"I've heard of you, Anteas, Son of the Earthshaker, Master of Pankration! I've come here for a challenge. A real challenge! I'd wondered whether you'd live up to the name of the greatest wrestler to have ever lived, but I doubt you would! Why don't you come down here and prove me wrong?", Athos announced, his booming voice reaching the very far ends of the arena. The very next moment, he heard a few chuckles from the crowd.

The eyes of the monsters had immediately shifted from anger to amusement as they had watched a demigod do the equivalent of kicking death in the balls. It was as though he was begging to be killed, as no sane man would dare enrage Anteas, Master of Pankration, somebody who knew the most painful ways of killing both mortals and monsters alike.

Anteas' expression shifted to one of rage.

"Pah! Do you think you are worthy of my attention? Do you truly believe yourself noteworthy of having the honour of dying by my hands? Your arrogance will cost you, half-blood. Your skull shall join the ones that once dared to challenge my authority!", the giant spat, loathing clearly visible in his abyssal black eyes. If there were three things Anteas detested the most, it was if a fighter died without his permission, if a fight was interrupted or if someone insulted his pride as a fighter, and Athos had managed to do all of them.

He then looked to the side, at an armoured dracaenae and spoke, "Release the dogs. Let it be known to everyone, what fate awaits those who slight the son of Poseidon."

"Yesssss, my lord. It ssssshall be done", the dracaenae hissed, giving a slight bow and slithering away. A few minutes later, the ground rumbled and the gates of the arena opened. Two large hellhounds bounded out, their mouths watering as they spotted Athos. They were large, black mastiffs with glowing red eyes, both as big as a rhino. They looked terrifying, but Athos wasn't impressed. Perhaps they were weaker versions, as Mrs O'Leary, Percy's hellhound, was as big as a garbage truck.

The crowd cheered as the monsters came into view, hoping the demigod would get torn to pieces. They always enjoyed a painful death, but obviously, Athos wasn't going to give them that. He didn't bother summoning Leviathan, for he could take care of such weak hellhounds with his bare hands. Moreover, his weapon would be his trump card when he fought Anteas. After all, giving away information that he had the ability to materialise a 4-foot-tall, Stygian Iron axe right before a match would be pure idiocy, especially when fighting someone stronger than him.

As the Hellhounds started to circle him, he shifted to the back stance, his right hand behind his head and his forward hand as an open palm. Seeing that Anteas' eyes twitched. It was a pankration stance.

With a growl, a hellhound lunged forward, its jaws wide open aiming for Athos' throat, but he sidestepped, unleashing a powerful right hook that slammed into the monster's temple. The force of the blow smashed the hellhound against the ground forming a small crater which kicked up a dust cloud. He quickly walked over and stomped his foot twice on the monster's head, crushing it into fine dust.

Stolen novel; please report.

The second hellhound that had managed to circle all the way behind Athos ignored the plight of its companion and dashed forward, hoping to catch him by surprise, but he whirled around grabbing the open jaws of the mutt, preventing it from biting him into two. The hellhound whimpered and tried to free itself, but Athos' grip was akin to steel. His eyes glinted evilly and he yanked its lower jaw downward, literally ripping the hellhound into two halves that exploded into golden dust.

Deafening silence enveloped the arena as several eyes turned their gaze on the arena's host. The demigod had challenged Anteas but was rejected. But now that he had shown his strength...

Athos looked back up at the giant who now wore an ugly frown.

"Is that the best you can do? Hellhounds? Why don't you fight me yourself? Surely, the bloodline of the Great Mother cannot be held by wimps....", he said, spreading his arms wide, taunting the giant.

"Silence! Since you yearn for a visit to the underworld, I shall be happy to send you on your way. Ripping you to pieces will be enjoyable", Anteas growled and leapt off the railing, into the arena, his weight making the ground rumble.

He stood up to his full fifteen-foot height, cracking his knuckles and grinning menacingly, displaying teeth that were also etched in wave patterns.

"Now, let us begi-...wait! You look familiar..", he said, squinting, trying to get a better look at the demigod. That black hair, those electric-blue eyes, that face...he'd seen it all before. His eyes widened in recognition as his face contorted in fear.

"Y-you! You're the spawn of that demon!", He stuttered, taking a few steps back.

Athos sighed. He was hoping this wouldn't happen, but of course, it did. His luck wasn't the best.

Anteas was once hailed as undefeatable, as he was the son of Gaea. Every time a blade met his skin, the earth would respond, rejuvenating him, healing him. For centuries he had thought himself invincible, at least, until Herakles, Athos' father, came along. Finding out that Anteas was unkillable while on the ground, Herakles lifted him up into the air, crushing him in a bear hug, finally putting an end to the prideful giant. How exactly his father managed to wrap his arms around the giant...Athos couldn't tell, but his looks had probably given Anteas some PTSD.

Perhaps he could use Anteas' fear to his advantage.

He turned to the crowd, pointing at the giant and loudly said, "This is your champion? Your host? Scared of someone less than half his size. Hah! What makes you think HE is worthy?"

The monsters in the stands began jeering at Anteas, throwing out insults. The words, 'Coward!', 'Wimp!' and a confused 'buttered bread!' resounded, shaking the giant out of his trance. He looked around him, finding the ones that once praised his every move, now with schadenfreude in their eyes. He slammed his fists together and yelled in anger, his vision becoming tinted with red. He had never suffered such humiliation before. He had to wash it off, lest it spread far and wide.

"ARRRGH! I shall tear you in half, Demigod! You shall know the Earthshakers MIGHT!", he bellowed, before charging, blind with rage.

Athos slowly exhaled and loosened his fists, staring at the enraged giant that was barrelling toward him. He would beat Anteas in his own game, in his own arena. He would beat him to the very same ground he so adored.