024: Friends

As if they were two personified stars, the archons fought to the death in the ruins of the temple, the light and lightning shattered the stone and filled the marble with blessings while the phalanxes of both warriors prepared to resume their assault. The cuts that Niko received weakened his strength enormously, Laconia tried to heal his wounds as quickly as possible, but in just a few moments they would return to the siege and the young thracian brought his face close to Asterion ear.

-I don't think I can beat any of them, I'm sorry captain.

When he was about to drop his sword out of exhaustion, Asterion grabbed his sword by the edge to stop his fall.

-You and I are the key to winning Niko; I already told you that.

While the polemarch said those words Laconia and Lita returned to combat, this time Laconia would face the bestiary, caestus and enemy polemarch at the same time.

-I will give you your chance polemarch, do it quickly.

Lita huge arrows crossed their heads and hit the arrow of the enemy sagittarius.

-Stop crying kid go be useful to us.

Niko didn't understand where Asterion trust in him came from, the semi-hydra bestiary was far more competent than anyone who wasn't an archon and Lita unique blessing could be used as a trap much more effectively compared to his blessing.

-We are weak captain, what can we do?

Hearing the word "weak" Asterion's eyes seemed to light up, as if the gears in his head had finally finished their function and now only the execution remained.

-It is because we are the weakest that we can win this fight. GET UP!

- Σφυρηλάτηση -

- Σφυρηλάτηση -

Laconia fire armor shone brightly to counterattack the enemy formation as did that of redhead polemarch, both covered in intense flames as their swords collided a small explosion arose from the impact as each of the fire arrows that formed from the bestiary blessing tried to hit the seal of the one-horned ram on the warrior chest, but the polemarch was only the distraction and as long as her own favor continued to defend the seal she would not perish, her companions defended her instantly and Laconia received a powerful hammer blow from the side, she would have flown to the end of the labyrinth if it were not because before the blow she stuck her sword against the stone weapon.

- Δύναμη -

The head of the stone hammer exploded with tremendous force, Laconia tried to use her wings to defend herself when she heard her enemy asking for the favor but they were completely useless, the stones tore and destroyed every skin and bone on them, the unimaginable pain prevented the warrior from dodging or blocking the next blow.

- Υιός -

The caestus turned into lightning hit the bestiary with all its strength, however it only managed to move it a few feet, the strength of the bestiary had stopped the electric bullet.

-You don't even compare to the minotaurs.

As she said those words, Laconia kicked her enemy stomach with all her might, throwing her back to her group. Despite her attitude, the bestiary was destroyed. She had withstood the direct attack of two favors and didn't know if she would survive the next one. Even so, she never stopped doubting Asterion, who explained his plan to his thracian as quickly and vaguely as he could.

-All I need is for you to block a single attack from his thracian and then throw a lightning bolt at me.

-Huh?

There was no time for questions anymore, the thracian enemy armed with his swords and wind was approaching to cut them down in the blink of an eye.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

-I trust you Niko.

The young man saw how his polemarch ran towards Laconia, he was not a priority for the enemy thracian so he was completely ignored, Niko on the other hand was a mess, he barely had time for a breath and to think about how to resist his enemy attack and while everything seemed to slow down, he only thought of using the strategy that he had already seen work, the victory of the weak.

- Υιός -

Niko blessed by Zeus turned into his lightning and launched a suicidal charge against his opponent, he only needed to survive one attack, the hooded thracian with his swords in hand launched an X-shaped slash against the boy, he was in no condition to dodge another attack and blocking it with his sword would only avoid the cut of the swords, but the wind would destroy his body so he bet on his only asset, with the speed of lightning Niko was faster than his enemy arm movement, the sword in his left hand he managed to prevent the thracian right sword from completing its course by hitting it at the base of the edge, but the left sword continued its course so the young man tried to grab his opponent wrist, however due to the inertia gained the attack was inevitable so Niko used every bone and flesh of his forearm to delay his death for at least one breath, that was all the time he needed.

-SMOKE!

The bestiary upon hearing that word from her polemarch immediately released a giant cloud of smoke over herself, she knew nothing of Asterion plan and blinding herself could be her downfall, but the heleny without stars had asked her for a favor and she fulfilled it towards her blessed one, the smoke covered her, the three opponents and Asterion, at the same time Niko before being cut in half landed a powerful headbutt against the enemy thracian, his hood fell back and the ram symbol on his forehead lit up and immediately a ray of light pierced the man head, both thracians fell against the stones, Niko was about to fall unconscious, the headbutt almost broke his skull and his right arm was vertically cut in two, if it weren't for the seal being activated immediately perhaps his entire body would be like that, he put his left hand in front of him and desperately searched for Asterion in the smoke without success.

-Useless kid.

Lita shrank her bow and ran to help Niko, the enemy sagittarius arrows went straight towards her and using her arms transformed into bear claws she protected herself from two arrows that would have destroyed her, once she was on the thracian she enlarged her weapon again.

