[Third Person’s PoV]

Annabeth’s wings flared wide, sending a barrage of razor-sharp feathers flying toward Percy like blinding daggers. She crouched on all fours, her hands pressed into the ground as energy crackled through the earth beneath her.

Swords began to materialize from the sand and rocks around her, rising like metallic serpents from the ground—an ability she mastered through [Equivalent Exchange].

Percy deflected the oncoming metal feathers with quick, practiced swings of his sword and trident. With a powerful thrust of his trident, a towering wall of water erupted from the ground. He pressed the trident forward, and the wall instantly froze solid, trapping the flying feathers within the ice.

Without hesitation, Percy sheathed his sword and gripped his trident tightly, relying solely on its power for the moment.

Annabeth rose to her feet and made a swift motion with her hand. The swords she had summoned flipped forward, charging toward the ice wall. Upon impact, the ice shattered into shards, releasing her feathers, which flew back to reassemble seamlessly into her wings.

Percy slammed his trident into the ground, summoning a massive wave that surged beneath him. He rode the crest of the wave, guiding it towards Annabeth, prepared to strike should she take to the skies.

But Annabeth didn’t flinch. Instead, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a card etched with the Greek symbol for lightning. Without missing a beat, she flung the card toward the wave and then shot upward into the air.

“ARGHHH!” Percy’s scream echoed as the wave beneath him surged with electricity, crackling violently. The entire wave destabilized and collapsed, sending Percy crashing down with it.

His trident slipped from his grasp as he hit the muddy ground, his body convulsing from the residual static coursing through him. Despite the pain, he forced himself onto all fours, gritting his teeth against the electric sting.

As he struggled, Annabeth descended gracefully, landing just a few feet from him. She walked toward him with calm, deliberate steps.

When Percy finally looked up, she crouched down, resting her chin in her palm, tilting her head to the side with a serene, almost mocking smile.

“So,” she purred, her grey eyes slowly opening halfway, “care to repeat what you just called me earlier?”

She reached forward, grabbing the collar of his armor, pulling him closer. Her voice softened but dripped with challenge.

“Surely, the great Percy Jackson isn’t finished yet, is he?” She smirked, her eyes glinting. “Because we’re just getting started.”

—

Meanwhile, Lucian twirled his scythe around his neck before it morphed into a chained version, glowing ominously. With a swift motion, he spun it in his hands, transforming it into a spinning, violet-hued saw of deadly energy.

He flung the weapon toward Thalia, who barely managed to shift backward in time. The saw passed mere centimeters from her face, slicing through a few strands of her hair. Her wide, shocked eyes quickly hardened into a furious glare.

Before Thalia could retaliate, the chains of Lucian’s weapon snaked around her, tightening with a metallic hiss. Lucian grinned wickedly as he yanked her toward him, raising his leg to deliver a crushing kick—but then he froze.

A sudden spike of danger prickled at the edges of his senses.

Thalia’s hair rose slightly, static electricity crackling around her as her eyes glowed with raw power and fury. A massive surge of lightning erupted from her, the sheer force of it traveling through the chains and slamming into Lucian.

He grunted in pain as the electricity coursed through his body, searing his nerves. Reacting quickly, he disengaged, retracting his chained scythe back into its compact ring form to break the connection.

Breathing heavily, Thalia pressed a hand to her side and invoked [Healing Wind]. A soft green glowing breeze passed through her hand as it closed her wounds, though the curse lingering beneath her skin remained, leaving her in visible pain.

Determined, Thalia raised her hand again, summoning a [Wind Construct]. A large, intricate spear formed in the air beside her, crafted from glowing blue winds. The spear shimmered with beauty and deadly precision, its thick shaft. Its sharp, gleaming spearhead radiated with power.

Thalia waved her hand, and the wind-crafted spear sailed through the air toward Lucian.

,’Her control has improved,’ Lucian noted with interest. ‘It doesn’t even look like it’s made out of wind—it’s practically solid.’

With a flick of his wrist, Lucian conjured a shield using only his magic. The spear collided with it in a burst of energy, but couldn’t break through, Thalia spread her arms wide.

Multiple weapons began to form around her—axes, javelins, spears, and swords—all appearing as if they belonged in an elaborate fantasy armory. Beautifully crafted yet deadly, they surged forward, hurtling past Thalia, whose face still twisted with anger.

