The clock began ticking with a countdown that seemed to resonate in the air like an ominous echo. Podbe and Aiden prepared for the final battle, their bodies tense and alert for what was to come.
From the ground emerged Zeus in his hydra form, now more imposing than ever. Thousands of heads sprouted from his twisted body, each launching a different attack: lightning, fire, ice, and even slicing winds. When these attacks combined, they formed a massive horizontal beam the size of a six-story building, illuminating the space like a devastating bolt of lightning.
"Watch out!" Podbe shouted as he summoned a glowing crescent moon, using it as a reflective shield to deflect the beam into the void. "That was close," Aiden murmured, his breathing heavy as he watched the impact of the beam disappear into the distance.
"What are we going to do?" Aiden thought aloud, glancing around. There was nowhere to hide, and the situation grew more complicated with every passing second. "Besides, you can't protect me and fight at the same time. My portals don't help me fight like this," he reflected, feeling the weight of his own helplessness.
Podbe launched blue flames from his gloves, which struck the hydra. However, the creature responded by generating even more heads, which sprouted from its body like insatiable tentacles. "Podbe, don't do that! This place is already too crowded; all those heads are everywhere," Aiden warned, pointing out how the space was rapidly shrinking.
From the sidelines, the Superiority observed the spectacle with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Wow! You have a lot of confidence in that boy, Galactic Cloud?" it remarked, addressing the cloud floating beside it.
"Yes, they can beat him," the cloud replied firmly, though in her mind she added, "I hope so."
"I hope the show is entertaining," the Superiority responded with a subtle smile, crossing its arms as it continued to watch.
"What if you reflect its attacks, Podbe, and make them hit back? Maybe that could damage it," Aiden suggested, his mind racing to find a solution.
Podbe nodded and pulled a staff from his cloak, with a crescent moon at each end. The hydra unleashed a barrage of simultaneous attacks: lightning, fire, ice, and pure energy. With precise movements, Podbe spun the staff at high speed, creating a rotating barrier that blocked every attack. When a projectile of ice approached dangerously close, Podbe struck it with one of the crescent moons on the staff, sending it directly back toward one of the hydra's heads. The impact was precise. Although the head didn't destroy or multiply, the blow managed to inflict visible damage.
Meanwhile, Podbe placed a lunar barrier around Aiden to protect him. "I'm sorry, Podbe, for being a burden to you," Aiden said, his voice heavy with guilt.
"Don't worry," Podbe replied with determination as he continued to repel the attacks. "We're in this together."
The hydra, irritated by the counterattack, gathered all its heads into a single point and launched a combined beam that merged all its destructive energies. It was an attack so powerful that it even forced Podbe to his knees, struggling to stay upright. However, with a fierce shout, Podbe exclaimed: "Protective Moon!" Instantly, two halves of a glowing sphere emerged around him, merging to form a barrier that repelled the devastating attack, shielding them both.
"That was close," Podbe said, catching his breath.
"Podbe, we need to finish this guy! The clock is ticking fast!" Aiden reminded him, pointing to the countdown timer that continued to decrease relentlessly.
It was difficult to approach the giant creature while simultaneously protecting Aiden from the constant barrage of attacks raining down from all directions. "Lunar Illusion!" Podbe shouted, and immediately, multiple images of himself appeared around the hydra, moving with speed and agility. The creature's heads began firing high-voltage rays at each of the illusions, but most of the attacks passed through them harmlessly.
At that moment, Podbe had an idea. "Hey, Aiden," he said, turning to his friend. "Do you think you can use materialization to make these images real and not just illusions?"
"I'm not very skilled at that," Aiden replied, hesitating slightly. "But I'll try." He focused his gaze on all the copies of Podbe floating around the hydra. Channeling his energy like when he had made Reia appear in the real world, he shouted: "Materialization!" A flash of light enveloped the images, transforming them into solid entities. Aiden collapsed to his knees, exhausted from the sudden loss of mana.
"I think I did it, Podbe," Aiden said weakly, his body trembling slightly from the effort. "But I don't think they'll last long." His breathing was labored, and his hands still glowed faintly with the remnants of the energy he had channeled.
