Inside a luxury V.I.P. box sat Tet, lounging comfortably, and nestled in his lap was Hestia, who leaned back with relaxed familiarity. Next to them sat Apollo, while perched on his shoulder was Ramiris, kicking her legs back and forth as she drank lemonade through a tiny straw.
Tet eyed the fairy and asked with confusion, "When did this become a thing?"
Apollo shrugged, looking equally baffled. "Yeah… not sure."
Ramiris raised her hand excitedly, wings buzzing as she spoke. "So when's the fight start?"
Tet stretched, adjusting Hestia slightly, and replied, "In a little bit. We're waiting on a few more guests to join us."
A silver portal spiraled open, its light washing over the room, and Artemis stepped out with her usual stern poise. Behind her came a woman with long blue hair and green eyes, wearing a purple and white dress with a partially open white skirt and thigh-high brown leather boots. She carried herself with quiet dignity.
Apollo leaned forward with charm, eyes gleaming. "Well, hello there. And who might you be, my lady?"
Artemis nearly vomited on the spot. She jabbed a thumb toward the newcomer and shouted, her voice dripping revulsion, "She's me, you dumbass!"
Apollo went a sickly shade of green, clapping a hand over his mouth as if fighting off nausea. After a moment to steady himself, he lowered his hand and said awkwardly, "I am… so sorry."
Artemis exhaled sharply and continued, wanting this over with before Apollo scarred her a second time. "Before Apollo scars me again, I'd like to introduce my other self. She and her Familia have agreed to join the hunt, and she has agreed to go by Diana from now on, so there's no confusion."
Diana gave a graceful bow and said warmly, "Pleased to meet all of you."
Tet tilted his head with mild curiosity. "Isn't that your Roman name?"
Artemis nodded, arms crossed, expression firm. "Yes, but I won't be using it anymore, so it seemed appropriate to give it away."
Tet ran a hand down his face and muttered, "Oh shit. I completely forgot about Camp Jupiter. Damn it… now I have two camps full of demigods to worry about."
Apollo patted Tet's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, boss. We've got time to sort it out."
Tet snapped his fingers as another thought struck him. "That reminds me. Did we take care of Kronos and the minor gods?"
Apollo's eyes widened in instant realization. "Ah. That's what we forgot. Shit."
Tet shrugged in resignation. "Oh well. I'll just adjust the return portal to drop us at the exact moment after we left."
Apollo perked up suddenly. "Speaking of portals, I'll be right back." He opened a golden portal beside himself and vanished through it.
Seconds later he returned, dropping back into his seat as if nothing happened. Except now sitting in his lap was a cute blonde fox girl with golden eyes and nine fluffy tails, wearing a shrine maiden outfit and happily holding popcorn and soda.
Everyone stared.
Artemis narrow her eyes and demanded, "Did you just kidnap a twelve-year-old?"
Apollo looked mortified. "What? Hell no! I asked her mother if I could borrow her for a bit!"
Kunou beamed proudly. "Mr. Apollo said he'd take me out for some fun!"
Tet muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples, "More like Mr. Apollo is trying to sleep with your mom…"
Apollo instantly cupped his hands over Kunou's ears, glaring. "That is not what this is about.....This time. The reason is that cute kids are great for publicity, and my Familia needs publicity."
Artemis crossed her arms tightly. "You're going to exploit a child?"
Apollo raised a finger defensively. "She's getting paid."
Kunou chirped, "Yep!" and proudly pulled out a big briefcase. She flicked it open, revealing it was filled to the brim with money.
Tet stared at the case, exhausted beyond caring. "I don't even care anymore."
Tet snapped his fingers again, and a final portal opened. Striding through it were Rimuru and Milim. Both plopped into their seats with unrestrained enthusiasm. Milim pumped her fists and exclaimed, "Yes! A fight in another world! Can I jump in and face the winner?"
Tet chuckled lightly. "Maybe some other time."
Rimuru nodded politely. "Thanks for the invite."
Tet grinned. "No prob."
