Chapter 9

Time was slipping away like grains of sand through an hourglass. I could feel it—the undeniable pressure of Christmas being only a couple of days away. With each passing moment, Krampus's presence in the shadows grew heavier, more tangible, like a storm that had already started to break apart the calm.

There was no turning back. We were in this now, and I wasn't about to let some twisted creature of the shadows destroy something as significant as Christmas. It was a damn absurdity, but it was the truth. Christmas wasn't just a day. It was a symbol of hope, of goodwill, of redemption. And if Krampus truly wanted to tear that down, then we'd tear him apart first.

"We don't have long," I said, my voice low, my gaze scanning the vast winter landscape before us. The wind howled around us, but in this moment, I didn't even feel the cold. My mind was far too focused.

Santa, as always, was busy strategizing, his bright, jolly eyes somehow retaining their shine despite the gravity of the situation. "We don't have time to waste, Hades. The elves have already been scouting for days, but we still need to find where he's hiding. His minions are scattered across the land, but he's kept himself well-hidden. The longer we take, the less time we have to stop him."

I glanced at the others standing with me—Thanatos, the ever-silent death god, Anne, who had somehow become the heart of our group, and Dionysus, who was far less invested than he should have been but was here for his own reasons. I could already sense that the group was getting frustrated. The longer this dragged on, the closer we got to Christmas itself, and the more irritable everyone seemed to become.

Dionysus took a long swig from his goblet and gave an exaggerated sigh. "You know, all this running around and hunting for some shadowy figure is really starting to feel like a waste of time. I could be at the bar right now, sipping something sweet and enjoying some holiday cheer, but instead, I'm trudging through snow with a bunch of gods and... a mortal."

Anne shot him a look, but I didn't bother to intervene. There was no point. Dionysus was the type to complain, but when the time came, he'd do his part. I knew that much.

"Come on, it'll be worth it," Anne replied, her eyes sparkling with optimism. "We'll save Christmas. We have to."

I nodded, but my thoughts were elsewhere. There was something off in the air—a quiet hum of dark energy that didn't belong. It was Krampus. I could feel it as surely as I could feel the pulse of the Underworld beneath my feet.

"We need to move," I said, my voice cutting through the conversation. "Krampus is close. I can feel his presence. Let's go."

The group fell into motion, following Santa as he led us through the winding paths of the snowy landscape. We moved quickly, covering miles of terrain in what felt like an eternity. The air grew colder the further we traveled, and the snow began to thicken. Soon, we found ourselves deep within the Black Forest, where the trees twisted unnaturally, their branches like skeletal hands clawing at the sky. It was a place that felt cursed, even by my standards. I could almost hear the whispers of forgotten souls carried on the wind.

Santa paused as we reached the clearing, his breath visible in the cold air. "This is it," he said, his voice low. "Krampus's base is somewhere around here. We need to be careful."

I stepped forward, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the area. Every instinct in me screamed that we were being watched.

"We're not alone," I muttered, drawing the Necrosword from its sheath. The black blade gleamed with an ominous energy, the very essence of destruction pulsing through it. I gripped the hilt, feeling the power surge through me. If it came down to it, I was ready.

Thanatos stepped up beside me, his presence a comforting weight in the cold silence. "It won't be long now," he said in his usual deadpan tone. "Krampus doesn't hide for long."

And he was right. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and a deep, resonating growl echoed through the trees. From the shadows, Krampus's minions emerged—hulking, twisted forms, their eyes glowing with malice. They were no mere beasts; these were the creatures he had corrupted, his followers twisted into grotesque versions of themselves. Each one was more terrifying than the last.

"About time you showed up," a low, gravelly voice boomed from the shadows, and from the darkness emerged Krampus himself, standing tall in his full monstrous form. His horns curled up toward the sky, his fur matted with the frost of the forest, and his eyes—cold, black, and malevolent—fixed on us with a hunger that sent a chill down my spine.

"I've been waiting for this," Krampus sneered, his teeth sharp as daggers. "You think you can stop me? You think you can destroy what I've been building for centuries? Christmas will be no more. The holiday spirit will die with you."

I stepped forward, the Necrosword in my hand now crackling with energy. "You won't be the one to end Christmas, Krampus. Not while I'm still breathing."

A laugh rumbled from deep within his chest, a sound that would make anyone else flinch, but I didn't even twitch. "You think you can stop me, Hades? You think you have the power to challenge me?" He gestured to the minions behind him. "You're outnumbered. You're outclassed."

I met his gaze with unwavering resolve. "I don't need to do it alone."

Before Krampus could respond, the rest of my team surged forward. Thanatos raised his weapon—a long, dark scythe that radiated with the cold of death itself. Anne drew her bow, her fingers nimbly nocking an arrow made of pure, shining holiday magic. Dionysus, though clearly uninterested, had his goblet raised in one hand and a rather large flask in the other, seemingly ready to face whatever came next with a drink in hand.

And with that, the fight began.

Thanatos moved first, a blur of death and darkness as he slashed through the nearest minion. The scythe cleaved through the creature's flesh with ease, the air growing heavy with the scent of decay. His movements were precise, calculating—he wasn't here for theatrics. He was here to end lives.

Anne fired an arrow, the shaft glowing with the pure light of Christmas magic. It hit one of the larger beasts in the chest, and the creature roared in pain before collapsing in a pile of snow and ice. Her bow sang as she fired again, and again, her eyes laser-focused as she took down each of the creatures one by one.

Dionysus stood back, swirling his goblet. He was all too content to let others do the fighting. But as one of the beasts charged toward him, he didn't even flinch. He took a deep swig from his goblet, then grinned widely, the energy from the drink filling him with sudden, almost absurd vigor. He swung his flask, and with a magical burst of energy, sent the beast flying backward, landing in a heap with a loud crash.

But Krampus wasn't finished. His large, clawed hands reached up, and with a guttural yell, he summoned more of his dark creatures. They flooded the battlefield, surrounding us on all sides.

I gripped the Necrosword, feeling the abyssal power course through my veins as I stepped into the fray. My blade cleaved through Krampus's minions, the dark energy rippling from it as I cut them down one after another. Each swing of the sword felt more satisfying than the last, a reminder of just how dangerous I could be when I was truly pushed.

"Krampus!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. "It's over. You've lost."

His eyes flashed with fury, and with a growl, he raised his hands to the sky, dark magic swirling around him. "You may have won a few battles, Hades, but you will not win this war. Christmas belongs to me now."

And just like that, the battle was far from over.

We had only just begun.