The Seraphic System
Chapter: 113
(The Hunters)
-{Zoe Nighshade}-
Zoe stared at the older teenager with a hint of trepidation and confusion.
They looked out of place.
The various assembled beings moving around them hadn't noticed the new presence, but it wouldn't be long until they did.
Powerful beings took all sorts of forms in this world, she had lived long enough to learn this. When you reached a certain level of power, the world began bending around you.
That's what marked Major Gods from Minor Gods.
So why had the appearance of two such beings appeared so suddenly?
Had the strange assembly of monsters that were operating as a group called them? Were they their leaders? Getting monsters not to act on bestial instincts was no easy feat. Perhaps even the hand of a higher-powered being.
If so, they were doomed. The small chance was erased and they were best going out in a worthy death while they had the choice.
But…
They didn't look like they belonged here…
Her eyes finally caught sight of the two Demigods and she further became confused.
The older teenager stood there, with darker blonde hair that fell messily over his forehead and hazel eyes that caught the light. A mask was attached to his waist, contrasting with his clothing.
She sensed the same pull from the older effeminate man who stood a step behind him, like a guard ready to move at a glance. In fact, it was even stronger around him.
Her eyes narrowed and then widened in recognition.
Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase.
So they had come after all.
And there was another, a hulking figure behind them with pale skin that had gold markings covering its form. Its figure was both muscled and lean, but not in a grotesque manner.
Zoe frowned and felt the hunters with her shift, noticing the same group as she did.
The older teenager at the front outstretched his hand and suddenly light began to coalesce, fizzling around him into some sort of large halo with the shadow of his wings stretching across the entirety of the area.
The slaughter that followed left her almost desiring to be unnoticed.
-{Kai}-
My Angelic aura was activated, causing a wave of energy to cover my form as my only defensive skill was activated.
The area we'd emerged into was massive. A cavern that stretched what had to be the length of multiple football fields, with a ceiling so high it disappeared into shadow.
Stone pillars thick as redwoods supported the structure and a waterfall fell into a curving river that cut through the massive area, causing a pool of water to circle the massive building in the middle.
The roof was an open sky, casting flickering light across the scene.
I looked over this with interest.
And instantly I noticed the Cages, more so than all of the various figures moving around.
There were Dozens of them scattered across the floor, stacked on platforms, hanging from chains. Most were empty, but some held figures inside.
The whole place smelled of rust and old blood, which to put it plainly was not a good sign for the beings that were roaming around.
And everywhere, movement. Hundreds of them.
Creatures I'd never seen before prowled between the cages. Humanoid things in black armour, Devils, my appraisal supplied.
Greek monsters mixed among them. Hellhounds the size of cars. Empousa with mismatched legs. Laestrygonians carrying massive clubs. But they weren't fighting each other. They were working together, organised like soldiers.
Overall… it was a weird assembly.
The scene was wrong.
Monsters didn't cooperate like this. They barely tolerated each other at the best of times.
But these moved with discipline. Patrols followed set routes. Guards stood at attention. Some were loading supplies onto carts while others stood watch.
The Khaos Brigade had built something here.
Why?
Silence fell across the large space.
Mahoraga shifted slightly, the golden markings on his pale skin glowing brighter. Percy's face split into a wicked grin, his hand already reaching for Riptide. Annabeth looked taken aback, her grey eyes wide as she took in the sheer number of enemies.
Then they noticed my aura.
Heads turned.
Hundreds of them.
Eyes locked onto our position.
There was a moment of silence.
The confusion of a group they couldn't recognise shone within their eyes, both intelligent and bestial. Then followed the looks to others for answers that no one had.
It was a Devil that flinched, his eyes spotting the wings behind me and the holy power slowly beginning to gather. For a split moment, he looked confused, before his face twisted and the Devil barked orders.
Then the entire force surged toward us once they realised we were intruders.
I clenched my fist and then I exploded forward.
The first one reached me, some kind of armoured monster with a blade for an arm. It swung. With an ease that came from fighting opponents normally stronger than me, I sidestepped and cut through him in a single motion.
And then I blurted and my blade continued through the dozen monsters behind him.
Time slowed and then resumed as I allowed them to even try.
Another one lunged at me, a hulking armoured beast with a razor arm gleaming under the light.
It slashed wildly. I twisted aside with a grin, my blade whipping up in a silver arc that sliced clean through its chest plate, spraying black ichor.
The swing didn't stop and carved straight through another five monsters approaching as I moved with pure speed, a dozen beings crumpling in a cascade of severed limbs and howling screams, their bodies folding like broken puppets.
My sword whistled in the air and I moved, focusing and unfocusing my enhanced perception.
It was almost weird to be on this level of power, knowing just how outmatched I must have been. I could imagine if I kept my perception lowered it may be easier to catch me off-guard if you disregarded my pure speed.
I laughed, spinning on my heel to face the next wave, my sword dancing in lazy circles and cutting through each opponent I appeared next to.
"…"
I probably shouldn't be enjoying this right?
In the next moment, I exploded in another burst of speed and dashed forward, cutting through another dozen beings, some with armour that broke under my blade's force and others with thick naturally enhanced skin that parted easily.
I ducked under a swipe with ease, the devil, which was within the high-class realm sneered and backed away quickly as if instantly knowing he would be no match.
A demonic circle formed.
