Ch. 011: I Am So Gonna Kick Zeus' Butt
I have to win.
No, I will win!
Gripping the bident like it was my last lifeline, I straightened my back. "Alright, Zeus. Let's end this." I tried to inject confidence into my voice, hoping it would calm the storm of fear daring to rise within me.
The bident pulsed in my hands, sending flashes of images to my mind— a rush of battle instincts, long forgotten or perhaps sealed away by Hades himself.
CLANG!
I barely had time to react as Zeus lunged at me, his thunderbolt meeting my bident with an ear-splitting clash that shook the ground beneath us. He was faster than anything I could process, moving like lightning itself.
But then something clicked.
My vision adjusted, narrowing to track his speed, and suddenly I could see him— every blurred movement, every crackling flash of gold. My body, almost without my input, shifted to block his relentless attacks.
BHAM!
Zeus came at me from behind, his thunderbolt screaming through the air. I spun instinctively, bident raised, deflecting his strike just in time. The collision sent shockwaves through the colosseum, but I stood my ground.
Could I actually beat him?
The thought surged through me like wildfire, and the bident in my hand seemed to react, thrumming with newfound power. I tightened my grip, turned to face him, and swung with everything I had.
"Please work!" I whispered, praying to whatever gods might be listening.
The bident tore through the air and collided with Zeus's thunderbolt, unleashing an explosion that rocked the colosseum. Dust and debris clouded the arena, obscuring everything from sight.
"Did I... did I actually get him?"
Before I could answer my own question, my vision shifted again. Infrared outlines replaced the haze, and through the dust, I saw him— still standing, his body radiating raw, furious energy.
Zeus had awakened.
A thunderous *BOOM!* reverberated through the air, and streaks of golden lightning snaked toward me. I barely managed to sidestep, the ground where I'd been standing erupting into a smoldering crater.
"That's it!" I growled, narrowing my eyes at him. "You really want a fight? Let's give you one!"
I raised the bident above my head, feeling its power resonate deep within me.
"Bident... awaken!"
The weapon responded immediately. Black smoke hissed from its prongs, curling around me like tendrils of shadow. My skin burned as if flames licked at my flesh, and a chorus of anguished cries echoed in my ears.
But I welcomed it.
The next moment, I was in motion. With a single step, I closed the distance between us, faster than I'd ever imagined possible. Zeus's eyes widened in shock, but I didn't give him a moment to recover.
CLANG! BANG! CLASH!
I rained down blow after blow, driving him back with relentless force. Each strike of the bident sent sparks flying, each clash a testament to the raw power coursing through me.
Zeus gritted his teeth, deflecting my attacks, but I could see it— the strain on his face, the frustration.
For the first time, I wasn't just surviving. I was winning.
"Hey, Zeus," I taunted, a grin spreading across my face. "I'm so gonna kick your butt. And maybe teach you some manners while I'm at it."
But his lips curled into a smile.
Before I could process it, pain exploded in my chest. I staggered, gasping for air, as an invisible force seemed to tear through me. Energy leaked from my body like water from a broken dam.
"Shit..."
Zeus towered over me, thunderbolt raised. "You just had to push yourself, didn't you? Reopening *that* wound. Honestly, big bro, you're pathetic and weak."
I wanted to wipe that smug expression off his face. Just when I was getting into the roleplay.
I watched him bring down the thunderbolt for my head but there was no way I could react in my pained state.
The bident moved on its own, intercepting his strike and saving my head from a very permanent end. Zeus's smirk faltered as I pushed myself back to my feet, ignoring the burning pain radiating from my chest.
"Disappointed in me? That's funny," I spat, slamming the bident into the ground for support.
With a surge of power, I swung upward, catching Zeus squarely across the face.
*WHAM!*
He flew through the air, crashing into the far wall of the colosseum with the force of a cannonball.
I didn't let up.
Before he could recover, I launched myself forward, moving so fast the ground cracked beneath my feet. Zeus tried to escape, wings of golden lightning spreading from his back, carrying him out of my reach but I had other plans.
I jumped, pushing off the air itself, and willed my body to follow.
To my shock— and his— I felt a pair of massive, feathered wings unfurl behind me, propelling me upward. The wings and with many feathers. I had no time to dwell on that since all of my intentions were on taking Poseidon down.
"Oh, you didn't see this coming, did you?" I sneered.
I cut through the air like a missile and reached him while he was still in a state of surprise.
With a primal roar, I drove the bident straight into his chest, releasing a surge of power that shattered the clouds above us. The thunderbolt slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground below.
Zeus plummeted after it, crashing into the arena floor with a deafening thud.
For a moment, there was silence. Then the colosseum erupted in cheers.
I looked around, finally noticing the gods who had gathered to watch. Their faces ranged from shock to awe, but I only cared about one thing.
Standing over Zeus, I raised both the thunderbolt and the bident high.
"Does this mean I'm the strongest god on Olympus?" I asked myself.
Poseidon's booming voice echoed through the arena.
"The match has concluded. The winner is... HADES!"