Alvos spotted the man wearing a black mask and followed him near the lord's castle, where a large crowd was being controlled by soldiers. When the city lord removed his mask, Alvos saw a man about 5'8" with bright silver hair and piercing silver eyes. Alvos listened as the city lord addressed the crowd.
"My people, I declare victory in our war with the neighboring kingdom! They have been forced to surrender 60% of their weaponry, which our marshal will select. They will also pay us 50,000 pounds of gold over the next 10 years and cede 40% of their territory at my discretion!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as the city lord waved to them.
"Long live the city lord!" they chanted.
Alvos, satisfied with what he had witnessed, planned to leave and inform his allies. He immediately teleported away from the city, arriving at Olympus Castle, where Ares and the other gods were strategizing in the war room. Ares was pointing at a map when Alvos entered.
"Brother, I've found my heir," Alvos announced. "His power level is on par with a demigod!"
Zeus and the other gods raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"Are you sure of his location?" Zeus asked.
"In Draconia, to the south of the continent," Alvos replied.
Zeus stood up. "Ares, Artemis, and eight other gods will accompany me. We shall invite the city lord of Draconia to join our faction with Alvos."
The gods donned their battle armor, and Alvos opened a portal. However, when they stepped through, they found the once-peaceful city engulfed in flames.
Titans were smashing the city walls as soldiers fired cannons and muskets, blowing off the heads of nearby titans. Alvos noticed unknown soldiers attacking the western gate, and upon closer inspection, he recognized the knights of the goddess Athena. Fortunately, the city guard was holding them off.
Suddenly, a terrifying roar echoed through the air.
*ROOOAAAARRRR*
In the distance, Alvos saw the four-armed titan Chronos, the god of time. He kicked the city walls, but his first strike did not connect. The second, however, shattered the walls, causing people nearby to scream in agony.
"Zeus, snap out of it! We need to save the people!" Alvos shouted, snapping Zeus and the other gods out of their daze.
"Artemis, take three gods and save the civilians. Alvos, retrieve your heir. Ares, you and the rest will distract Chronos!" Zeus commanded.
They all nodded and moved to their assigned tasks.
**Two hours later...**
The city lord was thrown into a nearby building, landing hard on the street as blood trickled down his face. "I-I won't lose!" he stammered, stabbing his sword into the ground to raise himself.
Alvos fought his way to the spot where the city lord had fallen and saw him gathering energy around his sword. He approached, hearing the city lord's defiant words.
"You bastards! You dare harm my people! Even those Athena knights dare to attack! I swear, as long as I live, Draconia will never fall!"
With that, the city lord charged toward Chronos. Alvos saw the city lord use a technique, *Sky-Shattering Judgment: First Form – Ripper*, slashing Chronos deeply enough to cause him to scream in pain and grab the wound. Golden blood spilled from the titan as he roared and retreated.
The city lord collapsed, and as the city crumbled around them, Alvos smashed away debris threatening the unconscious man. He spotted another body nearby—the marshal of the Draconian forces. However, before he could move, a black portal opened, and a large hand reached out, pulling the marshal through.
As Alvos approached the fallen city lord, he heard the man mutter through his fading consciousness, "I-I shall show no mercy, even if Athena herself is my enemy..."
---
**The Next Morning...**
All of the city's civilians had been evacuated, and allied soldiers from nearby city-states were sending supplies to aid the Draconians. The gods gathered around Alvos, who carried the unconscious city lord.
"So, this is the man who harmed Chronos and who will become the next god of balance?" Zeus asked, inspecting the surroundings.
Suddenly, multiple armored soldiers landed, raising their weapons at the gods.
"Who are you?! Why are you holding our city lord?" demanded the commander of the Chaos Brigade, who quickly realized the gods' immense power.
Alvos calmly showed the token given to him as a visitor.
"W-Wait, you're the god who entered the city earlier!" exclaimed the guard who had received Alvos.
Alvos nodded. "Don't worry. Your city lord is fine, but he must come with me to inherit his true position."
"Inherit your position?" the commander asked.
"Yes," Alvos confirmed.
"Then please take care of our lord."
"You don't mind him leaving?" Zeus asked.
The commander replied, "He has reached the threshold of the mortal realm and cannot advance further without help. Please, give him the power to combat the titans."
Alvos nodded. "In one year, he will return as both emperor and a god, with a new empire under his rule."
With that, a bright light enveloped Alvos and the other gods, and when it faded, they stood in Olympus.
"Take him to the infirmary. I will check on Chronos," Zeus commanded.
---
**The Next Day – Olympus Infirmary...**
Alex Draco, the city lord, woke up in the infirmary, bandages wrapped around his chest. He saw his greatsword wrapped in leather beside his bed.
"Damn, I'm still hurting," Alex muttered, holding his head as he tried to stand, the pain coursing through his body urging him to sit down.
"What the hell... it feels like I got slapped by a giant."
Alvos appeared at the entrance, and Alex instinctively unleashed an unknown aura in response. The aura was so powerful that Alvos had to create a barrier, which nearly broke under the strain.
"Calm down, boy. You're injured. If you keep using that power, your body will suffer more."
After hearing Alvos' words, Alex relaxed and sat back down, still wary.
"Why did you take me here, to Olympus?" Alex asked, getting straight to the point as Artemis arrived.
"You will be my heir," Alvos responded as he sat on a nearby chair.
"Why me?" Alex asked.
"You're unique among mortals."
Alvos took a bite from an apple before continuing. "Your subordinate told me you've reached the threshold of the mortal realm. So, I made a decision. You shall become the new god of balance and emperor of the empire I've established."
Alex frowned. "No. I'm not interested in becoming a god. I just want to lead my peaceful city-state."
Alvos' tone became more serious. "It's not your decision, Alex. All the gods have approved you as the new god of balance when you pass away."
He paused. "Do you want to defeat Chronos?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to avenge the people who died because of Athena's knights?"
"Yes."
"So, do you accept my position in order to achieve all this?"
Alex thought deeply before answering. "Alright. I accept."
Alvos clapped his hands. "Great! Training starts tomorrow." He then turned and left.
---
**To be continued...**