The arena shook as Antaeus stomped forward, each step kicking up clouds of sand. His grin was broad, his rotten and yellow teeth flashing in the light. The monsters in the stands chanted his name like thunder, the sound vibrating in Luke's bones.
Antaeus! Antaeus! Antaeus!
Luke swayed where he stood, blood dripping from his arm, his sword feeling heavier than lead. He barely had the strength to breathe, let alone fight. This wasn't his battle.
But Naruto…
Naruto stood tall in the center of the pit, fists clenched, grinning like this was the best day of his life.
"Finally," he shouted up at the giant. "Someone worth fighting!"
The crowd roared with laughter and bloodlust. Antaeus' grin faltered for just a second, replaced by something sharper, hungrier.
"You dare mock me, boy? Do you know who I am?"
Naruto rolled his shoulders, unconcerned. "Big, ugly, and loud. Does that about cover it?"
The stands exploded in howls and jeers. Antaeus' eyes blazed.
"I am Antaeus, the son of Gaea, the earth herself! I am the son of Poseidon, lord of the seas! In my arena, no foe can kill me. Every drop of blood spilled here makes me stronger." He slammed his spear into the ground. The sand quivered, pulsing as if alive. "Your death will honor my parents."
Naruto tilted his head. "Cool story. Wanna see who's stronger, or are you just here to brag about mommy and daddy?"
Antaeus roared and charged, spear raised.
The giant swung down with a blow that would have split Naruto in half. Naruto sidestepped, grabbed the shaft mid-swing, and yanked it sideways with impossible strength. Antaeus stumbled forward, caught off guard.
Naruto planted his fist in the giant's jaw with a crack like a cannon.
The entire arena shook.
Antaeus reeled back, shock flashing across his face. For the first time in his immortal life, he felt a blow that hurt.
The crowd went wild, half shrieking in delight, half in disbelief.
Luke gaped, his chest heaving. He… he hit him. He actually..
Antaeus recovered fast, bellowing with fury. He swung a massive hand like a wrecking ball. Naruto ducked under it and drove his shoulder into the giant's chest. The impact sent Antaeus staggering back, sand spraying with each step.
Naruto grinned up at him. "C'mon, Ant-eater. I thought you were supposed to be like unkillable or something but you seem very killable."
Antaeus snarled and stomped his foot. The sand beneath Naruto rippled, a sinkhole opening to swallow him whole. Naruto leapt clear, flipping through the air, and landed with a laugh.
"You call that a trap? I've seen better pranks back home."
The giant lunged, trying to grab him. Naruto met him head-on, locking hands with Antaeus in a test of strength. Muscles bulged, veins stood out, the earth itself groaned under the force. The crowd leaned forward, monsters holding their breath.
For a heartbeat, it was even.
Then Naruto's grin widened, and he pushed.
Antaeus' eyes widened. His knees buckled. The son of Gaea forced down by a boy with nothing but fists and raw skill.
"Impossible!" Antaeus spat, straining against him. "You are nothing!"
Naruto laughed, sweat glinting on his brow. "If I'm nothing, then why are you losing?"
He slammed his forehead into the giant's nose. Bone crunched. Antaeus roared, staggering back with blood pouring down his face.
Naruto charged in, fists flying. Blow after blow rained against the giant's ribs, gut, and jaw. Each hit echoed like thunder, sand erupting under their feet. Antaeus swung wildly, catching Naruto with a backhand that sent him skidding across the pit.
Luke's heart lurched. "Naruto!"
But the blond was already rolling to his feet, grinning through blood on his lip. "Not bad. My turn."
He sprinted forward, ducked another swing, and lifted.
The impossible happened.
Naruto got his arms under Antaeus' massive frame, heaved with a roar, and flipped the giant over his shoulder. Antaeus slammed into the ground hard enough to shake the arena walls.
The monsters in the stands screamed, torn between disbelief and awe.
