Valhalla Arena
Zeus' Chambers
Zeus sat on his throne, resting his chin on his left fist. He could hear the roar of the stands from his room. Ah…Hephaestus is fighting now. Wonder if I should go and watch as usual. He looked to his left and right, eyeing his brothers as they looked towards Set, standing in the center of the room. He'd probably not care for it, but then again, when has that stopped me! Should probably get some snacks-
"What's your opinion, Zeus?" Hades asked, staring down Set.
Damn, should pay attention. "Hmmm?"
Hades turned to Zeus, raising an eyebrow. "His intent."
"Ah, that." Zeus stroked his beard with his free hand. "Set, explain yourself."
"I genuinely have no idea what you mean. I intend to win Ragnarök through and through." Set responded. "Granted, the Humans winning was not expected, but I believe I am doing what you expected of me."
"You are, I won't deny that," Zeus said. "But you're not doing it in a way I can condone."
Set's back straightened. "Is it because of Prometheus?"
"Among other things. As much as I want to continue enjoying the day, I can't do that without getting this out of the way."
"…Are you taking the position from me?"
"Depends on your answers." Hades answered.
Set sighed and let his shoulders and back relax. "If I must."
"First things first; you released Prometheus without my approval. You know full well you need the approval of the Chief God from their Pantheons to free Deviants. And yet, he fought and died without my approval."
Set slightly bowed. "That was my mistake. I thought with your approval as the Godfather of the Cosmos to be the Game Master, I had no such restrictions."
"It doesn't need to be said. Do anything like that again, and I will take control of Ragnarök from you."
Set scrunched his face under his mask. He stood back up. "I thought you would be grateful, especially after what he did to Dionysus and Hephaestus. Dying at the hands of a Human, and one he hated, was something I thought you would enjoy."
"Don't get me wrong; I did. He had it coming for eons, BUT he was from our Pantheon. I may get the others off your back if it was from another, but not from mine." His eyes widened, his stare piercing through Set. "Don't screw around with the Greeks."
Set's eyes shifted from Zeus to Hades, then Poseidon, then back to Zeus. All three wore looks that could kill. Damn you all. "…I have overstepped. From now on, I will have your approval before doing it again."
"Good. Odin is livid you released Vidarr, by the way."
"I genuinely do not care."
Zeus chuckled. "Thought as much. Onto the next issue at hand," Zeus sat up. "We know you're not Set." Set's eyes dilated. "You never did a good job pretending to be, so you shouldn't be surprised we figured it out."
"When did you!?" Set asked, his tone quiet.
"Shortly after you arrived here to pledge your fealty to me. Normally, I'm not one to care about motives. That and having you here was a wonderful blow to Ra-Horakhty's ego…if he knew you were here before the Human Extermination Council."
Hades stepped forward. "When you created your Roster, it struck odd that, while 'Set' had a somewhat rough relationship with the Egyptian Pantheon, there were no Egyptian Gods. Rather…" His gaze sharpened. "You completely avoided them. I would have thought Sobek, Sekhmet, and especially Anubis would be chosen."
"My relationship with my family is…complicated," Set answered.
"More like non-existent. However, you have a good relationship with both Marduk and Nuada."
"Yes," Zeus added. "Almost like you know them personally."
"The Valhalla Accords make such things possible."
"That would be true if it were anyone else but you."
Set leered. "What do you mean by that?"
"Here's my problem," Zeus stood up from his chair and started walking towards Set. "I don't think you picked Prometheus for his strength. I think you picked him hoping he would die. Not for me, but for you." He stopped just a meter from Set, staring up at him. "There are few who get along well with those other old fogies. I know I don't. Then there's Gabriel." Set continued to leer down at Zeus. "That's what gave you away. Only one person could hate Prometheus and Gabriel so badly he hoped they would die, and knew Nuada and Marduk so well he could convince them to fight as hard as they did."
Set clenched his fists. Poseidon and Hades readied their trident and bident, respectively. "Can you prove any of this? Seems like a lot of baseless conjecture."
