Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 1519 - Aldrnarimachia (4/5)

Similar to how Alexander's physique would change under the influence of his [Zeus Thunder], Zeus also experienced a qualitative strength increase every time he mustered his power. In fact, being the origin of the ability, Zeus' version was much stronger than the one bestowed upon his children. Not only did it increase his power by a considerable amount, but it also enhanced his endurance, agility, and, from what Vahn could deduce, his Divinity itself.

Compared to when their battle first began, Vahn could no longer directly exchange blows with Zeus. The marble-skinned God's blows carried enough force to completely overwhelm any kind of defense, tearing away Vahn's scales even when the attacks barely grazed him. To further exacerbate matters, it was becoming increasingly difficult to move, as, the more Zeus unleashed his Divine Power, the more influence he had over the surrounding Space. He even had a startling mastery over Gravity, changing its direction mid-combat without even batting an eye.

Vahn's flight was primarily achieved through the use of gravitational anchors or Telekinesis, so, with Zeus constantly changing the direction of gravity, it was extremely disorienting. Fortunately, it wasn't beyond his ability to cope with, and, though Zeus' power was mighty, it was obvious his body could not withstand the power increase for very long. After all, if he could increase his power without any side-effects, there was no reason for someone like Zeus, especially after constant harassment, to stay in a weakened state.

Zeus was well aware of the internal damage his body was sustaining, but, as he could always make a new vessel, he didn't bother holding back. Thus, with a mighty roar that caused space to fracture, he wrapped his body in a veil of lightning, drastically increasing his strength and speed. His figure then vanished from view, and, before the sound of the thunderclap shook the surroundings, the back of his fist was already connecting with his assailant's folded wings.

For a brief moment, Vahn felt like his insides had been cooked as a phenomenal amount of energy coursed through his body. He didn't even feel the impact of his body smashing into the wall until a sudden surge of heat brought him back to his senses. Most of his scales had turned to molten slag on the right half of his body, and, after tanking a direct hit from Zeus, his right wing was a tattered mess of seared flesh and charred bone.

During the brief moment when Vahn was taking in the amount of damage he had sustained, Zeus created a sphere of lightning more than ten meters across. Despite its size, it was still able to move at the speed of lightning once thrown, homing in on its target and striking at speeds upwards of 300,000km/h. This wasn't actually that fast in the grand scheme of things, but, when someone was pinned down by thousands of tons of rubble, half of their body melted, it was more than enough.

Seeing his view completely obstructed by an orb of bluish-white energy, Vahn attempted to release a dry laugh, but, before a single syllable could be formed, he was already enveloped. Even a normal lightning bolt could reach temperatures exceeding five times the surface temperature of the sun, so, with his Divine Energy powering it, Zeus orb of lightning easily exceeded 50,000 degrees...

Though he wasn't able to sweat, Zeus wiped at his brow with the back of his hand, watching as his attack left a deep channel of molten stone in the surrounding structure. He could sense that his foe was still alive, but, with his lightning causing cracks to appear across his body, attacking so soon was a bad idea. Not only would he disperse the energy from his previous attack, but there was a chance he would leave a gap in his defenses. He was already in constant pain from the phantom attacks that continued to slice through his body, so, now that he had the opportunity, he was attempting to find the source.

Just like any God with Divine Authority, Zeus had a limited form of Omniscience that allowed him to see and know everything happening within his dominion. This was an active ability, however, so, like other Gods, he only activated it whenever he needed to know something specific. The sudden influx of information was never a pleasant thing to experience, but, feeling as though something was very wrong, Zeus shifted his focus away from the battle to get a better grasp of the situation...

Immediately after activating his Omniscience, Zeus' eyes so much lightning that they incinerated in an instant. Despite this, he could still 'see' clearly, his rage burning with fury he never even thought possible as he shouted, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"

Unfortunately, no matter how much he tried to force it, Zeus found that he could not teleport away, a golden radiance making long-range teleportation impossible. At the same time, an annoying laugh could be heard echoing through the surroundings, followed by the manifestation of his most hated enemy out of thin air.

With an almost sadistic smile on his face, Vahn fixed his gaze upon Zeus, golden eyes blazing as he said, "It's a curious thing, Omniscience. Though it is an unbelievably powerful ability, the burden it places on the user makes it very unpleasant to use. Tell me, Zeus, King of the Usurpers, how does it feel to be at the mercy of another? I wonder if you can empathize with your vic-"

Not waiting for Vahn to finish, Zeus flashed in front of him, lightning ripping through his own body as he squeezed the former in a tight bear hug. Then, surprising even Vahn, the errant God opened his mouth far wider than normal, biting downward with the obvious intent to decapitate him. This caused Vahn to recall the legend of Zeus devouring his own children, fearing they would one day grow strong enough to oppose him...

As the thought of having his head bitten off wasn't exactly pleasant, Vahn opened his own mouth wide, his teeth becoming more angular as a vibrant golden light erupted from his throat. It wasn't a full-powered Dragon's Breath, but, considering the circumstances, it was better than nothing. To his surprise, however, Zeus' head didn't immediately explode. Instead, he seemed to be breathing in the energy, the interior of his mouth turning into a vortex that seemed capable of devouring anything.