Antaeus coughed, spitting blood into the sand. He pushed himself up, eyes wide with shock. "No… no! I am immortal here! The earth heals me! The earth..!"
But the wounds didn't close. The blood didn't vanish. The earth didn't strengthen him.
He stared down at his hands, panic rising. "Why… why does it not work?!"
Naruto cracked his knuckles, standing over him like a predator. His grin was feral, eyes blazing. "Guess the dirt doesn't like you anymore."
Antaeus roared and charged again, desperation in every step. But Naruto was ready. He caught the giant's arm, twisted, and drove his fist into Antaeus' gut so hard the sound was like a mountain splitting. The giant crumpled, coughing blood.
Luke staggered closer, his sword hanging useless at his side, his body trembling. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Naruto standing over a son of Gaea and Poseidon, smiling like he'd already won.
The crowd was silent now, stunned.
Naruto spat blood into the sand and grinned down at the giant. "Thanks for the spar, big guy. Best training session I've had in weeks."
Antaeus gasped, rage and disbelief twisting his face. "No… you can't… you're just a boy…"
Naruto leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper only the giant could hear. "Then what's that make you?"
He slammed his fist into Antaeus' face, and the arena shook with the sound of the giant's collapse.
The sand trembled under Antaeus' collapse. The giant wheezed, blood running hot from his nose and mouth, his massive chest heaving like a bellows.
The arena was silent. Monsters packed in the stands leaned forward, too stunned to even cheer.
Naruto stalked through the dust, slow and steady, like a predator approaching wounded prey. His fists were raw and bleeding, but his grin was still there.
Antaeus lifted a trembling hand. "Wait, boy! Listen! You don't understand, I am the son of Poseidon, the son of Gaea. In this arena I cannot.."
Naruto tilted his head. "Can't lose? Huh. Looks like you're doing a lot of that right now."
The giant coughed, spitting blood into the dirt. "Please… spare me. We can make a pact on the River Styx. You will be honored here. The earth will bless you. Just spare me!"
Naruto stopped in front of him, staring down with eyes gone cold. "Begging? That's rich."
Antaeus blinked up, confusion flickering across his face.
Naruto's grin widened, crueler now. "Did they beg?" He jabbed a thumb toward the throne of bones looming behind them, stacked high with skulls and ribcages. Demigod bones. Mortal bones. "All those kids you threw in here. Did they beg when you hurt them? Did you laugh when they cried? When they screamed for their parents?"
Antaeus' lips trembled, but no sound came.
Naruto crouched, close enough that the giant could see the madness blazing in his eyes. "You think you're scary because you're big? Because you've got a crowd? You're not scary. You're pathetic."
He raised a fist, muscles coiling. Antaeus tried to scramble back, terror flooding his bronze face. "No! You can't! I am immortal! I am!"
Naruto's punch cut him off.
It came down like a hammer from the heavens, slamming into Antaeus' chest. The giant's ribs caved with a sickening crack, blood spraying from his mouth. The sand shook, the bones of the arena itself rattling from the force.
Antaeus let out a strangled gasp, body twitching. His eyes went wide in disbelief, then glassy. His massive frame shuddered once, twice, then collapsed, dust rising in a choking wave.
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then Antaeus' body crumbled, dissolving into golden dust that scattered across the pit. All that remained was the echo of his scream and the stench of blood.
Naruto stood over the place where he fell, shoulders rising and falling, fists still clenched. He spat into the sand, then raised his head toward the throne of bones. "Guess your arena's out of business."
The crowd of monsters broke into chaos. Some shrieked in fury. Others howled in awe. A few fled, trampling each other to escape the sight of their "immortal" champion dead in his own pit.
Luke staggered to his feet, every muscle shaking, his sword limp at his side. He stared at Naruto, pale and wide-eyed. "You… you killed him. In his own arena."
