Somewhere in the Aegian Galaxy
The planet barely survived the crash against the moon that Skorpios threw at it; now that it’s been teleported a few million miles from the star it normally orbits, the surface is rapidly melting.
<Isn’t this a bit of an overkill?> Quantum asks.
<You work for Null, you should know it takes a lot more to kill a goddess.> Skorpios replies, as the giant pile of burning rubble in front of them starts to shake.
<Rhodos is still alive.> Torn adds, highlighting the obvious. The Blood aura around his body is protecting him from the heat, but even for a Demon the environment will soon be too hot.
<What about Ulysses?> Quantum wonders.
<I threw a moon in his face. He’s dead.> Skorpios answers with utter certainty.
<I dunno, we’ve thought the same before… doesn’t his mind jump from clone to clone? He could still be around somewhere.>
<Null stripped him of that technology: he’s stuck in his last body. And look around: he doesn’t have any powers, do you seriously think he’d survive?> she objects.
<I didn’t sense his death. And I don’t sense his soul nearby.> Torn adds.
<He’s been to Hell. He knows all about Demon tricks.>
<I do sense something, though. A familiar aura.> he adds cryptically.
That’s when Rhodos manages to break free, through a combination of her divine strength and her ability to summon large amounts of water at will… with enough pressure to blast away the many tons of melting rocks, but not enough to avoid evaporating the second it’s summoned.
<You could’ve had a painless death. Instead, you chose to suffer.> Rhodos boasts, almost as if she was trying to convince herself she didn’t take any damage while she’s visibly hurt.
<I will investigate this presence I feel. Can you handle her?> Torn asks.
Quantum replies by shooting a blast of pure energy right into Rhodos’ face, followed by Skorpios using her own powers to move the earth beneath her: this causes the goddess to fall into the newly created chasm, promptly closed by Skorpios.
<Yeah we’ve got this. Do your creepy Demon stuff.> Quantum says.
Millions of miles away
The Aegian Galaxy, better known as the Andromeda Galaxy on Earth, is home to thousands of inhabited planets. But as it’s the norm across the universe, that’s only a tiny fraction of the number of planets that have never been touched by any sort of lifeform.
One of these planets is a barren wasteland that would make the Earth’s Moon look like a beach paradise; that’s where Vesta lands violently, pushed by a powerful stream of green liquid.
<You’re tougher than you look.> she tells her adversary. Vesta has never thought of herself as a warrior… in fact throughout her life she’s struggled to cause the least damage possible… but her confidence has grown a lot since joining the Vanguard.
Facing the mysterious younger daughter of Poseidon has been a lesson of humility.
<How dare you come to my father’s galaxy and attack the daughter of your own sister?> Despoina shouts; the green liquid returns towards her, integrating itself into her body once more.
<You’re the one who attacked me and my friends.>
<Silence, traitor!> Despoina yells, her body turning into the liquid again and enveloping Vesta.
The latter is on fire, surrounded by plasma hundreds of times hotter than the surface of a star, but Despoina remains liquid.
<Traitor? You’re the one working for Ulysses! What would Poseidon say about that?> Vesta wonders, flying out of the liquid bubble and shooting a fireball at her adversary… who simply lets the fire pass through, completely unharmed by the heat.
<I work WITH Ulysses, not FOR Ulysses. And my father will certainly understand, once Ulysses delivers the proof that Demeter was my mother.>
<Look, if all you want is proof of your mother’s identity, Null can certainly come up with something that resembles genetic testing for gods.>
<Why would I trust the mortal who killed my mother? Or you, Hestia, who helped her murder your own sister and depose your own brother!>
<Zeus abdicated, but fair enough. Why are you so fixated on this? Why does proving Demeter was your mother so important to you?>
<The territory she ruled should belong to me now. It is my birthright! My inheritance will prove to my father that I am his worthiest heir, the one who should rule by his side.>
<Look, Despoina, you’re like… three hundred thousand years old?>
<I’m seven hundred thousand.>
<I’ve known my sister for a million years. When Persephone was born she couldn’t stop talking about her for at least fifty thousand, and she always brought her up at the first occasion. But I have never heard her say she had a second daughter.>
<Are you calling me a liar!?>
<No. I’m taking my time gathering strength.>
<For what, asking your pet mortals to help?>
<I told them I would take care of you, and I will. Your ability to maintain invulnerability in liquid form is impressive, but I’m guessing it has limits.>
<Haven’t you seen that your fire is nothing to me? I could resist the heat of a star!>
<That’s what I call a warmup. Let’s turn up the heat, shall we? HELLFIRE INFERNO!!!>
A wave of superheated plasma emanates from Vesta; the effect is similar to a new miniature star being created on the spot, instantly vaporizing both the planet and Despoina’s liquid body.
N-01 Ragnarok, edge of the solar system
Kari Zel has always enjoyed fighting, ever since she was taught martial arts before learning how to spell. The Vanguard rarely meets problems that can be solved by hand-to-hand combat, so sometimes she’s afraid she’s losing her edge.
But keeping up with Proteus is proving to be both tougher and more exhilarating than she could possibly hope for.
The only reason she’s able to keep up is that her 10K Rise allows her to increase her strength and speed to superhuman levels, but Proteus is copying all of her techniques.
