Cronus' system: Against the gods

Lucius stood like a nightmare made flesh, his monstrous form dominating the battlefield. His body had morphed beyond recognition, muscles rippling with inhuman power beneath a slick, living armor of shadows that clung to him like a second skin. The air around him pulsed with a sinister energy, every heartbeat resonating with a palpable dread. His eyes burned like molten rubies, twin orbs of pure malevolence fixed on the humans who dared defy him. A cruel smile twisted his lips, revealing newly-formed canine teeth that gleamed like ivory blades in the dim light.

His voice cut through the tense silence, guttural and commanding, like the toll of a death knell.

"Now, the time has come to take over my property for good."

The words dripped with arrogance and a sense of inevitability, sending shivers through the air. Even Hercules, who had faced countless monsters in his storied past, took a step back, his lion-skin cloak fluttering as he let out a rare gasp of disbelief.

"That crystal…" Cronus muttered, his voice trailing off as if swallowed by some unseen force.

Rex, still trembling from the overwhelming aura Lucius exuded, forced out a question. "You know something about it?"

Cronus sighed, the sound low and heavy, like the distant rumble of thunder. It carried a weight that seemed to momentarily pierce through Rex's fear, grounding him.

"It… is an object of great power," Cronus said, his tone guarded. "That's all."

Rex groaned, his voice a strained mix of frustration and unease. "Of course it is! Don't scare me like that again!"

But their exchange barely registered in the overwhelming presence of Lucius, whose shadows radiated an aura that seemed to warp the air itself. The shadows around him writhed and pulsed, alive with unholy energy, as if eager to devour anything in their path.

Then, a sudden surge of energy erupted from Jefferson. His hands, trembling slightly at first, began to glow with raw, pulsating Aether. The golden-blue energy coiled and spread, spiraling around his arms, legs, and torso in intricate, glowing patterns. The armor it formed radiated a blinding brilliance, a stark contrast to Lucius' shadow-clad form.

Rex could only stare, wide-eyed, as a bow materialized in Jefferson's hands, formed entirely of shimmering Aether. Its design was elegant yet lethal, its energy humming with barely-contained power. Jefferson's face was a mask of unyielding resolve as he drew back the bowstring, his movements steady and deliberate.

"But… there's no arrow…" Rex muttered, confusion etched across his features. "What's he planning?"

Jefferson's eyes gleamed, cold and calculating, as he released the string. Find more to read at empire

Fwoooosh!

The instant the string snapped back, a brilliant arrow of pure Aether blazed into existence, rocketing toward Lucius with a deafening roar. The speed was incomprehensible, a streak of golden light leaving crackling trails of Aether in its wake. The sheer velocity sent shockwaves rippling through the air, blurring the space around it.

Lucius didn't flinch. His crimson eyes tracked the arrow with an unsettling calmness, his expression devoid of the usual arrogant smirk. Instead, his gaze was cold, sharp, and terrifyingly predatory.

As the arrow closed the distance, Lucius raised a single hand. With effortless precision, he caught it between his thumb and index finger. The motion was so smooth, so casual, it was as if he were plucking a leaf from the wind.

"Worthless," he muttered, his voice a guttural growl that resonated like the rumble of a chasm opening in the earth.

The arrow, still blazing with divine energy, began to tremble in his grasp. Slowly, almost mockingly, the vibrant Aether that formed it began to crumble into blackened ash. The light dimmed as the shadows surrounding Lucius devoured the energy, consuming it hungrily until nothing remained.

The sight was chilling—Aether, the raw essence of life and creation, reduced to nothing more than dust in the palm of his hand. Lucius' shadows pulsed with newfound strength, seeming to grow darker and more oppressive as they absorbed the arrow's power.

Rex staggered back, his voice trembling as he whispered, "He… he absorbed it?"

Jefferson's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as the realization struck. Lucius' control over the shadows had reached a level far beyond even the most advanced techniques. It wasn't just armor, it was a weapon, a void, capable of nullifying even the mightiest attacks.

Lucius flicked his fingers, letting the last traces of the disintegrated arrow drift away like ashes on the wind. His lips curled into a cruel sneer.

"You're not even worth my time," he said, his voice dripping with disdain as he turned his gaze back toward Jefferson. "But if you're so eager to die, I'll oblige."

Jefferson's voice dropped to a low whisper, his words barely audible over the chaos surrounding them. "If it comes to this, I'll be forced to go full power." His expression remained an enigma, a mask of calm concealing the storm raging within.

The declaration hit like a thunderclap. Hercules, who had been standing motionless, suddenly surged forward. His lion-skin cloak flared behind him as his heavy footsteps thundered against the ground.

"No! No, Jefferson! You don't have to! It's too dangerous!" His voice cracked, panic lacing his words. "You'll destroy the… the...."

Jefferson raised a hand, silencing him with a single gesture. His gaze turned distant, the weight of his decision evident in the furrow of his brow.

