The Throne of Nephthys
The sky of this planetoid is on fire: the gravitational shield maintained by Adrestia is the only thing holding back the power of the hypernova unleashed by Apollo against Nephthys.
The situation on the ground isn’t much better: the sea of snakes that makes up the ground has come alive, with the reptiles attacking everything that moves, and there’s an army of Egyptian warriors opening fire on the Vanguard.
<This is bad.> Torn comments, cutting one of the snakes in half with one of his energy swords and watching it re-form in seconds.
<Yeah, tell me about it!> Quantum replies, spreading his arms to release a wide array of laser beams in every direction: they make short work of the snakes, only to reveal an Egyptian army running towards them, guns blazing.
Vesta provides some cover by creating a wall of fire to isolate them, but the shots are still coming.
<This is useless. As long as Ilithyia has the key, she has an entire galaxy as backup.> she notes.
<Then let’s focus on her. Everyone, cover your eyes.> Quantum instructs them, rising into the air: he releases a huge amount of photons, becoming brighter than a star and instantly blinding any soldier unfortunate enough to be around. This makes him a target for the snakes, who target him by flying effortlessly towards him.
<I’ve had it with those motherfu##ing snakes on this motherfu##ing planet!> he yells, changing the photons into gamma rays and focusing them exclusively on the snakes: it’s enough to incinerate them, and he can safely land returning to his human form.
<Well that was… a little excessive, but nice work.> Vesta compliments him.
<Thanks, I’ve been dying to make that reference since this whole mission started!>
<Reference to what?> Torn asks.
<“Snakes on a plane”, c’mon, I can’t be the only one who’s seen it!> Quantum says.
<Why would anyone bring a snake on a plane? As food?> Torn wonders.
<Don’t encourage him.> Kari rolls her eyes.
Their banter is short-lived: the blinded soldiers are teleported away in a halo of light, and a petite goddess with white hair is floating towards them.
<Speaking of snakes. Drop the Key of Heaven, Ilithyia, it’s over!> Vesta pleads her niece.
<With Nephthys out of the picture, I am the highest ranking member of her army! I can still win this war, even without her!>
<Take your best shot. You won’t get a second one.> Vesta tells her, closing her fists.
<We have to take that Key at any cost. Whatever you do, don’t…> Kari starts to instruct them.
<Got it!> Quantum interrupts her, rushing towards Ilithyia as a laser beam.
<…rush it.> Kari concludes, watching the laser disappear mid-stream.
<Your friend just hit one of the moons of Eleusis. Any more bright ideas?> Ilithyia mocks them.
<Yeah. I’ve got a few.> Vesta answers, with a fierce look in her eyes.
Two columns of fire sprout out of the ground, attacking Ilithyia; it’s enough of a distraction to allow Vesta to rush towards her and tackle her from behind, holding her in a chokehold.
<Don’t make me hurt you. I’m stronger than you.> Vesta reminds her: Ilithyia can’t break free.
<But I’m smarter.> she answers, before making Vesta vanish in a bright halo of light.
<Debatable.> Torn intervenes, launching a hundred energy knives at Ilithyia from all directions.
She reacts by teleporting a hundred feet away, but the knives change direction and fly towards her; when she teleports the knives away, Torn emerges from a pentagram portal and jumps at her.
<Soul Reaper!> he shouts, swinging his energy scythe. He would definitely decapitate her if a halo of light didn’t make him disappear.
It’s only the beginning: Torn emerges from a second pentagram, only to disappear again, then he jumps out of a third pentagram, and the pattern repeats half a dozen times in a couple of seconds.
<You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.> Ilithyia concedes, teleporting him one last time.
<Enjoy the lava pits of Souda, you little… hey!> she screams, when one last dagger left behind stabs the hand holding the Key, forcing her to drop it.
<Insolent Demon. You almost inconvenienced me.> she tells herself, holding out her hand to telekinetically recover the Key. The device moves a few inches before someone steps on it.
<I’m giving you the chance to surrender. Please say no.> Kari tells her, her body glowing from the effect of her 10K Rise.
