Annabeth and Grover stared down at the arena in shock, the color draining from their faces. Both of them grabbed Percy by the shoulders and shook him hard.
"Percy, that's her! That's Thalia!" Annabeth blurted out, eyes wide.
Percy blinked rapidly, looking just as stunned. "But how is she here and not a tree?"
Grover looked around confused and said. "That's what we wanna know!"
Annabeth's gaze snapped upward toward Tet in the V.I.P. box. Tet immediately noticed her staring and, with a playful little smirk, winked at her.
Chiron noticed the exchange and let out a soft, thoughtful sigh. A gentle smile crept onto his face as he murmured to himself, "So this is what it's like to have a chief god that actually cares…"
---
Down in the arena, Thalia strolled toward Tiona, her boots echoing faintly on the stone. Electricity practically crackled in her blue eyes as she sized the Amazon up.
"So," she said, her tone casual but edged with excitement, "how we doing this? I have no plans to use magic, because that'd make this boring."
Tiona crossed her arms eyes narrowing. "We haven't even started and you're underestimating me?"
Thalia only grinned wider. She lifted her hand skyward and unleashed a sphere of lightning that ripped upward like a comet. High above the city skyline, it detonated in a massive shockwave that rolled across Orario. Everyone on the ground staggered as if shoved backward by an invisible force.
Seeing that, Tiona's confidence cracked, her jaw dropping. "Yeah… so I'll agree to the no magic rule. Please and thank you."
Thalia chuckled, the sound bright and dangerous. "Thought you'd see it my way."
She shrugged off her jacket and casually tossed it behind her—straight into the stands—where it smacked Annabeth directly in the face, knocking her onto her back.
Thalia cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Don't lose that, Annie!"
She turned back to Tiona with a feral grin. "Let's have some fun."
Tiona grinned right back, her excitement igniting. "I'd love to!" She dropped into a ready stance, muscles coiled and eyes locked on her opponent.
Ganesha raised both arms and bellowed, "Fighters ready… begin!"
The two women rushed toward each other at high speed, their footsteps thundering across the arena floor. Thalia dipped low as Tiona's Urga sliced through the air above her head the blade whistling past.
Thalia responded instantly, snapping a quick jab toward Tiona's side, her eyes sharp and focused.
Tiona spotted the strike coming and twisted her body just in time, breath catching in her throat as she narrowly avoided it. She counterattacked by swinging Urga downward in a brutal arc aimed straight at Thalia.
Thalia caught the blade between her palms with a metallic clap, sparks jumping from the friction, and yanked Tiona toward her with a fierce pull.
Tiona reacted fast—releasing her weapon without hesitation—and surged forward, her fist cocked back as she aimed a punch at Thalia's face.
Thalia dropped Urga and brought her arms up in an X-shaped guard, bracing herself. The moment Tiona's fist connected, the impact erupted outward in a sharp shockwave that rippled through the arena, rattling banners and kicking dust into the air.
The two warriors stared at each other through the haze, both wearing feral, battle-drunk grins that gleamed with pure exhilaration.
They launched into an all-out melee, no hesitation left between them, trading blow after blow. Each punch and kick came stronger, faster, and heavier than the last, their movements turning into a whirlwind of raw strength and unrestrained thrill.
---
Up in the stands, Hestia leaned forward with a curious little squint and asked Tet, "I thought she finished the game world you put her in. Shouldn't she be a lot stronger than this?"
Tet sighed and replied. "That girl became a genuine battle junkie. She's temporarily sealed off her magic and is suppressing her strength so she can enjoy the fight longer. If she used her actual strength, Tiona would already be unconscious at the very least."
Artemis tilted her head slightly, her calm gaze following the clash below. "When that young Amazon comes over to our side, do you think she'll be willing to join my Hunt?"
Diana immediately shook her head with a knowing frown. "No. Amazons don't swear off men."
Apollo nudged the others and said, "Guys… look at Loki."
They all looked to the other side of the arena to see Loki frozen in place, mouth hanging open in utter disbelief as she stared down at the fight in disbelief.
Rimuru let out a light snort. "It's her own fault. She should have just accepted her loss and moved on."
---
Down in the arena, the fight was getting more intense, the kind of intensity that had electricity skittering through the air. The two girls had fully slipped into the thrill of it, both of them grinning wildly now. They had completely abandoned defense, taking blows head-on instead of blocking.