"I'll… try to limit it to this city's destruction," he said, the uncertainty in his tone belying his composed demeanor. "Ten percent power shouldn't be catastrophic, but…" He hesitated, his thoughts racing. The unspoken truth loomed heavy in the air. Even ten percent might be too much.

Turning abruptly, Jefferson locked eyes with Rex. The young warrior froze under his commanding stare, the gravity of the situation pulling him taut.

"I need you to go to HQ right now," Jefferson said firmly, his voice cutting through Rex's rising panic. "Tell them to activate the evacuation device for all residents. This city's going down."

The words hung in the air, sharp and unforgiving.

Hercules grabbed Jefferson's hands, his immense strength trembling with emotion. The legendary demi-god, who had faced countless beasts and gods alike, now stood on the verge of breaking. His broad shoulders shook as his tear-filled eyes searched Jefferson's face for any sign of doubt.

"No! Jefferson, you can't do this!" Hercules pleaded, his voice thick with desperation. "It's too dangerous, even for you! You're my student… I can't…" His words faltered, his grip tightening as though he could anchor Jefferson to the ground, away from the precipice of his own destruction.

Jefferson didn't respond immediately. His gaze shifted past Hercules, to the city skyline in the distance, a glittering beacon of life that would soon be reduced to rubble. The Aether swirling around him pulsed faintly, a harbinger of the storm to come.

Rex stood frozen, his mind spinning. His breath came in short gasps, the enormity of Jefferson's words crashing over him like a tidal wave.

"The city's… going down?" he whispered, his voice trembling. His heart pounded violently in his chest, each beat louder than the last. "What does that even mean? Are we..."

The ground seemed to shift beneath him, the weight of Jefferson's declaration sinking in like lead. Around them, the sky darkened, a foreboding energy crackling in the atmosphere. The shadows lengthened as though retreating from the inevitable, and the city, alive with lights and movement, felt like it was already on the edge of oblivion.

"Hurry, Rex!" Jefferson barked, his tone brooking no argument. "Go. Now."

Rex's hands trembled as he fumbled with the teleportation crystal, pulling it hastily from his pocket. The cold surface of the artifact seemed to bite into his skin as he scanned himself, his movements frantic and desperate. But just as he prepared to crush it and escape, the air grew heavy, suffocating.

A deafening crack split the heavens.

The clouds above roiled and darkened, as though the sky itself had been swallowed by an abyss. Lucius' shadows, which moments ago had seemed all-encompassing, now paled, shrinking like frightened beasts. The very earth beneath their feet quaked, buildings groaning in protest against the unseen force pressing down upon them.

And then, he appeared.

A figure emerged in the sky, framed by a tempest of swirling light and thunder. His cold, resentful gaze swept over the city below, a god surveying the fragile lives of mortals he considered beneath him. His expression was devoid of compassion, his eyes crackling with raw, untamed lightning that danced across the stormy canvas behind him.

Silver hair, as radiant as moonlight, cascaded over his broad shoulders, flowing with an unnatural grace as if it were alive. He wore robes of gleaming gold, adorned with intricate symbols that seemed to shimmer with divine energy, an attire befitting a being who reigned above all. Power radiated from him in waves, suffocating and absolute, as though the very essence of creation bowed before his presence.

Hercules staggered, his lion-skin cloak fluttering in the unnatural wind. His jaw clenched, his usually confident demeanor dissolving into something far more vulnerable, fear, awe, and a deep-seated bitterness. His voice was a low growl, laden with emotion he could barely contain.

"No…" he breathed, his hands curling into trembling fists. "Not him. Not now."

Rex's breath caught in his throat as he stared upward. The sheer presence of the figure made his chest tighten, his mind struggling to comprehend the overwhelming force before him.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Zeus," Cronus growled in Rex's head, his voice dripping with venom and fear. It was a name, but it carried the weight of centuries, of betrayal and pain. The sheer hatred in Cronus' tone sent a shiver racing down Rex's spine.

"Z-Zeus?" Rex stammered aloud, his voice cracking with disbelief. His pulse thundered in his ears as he turned to Jefferson and Hercules, their reactions mirroring the chaos in his own mind.

"Zeus?!" the three cried out in unison, though for entirely different reasons.

Jefferson's eyes widened, his composed façade faltering for the first time. A flicker of something unspoken passed across his face, recognition and resentment

Hercules, however, bore the weight of his past in his trembling form. His teeth grit audibly, his once tear-filled eyes now blazing with a mixture of respect and hatred.

Rex, still frozen in confusion, turned to Jefferson for answers, but the Aether-wielding leader simply stared skyward, his expression dark.

"Zeus," Jefferson murmured, his voice low and heavy. "How dare you bring your filthy legs here!"

Lucius however looked up, clearly confused as he had no idea who or what had arrived.