Ch 63: Rain (IV)
“Now, gloves off.”
I exhaled dark wisps of smoke, the vapor curling and disappearing into the storm as I shut my eyes, forcing calm into my racing heart. The cold rain soaked into my skin, but it was the crackling tension in the air that filled my lungs. Why the hell would I fight Poseidon with the bident? That thing had a mind of its own, and right now, I needed focus, not chaos. I had another way— something far more dangerous, something that even a god of the seas wouldn’t expect.
Poseidon’s trident whistled through the air, a glimmering, lethal blur. I shifted my weight, barely avoiding it. “Are you ready?” I asked, my voice steady, but inside, a storm raged.
Poseidon narrowed his eyes, his fury palpable, like a rising tide. “Wh— who the hell are you talking to?!” His voice boomed over the storm, but there was a flicker of unease in his gaze. The rain had stopped, mid-fall, droplets frozen like crystals in the air. They shimmered, suspended by his power, reacting to his rage, his energy. I would have admired the beauty of it—had I not been locked in a battle to the death.
He snarled, raising his weapon high. “WATER CONTROL: OCEAN BLADE!”
From the frozen rain, a blade materialized, towering and translucent, a deadly weapon forged from the very storm. The sky split as the enormous blade came crashing down, slicing through the heavens. Poseidon grinned, twisting his bident, pushing me directly into its deadly arc.
This was my moment.
My hand dove into my coat pocket, fingers curling around the familiar, cold surface of the black book. “Begin!” I commanded, my voice low, deadly. The book snapped open, its pages flipping wildly on their own, black light spilling out, crawling up my arm like living shadows. I could feel the power surging through me, ancient and dark. “FIRST COMMANDMENT: DEAD SUMMONING!”
For the first time, I saw true fear in Poseidon’s eyes.
He recognized the black magic. He knew what was coming. Gods could wield unimaginable power, but so could I. The bident wasn’t my only weapon, not anymore. Just as Poseidon commanded the oceans, and Ares donned his indestructible armor, I could command the very souls of the dead.
**BOOM!**
The Ocean Blade hit the earth with a deafening crash, the ground quaking beneath its weight. But I was untouched. Around me, shadowy figures rose from the impact zone, their eyes glowing white, like lanterns in the abyss. They were the souls of the dead, called forth by the power of Hades himself. Their presence drained me, yes, but the payoff was worth it.
“Tell me, Poseidon,” I called, my voice echoing across the battlefield, “did you really think you could beat me?”
Before he could react, I vanished from his sight, reappearing behind him in the blink of an eye. My foot connected with his temple with a sickening crack.
Poseidon’s body was flung like a ragdoll through the air, crashing into the ground with a thunderous *thud*. He coughed up blood, the crimson droplets painting the rain-soaked earth.
I didn’t let up. Before he could even think about standing, I was there. A brutal kick to the chin sent him flying again, an explosion of debris and seawater following his path. “You thought I couldn’t use the power of Hades, didn’t you?” I smirked, watching him struggle to rise from the rubble.
He spat blood onto the ground, rage burning in his eyes. “WATER CONTROL: OCEAN WAVE!”
From behind him, a monstrous wave surged, the water twisting into countless razor-sharp blades, each one aimed directly at me.
I summoned more of the dead, their shadowy forms forming a shield around me just as the blades crashed down. I felt the sting of a hundred cuts as the wave tore through the shield, slicing into my skin, but I kept moving forward, my eyes locked on Poseidon.
He read my intent and met me head-on. The moment the wave dissipated, he appeared before me, faster than I’d anticipated. His fist connected with my face— WHAM! —and I felt something inside me crack.
My vision blurred, but I didn’t stop. I threw a sweeping kick, but he dodged it by a hair. Poseidon was growing desperate, his movements becoming frantic. He was draining himself. Using that much power again and again was taking its toll. I could see the strain etched into his face. He was on the edge, one misstep away from collapse.
He could die.
As much as I hated him, Poseidon was a god I’d admired in my darkest times. His stories had been with me when I had nothing. But this— this was the end. “If only you had lived a better story, I might have spared you.”
“HADES!” A voice screamed my name, cutting through the roar of the storm. I turned just as Hecate ran towards me, her eyes wild with fear. She leapt, pushing me aside, her weight knocking me off balance. My mind reeled. “Hecate?!”
A deafening shot echoed across the battlefield. I watched in horror as something invisible zipped through the air and struck her in the head, blood spraying through the storm, painting the air red.
She collapsed beside me, her eyes wide, staring into mine— dead.
“Hecate…?” I whispered, disbelief tightening my throat. “A sniper…? No. No!” But she didn’t move. Her lifeless body lay still beside me, her blood staining the ground.
WHAM!
Poseidon’s boot slammed into my chin, sending me flying back, crashing into the earth. Pain exploded through my body, but it was nothing compared to the rage building inside me. Poseidon stood over me, a wicked smile on his lips. “It seems you have more enemies than even I thought.”
I could hardly hear him. My mind was a fog of anger, disbelief, grief. I tried to stand, but my body hesitated, the pain and shock too much to overcome.
“This is bad!” I muttered through gritted teeth, trying to regain my balance. But Poseidon was faster. His trident flashed through the air—and in one swift motion, it severed my right arm.
“AARGHH!” I screamed, the pain unlike anything I had ever felt before. Blood gushed from the wound, and I clutched the stump, trying to keep myself from passing out.
Poseidon loomed over me, his trident poised to end it all. My body refused to respond, frozen in agony.
Then, a golden light erupted between us.
“POSEIDON!!”
The voice was unmistakable. My heart skipped a beat as a figure stepped between me and my would-be executioner.
Zeus.
Lightning crackled around him, his fury palpable. His voice thundered over the storm. “YOU BASTARD!”
Poseidon’s expression darkened, but he didn’t waver. “Zeus, stay out of this. I will kill this imposter.”
But Zeus didn’t flinch. Golden electricity rippled through the air as he butted his head against Poseidon’s. “You hurt Hades. And for that, brother, I’ll kill you.”
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