Thalia drove her fist into Tiona's face, snapping Tiona's head to the side. But Tiona recovered with a feral grin and launched upward, uppercutting Thalia in the stomach hard enough to knock the air out of her lungs.
Thalia gasped but reacted fast, grabbing Tiona's wrist in a tight clamp. With a burst of strength, she lifted Tiona over her shoulder and slammed her straight into the arena floor. The impact cracked the stone and kicked up dust as Tiona coughed blood, a harsh sound strained with stubborn determination.
Thalia spat blood from her own mouth and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. "You had enough yet?"
Tiona slowly pushed herself back to her feet, legs shaking, chest rising and falling in rough breaths. She laughed breathlessly. "No, not really… but can't handle much more. So let's do one more, okay?"
Thalia let out a hoarse laugh, eyes blazing. "Alright. I'll knock you on your ass, then we'll go get cheeseburgers."
Tiona blinked. "The hell's a cheeseburger?"
Thalia frowned, offended on a spiritual level. "Oh yeah, we're fixing that immediately."
The two girls rushed each other one final time. Tiona twisted into a spin kick, her hair whipping behind her, only for Thalia to catch her ankle mid-motion. With a sharp pull, she yanked Tiona in, grabbed her by the hips, and lifted her high before slamming her down in a brutal, arena-shaking powerbomb.
Ganesha, seeing Tiona unconscious, hopped back into the arena with bounding energy. He ran over, grabbed Thalia's hand, and raised it high before shouting, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Give it up for Miss Thalia Grace!"
This time, both sides of the arena erupted into thunderous cheers. Up in the stands, the half-bloods stood as one and began chanting Thalia's name, their voices rolling like a wave across the coliseum.
Thalia, breathing hard but smiling proudly, slung the unconscious Tiona over her shoulder with ease.Then a pillar of light swept over them, and the two were teleported from the arena straight into Tet's V.I.P. box.
When Thalia arrived, everyone inside clapped warmly for her. She grinned, gave a dramatic, exaggerated bow, and gently laid Tiona in a seat.
Tet smiled widely and said. "Well done, Thalia. Here, let's fix you up real quick."
He snapped his fingers. In an instant, both Thalia and Tiona were fully healed, bruises fading like mist under sunlight. Tiona stirred, blinking awake.
"Woah… where am I?" she muttered groggily, sitting up. She looked around, eyes widening as she realized she was surrounded by gods. Her shoulders tensed with sudden nerves—until she spotted Thalia.
"Oh. I guess I lost, huh?"
Thalia gave a small, proud smirk. "Yeah. But don't get down about it. It was fun."
Tiona rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish grin. "Yeah… but one day I want to fight you at your strongest."
Thalia chuckled softly. "That might take awhile."
"It's fine," Tiona said with a determined spark. "I'll catch up."
Tet cleared his throat dramatically, drawing their attention. "Not to interrupt, ladies… Tiona, you remember the stakes, right?"
Tiona stiffened, then nodded. "Oh, right. A deal's a deal."
She walked over and sat down in front of Tet, turning so her back faced him. Tet pricked his finger and placed a single shining drop of his divine ichor onto her skin.
In an instant, Loki's familia mark appeared, glowed, then dissolved. A new emblem replaced it: a king piece sitting across from a hearth on a chessboard. After a heartbeat, the image faded into her flesh.
Tet clapped his hands lightly. "Welcome, my all-important first member."
Tiona's eyes brightened. "Oh! Does that mean I'm captain?"
Tet shook his head with a teasing grin. "Nope. You're not responsible enough."
Tiona deflated like a balloon losing air. "Lame."
Tet leaned back with a playful shrug. "Cheer up. I at least made it so you can see your stats anytime by saying 'status.'"
Tiona lit up again. She tried it, and a glowing holographic screen appeared before her eyes. "That's neat. Thanks, boss."
Tet stretched out his legs. "Alright. Why don't you two go out to the stands? I just conjured food stalls for everybody."
Thalia perked up instantly. "Nice. I'm starving." She and Tiona headed out to the stands, joining everyone else with hungry anticipation.
Apollo glanced at Tet with raised brows. "Hey boss?"
Tet glanced back lazily. "What's up?"