He enjoys this so much that, instead of shapeshifting randomly every other sentence, he’s keeping his form as a perfect copy of Kari’s.
<Didn’t picture you as a guy who’d enjoy martial arts!> Kari says, as the two continue talking while trying to land a blow against the other.
<I’m all about change. Thanks for exposing me to something I’ve never experienced before!> Proteus replies enthusiastically.
<Ever lost to a mortal before?> she tries to trick him.
<Yes, actually! I lost to Herakles once!>
<He’s not a mortal, he’s a demigod.>
<Is he? Uh. Then I guess I’ve never really lost to a mortal!> Proteus realizes, pausing to ponder on the matter at the worst possible moment: when Kari is in the perfect position to punch him in the face. Which she not only does, but she follows up with a knee to the stomach and an uppercut that lands Proteus flying against the nearest wall.
<First time for everything. I’ve never defeated such a dumb god before.> Kari says, switching off her 10K Rise and rushing towards the bridge where she left Roxiana.
“With the Ragnarok disabled, she’s the only one who can reboot the system” she thinks, formulating several scenarios on how to handle the situation.
What she doesn’t expect is returning to the bridge to find a parrot perched on the shoulder of the still unconscious Roxiana.
<ThAT was FUn. WHat oTheR nEw eXpERIenCe can YOu gIVe mE?> the parrot says with Proteus’ unmistakable voice.
<How about beating you up twice?> Kari bluffs, knowing she can’t push herself past the 10K Rise in an enclosed space without damaging the ship.
She’s not the one to give Proteus something new: lines of fire start to draw themselves on the door that leads to the bridge. She initially thinks this is Torn, but this can’t be for several reasons.
The lines draw a hexagram, not a pentagram, and the fire is mixed with black smoke. And even more importantly, a pentagram appears on the opposite side of the bridge to let Torn on the ship.
<I sensed someone was watching us.> he says, preparing a Blood sword in his hand.
<thIs I’VE gOt to SEe.> Proteus says, jumping off Roxiana’s shoulder to turn into a sea lion.
A man completely covered by green cloak steps out of the hexagram, immediately followed by Ulysses. Who instead of having his usual neutral expression on his face is visibly worried.
<Don’t kill them. All I need is Roxiana.> he tells his new ally.
<You’ve gone soft.> the stranger says with a gravelly voice.
<It’s not our deal. Help me take Roxiana and Null to Poseidon and the Gate is yours.>
<WAit a SECond, UlysSes. We agREed I wOUld be THe oNe to deLIVEr thEm!> Proteus protests, now turning into a panther.
<Yes, we did. But your family proved even less reliable than the Zenith, so I had no choice but to resort to my trump card. Dispose of him.>
<YoU TRAitor!> Proteus yells, and in the form of a lion he jumps against the stranger… only to be cut in half by a scythe made of glowing red surrounded by black smoke. As a shapeshifting god, Proteus should be able to heal from this instantaneously; instead he reverts to his form of an old frail man, and the stump that used to be his arm is splattering blood everywhere.
<That hurts! What is that thing!?>
<Let me help you with that.> the stranger replies. Moving at incredible speed he uses the scythe to cut Proteus’ other arm, slash his torso into four separate pieces, and cut off his head… all in the span of three seconds. He impales the severed head on the scythe; the movement caused the cloak to move out of the way to show that he has the red skin of a Demon, and that the scythe has actually replaced his missing right arm.
<I’ve held my part of the bargain. Let’s go.> the stranger says without the slightest hint of emotion in his hand, dismissing the butchered head of Proteus by tossing it against the nearest console.
<You’ve held nothing. CUT OF A THOUSAND…> Torn begins his attack, but he’s interrupted by the stranger’s scythe piercing his stomach.
Kari rushes to rescue him, but the stranger is faster than Proteus was: he grabs her by the throat and tosses her against the ceiling.
<I had the slightest hope that you learned something over the years. But once again you prove to be a disappointment.> the stranger insults him, extracting the scythe from Torn’s organs; the Demon grabs the stranger’s cloak long enough to uncover his face.
When Torn sees the white-haired Demon, he immediately recognizes him despite the new wrinkles.
<You’re alive!?>
<Stay out of this, boy. There are forces at play even Hell can’t fathom.> the stranger dismisses him, creating a new hexagram that leads him, Ulysses and Roxiana elsewhere.
<WeLL thAt waS unEXpecTed. Who Was tHAt DemOn?> the severed head of Proteus asks.
He’s not the only one to survive the attack: Kari slowly recovers, getting closer to Torn.
<Good question. I feel like I’ve been hit by a sledgehammer… are you alright?>
<I will be.> Torn answers, looking down at his abdomen where needles made of Blood energy are stitching up his wound.
<Good thing Demons are ridiculously hard to kill. That weapon of his… is it just me, or was it made of both Blood and Ichor? I thought it wasn’t possible to mix them!>
<It shouldn’t be. But if anyone can find a way, it would have to be him.>
<I take it you know this guy? He does look familiar…>
<His name is Reaper. He’s my father.> Torn reveals.
<Wait, WHAT!? What’s he doing HERE of all places!?>
<I was aware he knew both Ulysses and Roxiana… but why is he showing up only now, and what is he after?> Torn wonders.
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