Sienna’s eyes locked onto his coldly. Nathan met her gaze with equal intensity.
Then, as their weapons pressed against each other, Nathan did something unexpected.
“Your brother is alive.”
The impact was immediate. Sienna’s defiance shattered like fragile glass. Her eyes widened in shock, and her breath hitched audibly. For a moment, her entire body froze, not by magic but by sheer disbelief. Her lips parted, trembling as though trying to form words, yet her voice faltered.
“What…?” she managed to whisper, the single word laced with both hope and agony.
Nathan offered no further explanation. Before she could say anything more, he raised his hand, and a glacial frost enveloped her. Sienna’s body became encased in ice, her expression of disbelief and vulnerability preserved within the crystalline prison.
“Sister!” Siara’s desperate cry echoed through the battlefield as she charged toward Sienna without hesitation. Her voice was raw with fear, and her movements reckless, driven by the need to protect her sister.
Courtney wasn’t far behind, her face pale with panic. Nathan could see the alarm in her eyes, a fear that he might shatter Sienna’s frozen form just as he had done to so many others before. But Nathan had no intention of harming his sister further. His actions, though harsh, were calculated. Without a word, he turned and bolted past them, leaving Siara and Courtney to tend to Sienna.
His focus shifted entirely to Liphiel.
She stood some distance away, her smile as infuriatingly smug as ever. The sight of her fanned the flames of Nathan’s fury, though his expression remained as icy as his magic. She had crossed a line—a line that no one should dare approach. Using Sienna, his sister, as a pawn in her schemes was an unforgivable act. And if she dared to stoop so low, what else was she willing to do? Nathan’s resolve hardened. She needed to die.
But she wasn’t going to make it easy.
As if on cue, countless Greek soldiers swarmed toward him, their armor clanging as they formed a wall of resistance. Nathan’s lips curled into a cold sneer. He raised his sword, its icy edge glinting ominously in the light. With one fluid slash, a wave of frost surged forward, freezing the soldiers in an instant. Another swing shattered their frozen forms into a flurry of glimmering shards, their cries silenced forever.
Nathan moved with precision and speed, leaping over obstacles and dodging attacks with an almost inhuman grace. Each step brought him closer to Liphiel, and each swing of his blade left destruction in his wake.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
A thunderous voice rang out, and Nathan’s path was suddenly blocked. He halted, his gaze narrowing as he recognized the figure standing before him. It was Aidan.
Aidan’s confident smirk was like a spark to Nathan’s simmering anger. His eyes turned colder, a frost forming around him as he clenched his weapon tighter. Without hesitation, Nathan moved.
In an instant, he appeared before Aidan, his blade descending with lethal precision. The ground shook as the force of the blow sent Aidan hurtling backward, a shockwave rippling through the battlefield. But to Nathan’s surprise, Aidan’s weapon remained intact, its surface unmarred despite the overwhelming strength of the strike.
“Gahaha! This strength! Thank you, Poseidon!” Aidan bellowed, his laughter echoing as he steadied himself.
Nathan’s eyes darted upward, catching sight of Poseidon observing the battlefield with a triumphant smirk. The god’s presence was unmistakable, his aura suffocatingly divine.
How? Nathan’s thoughts raced. Didn’t Zeus forbid their intervention?
Gritting his teeth, Nathan pushed forward, unwilling to waste time on questions. Liphiel was still within his reach, and he couldn’t let her escape. He surged ahead, his speed blurring his movements.
“You’re running away now?!” Aidan’s voice boomed as he reappeared in front of Nathan, his sword raised for an attack.
But Nathan’s fury was unrelenting. In a split second, his magic surged. Aidan’s right arm and leg were engulfed in frost, the ice spreading with merciless efficiency. A sickening crack followed as the frozen limbs shattered into countless fragments.
“GARHHH??!” Aidan’s voice was a mix of shock and terror as he stared at his ruined body.
Nathan didn’t spare him a glance. He moved past him, his focus singular. Liphiel was still smiling, but Nathan could sense her slight unease.
But if the gods intervened, it would be too late to strike her down.
