As if sensing the lingering doubt in Hector’s mind, Nathan’s lips curled into a confident smirk, his icy demeanor softening just enough to show a flicker of assurance. “I’ll definitely win. Don’t worry.”
There was something in that smirk—a spark of unshakable belief that seemed to cut through the tension in the air. For a moment, Hector found himself caught between worry and trust, unsure which emotion to hold onto.
Then, he sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he allowed a small smile to cross his face.
“Alright,” Hector said, his voice steady now. “Beat him up.”
Nathan’s smirk widened, his icy aura intensifying as the mana around him began to stir.
“Oh, I will,” Nathan replied, his gaze shifting back to Ajax. The air between them seemed to crackle with anticipation, the battlefield growing silent as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Ajax, still towering like a mountain, let out a low chuckle as he watched the exchange. “You’ve got guts, kid,” he said, his voice a rumble of amusement mixed with menace. “But guts won’t be enough to save you.”
“This will be your last day, so try to enjoy it to the fullest,” Nathan said with a snort, his words laced with mockery.
Ajax’s expression darkened instantly, his narrowed eyes glinting with a deadly promise. His entire body erupted with an overwhelming surge of mana, its sheer force rippling through the air like a thunderstorm given form.
The battlefield, once a chaotic symphony of clashing weapons and roars, fell eerily silent. Warriors from both sides instinctively retreated several meters, their gazes drawn to the confrontation like moths to a flame. This was no ordinary duel—they were about to witness a clash between titans.
On one side stood Ajax, the towering warrior celebrated as the strongest Greek king next to Achilles and Agamemnon. His exploits were legendary, his strength feared by both ally and foe alike. On the other side was Nathan, Hector’s enigmatic bodyguard, whose calm demeanor and provoking words had ignited the fury of one of Greece’s greatest champions.
Despite their loyalty to Hector, even the Trojans watching couldn’t help but feel trepidation. They knew the odds. Ajax’s victory seemed inevitable, a foregone conclusion written in the annals of their war. And yet, somewhere in the recesses of their minds, a flicker of hope lingered—hope that Nathan could somehow defy reason and emerge victorious.
Ajax wasted no time. Fueled by Nathan’s provocation, he moved like a tempest, his massive frame defying logic with its speed. His fist hurtled toward Nathan, a blur of raw power and precision.
Nathan’s eyes sharpened, his body tensing as he prepared to react. He knew that one misstep could mean his death. Ajax wasn’t merely a warrior; he carried the blood of Zeus himself, a demigod whose strength bordered on the divine.
BADAM!
Nathan leaped high into the air, narrowly evading Ajax’s earth-shattering punch. Dust and debris erupted from the ground where Ajax’s fist had struck, the impact leaving a small crater in its wake. Using the momentum of his jump, Nathan twisted his body mid-air and delivered a swift, high kick aimed at Ajax’s temple.
The attack connected, but it was met with the impenetrable defense of Ajax’s thick, muscular arm. The Greek king grinned fiercely, his teeth glinting like the edge of a blade.
“Not bad!” Ajax roared, his voice booming across the battlefield like rolling thunder. Before Nathan could retract his leg, Ajax’s iron grip closed around it.
A chilling sense of danger coursed through Nathan’s veins. He acted on instinct, summoning a surge of ice magic with a sharp gesture of his hand.
A massive pillar of jagged ice erupted from the ground, shooting upward with incredible force and slamming into Ajax. The icy structure was a masterpiece of lethal beauty, its sharp edges glinting under the sunlight.
For a brief moment, the spectators dared to hope that the attack had subdued Ajax.
CRACK!
The pillar shattered into a cascade of glittering shards as Ajax tore through it with his free hand, unscathed and unfazed. His other hand swung downward, slamming Nathan into the ground with bone-crushing force.
BADAM!
The ground buckled and split beneath them, forming a deep crater. Nathan’s body was thrown against the unforgiving earth, a groan of pain escaping his lips as shockwaves rippled outward.
“You’re not bad, I’ll give you that,” Ajax said, his voice dripping with amusement as he loomed over Nathan.
Nathan gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain. He raised his hand, summoning dozens of icy lances in the blink of an eye.
“Ice Lances!” he shouted.
The crystalline spears shot toward Ajax with terrifying speed, their sharp tips aimed to pierce his body. But Ajax was a force of nature. With blinding speed and sheer brute strength, he punched through the lances, shattering them into harmless fragments.
From nowhere, a voice like honeyed silk rang in Nathan’s mind, serene yet urgent.
“He’s immune to magic, Nathan,” Aphrodite’s voice whispered, her tone carrying an edge of warning. “Even Celestial magic won’t work on him.”
Nathan’s eyes widened briefly before narrowing in understanding. His breathing steadied as he processed her words.
“I see,” he muttered under his breath.
The revelation was both enlightening and unsettling. Ajax’s immunity to magic explained much—how he had rendered Aisha powerless, how he had become an unstoppable force on the battlefield. Not only was he impervious to magical attacks, but his physical strength far surpassed anything Nathan had encountered.
