Chapter 48:
"This… this is…" Percy muttered in disbelief.
"Godlike? Right?" Annabeth finished, and Percy could only helplessly nod. Seeing even his father, whom he thought of as an omnipotent and all-powerful being, was bizarre for him.
He looked to the side to catch a glance at Hestia, and he saw her looking worried. It was like looking at an anxious child, but what was more prominent on her face was not anxiety, but pity directed towards Marcus.
Percy didn't know why, but there had to be a reason why she was gazing at Marcus like that.
Along with Percy, Annabeth, Grover, all of them felt conflicted about whom to help. Marcus was once their friend, betrayed by the camp, while the other side was the irresponsible parents who often put them in difficult situations, almost leading to their deaths.
If they were to do the right thing and see through things in the right light, it was obvious they should help Marcus. But due to their conflicting emotions and loyalty, they chose Olympus instead.
"Goddess Hestia, how can we help?" Percy asked.
Hestia looked at them and sighed with a soft voice.
"I'm afraid there's nothing we could do," she replied helplessly.
****
Marcus' lightning-clad fist slammed against Apollo, sending the Sun God flying into the ground, once again, helpless.
Apollo had used his healing power earlier to mend the severe wound inflicted by Marcus, and he was now out of energy. He couldn't heal again, which left him useless until he could recover.
"I can't believe you managed to silence that Sunny bastard," Ares muttered as he flew closer towards Marcus. He brandished his flaming sword once again and pointed it at Marcus.
"I'll admit it, you are one of the most powerful gods I have ever met," said Ares.
"That's why I will show you the reason they call me the war god!" Then, as if summoning Tartarus on Earth, the entire landscape of New York was engulfed in flames.
Though the flames were bright and furious, they did not harm mortals, as Ares deemed them unworthy of his fire.
Zeus, who had let Ares take the lead, shook his head.
"Does that child intend to destroy all of New York?" Zeus sighed as he eased down his divine form. He thought this fight would be over soon after this. He had been anxious earlier, being exhausted due to standing at the frontline against Typhon's attacks. Now that Ares was facing Marcus, he could rest and recover.
Ares commanded the flames to spread across New York and gather around his palm, and they obeyed, merging with him, similar to how Marcus had merged with his lightning earlier.
But that was not the end of it. The God of War stabbed his flaming sword into the air, creating a crack in the fabric of space. This fissure was connected to the underworld, where the majority of his army resided. By opening that gate, a flood of undead warriors rushed out.
They marched, they rode, they strode until New York was filled with armed undead.
"Molon Labé!" Ares screamed, and the entire army pounded their weapons and replied.
"Molon Labé!" They responded, their synchronized voices shaking the ground beneath them.
"Molon Labé!" Ares shouted again.
"Molon Labé!" the army replied.
Ares looked at Marcus and smiled smugly and arrogantly with bloodthirsty eyes.
"This is what it means to face the God of War, young god!" he said ferociously.
"Behind me is the soul and body of every warrior who gained their place in Elysium!"
"Face their might, young god of lightning!" Then, by bringing his sword up and slashing it down, the entire army moved forward.
"RAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
"FOR THE GOD OF WAR!!"
"ALL HAIL ARES!!"
"TASTE THE FLAME OF WAR!!" Screams and shouts echoed from the hundred thousand strong army of undead warriors.
Their march shook everything as bullets and arrows rained down upon Marcus.
"GUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"I miss this feeling!" Ares laughed madly.
How long had it been since the last great war? Ares had missed this feeling, the sensation of hundreds of thousands of troops marching for one purpose.
The feeling of bringing destruction to those who opposed him. This was the feeling of war!
"That bloodthirsty fool," ridiculed Athena. She was also a God of War, but her aspect was more on the strategic side of war and peace, whereas Ares craved destruction and annihilation.
"I could really go for a drink," commented the alcoholic god Dionysus.
But amidst all this, even as Marcus was about to be overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of troops, his gaze remained unfazed.
He looked at the incoming army and sighed.
"Why does everything get so complicated," Then he created a lightning horse construct once again and covered his body in full-body cavalier armor of dark purple lightning.
"I'll face you all head-on," he stated and then dashed forward with his lance pointed at the very front, ready to slam through the ferocious army.
One, two, three, four, five, the count continued until Marcus finally collided. Upon collision, a spherical shockwave was created, destroying everything nearby. The shockwave traveled through New York, shaking everyone's hearts.
He didn't stop there. Marcus continued his stride, slamming and piercing everything in his way, with the goal of reaching the end of the army's line.
At the very end of the army's line was the commander himself, Ares, who was looking at him excitedly.
Ares raised his hands and waved at him to get closer, as if taunting him.
"Come here if you dare!"
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