Chương 41: The Heaven’s War – Part 4.1 [Tiberius]
Zawar Orcubalis
It has been a while since we returned from the dungeon. We are now at the base of the mountain.
Ares broke away from Morrigan and I to cover a better distance, that was after we faced the Valkyries, who were here to try to take Gungnir, as they were in disbelief that Othinus gave her to me.
We almost died because we were outnumbered. But I can say that Morrigan came up with a brilliant idea.
-It was clever to get them to split up. Valkyries are lethal in groups, but as individuals they are too weak. -. I say to Morrigan, with a small smile on my face.
-That was the best idea I could come up with to be honest. If we got them to split up, it would only be a matter of time before we wiped them all out.
-Anyway, well done. Let's take a little break.
I just went and lay down on the grass. We've come far enough just walking.
The rest is going to be a bit easy.
Although... there's something that makes me uncomfortable.
It's a weird feeling. Like a shiver runs through every corner of my body. And it's coming from the Supernatural Rift.
Mm...
Maybe it's the accumulation of divine entities that's making the Supernatural Rift go on the rampage... yeah, that's what it is for sure.
Ares shouldn't be long in coming back.
[In that same time]
The God of War, Ares, wields his spear with dexterity, it dances between his fingers gracefully. As he manages to parry impending attacks from a God he has never seen before.
Ares has fought countless battles in a myriad of realms, meeting dozens of deities of equal or greater power than his own.
The "Spear of Rome", symbolic of his journey to another land where he called himself Mars while holding the title of God of War there, is the name of the weapon Ares wields.
It is a spear that has been bathed in the blood of Gods and mortals alike, a spear that has gained great power as it itself absorbs everything that makes it more powerful.
And despite all his years of experience, Ares is having trouble countering a mouldable weapon.
It's a ball of a metallic liquid, with the magical ability to reconstruct itself and take on as many forms as it wants. This is more or less a kind of conscious weapon, but extended to the wild side.
The God who controls it is a ragged-skinned one, full of scars and wounds, carrying a large hammer in total silence, waiting for the metallic liquid to finish off his victim. Ares cannot recognise him because of the iron mask covering this god's head.
Ares is not able to follow the train of thought, who the hell is this guy, why did he decide to appear all of a sudden?
It was Ares who decided to separate from the group, as he sensed a giant threat coming from inside the forest. Then he encountered this strange God, whom he is unable to recognise.
-Who are you, coward?! -. Ares asks vehemently.
As a Spartan warrior, Ares does not tolerate that one of his enemies does not show his face and, moreover, fights like a complete coward.
The unknown god replies in a breathy voice.
-Can't you recognise me, "Ares the Exiled"?
-Don't you dare call me that!
-There is no other way to refer to you, brother...
-Who are you?! Heracles?!
(No, wait. The complexion of this guy's body is different from Heracles. His skin looks like it's falling apart... if I can take advantage of that, I can beat him!) .- Ares thinks.
But then, Ares' defences are penetrated.
After deflecting the trajectory of Ares' spear, the metal amalgam is moulded in such a way that it envelops Ares with an avalanche of spikes. Ares has no choice but to let go of the spear in the midst of it. Barely managing to escape with a few scratches.
-... hilarious... -. mutters the "God of the Iron Mask".
Since the fight started, this deity had not moved a bit. Now, however, he stepped forward.
Ares' reflexes were slow to react, and prevented him from moving his legs the moment the hand of the "God of the Iron Mask" grabbed his head to knock him to the ground with astronomical force.
Ares spat and cried blood, the blood vessels in his face were burst with a single attack.
(What the hell is this force?! If it's not Heracles, who is it?!) -. Ares thinks.
-Brother... many centuries ago... I would never have thought of doing this to you... not even when you took Aphrodite from me...
-Hah...
The God of War then realised. The God that Ares has been fighting with is none other than the owner of the "Divine Forge", his brother Hephaestus.
But there is something wrong. The Hephaestus that Ares remembers is not even a fraction of what this beast in front of him is. How was it possible then that his level as a God has risen so high? It's impossible! Gods can't just improve their powers just like that, something must have happened!
