292 HERA VS ARGUN
[Sometime before the arrival of Emperor Koresh to the demon army's camp]
"We have to get as far away from Debauchery City as possible," Bael urged, his voice low but firm.
"Do you really think we can escape from this?" Agathae asked, doubt creeping into his tone. "What if Argun comes after us again? Later."
Bael smirked, his confidence was unshaken. "He'd lose this time. Argun underestimated the kind of demons he's dealing with."
Agathae leapt effortlessly over the city walls, his movements fluid and precise. "Why are you so sure?" he asked, his curiosity tinged with skepticism.
"I've seen what's inside that woman," Bael replied, his tone grim. "The demons bound to her are some of the strongest Hell has ever birthed. They're not shackled by the curse of Heaven's Cage, either. Unlike us, their power is unrestrained if released and awakened."
The demon army though they escaped Heaven's Cage, were cursed by heaven. The effects of those marks lingered despite leaving Heaven's Cage and suppressed their actual strength.
Agathae paused atop the wall, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "If that's true, we should stay and watch Argun get torn apart. I wouldn't mind seeing that."
Bael shook his head, his expression darkening. "My predictions are usually right, but I have no intention of sticking around to find out. Besides, we don't know how the Emperor of Koresh plans to treat us after this. He's not exactly a reliable ally."
"You're right," Agathae conceded, his grin fading. "It's better to be safe than sorry. The emperor could treat us even worse than Argun. At least Argun will keep us alive."
Before he could take another step, a voice echoed out like the scrape of steel on stone.
"Isn't it Agathae? I'm so surprised to see you here."
"Damn shit. Did Argun catch up to us?" Agathae complained in his mind to Bael.
Agathae froze mid-stride.
The color drained from his face as he turned to face the speaker. He was relieved that the voice wasn't from Argun's demons, but he was even more shocked by the person there.
Standing in his path, bathed in the eerie glow of the sun, was the last person he wanted to see—his mortal enemy, Lilleo Gullee.
"Hi, Agathae. We meet again," Leo greeted him.
Suddenly, Agathae was caught by Rabama and a magical leash was put on him.
"What are you doing to me?" Agathae asked.
Leo paused to think about his next move. "Ah… Where should we go next?"
"The Koresh army and the demon army are engaged in battle. We should leave this city for heaven's sake", Agathae advised.
"A battle between the demons?" Leo said.
"That is much better than watching an orgy. We cannot miss that," Bara added.
"What the fuck are you talking about you perverted idiots", Agathae screamed.
-----
[Back at the chessboard domain]
The apparition of the Goddess of Hera, bathed in golden light that shimmered like the embers of a dying sun, stood resolute against the towering form of Argun.
The demon was a chaotic monstrosity—a mass of jagged obsidian and veins of molten fire. His eyes were twin abysses that seemed to drink the light, leaving nothing but dread in their wake.
As the apparitions faced each other, the battlefield crackled with tension, the air alive with latent power. The very ground seemed to recoil from the clash of their presences, fissures forming where their energies met.
Argun struck first, his massive arm dissolving into writhing tendrils of molten steel tipped with claws. They lashed toward Hera, each strike tearing through the air with a shriek that rattled the heavens.
"Suffer the vengeance of Hell!!" Argun cried.
Hera reacted swiftly, her voice ringing out like a clarion call:
"Cursed demon, suffer the judgment of the divine Goddess of Hera!"
With a commanding wave, a barrier of shimmering light surged forth, deflecting the tendrils in explosions of sparks that briefly illuminated the desolate battlefield.
Hera retaliated with her spear, a weapon of pure divine energy. She hurled it with precision, and as it flew, it split into dozens of streaks of light, each aimed at Argun's volatile form.
Argun's roar was a sound of fury and defiance, shaking the earth beneath their feet. His molten form hardened into jagged armor, absorbing the majority of Hera's strikes.
"Try breaking through my armor from the molten lava of Hell," Argun cried.
"The shell of a demon is nothing against the might of Hera," the Hera apparition cried.
Argun's molten armor was tough, but a few rays pierced through, searing his flesh and forcing him to stagger.
"Argghhhh"
With a growl of defiance, he pounded his fists into the ground, causing fiery chasms to erupt and spew rivers of lava toward Hera.
"These spears will not end me!" Argun bellowed, his voice laced with malevolence.
Hera leaped into the air with the grace of a celestial being, evading the lava as it carved fiery paths across the battlefield. Midair, she spun her spear, gathering radiant energy into a sphere that burned with the intensity of a newborn star.
"Die!" she cried, her voice echoing through the dimensions as she hurled the sphere at Argun.
The orb struck his chest, detonating in a blinding flash that obliterated the landscape around him.
"Not so soon."
From the smoldering aftermath, Argun emerged, his form now a grotesque fusion of molten rage and swirling shadow. He opened his maw, unleashing a torrent of hellish fire that spiraled with the cries of the damned.
Hera raised her hand, summoning a shield of divine winds that deflected the flames, but the sheer force of the attack drove her back. Her golden light dimmed under the relentless assault.
"Mother…," Ramses screamed with worry.
Dassa glanced at his troubled form. "Don't worry, son. I will end this battle for you in victory but it will cost us dearly."
"Any cost is worth if we kill the demon king", Ramses replied.
At Dassa's command, the Goddess of Hera planted her spear into the ground. From its tip, a wave of golden chains erupted, racing across the battlefield.