"Are you sure you're fine with this?" Kousuke asked, turning his gaze toward the small crowd gathered in the seating section. Morgan was among them, though she chose a seat slightly apart from the rest, higher up in the back. Most of those who followed were the local and few demigods drawn by curiosity. After all, this was about God of War.
"Hahaha! The more, the merrier!" Ares bellowed with a booming laugh. "It's not every day they get to witness the God of War in action. Maybe they'll learn something, that is assuming they aren't all just brutes. If that's the case, they'd be better off serving as Zeus's donkeys!"
"Well, if you say so," Kousuke replied with a shrug. He wasn't bothered by the audience, his words were aimed more at Ares himself. If the God of War were to lose to a human before his own kin, much less humiliation, it could shake Olympus's pride itself.
Aside from Zeus, Ares was the warrior most Olympians looked up to. Unlike the self-indulgent gods of legend, he was a fighter who lived for the clash of strength and spirit. He often sparred with other, that included his warriors and even demigods just to satisfy his ever-burning thirst for battle.
Thump!
"I, Ares, God of War, challenge the human before me to a sacred duel to the death!"
His voice thundered through the amphitheatre as he slammed the butt of his spear into the ground. A wave of crimson aura erupted outward, wild and feral. The heat of his divine power rippled through the air, stirring the hearts of those present. The weaker demigods trembled, struggling to contain their excitement, or their fear.
But the human before him didn't even blink. 'I thought it would be a spar, but a sacred duel huh?'
"And I, Igarashi Kousuke, accept your challenge, God of War to a sacred duel," Kousuke declared, his tone steady and resolute. At his words, a golden blade materialized in his grasp, gleaming with intricate engravings that shimmered like the dawn. The instant he gripped the hilt, an ominous aura burst forth from his body, heavy and suffocating. The crowd in the stands fell silent, the weight of his presence pressing down on their very souls.
Perhaps this time, Ares had truly met his match.
Ares charged, a streak of red lightning tearing across the arena. His speed was so great that most could only blink and miss it. In a heartbeat, he was already behind Kousuke, his blood-red spear whistling through the air.
Swish!
Kousuke tilted his head slightly, the spearhead missed his ear by mere centimeters. His body twisted in one smooth motion, and his blade swept horizontally in a clean, retaliatory arc. Ares reacted instantly, leaping back with a grin carved across his face.
"Hahaha! That's it! This is what a real fight feels like!"
The War God stomped down, shattering the marble beneath him as he propelled himself high into the air. He descended like a meteor, spear first, divine flames trailing behind him.
Kousuke raised his blade, catching the full force of the blow. The collision unleashed a shockwave that cracked the earth and sent dust flying. The crowd shielded their eyes as two overwhelming forces clashed, mortal and god, their power echoing through amphitheatre itself.
"As expected of the God of War, phew. Your strength is nothing to scoff at!" Kousuke grinned, pushing Ares back before dashing forward again. His sword carved through the air like light itself, each swing sharp enough to cleave stone. But Ares met him head-on, slamming his spear down between them and blocking the blow with precision born from countless battles.
"You're not bad yourself, human! I can tell by the way you move, your instincts have been sharpened through countless battles!" Ares shouted, his grin widening, sweat glistening on his brow.
But in the stands, Morgan's eyes flickered away from the battle for just a moment. She felt it, a divine presence approaching. Calm yet commanding, like the quiet before a storm. Her crimson eyes turned toward one of the archways at the far end of the amphitheatre. A woman stepped out from the shadows, silver hair glinting faintly under the sunlight, her golden eyes sharp with intellect. Draped in regal armor, she carried herself with the dignity of one who had seen countless wars yet never lost her composure.
"Athena," Morgan murmured under her breath, lips curving into a faint smirk. "The Goddess of Wisdom herself… how interesting."
Athena's gaze was fixed solely on the arena. She didn't speak, but her divine aura alone silenced the whispers among the crowd. They didn't expect this sort of thing would even attracted the God before them. Morgan crossed one leg over the other, her voice soft but laced with amusement once it reached the Goddess's ears.
"You came to see the God of War get humbled by a mortal, didn't you?" she teased, glancing toward Athena.
The goddess gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. "I came because I sensed something… different. His power—" her golden eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on Kousuke as he deflected another flurry of spear strikes "it doesn't belong to this world. It feels… wild and untamed, yet perfectly under his control somehow."
Morgan chuckled quietly, resting her chin on her hand. "That's my dear husband for you. He's not showing his true strength. If he did, this amphitheatre would've turned to dust already."
In the arena, Ares roared and unleashed a barrage of spear thrusts so fast they blurred into one continuous streak of red light. Kousuke parried every strike; smoothly and effortlessly, his expression calm, almost amused. Then, in one motion, he stepped forward, twisting his blade in a precise upward arc. Ares barely blocked it, the impact sent him skidding backward several meters, boots grinding against the stone.
"What the?!" Ares exclaimed, his grin faltering for the first time. "This feeling… you're still holding back, aren't you?"
Kousuke rested his blade on his shoulder and smiled faintly. "You're the God of War, right? Ending it too fast would be rude."
A ripple of laughter escaped Morgan's lips. Even Athena's brows furrowed slightly at his casual tone.
"This man…" Athena murmured, her voice low. "He dares toy with a god... and yet, his confidence doesn't came off arrogance. It's certainty."
Ares laughed again, louder this time, flames igniting around his body. "Good! Then stop holding back! Show me what you're really made of, Igarashi Kousuke! Or I'll have tear it out of you myself!"
Kousuke exhaled softly. 'Well, he asked for it,' he thought internally as his mellow golden aura flaring once more, this time much brighter and denser, far more terrifying than before. The air twisted, reality bending around his presence. Morgan's playful grin faded into something sharper, almost proud. Athena's lips parted slightly, her calm composure wavering for just a second.
'This power…' it seems to rivals divinity itself. And then, their weapons collided once more. The resulting explosion of energy swallowed the amphitheatre in blinding light.