204 Gods And Monsters (2): Corruption That Breeds Gods

His words were provocative in nature, but that didn't make them less true. People like them weren't the kind to go all out from the start, but it was clear that Thor started 'higher' than them, while they still were at a low level.

Up until now, he hadn't even had to bring his legendary hammer to come out on top. The Archer's weapon seemed to be the clock behind his back, while the beast had his axes. As for the other one, he could not be sure. For all he knew, his fists might be the only weapon at his disposal. Though, if they were, then the word disappointment would fall short to describe his feelings.

His technique, while good to an extent, was overshadowed by the rather poor strength he displayed. No... Maybe it was not a matter of strength, but rather of intent. His attacks were extremely weak because the intent to kill — to harm even — was missing.

Many possibilities went through Thor's mind to understand that behavior, but every single one of them ended up failing to explain the why.

He didn't want what he at first thought was the perfect Hunt to end up as a mere mirage. Regretting setting his expectations high was something he wouldn't like to do once all of this was over, after all.

Yet, you can't understand your opponent's motives if you at least don't know who they are. His fellow God used poison against him, which might be an indication that his identity was exposed, or simply a coincidence. Though, in hindsight, his early display was pretty much a giveaway. People with fame like him had difficulties remaining lowkey, and that was a fact he was very aware of.

With that in mind, he directly faced his foes who were beginning to stand up after the beating he gave them. "Hear me Gods, and to an extent you too, beast. Tell me your names, so at least you leave something worthy behind instead of your depression-inducing skills."

"Wanting to...cough...know our names? Your whole power must have gone to your muscles instead of your brain. Although not a conventional one, this is still a Holy Grail War." Khronos looked at the redhead as if he were an idiot. His Time powers were quick to revert the damage that had been done to him, making the Lightning God raise an eyebrow.

"You speak of my low intelligence, yet you still believe that hiding your name will make you superior to me? Even that beast has done more than you have, so what are you if not a pathetic creature that speaks highly of himself but it's actually a coward?" It was truly baffling. Was this God in front of him the type to speak grandly while having nothing to back it up?

"Seth." Contrary to Khronos' reluctance, the black-haired man had no problems in revealing his identity. If someone knew he could control fire, what would they do? Use water? He had lightning and wind, or even more water to offset that. Versatility was one of his biggest strengths, so he never worried about that.

"...Asterios." Berserker, since his Master had done so, he followed suit. He was clutching his stomach since it was the place where Seth had crashed into after the Thunder God's attack. He still felt his whole body sore from the discharge, and he was seriously doubting if he should keep using his axes.

"Hoh? The Lord of the Red Lands? No wonder you reminded me a bit of my brother, and with the added smell of a snake mixed in as well. If it weren't for that, I would have called you a liar. You are supposed to be a cruel psychopath who only enjoys killing, but what I see is someone afraid to commit murder." The mocking undertone was not reflected on Thor's face, which only showed slight puzzlement.

He might have some inkling about the identity thanks to the traits he previously mentioned, but it was surprising nonetheless. It was as if he had woken up and suddenly the dead of Helheim started walking the Halls of Asgard. He had to wonder if all the stories he heard were just fake to make their Pantheon seem strong. After all, hearsay among Gods always put them on par with each other.

"As for you... The Minotaur? You might be more interesting than I thought at first, but you are still lacking. If you want to stand up to me, then you will need something more."

"Make sure not to regret your words later, then." Even in the old times, Seth would always shut Thor up when he got too yappy. Sometimes with more success, sometimes with less, but it was a fact that he disliked it when it was one-sided. So at least, in this case, he didn't mind punching the redhead until he stopped his babbling.

He ignored the look he got in return and glanced at his Servant with less edge than the one he had been having. 'Are you ready? This is not going to be easy for you, but I will try to be as non-invasive as I can. Do you think your mind will be able to handle the stress?'

Asterios offered a silent nod. 'I... not strong... enough. I promised... them... to protect... Master. So... even if... I only work... to take... attack to defend you... then I... happy.'

The Egyptian God actually smiled at that. He was aware of his status as a God, but that was no reason for taking him as an omnipotent and omniscient being that could do anything on his own. There were things he couldn't do alone. If that weren't the case... then his current situation would be much different, and maybe he wouldn't even be in this world now.

'Don't worry about that. Not everyone is meant to do the same thing with utter perfection. Finding your specialties is the key to victory. Now, I officially remove your limits. It's time to go wild. Rest assured, and do not fear, for I will be ensuring your sense of self. You just have to trust me.'

'I...do.' Short words that truly conveyed his firm belief in his Master. Asterios didn't care about his Master's nature. He could care less if he was a God or a monster like him; if he could understand him or not. He only cared about the way in which he looked at him. It was never with fear, nor with overwhelming care. It was... normal. However, it was that normalcy that mattered. To be treated like an equal regardless of his origins; that's what he had wanted all of his life.

Many people called him a monster, and in consequence, they feared him. But... he was not a full monster, he was a half one. The other part of him was human, yet nobody seemed to remember that when they either saw him or heard of his name. Though his grandfather was a God, he only inherited humanity in him, and he was proud of it. That was why it hurt when they only saw a monster in him. And also... it was the reason why he would go to ends of the world for people like his Master or Euryale, who saw what others couldn't.

Seeing the moment of zero hesitation in his Servant, Seth nodded inwardly to himself. This boldness was something he quite liked about Asterios. Now, it was time to unlock his full potential to answer that boldness.

The black-haired man turned around and placed a hand on Berserker's chest, concentrating on his task, knowing Thor wouldn't attack if he thought things could get more interesting.

