The second wave came came running.
Helios sat there, laughing triumphantly. "Entertain me and defeat my little friends first," he taunted. "If you can manage that, maybe you'll be worthy of facing me. Dear Artemis, you've grown old. I've already defeated you once, and now you want to try again with this squire."
Artemis cursed inwardly. She knew he was only trying to provoke her and rile up her temper. And he was succeeding without any difficulty.
Swush. An arrow hit Helios in the chest out of nowhere. That's what I thought, but it was only his silhouette and his shadow.
She gritted her teeth and glared at him, her eyes flashing with determination. "I won't fall for your tricks, Helios," she spat. "I'll defeat you, just wait for your spirits to vanish."
Helios chuckled darkly. "We'll see about that, Artemis," he replied. "But for now, let's enjoy the show, shall we?"
Helios was stronger than I thought. His silloutte was faster than Artemis' arrow. We had to give eight a single mistake could end fatally.
Graaaa
I screamed so loud that my throat felt like it was breaking. My war cry let a heap of fire spirits dissolve into air. I jumped into the air and focused my energy on the tip of my sword.
Bamm
As it touched the ground many even more spirits.
"Artemis, we are stronger than they are. You take the right flank, I'll take the left. Today will be the day Heliso falls." I said, puffed up and ready to give anything for life or death.
Artemis quickly moved to my back and used it as a helping structure to get higher in the air, while I stood my ground and faced the spirits. I moved my sword in a circular motion, creating a barrier of energy that blocked the spirits' flames.
As the spirits approached, I began to swing my sword with precision, slicing through them like butter. I could feel the heat of the flames as they came closer, but I stood my ground, dodging and attacking in sync.
Artemis, on the other hand, was raining arrows down on the spirits from above, taking out large numbers with each shot. We were working together seamlessly, and it was as if we had been doing this for years.
The spirits continued to pour in from all sides, but we kept our focus and pushed forward. With each swing of my sword and each shot from Artemis, we took out more and more of the spirits.
My burns healed at an unbelievably fast pace. I could fully concentrate on breaking through the Spirits. The curse of Achilles was both blessing and calamity. I felt no pain and my energy was inexhaustible.
I roared in anger, "Helios, are you a coward? How much longer do you want to hide behind your useless vassals? Is the power of the Sun so submissive and weak that you desperately try to avoid a direct fight? I think it's more appropriate to call you the god of fireflies."
Helio's face twisted and bursting with rage he turned to me. "You dare to insult me and my vassals with your filthy mouth. Then we'll stop the theater and I'll bury you alive."
Everything went according to my plan. First I smashed his vassals in front of him, only to provoke him afterwards.
He snapped his finger and the vassals allied themselves into a colossus. A fiery giant leapt toward Artemis. I tried to help her, but Helios caught me unaware.
Tack
My cheek was bleeding slightly. "Foolish boy. If you think what you say, I'll give you plenty of time to breathe. Now come and fight like a man and show me that there's more to it than just a tiny little boy.
I had to take sides and attack first.
I bounced off the ground and catapulted towards Helios. He knocked me over with a simple slap to the side with his palm.
"Sunfire technique: Red Palm punch. Is that all? I want to show you some more techniques, so come here and try again." he said grudgingly.
I freed myself from the rubble and wiped the blood off my forehead. I shouldn't underestimate him.
Meanwhile, Artemis had all her hands full to defeat the Colossus. She rolled to the side cut off his leg and shot a hail of arrows. But it all came to nothing. He regenerated and became even stronger.
He towered over me, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. I could feel the heat emanating from his aura, making me sweat despite the cool breeze that blew through the arena.
He grinned, his teeth gleaming in the bright sunlight. "Let's see what you've got, little one," he taunted, beckoning me forward.
I charged at him, my sword raised high. He dodged easily, sidestepping my attack and landing a blow to my back that sent me sprawling to the ground. I groaned, struggling to get up as Helios stood over me, his foot on my chest.
"Is that all you've got?" he sneered. "Pathetic."
I gritted my teeth and swung my sword in a wide arc, aiming for his midsection. He blocked it effortlessly with his bare hands, his muscles bulging with the effort. I could feel the impact reverberating through my arms.
He laughed, a deep, mocking sound. "You're no match for me, boy," he said. "But I'll humor you. Let's see how long you can last."
He lunged at me, his fists blazing with a fiery aura. I dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding his attack. But he was quick, too quick. He spun around and landed a blow to my stomach that knocked the breath out of me.
I stumbled backwards, gasping for air. Helios advanced on me, his fists whistling through the air. I raised my sword to block, but he was too strong. With a flick of his wrist, he sent my sword flying out of my hand and into the distance.
"Now, this is getting interesting," he said, circling around me like a predator toying with its prey. "Let's see if you can keep up."
I gritted my teeth and launched myself at him, my fists pounding against his chest. He grunted, but his defenses held strong. He retaliated with a flurry of blows that I barely managed to dodge. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, making me sweat and my eyes sting.
He laughed, enjoying himself. "Come on, boy," he taunted. "Is that all you've got? You can do better than that."
I glared at him, my fists clenched. I had to find a way to defeat him, no matter what. I circled around him, looking for an opening. He followed my movements, his eyes never leaving mine.
Then, I saw it. A flicker of hesitation in his eyes, a moment of doubt. I seized the opportunity, launching myself at him with all my strength. My fist connected with his jaw, sending him staggering backwards.
He regained his balance, his eyes blazing with fury. "You little bastard," he growled. "You think you can defeat me?"
He lunged at me, his fists pounding the air. I dodged to the side, but he was too quick. He caught me with a powerful blow to the chest that sent me reeling backwards.
I struggled to get up, my vision blurry. But I could hear Helios laughing, mocking me. "I told you, boy," he said. "You're no match for me."
I refused to give up. I got back to my feet, my body aching with pain. I knew I had to find a way to defeat him, no matter what it took.