As they watched from their seats, Loki burst into laughter, slapping her knee with smug delight. "That's who they send to fight my Ais? What a joke. Can he even swing that sword?"
Several other gods in the stands joined her, laughing in agreement. Every one of them except Freya.
Freya's eyes narrowed, violet eyes glittering with an intensity the others missed. She could see the young man's soul, and by extension, the true depth of his power. If the Sword Princess was an intense flame, the man she was staring at was an inferno swallowing the sky. The realization struck her immediately, and her expression stiffened.
This round was already lost.
---
Down in the arena, Ganesha raised both arms dramatically. "Fighters, ready!"
Cloud and Ais nodded.
"Begin!" Ganesha roared.
Ais wasted no time. Faster than most could blink, she launched forward, thrusting her sword at Cloud's torso with practiced precision.
Only for her eyes to widen in disbelief as Cloud casually caught the blade between two fingers.
She yanked. She twisted. She poured her strength into it.
Nothing. The sword didn't move an inch.
Cloud looked at her calmly, expression unreadable. "You're pretty fast, but I can tell you don't fight people often. The correct choice in this situation would be to abandon your weapon and get some distance." His grip tightened slightly. "And here's why."
He drove a kick straight into her stomach, sending her flying across the arena like a ragdoll.
---
Back with Tet, Artemis frowned. "I thought you were going easy on them."
Tet leaned back, eyes gleaming with playful wickedness. "Yes, well… allow me to amend that statement. I'm going easy on Freya because she's taking this seriously." His tone dipped with amused disdain. "However, I will be humbling Loki and Ouranos. They're being a bit too arrogant."
He pointed toward Ais as she struggled to stand. "As for Ais, she hasn't realized she still has a long way to go before reaching her goal. This fight will show her how wide the gap truly is, because this version of Cloud is at the same strength level as the dragon she wants to kill."
---
Back in the arena, Cloud tossed Ais her sword with a flick of his wrist. "Try again. This time, be less obvious."
Ais staggered upright, gripping her blade tightly despite trembling fingers. Determination hardened her golden eyes. She invoked Ariel, wrapping herself in wind and boosting her parameters.
A sudden gust burst outward as she vanished from sight, dashing around the arena with blinding speed, her movements nothing but flickers at the edge of vision. She circled, feinted, darted—trying to keep Cloud guessing where she would strike.
The moment she sensed even the smallest opening, she appeared behind him, sword swinging.
Her blade was stopped immediately by the massive Buster Sword.
Cloud's voice sounded beside her ear, calm and sharp as steel. "Predictable."
Ais darted away just in time, air rushing violently as she avoided a crushing blow from his fist.
Ais stood on the far side of the arena, staring at Cloud while struggling to catch her breath. Her chest heaved as she tried to piece together a new strategy. She shifted her stance, ready to move again, when she blinked.
Cloud had vanished.
Panic shot through her. She whipped her head around, desperately searching for him. However a split second later, the broad, flat side of the Buster Sword slammed into her ribs, sending her crashing into the arena wall with brutal force.
---
Up in the stands, Loki shot to her feet, face flushed with anger. "Hey, ref! That can't be legal! He could have killed her!"
Ganesha cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted back, voice booming. "I'm not a referee, and the only rules for these matches are that they go until knockout or until one side is unable to fight! We never outlawed death!"
At that, Loki turned pale. Her jaw trembled as she watched Cloud advance on Ais, horror creeping across her features.
---
Back in the arena, Cloud approached the crumpled Sword Princess. He crouched beside her, noting that she was still conscious.
"You're not bad, kid," he said, voice steady but not unkind. "A few years and you'll be something incredible. But you'll never reach my level on your own." His tone sharpened slightly. "And by the way, my god told me to tell you that I'm just as strong as the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
Ais stared up at him, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "So if I was to fight it as I am now, I'd—"
Cloud cut her off with blunt finality. "You'd die for sure. I was holding back a whole hell of a lot during that fight."
Ais closed her eyes for a moment, sighed in defeat, and shouted toward the stands, "I surrender!"
Ganesha immediately raised his voice. "The Sword Princess has proclaimed she is unable to continue! The winner is Cloud Strife!"
Two members of Ais' familia hurried into the arena and helped her out as Cloud began to make his exit. He barely made it a few steps when an angry voice cracked across the field.
"Hold the hell on there, blondie!"
Cloud turned just in time to see Loki leap into the arena, storming toward him with fury radiating off her in waves.
"You think you can hurt my Ais like that and not pay for it?! You could have killed her!"
Before she could get any closer, a kaleidoscope of shimmering colors erupted between them. Tet materialized with a bright, brilliant grin and held up a hand.
"Now hold on there. If you have a problem with my fighter, you will speak to me."
Loki jabbed a finger at him, seething. "You bet your ass I do! He could have killed her! How are you gonna pay me back for that?!"
Tet's playful expression hardened. "Oh, I'm not. The fact of the matter is, you and your side agreed to the rules of this match. The fact that you overlooked that your fighters could die is on you." His gaze sharpened pointedly. "And if Cloud wanted the girl dead, he would have used the sharp part of the sword."
Loki grit her teeth, shaking with rage. "You little shit. You've got a lot of nerve. You think this is a game?"