Naruto turned, grin back on his face, almost boyish but his eyes were still blazing, sharp with something Luke couldn't name. "Yeah. Consider the show canceled."
Luke swallowed hard, his heart pounding. He didn't know whether to feel relief or terror.
Naruto cracked his knuckles, casting one last look at the empty throne. "Training session's over."
The dust where Antaeus had fallen still swirled, golden motes drifting like dying fireflies. For the first time in centuries, the throne of bones stood empty.
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then the monsters roared.
The sound rolled through the arena like an earthquake. Cyclopes bellowed until their throats cracked. Dracaenae rattled their weapons like war drums. Hellhounds bayed so loud Luke thought his ribs might shatter.
"Victor! Victor! Victor!"
Naruto stood in the middle of the sand, fists high, grin splitting his face. He threw his head back and howled right along with them. "YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! WHO'S NEXT?!"
The crowd went feral, stomping and shrieking.
Luke staggered, clutching his side where blood dripped hot down his ribs. His head spun. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Naruto, laughing like a lunatic, basking in the adoration of monsters who would have torn him limb from limb minutes ago.
"This isn't.." Luke wheezed, struggling to stay upright. "This isn't real…"
Naruto pointed at the stands like a prizefighter. "You guys are a great crowd! Don't forget to tip your waitstaff!"
The arena howled back.
And then, as if someone had thrown a switch, the cheering faltered.
The chant stuttered. Eyes narrowed. The joy twisted back into something crueler.
"Demigods," a dracaena spat, venom dripping from her fangs.
"Half-bloods," a cyclops muttered, voice dripping with hate.
"Get them!," a group of monsters growled in unison.
The noise rose again, but this time it was a tide of fury. The same crowd that hailed them seconds ago now pressed forward, snarling, weapons banging against the stone.
Naruto blinked, then looked down at himself, then at Luke. "Well. That lasted longer than I thought it would"
Luke swayed. "We need to move. Now."
Above them, the wall groaned and split, stone grinding open. A black passage yawned wide, dust falling from its edges like ash.
Naruto's grin came back, sharp and bright. "And look at that, an exit! See, Lucky? Crowd loved us so much they gave us a backstage pass."
Luke's jaw clenched. "Naruto!"
"Show's over, buddy." Naruto clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to nearly knock him over. "Encore another time."
The first spear clattered into the sand by Luke's feet.
Naruto didn't wait. He grabbed Luke by the arm, hauled him upright, and sprinted for the archway.
"MOVE!" Luke shouted, dragging his sword along as his legs threatened to give.
They barreled across the sand. Rocks and javelins rained around them, monsters screaming in rage. A hellhound leapt from the stands, jaws wide but Naruto spun mid-sprint, catching it by the scruff, and yeeted it back into the bleachers.
"Stay!" he barked, laughing as they kept running.
They dove through the opening as the arena shook with fury behind them. The passage sealed with a thunderous crack, plunging them into choking dust and dark.
Luke coughed, tripping over his own feet. "We're dead. We're already dead."
Naruto just grinned at him through the gloom. "If we were dead, this would be way less fun."
The floor lurched beneath them. Dust swirled. For one heart-stopping second Luke thought they were falling forever.
And then
They tumbled out onto grass.
Cool night air rushed their lungs. Stars shone sharp above. The looming shape of Zeus' Fist towered nearby, its massive boulders slowly grinding shut like a jaw locking tight.
Luke collapsed flat on his back, sword slipping from his bloody fingers. His chest rose and fell in ragged heaves. "We… we made it."
Naruto sprawled beside him, arms behind his head like he was sunbathing. "Not bad for day one of training, huh?"
Luke turned his head, eyes wide, disbelief etched on his face. "You.. You're insane."
Naruto tilted his chin toward him, still grinning. "Yeah. But admit it. Best sparring session you've ever had."
Luke let out a broken laugh, part hysteria, part relief. "I thought.. I thought you were going to get us killed."