The odds were stacked against him, but Nathan wasn’t one to back down. He pushed himself to his feet, his icy aura intensifying as he stared down the formidable Greek king.
“What are you thinking about?!” Ajax’s thunderous voice roared, shattering Nathan’s fleeting moment of concentration.
BADAM!
Before Nathan could fully register the words, Ajax appeared before him with terrifying speed. His fist came crashing down, and Nathan barely managed to dodge. The force of the punch was so immense that it caused a deafening explosion, the sound reverberating across the battlefield and making Nathan’s ears ring painfully.
Nathan stumbled backward, the world spinning momentarily as he struggled to regain his footing. Ajax wasted no time, lunging at him with his massive hand, intent on seizing him. Nathan, however, twisted his body with agility honed through countless battles, narrowly evading the grasp.
Without missing a beat, Nathan focused his mana, channeling it into his leg. Frost bloomed across his limb, forming a dense layer of ice that shimmered like crystal. With a powerful swing, he aimed his kick at Ajax’s side.
Badam!
The impact sent a shockwave of icy energy rippling outward, the ground beneath them trembling from the force. Ajax let out a groan, his body visibly jolting. For the first time in their fight, he had shown a crack in his seemingly impenetrable armor of confidence.
Nathan’s cold laugh cut through the air, sharp and mocking. “What’s this? Did you just cry out in pain?”
Ajax’s expression darkened, his features hardening into a mask of pure rage. His eyes glinted dangerously, and his body began to radiate an intense, almost suffocating heat. It wasn’t ordinary mana—it was something primal, something raw. His sheer physical prowess seemed to generate an aura so overwhelming it distorted the air around him.
Nathan’s instincts screamed at him to retreat. Without hesitation, he leaped backward, widening the distance between them.
“I’ll tear you apart!” Ajax growled, his voice dripping with murderous intent.
Before Nathan could react, Ajax disappeared again, moving at a speed that seemed impossible for his massive frame. The Greek king was faster now, even swifter than before.
Nathan’s ordinary vision couldn’t keep up. His heart raced as he realized he needed to change tactics. With a deep breath, he activated his Demonic Eye.
Nathan’s left eye glowed, transforming into a menacing gold with a vertical slit in its center. The world seemed to slow down as his enhanced vision locked onto Ajax’s form.
For a brief moment, Ajax faltered, his momentum slightly disrupted as he caught sight of the frightening transformation. But his hesitation was fleeting. In the next instant, Ajax resumed his assault, his speed still terrifyingly fast.
Nathan crossed his arms in a defensive stance, channeling his mana to form a thick layer of icy armor over them.
BADAM!
Ajax’s punch collided with Nathan’s guard, the force so overwhelming that the icy armor shattered instantly, shards of frost scattering like glass. The impact sent Nathan hurtling through the air, his body spinning uncontrollably as pain seared through his arms.
“Damn it!” Nathan cursed under his breath, his vision filled with the expanse of the sky as he flew. His body ached from the blow, but his mind screamed at him to stay alert.
Suddenly, the bright sky darkened ominously, a massive shadow descending upon him. His blood ran cold as he looked up to see Ajax diving toward him like a meteor, his foot raised and poised to deliver a crushing blow.
“Celestial Ice Magic: Barrier!” Nathan shouted, desperation fueling his magic.
A shimmering barrier of ice materialized in front of him, glowing faintly with divine energy.
BADAM!
Ajax’s kick slammed into the barrier, and for a moment, it held. But the barrier cracked under the immense force, and in the next heartbeat, it shattered completely. Ajax’s foot struck Nathan’s waist, the residual force propelling him downward like a comet.
CRASH!
Nathan’s body smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater upon impact. Dust and debris billowed into the air, obscuring the battlefield for a moment.
Groaning, Nathan forced himself to stand, his legs trembling under the weight of his injuries. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he raised a hand to wipe it away, only to cough violently, more blood splattering onto his palm.
The pain was excruciating, but he steadied himself, glaring up at Ajax, who stood at the crater’s edge.
Despite Apollo’s intervention, granting him more time to fight, it was evident that Nathan’s body was nearing its limit. Every muscle screamed in agony, his bones felt as if they might shatter with his next movement, and his breaths came in ragged, uneven gasps. Yet, even as his body teetered on the edge of collapse, Nathan’s eyes didn’t lose their shine.
This pain? It was nothing.
Not compared to the torment he had endured in the past, the trials that had molded him into the warrior he was now. To Nathan, this agony was merely a whisper, a faint echo of the suffering he had weathered countless times before.
“Do you want me to bless you?”
Aphrodite asked again. Her tone carried a rare note of concern, a vulnerability that was almost disarming coming from the Goddess of Love.
But his answer came swiftly, laced with defiance.
“No.”
There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his tone.
“I’ll kill this bastard without any blessing,” he declared, his lips curling into a bloody smirk. His pale face, smeared with dirt and blood, exuded a twisted sort of confidence, a raw determination that sent chills down the spine of anyone who dared look into his eyes.