Tet spread his arms, voice rising triumphantly. "Yes. This is a game, you fool. I'm the God of Games, and I'm currently playing you all for possession of your world. If I wanted, I could have taken your world without letting you defend yourselves." He leaned forward slightly. "But since you seem so adamant about violating the set terms… I'll allow a side game between me and you."
Loki blinked, thrown off for a moment. Tet continued.
"You'll get one additional match. You cannot use any fighter already participating. If you win, what do you want?"
A savage grin curled across Loki's face. "If my side wins, blondie here has to fight Ottar in the final match. Only this time, it'll be to the death."
Tet's eyes narrowed, anger flickering through his expression. "Fine. But if you lose, I'm taking your fighter as a member of either my familia or one of my friends."
Loki's face twisted with fury. "How dare you—"
Tet cut across her sharply. "Those are the terms. If you don't wish to agree to them, fuck off and go back to your seat."
Loki hissed through clenched teeth. "Fine. I agree."
Tet raised his hand. "Then hold up your hand and repeat after me: Aschente."
Loki obeyed and spoke the word. The moment it left her lips, something startled her. She felt something like a chain lock around both her and Tet—an invisible presence coiling tight.
"What is this?" she demanded, eyes widening.
Tet smiled thinly. "A word of power that binds all. Even me. Now we must both follow through."
Loki scoffed. "Good. Then you can't back out."
Tet waved dismissively. "Just go choose your fighter before I lose my patience."
With a snap of light, he teleported away, taking Cloud with him.
Back in his seat, Tet was seething, jaw clenched so tightly a muscle twitched beneath his eye. Hestia reached over and gently patted his head, her voice soft but firm as she said, "Calm down, darling."
Apollo leaned in with a raised brow and added, "Yeah, boss, you okay?"
Tet exhaled sharply through his nose, fists tightening on the armrests. "Nope. I was annoyed when today started. It was supposed to be fun, two sides fighting it out and having a good time. I was gonna make sure the fighters I used were equal in strength to their opponents." His glare drifted toward the arena as he continued, voice darkening. "But then I saw how relaxed Ouranos was and how bored he looked, and I got annoyed. So I chose stronger fighters for the first three matches. But now, after Loki's little outburst, I've gone from annoyed to furious. Finn and Riveria don't deserve my wrath, so I'll contain myself, but right now I'm gonna make her learn the difference between overprotective mama bear and dumbass who should have taken the L and backed off."
Hestia grabbed Tet's chin and turned his face toward her, her eyes steady and reassuring. "Now, darling, calm down. Whichever child Loki sends to fight doesn't deserve to suffer in place of their deity. And I know you don't like unfair games, so stop letting your emotions get the better of you."
Tet took a slow, deep breath, shoulders easing just a little. "You're right, dear. I need to calm down. I'm sure Loki is already regretting this and will take it seriously."
They both looked over toward the opposite VIP box—only to see Loki bent over the railing, showing them her ass while she smacked it and flipped them off. Next to her, Freya had her face buried in her palms, radiating pure embarrassment and frustration.
Hestia's eye twitched. An angry smile curled across her lips as she said, "On second thought, love… crush them."
Tet's matching smile sharpened like a blade. "Yep."
Down in the arena, Ganesha raised his arms dramatically and said, "Well, this is a surprise, folks! Before our second round begins, we're going to have a quick battle between Lord Tet and Lady Loki!" His booming voice echoed across the stadium as the crowd stirred with excitement. "Now, without further ado, let me introduce the fighters! Representing Loki is this girl!"
At his announcement, a young woman stepped into the arena with light, confident steps. She had dark skin and chin-length brown hair tied neatly on either side of her face, framing sharp green eyes. She wore a white strapless top and a gold collar that glinted under the sun. A long skirt of orange, yellow, and red flowed behind her, parted at the front to expose her legs with each graceful stride. She wore no shoes, moving barefoot across the stone with relaxed ease, gold bands circling her wrists and ankles.
In her hand rested a large double-bladed sword, balanced effortlessly on her shoulder. She walked to the center of the arena with high energy and infectious enthusiasm, waving brightly to the roaring crowd with a broad, confident smile on her face.
Ganesha lifted his hand toward the excited crowd and said, "Please welcome Tiona Hiryute!" The crowd erupted instantly, everyone in the stands cheering with wild enthusiasm at the sight of the Amazonian warrior.
After letting the noise swell, Ganesha continued, voice booming across the arena, "And representing Lord Tet is this woman!"
A swirling portal tore open beside him, crackling with streaks of color. Stepping out was a young woman with spiky black hair and electric blue eyes that sparked with confidence. She wore a black T-shirt beneath a black leather jacket, black leather pants, and heavy black combat boots that thudded against the stone as she stepped forward. A silver chain bracelet wrapped one arm, and a gold ring glinted on the opposite hand.
She turned toward the half-bloods in the stands, her eyes scanning them with pride. Raising her fist high in triumph, she drew a new wave of excited shouts from the crowd.
Ganesha's voice boomed again, full of theatrical flair, "Give it up for Miss Thalia Grace!"
(Authors Note: So first off I will be continuing the Thalia Side Story but I kinda messed up and couldn't stall putting her back in the main story anymore secondly I don't hate Loki that said she's gonna be this arcs punching bag just like Issei was in DxD)