DA : Chapter 154: Darkest Hour III

The explosion was comparable to a three metric ton payload, shaking the ground even beneath her feet as dust blocked out the dark god. However she wasn't about to wait for him to recover in any shape of form and soon had another arrow ready.

She let loose and watched as the silver streak smashed into the dust cloud and quickly detonating. In the middle of it she saw a dark silhouette move and kept firing. In and out it moved but she just increase the rate of fire, her own arms blurring as arrow after arrow was launched, carpet bombing the land before her.

...

After minutes of continuous fire she finally stopped, breathing harder after channeling so much of her power. Her solid silver eyes scanned the space before her, hoping against all that the attack was enough to at least seriously injure, if possible even cripple Percy. Her bow wasn't any Master Bolt but that continuous fire still packed enough power to level any mortal city.

Silence was all there was, even Percy's signature that had felt like a cold blanket surrounding her had diminished significantly. Minutes passed and the dust cloud was slowly dissipating but even then there was still no sign of Percy. She was almost about to release a breath of relief before she froze as she heard it.

"… Hehe … hehehe …"

The slow, dark chuckle began, carrying a raspy growl within it that made her skin crawl as she reflexively took a step back, eyes finally spotting the silhouette as the dust settled and then, he was revealed. He stood in the center of a field of smoking craters, slouched over with his hair obscuring his eyes and a small smirk as he continued to chuckle. However, he was far from looking good. She could see part of his face, primarily on the left side looked burnt and steaming, bits of platinum ichor oozing out in some open wounds.

The burns continued down the same side of his neck and where once was a coat of darkness was steaming tatters showing the skin beneath had suffered and even some bits of muscle could be seen. His left arm was hanging limp at his side while the shirt was completely gone showing raw skin and the large slash she managed to land before. His right thigh also showed a puncture and burn mark meaning she'd hit him directly at least once. Over all he looked like hell and even then, he still chuckled making the goddess wonder if he hadn't gone crazy himself.

"I have to admit Artemis, I've underestimated you," he said, finally raising his head enough for his eyes of black flames and icy pupils to lock onto hers. "You see, none of us are immune to moments of arrogance which in turn leads getting the rug pulled out from under us. Case and point," he chuckled while opening his arms to better show his battered state.

"And I went as far as betting that even in your divine form you wouldn't be enough to push me to actually trying. Well, color me impressed … sadly," he then said in a darker tone as the darkness started to writhe around him. "That means things just got worse for you."

Suddenly shadows started to coil around his injuries as the coat dissolved into a miasma of darkness around him, his wings bursting out of his back as his sword turned into a ring on his left hand. She watched as the darkness started to swirl around him in thick streams, falling off his injuries like obsidian ash to reveal repaired skin. She could even hear some bones cracking and mending.

And the she felt it.

His diminished presence suddenly exploded outward making her physically recoil before a pressure was thrown on her shoulders.

What had been like a cold blanket surrounding her suddenly shifted into feeling like being tossed into a pressurized freezer, weighing down on her as even her breathing became labored and feeling of dread started to flow through her veins. She could feel her own legs shaking in response as she saw the whirlpool of darkness before her quickly disperse, revealing a whole new form to her.

Where once his coat of darkness was, now an actual second skin of gleaming darkness covering the entirety of his arms, shoulders, back, and most of his chest save the very center and running down the length to shy his belly button.

His jeans tore off just after the knees to show that the same darkness coated his legs and feet leaving the only regular displays of skin being the middle of his chest, neck, and face. His hands ended with icy, dark blue claws much like the few veins running the length and around his body of dark and bright icy blues.

His fangs looked more prominent as well but the features that really got her attention where the wolf ears sticking out of the top of his head and after a quick glance, she also saw a wolf tail waving behind him. She stared at the new being before her, feeling all manner of alarms going off in her head as every nerve she had screamed danger and to retreat. However, the moment he opened his, this time looking like two black orbs missing the white of the eyes with the narrowed, icy blue pupils, she was nailed to the spot.

Slowly he took a breath, flecks of what looked like black fire escaping between his glinting fangs before he started to look at himself, as if seeing it for the first time. Then he looked back at her before giving a fanged grin.

"Well goddess, I hoped you feel honored. After all, you're the first enemy to have faced the full release of my manifestation of power," he said as he gave clenched his fists.

"Sadly I can count on one hand how many times I've assumed it after having ascended to full godhood. And for that, you'll have to forgive me if I get a little … wild," he growled as he looked at her again. "Now then," he said as he flexed his right hand before his other sword, the katana, appeared in his grip.

Next thing she knew, in barely a second he was before her, his left claw lashing out and grabbing her throat before she could even gasp and the crushing grip choked her off. His face was right in front of hers, the predatory grin flashed as his eyes glowed with cold malice.

"Let's see how strong you really are …"

...

( Jason POV )

"I said it once and I'll say it again, you're not going anywhere," Jason said but he only got an incoherent yell as the other god attacked him.

Jason would have shaken his head at such a poor showing as he swung his sword, deflecting the blow meant for his neck before backhanding the unsteady god, knocking him back into some trees.

He watched as Apollo shook himself and got up, snarling like a rabid dog as his frame burned in hues of gold before giving the distinct pre-flash denoting teleportation. However, before he could Jason appeared in little more than white blur and unceremoniously slammed the pummel of his blade into Apollo's armored gut, denting the armor and winding the god as he was knocked off his feet.

"This is just getting stupid," he said coolly as he almost casually walked towards the recovering god.

Unlike what mortals thought, Flash teleportation was not instant and took a moment in which time a god would gather their essence, usually to about half way and temporarily assuming divine form before breaching the barriers of space to arrive wherever it is they so choose.

Sadly the divine form assumed in flashing was almost false in a sense that skilled or aware gods could use less than half of their essence, such as the primordial gods themselves, to safely flash and still not leave themselves vulnerable to death. At most Jason could make use of the moment to cut Apollo down, but not permanently meaning the god would reform in due time.

That left much to be desired with Jason's mounting frustration. Even if killing Apollo tonight wasn't the intention, he wouldn't have looked a gift horse in the mouth if Apollo had been foolish enough to assume his divine form due to desperation.

After all, that was why Percy even went through the trouble of angering Artemis so much and only taking her away after she'd assumed a full divine form that couldn't just be re-sealed in the drop of a hat.

So, for now he essentially was forced into a waiting game with the god, bidding his time and letting Apollo's own rampant emotions to keep him off balance and grounded. With that in mind he watched as Apollo stood again, literally feeling the burning of his glare as he responded with a narrowed glare back.

"Still going to try and escape?" Jason asked but only got a snarl back as Apollo suddenly switched his sword into his bow and start firing away golden arrows.

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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.

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