Chapter 12: Destined For Greatness

Zeus stood at the edge of the training grounds, his imposing figure framed against the backdrop of Olympus' grand vistas. His eyes narrowed as Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito took their positions. The atmosphere was thick with expectation as the clouds overhead swirled, almost sensing the storm that was about to unfold. Zeus raised his hand, his voice booming with authority.

"First lesson—you must learn to fight together. The enemies you face are not weak, nor are they few. If you think you can survive this war alone, you've already lost. There will be three waves of enemies, each one more difficult than the last. You'll need to strategize, rely on each other's strengths, and above all, stay focused."

The three boys nodded, adjusting their armor. Raiden's fists crackled with electric anticipation, Zohar's vision sharpened, and Kaito could feel the familiar tug of the water beneath his feet. They were ready—or at least, they thought they were.

"Begin!" Zeus shouted.

The first wave appeared like shadows out of the mist, a horde of snarling beasts with blazing eyes and jagged teeth. They rushed forward, their growls echoing across the field. Without hesitation, Raiden charged, lightning sparking in his hands. He struck down one, then another, his movements swift and precise.

Zohar darted between enemies, his speed blinding, as he slashed through the monsters with calculated strikes. Kaito, surrounded by a ring of water, conjured massive waves to sweep the beasts away, his power keeping the battlefield under control.

The first wave fell quickly. The three exchanged confident glances, their movements in sync, their powers flowing effortlessly.

"That was almost too easy," Raiden said, smirking as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Don't get cocky," Kaito warned, though a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "We've still got two more waves to go."

The second wave arrived, more fearsome than the last—hulking creatures with thick armor, wielding massive weapons. The boys leaped into action again, but their earlier confidence had gotten the better of them. They moved with less urgency, assuming victory was a given.

Raiden lashed out with bolts of lightning, but missed several targets, his mind already anticipating a win. Zohar danced between the creatures, but his strikes lacked the precision of before. Kaito sent water spears flying, but his concentration wavered, and some of the beasts broke through his defenses.

Despite their mistakes, they managed to take down the second wave, though not without effort. Panting slightly, Raiden glanced at the others, a cocky grin spreading across his face.

"See? Piece of cake," he said, his voice dripping with overconfidence.

Zohar chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe we're better than we thought."

But Zeus's eyes were sharp, his expression hardening as he watched them from his throne. He could sense their growing arrogance, the way they moved with a dangerous lack of caution.

The third wave emerged from the shadows—fierce warriors, much larger than anything they'd faced before, their eyes burning with fury. These were no mere beasts. These were enemies forged in battle, hardened by war, and they came for blood.

Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito charged forward, still riding the high of their previous successes. But this time, the enemies were prepared.

Raiden was the first to make a misstep. His lightning flashed, but one of the warriors blocked it with a shield, countering with a massive blow to Raiden's side. Raiden stumbled, and before he could react, a second warrior struck him across the face, leaving a deep cut just above his cheek.

Raiden cried out, stumbling back, blood dripping from the wound. His eyes flared with rage as he struggled to regain his footing. "You're dead!" he roared, preparing to unleash another storm of lightning.

Before he could strike, Zeus's voice rang out, halting the trial.

"Enough!"

The battlefield fell silent. The warriors disappeared as quickly as they had come, leaving the three boys standing, battered and bruised. Raiden, still seething, wiped the blood from his face, glaring at the spot where his enemy had stood.

Zeus descended from his throne, his face twisted with frustration. His footsteps echoed ominously as he approached the trio.

"What was that?" Zeus barked, his voice a thunderclap. "You let your guard down. You became arrogant, thinking that a couple of easy victories meant you were invincible."

Raiden, still clutching his injured face, opened his mouth to protest, but Zeus silenced him with a look.

"You're supposed to be training for war. Do you think Lucifer's forces will go easy on you? That they'll back off because you won a couple of skirmishes?" Zeus's voice was low, dangerous. "This is no game. The moment you stop treating it like one is the moment you survive."