Apollo pointed down toward the arena. "Down there."
Tet followed his gesture to see Loki standing in the arena, foot tapping furiously, steam practically rising off her head.
Tet didn't even bother going down. He just cupped his hands and shouted, "If you want another bet, you have to wait till after the next match! Until then, forget it!"
Loki growled in frustration, stomped her foot, and stormed back to her seat.
---
Ganesha stood proudly in the center of the arena and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, that was quite an entertaining side match! But please, take a moment to refresh yourselves while we repair the arena!"
---
Up in the stands, Thalia practically dragged Tiona toward a food stall brimming with the smell of sizzling burgers. The moment they ordered, a voice cried out over the hum of the crowd.
"Thalia!"
Annabeth sprinted forward and tackled Thalia into a tight, overwhelming hug. Thalia chuckled, patting Annabeth on the back.
"Hey, Annie. You miss me?" she teased with a playful grin.
Annabeth pulled away just enough to glare. "Don't call me that… and yes, I did! How are you not a tree?!"
Thalia shrugged casually, leaning one elbow on the counter. "Our new Chief God pulled me out of the tree a couple years back and sent me to a world called Skyrim. I've been fighting dragons, bandits, and all kinds of other stuff. Getting crazy powers."
Annabeth blinked. "Oh? Like what?"
Thalia held up her fingers, counting off casually. "Oh, I can slow down time, send people flying with my voice, disarm people with my voice, control the weather, breathe fire, ice, and lightning, move at the speed of sound… the list goes on. And that's not even mentioning all the magic weapons and armor I've got stashed away."
Tiona, who was mid–bite into her burger while listening, froze with wide eyes. "You can do all that? Geez, I never stood a chance."
Thalia bluntly responded, "No, you didn't. But thanks for playing."
Tiona puffed her cheeks and pouted, taking another exaggerated bite of her burger.
---
Back with Tet, he hopped down into the arena in a single, casual leap and leaned in to whisper into Ganesha's ear.
Ganesha nodded along. "Uh huh… really? Okay, that sounds exciting!"
Tet flashed a knowing grin and returned to his seat.
Ganesha raised his arms to the audience once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting! The repairs are finished. But I have an announcement! The next match shall be… a tag battle!"
---
Up in Ouranos's V.I.P. box, Loki shot to her feet. "Wait! Did we agree to this?"
Ouranos calmly folded his arms. "I did. I'd prefer things get moving. And if you're going to continue your little grudge matches on the side, it's best we finish both your matches immediately. That way your little side bet will only happen once more."
Freya gave a gentle sigh and a knowing glance. "I mean… really, Loki? Are you still going to risk more of your members for a grudge?"
Loki grit her teeth hard enough to creak. "I can't back out now. I'm in too deep."
Freya shrugged. "Oh well. Don't say I didn't warn you."
---
Back in the arena, Ganesha thrust out a hand toward one side of the battleground.
"Representing Orario are these two!"
Onto the arena stepped a short young man with short blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a purple and gold shirt, purple pants, brown leather armor, and carried a spear confidently at his side.
Next to him stood an elegant elven woman with long green hair and sharp green eyes. She wore a green short dress, black pants, brown leather boots, and a white cape. A staff rested in her hand, glowing faintly with magic.
"Give it up for Captain Finn Deimne and Lady Riveria Ljos Alf!"
The crowd erupted once again into roaring cheers.
When the noise settled, Ganesha turned toward the opposite side with dramatic flair.
"And representing Lord Tet are these two!"
From a portal stepped an intelligent-looking woman with long white hair tied into twin-tails and sharp brown eyes. She wore a long hooded black coat lined with purple accents, a white shirt, white pants, and brown boots. In one hand, she held a long, wavy, thunderbolt-shaped sword. In the other, a grimoire.
Beside her emerged a tall man with short brown hair and disciplined brown eyes. His blue and silver plate mail gleamed, along with matching greaves, gauntlets, and boots. He wielded a massive great axe with absolute confidence.
Ganesha announced, "Introducing the Right and Left Hands of the Exalt of Ylisse… Lady Robin and Sir Frederick!"
Robin smirked with a cocky tilt of her head. "Just follow my lead and we'll be done real quick, Freddy Bear."
Frederick turned beet red, nearly choking on air as he shouted, "I never approved of that nickname, Robin!"