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I Refused To Be A Hero
Chapter 26: Aspects

Chapter 26: Aspects

3rd Person POV

Skeletal warriors shattered like brittle bones under their strikes as the group charged forward, while other guards, far less prepared for the riot, were flung aside as Leon led the charge. The sheer ferocity of their attack was like a storm, tearing apart anything that dared stand before them. Debris scattered, spells erupted, and magic clashed with steel as the group moved forward, breaking through each blockade, and gaining ground.

Finally, they reached the west entrance, only to be confronted by a swarm of security guards. These weren't like the ones they had faced before as these were in gold armor, their presence far more intimidating. The gold shimmered in the dim light, each one wielding weapons enhanced with powerful enchantments, their stances rigid, ready for battle. They formed a solid wall, barring the group's escape, and it was clear that this final force was meant to end their rampage. Leon squared his shoulders, eyes narrowing at the golden barrier in front of him.

But before Leon could say anything, explosives were set off beneath the guards. The ground shook violently, a deafening roar echoing through the prison as the golden-armored guards were thrown into the air like ragdolls. Fire and debris erupted from the explosion, chunks of stone and metal hurtling in every direction. The shockwave hit the group, causing them to stumble, but Leon regained his balance quickly, eyes wide at the sudden chaos. The once impenetrable wall of golden guards was reduced to a chaotic mess, smoke and dust filling the air.

"Whew, hopefully, that helped." a voice said as Leon turned to see Sasha

"You changed up your mind?" he asked

"Nope. Anyway, I set up explosives at all the exits, and headed here once I saw you guys...what are you staring for? GO!"

"You need anything done while I'm on the outside?" Leon asked as the others started running, "A god you need to kill?"

"Get a god's favor and request them for a promotion then, I would love to have that other better prison in Elysium."

"Gotcha...I'll find a way to contact you once we're out."

"Sure."

Leon then sprinted to catch up with the others.

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Outside the gates, the chaotic noise of the prison faded as the group reached the shore of the River Styx where Leon quickly made a construct of boats with magic and paddles where they all quickly rushed on and started to row the boat. The Styx hissed and frothed beneath them, but the radiant vessel kept them safe from its deadly currents.

Behind them, the ominous sight of a legion of ferrymen emerged, cloaked figures with hollow eyes rowing menacingly in their direction.

"Incoming!" John shouted, pulling out his bow and nocking an arrow. Barir stood beside him with Betsy. They began firing in sync, arrows, and bolts flying toward the advancing ferrymen, striking them with deadly precision. Some of the ferrymen crumbled, disappearing into the river as their boats capsized, but more kept coming.

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Mike, standing at the stern, clenched his fists and focused. Electricity sparked from his fingertips before he shot them down toward the water. A surge of electric energy shot out, crackling across the surface of the Styx, electrifying it. The water lit up, and the ferrymen's boats were momentarily paralyzed as the electricity rippled through them. Lux summoned a shimmering barrier around the group. The translucent shield glowed faintly, allowing their attacks to pass through but stopping anything from coming in. Arrows and magic bounced harmlessly against the barrier as John and Barir continued to take down the advancing threats.

"Keep rowing!" Leon shouted as he and the rest of the group rowed toward the other side of the river.

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As the group reached the other side of the River Styx, they landed on some sort of desert made of white sand, they jumped out and ran across the vast desert, disappearing from sight. Meanwhile, Hermes stood before Hades, watching everything unfold from a distance.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" Hermes asked, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.

Hades, seated calmly on his dark throne, barely glanced at him.

"Why would I?" he replied in a low, and deep voice, "Escaping is in a person's nature. I'm not interested in following all the rules set by other gods. Besides, I'm not particularly invested in stopping them. Not my concern."

"You're something else, Hades. Always been the outlier among the gods."

"I follow my own rules, Hermes. You know that better than anyone."

The god of trickery sighed, leaning casually against the nearby column. His gaze wandered back to the fading light of the boat, now far across the Styx.

"You know, that mortal...Leon...he's stronger than I expected. I haven't seen that kind of raw strength in someone since Heracles became a god after death." he commented.

"Me neither." Hades agreed as he then waved his hand to have his staff sort out the chaos, "And you don't seem all that scared of him."

"Why should I be?" Hermes responded with a smirk, "He's just a mortal. Dangerous, sure, but still just a mortal. There are many gods who are much stronger than I am."

There was a long pause, and then Hades spoke again.

"Who are his parents?" he asked.

Hermes' smirk disappeared, replaced by a more serious expression as he shifted uncomfortably, the question clearly weighing on him. He hesitated before answering as if considering his next words carefully.

"Why do you ask?" he deflected.

"His abilities," Hades said, "They remind me of Ares."

"I'll tell you, but only if you swear on the Styx not to reveal it to anyone else."

"I swear on the Styx."

"The twins are the children of Juno."

"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting. Hera-"

"Not Hera, Juno." Hermes corrected, "She had them in her Roman form."

"Roman form...I'm much weaker in that aspect. How much stronger?"

"Mine is around the same level, but for people like Ares and Hera...they're more powerful. More warlike in her Roman guise. She's not just the goddess of marriage and family, as you'd think of Hera. One of her aspects was Juno Sophista, a strategist and far more fierce. Leon got most of Juno's warlike aspects, Juno Sophista's powers run strong in him." He explained, "The kid's a warrior through and through, almost reminds me of Ares in his prime, but with better control. He's got her fire, her battle instincts. Lux, on the other hand, inherited Juno Lucina's powers, the goddess of childbirth, protection, and light. She's a healer, a protector. Different, but still powerful in her own right."

"And their father? Who could father such strong children with Juno?"

"You know Hera...she wouldn't go against her own values."

"So like Hephaestus?"

"Yeah..." Hermes confirmed, "But this time, she made sure they were born perfect. No deformities, no weakness. Just pure strength and purpose. She created them herself and raised them for a year before releasing them into the world."

"That doesn't explain his strength."

"It should. Heracles was a powerful demigod, but his strength increased much further when Hera nursed and breastfed him, but that was a one-time incident."

"And this guy got it for a whole year..." Hades realized.

"Well, he does have a weakness, he's not as magically gifted."

"His sister is."

"That's not enough." Hermes replied.

"I know...does Zeus know?"

"Of course not, you know how he is these days."