Zohar and Kaito stood silently, both of them realizing the truth in Zeus's words. Their arrogance had gotten the better of them, and it had cost them.

Zeus continued, his eyes flashing with anger. "You're strong, yes. But strength without focus, without discipline, is worthless. Do you understand?"

The boys nodded, their earlier confidence shattered. They could feel the weight of their failure sinking in.

"You'll be facing enemies far worse than what you saw today," Zeus said, his tone softening just a fraction. "And if you want to survive—if you want to protect the ones you love—you'll have to be better. You'll have to be smarter. Because one mistake...one moment of carelessness, and it's over."

Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito stood there, bruised, bloodied, and humbled. They knew Zeus was right. They had been reckless, and they had paid the price.

"Now," Zeus said, his voice cold but steady, "take a moment to recover. But don't forget this lesson. Next time, there will be no stopping the trial. You either fight, or you die."

With that, Zeus turned and strode back to his throne, leaving the boys to grapple with the gravity of his words. This wasn't just training anymore. This was survival.

And they still had a long way to go.

Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito stood there, taking deep, shaky breaths as they tried to steady themselves after Zeus's harsh words. The weight of their mistakes hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, none of them spoke. The pain from their injuries was nothing compared to the realization that they had let their overconfidence get the better of them. They had let their guard down—and it almost cost them.

Just as the silence between them became unbearable, a booming voice broke through the tension. Hercules, the legendary hero himself, strode into the training grounds, his massive frame exuding both power and warmth.

"Hey, don't be too hard on yourselves," Hercules said, his deep voice carrying a strange sense of reassurance. He clapped a heavy hand on Raiden's shoulder, making him wince but also grounding him in the moment. "Training like this isn't easy. It takes time. Patience."

The boys looked up at him, seeing both a hero and a warrior who had clearly endured his own trials.

"But," Hercules added, his voice growing serious, "never, and I mean never, let your guard down. That's how you die."

The words hit them hard. Coming from Hercules, a warrior who had fought countless battles, they carried an extra weight. There was no room for complacency. In the battlefield, every second mattered.

Zohar nodded, still catching his breath, "We got cocky."

Kaito sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "Yeah. And now Zeus probably thinks we're amateurs."

Hercules chuckled, though it wasn't unkind. "Zeus is tough, but he's been around long enough to know that everyone starts somewhere. What matters is how you respond now. You can either learn from this or make the same mistake twice."

Raiden, who had been nursing the cut on his cheek, finally let out a slow breath and nodded. "We're not making that mistake again."

Hercules smiled, his expression one of approval. "Good. You've got potential. I can see it. But potential doesn't mean anything if you don't work for it."

The boys exchanged glances, their earlier frustration starting to shift into determination.

"You'll get there," Hercules continued, crossing his arms as he stood before them. "But remember—there's no victory without struggle. The greatest warriors were once in your position, questioning themselves, doubting their strength. But they pushed through it."

Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito absorbed his words, their resolve hardening. They knew they had a long road ahead, but this was just the beginning of their journey to becoming the warriors they were destined to be.

"Thanks, Hercules," Raiden said finally, a small smile returning to his face.

"Yeah, we needed that," Zohar added.

Kaito grinned, "We'll be ready for the next round."

Hercules clapped his hands together, his grin wide. "That's the spirit! Now get back out there and show Zeus you're not here to waste time."

As Hercules turned to leave, the boys stood a little taller, their confidence shaken but not broken. They knew they had a long way to go, but they also knew they wouldn't face it alone.

With renewed determination, they prepared themselves for the next stage of their training, knowing that this was just the beginning of their path to greatness.

Zeus stood at the edge of the arena, watching Raiden, Zohar, and Kaito with an intense gaze. His question hung in the air for a moment before he spoke again.

"Are you ready?"