Apollo's eyes blazed with determination as he turned to face Hyas, his voice filled with a mix of urgency and command. "Hyas, stay back! This fight is mine alone. I cannot bear to see another loved one fall."
Hyas hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting between his fallen comrades and the intense battle unfolding before him. With a nod, he reluctantly accepted Apollo's request, understanding the depth of his resolve.
Summoning the last vestiges of his waning strength, Apollo created a shimmering barrier that enveloped him and Helios, isolating them from the chaos and tumult of the surrounding battlefield. Inside this protected space, the air crackled with anticipation, as if even the universe itself held its breath, awaiting the clash of these formidable adversaries.
The tension was palpable as Apollo and Helios circled each other, their movements precise and calculated. Every step, every motion, bore the weight of their respective powers, intertwining in an intricate dance of light and darkness.
Apollo struck first, his body a blur as he unleashed a flurry of devastating blows. His movements were fluid, a testament to his mastery of combat. With each strike, he sought to penetrate Helios's defenses, to find a weakness in the armor of arrogance that the Lord of the Sun wore so proudly.
But Helios was no ordinary adversary. He met Apollo's assault with swift and calculated counters, his golden bat a blur of lethal precision. The clash of their weapons sent shockwaves through the barrier, the sheer force of their collision reverberating with a deafening resonance.
Their battle intensified, each moment a symphony of acrobatic maneuvers and lightning-fast strikes. Apollo's fiery radiance danced in harmony with Helios's blinding brilliance, creating a dazzling display of light and shadow.
In the midst of the fierce exchange, their voices intertwined with the sounds of combat. Apollo, his voice resolute and unwavering, declared, "You may have power, Helios, but I fight with the strength of love and justice. I will not allow your darkness to extinguish the light."
Helios laughed, a haunting sound that echoed through the enclosed space. "Love and justice? Such feeble notions," he sneered. "In the end, they are but insignificant sparks against the blaze of my power. Prepare to witness true strength, Apollo, as I consume everything you hold dear."
Their movements quickened, each combatant seeking to gain the upper hand. Blow after blow landed, the impact resonating through their bodies. Sweat mixed with blood as they pushed themselves to the limits, their breaths ragged, their muscles straining.
But as the battle waged on, a subtle shift occurred. Apollo's movements became more sluggish, his strikes losing their former intensity. Helios, on the other hand, seemed to grow stronger with each passing moment, his power swelling like a tidal wave.
With a sly and cunning maneuver, Helios exploited Apollo's momentary weakness. In a lightning-fast motion, he sidestepped a strike and swiftly countered, his golden bat striking true. Pain seared through Apollo's body as the blow landed, a cruel reminder of his mortality.
Apollo staggered, his vision blurring as he fought to stay on his feet. Blood trickled from his wounds, staining the ground beneath him. With a sinister smile, Helios approached, relishing in his moment of triumph.
As the world around him dimmed, Apollo's voice rang out, filled with defiance even in the face of defeat. "You may have won this battle, Helios, but the fight against your tyranny will continue. Remember this, I will not rest until your reign of darkness is brought to an end."
And with those final words Apollo's life force dwindled, he summoned the last remnants of his strength. With a primal roar, he concentrated his energy into a single, concentrated beam of light. The beam coalesced into a shimmering blade, fueled by his unwavering determination and desire for vengeance.
With a swift and powerful throw, the energy blade sliced through the air, finding its mark on Helios's unsuspecting form. A deep gash appeared on Helios's side, eliciting a pained grunt from the Lord of the Sun. The wound seared with an intense, seething energy, a testament to Apollo's indomitable spirit even in his final moments.
As Apollo succumbed to the embrace of death, Hyas rushed to his fallen comrade's side, catching him gently and laying him near Artemis. Sorrow etched deep lines on Hyas's face as he mourned the loss of his dear friends and allies.
Helios's laughter, though tainted with pain, echoed through the desolate battlefield. "Well, well. It seems it's just the two of us now," he taunted, his voice reverberating with a sinister undertone. "No one is left to aid you, Hyas. Prepare to be consumed by the relentless blaze of the sun's wrath."
Hyas stood tall, his body battered and weary, but his spirit unyielding. Grief and anger intertwined within him, fueling a resolve to avenge the fallen and put an end to Helios's reign of terror. His voice, laced with determination, cut through the heavy silence. "You may think the sun will be my undoing, Helios, but darkness has its own strength. And it is in that darkness that I shall find the power to bring you to your knees."
The stage was set for the final showdown, a clash between the embodiment of solar might and the unwavering spirit of a warrior driven by love, justice, and the memories of those he had lost. The fate of Olympus hung in the balance, the outcome of their battle poised to shape the destiny of gods and mortals alike.
Hyas felt the surge of dark energy coursing through his veins, empowering him with an unsettling and ominous aura. His eyes, once filled with clarity, now glowed with a sinister crimson hue. Confusion wrestled with his mind as he realized that the inner maniac he had tried to suppress had taken control, and it reveled in the chaos that unfolded.
In a voice laced with darkness and despair, Hyas spoke, his tone grim and chilling. "I hope you remember your Admirals well. As I took their lives, it is now your turn to face the consequences." His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of impending doom.
With an explosive burst of raw power, Hyas propelled himself skyward, defying gravity with an unhinged ferocity. As he ascended, a pair of ominous black wings unfurled from his back, casting a shadow over the battlefield below. His transformation was complete—a fearsome harbinger of destruction and vengeance.
Locking eyes with Helios, Hyas's voice echoed with a blend of madness and determination. "You will die," he declared, his words dripping with a chilling finality. In a blink of an eye, he blurred past Helios, leaving a deep, bleeding gash across the Lord of the Sun's face. Helios, once confident and composed, now wore a mask of confusion and a shimmer of fear danced in his eyes.
The tables had turned, the balance of power shifting in the wake of Hyas's unleashed wrath. With his newfound strength and the indomitable force of his darkened spirit, he would show no mercy. It was a clash between light and dark, sanity and madness, with Hyas embracing his inner demon, poised to deliver the final blow that would bring Helios to his knees.
The battlefield trembled beneath them as the epic duel raged on, the air crackling with an electrifying tension. The fate of Olympus hung precariously in the balance, as the two formidable adversaries clashed, each driven by their own personal vendettas and an unyielding desire for triumph.