<I will never surrender to a mortal!> Ilithyia answers.
<Thank you.> Kari says, running towards the goddess ten thousand times faster than any human could; she also hits Ilithyia with so much strength that she actually feels her punches.
Ilithyia is no fighter, and Kari is able to exploit every possible weakness… but a goddess is still a goddess, and Ilithyia manages to grab her wrist.
<I remember you; I was present at your wedding. You got stronger.>
<You have no idea how much.> Kari replies, using a mixture of judo and Myridian martial arts to throw Ilithyia against the ground. She then activates her Shotgun Bracelets: designed to increase the force of her punches to superhuman levels, when used in conjunction with her 10K Rise it is a devastating weapon. Ilithyia has seen her use the bracelets against Nike during the “Strongest Under The Heavens” tournament, and doesn’t like the fact that Kari is about to punch her face with them.
<Wait! You wouldn’t hurt a pregnant goddess, would you?> she pleads.
<What?> Kari says, wasting the opportunity to strike.
<Fool!> Ilithyia tells her, seizing the moment to knee Kari in the stomach. This doesn’t outright kill her, thanks to the 10K Rise, but it’s enough to let Ilithyia get free.
She can see the Silver Key of Heaven on the ground. Kari won’t get it in time: it’s the perfect opportunity to use the device to get to safety. Or, even better, to gather her forces once again.
<You’re with child as well.> she notices.
<I know. Let’s go back to the part where I kick your butt.> Kari replies, standing up while groaning in pain: Ilithyia hit her hard enough to throw her off the 10K Rise, and as long as she’s pregnant she can’t create new duplicates to help her.
<Once I take over Olympus, I will need to be more than the goddess of childbirth. I have one last gift, before I ascend to my rightful throne.> Ilithyia tells her, snapping her fingers.
Kari immediately screams and falls to her knees, holding her stomach in agonizing pain.
Myridia, 50 light-years from Earth
It’s a quiet evening in the Zel household. The original Kari joins the two duplicates who are sitting on the couch next to her husband Kiros, while three of his duplicates are busy flipping through as many books.
<You finally managed to get Ariel to sleep?> one of her duplicates asks.
<For now. Any news from the Vanguard?>
<Nothing. But there are reports of a huge battle at the Gorgon’s Veil.> the duplicate answers.
<What about Mylanta?> Kiros asks. The various Kari exchange puzzled looks.
<What about what?> one of them finally asks.
<As a name for the kid! What do you think? It was the name of one of our queens!> he exclaims, then flips through a couple more pages.
<Or maybe it was a town? I think. I can’t really read pre-Demeter Myridian.> he admits.
<We’ll put it on the list. There’s plenty of time before… ugh> she groans, holding her stomach. Kiros and her duplicates quickly approach her to see what’s wrong, and they’re just as surprised as she is to watch her belly grow in seconds to that of a nine month pregnant woman.
<This doesn’t look good.> Kari says, as her water breaks.
The Throne of Nephthys
Ilithyia is standing before an agonizing Kari Zel, smiling as she watches her suffer.
<Your real body is now giving birth. I know you are just a shadow, but here is my gift: you are also experiencing the same pain that she feels. Multiplied ten thousand times, of course.>
<You know… you really… suck at this…> Kari struggles to say, fighting against the pain to very slowly stand on her feet.
<Oh really. What is it, exactly, that I “suck” at? Childbirth? Defeating you? Conquering Olympus?>
<Rescues. Hurry up… will you?>
<What?> Ilithyia asks, turning around just in time to avoid being mauled by a giant bear’s claws.
Ilithyia steps back, only to watch the bear transform into a goddess.
<Circe? You’re working with mortals too!?> Ilithyia shouts.
<Give up, little girl. You are way out your league.> Circe responds, moving her hands to cast a spell against her. Ilithyia surprises her by immediately punching her in the face, then grabbing her arm and repeatedly smashing Circe against the ground like a particularly unlucky doll.
<Out of… WHAT LEAGUE!? I am the daughter of Zeus and Hera! I am the one who lead the Egyptian forces to victory against Olympus! I am the one who’s going to WIN THIS!> she screams, pausing only when the sky is no longer on fire: Apollo’s attack is finally over.
