Leon POV

"Okay, if you are my ex...wait...I was 16! What the fuck!?"

"Hey, gods don't think of age!" Artemis retorted, "Any mortal is young to us."

"Oh my god, you WERE my ex!"

"Oh, shut it. You enjoyed our time together."

"At least wait till I'm 18 or make sure that I'm some reincarnated soul and at least 18 mentally, what's wrong with you?!"

"Artemis? WHy would you date him? Didn't you swear to be an eternal maiden?!" Hermes exclaimed

"I did, but eternity is quite a long time." Artemis replied.

"Ugh, I kissed a god, disgusting. Hermes, you know my parents, I'm not related to her, aren't I?"

"..."

"No..."

"...I'd say no."

"Why hesitate? It's not...am I your brother? I would kill myself if I'm the son of Zeus."

"No, you're not."

"Phew...Evelyn, now!"

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3rd Person POV

Evelyn's eyes narrowed as she hurled a shimmering ball toward Artemis. The moment it made contact, it exploded into a radiant golden net, wrapping tightly around Artemis and bringing her to a halt. Artemis struggled against it, but the enchanted net was too strong, leaving her trapped. She struggled to get out, and any attempts to break free were futile. She then felt cold snow settling on her and suffocating her as she felt her powers slowly slipping away the longer she was trapped.

"Sorry babe, but this is the same one used to catch Mom and Ares in the act." Evelyn said while winking at the goddess, "It was meant for Hermes, but you got in the way."

Lux, standing nearby, raised her hands and cast a large barrier. Golden light erupted from his palms, forming a dome around them, sealing the battlefield. The barrier locked them in and kept everyone else out, ensuring that no one could interfere. John and Barir, stationed at the perimeter, fired off volleys of magic arrows at anyone who dared to approach, expertly keeping potential disruptors at bay. Once the barrier was cast, Leon focused on Hermes and charged forward.

Moments to ambush Hermes didn't come often, and they had to take their chances now. Evelyn made a request to her mother for some help, and she received a portion of the same golden net that was used to trap and catch Aphrodite and Ares in the acts of cheating, it was meant to give them a better chance against Hermes, however, they all decided to use it on Artemis instead since she's the more dangerous opponent.

Hermes wouldn't have expected them to go through with the ambush with such a dangerous goddess nearby, but the group knew that Hermes letting his guard down gave them the best chance. Leon created a construct of brass knuckles and tried to hit the god who was now surprised at the ambush. Hermes only had a grin on his face once he realized what was going on, he dodged Leon's fist effortlessly, moving with a speed that made him blur while also mocking the efforts of his opponents aloud.

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"Gotta be faster than that, boy, working as a messenger requires a certain degree of standards, I've met worse and survived." Hermes taunted.

Mike charged his body up and swung at the god, but even the fastest of the group couldn't catch up as the 2 teamed up on him. Viper cast his dark magic on the god's eyes to temporarily blind him while also slowly taking away the god's heightened senses as Merith created a thick wall of flames to surround them and give Hermes less space to run. However, it was still a difficult task for the 2 as he circled them.

Hermes easily dispelled the spell used to blind, him but it gave Mike just enough time to cover him.

Mike managed to corner him somewhat, but Hermes escaped it easily. However, he was blocked by Leon, who swung at him. But the gods's mirk only widened as he launched forward, landing a sharp punch to Leon's gut. Leon grimaced, absorbing the hit, but he didn't back down as this gave enough time for Mike to catch up and grab the god's leg and not let go, slowing him down.

The god looked down in surprise, trying to shake him off, but Mike held firm, anchoring him in place.

"Now!" Mike shouted.

Leon's body surged with power as he saw the opening. He cocked his arm back, channeling every ounce of strength into his next move. Time seemed to slow as his fist came forward, cutting through the air with destructive force.

The punch landed squarely on Hermes' jaw. The impact was catastrophic. A shockwave rippled out from the point of contact, splitting the ground beneath them. The sound of bones cracking echoed through the battlefield as Hermes' head snapped back, his body flying through the air like a ragdoll. Debris scattered, the force of the blow leaving a crater where they stood.

Hermes hit the ground hard, skidding several feet before coming to a stop. He lay there, stunned and motionless, blood dripping from his mouth. The once smug grin was gone, replaced by disbelief as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Viper got in to take the dropped staff away and kept the snakes in place.

Hermes stumbled to his feet, his vision blurred and doubled from the impact. His body wobbled unsteadily as he tried to shake off the blow, still fazed by the sheer power of Leon's punch. The god's rapid healing was already kicking in, but before he could fully recover, Mike and Leon were on him again.

Mike struck first, delivering a solid punch to Hermes' side, forcing him to stagger. Leon followed up with a brutal uppercut, snapping Hermes' head back. The hits came fast and hard, each one more devastating than the last. Hermes' body tried to heal with every blow, but the punishment was relentless, far outpacing his regenerative abilities.

Hermes tried to fight back, swinging wildly, but his movements were sluggish and unfocused. Leon dodged effortlessly, landing another crushing punch to Hermes' ribs. Mike caught him by the arm, yanking him forward and slamming his knee into Hermes' gut. The god wheezed, gasping for air as the barrage of strikes continued.

Desperate, Hermes spun around and made a break for it, trying to escape the onslaught. But before he could get far, Mike's hand shot out, grabbing him by the back of his collar. With a mighty yank, Mike pulled Hermes back, slamming him onto the ground with a heavy thud.

Leon moved in, his fists clenched and ready. Each punch landed with the force of a cannon, shaking the ground beneath them. Hermes' face contorted with pain as Leon's fists rained down, one after another, his body unable to heal fast enough to keep up with the savage beating. Hermes' body jerked with every punch, his usual arrogance beaten out of him by Leon's relentless assault. Bloodied and bruised, he could barely lift his head, but somehow, he managed to speak between gasps.

"You...you want to reach the end?" Hermes spat out in between the beatings, "It's why we're...I know how!"

Mike and Leon were beating him one-sidedly. And despite his superior physical prowess, Hermes didn't have a chance to counter.

"Thoth," Hermes coughed out, "You need...to find Thoth."

Leon paused for just a second, enough to raise an eyebrow, but his fist came down again, a bone-crunching hit landing square on Hermes' chest.

"How?" he asked.

"Thoth...is in Tartarus."

Another punch. Leon wasn't buying it. Hermes coughed more blood. "

I lied!" he admitted, his voice trembling under the pressure of the constant barrage, "The only way...is to go to the underworld's west entrance and exit through there."

Leon's eyes narrowed, his fist hovering in the air. Hermes, realizing his only way out was to spill the truth, continued quickly, breathless.

"You have to cross the Styx...and go on a two-month journey to reach the Duat. Travel through there," he panted, "Thoth...should be along the way."

"How do we kill a god?"

"I can't tell you that, I'm bound against it."

"Good." Leon replied before delivering the most powerful punch thus far.