Rather than stop, Vahn ramped up the amount of energy he was releasing, his facial structure slowly becoming more draconic as his body began to rapidly increase in size. He didn't care that Zeus was rapidly healing, his wounds closing up as the intensity of his lightning increased exponentially. After all, while Zeus was certainly able to absorb the energy within his attack, his body had absolutely no way to process Source Energy. He couldn't even sense its presence, allowing it to freely build up like a ticking time bomb.

Zeus, unaware of what Vahn's intentions, began to grow somewhat giddy in anticipation. He never expected the energy produced by his foe to be so refined, rapidly replenishing his reserves before slowly increasing his maximum capacity. This was a startling discovery, and, though he had intended to kill Vahn and be done with it, he now began considering other uses for the would-be assassin. He had already lost most of his kin, so, at the very least, some remuneration was in order...

The moment Zeus began considering ways to capture each of the intruders, Vahn's jaws snapped shut as spikes erupted from his body. This wasn't enough to get Zeus to release him, but, as this was never his intention, he couldn't help but smile with the ignorant God tightening his grip. By the time he realized something was amiss, Vahn changed the nature of the Source Energy within Zeus' body, giving it a very corrosive, anti-divine, property.

Feeling like his very soul was on fire, Zeus released a pained howl as his grip on Vahn tightened to the point of shattered the latter's bones into powder. Despite this, Vahn began to laugh like a battle crazed lunatic, even as a large volume of blood and organ fragments erupted from his mouth. This fragments stained Zeus' face and beard, but, due to Vahn's [Magia Erebea] constitution, they quickly evaporated, returning to his rapidly regenerating body.

Without his notice, Zeus' marbled skin began to turn brackish in some regions. Then, like a stain spreading through cloth, his body began to turn completely black as large parts of his flesh began to slough off. When he first noticed this irregularity, his entire left arm had broken off as a result of the muscles and tendons around his shoulder decaying rapidly. This should have allowed Vahn to break free, but, instead of escaping, the spikes produced by his body formed powerful binding, keeping Zeus from trying to flee.

Realizing he had fallen into his attacker's trap, Zeus fury began rapidly increasing, but, unlike before, his aura only diminished in response. The lightning he attempted to channel only caused his body to break apart even faster, resulting in the lower half of his body, including his legs, to slough away and crash to the ground. Then, no longer under the protection of his aura, the detached limbs practically turned to ash in an instant, leaving nothing but a black residue in their wake...

With the lightning in his eyes slowly fading away, black blood began to flow from Zeus' eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as he muttered, "I...kill...you...mon...ster..."

Rather than continue laughing, Vahn's expression became solemn as he stared back at Zeus, the radiance in his golden eyes dimming slightly as he watched the proud God's hair began to fall out. It only took a few seconds before he was completely bald, allowing the encroachment of his energy to be witnessed in real-time. By the time five minutes had passed, Zeus' marbled skin had turned pitch black, gaining a quality similar to charcoal as it began to fragment away in large chunks...

---

Under normal circumstances, the death of his avatar would only be a mild inconvenience to Zeus. His true body, a massive interstellar flagship that was more than three kilometers in length, had a factory that was fully capable of creating a new avatar. Unfortunately, upon activating his Omniscience, Zeus quickly realized that things wouldn't be that simple...

After dealing with the overly affectionate Tiamat, Vahn had teleported to an area of seemingly empty space. What made this place unique was the existence of a three-meter long 'keyhole' that floated in the void, hidden against the backdrop of an endless ocean of stars.

Inserting [Thunderbolt] into the peculiar keyhole, lines similar to a circuit board spread across empty air before solidifying into a massive gateway that slowly opened. Inside, a seemingly endless amount of treasure could be found, but, most importantly, a massive ship that looked like a stone head with two massive sails floated in the exact center. It actually looked a little ridiculous, but, rather than let it bother him, Vahn approached the giant face, searching for a way inside.

Truthfully, Vahn found it a little odd that the True Bodies of the Olympians were massive spaceships, but, considering Gaia was a literal planet, it wasn't too strange. What made less sense was the fact they implanted their conscience into significantly weaker vessels, leaving themselves vulnerable to subterfuge if their avatars were distracted. Zeus had tried to cover for this weakness by sealing his true body within an Imaginary Space pocket, but, perhaps fearing they might 'betray' him, he didn't even leave a single guard to protect himself...

Shaking his head, Vahn flew to the backside of the massive spacecraft, finding a crystalline orb where most ships would have thrusters. It glistened like an impossibly large emerald, having dimensions of more than fifty meters across. More surprisingly, however, was the fact it caused small ripples in the surrounding space. From this, Vahn theorized that the ship manipulated the space around it, rather than moving through space itself. This meant that, so long as it had enough power, Zeus' true body would be able to move through space at faster than light speeds, ignoring physical laws by, quite literally, bending them around itself.