Other hooded magicians joined him.
Humans…?
Magical circles formed.
A demonic circle ignited under his feet, pulsing with red light. Magical circles bloomed around them, one for each, fiery orange, crackling blue, swirling green, howling white. The air thickened, charged with raw power.
They raised their hands in unison. The circles erupted.
Flames roared from the first, a colossal inferno dragon coiling upward, jaws gaping with molten teeth, scorching the ground to glass as it hurtled toward me.
Lightning forked from the second, a storm of electric spears branching like veins, thundering cracks splitting the sky, arcing with blinding fury.
Winds howled from the third, a tornado of razor shards, whipping debris into a vortex of destruction that it tore across the distance between me and the steps of the large building in the centre of the large opening.
Earth quaked from the fourth, spikes of stone erupting like spears from hell, jagged pillars thrusting skyward, crumbling boulders raining down in an avalanche of doom.
All merged into one cataclysmic blast, a swirling maelstrom of elements, fire weaving with lightning, wind fueling the flames, earth grinding into the chaos.
I watched as they all combined their magic in what seemed to be a practised move for a stronger being.
The ground shattered, the air burned. A large explosion rocked the entire area and power exploded against the Labyrinth walls, even doing a little bit of damage to the reinforced walls.
But I was already gone, flickering through the storm. I reappeared behind the first magician, my blade whispering through his neck. His head tumbled, body slumping as the fire circle winked out.
Spun to the next, severing hood and spine in one lazy arc, lightning fizzling mid-crackle.
The third gasped and I sliced through him without a problem.
The fourth barely turned before my sword parted him from shoulder to waist, earth spikes crumbling to dust. The next four were obliterated in equal attacks by a lazy swipe of my sword.
A casual swing was sent at the devil but an artefact exploded and sent him away at the last moment, the devil came into a roll and snarled, artefacts glowing on his wrists.
I raised an eyebrow.
His wrist was burnt and the artefact was destroyed.
He countered, unleashing tendrils of demonic energy that snaked toward me, as I let it pass me it detonated into a cloud of corrosive mist that began eating away at the floor.
I easily stepped back with an amused smile.
Dark tendrils began covering his body and he tried to back away.
It was obviously some sort of trump card for him.
I slashed at his neck and all the tendrils came up to barely block. My sword still easily cut through it but the tendrils barely managed to push the devil himself back.
Huh.
So this was what it was like to be on the other side.
The devil skidded back and was breathing heavily, as if he had just used most of his high-class reserves up. He pressed, amplifying a burst of fire lances.
I vanished in a blur, reappeared inside his guard.
My sword pierced the bracer on his right arm, shattering the armour he wore with ease. One final swing, clean through his neck. His head hit the ground with a thud, eyes wide in shock.
I looked over to Michael, who was already gone. Reality blurred around him as he moved at speeds that made my combat look slow. Most of the humanoid beings simply exploded into dust. While Monsters simply ceased to exist.
Entire groups vanished in the time it took me to kill one.
He had killed a few hundred, looking untouched and unbothered.
Mahoraga stayed next to Annabeth, standing guard.
The slaughter continued for maybe a few seconds.
When the dust settled, corpses littered the ground. Hundreds of them. The floor of the massive opening was painted with monster dust and devil remains.
I looked around with a nod.
Percy stood near where we'd started,
Riptide in hand, one dead large hound at his feet. His face was gritted in frustration.
"Can you give me a chance?!" he complained. "I haven't been able to do anything this entire quest!"
Despite the situation, I almost laughed.
Movement caught my eye.
Most of the other cages seemed to have monsters or various unintelligent beings. The cages themselves were magical in nature, with power flowing through the strong alloy that formed bars.
I walked toward one of the larger cages near the centre of the cavern.
Inside, multiple figures huddled together.
Women.
Their eyes were narrowed as they stared at me.
Michael appeared next to me in a blur of motion, not a hair out of place despite the carnage he'd just caused.
"What did you find?" I asked.
Michael looked around the cavern, his expression thoughtful. "It seems to be a smuggling port of some kind. Which is to be expected given the nature of this Labyrinth."
"Why would they bother?" I frowned. "Couldn't they simply use teleportation circles?"
"Indeed, unless they were transporting goods to areas where they have access to the wards that prevent teleportation," Michael said. "Which exists in many places due to how tight security is between Factions."
Yeah, that was probably the answer. Perhaps I should have anticipated this. There was a reason Annabeth had mentioned the Labyrinth.
Percy and Annabeth joined us, Mahoraga following behind them.
Annabeth's grey eyes looked around intensely as we walked into the large building in the centre of the large open space.
"So the Khaos Brigade are down here using this space?" Percy asked, glancing around at the scattered crates.
Annabeth nodded slowly, her expression troubled. "It seems so. By the looks of it, some sort of storage and distribution centre."
Percy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So we came down here to avoid them, only to end up stumbling on some hidden operation."
His tone was dry, almost resigned.
"Eh, it could be worse," he admitted after a moment. "We were probably right to use this path and I can't say watching them die in seconds had been a hard task."
Annabeth frowned deeply, her mind clearly working through something. "The implications behind this are unsettling."
"You think?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's quite natural that they'd make use of this place. I would."
The Labyrinth was a perfect smuggling route. Impossible to track, constantly shifting, with exits everywhere. It was almost too convenient.