"I have my sources."
"You mean Yama?" Zeus' eyes widened. "To be frank, he would do anything to stay out of the Circles." He shifted his gaze to Hades. "Even aid the brother of the God who usurped Helheim from him." He turned his attention back to Zeus. "I have mine, too."
Zeus chuckled. "I'm sure you do. Seems you still have your connections to the Heavenly Choirs, but here's the thing. I still don't know who you are."
"None of us do, and that makes no sense." Hades added. "And that's why we know who you may be."
"Now that makes no sense," Set responded. Zeus turned away from him and walked back towards his brothers, stopping and turning back to face Set.
"Exactly. Hermes and Yama gathered information on you, and the only thing we could confirm is that anyone who had memories of you remembers you existed, but not your name, face, or even voice. Such a thing would be considered impossible were it not for Marduk and Sarpanitu putting in the final piece during Round Seven."
"What do they have to do with this?"
"Are you familiar with the technique 'Völund?'" Hades asked.
"That technique that the Humans use with the Valkyries? What of it?"
"That technique was created using the concept of 'Common Destiny' created by Buddha. By aligning one's soul with another, new powers and weapons can be made at the cost of dying together. Such weapons have proven pivotal for Humanity's victories and can even rival Primordial Weapons. If such weapons were made by Demigods and Humans, what could two Gods create?"
They're figuring it out! The voice in Set's mind yelled. We need to kill them now!
It's pointless. We cannot take them…for now. Besides, it doesn't matter. Set responded.
"I daresay something that could even distort memories." Zeus chimed in.
"Is that how you're doing it?" Poseidon demanded. "Did you do something as ungodly as perform a Völund?"
Set sighed. I have no choice.
Because you screwed up! The other voice yelled.
Did I? "I grow tired of this. Let's say I am who you think I am. If I am, then you know I only ever act with the best of intentions for Heaven. Ever since the beginning, even before your births. Am I without blame? Am I perfect? No. I made many mistakes, and I am rectifying them here."
"And what is it you're trying to fix?" Zeus asked.
"Isn't it obvious if I am who you think? The current state. There's too much chaos in the cosmos. Humanity has veered off-course irreparably and will tip the balance in such a way that it will ripple throughout the cosmos and destroy everything we built. I did not lie; Humanity has forgotten where it came from and who built this all. There are Gods seeking to use them as weapons against us because of their depravity. They are too much of an uncertainty."
"You give them too much credit. We've defeated everything else that's come our way. Why would Humanity be any different?"
"You say that, yet three of our own are dead, one by a Human who not only broke into Hades' castle but also brutalized armies of demons alone. Two of them destroyed Primeval Weapons created from monsters that only the Chief Gods could defeat. I say you don't give them enough credit, which is why I did what I did in Winchester." Set's aura began to leak out. "You would not be so blasé about this if Dionysus died…or if Poseidon and Hades fought them and died."
"Pffft! Ha! You're funny!"
"Laugh all you want. Prometheus, whom you should have killed millennia ago, died at their hands, and none of you could beat Baldr in a prolonged fight. They did. They're strong, Zeus, and we need to put them down now. Let me do this. For the good of creation and the future generations of Gods."
Zeus scratched the top of his head. "Still paranoid, but I see your point. You two, do you see any reason why he should stay in his position?"
"He's as ungodly as he's ever been. I don't care. This whole tournament is a farce anyway." Poseidon answered.
"Hades?"
Hades looked from Zeus to Poseidon, then Set. "I may not agree with how you've done it, but even in the past, you were always striving to protect everything. Even to your detriment. I have no issue, but we need to know for certain who it is behind the mask."
"Very well." Set tapped two points on the right side of his mask's chin. "As a sign of goodwill." Set answered in his deeper voice. All three Gods were shocked.
"It…is you." Hades said.
"Well, I'll be," Zeus added. "So it is a Völund?"
