"Did you see that, brother?" Artemis asked, her voice tinged with disbelief, her mind still reeling from what had just transpired. Her eyes, usually calm and unshakable, now reflected the shock that coursed through her.
"I saw it clearly," Apollo replied, his tone asured, but even he couldn't hide the flicker of awe in his voice. His gaze remained fixed on the empty space where Nathan had stood re monts ago, a spectacle of overwhelming might that defied even their divine senses.
In contrast to her siblings, Aphrodite remained silent, though a faint, knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She might not have voiced her thoughts, but inwardly, her heart brimd with joy, amusent even. How she longed to witness the expressions on Hera's and Athena's faces right now.
The gods of wisdom and power, so accustod to control and superiority, must have been seething in frustration as they watched Nathan's overwhelming display—one they never saw coming.
It was obvious that in the end, neither of them had been able to pinpoint Nathan's exact location. He had vanished, as if erased from existence itself.
"He's gone," Artemis muttered, frustration creeping into her voice as she scanned the city of Lyrnessus from their divine vantage point. Her keen huntress eyes searched desperately, but Nathan had disappeared.
"I've lost track of his presence as well," Apollo admitted, though his eyes held a gleam of curiosity rather than irritation.
For the briefest of monts, both Apollo and Artemis had let their attention slip. Just a minute—less, even—and that was all it took for Nathan to vanish completely from their sights. They could no longer sense him anywhere in Lyrnessus. A feat that even gods would struggle to achieve.
Aphrodite suppressed a laugh, her thoughts swirling with satisfaction. "I should really thank Amaterasu for that," she mused to herself, recalling how the Sun Goddess had taught Nathan the secret art of erasing one's presence. But Nathan, like a prodigy, had mastered the technique in re days—a week, at most. The boy was a monster in his own right.
His swift progression had only accelerated since he'd enslaved Amaterasu, drawing from her divine energy, and further bolstered by Khione's power, his strength was growing at a terrifying pace.
Despite her inner glee, Aphrodite kept her expression neutral. Now wasn't the ti to reveal her connection to Nathan, let alone her role in giving the Princess of Tenebria the ability to summon a Hero. She had already gathered more enemies than she cared for. Best to play the part of an oblivious observer for now.
"I didn't realize there was soone so powerful on our side," Aphrodite remarked casually, glancing at Apollo with a sly, satisfied smile. "Did you, dear Apollo?"
"No," Apollo replied, though his eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze on Aphrodite, suspicion flickering behind his serene fa??ade. "But I feel like you know more than you're letting on, Aphrodite."
"What are you hiding?" Artemis added, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, eyes narrowing as she regarded the goddess of love. "We're all on the sa side here, Aphrodite."
Aphrodite waved her hand dismissively, her laughter light and lodic, as though the idea were utterly ridiculous. "Oh, please. I don't know much more than you two," she lied smoothly, "but shouldn't we just be glad that he's on our side? We could use another strong warrior, especially with Hector as our only other trump card."
Apollo and Artemis exchanged glances, clearly not fully convinced, but neither could refute her logic. Nathan's strength was undeniable, and at the mont, they needed every advantage they could get in the war that lood ahead.
"Perhaps," Apollo murmured, though his suspicions lingered.
"But if we truly want to win this war," Aphrodite continued, her voice dropping into a more serious tone, "we need to use every advantage we have. You should et with him in person, Apollo. I'm sure he would be quite flattered if the great god of the sun were to approach him directly with praise."
Apollo regarded her carefully, the edges of his suspicion dulling at the thought. "Perhaps I will," he said, nodding slowly, though he was still wary of the goddess's motives. "When the ti is right."
°°°°°
In the grand halls of Olympus, within the towering marble walls of Zeus's castle, the gods were gathered, their attention fixated on the aftermath of the battle in Lyrnessus. The air buzzed with a mixture of excitent and tension, their divine senses still tingling from the spectacle they had just witnessed.
"That was quite sothing, wasn't it?!" Hers exclaid, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. His winged sandals barely touched the ground as he paced, his eyes bright with the thrill of it all. The ssenger god had always loved action, and the chaotic battle they had just observed, thanks to the great vision magic cast over the mortal realm, had not disappointed.
The start of the war had been far more exhilarating than any of them had anticipated.
"Amazing? Don't overstate it," Ares interjected with a low chuckle, though his fiery eyes glead with a mad intensity that betrayed his excitent. His broad fra seed to vibrate with barely contained energy, his hands flexing as if already gripping an unseen weapon. "It's just a war, after all. Nothing out of the ordinary.
But I won't deny—seeing that much bloodshed, those glorious fights… It makes my blood burn! I'm itching for battle!"
Zeus, seated on his throne, sighed deeply. His usually commanding presence seed sowhat burdened. He ran a hand through his thick beard, already feeling the strain of the conflict that had only just begun.
"There's no fighting against humans, Ares," Zeus said, his voice carrying both command and exhaustion. His piercing eyes montarily flashed with frustration. The war had barely started, and already it was causing headaches. The devastation in Lyrnessus was staggering. The city was reduced to rubble, and nearly ninety percent of its people had been slaughtered in the chaos.
"Hades is going to be quite busy
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