was sent hurtling backward, his massive frame skidding across the sand like a stone across water. He dug his fingers deep into the ground, clawing desperately to halt his momentum, and managed to plant a knee into the ground just as Lucian's next move arrived—a knee aimed right for his face.
The collision sent a resounding crack through the air as Heracles' head snapped back. Before he could fall, Lucian vaulted off his shoulders, flipping gracefully into the sky. The moment Heracles hit the sand, the demigod tucked his legs back and landed knees-first on his chest with enough force to drive the breath from the god's lungs. Another guttural grunt escaped Heracles as he grimaced, eyes squeezed shut in pain.
Lucian, straddling Heracles, unleashed a torrent of punches, his arms a blur of motion. The sharp crack of fists meeting flesh echoed repeatedly, each blow landing with bone-crushing force. To a mortal, this barrage would have been lethal—beyond lethal. His arms became a blur as he let out 30 consecutive punches in a matter of a second.
Lucian was already unnaturally strong because of the potions he had consumed, now adding to the Sigil which multiplied his own strength, those were tons of punches draining down on Heracles at such speed, any normal God would have already begun bleeding by now. However Heracles wasn't just any normal God, he was the God of Strength and due to that was capable of handling them as they came crashing down on him.
Summoning his strength, Heracles drove his head forward, meeting one of Lucian's fists with his forehead. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, enough to push Lucian backward, sand spraying as he skidded to a stop.
Heracles rose, gasping, sweat glistening on his bruised, black-and-purple torso. His eyes narrowed as he touched the tender marks marring his flesh. A grimace crossed his face, but it twisted into a grin as he launched himself at Lucian with a roar, tackling him to the ground.
Before Lucian could react, Heracles seized his leg and lifted him into the air, only to be taken aback as Lucian, without hesitation, twisted his own leg at an unnatural angle. The sickening snap of bone punctuated the move, splinters piercing skin, yet Lucian only sneered. He lashed upward with his other leg, striking Heracles under the chin and forcing him to release his hold.
Lucian flipped mid-air, landing on his one good leg. He set the broken limb back with a grotesque twist, the crack of bone realigning audible even in the chaos. "That felt weird," he muttered, testing the limb with a satisfied grin.
Heracles, wiping a trickle of spit from his chin, let out a low chuckle. "Kid... no, Lucian... what the hell is wrong with you?" His tone was both impressed and bewildered. Heracles then moved his mouth around with a confused expression and spit to the side to show a tooth on the sand. Both combatants stared at it for a heartbeat, Heracles in disbelief and Lucian in irritation.
"Why that look?" Heracles asked, arching an eyebrow. "Knocking a tooth loose should be a grand achievement."
"If I were content with just a tooth, you'd best kill me now," Lucian snarled, eyes narrowing. "I won't stop until I see blood."
Heracles laughed, deep and hearty. "Alright, then. Come! Make me bleed!" His muscles flexed, preparing for the next exchange.
"Oh, I will." Lucian's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as he assumed his stance again, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "By the way, I'm keeping that fucking tooth."
Heracles scoffed as he charged in again, Lucian blocked Heracles punch with his forearm and punched his fist.
Heracles blocked his next punch and punched Lucian's torso.
Lucian blocked Heracles next knee attack by crossing his arms, switching over using his raised knee as leverage and kicking his chest.
...
"They're going to be at this for a while, aren't they?" Ares muttered, arms crossed, eyes glued to the spectacle with a deadpan expression.
"Yup." Annabeth flicked her fingers, turning the sand beneath them into sturdy seats. She dropped down and crossed her legs. "Might as well get comfortable."
Ares sighed as he took a seat, followed by the rest of the onlookers.
"How long do you think they'll go on?" Bianca asked, a mixture of awe and concern on her face.
"Knowing Lucian?" Thalia smirked, her voice dry as the desert air. "Until the sun rises."
"WHA—"
…
6 hours later…
Multiple magic circles materialized across the sky, raining down weapons like a tempest aimed at Heracles. With a powerful swing of his massive club, he shattered them one after another. Meanwhile, Lucian darted through the storm, slashing his scythe with fierce precision. Heracles leaped into the air, the force of his jump leaving the ground trembling. He swung his club in a wide arc and came crashing down with a resounding impact, sending a shockwave rippling outward.
Lucian used the pole of his scythe to block the attack, but the force of the collision surged through him, making his arms tremble as he gritted his teeth.
"ARGH!" Heracles roared, pressing down with even greater force. "JUST QUIT ALREADY!"
"I won't stop until I see even a single drop of gold from you!" Lucian growled, muscles straining as he struggled to hold his ground.
