[Previously]
THE NIGHT, IN A SINGLE MOMENT, TURNED INTO DAY WITH A SUN AT THE TOP OF THE SKY MOVING.
Meanwhile, what was our dear protagonist thinking while watching this occasion?
From his window with a view of the entire situation, Asterius stared, mouth and eyes wide open in shock at the scene before him. With words that would be written in history books, the young Minotaur had only one response to how the situation reached this point. After all, it seemed that for some reason, the world was starting to mess with the destiny already written. And as there was usually only one possibility for how this happened—
"MOIRAE, YOU DAUGHTERS OF A BI—!"
[CURRENTLY]
Seconds of silence.
That was all it took for hell to emerge throughout the entire city.
Screams and cries for help echoed, and Asterius regretted his heightened senses now.
"Damn Moirae," Asterius couldn't help but murmur. He was about to leave and try to see his family and decide what to do when the voice of his tormentor echoed throughout the island with an almost divine malice, coming from the top of the sea monster on its shores:
"MORTALS OF CRETE! THE ONE WHO GRACES YOU WITH HER ILLUSTRIOUS PRESENCE IS I, ECHIDNA, MOTHER OF THE MONSTERS OF CHAOS! AND FORMER CONSORT OF THE GIANT KING TYPHON! AND YOU ARE NOW UNDER OUR DOMAIN! IF YOU WISH TO SURVIVE, BRING ME THE DIVINE HYBRID IN YOUR POSSESSION! YOU HAVE UNTIL THE SUN IS AT THE CENTER OF THE SKY! OTHERWISE, I SHALL SINK THIS DAMNED ISLAND!"
...
Once again, Asterius cursed his wretched luck.
"Ah... WHAT THE HE—"
---
[IN THE THRONE ROOM]
The Meeting Hall of the royal palace was boiling. The opulent decor of marble columns and golden tapestries contrasted with the chaotic scene. Minos' advisors, men of age and prestige, shouted at each other, their voices blending into a desperate cacophony.
"We need to hand him over!" bellowed Kallias, one of the oldest and most influential. "We cannot risk Echidna's wrath!"
"It's the only way!" agreed Damastes, striking his staff against the marble floor.
But there was no consensus. Other voices rose, less concerned with survival and more interested in preserving Crete's honor.
"To sacrifice royal blood? That's treason!" roared Phaedrus, a veteran general, his hand resting on his sword's hilt.
Amid the turmoil, Androgeus and Deucalion, the two eldest sons of Minos and Pasiphae, stood like lions defending their family.
"My brother is not a bargaining chip!" Androgeus growled, his fists clenched.
Deucalion, more restrained but no less fierce, added:
"To offer him to this beast would be to condemn our very lineage. Echidna will not stop at Asterius."
And then, Pasiphae.
The queen of Crete, imposing in her black mantle, made herself heard above all. Her scream echoed through the walls, silencing the hall.
"COWARDS!" Her voice was like the crack of a whip. "You dare suggest giving up my son? My boy?"
Her gaze, loaded with almost palpable fury, swept the room. The advisors, who had been so eager to offer solutions moments ago, shrank like scolded children.
"If any of you lay a hand on Asterius, I will throw you into the sea myself!"
And then, Minos spoke.
The king, who until then had remained silent, observing everyone with an unreadable expression, rose from his throne. The crown on his head seemed to weigh more than ever.
"Enough."
The word was spoken in a low tone but carried undeniable authority. Everyone fell silent, even Pasiphae, who shot her husband a warning look.
"For the good of Crete... the hybrid must be delivered."
The silence that followed was worse than the previous screams.
Pasiphae stepped forward, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Hybrid?" Her voice was almost a whisper.
"He is your son, Minos. Our son! YOU NAMED HIM!"
Minos averted his gaze.
"He is YOUR son, Pasiphae... and a threat to the island. If sacrificing him means saving thousands, then that is the choice I must make."
Androgeus stepped forward, indignant.
"Father, you cannot—"
But Minos raised his hand, silencing his son.
"Enough!" His eyes hardened. "My duty is to my people."
Deucalion gritted his teeth but found no words.
Pasiphae, now before her husband, let the tears fall, but her voice remained firm:
"If you deliver him... I will never forgive you."
And at that moment, before any decision could be made official, the grand doors of the hall burst open.
Asterius stood there, his chest heaving more from psychological effort than physical, his crimson eyes fixed on his father.
"So..." he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "Is this how it's going to be?"
And so, the fate of Crete, the hybrid, and the royal family itself hung on the blade of an impossible choice.