If not for the danger it posed, Vahn would have tried to recover the crystal for Da Vinci's research. It would have undoubtedly propelled the technological advancements of the Empire even further, but, considering they already had Faster Than Light technology, courtesy of X, it wasn't that important.

Having made up his mind, Vahn entered the small access port that was located in the stern of the ship. It wasn't exactly an awkward location for an access port, but, considering the ship was Zeus' true body, a shiver still ran through Vahn's body as he made his way into the cold interior. Having [Thunderbolt] in his possession made things very easy, as, in order to make use of it, his aura was almost identical to that of Zeus'. Thus, rather than try to keep him out, every door opened to allow easy access to the interior, even as Vahn approached the location of Zeus' core.

Seeing the vibrant golden orb, Vahn couldn't help admiring it for a brief moment as he considered the true nature of the Olympians' existence. Their true bodies were actually giant spacecraft, but, much like the creatures from Danmachi, their consciousness and energy were derived from a core. They were basically just super-computers that had obtained an Ego, elevating them far beyond the level of a traditional Artificial Intelligence...

Unfortunately, for one reason or another, Zeus, and many of the Olympians, had decided to lead rather tyrannical existences. They had usurped the Divine Authority of other Gods, cementing their place at the pinnacle of a world that had already suffered a great tragedy. Their actions had resulted in the suffering of countless individuals, so, without further hesitation, Vahn turned to Tiamat, a wry smile on his face as he said, "I hope you're still hungry..."

Hearing her Master's words, the cross-shaped white pupils within Tiamat's hazy pink eyes began to radiate a shimmering light as a rather vicious smile spread across her face. Then, in a manner similar to her consumption of Poseidon's core, she devoured the entirety of Zeus' core in a single terrifying gulp. Vahn felt it was even creepier to see a second time, but, rather than look away, he watched on with morbid fascination as Tiamat's 'maw' quickly reverted back to a happy smile...

---

With Zeus taken out of the picture, the only remaining Olympians within the Olympus Sub-Texture were Artemis, Aphrodite, and Demeter. Of them, only Aphrodite was a primary target, but, due to her relationship with Demeter, the two Goddesses had teamed up to face off against Arcueid. As for Artemis, she had the misfortune of being pitted against Amaterasu, who, due to the vast disparity in their power, continued to toy with the former like a cat who had stumbled upon a tiny mouse.

A stark contrast to her past self, Amaterasu's current appearance, rather than sexy and mature, could be called 'cute'. She had long-since discarded her raiment, which had given her the appearance of a dancer from the middle-east. Now, she wore a short-skirted black kimono, a red obi tied in a bow, a black haori that extended all the way to the floor, and a pair of black geta. All of her clothes seemed to be a little too big for her, as, instead of a mature and voluptuous physique, she now had a 'very' youthful figure. This was the result of Vahn showing her a [Memory Orb] containing the Amaterasu he was married to, something he immediately came to regret, as, ever since that moment, she had been teasing him incessantly about his preferences...

Now, like a child who had discovered the process of using a magnifying glass to burn ant, Amaterasu had a sadistic grin on her face as she casually deflected Artemis' arrows into the structure of her true body. This caused the latter, a mature beauty with fair skin, thick thighs, toned butt, and a startlingly voluptuous chest, to grit her teeth in frustration. Her body was already covered in severe burns, and, though she was slowly regenerating, her previously pristine white hair had nearly been singed to the scalp.

Taking advantage of the moment Artemis' attacks stopped, Amaterasu waved her hand, creating a miniature sun that lazily homed in on the former's location. It moved very slowly, but, in spite of this, Artemis was nearly on the verge of tears as she did her best to evade the persistent mass of intense heat. Even from a distance, however, her hair and clothes began to ignite, causing her immense pain as her Divine Energy was slowly consumed by Amaterasu's far more powerful Divinity...

Seeing her prey running around, Amaterasu's smile became even more malicious as she habitually licked her lips. Though it was a title forced upon her by humanity, she wasn't known as an Evil of Man for no reason. She was very obedient towards Vahn, primarily due to their contract, but, when it came to her 'enemies', Amaterasu was without mercy. She knew her Master would reprimand her for being unnecessarily cruel, but, after being sealed away for long, she couldn't pass on the opportunity to bully another Goddess.

With her nine, flame-like, tails flickering behind her, Amaterasu continued to watch Artemis struggle with a smile on her face. It wasn't until she sensed the disappearance of the most powerful aura that she finally decided to end things. She had been given the option of sparing her prey, but, rather than allow more 'competition' to exist, Amaterasu adopted a rather vicious smile as she mused, "It seems our playdate must come to an end. You should have stayed in your original Universe, ufufufu~."

Following the sound of Amaterasu's laughter, another sun formed into existence, this one growing at an exponential rate until it had completely enveloped Artemis' true body. This was an attack capable of emulating Sol itself, so, for a brief moment, the interior of the miniature star was able to surpass fifteen million degrees, leaving no trace of the bow-shaped starship that had existed prior...

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