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——
Thalorion barked an order to his companions.
"Immediately! Take position and form up!"
The five minor gods obeyed at once.
Three moved to his right, two to his left, and Brontesios took the rear, guarding their backs.
Thalorion scanned the area quickly, ensuring their formation was solid.
The forest around them seemed strangely calm—almost too calm.
Something was off.
His eyes narrowed.
Then, with a sharp breath, he gave the command:
"It's a trap. We need to retreat—now!"
He gritted his teeth in frustration.
The intel had been false.
They had walked straight into a setup.
A trick.
It was utterly distasteful.
He hated being deceived.
As a major god, just below the twelve Great Titans and Kronos himself, deception was beneath him.
He had pride—divine pride.
And to be fooled like a common mortal animal in the woods was humiliating.
His face twisted in disgust and fury, but he didn't let it cloud his judgment.
Instead, he shot upward, taking flight through the treetops, attempting to escape.
As soon as he broke above the canopy—it happened.
Swish!
The trees moved, alive and wrathful.
Branches and roots surged like serpents, lashing out at the gods.
The immortals tried to dodge, to fight back.
Brontesios managed to destroy several, but the trees were relentless—unyielding.
Thinking fast, Thalorion attempted to open a portal.
His eyes widened.
Nothing.
The portal wouldn't open.
"Why doesn't it work!?"
he muttered in disbelief.
Panic crept in.
Portals didn't just fail—unless someone stronger had interfered.
And that meant…
His stomach dropped.
He turned to his side, watching helplessly as the trees wrapped around his companions.
The branches didn't just bind them—they drained them.
Their forms shriveled, skin stretched tight over bone as their essence and life force was consumed.
It was horrific.
"Brontesios!" he shouted. "We need to find the enemy and create an escape path—now!"
But Brontesios wasn't listening.
Instead, he shouted into the forest with unfiltered rage.
"If you have the balls, then come out and fight like a warrior! Stop hiding like a coward under a nymph's skirt, you bastard!"
Silence followed.
Then—footsteps.
Soft.
Calm.
Yet profoundly heavy in the air.
Both of them turned toward the sound, landing back on the ground.
And then they saw him.
A man walked forward with a calm stride.
Shoulder-length blond hair with green streaks.
A cloth wrapped around his eyes—blinded, yet fully aware.
The air shifted with his presence.
Brontesios' expression changed instantly, twisting into a wide grin of excitement.
They knew who it was.
The Blind Hunter.
Aetherion.
The one who had been tearing through Kronos' forces—the eldest son, the escaped one, born in defiance and now rising in power.
Aetherion finally spoke.
"I was going to wrap this up quickly—capture you both and be done with it.
But… I suppose I can humor you."
His tone was light, as if he were simply stating a fact.
Thalorion did not like that.
He glared at him.
"Do you seriously believe you can defeat two major gods by yourself?"
Thalorion knew the Blind Hunter was strong—he had hunted deities for an entire year, taking down countless minor gods and lesser gods.
He had even defeated some major gods.
But Thalorion had never heard of him defeating more than one major god at once.
And now there were two of them.
He didn't believe Aetherion stood a chance.
Brontesios added smugly:
"We're going to defeat you and bring you to Kronos. The reward I will get… truly blessed, I must say."
He looked at Aetherion like he was a treasure—something every deity desired.
And he wasn't wrong.
Everyone wanted to capture Aetherion.
Kronos saw him as the greatest threat to his throne.
If someone captured Aetherion, Kronos would reward them beyond measure.
Some even joked one might earn the hand of a Great Titaness part of the twelfth great titan in marriage.
Brontesios didn't think any further.
He simply charged forward, lightning crackling around his body.
He threw a lightning‑coated punch directly at Aetherion's face.
Aetherion calmly sidestepped and infused his leg with starlight.
He kicked Brontesios in the stomach, sending him flying into the sky.
Brontesios coughed out ichor.
Immediately, the trees and forest moved against him.
He managed to burn some away, but one vine wrapped around his leg, draining his vitality.
He felt himself weaken, but he punched the vine apart and freed himself.
Then he summoned his spear, infused it with lightning and wind, and hurled it with a violent shockwave toward Aetherion.
Aetherion didn't even flinch.
He raised his hand, and a wall of earth rose up, blocking the attack.
Thalorion wasn't far behind.
He moved like water, attacking with his frost‑coated sword in rapid, fluid strikes.
Slash! Swish!
He slashed through the air—
—but Aetherion simply created a spear of earth, block his multiple attack with it and dodged smoothly, and finally he leapt back without effort.
The two major gods regrouped.
Brontesios wiped the ichor from his mouth, glaring.
Thalorion analyzed Aetherion carefully.
Aetherion only smiled lightly, amused.
"Come on,"
he said with a mocking, mischievous tone.
"Show me more, major gods."
Both of them were irritated now.
They exchanged a glance—and moved as one.
Thalorion advanced with his sword, sending hundreds of watery, frost‑laden thrusts at once.
Brontesios stood behind him and summoned a lightning spear, throwing it toward Aetherion's head.
Aetherion leapt into the air and summoned multiple moonlight weapons, hurling them downward.
But something impossible happened.
Each weapon transformed—into Aetherion himself.
Dozens of Aetherions charged at them from different angles.
They panicked, dodging and slashing, and every time they struck one of the clones—
—a real blade, dagger, or axe appeared in its place, cutting them from unexpected angles.
Ichor poured down their bodies.
The wounds wouldn't stop.
Both of them were shocked and staggered back.
"We have to take this fight seriously, Brontesios,"
Thalorion said.
"I didn't think this bastard was this strong…"
They exchanged a look—and their divine energy exploded outward.
Thalorion shone with a deep blue aura.
Brontesios erupted with a storm of grey and lightning-blue divinity.
After all, Brontesios was a god of Storms.
And Thalorion… Thalorion was a Titan of the Tides.
Thalorion, while powering up and beginning his transformation into his divine form, noticed that Aetherion didn't move—nor did he make any attempt to attack.
He simply stood there with an amused smile on his face, waiting for them.
Even Thalorion found himself confused by that… but then he understood.
Aetherion wasn't taking them seriously at all.
The realization ignited a fresh wave of frustration and wounded pride.
'You bastard,'
Thalorion thought bitterly, pushing himself to finish the transformation even faster.
Brontesios, on the other hand, seemed unaware that Aetherion was just patiently waiting for them to finish.
Finally, both stood fully transformed, facing Aetherion once more.
Thalorion's expression was twisted with pure frustration and hatred.
Brontesios, by contrast, looked serious—but there was a clear spark of excitement in his eyes.
He was eager for the battle ahead.
——
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