"Spot on. This helmet removes my presence from people's memories; not even Mnemosyne can parse through the clutter. However, it's not perfect. I cannot get rid of memories; only cloud them. But I can at least influence them. My voice, my face, and my name. You now recognize me to a certain extent." Set stepped forward. "Now that you know who I am, do you still think me a threat?" The three exchanged looks. "You know my history. You know where my true allegiances lie. Am I still your enemy?"
"Hmmmm…no. If it were to be anyone, you were the best-case scenario."
"I hope that's meant to be a good thing for everyone."
"What Zeus means," Hades added, "is that we already know who you are and where you stand. What we don't understand is why hide your identity?"
"I…expected to be sent to the Circles for my crimes if you all knew I was alive."
"Maybe, but you technically never answered to a Pantheon, so that would be a grey area to traverse."
"Plus, Set was at Winchester, and he is from the same Pantheon whose Chief God decided to annihilate Humanity on a whim. I thought it would make sense for 'Set' to want to participate in Ragnarök and use it to get back into Ra's good graces."
"Fight perhaps, but not lead it. Gave yourself away there, even if you pretended to be a maniac like him."
Set chuckled. "That is a good point…well, the cat is out of the bag. Am I relieved of my duties?"
"No. You shall remain Game Master." Zeus declared. "As long as you remember who you answer to."
Set bowed and straightened back up. "I will. I shall be off. I do not want to miss more of the Round." He tapped the two points on his chin again, the memories vanishing from their minds.
"It's Hephaestus, the mightiest Fire God in Valhalla," Poseidon said. "The match was over for the Human before he even stepped in the ring with him."
Set nodded and turned away from the three, exiting the room.
"He's still dangerous as ever," Zeus said.
"Should we prepare for him after Ragnarök ends?" Hades asked. He turned his attention to Poseidon, who eyed the door Set left through.
Zeus' muscles swelled slightly as his aura exuded. "If he acts out, then we will."
Valhalla Arena
Whether God or Human, a question pops into one's mind when lost in thought or trying to pass the time. 'If I am ever faced with this-or-that opponent here and when, or obstacle I do not know if I can defeat, could I win?' When asking themselves, Gods usually think of the Greek Big Three, Odin and his sons, Shiva the Pinnacle of Svarga, or, as of recently, Marduk and Nuada. Humans often think of soldiers, killers, martial artists, or even wild animals. Why? Maybe it is based on curiosity to see what one is truly capable of. Maybe it is based on the desire to overcome the fear these beings come to represent. Strong obstacles are often the most sought-after to test one's mettle and for personal growth. Sadly, more often than not, it is simply the brash trying to prove their sense of superiority. More often than not, they are quickly humbled. Leonardo Da Vinci, standing before Hephaestus, the greatest engineer in the Heavens, ran such thoughts through his mind as he set his goggles over his eyes a second after Heimdall declared the start of the fight. Within that second, upon his full observation of his mighty opponent, he came to one conclusion.
He would break me in two if I fought him right now, wouldn't he? He thought, mirthlessly laughing in his head. His body flinched slightly as he thought it. Time to run! Leonardo immediately dashed towards the wall opposite his opponent.
"Uh…what is he doing?" Hephaestus asked. Something caught his eye past Leonardo. "Ah…that's what it is." He turned and immediately sprinted towards the other wall. "Trying to get a head start on me!" Both raced towards opposite ends of the arena, realizing the surprise awaiting them as the floor extending several meters out from the circular arena's boundary slid under the wall. Tables, benches, walls of tools, conveyor belts, furnaces, and power stations all rose out of the ground, the platforms they sat on perfectly meshing with the arena's floor. On Hephaestus' side, several small and bulky red machines shaped like trash cans lined the tables. On Da Vinci's stood two golden gynoids, their designs eerily familiar to Göll and Brünhilde.
"Those robots look like Hrist!" Göll said.