Annabeth turned to look at me, her grey eyes sharp. "You said that the Labyrinth was moving around you earlier. It tried to pull you away through a secret passage when you first arrived."
I paused, thinking back to our entry.
She was right.
The maze had actively tried to seal the entrance.
"Which implies," Annabeth continued, her voice taking on that lecturing tone she got when piecing together a puzzle, "that not only have they found hidden passageways, but the maze itself was acting against you. Deliberately."
Now that was slightly more concerning.
I could see that happening, since I'd definitely want a hold of an asset that could be used to walk through restricted areas unnoticed.
Percy suddenly stopped, looking at a larger cage.
Multiple women were staring back at us.
One of them in the front particularly sharply.
"Jackson." The hunter stated.
Percy blinked before his eyes widened.
"Nightshade," Percy said, his face lit up with recognition. "What are you guys doing here?"
Annabeth looked pensive and deep in thought, only to smile at Percy's words. "They were obviously captured, Percy."
"Yeah, I know that," Percy said defensively. "I just thought they would be killed."
Zoe glared at him.
"I did not expect to see thee here, boy." She regarded him with a questioning look. "Particularly given thy earlier unwillingness to come."
Percy looked at the cage, then back at Zoe. "I said I wanted to wait for backup, remember?"
He suddenly wore a shit-eating grin."Plus you made it pretty obvious you didn't want me on this quest anyway." He added.
"You would have interfered with our plans." A younger Hunter replied derisively. "And you can hardly be trusted."
"And looking at how well your plan worked out..." He made an exaggerated gesture at the bars surrounding them. "Maybe it would have been better had I interfered."
One of the younger Hunters bristled. "How dare thou-"
"I mean, the accommodations look great," Percy continued, grinning. "Very... secure. It really matches your cagey personality."
The hunters scowled.
Annabeth looked on with a genuinely amused smile.
Zoe merely frowned.
So these were the hunters of Artemis.
I appraised their power and was mildly surprised to find it in the high class.
"So what happened?" I finally asked, making my presence known once more.
The change in the way they regarded me was obvious.
I could see them evaluating me.
Unlike Percy who they freely glared at with distrust and Annabeth who they regarded passively, I could see they were more subdued when it came to looking at me and Michael.
Zoe sighed, her eyes flickering to Percy before regarding me carefully. "We were set upon by these creatures on our journey westward. 'Twould seem that word of the quest had spread and quite a force awaited us."
Annabeth let out a breath, looking relieved. "It looks like we made the right choice. While I'm sure with your help it wouldn't have been trouble, it wouldn't have been a silent display."
Percy frowned. "So there were a bunch of traps waiting for us."
"Thou knew of this?" Her voice sharpened with anger, eyes flashing. "And thou did not see fit to warn us?"
I guess trying to keep our involvement to a minimum was never going to work, which made it good that it wasn't too much of a problem. I was helping free a Goddess after all, moving in a way most divine beings couldn't.
The main reason I wanted to keep my involvement unknown was so they wouldn't see me coming.
If Zeus got annoyed that I saved an Olympian Goddess, that too man-hating proud huntress then I'd let Azrael deal with that situation.
"We didn't," Annabeth said. "It's only due to our friend here, he has information on an outside influence participating in the capture of your lady, as your experience here might be able to tell you."
"And who art these friends of thine?" Zoe asked, but I noticed her tone was careful.
"I am Kai," I said, pointing to myself. "And this is Michael."
"You are Gods?" She asked, her tone hesitant. "Such power would certainly suggest so."
"No." I smiled. "We are Angels, if you haven't guessed so by the wings."
Zoe's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Angels?" Her voice held clear disbelief. "Thou expect me to believe in the servants of a god that have not be seen in many ages past?" She asked, though her tone was subdued.
I could see the other Hunters exchanging glances, some confused, others sceptical.
I'm sure the only reason I was spared a barrage of insults was the natural self-preservation that I had been told I thoroughly lacked when facing beings stronger than me.
"We just killed several hundred of your captors in less than ten seconds," I pointed out mildly. "I'm not sure what proof you need beyond that. The proof that we don't need to lie."
"Powerful beings exist in many forms," Zoe countered, though her tone was less certain now. "Thou could be gods I have not encountered."
Michael spoke for the first time, apparently not liking my word being distrusted. "You know other pantheons, do you not? As a hunter of Artemis."
Zoe pursed her lips. "I know of various unknown Gods mentioned in passing from my lady…"
The other hunters looked at her in surprise.
"But thou expects me to believe you're Angels?" Zoe questioned.
I stared at her flatly.
"Your belief is your own, but doubting m-my l- brother's words makes it an issue of mine," he said, his voice remaining powerful and calm despite the brief stutter.
I sent him a raised eyebrow.
Michael's wings then unfurled from seemingly nowhere behind him, fourteen pairs of golden pristine wings came into existence and spread out behind him powerfully.
"The children of Nyx have wings, as do many beings. 'Tis no proof of thy claim." Zoe said, seeming adamant.
"Do I have a need to lie?"
"No." Zoe shook her head.
"Then why would I lie?" I said flatly.
"T'is simply hard to believe such a claim." Zoe eventually settled on saying.