Lucian snapped his fingers. Magic circles materialized in the air around him, each one firing weapons of similar design using his Trace and Projection magic. The two barrages met midair, the weapons clashing with resounding metallic crashes before shattering into fragments.

A massive bow formed before Thalia, its arrows forged purely from lightning. She fired, and the glowing bolts tore through the air, piercing Lucian’s magical barrier with ease.

Though Lucian skillfully dodged the projectiles, he couldn’t help but smirk. ‘Yes! She’s mad! The madder she is, the more she improves!’

Deciding to raise the stakes, Lucian snapped his fingers again. From the magic circles around him, golden threads appeared—threads crafted by Hephaestus himself, which Lucian had obtained at the waterpark.

The threads shot forward, weaving through the air toward Thalia like serpents. But Thalia transformed into a streak of lightning, weaving through the attack with precise, agile movements. Her expression hardened in concentration, but frustration flickered across her face as she noticed her wind constructs being sliced apart by the golden threads.

Thin, faint slashes appeared on the ground where the threads passed, their sharpness undeniable.

Lucian snapped his fingers once more, mimicking Thalia’s style. The golden threads coiled and twisted, forming beautifully crafted swords—each larger than Lucian himself. Five swords in total materialized, their forms elegant and deadly.

And then, they vanished.

The golden threads rendered them invisible, but Thalia closed her eyes, focusing. Using [Wind Sense], she detected the faint disturbances in the air, feeling their presence despite their invisibility.

The swords lunged, aiming for her neck and torso, but Thalia weaved and dodged effortlessly, her movements fluid and precise. With a burst of energy, she activated [Storm Step], teleporting behind Lucian in a flash of wind and lightning.

Her fist drew back, cloaked in a swirling tempest of wind and crackling electricity. Her face was shadowed, except for her glowing blue eyes, blazing with fury. She combined [Tornado Fist] with her attack, amplifying its destructive power.

BOOOOOOM!

A violent gale erupted from her punch, engulfing Lucian in a whirlwind of wind and lightning. The ground behind him was shredded, reduced to tatters from the sheer force of the attack.

But Thalia’s instincts screamed a warning.

She activated [Storm Step] again, teleporting just inches away from an invisible strike. The ground where she had stood moments before was now pierced by a massive, unseen blade. The sound of rattling chains echoed in the air.

Thalia’s eyes widened as she saw the outlines of large, golden, arrow-like blades attached to chains, connected to floating magic circles off to the side. The golden chains and blades flickered into visibility briefly as dust swirled around them, but they faded once more into nothingness.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Thalia turned her gaze back to Lucian—only to see him standing, barely fazed. His armor had materialized at the last second, shielding him from the brunt of her attack.

Lucian slowly turned his head, one red, glowing eye visible through the helm.

But before Thalia could react, a sharp pain surged through her body. She gasped, blood spilling from her mouth as she collapsed to one knee.

“W-What?” she muttered in confusion, staring at the ground as black veins crept up her neck.

Lucian let out a sigh, retracting his armor. He turned toward her, casually strolling forward.

“That’s the curse I put on you,” he explained, his voice calm. “It drains your energy faster and worsens the wound I gave you earlier.”

Thalia glared up at him, her breathing labored as the curse spread. “You really don’t hold back, do you?” she spat, her voice weak but defiant.

Lucian crouched down beside her, placing a hand over the cursed wound. “I wanted to see how much you’d improve,” he admitted. “And I have to say, I’m impressed. To hit me with that attack while weakened? That’s something.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Thalia scoffed, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

“I’m not,” Lucian replied plainly, his tone devoid of mockery. “Tell me—didn’t you notice how much you grew in just this short exchange?”

Thalia let out a bitter laugh, though it was laced with pain. “Yeah, because you were trying to kill me, you asshole.” A faint blush crept across her cheeks as Lucian began to dissolve the curse.

Lucian extended his hand toward her. After a moment’s hesitation—and a sharp click of her tongue—Thalia took it, allowing him to help her to her feet.

“It’s not like you didn’t grow in this fight either,” she muttered, still scowling. “What the hell was up with those golden chains?”

Lucian grinned, striking a dramatic pose. “I call them: The Piercing Chains of God!”

Thalia stared at him, deadpan. “I want a break in our relationship.”

“Wha—?!” Lucian exclaimed, his grin vanishing in an instant.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep