Aetherion, now in his Divine Form, looked down at Themis.
Then, he moved.
In an instant, he was beside her.
Themis's eyes widened in surprise—but before she could react, he drove his fist into her side, sending her flying through the air.
Without missing a beat, Aetherion raised his hand and conjured several divine weapons from moonlight, launching them toward her in a deadly barrage.
Themis reacted just in time, unsheathing her sword and deflecting the incoming projectiles with swift, calculated slashes.
A gust of divine wind kicked up around her as she landed. Earth cracked beneath her feet.
She sprinted forward.
And in the blink of an eye—she was already in front of him again.
Her blade sang through the air, striking from multiple directions, her form shifting between blurs of gold and white.
She moved with deadly grace, slicing with rapid, unpredictable angles.
But Aetherion's eyes, now with his Divine Form, followed her every motion.
He dodged effortlessly—his movements sharper, faster, beyond anything she'd seen from him earlier.
Golden arcs of light and, at times, flickers of purple revealed her divine energy patterns.
His eyes tracked them, allowing him to predict each strike, knowing when to retreat and when to counter.
Suddenly, Aetherion summoned a new weapon—a sword made from compressed moonlight—and lunged forward, mirroring her movements precisely.
Every technique.
Every step.
He copied her swordplay perfectly, pushing her onto the defensive.
Themis's eyes widened slightly.
Aetherion could tell she was surprised. Her stance shifted subtly.
'I can match her now,'he thought. 'With my body no longer limiting me… I can keep up.'
He pressed the assault, each swing of his blade driving her back further and further—until the air between them exploded in radiant light.
Themis's energy surged.
White and golden light flared around her, pulsing in waves, and Aetherion felt the atmosphere itself shift.
She raised her sword—and began to speak.
"Law and Order:From this moment on… the sword in my hand shall cut anything. Without mercy, without exception."
Her voice echoed like a divine judgment through the space between them.
The weapon in her grasp responded—releasing a blinding radiance.
The golden-white light around it intensified, compressing, folding in on itself.
It reached for the sky like a beacon—and then tightened, layering itself around her sword like divine armor.
The very air crackled.
Aetherion took a step back, and a chill ran down his spine.
'I can't let that sword touch me,' he thought grimly. 'Not even graze me. If it does… I'll lose.'
That blade, cloaked in the terrifying majesty of divine law, justice and order, was nothing short of overwhelming.
He could feel its presence trying to impose judgment on his very existence.
And she wasn't even in her Divine Form yet.
'If she enters it… this entire battlefield might be cleaved in half,' Aetherion thought. 'A planet-splitting strike. Just imagine it…'
Still, he held his ground.
"Let's end this with one final strike,"
he heard Themis say, and his eyes narrowed.
He began channeling his energy—light and moonlight fusing with divine power.
Aetherion raised his hand. Blinding light radiated from his body, condensing rapidly into the shape of a bow.
Then, an arrow formed—pure divine moonlight compressed so tightly it shimmered with a diamond sheen.
He took the bow in one hand, pulled the arrow back slowly with the other.
"I accept your challenge… Themis."
Across the clearing, Themis's lips twitched into a small, approving smile.
"I see,"
she replied.
'This is it,'
Aetherion thought.
The ground beneath them cracked, trembled, then shattered as both warriors began to channel their full power.
The energy from Aetherion Divine Forms and Themis divine energy surged violently around them.
Wind tore through the trees. Moonlight and golden flame blazed outward in massive waves.
The entire dimension warped under the pressure.
They both moved at the same time—Aetherion releasing the arrow, Themis raising her sword for the final blow.
But before either attack could land—
A voice echoed through the battlefield.
"Alright. That's enough."
It wasn't loud.
But it was deep.
Ancient.
Commanding.
And both of them froze.
Their attacks vanished.
Their divine energy evaporated from the air in an instant.
Both Aetherion and Themis turned their heads toward the sound.
Standing at the edge of the training field was Gaia, her presence calm and immovable like a mountain.
The Primordial of Earth.
"I'm afraid if those two attacks collide, the technique you've created will be destroyed—and worse, it could damage my Sanctuary,"
Gaia said, smiling innocently at them both.
But there was something unsettling in that smile.
Aetherion could feel it.
It wasn't just a friendly reminder… It felt like a warning.
As if—if they kept going—she might beat him up herself.
Aetherion definitely got that feeling, but… he wasn't entirely sure what to think of it.
Still, he decided to agree quickly.
