7 Chapter 7 – Depths of Torments

Athena sends the Champion of Sparta into the Underworld, ascending to the River Styx to see himself being where he was told to be. Without the Nemean Cestus in his hands, the Blades of Athena is his only weapon in his arsenal. But something is attached in his marvelous yet disgruntled face, and even himself doesn't have a clue what it is.

After he removed the mysterious mask attached to his head, it was revealed to be the mask of the ferryman Charon whom Kratos also dismantled in a battle on a ferry. Matthaios was on the opening path for the gates, and he calls for Athena's name. "Athena!"

Athena was heard by the Demi-god again, telling him to suit himself. "This is not what you think it is, Matthaios. I sent you here to retrieve something that your father left abandoned."

"If this is another item of his that is useless enough to wield, I'd rather bring what I prefer." Matthaios hides the mask in his armor, fueled by his rage yet again.

"This is not a weapon meant for combat nor an item, Champion of Sparta… I am talking about your sister Calliope." Athena mentions the daughter of Kratos to his first wife Lyssandra.

"What? I have a sister?" The Demi-god's rage toned down when he heard about the first-born child of the Ghost of Sparta.

"Her existence is trapped and tormented in the Underworld. Your father attempted to save her poor soul but to do it, he has to surrender his responsibilities." Athena told him about why Calliope remained in the Underworld.

"What did he do? Did he reunite with my sister?" He asked if his father succeeded.

"They bonded for a brief moment until Persephone threatens to seek vengeance upon Zeus… And your father ended her suffering." She told him that Kratos neglected his daughter to kill Persephone.

"Hades is dead, Persephone also suffered the same fate. Now, who is ruling the Underworld again?" Matthaios asked again.

"Zagreus, the new King of the Underworld and the God of Hunting. Be warned, Champion of Sparta. He matches your skills in combat, be wise, and find a way to defeat him to bring your sister back to life." Athena gave the Demi-god a heads up, telling him that Zagreus is a threat.

"I fear not God, Athena. I do not even fear you." Matthaios began walking into the gates slowly.

"He is as vengeful as you, Matthaios. There is a reason to fear him, but I do believe that you could top up his excellence." The Goddess of Wisdom counts on him upon battling Zagreus.

"Let's see…" He finally enters the temple where it leads his path into another temple.

Athena disappears from his thoughts, and now he has to deal with this all by himself and his trust-worthy weapons. The temple seemed too flamboyant but gritty at the same time, but he isn't worried about what vibe it gives. With the admiration of the remodeling, the flames of the temple were getting stronger and hotter as he walks in.

The place was empty, and he has yet to travel the darker side of the Underworld. Once again, an alive and well being dares to enter the place for the dead. In comparison to what Kratos has encountered, this Underworld seemed too friendly despite its dark and unsettling atmosphere. No demonic creatures were attacking him, nor any trapped souls who want to escape.

But what appears to break into the temple is a dog playing with a bone, and it made the Demi-god's heart soften a bit. The dog seemed to react to the presence of a mere stranger, barking loudly at him. The Champion of Sparta kneeled, telling that he doesn't mean any harm at hurting such an innocent animal with whom he doesn't have any business to deal with.

The dog kept on growling until its owner appeared to calm him down. "Cerberus, what is this noise you are making?"

Matthaios stood in front of a sword-wielding entity. "Zagreus…"

"Oh, the Champion of Sparta himself… What do you need, Spartan?" Zagreus asked while petting his dog Cerberus.

"Where is my sister?" He demanded to see Calliope.

"Calliope is in a safe place, Matthaios. Through all these years, I am glad she remains pure as ever." Zagreus tells him that his sister is doing well.

"Don't you dare fool me with your lies, Zagreus? Where is Calliope?!" His anger tendencies are on display again.

"She's on the Temple of my mother… And she would love to see a new playmate." He told the Demi-god that Calliope is on the Temple of Persephone.

"I don't have time for any of your games, Zagreus. Bring me to her." He kept on demanding to see his half-sister.

"If you insist." Zagreus walks into the Temple of Persephone, followed by the Spartan Demi-god.

Cerberus was playing with the little girl who should be in her adulthood now, her soul was trapped in the Underworld to the point that she did not age at all. She remains as a child forever, and Matthaios was shocked by how his sister looked like.

"I told you, she is such a good girl." Zagreus shows Calliope to the Spartan Demi-god.

Matthaios' anger has vanished, and there were hints of his caring side and it shows. "Calliope…"

"She is safe here, I told you. Now, what do you need from her? Do you just wish to see her or?" He asked what his intentions are with the young Spartan girl.

"I'm bringing her back to life." The Demi-god provided what he is going to do with Calliope.

"I'm sorry, bring her back to life? Talk about impossible feats, Spartan. Your father Kratos once failed, and I'm afraid she remains here forever. With me." Zagreus forbids him to do so.

"Athena's orders." Matthaios seeks validity by mentioning the Goddess of Wisdom.

"She doesn't mean anything to me now… But what matters is that she is just doing the same old trick. And why would I be shocked that she played a pathetic Spartan again?" The new King of the Underworld tries to persuade him that Athena is just using him.

"Let's just say I'm better than this… But you don't want me at my worse either." The Demi-god still doesn't want to lose the opportunity to bring Calliope back on the surface.

