"I swear, if I ever go to Olympus again, let me, let me gods! This is bullshit!" Lucian bellowed, his voice echoing through the Void-charged winds as his hoverbike carved a blinding streak across the skies. The air shimmered with his frustration, rippling with each twist of the throttle. Olympus had played its usual tricks, but this time, Aphrodite had managed to wrap him around her delicate fingers far more easily than he'd like to admit.
Behind him, floating calmly within a hoverpod lined with scholarly runes, the old Scholar was humming with admiration. His eyes sparkled as he turned over the golden ambrosia fruit in his palms.
"Remarkable! Simply remarkable. Its essence is pure ripened in the cradle of cosmic light. The taste of creation itself."
Lucian gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the bike. He wasn't listening. His mind was still back in Olympus, in that forest, with her. The kiss lingered like wine on his tongue, and her words playful yet binding were tangled in his thoughts.
Damn her.
Looking into the Void above, Lucian exhaled deeply. There was no thrill left in chasing forbidden fruit. It was time to cut short his little adventures and return to what truly matter the Primordial Realm.
"You promised to take me to the Center of Creation," the Scholar reminded him, voice tinged with disappointment.
"Master, I'll take you there when I return. Two thousand years in the Primordial Realm is just two days here. You'll barely miss me," Lucian replied, forcing a calm tone.
After calming the Scholar, Lucian redirected his path toward the Royal Palace. As he approached, divine guards parted without question. Inside the great throne room, his father sat regally, Emperor Ray of Heaven, Sovereign of Celestial Order. Around him were the God Kings of various Pantheons, each radiating immense power, Zeus included.
Ray's eyes narrowed when Lucian entered. "Took you long enough."
Lucian bowed with practiced grace. "Father."
Zeus cleared his throat, pulling the room's focus.
"Your Majesty," Zeus began, "It has been a thousand mortal years since the Void Beings trespassed into the Primordial Realm. I fear what damage they may have done."
Ray didn't waste words. "Lucian will be sent to pacify the realm."
There were murmurs of agreement, but then came a voice of reason.
"Your Majesty," said Anubis, his jackal eyes steady and full of quiet loyalty. "Would it not be unwise to send the Prince alone? Let the Pantheons offer their champions to accompany him."
Lucian nodded slightly in gratitude. Anubis had always been one of the few he respected.
Ray, however, stood firm. "No. The Void Beings are capable of killing gods. I will not return the throne to my mother with a war-torn Heaven and dead deities."
A quiet fell over the court.
"And yet," Odin's calm voice carried across the room, "If these beings can slay gods, what assures you they cannot slay your son?"
Ray was silent for a moment, weighing the wisdom behind Odin's words. Then, he spoke.
"This operation will be conducted under Warborn oversight. Lucian and his Red Knight will handle it."
The God Kings nodded. Everyone knew the Red Knight, Heaven's weapon forged in discipline and divine wrath. With him at Lucian's side, few missions were beyond reach.
As the court began to disperse, Lucian turned with a smirk. "So I just stand here while everyone makes decisions about my life?"
Ray chuckled. "Welcome to the Emperor's Court, son."
As they exited the grand chamber, celestial attendants bowed. Ray turned to Lucian.
"Will you see your master before you leave?"
Lucian stiffened. "That old man would break every bone in my body before letting me go."
"He's already here, waiting for you," Ray teased.
Lucian paled. He stopped mid-step.
"You invited him?"
"You know me well."
"I promise to behave. Just send him away, please," Lucian begged, real fear leaking through his royal demeanor.
"Too late."
And there he stood tall, statuesque, an embodiment of pure discipline. The Martial God. His jumpsuit glimmered a deep blue, matching the icy gleam of his eyes and hair. His presence cut the air like a blade.
"Master," Lucian choked as he knelt. He was nearly trembling.
"I was summoned urgently," the god said flatly. "Turns out, it was just your father baiting you."
"Please, Master," Lucian clung to his leg like a child clinging to salvation.
"Stand. Show me how far you've come."
Lucian groaned. Escape was impossible. He accepted his fate with mock dignity. "Yes, Master."
Ray's laughter echoed down the hallway. It was a rare moment of unfiltered joy for the Emperor, seeing his indomitable son reduced to this.
Out on an open training field behind the palace, the temperature dropped as divine power flooded the atmosphere. The sky above Heaven twisted lightning, chaos, and Origin energy crackled in reverence to the duel.
A transparent dome of power enclosed the battlefield, isolating their overwhelming auras.
Gods began to gather at the dome's edge.
"I bet my essence stones on the Martial God," Aphrodite declared, peering from the Void.
Nyx gave her a venomous look. "Weren't you just tangled up in Lucian's arms?"
Aphrodite shrugged. "This is money. I may love the boy, but I'm not stupid."
Still, she slipped a smaller bet on Lucian, whispering to herself, "Don't let me down, you bastard."
Inside the dome, Lucian felt the crushing weight of his master's aura. His lungs burned.
"Master, if this were the Primordial Realm, you'd have just torn it apart."
"Heaven was created by Origin at His strongest. You and I are nothing compared to Him. It will hold."
The Martial God dropped into a stance that seemed deceptively casual.
"Come at me. Show me your best."
Lucian's eyes narrowed. "Anything goes?"
"Everything. Martial arts, laws, Origin manipulation, if you don't give your all, I'll break you."
Lucian breathed deeply, the air around him warping. His aura blazed red and violet, a volatile fusion of divine spark and raw Origin energy.
This wasn't just a training match. It was a test of his readiness to enter the most dangerous realm in existence. And if he failed, his father might reconsider the mission.
Lucian summoned the winds of chaos and the gravity of stars. His fingers crackled with power. His body blurred as he vanished and struck, and so began the storm.