Chapter 39: Hercules
"What do we do now?"
Shazam had channeled seven consecutive blasts of magical lightning through Batman's spatial disruption device, but the gate to the god realm, which had been easily opened before, now seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Apart from leaving behind a strong, unpleasant smell of ozone in the air, nothing had been achieved.
Shazam grew increasingly frantic.
"I've experienced Zeus's power firsthand! That kid and Wonder Woman probably can't hold out much longer!"
Batman silently observed the space disruption device slowly recharging, ignoring Shazam's increasingly agitated shouts.
Superman, watching Batman's demeanor, paused in thought. After thinking it over, the worry on his own face gradually eased.
"You always have a Plan B. Before we left, you were alone with that kid for three minutes at the Watchtower's bridge exit…"
Shazam whirled around, surprise and hope mixing on his expression.
He slammed his left fist into his right palm and looked to Batman eagerly.
"Really? I knew it! You've always got something up your sleeve, some secret weapon. Uh, but if we keep stalling, something could go wrong. You sure you don't want to tell us what it is?"
Batman pressed his hands against the bottom of his mask, and the screen before him lit up again, indicating full charge.
"How many more times can you do this?"
Shazam's face stiffened. Misery replaced the excitement.
"Under normal circumstances, my stamina would be exhausted. But this is Olympus, the place closest to Zeus. I should be able to draw down his lightning three more times."
"Delay the next attempt to breach the gate by five minutes," Batman said. "Delay the one after that by ten."
"What? You're not leaving me a single drop?"
Shazam's protest died under Batman's disapproving look. He chuckled awkwardly and backed away.
"Okay, okay. I'll go catch my breath first."
The red blur bolted off and vanished.
Superman glanced in the direction Shazam had gone, then spoke quietly. "I saw you give the kid something before we left."
Facing the Blue Boy Scout, who was far more reliable than Shazam, Batman nodded slightly.
"He's smart. I originally only mentioned a backup plan in passing, but he immediately proposed a better, albeit riskier, alternative. Which plan he chooses will depend entirely on his judgment."
...
It took Luka about four or five seconds to drag himself upright again.
Bent over, he coughed several times and spat out another heavy mouthful of blood. Only then did he manage to lift his head. His vision was too blurred to make out Hercules' features anymore.
All he could see was a tall figure a few meters away, arms folded, waiting in silence.
"Another gentleman, huh?" Luka muttered.
Hercules frowned deeply as he observed Luka, who looked to be on the verge of death.
"My divinity forbids me from acting dishonorably. I will stand here and wait until you bleed out and can no longer stand."
"Actually, I'm still far from death, really." Luka glanced in the general direction of where Zeus might be.
"And the King of the Gods will allow you to just wait here until I die?"
"Not even the King of the Gods can force us to act against our divine nature. I'll even tell you straight: I'm no match for the two gods you killed earlier. Even Ares could defeat me with ease."
Hercules' voice carried a bright, unwavering tone, like that of a righteous man standing tall under the sun, his conscience clear.
"If you have a way to kill me in your severely wounded state, then by all means, strike. As long as you remain in this near-death condition, I absolutely won't retaliate."
Disappointment appeared in Luka's eyes.
In truth, he was far from death. His injuries were nowhere near as severe as when he first arrived on Earth.
Moreover, he was much stronger now than he had been back then.
With his current regenerative abilities, Luka could probably stand quietly here for a week and recover almost fully, even without any treatment.
But it was rare to encounter an opponent on Earth who could provide a sufficiently challenging battle.
Since he was already injured, it felt like a waste not to fight to his heart's content.
Unfortunately, he had run into a simpleton like Hercules.
"I can't understand what you gods are thinking. You could have easily achieved your goals by sending any strong warrior for the third match."
Luka blinked, as if suddenly realizing something.
"So, whether I challenge seven gods or seven gods challenge me, as long as certain conditions are met, your divine power-sharing magic will take effect?"
In the distance, Zeus tilted his head to look at Wonder Woman, who was still bound by his divine decree and unable to move freely, his eyes filled with amusement.
"Where did you find this student? Is he really just a child?"
Wonder Woman turned her head away, clearly unwilling to engage with the old man.
Hercules, perfectly adhering to his divine nature and his principle of never acting dishonorably, didn't even deign to lie.
He confirmed Luka's statement.
"This is a hero's rite, requiring at least seven trials. Each trial you face is only slightly beyond your current capabilities, ensuring you still have a chance to succeed. If you had still been full of energy after defeating the Titan, Apollo would have been the one to face you."
As if worried Luka might doubt him, Hercules quickly added, "The God of War was an exception. Our information about you only came from what Eris brought back. After that, we couldn't use magic to spy on your condition."
After a moment of contemplation, Luka let out a sigh and pulled a box from his waist.
The material was pitch-black, with a rough, almost abrasive texture. The box itself was roughly three square inches in size.
He opened it and took out a brilliant yellow ring.
Hercules froze. The ring radiated an aura he found deeply repulsive.
Luka gently slid it onto the middle finger of his other hand.
"It's hard to believe someone like you exists in this world, Hercules. To show my respect, I'll only heal twenty percent of my injuries."
A dim, fear-infused light enveloped Luka's entire body. Under the golden radiance, his seemingly horrific wounds began to heal visibly within moments.
Two seconds later, Luka swiftly removed the ring.
"Now, our combat abilities should be roughly equal. I'll give you my all from this point onward."
Hercules finally uncrossed his arms, his expression turning serious. In his right hand, a massive club materialized.
He stared intently at the fear-light ring Luka had just stuffed back into its box, his face full of vigilance.
"What exactly is that...?"
The air suddenly exploded with reverberation. With one hand holding the ring box and the other formed into a horizontal hand blade, Luka had already closed the distance until he was face-to-face with Hercules.
Flicking the dripping blood from his fingertips, Luka watched as Hercules' pupils lost focus. A torn, slashing wound had opened across his neck. Blood sprayed violently as Hercules fell backward.
Luka shook his head, a little helpless.
"You're not suited for combat. Life in the divine realm has made you too comfortable, Hercules."
Though he hadn't gotten the satisfying battle he craved, his strength had once again increased.
Despite the gruesome appearance of the wound, it was merely a minor injury for Luka.
Stepping past the body on the ground, Luka ascended again into the air. He pointed at Zeus, who showed no shift in emotion and was apparently already preparing to summon the next god.
"I'll choose the next opponent myself. According to your rules, Ms. Prince should also be eligible to participate in this trial."