"It's because they are her," Brünhilde added. Göll looked at her, confused. "Remember rule #1? Fighters cannot bring their Divine Weapons into the arena; they must build them using the workshops. Leo also doesn't have a Divine Weapon that would suit him since he's not a fighter. Instead, his Völund gave him something far better than a weapon. A Divine Tool full of eyes and hands. Eyes and hands he can work through empowered by the one Valkyrie who can keep up with his mania."
"Hrist One and Alpha, this is bad!" Leo said as he stepped onto the risen platform. As soon as he stepped onto it, a wall erupted behind him, separating him from the arena. He stared up at the clock above his worktable. It showed 1:54 before continuing to count down. I hope that'll be enough time with the change…otherwise I'm going back out there unarmed…
"Why is it bad?" Hrist One to his right asked sullenly while she worked on one piece of metal in front of her, her glowing green eyes not straying away from her work.
"We knew he'd probably be strong, considering he's one of the Twelve Olympians and Zeus' son. Why act surprised!?" The other Hrist added working on a similar piece of equipment to her twin's. "Also, why are we working on the legs!? The plan was the arms first!" She turned towards Leo, her yellow eyes alit with fury.
"They were before I saw him." She scowled and turned back to the table to keep working. Small but intense blue flames rose from her left hand's fingers while her right spun and whirled, screwing bolts. Leo walked over to the center bench. Laid out before him were pieces of shaped metal of various shades of gold and silver, bolts, nuts, marble-sized ball bearings, and a few power tools. He grabbed a drill driver to his left, set an attachment into it, and began assembling the parts. "I watched every match up to this point and studied the anatomy of each Round's fighters, even ours, for comparison's sake. Everything from Speed and Strength to Battle IQ and Endurance. One look at Hephaestus…and I know one thing for sure." Both gynoids shifted their sight towards him. "He's the physically strongest out of everyone yet. Not even Dionysus in that weird transformation equaled Hephaestus right now." He took a quick glimpse of the clock above him: 1:39. "We need to observe him. If we fight him without knowing what he's fully capable of, we'll lose. With these…" He tapped lightly on the contraption on the table. "We may have a chance."
"If you can avoid him out there!" Hrist Alpha grumbled.
If I can…
On the other side of the arena, several of the red robots were busy at work across three tables to Hephaestus' left. "Status of projects Gamma, Mu, and Sigma." He asked one robot to stand to his right.
"Sir," It answered in a high tenor. "Gamma is sixty percent complete in second-stage production, and Mu is eighty-four percent in third-stage, but both require troubleshooting. Gamma still has issues maintaining shape, and Mu continues to fail dexterity tests. The Sigma prototype is ready for initial testing."
"Crap, as expected. I knew it would be easier said than done to put paper into practice but screw it." He reached for the material on the table in front of him. Among them was a hollow dark-blue pole, a piece of sharpened metal, and solid gray tubes. "I'll take care of preparing Alpha." He glimpsed up at the clock; 1:47. "Have the tertiary team prepare Beta while the primary, secondary, and quaternary continue Sigma, Mu, and Gamma."
"Understood." The robot began to hum and slightly vibrate. All the robots surrounding the two began to hum and vibrate for a brief moment. Suddenly, a small group broke away from the pack and passed behind Hephaestus, stopping at a table a few meters away to his right. They began pulling crates full of pieces of metal out from under the table. Two pulled out a few pieces and set them on the table. A few others stood over the pieces, their hands shifting into hammers and saws. They loomed over the material and began to cut and beat the material out of Hephaestus' line of sight.
"Been waiting a long time to test myself against you." He smiled. "Don't fall to pieces on me yet." His red shirt tightened under his toga, and red lines erupted from the cuffs, flowing down his arms, wrapping around his hands. The air around his arms began to sizzle and ripple. "Ichor Hephaistos."