Liphiel’s gaze faltered as Nathan advanced, his presence radiating an oppressive aura that made her retreat, step by reluctant step. Her heart raced, and for the first time in ages, she felt a genuine pang of fear. His eyes burned with cold determination, and the carnage he left in his wake was staggering.
To Nathan, the Greeks might as well have been insects. They weren’t even worth calling meat shields anymore. With each swing of his blade, ten fell, their bodies crumpling to the blood-soaked ground like discarded dolls. He carved through their ranks with terrifying efficiency, his path to Liphiel clear and relentless.
Realizing she couldn’t hold him off much longer, Liphiel raised her staff. An ominous glow pulsed from its tip, and the air grew heavy with magic. In an instant, three colossal figures materialized before her, their towering forms casting long, menacing shadows over the battlefield.
Nathan’s eyes narrowed as recognition dawned. These were the same giants Liphiel had summoned on the day she had nearly ended his life. That memory stoked a fire within him. He gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles whitening as he prepared to face them.
The first giant moved with surprising speed for its size, launching itself toward Nathan with a massive fist raised.
BADAAAM!
The impact was earth-shaking. Nathan skidded backward, his boots grinding against the dirt, but he held his ground, his blade locked against the giant’s massive fist. With a guttural growl, he shifted his stance and delivered a precise slash.
The giant’s roar of pain echoed across the battlefield as its arm was severed cleanly at the elbow. It staggered back, crimson light gathering in its remaining hand, which now glowed ominously. But Nathan gave it no chance to retaliate. He leaped onto the giant’s massive torso with agility that seemed almost supernatural.
“Khione,” he murmured, summoning her icy power.
BADAAAAAM!
A cold mist enveloped the giant, freezing it solid in mere moments. Its movements slowed, then ceased entirely as frost crept over its hulking form. Seconds later, the frozen giant shattered into countless icy shards that glittered in the sunlight.
Nathan landed gracefully amidst the frozen remains, his expression calm and unbothered. “Next,” he taunted, his voice echoing across the battlefield like a death knell.
The second giant bellowed in response, its guttural roar filled with rage. This one was armed, wielding a massive sword that gleamed with an ominous crimson hue. It swung the blade with such force that the very air seemed to scream in protest.
BADAAAAM!
The sword cleaved through the earth, leaving a deep, jagged scar in its wake. The force of the attack obliterated everything in its path—Greeks and Trojans alike were sliced apart like fragile clay dolls, their bodies scattered grotesquely.
But Nathan had already moved. His agility made him a blur as he sidestepped the devastating swing and retaliated. His sword gleamed with icy brilliance as he struck with all his strength.
BADAAM!
Shock rippled through the battlefield. It wasn’t Nathan who staggered—it was the giant. The sheer force of his strike sent the towering creature sliding backward, its massive feet digging trenches in the ground. Gasps and murmurs erupted among the spectators. Nathan’s strength was beyond anything they had imagined.
Not giving the giant a moment to recover, Nathan leaped high into the air. His blade descended in a perfect arc, cutting cleanly through the giant’s neck. Its massive head toppled to the ground with a thunderous crash, and the colossal body followed moments later.
Nathan didn’t spare it a glance. His focus was locked on Liphiel, who was now running, her pace frantic as the last giant lumbered behind her like a protective shield.
Suddenly, the third giant came to a halt. Its jaw opened wide, revealing a maw that began gathering crimson energy. The air grew hot, and an ominous hum filled the battlefield.
Nathan felt the danger instinctively, a deep pulse of warning in his chest. Without hesitation, he called on Khione’s power once more, raising a massive wall of ice between himself and the incoming blast.
BADAAAAAAM!
The beam erupted with devastating force, slamming into Nathan’s ice barrier. The impact shook the ground violently, cracks spidering through the glacial wall. The sheer power of the blast sent tremors rippling across the battlefield, forcing even the most battle-hardened warriors to stumble.
Nathan gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing as the ice wall groaned under the relentless assault. Steam hissed and rose as the heat battled against the cold, but the barrier held, though barely.
Through the haze of steam and debris, Nathan’s voice emerged. “You’ll need more than that to stop me, Liphiel.”
Liphiel’s expression twisted in a mixture of fear and fury as she watched her summoned giant falter under Nathan’s relentless assault. The air around her seemed charged with desperation. Her confidence, once unshakable, was now crumbling like sand beneath the tide.