"I mean, if even that's not making you consider then I'm not surprised you got captured," Percy commented. "Beyond the fact that you've seen multiple creatures that aren't very Greek if I do say so myself. You were literally surrounded by devils."
Zoe shot him a withering glare before returning her attention to me.
"And why would... Angels... concern themselves with the affairs of Olympus?"
"Because someone outside your pantheon is involved in capturing your goddess," I said simply. "The Khaos Brigade. They're an organisation of rogue supernatural beings from multiple factions. Devils, rogue magicians and various controlled monsters. And it's not only the Greek Pantheon that's had them come for a visit."
She remained silent for a few seconds.
"Very well, I shall not dwell and question your claims. If it would not be too much trouble," she said with careful dignity. "We would appreciate our freedom."
I walked up to the cage, examining the bars. Magical energy flowed through them in complex patterns.
Strong work.
The alloy itself was reinforced with a runic language, which was allowing for the flow of magic through it to strengthen itself.
I floated up slightly and smashed a crystal on top of the cage with enough force to send cracks through the plated metal.
It was another few minutes of questioning until I left Annabeth to speak to them while I searched the area curiously.
Beyond the mass of bodies and blood that had quickly accumulated, there was an entire area that had been previously worked on before we had been charged by the many beings residing here.
The central structure was impressive up close.
Three stories tall, built from a strange combination of ancient stone and modern materials.
Columns lined the main area, leaving the main building open. Inside were teleportation circles and crates that were stacked along the walls, each marked with different symbols.
A devious grin spread over my face and Michael looked in amusement.
"Shall I have this transported my Lord?" Michael questioned.
"No need," I said idly, my hand coming to turn all the materials into motes of energy.
Then I looked over the various magical items.
My eyes caught on a pile of what looked like dark metal collars, each inscribed with glowing lines. I picked one up, activating my appraisal.
[Monster Control Collar] (Rare)
Description: Enchanted restraint designed to suppress and control the will of monsters and magical creatures. Bypasses natural resistances through a combination of binding magic and pain compliance.
So that's how they'd been getting monsters to cooperate so effectively. Magical lobotomies essentially. I doubt I could use this for Heaven unless I wanted to go the subjugation route. Still, the enchantment work was interesting.
I made them all vanish into my inventory for later study.
Moving deeper into the storage area, I found a weapons rack. Most of it was standard fare, celestial bronze while others were different varying materials.
Along with imperial gold weapons that the Khaos Brigade had probably stolen from Camp Jupiter or Roman demigods.
But a few caught my eye.
A dagger with frost runes that pulsed with cold energy.
A short sword that seemed to vibrate at a frequency that would disrupt magical shields.
A spear with an enchantment that let it return to the wielder's hand.
All of these were to a relatively minor level but they could be boosted. It wasn't often I found weapons with actual enchantments I could study and potentially copy.
Well, disregarding the vault of Heaven but I don't think there was a single simple enchantment within there. It did remind me that I wanted to see what could be copied onto my weapon.
I grinned and made them disappear into my inventory as well.
"Finding anything good?" Percy called from across the room.
"Depends on your definition of good," I replied.
Mine was skewed due to Heaven.
"You?"
"Mostly just corpses and weapons" He shrugged. "Annabeth is mostly looking at the architecture."
A case on top of a crate caught my attention.
I walked over and examined it. The moment I got close, I could feel the healing energy radiating from it.
[Phoenix Tears] (Rare)
Description: Special drops of healing created by the powerful devil bloodline of the Phenex, capable of healing almost any wound or poison at a regular level. Extremely rare and valuable.
I looked into the crate.
At least a dozen vials.
If I hadn't gotten the holy grail this would have been a crazy find.
I had come to learn that they were worth an insane amount as a healing item.
I examined the phoenix tears more closely. Could the healing properties be recreated? Replicated through my system? The vials vanished into my inventory, I'd have to experiment later to find out.
The Khaos Brigade had been stockpiling serious healing supplies. Either they were planning for heavy casualties, or they were selling them on the black market. Probably both.
The Hunters had spread out through the warehouse as well, examining the various goods with professional interest. Zoe stood before a map on the wall, her expression troubled as she traced the marked routes with her finger.
I spent the next few minutes sweeping through the rest of the building, collecting anything that looked remotely interesting or valuable. More weapons. Magical components. Even some books on various magical theories might prove useful.
Michael had taken to systematically checking the other cages throughout the facility, freeing the various captives. Most were minor nature spirits who vanished the moment they were released, fleeing back to their domains without a word of thanks.
By the time I was satisfied I'd grabbed everything worth taking, about twenty minutes had passed.
"Are we ready?" Michael questioned, continuing to stand by me.
"I think so," I replied, moving towards the exit. "I've finished lootin-liberating everything of worth. So this hasn't been a waste of time."
"I am glad," Michael said with a hint of amusement. "though I wouldn't mind merely remaining put and dispatching any remnants of their foul presence. I do believe we forgot to keep one of them alive for questioning."
I clicked my tongue. "At least we know why Percy got a kill."
Michael laughed. "Perhaps it's for the best, while upsetting the operations down here would have delayed them, I suspect our advantage of surprise would be ruined"
The Hunters had regrouped near the entrance, weapons ready, looking far more alert now that they were free and armed.
I began moving to the exit, naturally followed by my small party.
Zoe and her Hunters looked at us in confusion.