"I'll make the most of it anyway," Podbe stated, his tone firm but filled with confidence. He knew that even if it was only for a short time, any advantage could make all the difference in this desperate battle.
"Alright," Podbe nodded, his eyes gleaming with unwavering determination. The light from the crescent moons on his ears seemed to intensify, reflecting the resolve burning within him. He was ready to act, willing to make the most of Aiden's effort, no matter how little time they had.
Podbe and his copies, now real thanks to Aiden's intervention, created lunar chains in each hand. They hurled the chains toward the hydra's heads, restraining some of them and leaving only two frees, which continued to spew furious lightning from their mouths.
"That's it, Aiden! It worked! I guess you're not as useless as you thought," Podbe teased his friend with a fleeting smile before turning his attention back to the battle.
"Wow! That boy has another interesting hidden power," the Superiority remarked, observing with interest as the young fighters continued to face the beast.
Time was running out quickly; only 15 minutes remained. The free heads of the hydra realized the danger and began launching devastating lightning bolts, destroying the chains that bound them. Once freed, they directed their fury toward Podbe and his copies, unleashing a massive beam that threatened to annihilate them all.
"I can't afford to waste time or lose my copies," Podbe muttered as he invoked his "Protective Moon" once more. The bright barrier emerged around him, deflecting the attack and providing temporary protection.
"Again!" Podbe shouted to his creations, which now had life thanks to Aiden. "We need to restrain all the heads but leave at least one free."
"What do you have in mind, my friend?" Aiden asked, trying to stand despite his exhaustion.
"It's crazy and risky, Aiden, but I hope it works," Podbe replied, his tone firm yet filled with determination.
"Well, I trust you, my friend," Aiden said with a small smile.
At that moment, Podbe glanced at his copies, and they all coordinated perfectly in unison.
Once the "Protective Moon" faded, the copies lunged at the hydra again, launching their lunar chains with precision. This time, each copy produced two chains, their tips splitting into two, multiplying their reach and effectiveness. The chains wrapped around the hydra's heads, restraining them firmly while leaving two heads free. Their eyes burned with combative rage as they launched desperate attacks.
"We're ready, boss!" the copies exclaimed.
"I hope this works," Podbe murmured as he sprinted at full speed toward the beast. Just before reaching it, he activated the power of his lunar earrings and began to fly, rising rapidly until he positioned himself in front of one of the free heads.
Only 5 minutes remained before the time granted by the Superiority would run out. If they failed to defeat the hydra before the countdown reached zero, they would have to face it again on Earth, where it would be even more destructive and could obliterate the entire planet.
Podbe stared intently at the free heads of the hydra, trying to draw their attention. He lightly struck one of them to separate it, locking his gaze onto the other. The remaining head, as if sensing his challenge, opened its enormous jaws and, without warning, swallowed him whole.
"No! Podbe, what have you done?!" Aiden shouted, horrified, as he desperately tried to get up. But his legs wouldn't respond, weakened by the previous effort and mental exhaustion. He watched helplessly as the hydra, breaking free from the chains that had restrained it, roared with renewed fury. Its heads thrashed violently, shattering the bonds created by Podbe's copies. Once free, the creature unleashed a devastating beam toward the copies, disintegrating them in an instant.
The hydra began to laugh, a sinister sound that echoed like thunder in the dark space. Its multiple heads moved in perfect synchrony as it mocked Aiden, reveling in its triumph. "How do you like that, boy? I've eaten your friend," it said in a chilling voice, all its heads speaking in unison. "Now it's your turn."
Aiden felt his heart racing, paralyzed by fear and helplessness. He glanced at the timer on the wall: "Less than a minute left. Countdown activated." The numbers glowed brightly, inexorably marking the time they had left.
The silence in the space was deafening, broken only by the hydra's taunting laughter and the distant echo of the countdown. Aiden knew that without Podbe, facing the beast would be practically impossible. But still, something inside him refused to give up. And he tried to rise once more to confront the immense monster.
The air vibrated with static energy as the hydra prepared to deliver its final blow. Aiden closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing on the rapid beat of his heart. "I'm not going to give up… not here, not now," he told himself.
But what could he really do?