69 The Brawl of Gods(3)

"Why do you keep on resisting? It's futile, Zeus. You must have understood by now," Hera sighed, her mischievous smile still present. She had finally pushed her husband into a corner.

"I will at least land one punch," Zeus mumbled to himself, stretching his hands out, disregarding the injuries and holes on his chest. In this battle of life or death, nothing else mattered anymore.

"Why do you keep on trying futile tricks?" Apollo stepped forward, creating another arrow and sending it flying somewhere further away. An explosion resonated from the distance, destroying Zeus's hidden clone.

"You have a keen sense," Zeus remarked, pointing to the right where the main gates were positioned. "But you didn't sense him?"

Another clone emerged from the gates, its mouth engulfed in eletricity. Apollo frowned but couldn't prevent the inevitable. The clone opened its mouth, causing tremors to shake the surroundings, while its legs became trapped in the ground. The laser explosion was directed at the trio, forcing Ares to step forward.

Green energy surged in Ares's hands as he retrieved his spear from the ground, which was there due to Zeus's previous force explosion. Ares swiftly swiped his hands, cutting the laser in half, which then obliterated the surrounding buildings filled with people controlled by Hera.

However, Zeus's clone continued to unleash electricity from its mouth, and Ares had to endure the onslaught with his bare body. Astonishingly, he held on, his flesh regenerating at a rapid pace despite the destruction it faced.

"There is another coming," Apollo observed, glancing at the real Zeus, who had already consumed Drakon's annihilation sphere. As Zeus prepared to release the pent-up energy, Hera irritably sighed, "Stop playing and take care of him, Apollo. I don't want to keep on walking in this dirty mortal world."

Apollo cast a disdainful look at her but quickly followed her suggestion. In a split second, he grabbed his bow, and the energy within one arrow grew exponentially. The area around Apollo started heating up, prompting Hera to take a step back.

The arrow continued to expand in size and power until it matched the length of Apollo's leg. At that moment, Zeus unleashed his pent-up energy, surpassing that of the clone.

Apollo's arrow streaked through the air, radiating a brilliant glow that illuminated the landscape. Its golden shaft shimmered with the intensity of a thousand suns, leaving a blazing trail in its wake.

In contrast, Zeus's lightning beam crackled with raw, untamed energy. It harnessed the volatile forces of the surroundings, condensing them into a concentrated beam of celestial power. The air crackled with electricity, and the atmosphere rumbled with the impending clash.

At the point of impact, the arrow and lightning beam collided in an explosion of dazzling light. The clash engulfed the sky in a blinding radiance, casting long shadows across the land. Shockwaves rippled through the surroundings as the opposing forces struggled for dominance.

A brilliant fusion of sun and lightning energy created a swirling maelstrom of scorching heat and crackling electricity. Winds howled, uprooting trees and demolishing buildings. The very earth seemed to tremble beneath their feet.

Eventually, the opposing forces reached a moment of equilibrium, locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. The air crackled with tension as the arrow and lightning beam held each other at bay, their energies engaged in a celestial battle.

After the clash, calm settled, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation. Half of the village lay in ruins, while a massive crater marked the ground where Apollo and Hera stood, completely unharmed. Ares, however, bore the brunt of the laser and appeared like a walking skeleton, his organs nearly ripped apart.

Yet, he refused to succumb. Ares's skin regenerated, and he assumed his position alongside the two gods, all three of them fixated on Zeus still perched atop the building. Zeus breathed heavily, the injuries and exhaustion beginning to take their toll.

However, he had achieved what he wanted. Gazing into the sky, clouds started gathering, and a storm drew near. Desperate times called for desperate measures. With his hand outstretched, Zeus closed his eyes and called upon the power of the Sky. His divine energy had barely grown in these few weeks, but he had nothing to lose by trying.

"You are no longer the ruler of the sky," Apollo proclaimed, extending his hand upward with a smile. "I am."

The sun, previously concealed by clouds, suddenly shone with even greater radiance. The clouds hastened their movement, the storm dissipating as rays of sunlight pierced through them. Eventually, only a pure sun remained, shining brightly in the sky.

Seeking to disrupt Apollo's actions, Zeus activated Overlock at 85%, feeling his bones quiver with the intense electrical energy. He materialized in front of Apollo, throwing a punch toward his face, but Apollo effortlessly dodged it.

Hera, standing beside Apollo, delivered a kick aimed at Zeus, who evaded by ducking. At that moment, another kick from Apollo came at Zeus. Reacting swiftly, Zeus jumped and executed an airborne kick toward Apollo's head. However, Apollo easily sidestepped and countered with a punch to Zeus's gut.

Unfazed, Zeus continued to exchange blows with both Hera and Apollo until Ares regenerated and joined the fray. Zeus elbowed Ares, then twisted in the air and hurled multiple shurikens at Apollo and Hera. The shurikens collided with an invisible wall of light.

"All right, enough games," Hera declared, her body emanating a pink aura as she activated her power. A hellish sensation surged from Zeus's previous injuries as if worms were crawling beneath his skin.

Taking advantage of Zeus's momentary hesitation, Apollo maneuvered into his blind spot, his palm searing hot as it connected with Zeus's chest. Zeus was sent flying with an imprint of Apollo's hand burned onto his chest. Before he could regain his bearings, a spear hurtled toward him, which Zeus managed to dodge by flipping sideways. However, Hera twisted her hand, redirecting the spear back at Zeus.

Unaware of the redirection, Zeus felt his ribs break as the spear impaled his chest once again. His mind grew hazy, and the electrical energy within him dwindled. But Zeus refused to surrender.

He charged forward, disregarding the spear lodged in his stomach, creating Chidori in his palm. Ares slammed his fist into the ground, causing a massive boulder to elevate and hurtle toward Zeus. Without hesitation, Zeus shattered through the boulders, only to be confronted by a barrage of light arrows flying toward him.

Exhausted mentally and physically, Zeus could no longer move his body with the same agility. He hastily conjured a shield in front of him, positioning it near his chest and head to prevent Apollo from exploiting his openness. Regrettably, Zeus couldn't block all the arrows, and several pierced his leg and hand, rendering them practically useless.

Blood flowed from Zeus's wounds like a river, yet he pressed on. A whip emerged from the ground, entangling Zeus's leg and immobilizing him. His vision grew increasingly blurred, and he couldn't react to even the simplest attacks, not even from Ares, who wasn't known for his speed.

"Am I actually losing?" Zeus pondered internally, his thoughts clouded, as a punch landed on his face, sending him crashing to the ground. Trapped by the whip constricting his leg, Zeus couldn't escape his surroundings as more punches and kicks rained down upon him.

His mind went blank, barely registering the relentless assault. He had lost a significant amount of blood and expended too much chakra. It seemed like a hopeless battle. Yet, at that moment when hope appeared to be at its lowest, Zeus caught sight of something in the sky. It was not a bird; it was something he recognized.

Someone he recognized.

******

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