"What art thou doing?" she questioned.
"It's time to leave," I replied simply. "I don't feel like waiting around."
"What of us?" Her tone held an edge now. "We too desire to make haste and find our Lady."
"Good luck." I nodded.
Her face twisted. "Thou would simply abandon us in this maze?"
I paused, glancing back at her. "Abandon is a harsh word, letting you go on your way is more preferable. I'm sure you can find your own way out."
She blushed slightly. "Our knowledge on the subject is not hate. And thou is a particular situation."
"The path of a lesbian cult is steep and harsh-" Percy said, only to be smacked by Annabeth.
"As Percy said here in different words, I think you'll operate better… alone," I said with an innocent smile.
Her eyes flashed dangerously. "We have been imprisoned for days. We do not know this section of the Labyrinth. Our lady is still in danger." Her voice grew harder. "Thou arrives, frees us, and then simply... leaves?"
"How evil of us," Percy replied with his arms crossed, unable to stop himself.
Annabeth for once didn't stop him, looking at the hunters with a hint of annoyance.
"You're the Hunters of Artemis," I pointed out. "Surely you can manage to navigate a magical maze. You've been doing this for centuries."
"Two thousand years I have hunted monsters and navigated dangers," Zoe said, her voice cold with controlled fury. "But I am not fool enough to wander blindly through Daedalus's Labyrinth without a guide. The maze shifts and holds many mysteries. It has claimed the lives of heroes far greater than I."
"We've got our own plans and by the sounds of it you were happy no one else came along with you," I replied flatly.
I didn't want to be saddled with them in truth.
Zoe frowned. "We need your help."
At the sight of her hunter's frowns she merely sighed.
"The highest priority is securing our lady's safety. The Gods are unable to help and have provided nothing but a quest sent to a grouping of children who hide in the woods." She paused, then continued, her tone shifting to something more measured. "I would not trust any man to help us. Not a god, not a hero, not any male creature that walks this earth." Her eyes swept across Michael and me. "But thou art... different. Angels. Beings who freed us without demanding payment or boasting of thy deeds."
One of the younger Hunters looked uncomfortable with this admission, but Zoe pressed on.
"As such, merging with thy group seems like the best path. Had I known Jackson had such allies I would have stood put for your arrival."
Annabeth spoke up, her voice thoughtful. "Zoe was once a Hesperide. A nymph who tended the Garden of the Hesperides. She would be useful if you want to play this in a smart manner."
Zoe shot her a look that was part annoyance, part grudging respect for the knowledge.
I studied her for a moment.
She was serious.
Desperate, even, though she hid it well behind that mask of composure.
"Fine. You can come with us," I said. "But don't cause problems. We've got our own mission and it doesn't involve babysitting."
I blinked slightly as the divine shards' progress flickered up marginally.
"We require no babysitting, Lord Angel," Zoe replied coolly. "We are Hunters of Artemis. We have faced horrors thou cannot imagine."
Right…
I looked at Michael, who looked to be assessing them.
"Let us depart." Michael said, looking around with genuine displeasure.
And we began walking to the path we had come from.
Just at the foothold of the large opening that led once more back into the Labyrinth, I turned around to view the large open space. Staring at the littered corpses for a moment, a savage feeling overcame me.
One I felt mirrored by Michael.
Why leave evidence?
Light began to coalesce in my hand, forming into a spear of pure radiant energy. The weapon was massive, easily eight feet long, its edges hardening into razor-sharp points as angelic power filled the inner structure.
The shaft vibrated with barely contained force, which was bright enough to cast harsh shadows across the entire cavern.
Percy and Annabeth squinted their eyes at the light, while the hunters outright flinched at the abrupt display of power.
I cocked my arm back and hurled the spear.
The weapon screamed through the air like a streak of light, trailing with an immense amount of heat.
It punched through the central building's main support pillar, continued through the back wall, and detonated deep inside the structure with a force that made the ground rumble.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the world exploded.
The blast wave hit first, a wall of force that caused cracks to appear. Then came the light, so bright it was blinding even through closed eyelids. The sound followed, a roar of destruction that shook the very foundations of the Labyrinth.
The central building simply ceased to exist.
One moment it was there, three stories of stone and steel and magical infrastructure. Then, it was dust and rubble and superheated air. The explosion spread outward in a perfect sphere, consuming crates, cages, bodies, everything.
The stone pillars supporting the cavern cracked and began to fall. The ceiling started to collapse.
The entire massive chamber was coming down.
I created a barrier and stopped the blast wave from hurting my party. Which also absorbed the light from outright scorching their eyes.
After the light faded, the area was nothing but a scorched zone that dug into the ground, revealing the top of what looked to be another maze of pitch black beneath it.
The Hunters stared at me with expressions ranging from shock to awe to a small amount of fear. Even Zoe looked shaken, her ancient eyes wide as she processed what she'd just witnessed.
As they all stared at me I merely returned with a smile.
"It's best to leave no evidence." Was my only response as I turned to leave.
Michael nodded wisely and followed, only sending a pouting look to Mahoraga who followed.
Percy, despite being winded, was grinning like a maniac.
"That," I vaguely heard him say behind me "is why you wait for backup."
"Thou art completely insane," one of the younger Hunters whispered.
I shook my head, intending to go down the path from where we had come from, only to pause at the sight of an unremarkable side passage.
