"You——"
Ares felt his millennium-old language system suddenly falter. Athena beside him also looked stern, but the red-haired blacksmith at the back gave a thumbs-up with a straightforward comment, "He's not as handsome as you."
"Well said! I'll go easy on you later!"
William nodded in satisfaction and lightly tossed the Lightning Spear in his hand. As for the selected target—naturally, it was someone who, when fighting, liked to stand still, arms raised to take on everything.
And Ares indeed acted just as William imagined. The dimmed golden totem on his body flared up wildly again, even exuding a menacing blood-red hue. He actually took William's Thunder Spear head-on, then jumped forcefully, soaring into the sky, and swung his fists towards William—
Witnessing this, William didn't evade. He just stared as the golden meteor rushed towards him. It was only when it got close that he leisurely drew a bright silver Magic Rune in front of him with his Magic Wand—
In the next moment, the Rune vanished into the void, and an almost imperceptible transparent ripple spread out from in front of William.
Ares's mighty punch, capable of shaking mountains, pummeled William's chest, but the expected blood, defenses, or even a ripple did not appear. Instead, Ares felt a weird sensation as if hitting empty space, as if hitting a cushion—
Ares discovered that the tremendous power he unleashed vanished like mud into the sea… wait, it hadn't vanished…
"Returning it to you,"
William said softly.
Next moment, the force replicated almost exactly, exploded starting from William's chest.
"Boom—"
Ares's right arm was blasted back by this force and then "unwaveringly" struck his own face, sending him flying back faster than when he charged, crashing into the remnants of the distant Divine Hall, triggering a more intense collapse.
The dust rose high, clearly indicating the person who crashed in might not be getting up again.
Nearby, Hephaestus's eyelids twitched violently, even slowing his manipulation of flames by a beat.
"Don't get distracted, cripple,"
William's voice whispered like a ghost in the man's ear.
Hephaestus turned his head in horror, only to see William had somehow appeared beside him, close enough to see the electric arcs dancing in his eyes. Without thinking, he swung his half-damaged giant hammer as flames burst around him, forming a fiery ring in an attempt to drive William back.
However, William didn't dodge this time either, using his left hand sword to point directly at the incoming giant hammer.
"Clang—"
At the instant of the metal clash, the expected do-or-die scenario didn't unfold. Instead, when the hammer and sword collided, a dull gray light flickered on Gryffindor's Sword. It seemed like nothing changed, but as the one wielding the sword, William felt it most clearly—
Did the sword just level up?
Worthy of the God of Forging, huh?
William's expression softened as he looked at the red-haired blacksmith before him. He clenched his right fist and pummeled it into the man's face.
It was clear this attack wasn't enough to take the fire god out, only causing him to stagger back a few steps. His giant hammer smashed onto the ground, and hot, seething lava broke through the floor's bounds, with countless ferocious fiery serpents roaring to bite William in the center. But what greeted them was only William's light stomp.
The lava solidified in an instant, including the ground around William. The rising flames turned blue and then began to reverse, surging back toward their original master.
This all transpired within a few breaths. The War God was sent flying, his status unknown, while the fire god was disarmed and confined. Now, only a group of "Athenas" and an old woman hidden in the shadows remained.
"Come out on your own, or shall I bring you out myself?"
Having dealt with the fire god, William flicked his Magic Wand, dusted by the flames, as if he had merely used magic to sweep up, "Of course, I don't suggest helping with... uh, a thorough cleanup of your palace... though if I'm tired, I'll be in a bad mood, and when I'm in a bad mood, I kill..."
The movements of all the "Athenas" froze. Cracks reappeared on their formerly programmed expressions of mercy, as terror spread like a plague.
Then, silence.
At last, as if resolved, every remaining "Athena" fell to the ground like a stringless puppet, turning back into lifeless wood. From under the still intact great column at the original entrance of the Divine Hall, the real Athena slowly emerged.
She appeared rather disheveled—war-torn might not be an exaggeration. Her golden braid was tousled, the luxurious short robe singed and torn in places, and there was even a sword scar crossing from her chest to her back, revealing a sudden flash of skin.
Her face was pale, with fresh blood at the corner of her lips. Her eyes fixed on William, filled with complex emotions—anger, fear, resentment, and a trace of bewilderment.
"What... exactly are you trying to do?"
Her voice had lost its former ethereal charm, tinged with hoarseness and a barely noticeable tremor.
William didn't respond, nor did he even glance at the clearly tempting body. He stowed his Magic Wand into his sleeve, then shot his right hand forward, accurately seizing a ball of air. In the next moment, the air distorted, and a golden-haired woman gripping a dagger struggled, lifted off the ground by William. Meanwhile, the woman who had walked out from behind the column turned back into a lifeless puppet.
"I told you,"
William turned his head, a slight smile forming at his lips as he looked at the ferocious, enraged woman, "that utterly disgusting stench on you makes it impossible for you to hide—besides, this trick of yours was used by one of your colleagues in front of a purple sweet potato essence long ago. It doesn't work anymore, you know?"
With that, he flung the woman to the ground as if discarding a rag.
"Alright, now we can have a proper chat. Of course, if we can't come to terms..."
William's gaze swept over the ruins not far away, the figure of Hephaestus consumed by blue flames, transformed into stone. Finally, his gaze returned to the retching woman at his feet, "Then it's simple, I've known all along, there are certainly more than just you three alive—"