The confrontation reached its climax. With renewed fury, Godzilla roared, making the mountains and sea tremble. The Cretan hero, exhausted but determined, tried to land one last blow against the creature, but his strength was already beginning to falter. His breathing was erratic, his body trembled, and the spear in his hand seemed heavier with each passing second.
Godzilla, as if sensing weakness in the demigod, stepped forward. His single eye still glowed with savage fury, and his jaw opened at an unnatural angle, revealing rows of sharp fangs. The hero let out a war cry, gripping his spear and lunging at the creature in a final act of bravery, hoping to redeem his people and his honor.
But the beast was faster. In one brutal, final move, Godzilla charged the hero and caught him in his mouth, his fangs closing around the demigod in an instant that seemed eternal. The hero fought with all his might, punching, kicking, and using what was left of his power to resist, but to no avail. With a sharp, powerful movement, Godzilla bit down, and the hero let out one last scream that echoed off the cliffs before being silenced forever.
Godzilla's roar echoed across the port of Amnisos, so deep and ferocious that it shook the ground beneath the feet of the terrified crowd. Before them, the towering creature devoured the Cretan hero, the bastard of Zeus, whose arrogance had sealed his fate. A moment of absolute silence filled the port, followed by a scream of horror as the crowd realized that the brave son of Zeus was gone. The demigod's blood stained the beast's jaws.
From a distance, Apate smiled in satisfaction, but then, something unexpected happened.
A strange glow began to emanate from Godzilla. His already massive body began to grow even larger, his muscles swelling with tremendous strength. Godzilla's once grayish and rough skin took on a darker, denser hue, an iridescent sheen that seemed to emanate power. Slowly, the creature grew even larger, towering over the walls that lined the harbor and the ships anchored in the bay. His muscles bulged, and each of his scales became as hard as the oldest rock. People watched in panic as the beast mutated before their eyes, transforming into something more fearsome, as if the divine essence of the hero he had just consumed had unleashed a new phase of his power, a change that made Godzilla larger and stronger with each passing second.
Watching from the shadows of an alley, Apate felt a flicker of interest, a spark of ambition he had not experienced in centuries. What had begun as a plan for revenge against Zeus and his descendants had taken on new dimensions. Godzilla had not only grown stronger by devouring Zeus' son, but he was evolving in a way that allowed him to absorb the divine power that lay in his victim's blood. This was the opportunity Apate had been waiting for, the tool he needed to take his vendetta further than he could have imagined. If Godzilla had absorbed that strength by consuming a mere demigod, what would happen if he fed on the gods themselves?
Olympus, that bastion of power he had sworn to bring down, might crumble if he managed to lead this beast on a crusade against the immortals. But he knew that his new ally was not yet ready to face the gods directly; he would need time, a well-designed plan, and calculated cunning to strengthen him.
As the crowd fled and the remaining soldiers could barely stand, Apate cautiously advanced towards the creature, her eyes shining with the certainty that fate had given her a perfect tool for her vengeance. She raised a hand and, with a nearly inaudible whisper, projected a connection between her magic and Godzilla's mind, calming his fury enough for him to be able to communicate with the beast.
The massive beast, which had been roaring and challenging the soldiers and warriors of Amnisos, suddenly stopped. It turned its eye, now tinted a dark red hue, towards Apate, looking at her with a mixture of distrust and interest. The goddess knew there was more to this creature than mere wild strength; there was a glint of primal intelligence in its gaze, a trace of will, and Apate knew she could work with it.
"I have given you the power to break free and the impetus to devastate everything in your path, but this is only the beginning," Apate said, his voice dripping with cunning. "There is an even greater source of strength waiting for you on Olympus. If you desire more power, I will help you obtain it, provided you accept my terms."
Godzilla, whose savage mind had been partially dulled by Apate's magic, let out a roar that she interpreted as a sign of agreement. Apate raised her hands, deepening the bond between them and extending a definitive offer.
"I promise to offer you offerings and the worship of those who fear your power. You will once again be honored as on your home island, but in return, when the time comes, you will fight for me. When I call upon you, you will respond with the same fury you displayed today. Do you accept?"
The beast then let out a low roar in acceptance, and a deep silence fell over the harbor. With a wave of her hand, Apate caused a sphere of dark light to emanate from her fingers, enveloping Godzilla in a cloud of energy. The magic sealed their pact, granting the creature a more discreet appearance. Godzilla, who had been towering over the harbor walls minutes before, began to shrink to the size of a large lizard, small enough to accompany Apate without attracting attention. The transformation left the creature somewhat stunned, but Apate gave him a cold, satisfied smile, a promise of what was to come.
Guiding the beast under its new size and form, Apate made his way to his hilltop sanctuary, a dark and secluded place where symbols of betrayal and power were intertwined in reliefs and statues that spoke of his mastery over deceit. Once there, Apate placed the creature in an artificial pond within the temple, a place that would serve as its refuge and where it could regenerate its strength while awaiting the next stage of its mission.
Apate's sanctuary was filled with inscriptions and sculptures depicting scenes of betrayal and punishment, an everlasting reminder of its purpose. The goddess, reclining on her stone bed, gazed at the temple ceiling where ancient reliefs depicted scenes of intrigue and conflict that she herself had inspired. There, in that space of shadows and whispers, Apate let her mind plot the next phases of her plan. With each passing second, she saw more clearly the scope of her vengeance.
The beast in the pool seemed sleepy, but a spark of understanding shone in its eyes. It knew that its chance to break free and unleash its power would come soon, and that as long as it was under Apate's rule, its thirst for destruction would be satisfied. For her part, Apate knew that she must keep it fed and revered, not only for strategy but also to ensure Godzilla's devotion.
As she pondered, a thought made her smile. The gods of Olympus were completely unaware of the threat that loomed over them. They believed that their most fearsome enemies came from the underworld or from the ancient forces of the titans. They would never imagine that a wild creature, from a distant and unknown land, could be their downfall. The plan was in motion, and the fall of Olympus was only a matter of time.
The port had been devastated, but to Apate, that was only a taste of the strength that would soon overwhelm her enemies. Smiling with a mix of pride and anticipation, the goddess reveled in her thoughts, knowing that the chaos was only just beginning, and that with each step of her plan, she came closer to a vengeance worthy of a goddess.
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