Both teams continued to craft and build as the timers counted down. Despite the heat of furnaces and automatons soldering away at metal, the constant drone of hammers pounding into metal, grinding saws screeching away as random pieces of metal began to take shape and fill intent, both craftsmen turned inward and went silent. No thought entered their mind as they worked away. Cutting, bending, heating, twisting turned into connecting, clipping, attaching, and at last into form. The weapons born from their minds now actualized into the world as the timer wound down to 27 seconds. On Leo's table now sat two metallic gold sabatons. Next to them were matching greaves with sharp edges running down the center. Leo looked up at the timer. "Hrist, stage the cuisses, faulds, and poleyns at the assembly booth. I got the greaves and sabatons ready."
"Already!?" The yellow-eyed one shouted as both grabbed the gold-colored armor pieces off their benches. Should've realized he'd be done already. How is all this so fast…and working in three places simultaneously!?
The two walked over to Leo's table with the pieces. Leo placed the sabatons and greaves on the ground in front of his feet. Both gynoids followed suit, lining up the parts in front of Leo as he stood straight up, feet apart. "Begin assembly." The two went to work. They first dismantled the sabatons, opening them up for Leo to tick his feet in. Once both feet were in, they bolted them back together. They then grabbed the greaves, opening them and placing them around Leo's knees, followed by looping and snapping the poleyns over his knees and sliding the cuisses over his thighs. They locked into place and fit snugly over Leo's legs. He lifted his right leg and shook it a little, then rolled his ankle before doing the same with his left. Perfect. Snug but light. Orichalcum is a fantastic material.
"Scythe Chariot ready." Both Hrists said in unison. A klaxon blared above them. "Ten seconds. Are you ready, Leo?"
Leo inhaled through his nose. "Absolutely." He began walking towards the boundary, away from his workshop and assistants. What will you show me? What do you have that I can break down? Show me, Hephaestus…so I can deconstruct you. He thought. The klaxon sounded again, and the boundary dropped. Leo walked back out onto the arena floor, feeling the air displaced by the rising boundary hit his back. He caught sight of Hephaestus immediately and stood in silence at what he brought. Leo only needed a single glimpse of the trident in Hephaestus' right hand. It was all he needed to sense its prestige, its power, and the legacy behind it. It was a simple deep blue hue, with a razor-sharp spearhead, with two blue fins just under the blade. He quickly blinked, and for a brief moment, Hephaestus was replaced by a tall, stern-faced blonde hair God with blue tights and white robes. The look he wore struck at Leo's core, and he began to sweat as Hephaestus' visage quickly replaced the phantom.
"Hooooo…I recognize that look." Hephaestus smiled. "It's the look that says 'I don't know what that is, and I'm scared.' This here beauty doesn't need me to introduce her. Like when I first made her and gifted her to Poseidon, all she wants and needs..." Hephaestus lowered his head, keeping his sight locked on Leonardo. His body went lax, as if nothing held him but the slight amount of muscle. "…is to be used." His glare turned cold. "Brought fancy boots and pants? Screwed the pooch on this one, bud." Hephaestus stayed completely still.
"Folks! Both Fighters have revealed their first weapons!" Heimdall shouted. "On one side, Leo's starting with some fancy gold armor for his legs, and Hephaestus…wait! It can't be!" He squinted towards Hephaestus. "It is! Ladies and Gentlemen, it's a trident! However, that's no ordinary one!" Several Gods in the audience felt dread and fear crawl down their spines upon seeing it, their blood running cold. "It's the very same Trident that unleashed the Forty Day Flood upon Humanity! The very same one that tamed the monstrous seas! It is Poseidon's Trident!
