Ch. 61: Rain (II)
The car was still smoldering when I sprinted back. I found Hecate slumped against the wreckage, half-conscious, her body battered and bruised. Her clothes were torn, soaked with blood and rain, and the acrid smell of smoke clung to her like a shroud.
I grabbed her under her arms, pulling her out of the wreck. She stirred slightly, her eyes barely open, but the pain was evident in her expression.
“Hecate!” I called out, hoping to snap her back to the present. “You still with me?”
She groaned weakly, her hand instinctively clutching the wound on her side. “We… were attacked?” she mumbled, her voice thick with exhaustion. Blood dripped from her forehead, tracing a path down to her chin. Her half-lidded eyes flickered over the carnage around us—the bodies strewn across the pavement like broken dolls. A silent massacre.
The sky rumbled ominously overhead, thick storm clouds gathering with unnatural speed. In some cultures, they say a storm heralds a bad omen. I knew better. This was no mere storm.
“Someone’s after me,” I muttered, scanning the horizon for any sign of our attacker. “You need to get out of here.”
Hecate shook her head, a grim determination setting in despite the pain etched on her face. “No, boss. This time, I’ll protect you. I won’t fail again.” She spoke with such certainty, her voice low but resolute. Even in her battered state, she refused to back down. That fierce loyalty—it was both a blessing and a curse.
The hotel loomed behind us, its once-luxurious façade now in chaos as the remaining guests fled in terror. Despite the chaos, the sense of dread clung to the air like a suffocating fog. Whoever had the audacity to attack Hades— me— in broad daylight was no ordinary adversary. They had to know what they were doing. Someone this bold had an agenda, and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to end well for either of us.
“Hecate…” I started, but she cut me off.
“I’m fine.” She straightened herself, though I could see the tremble in her legs. “Your safety is all that matters right now.”
I reached out to her, desperate to make her listen. But before I could say another word, a sudden pressure filled the air. The kind of pressure that makes your skin crawl, that primes every instinct for flight. Something was coming— something powerful.
“Run!” I shouted, my voice thick with panic as my senses screamed in alarm. The oppressive weight in the air pressed down on me like a tidal wave, and I couldn’t tell where it was coming from— left? Right? My body acted on instinct, leaping back just in time to pull Hecate with me as a massive projectile slammed into the ground where we had been standing.
The explosion that followed was deafening, sending a plume of dust and debris into the air. The force of it sent us tumbling back, crashing against the cracked pavement. I barely managed to shield Hecate as we skidded across the ground, my arms numb from the impact. My ears rang, and my vision blurred, but I couldn’t afford to stop. If we stayed here, we’d be dead within moments.
A figure appeared through the swirling dust, their silhouette dark and menacing against the dim light. Whoever they were, they moved with deliberate precision, like a predator stalking its prey. I clenched my fists, readying myself. But then, a familiar voice cut through the haze.
“You know, I should have seen it sooner, there were obvious signs,” the figure sneered. “But Hades was always a quiet one but you were different. And now… I understand why.”
My blood ran cold at the sound of that voice. Poseidon.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I spat, gesturing for Hecate to fall back. “Is this your doing?”
Poseidon stepped forward, his face twisted with rage. “Cut the crap, you imposter!” His voice was a thunderclap, filled with barely-contained fury. “You thought you could fool me? You thought you could steal what was mine?” His hand tightened around his bident, the twin-pronged weapon glinting ominously in the stormy light.
My heart sank. He knew. He knew I wasn’t the real Hades. This had gone from bad to catastrophic in seconds. A confrontation with Poseidon wasn’t just dangerous— it was suicidal.
“I’ll make you pay for what you did,” Poseidon snarled, his face contorted with hatred. “Hades was mine to defeat. And you— whoever you are— took him from me.”
His words hit me like a blow. I had expected challenges, but not like this. Not from Poseidon. “You knew?”
Poseidon raised his weapon, the air around him shimmering with the raw power of the ocean itself. “Of course, I knew,” he hissed. “Your body might look like Hades, but your soul… it’s nothing but a shadow. A pathetic imitation.”
The storm intensified around us, the wind howling like a banshee as Poseidon summoned his power. He wasn’t holding back. This was a fight to the death.
In a blink, he closed the distance between us. I barely had time to react as his bident came crashing down. I dodged to the side, but his movements were fluid, faster than anything I had anticipated. He parried my counterpunch with ease, the force of his block sending a jolt of pain up my arm. Before I could regain my footing, he was on me again, his weapon slicing through the air with deadly precision.
I ducked just in time, feeling the wind of his attack brush past my face. Desperation clawed at my insides. I needed distance. I couldn’t go toe-to-toe with him— he was too strong, too fast. But every time I tried to retreat, he was there, cutting off my escape.
In the chaos, I felt a sharp, searing pain. A bident—another one—pierced my back, driven with such force that I was lifted off my feet. Blood filled my mouth as I gasped, the metallic taste overwhelming my senses.
“Too slow,” Poseidon mocked, his voice filled with cruel satisfaction. “I expected more from you, *fake*.”
I staggered forward, barely able to keep my footing. My vision blurred, and I could feel the strength draining from my limbs. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t afford to die here—not like this.
Poseidon’s foot connected with my back, sending me sprawling to the ground. I coughed up blood, my body trembling from the impact. The weight of defeat pressed down on me, heavier than any physical wound.
Was this it? Would this be my end?
But as the storm raged around us, something inside me stirred. A flicker of defiance. This wasn’t over yet.
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