"Very well... if that's what FATHER wishes." The young Minotaur spat the word "Father" with clear disdain. "I say we move forward... if my sacrifice will save my mother and siblings... so be it..."
Pasiphae, trembling, approached her son, her golden hair appearing faded in front of him and his resignation.
Androgeus, the eldest and most gentle of Asterius' brothers, his blonde hair and fair skin paling at seeing his younger brother accept his death.
"Brother! No! Father will change his mind! We can resist and—"
"There is no way a mortal can resist a god, Brother..." his brother Deucalion's voice quickly interrupted. His bronzed skin seemed to have lost its vitality... of all of them, Deucalion, being a soldier, understood well what his father thought... but his bleeding clenched fists made his feelings clear...
In the face of the king's choice and Asterius' resignation, the family had no voice.
Despite the queen's eyes promising revenge...
[TIME CUT]
After all the preparations, announcements, and meetings, everything was ready.
Thick, heavy chains wrapped around Asterius's wrists and ankles, clinking with every step. The young minotaur walked along the narrow path of the island's lands, surrounded by guards who kept a respectful distance. Their spears were lowered, but the fear in their eyes betrayed how little they trusted the shackles that bound him. Everyone knew that, if he wished, Asterius could break those chains as if they were cobwebs.
The path to the beach seemed endless. The trees along the way passed like shadows, and with every step, everyone felt a silent weight in their hearts. Asterius kept his head high, his ruby eyes fixed ahead, ignoring the looks of pity or fear he received.
As he walked, his mind wandered. It was strange to think of his life as a collection of moments that had brought him there. He was born under the weight of being the Minotaur, the monster of the labyrinth, the being destined for sacrifice and terror. And yet, Asterius felt he had lived well.
He remembered the memories of his older brothers trying to play with him, his sisters chattering and/or trying to use him as a toy, listening to Pasiphae's stories about the gods and monsters, and how wonderful he would be for being a demigod. He recalled the nights when the annoying goddess would come to keep him company; even though he hated the lazy goddess, he still had a certain fondness for her as a sort of "drunken aunt."
"If only the Moirai could give me a break..." he murmured, a tired smile touching his lips.
Then...
The guards stopped. The strong light and the sea hit him like a slap. Asterius blinked, his eyes adjusting to the scene before him.
The beach had been transformed into a stage for a sort of tasteless "theater" by the Mother of Monsters. Sharp rocks shaped the coastline like the edges of a stage, and the waves crashed violently against the scaly skin of the titanic creature rising from the waters. Cetus, the legendary sea monster, was there, a mass of scales, teeth, and terror.
And atop him, like a queen on her throne, sat Echidna.
The Mother of Monsters was a sight to behold. Her four black and purple horns curled like a crown on her head, her gray-purple skin had a slightly ashen glow, her long cyan hair with pink strands danced in the wind, and her body, with dangerous curves and a voluptuous, curvaceous figure that defied the term "perfection," with a generous chest stretching her tunic, equipped with a pair of thick, wide thighs and hips, a testament to her role as "mother."
Echidna exuded a beauty as seductive as it was deadly. Her reddish-pink eyes, however, were those of a beast, restless and full of malice.
When Asterius was pushed forward, still bound in his chains, Echidna let out a laugh.
"Ah, but look at this..." Her voice was like a whisper of serpents, crawling over the skin of everyone around. "The young minotaur, the divine hybrid, chained like cattle."
The guards around Asterius instinctively retreated. Asterius, in turn, simply observed her.
Echidna slid from Cetus's back, her bare feet touching the damp sand. Her movement was fluid, almost feline. She walked up to him, her eyes scanning every inch of his restrained figure. Despite his 2.98-meter height, Echidna was half a head taller, standing at 3.00 meters, which was amplified by her horns.
"I like this resigned look." She raised her hand, the tip of her sharp nails grazing Asterius's face. "But it doesn't suit those bestial eyes."
He did not flinch at her touch. There was no fear there, only a dangerous patience, like a caged beast waiting for the right moment.
"Just do what you want, Echidna." Asterius's voice came out low, almost gentle. "Enough games... we all know that if I wanted, these chains wouldn't hold me."
Echidna narrowed her eyes, the smile on her lips widening.
"Oh, I know, little bull. I know." She took a step back, raising her arms. "But so what? You're here by your own choice. Your chains are as real as your hope of saving this miserable island."
Asterius took a deep breath, the salty smell of the sea filling his lungs and calming his anger.
"If my death will save my mother and my siblings, then I accept the sacrifice. Honestly, I couldn't care less about this island of Minos."
For a moment, silence reigned. Even the sea seemed to hold its breath.