[Behind the Scene]
[Two Hourse before the fight between Hera and Liselotte]
It is time to carry out my last will. It is more than clear that all I will do today is die at the hands of Liselotte Sitri. There is nothing I can do to deny that.
Since I became the "Goddess of Olympus", not only has my power and influence increased, but also my responsibilities.
As a mother, I have fulfilled my duties to my children, giving them the wishes that Zeus once could not fulfil no matter how hard he tried. But in spite of everything... there is one of these children who was always the one who received less than the others.
Fruit of my body. My son, Hephaestus.
He wasn't born the most graceful, but at least he managed to earn the respect and favour of several Gods for being able to create weapons with powers of global proportion with the ability to sweep continents like it was nothing.
Zeus allowed Hephaestus to marry Aphrodite, as a favour Zeus owed him after Hephaestus improved his "Divine Weapon". But as usual, nothing was good for my poor son.
He was already humiliated by the way he looked from birth, ugly as a whale's ass. And it all came to a head when Aphrodite's bitch betrayed Hephaestus with my least wanted son, Ares.
We had no choice but to exile Ares from Olympus, while Aphrodite was thrown in prison for adultery for a while.
Hephaestus locked himself in the "Divine Forge" to hide from the taunts and denigrations that all the other Gods directed at him for his wife's betrayal. And as his mother, I planned something from then on.
All my other children have had their whims fulfilled, however mundane, but only Hephaestus will be the one to receive everything from me. The current situation is right to allow Hephaestus to be the next heir to my late husband's power.
I then arrived at the gates of the "Divine Forge", which opened of their own accord as soon as I stopped in front of them. And I say with an eloquent voice:
-Hephaestus, I am your mother. And I see that this thing has reached adulthood at last....
Inside the forge, stood my son, Hephaestus. He has dark skin, a somewhat slender body and reddish hair like Zeus in youth.
Several centuries ago, on one of his birthdays, I gave Hephaestus a mythical creature, a "Hydra". The last purebred of its kind. One that Hephaestus has cared for since it was just an egg.
These two have an unbreakable bond, I could say that this hydra is Hephaestus' best friend even.
-Mother, it's so good to see you!
Hephaestus pushes aside his hydra and makes his way over to me to hug me. I don't hesitate to reciprocate his affection with a smile.
I'm quite a bit taller than him, but that doesn't matter.
-I hear the Lich has gone mad, and now she's started a revolution against the gods. Mother is going to fight her?
-It is my duty. I can't allow her to go any further, not after she killed Othinus...
Hephaestus stops hugging me, and looks at me dumbfounded.
-Othinus is dead?!
-Permanently. She erased Othinus from existence with her magic.
-Mother... let me come with you.
Her determination brings a small smile to my face.
I reach out my hand, to touch my son's cheek.
Hephaestus' skin is rough and some describe it as unpleasant to the touch, but it doesn't feel that way to me. After all, my love as a mother overrides anything.
-Forgive me, Hephaestus. I can't take you with me. I'll go with your failed brother, Ares, instead.
-Ares...? -You annulled his exile?
-I'd rather say it's a way of sacrificing him. -I'd rather say it's a way of sacrificing him. He'll be my own "Trojan Horse" by the time I deliver a single attack that will kill the Lich.
-You're not sure that's going to work, are you?
...
-That's right. I'm not sure. Hephaestus, on the other hand...
I take a step forward to give Hephaestus a kiss on the forehead. With that, I leave him an enchantment that will be of use to him the moment I die.
There's no way I can beat Liselotte Sitri when she fights for real. At best I might hurt her, but not beat her.
-I want you to be the next "God of Olympus". When I die, all the potential you have will be unleashed, and all my current power will be transferred to you. Make good use of what I got, son.
-What do you mean, mother?!
I turn around, and start walking in the opposite direction to the "Divine Forge".
I don't leave without telling her...
-Great things await you, Hephaestus. You're going to have to give up that name sooner or later, though. You might even beat Liselotte. You are the fittest god of them all for the task.
-Don't leave me here, mother...! -. Hephaestus shouts, as he starts to follow me.
However, I close the doors of the "Divine Forge". Preventing Hephaestus from leaving. I applied a sealing spell so he can't open it. It's going to disappear when I die anyway.
I drop my forehead against the door. And in the sweetest voice, even though I know Hephaestus won't hear me, I just say...