"You're absolutely right, Gaia," he said, nodding with a nervous chuckle. "It was best to stop. Thank you for stepping in when you did. That could've gotten… a little too big."
He glanced over at Themis, who said nothing—but the look on her face said she agreed.
He then turned to Themis and said,
"You really are strong, Themis—truly worthy of one of the Great Twelve Titans. You're as beautiful as you are powerful. It was an honor."
Themis listened to his words, her eyes widening slightly under the eyes bander, and a faint golden tint began to appear on her cheeks.
Noticing her reaction, Aetherion simply smiled.
She cleared her throat, seemingly trying to regain her composure.
"Yes… thank you," she replied, before adding, "But you've surprised us more than anything. To have achieved your Divine Form at the age of seven… Truly, you are an anomaly among deities."
Her voice was composed, but there was still a hint of lingering fluster in her tone.
Aetherion noticed her hand twitch ever so slightly before her expression returned to its usual stoic calm—like nothing had ever shaken it in the first place.
'Huh, it seems like she's not that good with compliments,'
Aetherion chuckled inwardly, noticing how Themis reacted.
It was amusing, to say the least. Someone who had lived for so long, yet still getting flustered by a simple compliment—just seeing it was oddly endearing.
Then, Themis stepped aside as Prometheus and Rhea approached.
Rhea's face was radiant with pride and astonishment.
"Aetherion, you really achieved it," she said warmly. "I believed it when you told me, but to actually witness it… I'm still surprised."
Her smile softened even more, the expression of a proud mother shining through.
She turned to Prometheus with an almost smug grin.
"Did you see that, Prometheus? Did you see it? Achieving something like that at the age of seven!"
She laughed, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Hah! Did you reach your Divine Form that early? It seems like your cousin is better than you!"
Rhea was proudly bragging, as if she'd raised him herself to become this strong—and Aetherion, watching the exchange, found it quite funny.
Prometheus simply looked at him. A small smile played on his lips, but his sharp gaze remained fixed on Aetherion.
"You really are a monster, Aetherion," he said quietly. "To achieve something like that at your age… it's truly remarkable."
Aetherion smiled and gave a small chuckle in return. But inside, he didn't let the praise go to his head. Honestly, he didn't think much of it.
He knew he still needed more strength—much more.
The power he had now wasn't even enough to truly defeat someone like Themis.
And yet, in the future, he would have to face someone like Kronos.
'I have to train harder,'
he thought to himself, determination rising like fire within him.
"I don't even know my limits yet."
He muttered softly under his breath, just loud enough for one person to hear.
"I have to get stronger."
The others didn't notice.
But Themis did.
***
Themis, who heard him, widened her eyes slightly—trying not to make it noticeable… even through she has a blindfold on.
Inwardly, though, she thought:
'This lunatic… he wants to get even stronger faster?'
He had achieved Divine Form—something nearly unheard of—and at the age of seven. And yet, he wasn't celebrating.
He wasn't proud or even satisfied. If anything, he seemed more fired up than ever, more determined… because he didn't yet know his limits.
Themis didn't understand it.
After all, he had done something no other deity had ever done before. And yet, it wasn't enough for him. He wasn't basking in praise. He wasn't boasting.
He was pushing forward.
She found it strange.
Most deities didn't take training seriously. She was one of the few exceptions, someone who did train—especially in swordsmanship and in the use of her domains. She was skilled, yes, and she trained often.
But not like him.
Not to the point of obsession. Not to the point of pushing herself to her absolute limit.
And she knew it.
Most deities simply didn't bother. They were immortals, after all. To them, time was meaningless. Strength would come eventually. Why rush?
But Aetherion was different.
He didn't wait.
He worked.
He trained.
He fought with purpose.
He wanted to achieve everything as quickly as possible—not through entitlement, but through effort.
And it was starting to fascinate her.
He kept getting more and more interesting.
Themis found her lips stretching unconsciously into a soft smile—rare for her.
A smile that was both beautiful and genuine.
Aetherion, catching it, blinked in surprise. He looked a bit startled, confused by the expression on her usually stoic face.
Themis met his eyes and simply said,
"You really are an interesting one, aren't you, Aetherion?"
Aetherion stared for a moment, unsure how to respond. Her words were simple… but carried weight.
He tilted his head slightly, still confused by the sudden comment.
But Themis already knew.
She knew this boy—this young Titan—was going to become something terrifying. Something magnificent.
And she couldn't wait to see it.
Truly… She wanted to see how far he could go.