Nathan, catching the flicker of despair in her eyes, felt a surge of satisfaction. The corners of his lips curled into a wicked smirk. Finally, the smile had vanished from her face, replaced by the fear he craved to see.
“You’re going to die here,” he muttered under his breath, his voice a venomous whisper meant only for himself.
The giant, battered but still functional, began gathering energy for another devastating beam. The crimson light swirled in its mouth, a deadly glow illuminating the battlefield. But Nathan was faster.
With a swift motion, his icy magic surged forward, freezing the giant’s legs in place. Cracks formed in its massive limbs, the frost spreading like veins, and with one precise slash, Nathan severed both legs at the knees.
The behemoth toppled forward, collapsing with a thunderous crash, its massive weight sending tremors through the earth. It landed awkwardly, propped on its shattered knees, still attempting to charge its attack.
Nathan approached the immobilized creature, his sword gleaming coldly in the pale light. He raised his gaze, locking eyes with the giant’s massive face, where the energy beam continued to gather clumsily.
“Now,” Nathan said, his voice cold and steady, “it’s your turn to see me kill you.”
Without hesitation, he plunged his sword deep into the giant’s gaping maw, twisting it violently as frost surged through the blade.
BADAAAAAM!
The giant’s head erupted in an explosion of red and shimmering ice. Sparkles of frozen blood and shattered frost rained down around Nathan, painting the battlefield with a grotesque, glittering beauty.
But as the last shards of the giant’s head scattered, Nathan’s sword cracked and splintered under the strain. It broke apart in his hands, the pieces falling to the ground with a dull clang.
Nathan frowned, tossing the useless hilt aside. “It wasn’t a good sword anyway,” he muttered. His eyes shifted toward Liphiel, who stood frozen in the distance.
Yet, to his surprise, her lips curved into a smirk. Her gaze wasn’t on him but something—or someone—behind him.
A sudden chill ran down Nathan’s spine as he turned instinctively, raising his arm to block.
“Sienna…”
There she was, her eyes void of recognition, her sword already swinging toward him.
BADAAAAAM!
The impact sent a shockwave through Nathan’s body. He groaned in pain as her blade collided with his arm, its force amplified by divine blessing. His ice armor absorbed some of the blow, but not enough. The blade sliced through, cutting deep into his flesh.
Blood seeped from the wound, staining his arm as he tried to steady himself. “Sienna…” he groaned, his voice strained. He wanted to say more, to reach out to her, but his words died in his throat.
Suddenly, his entire body froze. He couldn’t move. A paralyzing force gripped him, locking him in place.
His gaze darted upward, where Hera hovered above, her smirk radiating triumph. She had intervened blatantly, her divine aura making it clear she cared little for subtlety.
Before Nathan could process what was happening, a flurry of motion erupted around him.
Aphrodite soared toward him, her expression frantic as she raced to help, but Athena intercepted her mid-flight, blocking her path with a cold glare.
Ares surged forward, his war cry echoing across the battlefield, but Poseidon appeared in his way, his trident shimmering with power.
Artemis, perched atop the Trojan walls, had her bow drawn, an arrow of light aimed precisely at Hera so Nathan could get out of the frozen state. But even she couldn’t act fast enough.
BADAAAAAAM!
A beam of light, blinding and merciless, tore through the battlefield.
Nathan felt the searing pain before he even registered what had happened. The light struck him square in the back, ripping through his body with devastating force. It burned through his stomach, leaving a gaping wound that bled profusely.
But he wasn’t the only victim.
Behind him, Sienna gasped, her eyes wide with shock. The same beam had pierced her chest, tearing through her with equal brutality. Blood bubbled from her lips as she coughed, her body trembling violently.
Nathan staggered, his arms instinctively reaching out to catch her as she collapsed forward. Her weight fell against him, her blood soaking his already torn clothes.
“Sienna…” he whispered hoarsely, his vision blurring as he struggled to hold her upright.
In the distance, Agamemnon stood, his face twisted into a maddened grin. His sword, still glowing with the remnants of Hera’s blessing, radiated heat as he watched the chaos he had unleashed.