-I love you, Hephaestus. Let your mother do this last act of love for you, my dear.
That would be the last thing I would say to Hephaestus.
[Present]
-Ggh... -. Blood comes out of Ares' mouth in the form of vomit.
In the eyes of "Hephaestus", the current appearance of the brother who betrayed him can only be pitiful.
Ares is wallowing in the dirt, with the amalgam of magic metal pinning him, he could do nothing but writhe in an attempt to break free.
This was futile, though.
-You betrayed... mother... -. Hephaestus mutters.
Ares could barely hear what he said, and yet he still retorted:
-She was crazy! Since that bitch killed our father there was no better opportunity to take revenge than that! She's the one who betrayed Olympus in the first... agh...!
Ares' body suddenly experienced a change in gravity. Which caused the magical metal amalgam to dig even deeper into his limbs.
(Why does he have this crap! There's no way he could learn to use Hera's magic on his own!) - Ares shouts in his mind.
Any attempt to escape was already thwarted.
Ares was unable to understand how his brother had managed to obtain all this power. Ares couldn't face him or resist anything.
-Don't ever refer to her that way again! You bastard! I don't give a shit if she betrayed Olympus, where was Olympus when you stole Aphrodite from me! After I kill you and the Lich I'm going to take care of all the fuckers who were never with me!
-Are you listening to yourself, Hephaestus?! You're declaring war on the gods too!
-The difference is that I can win... -Now I can! Now I can do it! Mother loved me so much that she left me all of her! And I won't let her down.
The deep voice of "Hephaestus" gave Ares to understand that it was all over for him.
-He's all yours, my friend... kill him, Pandora.
"Hephaestus" turned his back on Ares at that moment, for he had opened a portal through which the "Hydra" his mother gave him was transported to Zawar Orcubalis.
Ares looks helplessly at the "Hydra", he did not know that there was still a "Hydra" alive. Fear floods him because like Jörmundgander, the "Hydras" have a poison with the ability to kill Gods.
Only that it takes larger doses of the "Hydra's" venom to achieve the feat...
The "Hydra" has only one head at the moment, it even resembles a dragon in this form. But it still managed to impose its murderous instincts against Ares successfully.
The movement of the long neck of the "Hydra" was what announced that his attack was about to be given.
"Hephaestus" had to undo gravity so that the hydra could kill Ares. And at that moment, the God of War did not hesitate even once to break his limbs in half in order to get away from the cursed metal amalgam.
The force used for that even loosened the earth from the place. That was undoubtedly the best possible move.
But his enemy was faster than him.
Ares' thoughts were to be shaken as the fist of "Hephaestus" descended against his head. Ares felt as if his consciousness faded away, at which point, "Hephaestus" grabbed him by the neck.
"Hephaestus" slammed him to the ground again, with such force that he could feel the bones in Ares' neck snap in his grip. Then, with his other free hand, he grabbed Ares' helmet.
And before using force, he mutters:
-Too slow. Too weak. Too easy.
Horror floods Ares' face, the iron mask is the last thing he looks at before he dies.
For as he finishes saying that, "Hephaestus" rips Ares' head off with such force that the spine breaks through, shattering Ares' now corpse.
"Hephaestus" throws the head at the hydra, who caught it as if it were a prize.
The skin of "Hephaestus" absorbed the blood of Ares that spilled on his body when his head was ripped off. And the accompanying hydra did not miss the chance to swallow what was left of Ares.
[Liselotte's Perspective]
!
A big warning signal ran down my back. My 'Detection' ability went crazy a few seconds ago.
There's a gigantic amount of magical energy in the area... mixed with Hera's signal...
Uh, wait. That makes sense. I didn't kill her using magic, so I'm guessing the body recovered on its own...
No. Wait a minute. I made sure to rip out her heart for that. I almost forgot.
I'm finding this to be a joke in very poor taste.
-You felt that, Morrigan? -. I ask my partner.
-Ares' signal is gone... he's dead. Whatever's in that direction may be the cause of death.
Well said.
Looks like the break will have to wait a while longer.
-Let's go. At least I want to retrieve the body. -. I say to Morrigan, standing up again.
My bad feeling was right. I hate being right most of the time.
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