<I just need a little more time. Where is that blasted key?> she asks herself, only to receive a punch in the stomach followed by a knee in the face. Each blow is enough to hurt her, but it’s not coming from Circe: as evidenced by the third hit, kicking her head from behind.
<You want this? Come and get it.> Kari says, tossing the Key in the air and catching it as it falls.
<How can you be standing? You should be in excruciating pain from giving birth!>
<Oh I’m not that one. She’s still in pain, and she’s really, really pissed off.> she explains.
<And so are the rest of me.> a second Kari adds, also glowing from the 10K rise.
As does the third and fourth ones, appearing at her side. As do the other tens of Kari surrounding Ilithyia in all directions, cracking knuckles and stretching in preparation for a fight.
<It… it doesn’t matter! I’m still a goddess!>
<And we’re still the Vanguard.> Kari reminds her, as three halos of light teleport Vesta, Quantum and Torn back into the battlefield. Ilithyia looks nervously around her, trying to find a way to escape the enemy or call for backup… and she comes up with the only possible strategy.
<I surrender.> she says, falling to her knees.
<Oh no you don’t! I just unlocked a new way to use my powers for a huge badass battle!> Kari complains, as the planetoids starts to fall apart: it was only the will of Nephthys that allowed it to exist, and now that the snakes binding together its core are disappearing it’s crumbling to dust.
<I don’t think we have much of a choice. Can you use the Key to bring us to safety?> Vesta asks, floating towards Ilithyia to restrain her. Much to her surprise, someone beats her to it: a black figure partially covered by a white cloak appears out of nowhere, touches Ilithyia and Circe, and the three of them disappear so fast that even Quantum isn’t able to reach them in time.
<Oh come on!!! How many of these Egyptian creeps are there!?> he complains.
<That was Khonsu, the god of travels. I get Ilithyia, but why rescue Circe?> Vesta wonders.
<We have more urgent concerns> Torn points out: there’s a chasm forming right beneath them.
<Well at least this means that Nephthys is dead. Let’s talk somewhere a little less deadly.> Kari says, dropping out of her 10K Rise and making her duplicates disappear before using the Key.
Bridge of the N01-Ragnarok
A woman is teleported on the ship; her body is so hot that the floor starts to boil when it touches her skin. Not that she’s paying much attention: the immense pain she’s feeling takes priority.
<I don’t know what’s more impressive, that fact that you survived or that you managed to break this thing.> a woman sitting on the captain’s chair says, and the sound of her voice fills Nephthys with hatred.
<Hell is going to want my head for this.> Noriko Null complains, watching the completely fried Iron Key of Heaven emit some random sparks.
<You… teleported… me?>
<I figured there was a chance that Apophis could shield you from the brunt of Apollo’s attack, so I took it upon myself to make sure that you’re going to stay dead.>
<And how do you think to do that, Slayer of Gods? I can sense death is starting to catch up with you. If you try to use the Final Abyss on me, you will only kill yourself.>
<Oh I know. But I am Null. I don’t need a fancy Drylon device to kill a goddess.>
<Do your worst, child. I am Death. I can survive anything.>
<Nice theory.> she replies, pressing a button on the armchair.
The Ragnarok drops below lightspeed, and a cosmic monster fills up the entire viewscreen: the supermassive black hole at the center of the Olympian Galaxy. It’s still several light-years away and technically invisible, but its enormous accretion disk and the jet of matter ejected at relativistic speeds are very much visible.
<Let’s test it.> Null concludes, her silver eyes shining as she activates the ship’s teleporter.
Nephthys is far too weak to resist it, finding herself stranded in front of the astronomical monster. She watches the Ragnarok fly away, as the goddess falls towards the black hole.
Nobody can hear her scream as her body is deformed and distorted at a molecular level for the agonizing process of being devoured by the singularity at the center of the galaxy.
Few people will ever know the details of her gruesome demise. But it won’t be long before the legend of how the Slayer of Gods killed the Goddess of Death grows.
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