The Battle of the Titans – Part 1
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Atlas's spear and Miraak's black sword met once again.
The impact swallowed the summit of Mount Tamalpais beneath a colossal cloud of dust, while a massive fissure tried to split the mountain in two, carving its way through solid rock as though the force of their clash itself were trying to tear the world apart.
The two of them disappeared again.
CLAAAAAAAAANG!!
The collision rang out again several hundred metres higher, in midair, even forcing the clouds themselves to be pushed away.
Or rather...
The sky itself.
Artemis, who was still holding it upon her shoulders, couldn't help flinching as she felt its weight seem to grow even heavier on her back.
But neither of them paid any attention to it.
Atlas spun his spear with both hands and unleashed a horizontal slash powerful enough to cleave a fortress apart.
Miraak moved his sword at the same time, gripping the black blade with both hands.
The moment the two weapons collided, both of them were blasted backward. But they quickly regained control of their bodies in midair before landing back on the ground, which cracked beneath their feet.
Only to launch themselves at each other again, leaving behind two craters where they had been standing.
Atlas thrust forward, straight toward Miraak's face.
But Miraak moved his sword.
The blade slid along the shaft of the spear, knocking it aside while his slash closed in on the Titan's neck.
Atlas tilted his head at the last instant, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Then both attacks, having missed their targets, destroyed the mountains behind them.
Behind Miraak, a gigantic hole was blasted open, looking as though it pierced straight through the entire mountain.
Behind Atlas, one of Mount Tamalpais's peaks was sliced clean off. It even rose several centimetres into the air before crashing back down, triggering another earthquake across the summit.
Atlas smiled excitedly as his fist came immediately afterward.
BOOOOOOOM!!
Miraak was sent crashing through the entire mountain before bursting out the other side.
But Atlas was already there in front of him.
His spear came crashing down.
Miraak raised his sword just in time to block it.
CLAAAAAAAAANG!!
But at the exact moment their weapons collided, Miraak suddenly released his sword and moved both hands with incredible speed.
He grabbed the Titan by the horns and drove a knee straight into his stomach.
Even Atlas couldn't help opening his mouth as the impact forced the air out of him.
At the same time, Miraak clasped both hands together above his head and brought them down like a warhammer, sending Atlas hurtling into the mountain at tremendous speed.
The instant he struck, the mountain shook violently once again.
The Titan was driven deep into solid rock.
But he burst back out almost immediately, sending enormous boulders flying in every direction.
Only to find Miraak already standing before him.
This time, their fists collided.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The summit finally collapsed.
For a single second, neither of them attacked again.
Both of them smiled as they regained their footing amidst the rubble.
If it could even still be called the summit anymore.
The mountain itself seemed to be growing smaller and smaller as the battle continued.
...
At a distance that still didn't seem nearly enough to survive a fight like this, the drakkar was violently rocked once more atop the artificial lake created on the mountain's summit.
Normally, someone would probably wonder what a Viking ship was doing there.
But watching the mountain shrink every few seconds was far more eye-catching.
Clarisse grabbed hold of the mast to keep herself from being thrown overboard.
Malcolm looked ready to cry as he clung to the first thing within reach.
Which happened to be Tyson.
The Cyclops, meanwhile, had his single eye shining with excitement as he watched his master's battle.
He was even cheering for him enthusiastically.
Grover had summoned his spectral bear with his flute to hold him steady while he continued healing Annabeth with restoration magic.
Annabeth, clutching several of the drakkar's ropes, swallowed hard as she stared at the mountain.
"...How the hell are they still standing?"
"MOOOO!" Bessie let out from inside the enormous cooler, watching the battle with innocent eyes full of curiosity.
...
Atlas charged again.
He didn't use any technique.
Only a relentless succession of brutal blows, every single one carrying the Titan's overwhelming strength.
Each attack could have easily destroyed a city.
His spear came down again and again.