Master and Servant both exchanged glances, neither of them sharing doubts. 'Magical Energy supply limit removed; purity conversion stopped. Switching to Divine Mana. The corruption begins. Time to go back to your roots, Asterios.'

A loud heartbeat started to resound across the hallways of the labyrinth. Thor looked at the development with intrigue, while Khronos did it with growing shock. 'That guy... He isn't planning to...!'

"RAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Just then, a loud roar interrupted his thinking, shaking the whole place up. A powerful gale followed soon after, making the two other Gods cover their eyes instinctively.

Asterios muscles bulged painfully. His whole frame felt as if it was being strangled by a snake, which might not have been that further from the truth. The Spiritual Core within him kept cracking as time went on, and with each passing second, poisonous, corrupted Mana sipped through said cracks.

It hurt so much. The sensation of breaking apart permeated his whole body, and nothing was making the pain easier. Strangely enough, the same energy that was destroying his insides was also holding him back together.

His mind became clouded by darkness, and his sense of self started becoming nonexistent. Memories, emotions, thoughts... all were disappearing in a sea of obscurity.

Murky shadows emerged from the ground beneath him, They enveloped his figure without mercy, his cries mattering nothing to them. His whole vision was no more, and now only the abyss stood before him.

In there, everything was pitch black. The only thing visible was a small round nucleus. Breaking, shifting, pulsating. Being perverted, depraved, corrupted. Yet, when he extended his hand toward it, the pressure was finally enough, and it ended up being turning to pieces, taking the space with it. Everything just started to fade away...

Like broken glass, the abyss cracked, pulling him down with it.

He was sinking... He WOULD be sinking for eternity in here...

At this point, though, he didn't care—he couldn't care. His whole sense of self had been torn apart due to the constant stress his Spiritual Core had been subjected to.

'Don't give up, Asterios. You are stronger than you think. I know you can do it.' Even so... he could still hear that womanly voice. One so familiar yet so forgotten. One that he had longed to hear for ages.

'Mo...ther?' As soon as he unconsciously uttered those words, Asterios' lackluster eyes slowly but surely regained their shine. From the infinite darkness, a ball of light was descending upon him, pushing the darkness away.

'Remember. I will always be with you no matter what. However, this is my last gift to you. With the help of the King of Beasts, I will return to your rightful place. Farewell, and never forget... There will always be someone who loves you, even if the whole world tries to convince you of the opposite.' When the voice said her last words, the ball of light shot out toward him, quickly merging in his body and making the whole place shine.

"GRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Meanwhile, on the outside world, the winds still raged on. That was when a roar, a hundred times more powerful than the last echoed on the Labyrinth, breaking the walls as if they were the least resistant of windows.

That roar was powerful enough that removed the veil of darkness enveloping Asterios. Now, what stood before the three Gods was a completely changed creature. A taller frame; totally white skin; bigger white horns with a red end; an equally white tail with red fur on the tip and a bigger mane that had ends like those of lightning. His normal axes had also changed a mix between the former and a lance.

What's more...

'This pressure... a Divine Core?! That idiot! I knew he was up to no good!' Leaving aside if doing that was something to curse about or not, just the fact alone that he went against the order of things was maddening.

'I have forgotten. You crazy fool!' Seth's arched lip did nothing but irritate him further. 'You were always a wild and chaotic dog that your Pantheon didn't even know how to deal with. If there was something to expect from you, is that you would rebel against the laws of the world itself!'

A widely known fact across the earth, regardless of mythology, was that if Gods mated with beasts, or if the spawn between two Gods was a beast, then that creature would not inherit a single spec of Divinity under any circumstance. Nobody, not even the wisest of their kin knew the reason why. However, it was an unbreakable truth.

Yet, before his very eyes, that reality had been broken. A taboo existence had been born—No. It was reformed. Upgraded from a defective form. The first of its kind and an anomaly altogether. Something so absurd that couldn't be replicated even if one actively tried. In fact, it wouldn't be odd to call it a miracle.

That thing was not a monster anymore. Calling him a Monster God would be more accurate. However, was giving a Berserker Authorities, which were known for degrading the mind of Gods, the right thing?

As if to answer that silent question, Asterios lifted one of his lance-axes up with enough force to create wind pressure, making it hang right above Seth's head. Without suspense, he brought it down under Khronos' astonished gaze.

The impact shook the ground in such a way that their previous attacks seemed like a joke in comparison.

Even so, blood was not drawn. Asterios' weapon missed the black-haired man's body by mere centimeters. No surprise could be seen on Seth's face as if he was already expecting this outcome.

"You did a very good job enduring, Asterios. Or should I call you Minotauros now?" Still not looking at him, the Kingslayer asked Berserker a lighthearted question.

"No, Master. I prefer the name Asterios. It was the one my mother gave me, and I want to honor her by making others call me by that name." The continuous speech did come as a slight surprise, though.

"I see that you integrated yourself with your Authority, enough to overshadow—or should I say "clear up" your Madness Enhancement." Seth closed his eyes, relaxing a bit. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he managed to pull through, and in turn, he was able to help Asterios regain his rightful place.

He then reopened his eyes to meet the grinning visage of Thor; no doubt thrilled about the development. "So this is what you said would make me regret my words?"

"That's right. Thor, God of Thunder, meet "The Rider of Stars" and successor of Helios: Asterios, God of Flames and Monsters." In response, fire started rampaging around Berserker's weapon. "Now, let's go for round two, O' Mightiest Norse God."

Lightning danced wildly around the Æsir frame, bringing heaviness to the atmosphere that didn't diminish his fierce grin in the slightest. "With pleasure!"

And so, the battle between the four Gods started anew.