Kratos's path of destruction did not stop with the fall of the faun "Pan".
The Blade of Earth's Wrath hummed greedily, urging its bearer to find a more powerful sacrifice.
And the murderous aura permeating his body finally attracted another god who reveled in war and slaughter—"Ares".
The clamor of war, no matter which world it was in, was the sweetest nectar for "Ares".
He sensed a strange and pure will that excited him and made him feel a sense of kinship.
On a scorched land that was once a prosperous city-state, now reduced to crumbling walls, the two beings, both symbolizing 'destruction' on different levels, confronted each other.
"Roooar! Strange fanatic! State your name! Your blood will add to my glory!"
"Ares" was clad in black iron armor that burned with the flames of war, holding a massive battle spear, his voice like the clash of metal and iron, full of warlike fanaticism.
Kratos's response was a strike that tore the earth apart!
The dark red sword light violently clashed with Ares's blazing battle spear!
A terrifying shockwave spread in a ring, completely demolishing the surrounding ruins and broken walls!
Divine power and brute force, the rage of war and the wrath of revenge, frantically filled each other.
Every clash made the earth tremble.
This earth-shattering momentum instantly attracted the attention of everyone watching this land.
In the secret camp, Alexander rushed to the observation platform, looking at the storm in the distance that was clearly visible even from afar.
His eyes sparkled with excitement and impatience.
"Found him! It's Kratos! This power... Who is he fighting? This scale—a major god!"
He clenched his fists, simultaneously rejoicing that he had finally found the target, and worrying whether Kratos would survive such a battle or be killed immediately.
"Odysseus! Analyze the location and scale of the battle right now! Any news from Hercules? Lead them as close to the battlefield as possible, but do not intervene! We just need to confirm Kratos's position and status!"
Alexander quickly issued orders; his anxiety was temporarily replaced by the excitement of finding the target, but the pressure also mounted—this 'blade' needed to be directed in the right direction as soon as possible.
On the majestic peak of Mount Olympus.
Sitting on the throne of the God-King, "Zeus" toyed with his thunder scepter, which occasionally burst with dazzling electric sparks.
On his majestic face was a slight laziness and a coldness hidden deep in his eyes.
The disappearance of "Hermes" could temporarily be written off as that slippery boy not knowing where he had gone to have fun;
the disappearance of "Iris" might be just a brief accident;
even the battle and slaughter of the fool "Poseidon" with an army of mortals, although he sensed the fluctuations of a divine war at sea, he paid it little attention.
"Poseidon"... can't even handle a group of mortals; truly a waste. Even if you die, you're clean.
He muttered to himself, his voice full of contempt for his brother.
In his opinion, this brother was already ambitionless and talentless, his domain limited to two ancient sea gods; failure was inevitable.
And now this purer fluctuation of a divine battle, emanating from the earth, finally made him slightly raise his eyelids.
His thunderous gaze seemed to pierce through the clouds and stop on the scorched land where the bloody battle was taking place.
He saw a humanoid monster shrouded in blood-red rage, and also saw Ares fighting fiercely with him.
"Oh? A warrior you've never seen before? Interesting."
The corner of "Zeus's" mouth curled into a meaningful arc, not of alarm, but rather like a connoisseur who had discovered a new toy and felt the desire to possess it.
He had some of his eyes and ears cut off, but he was by no means a fool.
The turmoil in the mortal world, the appearance of mysterious forces, the fall of brothers... All of this pointed to an impending conspiracy.
However, he was absolutely confident in his own power.
In his opinion, all the chaos in the mortal world was nothing more than the dreams of ants and the foolish actions of clowns hiding in the shadows.
"Cause trouble, cause as much trouble as you like."
"Zeus" lazily leaned back on his throne, a destructive spark flickering at his fingertips.
"In such a chaotic situation, those with ill intentions will run towards the light themselves. I don't need to hunt them down one by one."
He simply didn't believe that a group of mortals, along with a warrior who appeared from nowhere, and the hidden conspirators behind them, could shake his deeply entrenched rule.
He liked this feeling of ignoring the struggles of all living beings, waiting for all the skeptics to surface before...
"When the time comes, use the thunder and clear them all in one fell swoop."
He chuckled softly, his voice full of arrogance and absolute confidence in his own power.
He was in no hurry to act, but was happy to watch this chaotic drama continue, because in the end, it would only highlight the supreme authority of his God-King.
Just as "Zeus" began to indulge in his fantasies, Alexander was in full swing.
On the distant battlefield, the fight between Kratos and "Ares" had entered its most tragic and intense phase from the very beginning.
The Blade of Earth's Wrath carried tearing power with every swing, and Ares's battle spear burned with the endless flame of war.
They fought from the ruins to the mountaintop, then from the mountaintop down into the river valley, the places they passed through were left in chaos, as if the end had come.
However, Kratos's power had its limits.
His rage could burn his mind, but it could not create divine power from nothing.
He relied on the temporary earthly power granted by Gaia and the devouring properties of the weapon itself, but facing a major god in good condition, especially "Ares", the embodiment of war who grew ever bolder, a protracted war was extremely unfavorable for him.
On the other hand, "Ares", although struck by Kratos's brute force and the threat of the strange weapon, as the god of war, was already accustomed to all kinds of tragic battles.
As long as disputes continued in the world, his power would be difficult to exhaust.
Kratos's frenzied attacks left many scars on his body, but he never managed to deliver a truly fatal blow.
"Haha! Madman! Your strength is starting to wane!"
"Ares" keenly sensed the hint of faltering in Kratos's movements and the weariness flickering in his crimson eyes.
He laughed loudly, his battle spear like a venomous dragon seizing an opening, deflecting Kratos's slightly weakened strike, and his heavy shield slammed into Kratos's chest with a powerful shield bash!
Boom!
With a dull, loud noise, Kratos spat out a mouthful of blood, and his tall body flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing into a stone wall, debris collapsing around him.
The Blade of Earth's Wrath flew from his hand, landing tilted in the distance, its hum fading.
He struggled to get up, but due to overexertion and severe injuries, he fell to one knee, unable to rise.
The crimson flames in his eyes still burned, but they were like a candle in the wind.
"Ares" followed with the steps of a victor, pointed his battle spear at Kratos's head, and said with a fierce smile:
"It seems your blood will ultimately become my trophy after all! Remember, it was 'Ares', the Lord of War, who killed you!"
He raised his battle spear high, the deadly cold light aimed at Kratos's neck, ready to strike!
At this critical moment—
Whoosh!
A faint sound of air being torn.
A golden light, beyond visual capture, as silent as a sympathetic whisper, struck with great precision into the unprotected back of "Ares's" head!
"Ares's" massive body suddenly tensed, and the motion of raising his battle spear stopped in mid-air.
The triumphant smile on his face instantly froze, transforming into extreme surprise and an uncontrollable spasm.
The divine aura attached to the arrow... was it "Aphrodite"?