The Greek God of the Seas? Well, great…already off to a bad start. Leo thought. His eyes darted from the trident up Hephaestus' arm, then his whole body. I'm not going to get any good info from him like this, but I still need a good look. I need to get him to move! Leo dashed forward, each step clanking against the solid stone floor. The distance between the two shrank with each passing step. Based on your height from earlier, your posture, the amount of strain on your right arm, not apparent on your left, and the trident's dimensions, I can surmise one thing and one thing only! Leo envisioned a circle on the ground around Hephaestus. As soon as I enter this boundary, you will- Leo hopped back immediately. His heartbeat skyrocketed. The Trident's head floated right where his face was just a moment earlier. Hephaestus' cold glare never left him. With a flick of his wrist, the trident slid back in his grip, and his posture returned. Damn it, I hate when I'm right… Leo was right to be wary of the trident. He did not know its illustrious and blood-filled history. How it was designed and why. All he knew…was that it was a weapon designed to do one thing so flawlessly it did not inspire awe. Nay, it only birthed terror. Thrusting speed: .025 seconds. Snapping of the loose arm to create kinetic force to propel the trident through a loose grip with enough force to impale…he didn't even use his hips, back, or legs. It's just pure arm strength? Sweat formed on Leo's brow. Need more information. Calculating…Leo inhaled slowly and exhaled. He dashed back in. The circle reappeared in his mind's eye. His instincts fired up the moment he was about to step into it. His foot crossed it. The trident flew forward as his foot barely hovered over the ground. Leo…swerved his head to the left, dodging the strike. Hephaestus' brow furled. Hephaestus flicked his wrist, pulling the trident back as quickly as it flew. Leo's foot touched the ground, and he stepped forward again. Hephaestus fired the trident out once more; Leo twisted his body to the right as the edge of the outer fork barely missed his chest. Hephaestus' glare intensified. Leo locked eyes with him, staying perfectly still.
What in hell are you doing? Hephaestus thought, irritation filling his inner voice. Stop delaying the damn inevitable. He thrust once more. Leo dodged once again. Hephaestus hunched over slightly. Dodge this. He immediately straightened up, thrusting the trident. Leo could see the thrust. He then saw the second flying right behind the first. The third immediately after. Then the fourth, fifth, sixth. More and more joined in. Leo's eyes widened as the barrage flew his way.
Here goes nothing!
Einherjar Barracks
Leonardo Da Vinci's Workshop
"Look at him go," Heimdall said through the suspended monitor hanging above a standing Ghulam. "Hephaestus is firing off blow after blow at Da Vinci! I can't even count them!" Ghulam saw the exchange, Leo's frantic stepping, twisting, and crouching, contrasting with Hephaestus' stalwart assault. He smiled as he ran his right index finger and thumb across his moustache.
"You two outdid yourselves." An older man's voice said behind him. He turned around and saw out of the corner of his eye Li Shuwen and Johannes Lichtenauer. Far behind the two were Reginleif and Alvitr, walking around and marveling at the robots lining the hangar bay. "He's no martial artist, but he's moving with intention," Li added.
Ghulam turned back to the monitor. "You give me too much credit," Ghulam responded. "It's all Leo. He was already working on physical fitness long before he asked for my help."
"You wouldn't be able to tell he started recently from how he's doing," Johannes added. "Sure, it's a bit unpolished, but those aren't the moves of a plebian."
"It's all because of those eyes of his." Both men stopped just behind Ghulam and stared up at the monitor. They both saw it as soon as they aimed their attention. Leo, despite the hail of sure-kill blows, continued to stare down his opponent. "Ever heard of Divine Reflection?" Both masters looked at each other, then at Ghulam. "Guess not. Well…truth be told, I was one of the first few picked by Brünhilde." He smiled. "Because of that, I had a chance to see who else she considered picking for the Roster."
"You mean you were being nosy," Li added.
Ghulam stifled a chuckle. "Maybe. One of the guys she looked into was Adam, the Father of Humanity."
"Wait, the Adam? From Genesis?" Johannes asked.
"The one and the same. Turns out when you're the first human made by the Gods, you're very close to them in power and ability. Heard he could even copy their powers and skills just by seeing them."
"If he's that powerful, then is he our thirteenth Fighter?"
"Nope. He declined to fight. Heard it was something like 'My children honed by their years of effort will do far better than I ever could. In these contests, I know they can win' or something like that. Not my point, though. My point is, Leo, like many humans, has his eyes to an extent." His smile widened, turning near-manic. "He can't copy what the Gods can do, but he can see everything. The inner workings of nearly any object or creature. Bone, muscle, nerves. Nothing is outside his sight and understanding. Combine that with a body trained for endurance and speed, and you've got a man who can walk onto a battlefield, study his opponents in the heat of combat, and figure out how to beat them himself!" Ghulam darted his eyes left and right to inspect his unenthused comrades. He cleared his throat. "Leo's not a fighter. However, if he can study something long enough, he will figure out how to beat it."