Echidna tilted her head, genuine curiosity on her face.
"You are truly fascinating, Asterius. But let's see how far your nobility goes..."
The Mother of Monsters turned, and with a quick movement, like a shadow, her serpentine tail tore the shackles that bound Asterius's hands.
"But without these chains. They take away the fun~ come on! I came here to test you~"
The Legendary Mother of Monsters walked to a beach edge, where the water brushed her heels, before turning to Asterius with a smile on her face.
The young minotaur, rubbing his wrists, raised an eyebrow at the Monster-Goddess. Glancing at the escort army retreating from the possible "murder" that would occur.
"So... are you going to end this quickly?" he couldn't help but ask.
Echidna snorted and laughed loudly before responding, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Oh~ Little bull. I already said, I came here to test you~ first, prove your strength! Let's have a little contest! Whoever touches their back to the ground loses and submits to the winner! Sounds like a great bet, right? To be fair, I won't use any weapons or divine powers, only my own natural strength! How about that?"
Echidna finished her monologue by stretching her arms above her head as she stretched and smiled, appearing as relaxed as ever and not caring or taking the hybrid seriously.
In the face of the challenge, Asterius raised an eyebrow in surprise.
'Gods playing fair? Please, make me laugh… well… she's going to kill me anyway, so… maybe I can vent a bit before being inevitably killed by her when she gets bored…'
Asterius did not respond to the monster goddess, preferring to focus on stretching his limbs for a moment... before stretching his legs into a "dash" position and launching—
FOOSH
However, the one who moved first was not Asteriu
In a single second, Echidna was in front of him with a broad serpentine smile—
Her presence mingled with death.
"Come on, little bull~ Don't die."
Despite the smile on her face, her voice was simple and serene. However, the roaring blow exploded with a loud boom.
BOOOM
It was just a normal punch, but even so, it made Asterius' hair stand on end.
"GAAAH!"
The received vibrations made the heavens and earth tremble. The pressure generated by the attack's movements was enough to crush the bodies of nearby soldiers one after another, causing them to be smashed and scattered.
As flowers of blood bloomed everywhere, Asterius retreated incredulously.
'I knew there was a difference in strength between the gods and me... but... was it this big?'
Asterius' body had always been his impenetrable fortress, where not even steel could infiltrate... but now, where one of his arms had sunk under the pressure of a single blow, Asterius wondered if he had been arrogant.
However, the goddess's voice caught his attention again:
"Come on~ don't give up so fast! You HAVE to be that person!"
Asterius was confused about who "that person" was, but in a way, she was right. He might not be as durable as he thought, but still, he just had to avoid the attacks! Anything less would be an absurdity of a loser.
With that in mind, Asterius launched into the counterattack—
"Open up, return, fight, and ROAR."
Every word punctuated with a blow.
Head, nape, spine, and ribs!
Each strike aimed to destroy a part that kept his opponent stable. Even an immortal could be restricted by damage. This was a fact in this Greek world.
However—
"HAHAHAHA YES! SHOW YOUR FURY!"
Echidna withstood everything! Being a goddess of catastrophe, she was more resilient than average gods. It was a fact that she had to be to endure the giant TYPHON and her children. A fragile goddess would never withstand such monsters.
That's why she resisted and returned the blows with equal power.
The island trembled and opened up under the strength of the two. No, both were fundamentally different in their natures.
While Asterius' strikes were focused on a single point, Echidna was a goddess of chaos, not caring about her surroundings and discarding everything beyond her as unimportant "trash."
'I have to end this; if this drags on, the island will sink. I don't need to defeat her, just make her stumble.'
Despite his cold thoughts, Asterius was terribly injured.
"Hey! Bull Boy! I'm going to take you a bit more seriously... don't die..."
This warning was all Asterius received before a whirlwind hit him.
"GAAAH!"
There was no sign of lack of seriousness in this attack. No exaggeration, this blow was enough to pierce a mountain. Rushing like a stake, a completely lethal attack.
Resembling a stake as large as a tree, a violent wave of attacks emerged.
Piercing, penetrating, embedding, bursting. In a fraction of a second, several attacks were made.
There is no doubt that each of these attacks was strong enough to split the clouds, cut an ocean, and pierce a mountain.
Echidna was not playing anymore.
All these blows, naturally, had an extremely low chance of failing. Like a typhoon strong enough to destroy the entire city, with cruelty greater than a natural disaster, that attack should have destroyed Asterius' body.
But still, Asterius lived, a testament to his divine blood.
But that didn't stop him from flying while vomiting blood.
His divine skin's protective shell? Useless, crushed like paper. Even with the damage reduced by Echidna pulling back her blows, his internal organs and bones were crushed.