-What are you looking for?

-Cap-tain.

The doe lightly buried her bow against the stones and from it several strings made of roots were buried in the ground, Lita tensed the immense bow with both hands while it was held against the floor and launched an arrow with all her strength, the projectile went at such speed that it dissipated much of the smoke, but it did not hit anything other than the wall, an arrow from the enemy sagittarius was blocked by the cynocephalus paw, but this time she could not dodge the damage, much of her forearm was torn off and Amphitrite blessing caused the arrow to absorb a lot of blood from her body.

-You better make this work 'Terion.

Niko with his eyes half open smiled.

-It will.

A small spark was shot from Niko fingers towards his polemarch, as soon as the smoke dispersed Asterion jumped armed with a sharp piece of white stone against the red-haired polemarch, the fire armor counterattacked automatically burning Asterion body with small igneous arrows, but he had already jumped against the warrior, unless she roasted his body to ashes the polemarch would fall on her, seeing that in the distance the fingers of his young thracian were illuminated she understood in a moment the situation, the electricity would run through his entire body and when he fell on the polemarch the seal would be activated immediately, understanding this she immediately took out her rapier and pointed it at her enemy head, with its length it would be easy to deflect his fall and he would kill his opponent in a moment, the plan had been disarmed.

-Your stupidity never knew had limits, starless.

The red-haired polemarch sword cut from the first phalanx of Asterion middle finger, running through his knuckle, his hand and his forearm. The sword bent and walked towards his eye as the polemarch tried poorly to move his face away from the tip of the blade.

-I know.

Asterion received a small spark on his back and Zeus blessing ran through his entire body to the tip of the fingers of his left hand where he carried the white stone that the enemy polemarch detected too late.

-Marble.

The sharp stone in Asterion hand extended just an inch, but it was enough to pierce the redhead polemarch eye, her rapier also did the same and both strategists received a small cut on their pupils, but it was only she who hesitated for just a moment, the sword that would have pierced the polemarch brain was deviated when she lost her eye, the extension was only a tiny ray that could have been generated simply by friction, but it was the result of a blessing which hit the red-haired polemarch on her forehead in the symbol of Jason.

-Bastard-.

The ray of light pierced the head of the redhead polemarch of Silaus and Asterion fell to the ground, his body was covered in burns and his eye was full of blood, but he was still breathing, Laconia ran to stand in front of him so that he would not receive more damage.

-Polemarch!

-We won.

Seeing how their thracian and polemarch were defeated by the weaker members of the enemy, the phalanx decided to lower their weapons, the mark of slavery was too much of an obstacle even for them, the caestus approached Laconia with teary eyes.

-We surrender, allow us to recover the bodies of our companions

The bestiary looked back at her polemarch who gave her a nod of approval.

-Go ahead.

Laconia quickly approached Asterion to heal his wounds, but he pointed his eye at Niko.

-If I delay, I will not be able to heal your arm.

-It is not that it will serve much purpose either.

The bestiary brought her hand to his wounded eye and quickly a heat invaded the socket, the blood burned and the pain stopped.

-But this still serves us polemarch.

After saying this she ran to the unconscious thracian on the stones while Lita put the two broken halves of his arm together.

-I have to admit that you are quite brave, kid.

Laconia barely reached them and began to heal Niko's broken arm, wounds that take too long to heal using blessings cannot be cured, meanwhile Lita watched Laconia face.

-It seems that you didn't even try.

-We still have the biggest one left.

-Do you think we would have won if it weren't for this damn mark?

-No...

-... Hell, having to resort to this atrocity, your polemarch is certainly a bastard.

Asterion slowly approached the group with a slight smile, he was proud that his plan worked, defeating a phalanx is a difficult task even with the advantage of an archon on your side, when he was just a few steps away a minotaur armed with a club came out from behind him about to give him a mortal blow.

-ASTERION!

The polemarch looked back and realized that the cynocephali who were helping them had been massacred by the minotaurs controlled by Silaus, the polemarch was too distracted in the fight that he forgot his valuable allies, overwhelmed by strength and numbers each and every one of them perished.

-'TERION!

Lita tried to transform her bow as quickly as possible, but tensing it would take too long, Laconia was healing Niko and put her sword aside, by the time she was armed it would be too late. Asterion saw everything as if time had slowed down, the empty and expressionless face of the minotaur seemed to have a tremendous hidden rage that would never be revived because he would die in a while because of Silaus, the polemarch did not even try to raise his left arm to protect himself, not because it was destroyed by the blade of his previous enemy but because part of himself was already tired of continuing to fight against his own weakness. Niko regained some of his consciousness and his half-open eyes were watching his leader.

-… Captain…

The minotaur's face made him remember the last time he had been happy without being afraid of the future, the last time he had felt hope in this world.

-Bran…

Five hundred and sixteen years after Helena