"YOUR PERSISTENCE IS INFURIATING!" Heracles bellowed, pushing down harder.
Lucian felt his knees start to buckle under the pressure. "ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME KNEEL, YOU BASTARD?!"
"DAMN RIGHT I AM! ONCE YOU KNEEL, IT'S OVER FOR YOU!"
Lucian bit down on his lip until it bled, his face twisting with rage. "I kneel for no one, except my mother," he snarled.
Veins bulged on Heracles' forehead and arms as he pressed down with relentless force. Blood trickled from Lucian's lip, and his knees dipped lower as he prepared for a final gambit. Summoning every ounce of focus, he reached deep into his well of magic and shadow. The glow around his sigil began to fade, and weakness clawed at him.
At the last moment, Lucian shifted back, letting the club crash into the ground with explosive force. Using the shockwave to propel himself, he rolled across the sand and planted his hands on the shadows. The darkness spread out, forming a circle around him with a hidden magic circle at its center.
Heracles, momentarily caught off guard, glared down at the shadowy trap. Lucian activated his cursed eyes, freezing Heracles for a split second.
'I'm putting everything I have into this. This untested technique has to work,' Lucian thought, sweat pouring down his face.
Heracles, known for his iron will, broke free from the brief paralysis and scoffed. "Shadow Switch," Lucian muttered.
In an instant, their positions flipped. Heracles found himself standing directly over the hidden magic circle. Before he could react, a massive black dome enveloped him, shrouding him in utter darkness. He strained his eyes but saw nothing—not even his hands. A sudden, unnatural weakness overcame him, forcing him to use his club for support.
"What is this...?" Heracles muttered, eyes widening as two colossal dragon eyes emerged from the pitch-black abyss below.
Outside the dome, Lucian smirked. He had just used three different attacks in one go to create the Ultimate trap.
Lucian magic circle in the beginning had a curse embedded into it, a curse that siphones the strength of anyone that was on top of it. Lucian then uses his trap magic to use that siphoned strength and transfer it elsewhere… Into his strongest attack, his Cursed Dragon, which he once used against Thalia during the war games.
Heracles' own power now bolstered the dragon, which let out a deep rumble, smoke snaking from its massive nostrils. It roared, the sound so powerful it caused the earth to quake, jolting Nico and the others awake.
Heracles, undaunted, grinned defiantly. "COME AT ME, BEAST!" he roared.
The shadowy dragon slithered through the darkness and tackled Heracles, breaking out of its confinement. Wind lashed out in every direction as it rose from the ground, its immense form blotting out the night sky.
Nico and the others watched in awe, taking steps back as the colossal dragon coiled in the heavens. They turned to see Lucian, his hands forming a clasp, struggling to hold it together.
High above, Heracles gripped the dragon's maw, straining to keep it open. "I'VE HELD UP THE SKY ITSELF! THIS IS NOTHING!" he roared, even as the dragon's massive tongue wrapped around his torso.
"..."
"Uh oh..." Heracles muttered, eyes narrowing.
With a final pull, the dragon swallowed him whole. Lucian snapped his hands shut with a triumphant cry. "HAHAHA! ART IS AN EXPLOSION!"
The first rays of dawn lit up the dragon's silhouette, giving it an ethereal glow before—
BOOOOOM!
A blinding black light burst from the dragon, momentarily eclipsing the sun and turning the sky as dark as night. The explosion was massive, sending shockwaves that pushed back the ocean and formed a deep crater, only for the water to rush back and fill it.
The force swept over the beach, knocking everyone to the ground. Bianca screamed as she clung to Nico, who was nearly blown away. Sand whipped through the air in a storm, battering their faces and obscuring their vision. Windows shattered across distant streets, and debris scattered far beyond the shore.
Amid the swirling smoke, a dark blur shot toward the beach. Heracles crashed into the sand, forming a crater. Everyone turned to him, breath held, as he lay still. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and with a painful groan slowly got up, as he rose to his feet, he was brought back down to his knees, letting out a painful cough.
Gold-streaked blood dripped from his mouth, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at his bloodied hand. Staggering, he met Lucian's gaze, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "You crazy bastard... you actually made me bleed."
"That's... good... because I'm about to die now," Lucian replied with a weary, warm smile.
"What?"
Slowly blood started dripping down Lucian's mouth painting his entire chin red, followed by his nose, eyes, and ears, cracks began appearing over his skin as more blood spilled out, "Sigil… used on body…Too long…Breaking" Lucian muttered before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and dropped down to his knees and face planted on the ground.
A pool of blood spread beneath him as Annabeth screamed, "LUCIAAAAAN!" and raced to his side, with the others following not too far behind.
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