Chương 64: Strength vs Shadows

[Song: Two Steps from Hell- Protectors of the Earth (Invincible)]

{Island of Salamis, April 30th 2005}

Heracles rested his enormous bat on his shoulders a smirk in his proud face, "You blinded me huh. Guess I'll just have to beat you until you give them back."

Now that wasn't exactly the reaction I expected from getting blinded, the god just looked like it was a minor inconvenience at best which honestly scared me a bit.

"We've got this master" Lailaps and Swiper declared in unison their huge forms eclipsing my own. Swiper, now a hulking beast, charged at Heracles with surprising agility, his shadowy form rippling as he moved. Lailaps, swift as the wind, darted around to flank him. I on the other hand summoned tendrils from every shadow I could gather throwing them at the god of strength.

Heracles met Swiper's charge head-on, his club swinging down with terrifying force. Swiper, anticipating the move or simply because his divinity in being unable to get caught, leaped to the side, the ground where he had been standing exploding into a shower of dirt and stone. Lailaps used the distraction to his advantage, his teeth flashing as he went for Heracles' exposed side.

The god's reflexes were inhuman. He pivoted smoothly, one hand still gripping his club while the other shot out to catch Lailaps mid-air. There was a sickening crunch as Heracles squeezed, and Lailaps let out a pained yelp, still I didn't lose focus even as my companion was being strangled as I sent out all the tendrils ensnaring his ankles and wrists with 8 each.

I extended a hand, two more shadowy tendrils wrapping around Lailaps, pulling him back towards me. He was battered, but still conscious, his eyes full of determination. I couldn't focus much on his condition right now as I needed to focus on retaining the god which I was doing at least.

Closing my stretched hand I elevated the god in the air his smirk never leaving his face, Swiper on the other hand leaped up to the god sinking its fangs on his shoulder.

Restrained I thought this battle was mostly won which I was thankful for since my singing boost as I liked to call it was about to run out, still he had that shit eating run on his face and before either Swiper and I noticed, black lightning (it was probably another color but I can't see those) sprang from his body breaking my tendrils and attacking Swiper.

Swiper's divinity seemed to do its work as he teleported a few meters away but I could still see blood trickling from his cheek the lightning had hit him.

"Swiper, retreat!" I commanded, Swiper just nodded at my words summoning another tendrils close to him into which he dipped while I put Lailap's in my shadow myself.

"You're strong I'll give you that demigod maybe stronger than I was when I was a demigod but your tricks can't defeat me we are too close in divinity for World to shackle me," Heracles said, amusement lacing his voice. "But you can still try to defeat me."

I clenched my fist, shadows swirling around me. I needed to think of something, anything. Heracles was too strong, too fast and if what he said was true I was fighting an unshackled god for the first time.

"Come on, demigod," Heracles taunted, "It's time for you to die."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. I recalled every lesson, every fight. Heracles was powerful, but he wasn't invincible. He had weaknesses, just like anyone else.

Heracles raised an eyebrow. "Giving up already?"

"Not quite," I replied. With a flick of my wrist, I sent a barrage of shadowy spikes towards him. Heracles laughed, batting them away with ease. But the spikes were just a distraction. I slipped into the shadows, reappearing behind him.

"Surprise," I thought, driving my spear towards his back. Heracles however was unfazed, pivoting to meet my attack his lightning laced club knocking my spear aside. He grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground.

"This again," he replied, "don't you have anything else."

I struggled, trying to break free. His grip was like iron, and I could feel my throat constraining under the pressure, he was strangling me little by little. Desperation surged through me one which I hadn't felt since the fucking misery dreams, but then new words appeared in my mind, no they reappeared Ἄκουε τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν ταύτην (Hear this fatal plea).

For a moment, everything was silent. Then, my body phased through Heracles' grip like a shadow.

"That's cool" he remarked, raising his club.

I stayed silent noticing the exponential increase in strength, black mass started flooding the ground and I didn't know how but I knew this were shadows. Heracles seemed to notice the danger of this mass as he jumped into the air, winds surged beneath his feet keeping him there.

"What are you?" Heracles questioned and for the first time I could hear something in his voice akin to surprise.

But even then I didn't reply just looking upwards at Heracles' hulking form clouds beginning to gather over us and the winds roared louder every second. Lightning struck all around into Heracles' body he looked like a living lightning rod, his form then began to grow along with his club growing to a monumental size of 70 feet.

"Take this whatever you are!!" Heracles' voice boomed like thunder itself, before putting his club over his head and smashing downwards.

I stayed quiet through all of this gathering control over the dark mass which covered half of the island right now, then I simply lifted my hand up to the sky. Hundreds of tendrils shot out around me meeting each lightning strike that fell on the island.

More and more tendrils kept getting shot out I focused on controlling them, sharpening them nothing else mattered at this moment but creating the most deadly tendrils I could imagine.

Amalgamating tons of the surrounding mass I started mounting it around my spear until a 30 foot shadow spear took its place and then I threw it at Heracles' descending form.

Lightning and shadow, wood and bronze met head on the crackling of lightning around the club started incinerating the shadows covering my spear but it wasn't long before a splintering crack resounded.

-CRACKKKK-

The club had been split but it had etched away most of the spear's shadows but it wasn't enough, the spear reached the god of strength's torso another sickening crack ringing out as the spear tore through the god's rib cage and then through his heart.

The winds stopped, the lightning stopped, the rumbling stopped. Everything fell silent for a moment the god falling dead to the ground the spear disappearing midair as my helmet tattoo appeared once more in my hand, and then I fell exhausted.

*Author Note: Hope you enjoyed it honestly I am glad with this chapter I kept on rewriting it which was why it took so long lol. Either way I like to think this battle as the strongest demigod in history vs the strongest of demigod today that was almost the title lol.*

[Greek Myth Fact: Heracles!! Heracles, also known as Hercules in Roman mythology, is one of the most celebrated heroes in Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman. Known for his incredible strength and numerous far-ranging adventures, Heracles is most famous for his Twelve Labors, feats he performed as penance for the madness inflicted upon him by Hera, Zeus's wife, which led him to kill his own children. These labors included slaying the Nemean Lion, capturing the Golden Hind of Artemis, and obtaining the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Beyond the labors, Heracles fought many other battles, assisted the gods in various quests, and had numerous love affairs resulting in a large progeny. He was killed by one of wives after she gave him a pelt with centaur's blood (which is very venomous) from which he died while wearing and he was then given a place guarding the gates of Olympus. Heracles was known for his cunning, strength and many many love affairs with women and men (one which was his nephew).]

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