The sky above Idunn's Orchard blazed with a golden light that was far from natural. An intense, blinding radiance descended like a blade of fire, and the air vibrated with its sheer power. Fuku looked up and immediately felt the threat.
Apollon, the sun god, had arrived. His chariot gleamed as it tore through the clouds, leaving behind a trail of pure, searing light. His hair seemed made of liquid flames, his eyes shone with a gold so bright it almost scorched any mortal who dared meet his gaze.
The god hovered above the orchard, his lips twisting into a grimace of rage. The six outlaws recoiled instinctively, as the divine solar breath crackled around them, making the silver branches of the central tree writhe under unnatural heat.
— WHO DARES…? thundered Apollon, his voice resonating like actual thunder. — WHO DARES DESECRATE IDUNN'S ORCHARD?!
Jörmungandr roared in Fuku's mind, a furious and terrified warning:
— Run, Fuku! He's a god! You cannot defeat him!
But Fuku did not move. His golden eyes locked onto the sun god, and a cruel, defiant smile stretched across his lips.
— A god, huh? he murmured. — Well… someone has to show you that even immortals can bleed.
The Bifrost trembled under the god's solar power. Each beam struck the ground with the force of an avalanche, incandescent and blinding. The orchard itself began to smolder where the light touched the moss and leaves, though the apples remained unharmed. Fuku felt the heat on his skin as an electric sting, yet his body, infused with Idunn's fruit, seemed almost immune to harm.
— WARRIORS! Apollon shouted as he descended from his chariot, hands glowing with the light of noon. — COME TO ME! THE ORCHARD SHALL NOT FALL!
The Six Rats readied themselves. Their gazes were filled with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. Each of them had tasted the fruit, and a spark of divine energy now coursed through their veins. They knew the fight would be merciless.
Fuku stepped forward, still clutching the apple, his own radiance mingling with the blinding sunlight.
— If you want your orchard intact, he said, tightening his grip on the fruit, — you'll have to get through us first!
And then, the battle began.
Apollon's beams struck with divine precision, each flash capable of splitting a tree or vaporizing stone in an instant. But Fuku, wielding his Golden Finger, reflected the light like blades of pure energy, arcs of brilliance shooting in every direction. The Six Rats followed, moving with speed and agility, striking with flashes of steel and divine energy.
Apollon's rage grew. His light became harsher, more searing, and the orchard transformed into a battlefield of shadows and golden fire. The silver trees twisted under the intensity of the conflict, their shimmering leaves falling like arrows of light.
Fuku felt the power of the fruit awaken even more fully within him; its burning essence radiated a field of energy that even Apollon struggled to penetrate. And in his eyes, a promise blazed: no matter the gods' fury… not even the Sun itself would take what he desired.