Zagreus scoffed. "Worse, you say? And I thought your father Kratos is the worst of them all."

After several mentions of the Ghost of Sparta, it triggered Calliope and made her cry in agony. She still hasn't recovered from what her father did, and that is leaving her to the Underworld to keep on serving that Gods that betrayed him.

"Calliope!" Matthaios was worried about how Calliope sobbed in anguish.

Zagreus kicks the Demi-god into the Fields of Elysium, and they were about to battle it out when the King of the Underworld disappeared when Matthaios is about to subdue him. He wanted to go after him, but he couldn't abandon his sister as she sees him as the Ghost of Sparta himself.

When Matthaios tries to reach out to her, she didn't want to face him. She sees his father on how her brother reaches him out, and she doesn't want to make the same move again since she is too terrified that she would be renounced again.

To break the curse of her deep sorrows, Matthaios has to face the God responsible for it and it is none other than Zagreus himself. He followed him to the depths of the darkest areas of the Underworld until he enters the throne room where Hades used to stay, and Zagreus was laying low on his father's throne.

"Free her." Matthaios mandated what he wanted to do.

"I deeply apologize in advance, Champion of Sparta. Her tormented soul couldn't be saved." Zagreus doesn't want to leave his throne.

"I'll make it." The Demi-god's eyes began glowing red, and the Blades of Athena has been lit up with it.

"You dare challenge me, Spartan?" He felt that he is being challenged, so he gets up from his throne and held the Stygian Blade.

"I propose a battle, Zagreus. Are you scared that history will repeat itself?" Matthaios spoke while holding the Blades of Athena.

"If repeating history has Calliope staying here with me, fine. I accept." Zagreus squares off with the Spartan Demi-god, trying to intimidate him.

Matthaios wasn't feeling any intimidation at all, nor pressure that will affect his performance. If Zagreus is up for a clash, so is he. The flames of the Blades began flickering around as Matthaios began moving its chains, making the first move by slashing Zagreus furiously.

Of course, Zagreus defends it with his sword by parrying it. But Matthaios wraps the chains around his Stygian Blade which restrains him from pulling it back. The Demi-god pulls Zagreus to him and lands a powerful punch that stung him, but Zagreus held the Champion of Sparta's legs to keep his balance.

He willingly drops his blade just to wrestle with Matthaios, sending him to the ground with a vicious charge. Yanking the chains of the Blades of Athena attached to the Demi-god's forearms, Zagreus turns the tables by having the upper hand.

"Where did you get this? Hephaestus?" Zagreus slams Matthaios' head into the carpet, pushing against it forcefully.

Matthaios didn't reply as he was struggling to break free from Zagreus' grip, but he still has the chains on his forearms. He moves the Blades of Athena in a hacking motion which made Zagreus step back. The Demi-god gets up and spits on the canvas, and the flames of the Blades of Athena were getting stronger from his undying rage while Zagreus keeps it cool. He was ready for what Matthaios will do, but he isn't ready for what the Demi-god brought out.

"Right… Kratos also murdered my father's ferryman. Now give that back to me." Zagreus wants Charon's Mask.

Matthaios uses the Charon's Mask and its magical attributes, damaging Zagreus continuously using the item. Zagreus learns to counter it by stabbing the canvas using the Stygian Blade which provides a ground-shaking impact on where they are, forcing the Spartan Demi-god to drop the mask and stick on the Blades of Athena.

They are clashing in the center of the throne room, and neither is budging from each attack that they do. Zagreus' swordsmanship is what he is utilizing while Matthaios does an excellent job of performing chain manipulation to use the Blades of Athena. Then again, the Demi-god shows how he has improved as a warrior.

Every hit that Matthaios does, the more he grows stronger. Zagreus was fighting his way out of being defenseless from the Demi-god's unopposed rage until he drops his sword after it was swatted by a stupendous series of the Blades of Athena's rapid movements. Matthaios was moments away from killing him, but then again, Athena still has to stop him.

"Killing him would trap Calliope!" Athena tells him that his sister would get stuck in Olympus if he kills Zagreus.

"I don't give any considerations anymore, Athena. This one has to die by my hands…" Matthaios said while stepping into the King of the Underworld's stomach, making him scream in pain.

"Matthaios! Persuade him." The Goddess of Wisdom tells the Demi-god that he should convince Zagreus instead of slaughtering him.

It made the Champion of Sparta think for a moment before doing it. "Free my sister from experiencing the suffering she didn't deserve."

"I will! Just- just do me a favor!" Zagreus agrees to release Calliope on one condition.

"Tell me before I change my mind…" Matthaios removes his boot onto Zagreus' stomach.

"Go to the Domain of Death and see my sister… Melinoe still mourns for the loss of her lover because of your brainless father!" Zagreus tells the Demi-god that he should go to the Death's Domain and seek for Melinoe.

The Spartan Demi-god strangles him, telling him to get rid of Calliope's hardships. "I would… Now discharge her."

"Made you fall for it…" Zagreus grins before fleeing from his grip, vanishing before Matthaios could even grab him again.

The Champion of Sparta screams in so much anger, and all he wanted to do is to console his sister from being perished endlessly. And now that Zagreus sends her to the Domain of Death, Matthaios has to find both Melinoe and Calliope.

To be continued…