My chakra eyes activated and I watched a varying amount of energy come from that direction.
Wasn't this whole section meant to be hidden?
The thought of further hindering whatever was going on here came into my mind.
"Just one more detour."
-{Daedalus}-
The familiar pulse of information rippled through Daedalus's consciousness, carried along the stone veins of his Labyrinth.
He grimaced, feeling the disturbance like a discordant note in a symphony he'd been conducting for two thousand years.
Intruders.
Again.
The mark of Athena burned on his shoulder, even through the bronze casing of his current body.
The work of a powerful God would do that.
His gaze drifted to the devil lord lounging in the corner of his workspace like he owned the place.
Which, at this point, might as well be true.
Rizevim Livan Lucifer sat with one leg crossed over the other, examining his fingernails with the sort of bored detachment that came from having lived too long and seen too much.
His heterochromatic eyes, one purple and one blue, tracked lazily across the workshop's contents without real interest. Even the slight craze in his eyes seemed to be subdued.
He quickly looked away and once more, he nodded internally at his decision to join them.
To ally with the Khaos Brigade.
'Better the devil you know.' He thought with bitter irony.
To think he was meeting a being of such power and standing on the side of such a thing. The devil lord's casual presence in his workshop spoke volumes.
He couldn't say he knew much, only that this was a creature that was above the realm of even major Gods.
Rizevim was here as a babysitter, essentially, ensuring the Khaos Brigade's investment in the Labyrinth paid dividends. At least, that's what it looked like on the outside, but he was almost certain that wouldn't be the end of it.
There was something else he was present for, a real goal that he didn't even want to know about.
Truly, the age of gods was over.
Well, the current age anyway.
The Olympians squabbled and schemed, bound by ancient laws and division created by pure pride. Meanwhile, beings like Rizevim operated on entirely different laws.
No oaths to constrain them.
No domains to limit them.
Daedalus sighed, the sound oddly mechanical coming from his bronze throat.
He felt another pulse of feedback through the Labyrinth's network. The intruders weren't just wandering anymore. They'd found one of the secret entrances.
Paths he'd specifically closed off for the Khaos Brigade's operations had been traversed.
His jaw clenched.
He'd been notified of the warpath earlier. Some powerful group tearing through one of the smuggling operations. It wasn't unusual to find powerful beings entering his realm.
The Labyrinth attracted them like moths to flame, drawn by rumors of treasure or shortcuts to other realms that couldn't be accessed so freely.
So he hadn't paid it much mind.
The maze had survived far worse than a few overpowered adventurers, especially with the monsters he had collected, monsters he wouldn't dare face but continued to lead around.
But this... this was different.
They'd opened sealed passages.
Found a route he had stupidly left open, which had led to a small network of an important location.
One of only two in fact.
He couldn't let it stand.
The only reason Daedalus was still alive, still hidden after two millennia, was because of his realm. And his worth to this new Faction was what the realm offered.
The Labyrinth was more than just a maze.
It was a path hidden from the gods themselves, existing in the spaces between spaces. One that allowed travel within the Olympian gods' realm as well as old countries, current church territories unheeded, especially to places heavily monitored and warded against teleportation.
Oh, he was sure there were other ways to bypass divine wards. But none so convenient and hidden. None so reliable. And none that came with the added benefit of being a living fortress that almost left anyone intractable.
A convenience he didn't want to test with a faction composed mostly of evil beings who had nowhere else to go.
The Khaos Brigade wasn't held together by loyalty or ideology. It was a coalition of the desperate, the ambitious and the outcasts. Held together by a council filled with powerful beings and mutual exchanges.
They tolerated Daedalus because he was useful.
The moment he stopped being useful...
He didn't want to think about that. Not when King Minos was still waiting for him in the Underworld, ready to prosecute every crime Daedalus had committed in life.
The murder of Perdix. The death of Icarus.
No. He needed to remain alive. Another deal he had made, getting a modified body made by an evil God. One that wouldn't possess the mark of Athena that burnt his being constantly.
This deal would only hold up if he continued to be of use. The fact that one of two locations had been hit already wasn't good.
He needed to deal with this and that meant addressing this intrusion personally.
Which meant talking to Lord Rizevim.
Daedalus turned to face the devil lord fully.
Rizevim looked up from his examination of his own fingers, one eyebrow raised in mild curiosity.
"Lord Rizevim, we have a problem," Daedalus said, his voice carrying a calm tone. "Intruders have breached the restricted sectors. They've accessed paths meant exclusively for Khaos Brigade operations."
Rizevim yawned, covering his mouth in an exaggerated gesture of boredom. "Do they now?"
"They destroyed one of our main depots." Daedalus continued, forcing patience into his tone. "They're currently moving towards another forbidden area that is holding more valuable assets."
Where a highly valued prisoner was kept.
"Fascinating," Rizevim said, in a tone that suggested he found it anything but.
"Lord Rizevim," Daedalus tried again, "these intruders pose a significant threat to the operation."
"Could they?" The devil lord examined his other hand now, turning it over to inspect the back of his knuckles. "See, you keep mentioning 'we' as if we are in some sort of fight together. But sounds like a problem taking place in your Labyrinth, the locations you picked and the areas you set up."
"Forgive me Lord-" he said carefully.