Naruto shrugged. "Details. You didn't die, right? That means we're improving."
Luke groaned, covering his face with his hand. "Gods help me."
Naruto sat up, still grinning like a maniac, and pointed at the sealed boulders of Zeus' Fist. "Besides, Lucky… tell me that wasn't the coolest training montage of your life."
Luke peeked at him through his fingers, lips twitching despite himself. "…You're unbearable."
"Unbearably awesome," Naruto corrected, falling back in the grass, laughing under the stars.
Luke lay there, exhausted, bloodied, and terrified and for the first time since arriving at camp, a tiny, traitorous part of him felt alive.
By the time they limped back across camp, the night had settled deep and the cabins glowed with warm light. Every step toward Hermes cabin felt heavier for Luke, but Naruto strolled like they'd just come from a fireworks show.
The Hermes cabin was alive with noise even at night with campers laughing, wrestling, shouting over each other like they'd been raised in a tavern instead of a camp. But when Naruto and Luke stumbled in, the chaos dimmed just enough for heads to turn.
Luke was pale, blood still caked on his shoulder, his sword hanging at his side like it weighed a hundred pounds. Naruto, by contrast, strolled in grinning, dragging dust and sand across the floor like he'd just come back from a spar in the woods.
"Don't mind us," Naruto said breezily. "We just kicked a giant's ass. Training session went great."
A chorus of laughter, disbelief, and mutters followed. Cecil Markowitz smirked from his bunk.
"Sure, blondie. Giants on day one. Next you'll tell us you arm-wrestled Zeus."
Naruto winked. "Don't tempt me."
Luke collapsed onto an empty bunk, groaning as the mattress creaked under his weight. His eyes closed before his head even hit the pillow.
Naruto sprawled onto the bed beside him, hands behind his head, still smirking to himself. He could feel the sand in his hair, the bruises on his knuckles, the wild thrill of the arena still buzzing in his bones. It took a long while for the noise of the cabin to fade from his ears, for his eyelids to grow heavy.
And then
Darkness.
Naruto opened his eyes and found himself standing on a cold stone floor, surrounded by shadows so deep they pressed against his skin. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey.
His arms stayed at his sides, his legs rooted to the ground. Panic flickered inside of him; it felt like being pinned and smothered, a waking dream he couldn't break.
Chains clinked in the silence.
Ahead of him, a woman knelt in the gloom, bound in celestial bronze shackles that glowed faintly against her skin.
Her eyes were wild, her voice hoarse as she screamed, "Help me! Please, help me!"
Naruto strained to move, to shout, but his lips wouldn't open. His body wouldn't budge.
Her gaze flicked up and she froze. Her breath caught. "You… you can see me?"
Naruto's heart hammered. He tried to nod, but his neck was locked in place. Still, something in his eyes must've been enough, because the woman sagged, relief and desperation warring in her face.
"You must save me," she pleaded, straining against the chains until they burned her wrists. "They plan to sacrifice me… to hasten the return of the Crooked One!"
Her words echoed in the dark, chilling him to his core.
A laugh cut through the silence. Low, mocking. The sound of someone who enjoyed watching people suffer. A figure sat in a throne of shadow just beyond the edge of the light, faceless, form hidden. His voice dripped with pure venom.
"Pathetic. Even bound, you still beg and cling to hope."
The woman flinched, but lifted her chin, glaring through her tears.
The figure leaned forward, though Naruto couldn't make out his face. "No one will save you. No one can. The Gods of Olympus have abandoned you.."
Naruto's chest burned as he tried to shout, to move, to fight anything. But his body stayed frozen, his voice swallowed by the paralysis.
The woman's eyes darted back to him, wide with urgency. "Don't forget me. Find me before it's too late!"
The shadows surged. The chains rattled. The mocking laughter grew until it filled his skull.
And Naruto woke up, drenched in sweat, his breath ragged in the dark of the Hermes cabin.
___
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