67 The Brawl of Gods(1)

After an unexpected encounter with Itachi, Zeus continued moving toward the Mist Village. Knowing that Fugaku was also under the influence of his fellow gods, Zeus became even more interested in their activities. He maintained his incredible speed for over twelve hours until he finally noticed a change in the surroundings.

Mist curled around his feet, and a chill permeated the air, unmistakably indicating his destination. However, there was also a lingering smell of blood, which brought a frown to Zeus's face. Something was definitely happening here.

Zeus kept walking until he reached the massive gates at the entrance of the village. Surprisingly, there were no guards in sight, and not a single soul was nearby. Unhindered, Zeus walked through the main gate and muttered, "What happened here?" The entire village showed no signs of battle, and there was no visible blood. Yet, the scent of blood hung in the air, and no humans had revealed themselves.

Growing impatient, Zeus activated his Sage Mode, his eyes surrounded by blue circles. He closed his eyes, immersing himself in a heightened perception of the world around him. His chakra enveloped the entire village as he attempted to sense any people.

To his surprise, most of the people were actually inside their homes, motionless as if frozen by an external force. Concentrating, Zeus discovered something peculiar. There was an abundance of people in a particular building, all emanating a divine aura. Among their scents, Zeus detected the chakra of a certain man, causing his lips to twitch.

Without fully understanding the situation, Zeus swiftly moved toward the building, his eyes brimming with killing intent. In a matter of seconds, he reached the location and kicked open the door, revealing a gruesome scene.

Bodies and blood covered the entire floor and walls, merging the scent of blood with divinity. The sight disgusted Zeus, although he had grown accustomed to such scenes in Heaven, barely eliciting a reaction.

In the center of the room stood a figure with long hair. The figure turned, a pale expression covered in blood—it was undoubtedly Orochimaru. However, something had changed about him. His usually mad eyes now had a purple gleam alongside them.

"Zeus... we have been waiting for you," Orochimaru's hoarse voice resounded throughout the room. "Did you run here? Were you so impatient to meet me again?"

Zeus disappeared from his spot, reappearing beside Orochimaru, delivering a kick to his head and sending him flying. Orochimaru crashed into the nearest wall, causing it to shatter before landing on the grass.

"You have become much faster, Zeus," Orochimaru's head twisted back into place as he searched for Zeus in the darkness of the room. Yet, the white-haired man was already upon him. Zeus appeared above the snake, placing his foot on top of his head.

"Who is 'we'?" Zeus's voice, filled with killing intent, echoed in Orochimaru's ears, prompting an even more disturbing smile from the man.

"Why ask questions whose answers you already know?" Orochimaru inquired, his face contorting into an even more terrifying expression. "Don't you agree, Zeus, the God of the Sky?"

Hearing such words from someone who should never have known about this, Zeus felt anger to the core. This was supposed to be his time away from godhood and all its problems, yet they followed him like an inescapable prison.

Instead of responding, Zeus grabbed Orochimaru's collar and threw him into the air. In the meantime, Zeus leaped, leaving a trail of lightning behind him. He then kicked Orochimaru in the face once again, causing his head to twist more than 360 degrees before hurling him away like a worthless object.

"Where are they?" Zeus asked, observing Orochimaru, who was back on his feet. There was a deep imprint of Zeus's shoe on Orochimaru's cheek, yet the man's head returned to its normal position, seemingly unharmed.

"If you're so eager to see them, I can make it happen," Orochimaru smiled, pulling something out of his pocket. It was a scroll containing an incredible concentration of divine energy, which Zeus recognized. Without delay, Orochimaru threw it to the ground, engulfing Zeus's sight in a blinding light.

When Zeus reopened his eyes, three figures stood before him, while Orochimaru knelt on the ground. Each exuded an energy unmatched by anyone he had encountered in this world, causing him to grit his teeth.

"The God of War, Ares," Zeus murmured as the largest figure among them took a step forward, removing his hood. The man wore a massive golden helmet that fortunately did not radiate divinity, indicating they had no weapons from Heaven. Ares possessed an incredibly muscular body, veins coursing through his skin, and held a long spear in his left hand.

"The God of the Sun, Apollo," Zeus's gaze shifted to the other figure stepping forward. This man possessed unimaginable beauty, with silky smooth golden hair and a well-defined face. He smirked at Zeus, his eyes filled with mockery.

"And... my wife, the goddess of marriage, Hera," Zeus finally turned to face the last figure. Hera possessed a regal and majestic presence, exuding an elegant demeanor. Clad in luxurious robes, she radiated authority and grace, her eyes displaying a blend of power and wisdom.

"Now," Zeus's eyes gleamed with killing intent, "tell me, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Husband, you have grown weak," Hera responded first, her voice tinged with ridicule. "I can barely sense your divinity anymore. It's such a pity. You used to rule over all of us, but now you're nothing more than a relic of your past."

"The universe has restricted your powers, leaving you with a mere fraction of your former strength. So, who are you to speak?" Zeus retorted, his eyes locked on them. "State your reason for being here."

"You no longer hold authority over us," Apollo interjected with an elegant voice.

"You are a disgrace to all gods," Ares added, his voice rougher than the others.

"Nevertheless, I will still grant your request," Hera said, a smile spreading across her face. "We have come here to finally end your wretched existence and imprison you in a soul prison to suffer for eternity."

Initially, Zeus had no reaction to Hera's words, but after a few moments, he burst into hysterical laughter. His sudden outburst caused all the gods to frown, their minds returning to the time when Zeus was still their ruler.

"So, to simplify things, all of you were afraid that I would regain my power too quickly and ascend, so you abandoned your duties in Heaven to imprison me while I am still weak?" Zeus concluded, an amused expression on his face. "Then come at me, you bastards."

******

Patreon 10 chaps ahead.

https://www.patreon.com/Zerga3