"And now you sound like an Angel." The Devil Lord sighed, a hint of craze entering his otherwise bored tone.
Rizevim finally met his gaze, those mismatched eyes holding an ancient amusement that made Daedalus's bronze skin crawl. "Tell me, Daedalus. In your two thousand years of running from consequences, have you ever met a true Devil?"
"No. Lord Rizevim."
His mind supplied, the long years of avoiding death allowing him to sense when he was close to its unwanted embrace.
A pressure slammed his head into the ground.
"Good answer. It means you aren't doing this intentionally." The Devil Lord said lazily. "You control this realm. You house a varying amount of monsters that you shift around at will. Go fix your slip up or we can solve the gap in knowledge about your subject on the essence of what a devil is."
He gritted his teeth at the condescending words.
"Consider this a test," the devil lord said, his tone friendly. "If your precious Labyrinth cannot handle a handful of unknowns, then perhaps our arrangement needs to be reconsidered. After all, what use is a weapon that breaks at the first real resistance?"
Daedalus felt cold spread through his bronze frame.
That was a threat. It wasn't even thinly veiled, just a straight threat.
"I shall see to it." He said quietly.
The devil didn't acknowledge him, his eyes seeing something he couldn't as he stared at the wall.
Daedalus closed his eyes, bronze eyelids sliding shut with mechanical precision, and reached out through the network of stone and space that comprised his realm.
The Labyrinth responded, waiting for his guidance.
-{Hades}-
The throne room of the Underworld was colder than usual, which said something considering it was literally a palace of the dead. But not surprising when you considered the presence within.
Hades sat on his divine throne, his fingers tapping idly against the armrest as his cold eyes passively watched the various Chthonic deities filed in for their monthly meeting.
Hecate arrived first, as always, a cold smile on her face as she regarded Hades with a respectful nod.
She was followed by Thanatos, who materialized beside her. And further joined by a few minor death spirits and underworld gods filtered in after.
Hypnos entered with yawn despite being the god of sleep, the Erinyes nearby whispering among themselves.
Nevertheless they all showed Hades a proper amount of respect as they entered.
"I do believe we are missing the psychopomp," Hecate observed dryly.
"Of course we are," Hades muttered, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the arrival into his realm.
"He's probably off messing around or running a courier service. Hermes is always too busy to do the very real job of guiding souls." Hades said with a vague hint of annoyance.
As if summoned by the complaint, the space rippled and Hermes appeared in a blur of motion.
The Olympian god practically vibrated with energy, his winged sandals still fluttering as he touched down.
Compared to the Gods around him, Hermes had opted on wearing jeans and a leather jacket with a caduceus slung over his shoulder like a baseball bat.
The God wore an easy-going smile that already managed to grate on Hades nerves.
"Hey, sorry I'm late!" Hermes said with an easy grin, pulling out what looked suspiciously like a smartphone. "Had to deliver a message to Beijing, which always makes the Gods around there itchy. Then I pick up some stuff from Olympus-"
"Oh good, while I'm sure your excuses could fill The Book of the Moirai. I find myself uninterested." Hades interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm glad to see that you still know your way down here. I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten the Underworld existed."
Hermes' grin didn't falter, even as he scratched the back of his head. "Hey now, I've been busy. You know how it is with godly duties, messages to deliver, duties to attend to, travelers to protect-"
"And thieves to shelter?" Hades leaned forward, his dark eyes boring into Hermes. "I'm glad you mentioned your tasks. It brings me to the subject of your son, let's discuss him shall we? Luke Castellan. The boy who stole my Helm of Darkness last summer."
The temperature in the throne room dropped several degrees.
It was safe to say Hades wasn't happy.
Hermes' casual demeanor cracked at the abrupt mention, which was done without any sort of forewarning. "Luke didn't-"
"Don't," Hades cut him off, his voice cold as the grave. "I know he worked with Ares to steal both my Helm and Zeus's Master Bolt. I know he's sided with Kronos. And I know exactly where your loyalties lie, Hermes."
"He's my son," Hermes said quietly, the happy energy suddenly gone, replaced by two cold orbs.
"You think I don't know what he's done?" He stopped, looking at Hades with a seriousness that didn't befit his normal act. "The Fates showed me. Showed me what would happen to him. I can't interfere."
"Can't or won't?" Hades questioned calmly.
Hermes grit his teeth subtly under the stares of the assembled Gods.
"Can't." Hermes snapped, showing rare genuine anger. "You know the rules. We can't go against fate and we can't intervene." He took a breath, forcibly calming himself. "I have a lot of sons, Lord Hades. And daughters."
"His mother sacrificed everything for a glimpse of the future. The least I can do is not make it worse by dragging him down here before his time." Hermes finished tensely
Silence fell across the throne room.
Even the Erinyes had stopped whispering.
Hades studied Hermes for a long moment.
The Olympian god looked tired beneath his casual facade.
"Fine," Hades said finally. "I suppose another Demigod child going rogue isn't worth too much attention. Let us discuss other matters. Important matters regarding your duties."
Hermes took a seat, the only sign of annoyance being the sharp coldness that passed through his eyes.
"The overcrowding situation in Asphodel has worsened. The fields can't sustain the current influx of souls, and your lackadaisical approach to soul-guiding isn't helping. Perhaps if you spent less time playing courier and more time doing your actual job as psychopomp-"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll work on it," Hermes said, his usual energy returning like a mask sliding back into place. "Actually that reminds me, I have an official message to deliver." He pulled out a scroll sealed with a lightning bolt symbol. "From Lord Zeus."