"If he can survive that long," Johannes added. "The battlefield is ruthless to the reckless."
"That's why Samson, Tadakatsu, and Arash helped prepare him. Leo knows where he's lacking…just hope where he's still lacking won't get him killed." The three turned their focus back to the monitor in time to see Leo take a bizarre stance. His legs were just outside shoulder-width with a slight crouch, his body faced directly at Hephaestus, and his arms, palms forward, hung close to his sides. Seeing this, Ghulam's smile stretched to his ears. He's got him.
You are balanced from point to point. Hephaestus thought to himself. A smooth shaft for easy transition through a loose grip with a special weight installed in the shaft's interior for just enough weight to be ideal for thrusting. The tri-tipped head is honed to a perfect edge that suffers zero resistance whether thrusted through water or air. In the hands of Poseidon, your ideal partner, you are the ultimate tool for impaling and cleaving. Hephaestus allowed his thoughts to briefly transition to images of Poseidon performing all of his attacks with his trident. Each thrust carried different subtle movements, nuances, and situational use. I can copy all those moves. I cannot create such weapons like you without knowing who will wield them and how! Yet…. Leo dodged another thrust as he circled Hephaestus. How is he dodging the same blows that slayed Titans!? Hephaestus continued his assault.
Leo could see the barrage heading his way. Each thrust was so quick that they blended. To the audience, both Human and God, such an assault spelled certain death. Their heartbeats rose, sweat poured, and chills crawled throughout their bodies as Leo waited for the attack. There were only a few in the entire arena who could see any chance of survival, and one of them was Leo. Tadakatsu, Leo thought. I can't do it like you, but watch me. Watch what this body of mine you beat black and blue. Images of Tadakatsu striking Leo in training gear with a dull spear popped into his head. The armor you inspired. Images of Tadakatsu running through fields and in his fight appeared. And the form you honed. Tadakatsu's foot, raised onto the ball, exploded forward behind Leo's eyes. He raised onto the balls of his armored feet. His eyes dilated. Scanning…The attacks grew closer. Scanning! Barely a few millimeters away. Now! Leo felt a slight thump on the ground on both sides of his right foot. He hopped to the left several centimeters without losing his form, avoiding several thrusts sailing past his right side. He hopped back to the right as several more nearly pierced. He stepped right, then left. Left, then right, and then right once more. At each brief moment as he moved, he saw the Trident's head nearly tear away at his neck, face, or torso. At each brief moment, the timing of his small jumps tore away from the speed of the attacks, freeing Leo from danger.
"Leo's dodging everything! None of Hephaestus' attacks are even grazing him!" Heimdall shouted.
Tadakatsu, those legs of yours are unrivaled! Even with this armor, I can't reach your speed! But that doesn't mean I can't do something close! Leo kept his stance on another hop, but he made one subtle change. Hephaestus saw it, his teeth starting to bare in a scowl.
You little shit! Changing angles on me! Hephaestus roared mentally. By a few centimeters, Leo had done the unthinkable. Within the circle of death he painted around Hephaestus, for the first time in this exchange…he gained ground. Amidst the chaos, Leo made progress. You won't get a chance! Hephaestus inhaled deeply, his back muscles flexing. I haven't gone full power yet! He thrust, and the trident vanished. Without any tell, Hephaestus performed a thrust unlike any before it. Such a strike, witnessed by a select few, recalled a single solitary memory. A Sea God as apathetic and brutal as his domain, obliterating all in his wake.
"Guess Poseidon was right to believe in your power," Zeus said, walking while staring down at his table, smiling as he went. "Guess the fight will end before I get back to my seat."