At this point, it was even beginning to warp beneath the force it carried, while every impact tore away another piece of Mount Tamalpais.
Miraak, meanwhile, continued meeting every strike with equal force.
Or, every now and then, his sword would simply nudge the spear's shaft aside by a few centimetres.
And all of the Titan's strength would end up crashing into the mountain instead.
BOOOOOOOM!!
Another piece of the mountain vanished.
Atlas spun with the motion of his spear.
The opposite end slammed directly into Miraak's side.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The Dragonborn was hurled away, crashing through several rocky cliffs before finally stopping.
CLAAAAAAAAANG!!
The black sword met the spear once more.
This time, neither of them gave an inch.
The two remained face-to-face.
Pushing against each other with all their strength.
Then, in one swift motion, Miraak drove a kick into one of the Titan's legs, throwing him off balance.
Atlas fell backward.
But Miraak didn't stop pushing.
The two of them tore through solid rock, with Atlas's spear carving a path through the inside of the mountain.
But the Titan quickly drove a knee upward, straight toward Miraak's chin.
Miraak moved his head aside, dodging it, while at the same time driving a punch into the Titan's chest.
Inside the mountain, the two began exchanging blows.
And every new impact destroyed another part of its interior.
Until they completely broke through the opposite wall.
The two were launched in opposite directions, both of their clothes now left in tatters.
Even Miraak's jacket, which was armour he had created himself, and Atlas's suit had ended up completely destroyed.
But without saying anything else, both of them simply tore off what remained of their upper clothing, which had already become nothing more than an annoyance during the battle, revealing their chiselled muscles.
Neither of them needed to exchange many words.
They simply recovered their weapons to continue the battle, both wearing excited smiles.
Atlas planted his feet against an enormous block of stone.
With a kick, he sent it flying like a projectile.
Miraak raised his sword.
A single slash.
The rock was split into two perfect halves.
Atlas appeared behind it at that exact moment.
The spear descended.
Miraak raised his left arm.
The shaft struck his forearm.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The shockwave tore open another enormous fissure.
Miraak slid his sword beneath the spear.
Atlas immediately released one hand.
His fist struck the Dragonborn directly in the chest.
This time, Miraak didn't deflect the blow.
His body was sent flying.
He tore through several gigantic trees before crashing into another cliff.
Atlas's smile widened even further.
He didn't give him time to get back up.
He disappeared again.
...
Below...
Artemis watched the summit for several seconds.
Even she remained silent, her mouth slightly open, as though she couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing.
Even as a goddess, she was watching two divine beings fight using nothing but pure physical strength.
Nothing else.
Only uncontrolled brutality.
Zoë had never seen gods fight before.
But more than anything, she had never seen her father battle another being like this.
Another explosion.
A rain of rocks came crashing down across the entire mountain.
The Huntress tightened her grip on her bow.
"..."
...
Miraak had barely managed to recover his balance.
Atlas was already there.
The spear tried to pierce his chest.
The black sword knocked it aside.
The Titan immediately spun.
The shaft struck Miraak's side.
This time, he answered.
His shoulder slammed directly into the Titan's chest.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The two were blasted apart.
Atlas crashed through an enormous wall of stone.
Miraak tore through a completely different one.
For several seconds...
Only the thunder of falling rocks could be heard.
Then...
The two of them reappeared at the exact centre of the battlefield.
CLAAAAAAAAANG!!
The mountain trembled once again.
Atlas stepped forward.
His shoulder slammed directly into Miraak.
The Dragonborn didn't move back.
The two were left pushing against each other once again.
Their muscles began to tighten.
Veins stood out across their arms.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Come on! I know you still have far more to show!" Atlas shouted, filled with excitement, something that was almost strange for a being like him.
But at some point, he had begun to enjoy the battle.
And of course, Miraak, as a Nord, was enjoying it just as much.
Then he headbutted Atlas, sending him flying backward, while he leapt after him with his sword gripped in both hands.
To be continued...