"A-agh-a…!"
His broken ribs penetrated his internal organs. Countless broken bones protruded from his sides and back like spears.
Asterius was in a pitiful state.
The hybrid fell onto the sands, bleeding deeply, but with incredible luck and perhaps "fate," he landed on his chest instead of his back, which would have ended his gamble.
However, in a second, all signs of humor disappeared from the Monster Goddess's face.
"Even after I set all this up for you, you still haven't awakened... What the hell is this? There must be a limit to disappointment! Come on! We are all counting on you, SHOW YOUR FURY!"
Echidna grabbed Asterius by the neck and lifted him rudely.
"I will break this shell."
With blood everywhere, his arms and legs bleeding, Asterius' vision was colored by rage due to this humiliation.
'Show your fury'
What the hell were those words supposed to mean?
He was just the simple Minotaur! One of the most known monsters in mythology, but still, he had nothing special!
"If you don't want to wake up, I'll do us both a favor... WAKE UP, Taurus Keraunos!"
After that, an unrelenting punch crushed his innards.
"Aaaaaaa-agh!"
'Don't mess with me. I will kill you!'
This strange thought that arose seemed out of place. But somehow, it felt true.
At that moment, lightning erupted from Asterius's body. Burning the hand of Echidna that pierced and restrained him, forcing her to release him.
With his body crushed and chunks of flesh vaguely resembling his original appearance, Asterius stood up, wiping the blood from his lips.
The blood dripping from his canine teeth made him look incredibly demonic.
And with a malicious smile worthy of a beast, with red lightning crackling around his body, Asterius finally found his "fury."
"Disgusting... I was despising myself... ridiculous gods... ridiculous fate... for a moment... I forgot that this body is not of this world... no... this body is worthy of a heroic spirit..."
His words seemed muttered to himself rather than to his opponent. But his eyes shone with euphoria. He had become drunk with this new power.
"This... descendant of the three greats... show that you are our 'special one'... but... DON'T GET COCKY, BOY!"
Roaring with equal euphoria, Echidna charged forward for a counterattack, her fists and claws having healed thanks to her divine immortality.
While the Bull Demigod smiled and charged with equal ferocity, so drunk on himself that he had completely forgotten he was supposed to protect his home. He now only cared about himself. The divine narcissism had entered and poisoned his mind. For a few moments in this ephemeral moment, Asterius was a GOD.
And a clash of gods occurred when both collided simultaneously.
The result?
BOOM!
BOOOM!
In the face of that, both strikes undoubtedly tore chunks of flesh from their opponent. Both blows landed with the intent to end their enemy.
But... which one fell?
The answer was obvious.
"Aahf... aaf... you... really... haa... are a wonderful Chosen One... my little bull..."
The only one standing was Echidna, while Asterius lay unconscious on the ground.
To an outside viewer, this result seemed illogical.
How could he lose?
Did he have a chance?
Who is the strongest?
The answer was obvious from the beginning.
Echidna is a manifestation of a natural catastrophe. A disaster goddess who faced Zeus himself and the Olympians in her husband's war, where only the two of them were able to drive the venerable gods away in fear.
In pure destructive potential, not even the great king of the gods, Zeus, could match the wife of Typhon...
However...
"He... hehehe... he tore off half of my hand."
The hand that had struck Asterius had its last three fingers torn off by Asterius's pressure. An inconceivable feat for a mere demigod. Something worthy of a fictional character from a fairy tale.
"Yes... you truly are interesting... my dear Asterius..."
The battlefield had become a desert, destroyed and in ruins, a testament to the battle of gods. Proof of Asterius's tenacity, he was protecting the shockwaves of the blows with his body. Protecting his home until the end, for otherwise, the island would have shattered and sunk as a collateral effect of Echidna's strikes.
Truly a terrifying goddess.
Carrying the hybrid giant on her shoulders, Echidna climbed onto the back of Cetus, who had remained underwater to protect itself from the shockwaves of its master's battle. Now, it submerged again, preparing to depart for its mistress's base.
Looking at the Hybrid with her, Echidna caressed his wounded and bleeding face before giving a delicate kiss on his lips, drinking the ichor that dripped from them with a growing hunger.
"Ah~... I can hardly wait for your divine flesh... I desire to see how many children you will give to my divine womb... oh~ Asterius... you or my husband... who will be my best lover? Fufufufu~ I hope mommy isn't possessive~"
And embracing the fallen Demigod against her curvaceous body, Echidna departed atop Cetus, heading toward her two mother goddesses...
The life of Asterius had just become even more complicated~