The strike was already at Leo's brow. I didn't even blink, and it's already here! What an attack! He yelled mentally. A slight metallic thump arose in front of him, shocking Hephaestus. No, not just him. Everyone in the arena could not believe what had just happened. Zeus stopped in his tracks; his mouth hung slightly open. Brünhilde stood at the top of the bleachers wearing a twisted grin so smug it unnerved Göll and would make even virtuous souls want to slug her. Leo, without looking away or blinking, flung his right hand across his face. I don't need to collide… The back of his hand barely touched the blade's flat. He crouched down. Just redirect! The two actions made the trident sail over Leo's head.
Hephaestus felt his body lurch forward. I put too much power behind it!? Leo crouched down further and burst forward into a twisting roll. Whirring sounds erupted from his legs. His rolled-up body was now under a falling forward Hephaestus. Leo's hands found the ground as the edge of his greaves began to whir and spin. Faster and faster until the edges blurred. Leo pushed against the ground as he straightened his body, his legs aimed straight up. He looked at Hephaestus to ensure he found his target as his hands lifted off the ground.
"Rising Sickle!" Leo roared. His legs sailed towards both sides of Hephaestus' neck. Please let this end it! Hephaestus slammed his left foot down and lurched back. The blades grazed his cheeks, drawing blood. Damn it! Leo kicked his lower legs back and rolled forward in mid-air. He landed firmly on his feet and turned around. Hephaestus stood a few meters away, back in his previous stance but breathing heavily. No…it did something at least. Leo touched the left side of his goggles. "Hrist, did you catch all that?"
"Sure as hell, I did!" Hrist Alpha said. "Haven't missed a thing, yet."
Leo crouched back down, returning to his stance. The klaxon screeched above them. Leo sighed as he stood back up, watching the inner walls sink. "Three minutes passed that quickly? Damn…still green." He turned from Hephaestus and broke into a sprint towards his unveiled workshop. Hephaestus shook his head and ran in the opposite direction. "I should've been paying more attention to the timer than him!" He crossed the boundary, and the wall sailed up.
"Please don't worry about that." Hrist One retorted softly, her green eyes focused on Leo. "I'm halfway through the breastplate; the information you gathered required we make a few changes, but it will be ready before we're out of time."
"Good." Leo walked over to his table. He reached down under it, grabbing hold of a wooden crate. He pulled it out onto the floor, scanning the contents. I can work with this. Plus, the legs are still in good condition. Time to start on the helmet- His vision began to ripple and blur. His stomach lurched. Leo ran over to the end of the table and grabbed a small blue garbage bin. He hunched over and retched.
"Leo!" Hrist Alpha yelled. "What's wrong!?"
He breathed heavily, waiting for the rest to come. "I... pushed it a little." He looked up at her. "Stop worrying about me and build!" Her worried expression did not change as she shifted her focus back to the table. Her left hand began to whir, and she slid it across a curved piece of metal, sending sparks flying. This is bad…I didn't think I'd already start overloading. I need to hurry and get the helmet built. His breathing remained shallow as he stood back up. He returned to the center of the table, pulling a few pieces of orichalcum from the crate, and walked over to a large square contraption several meters away from the tables. Leo stopped at the contraption's keyboard and monitor. He began typing away, pulling up a series of files on the screen. I'll use this one. He picked one and walked over to a small slit in its side. I always experimented with hydraulics, but who would think such a machine could be possible! Hydroforming! Amazing! He breathed slowly as he slid the sheet into the slit. Alpha's assembling the docking station, and One's putting the frame together. They can start on the internal battery during the fight…I need to start on the helmet…Sweat poured down his forehead. God, this is scary…I knew he was strong and I accounted for it, but standing in front of him sure is different from just watching. He heard the machine come to life and rumble. He tried picturing the metal sheet folding and taking form. How many times did I almost die out there? How many more times could that happen? He can build the Louvre, fill it with amazing works, and probably bench press it! Leo Laughed. Aaaaaah…am I in over my head?