Apollo leaned forward eagerly. "So, boss, who's fighting on our side?"
Tet clasped his hands together with a sly sparkle in his eyes. "Trust me, you'll all enjoy it. But for now, it's a surprise."
Tet stared ahead at the other V.I.P. box, his eyes narrowing with calculating focus. Inside, Ouranos sat stone-still, flanked by Freya and Loki, each wearing different shades of confidence and concern. Tet exhaled through his nose and murmured with dry certainty, "Just as I thought. The old man didn't take this seriously."
He leaned back slightly, resting an arm around Hestia while his gaze stayed locked on the opposite box. "I bet he expects Ottar to come out on top. If I had to guess, I'd say the other fighters are Allen, Ryu, Finn, Riveria, and Ais. I almost feel bad for what's about to happen… but only a little."
Down in the center of the arena, a man wearing an oversized elephant mask dramatically raised both arms. His booming voice echoed across the coliseum. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I'm your host, Ganesha!!!!!!!!!! And I'm here to announce the beginning of a war game of the Freya Familia and Loki Familia facing off against a foreign god and his Familia, Lord Tet, God of Games!"
The crowd erupted with scattered cheers and murmurs. Ganesha continued, slapping a hand to his massive chest plate with pride. "If he wins, he gets Orario! But if we win, we get powerful warriors to help in our crusade against the dungeon!"
He pointed to the arena floor with theatrical flourish. "Now, the rules are simple! A six-on-six tournament! The fights are to last until knockout or until one fighter is unable to continue!"
His voice thundered even louder as he stretched an arm toward the entrance tunnel. "Now let's introduce the fighters representing Orario!"
A young woman stepped gracefully into the arena. She had long blonde hair that shimmered under the sunlight and golden eyes that gleamed with cold determination. Her every step steady and poised.
Ganesha spread his arms wide. "Give it up for the Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein!"
The crowd roared with cheers and clapping, a wave of noise rolling through the stadium. Some spectators catcalled or whistled, riding the excitement, but Tet only stared down at the arena with an unimpressed squint.
"Girl's good," he muttered, tapping his fingers on the armrest, "but she's still green. If I wanted, I could have brought out someone who could crush her instantly… but I decided to be nice. So I'll save the Malenia for another occasion."
With a casual flick of his wrist, Tet waved his hand, and a swirling portal opened in the center of the arena.
Ganesha thrust his arms skyward. "And representing Lord Tet is this man!"
Out of the shimmering portal stepped a young man with spiky blonde hair and blue-green eyes. He wore a sleek all-black outfit, and in a display of effortless strength, carried a massive single-edged sword resting across his shoulder.
Ganesha threw both hands toward him. "Give it up for Cloud Strife!"
Up in the stands on Tet's side, a few hundred people burst into cheers and applause. If anyone looked closely, they'd notice the entire group consisted of children and teenagers. Apollo scanned the crowd with a raised brow, and after spotting Chiron calmly sitting among them, he blurted out, "Wait… who went and got the kids from Camp Half-Blood?"
Tet chuckled lightly. "I did. They deserve a field trip every now and then. I even pulled Percy, Annabeth, and Clarisse back from their quest for the Fleece since it's no longer necessary. I also rescued Grover."
Apollo nodded slowly, a half-impressed grin forming. "Huh, that's cool. But now I wish I was hopping in the arena so I could show my kids what the old man's made of."
Tet arched a brow. "You're welcome to slug it out with Milim."
Milim shot up from her seat, fists pumping in the air. "Yeah! Let's go, Blondie!"
Apollo laughed, waving her off. "Maybe later, short stuff."
Milim puffed her cheeks and plopped back down with an exaggerated pout.
Apollo leaned forward again. "Also… Cloud Strife? You call that pulling your punches?"
Tet smirked with a hint of smug mischief lingering in his eyes. "Yep. I could have done so much worse."
(Authors Note: Sorry for the short chapter everybody but I spent to much time setting the fight up and I want the actual fights to be the focus of the chapter)