Even with the save, I went airborne-twenty, maybe thirty feet. I would've broken my entire body if I didn't have the water protecting me.
— - —
1:11:34
— - —
"It's okay," I got up, brushing myself off again. The water gleamed brightly around my chest. "I get it. Luke is a resourceful guy. Tall, and handsome, too. Maybe since he stole the helm, you think he can teach you a thing or two about performance. I hope it works out."
"For the love of Zeus!" Ares roared. He swept his hand, and another wall of red flame rolled across the sand, toward me. I swung a hand, deflecting it towards the street. I probably should've thought that one through. It slammed into the streetcars. The hobos barely had time to dive for cover before the vehicles exploded. A crowd started to form behind the railing, screaming. The ADHD part of me wondered if Nemesis was somewhere over there, still watching.
"What I wonder," I continued in a last-ditch effort. "How did Luke even do it? I mean sure, I'm kicking your ass right now, but he must've been terrified when he went to the Underworld. How he got away from you is unbelievable. Did you lead him there, or something? Was it a trick?"
"Luke! Luke didn't do a thing!" Ares finally snapped at me. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill. "Attack!"
It charged at me. I rolled back, slashing it in half instantly, "I mean, I'm sure he must've. You could've killed him right there and taken the bolt for yourself," I taunted as the wind roared, tossing the remains of the boar onto the sand. Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head.
"Why didn't I...yeah…with that kind of fire-power..." I dropped in behind him and whipped another elemental attack at his unprotected back. I didn't have Riptide on me right now, but I had to use Limit Break while I could.
"Because he beat you. That's what I've been saying."
Ares sidestepped my attack. He seemed to be getting faster and faster now. Maybe I'd finally run out of luck. "Don't make me laugh, boy. You think Luke is smart enough to come up with something like that?"
— - —
0:11:14
— - —
"Then who is?" I questioned, spamming all of the attacks I could— not that it helped, anymore. Ares was starting to glow, easily sidestepping all of my attacks. "Did one of your kids come up with the plan?" This was getting out of hand. I need a finisher—and I needed one fast. I took a deep breath for a moment. I felt the rhythm of the sea, the waves growing larger as the tide rolled in, and suddenly I had an idea.
— - —
0:05:10
— - —
I screamed, and a huge trident coalesced in the water, before launching at Ares, full-speed. "Oh god," I said, rubbing my temples. This was a low blow, but I was at my wit's end. "No way. You're—you're gay, aren't you? Is that why you need Aphrodite? A sham marriage!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Ares bellowed, rushing towards me just as my Limit Break ran out. The water armor dropped around me, and he slammed his fist into my stomach, mid-sentence. Maybe I really did push him too far.
CRUNCH!
My god. It was like being hit by a car. I felt my entire left ribcage crack under the impact of his punch as I was sent floating upwards. At this point, I was barely coherent. A part of me registered the fact that I only had 1000 [HP] left—if I got hit with something, it was the end. That regeneration factor was the only reason I was still alive and kicking. It was looking like that end was coming faster than I could have expected, too. The moment his punch launched me in the air, Ares was ready—his hand was waiting, his sword ready to skewer me.
I activated [Time Dilation] at the last second. All I could do was watch as the point of his sword got closer and closer.
15…
What did I do? Well…there was something. My last-ditch resort. I ripped the glasses Hades gave me off. I felt a sharp pain in Medusa's eye. I watched in fascination as lines of gray started to line Ares' arm, twisting and connecting.
9…
They looked like veins, outlining his entire arm. When the last vein connected with the base of his arm, his entire skin lost its tan color.
8…
It stiffened. His arm lost all tone and bulk, reducing to a gray, chiseled stone. I was dragged out of my dilated vision at the precise moment the mana cost registered. Luckily, Ares' sudden loss of an arm made his movement falter just a bit, and instead of cutting me in half, the sword sheared a part of my shirt off and just barely nicked my skin. I fell to the ground, exhausted and beaten. My left eye closed automatically, unable to handle the strain I'd just put it through. Ares screamed in pure horror as his arm cracked and fell off of his body, his sword still held by the stone.
"You fucking bitch!" He picked me up. At this point, he was barely holding his mortal form. Parts of his body lit up pure gold, like scales. I could feel the heat emanating from his hand. "I'm going to kill you, and that bitch over there. I'm going to find your mom, and I'm gonna —"
"I gotta hand it to you, Ares, you sure make one hell of a threat," I gave him a tired smile. At this point, I knew the fight was over. Might as well go to my uncle with a smile. The look on his face was honestly worth dying for. His eyes, now completely visibly behind the hole in his glasses, bulged. His face dropped, and I couldn't tell if he was going to bust out crying or end my existence.
"You little prick," He trailed off. "You annoying, little, son of a bitch. You just can't keep your trap shut, can you? I should've fucking killed you when I used the helm instead of watching you squirm around. What a waste…I should've stolen a fucking sword or something instead of his useless helm."
My face cracked an even wider grin. Better late than never. "Thanks…"
Ares regarded me with a confused expression. "Thanks for what, punk?"
"He means, thanks for this," My uncle said, appearing out of the thin air next to Ares as if he'd been waiting there the whole time. Before Ares could react, Hades casually raised a hand and tapped him— lightly, almost like swatting a fly. Ares went flying, a blur of red and black, as he crashed into the railing like he'd been launched from a cannon. I barely had time to register the sight before Hades caught me midair, snatching me up before I could hit the sand. Hades caught me out of the air before I hit the sand.
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Hades is here !!! What are your thoughts on the fight up until now, it's mostly the original chapter, I just tweaked part of it. But regardless tell me what you think about the chapter in the comments. If you've been enjoying the ride so far, please leave a review and drop a power stone. Your support keeps this story alive and makes sure Percy doesn't suffer completely in vain.
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