Hades' expression darkened. "Zeus sends me messages through you now? How delightfully condescending."
"It's from Zeus Chthonius," Hermes said, his voice carefully neutral. "In his aspect as."
"Zeus Chthonius?" Hades repeated, his voice deadly quiet. "Our dear brother invokes his aspect as 'Zeus of the Underworld' to give me orders? In my own domain?"
"Don't shoot the messenger." Hermes chuckled weakly.
"That's your job and I certainly wouldn't shoot you if I wanted to hurt you," Hades said, his voice slow despite the annoyance in his tone. "What does my dearest brother want? I imagine his decision to invoke a right he barely has, is at least for a reason his prideful little mind considers important."
Hermes unrolled the scroll and sighed.
"He requests that you ensure no one escapes Tartarus. Double the guards. Triple if necessary. With the Titans stirring and a new disturbance in the balance, he wants absolute certainty that nothing gets out."
Hades knew that this 'request' was actually an order.
His immense divine power shifted for a moment and Hermes had the sense to look unnerved.
"How kind of him to tell me how to run my own realm," Hades said, sarcasm in every word. "And what about the Helm he didn't help me recover? What about the insult to my power that went unaddressed while he fretted over his precious Master Bolt?"
"Hey, I'm just delivering the message," Hermes said, hands up in surrender. "You want to complain to the King, go ahead. I've got twelve more stops today."
"Since no one seems to understand what's happening, bring me the thief," Hades said suddenly. "I suspect he knows what's happening. Since you're being of no help, allow us to revisit the subject of your son. You're the messenger god. The guide of travelers. You can find anyone. Bring me Luke Castellan."
Hermes' expression shuttered completely. "No."
Hades stared.
"Are you sure it's wise to so directly interfere?"
"In the matter of my divine weapon and a plot against our Pantheon itself?" Hades asked. "I'm sure I'll be forgiven."
Hermes frowned again. "I haven't come here for this discussion. I won't bring my son down here to face your judgment. I can't stop what's coming for him, but I won't be the one to speed it along."
"Fool." Hades simply stated.
Hecate observed the encounter curiously.
Hermes huffed and opted to remain silent.
Moving on from that with ease, for the next few hours a meeting of Gods was held in Hades domain. Various matters discussing the state of the underworld were spoken of while Hades remained silent for the most part.
After the last God left, Persephone smiled.
"Well," Persephone said from her throne beside his, speaking for the first time. "That went well."
Hades shot her a look.
She smiled slightly, unbothered by his mood. "You knew he wouldn't help. Hermes has always been soft on his children."
"He should do his job," Hades sighed. "Especially when something foul is obviously at hand. There are beings behind this and while my foolish brother is one to ignore it in favour of women, I am not."
"Mmm." Persephone examined her nails, painted dark purple today.
"You know, there might be another way to get information on what Kronos and his followers are planning."
"I'm listening." Hades replied, his eyes focusing on her.
"That angel," Persephone said casually. "The one Aphrodite's been gossiping about. Kai, I think his name is? You said he had an abnormal amount of knowledge. And if Kronos's forces are involved in capturing Olympians..." She shrugged elegantly. "He might have some information."
"I doubt it." Hades replied instantly. "The boy is presumably within Heaven, once more cut off from the world and that would be direct contact."
"Not from what I hear." She smiled.
Hades' entire focus shifted to her for a moment.
"Oh?"
After the revelations his wife had shared, Hades was left alone in his throne room.
So Kai was out of Heaven once more and from the little that was known, it seemed like he had joined Percy. Again, hijacking a divine quest and vanishing without a trace.
His wife was correct, Kai probably knew something.
A quick gaze at the path they would have taken showed that.
An abnormal amount of monsters and creatures from outside the Greek Pantheon. An annoyance he normally had to deal with the Devils and the Fallen.
He drummed his fingers against the armrest.
Did he want to risk it?
Persephone's words were correct.
And he did need to get a grasp on the situation, if not purely for the sake of his realm potentially being affected.
Hades wasn't as slow acting as his two other brothers who enjoyed their debauchery. He didn't overlook threats. That wasn't including the very prominent memories of his Father.
His Father who seemingly had outside help.
Hades wasn't arrogant enough to think that the status quo would remain. New forces could rise and old forces could return. There were plenty of Gods and creatures that would love to see the fall of Olympus.
Most of them were held within his own realm after all.
Hades sighed.
But there lay another consideration.
Yahweh had acted.
For the first time in so long, even for a God's standards, the God of Heaven had moved beyond his Heavenly System. After so long of Heaven becoming a mystery and his name becoming a myth among the supernatural world. He had moved.
An action only a few knew, Hades only finding out due to Hypnos, who had informed him of unusual activity in the dream realm. Activity centered on a devil girl.
More specifics couldn't be uncovered. Hypnos had been reluctant to pry too deeply.
Still… it had led him to notice the actions of the Devils and Fallen, more so than the passive observation he kept due to their insistence on being parasites to everything they touched.
Something was most certainly happening within the Three Great Factions.
Which all led back to his question.
Should he contact Kai?
-END-
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