Nemesis POV

Hera sure did give me the shorter end of the stick by making me openly betray the council of gods right before everyone's eyes, the others are definitely spectating all of this from somewhere...but no matter...I don't care for the drama nor do I plan on dragging things out. I'm here to get the job done.

I manifested my scales, the eternal symbol of my role. Goddess of balance. The moment I did, I felt it...the power of Apollo surging, but it was nothing I couldn't match. The scales tilted slightly, and with a flick of my wrist, I balanced our strengths. His power? It was vast, but now I would be equal to him. Apollo locked eyes with me nervously. He knew exactly what I was doing, but that wasn't going to stop me. He raised his bow, but before he could act, I was already moving.

I charged forward and Apollo braced himself, but he wasn't ready for what came next. With the scales now tipping in my favor, I swung my arm, and he blocked that side with his bow, but I then switched up and swung the scale with my other hand, the force of my strike sent him staggering back. Artemis, ever the opportunist, loosed an arrow just as I made contact. It streaked through the air, whistling with the cold bite of the moon's energy. It struck Apollo square in the head and caused him to go into a daze.

"Hold him!"

Perfect timing. Before he could recover, I decided to deal with those remaining armored gargoyles once and for all. They circled above us, a dark cloud of screeching beasts, blocking out the sky. It was an eyesore.

I raised my hand and tapped into Apollo's own essence...his sun. I could feel the heat, the raw energy coursing through me, burning in my veins. With a single motion, I unleashed it, turning Apollo's power against the gargoyles. A burst of solar fire erupted into the sky, and the gargoyles screeched in agony as the flames engulfed them. Their black armor melted, wings turning to ash as the searing light consumed them all.

Apollo recovered from Artemis's arrow strike, shaking his head like a wolf shaking off water as he exploded into flames, he then held his head as Aphrodite's daughter overwhelmed his mind. His eyes burned as he then summoned flames to his hands to prepare for close hand-to-hand combat.

"Still the same tricks, Apollo? You'd think centuries would've taught you something new."

He didn't reply, just charged, and his body exploded in fire. His fist was now blazing with the intensity of a star as the scales tipped back into a balance. He charged at me and swung it, but I raised my scales to effortlessly absorb the impact. I then tipped the scales back in my favor as I could see the fire in his eyes falter as he felt the power drain from his blow. I stepped into his guard, swinging my fist directly into his midsection, the sheer force of the punch sending him flying back across the battlefield.

He hit the ground hard, skidding through the sand. The sun god coughed, spitting out golden blood as he staggered to his feet, but I was already there, not giving him a moment to breathe. This wasn't a game. He needed to be put down. Apollo raised his bow, eyes narrowed, and loosed an arrow wreathed in pure sunlight. It streaked toward me faster than a mortal could blink, but I twisted, sidestepping the shot. The arrow slammed into the ground behind me, erupting in a blinding explosion, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

But I didn't stop.

I closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye, my scales shimmering as I swung them toward his head. He barely blocked the strike with his bow, but the force sent him staggering again, his knees buckling from the sheer impact. Apollo snarled, fury taking over as he summoned more of his solar magic. A corona of light burst from him, his eyes glowing with godly power. He hurled bolts of searing heat at me, each one powerful enough to vaporize a mortal, but I wove through them effortlessly. The flames licked at my skin, but they did nothing. I kept pressing forward, unrelenting.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He tried to create distance, firing off arrow after arrow, each one infused with deadly power, but I deflected them all with a simple flick of my wrist, the scales turning his strength against him. Each step I took forward caused his confidence to waver. With a surge of my power, I tipped the scales completely in my favor. Apollo's energy faltered. His flames, once an inferno, dimmed, the light in his eyes flickering. I could see the panic now, the realization that this wasn't a fight he could win.

I lunged forward, striking him across the chest with my scales, and the force sent him flying back again. This time, he didn't bounce up as quickly. He staggered, blood dripping from his mouth, his golden armor dented and broken into pieces.

He tried to summon his flames again, but they were weaker now, barely more than a flicker. His arrows of light, once deadly and precise, were sluggish, and easy to avoid. I dodged each one without effort, closing the distance between us again. He swung his bow at me like a weapon, desperate, but I caught it mid-swing and kicked him down. The look of shock in his eyes was almost amusing. I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground, the impact creating a crater beneath us.

"Now...just one more problematic one."

The scales in my hands trembled as the balance shifted once more, the power I had drawn from Apollo ebbing away, but there was just enough left. I could feel it slipping, the raw energy of the sun coiling within me, waiting to be unleashed before it would fade entirely. I turned my gaze toward the distant horizon where Skadi still stood. I then gathered what remained of his sun's power, focusing it into a single, concentrated point. A brilliant orb of golden energy formed in my palm, growing brighter and hotter with each passing second.

I glanced at Artemis, who was already moving, she caught my eye for just a moment, understanding the plan without needing a single word. She vanished in a flash of silver light, teleporting Viper, Mike, and Leon away from the battlefield, ensuring they were out of Skadi's range. I could see her reappear in the distance, the three of them safe, but for now, my focus remained on the huntress.

Skadi's body stiffened, sensing the impending strike. She lifted her rifle, aiming in my direction despite her blindness, trusting her instincts. But it wouldn't matter. The moment she pulled the trigger, the bullet would never reach me. I hurled the blazing orb of Apollo's power straight at her. It streaked through the air like a comet, tearing through the snow and the wind, the sheer force of it igniting the ground in its path. Skadi, in her arrogance, tried to dodge, her body twisting at the last possible second. She was fast, and agile, even without her sight, but it wasn't enough.

The orb slammed into her chest with the force of a collapsing star.

Skadi cried out, her body engulfed in the golden flames of the sun as the explosion rocked the battlefield. The sheer heat of it turned the snow beneath her to steam, the sand to glass. For a moment, her outline could be seen in the inferno, struggling, clawing at the air as if trying to escape. But she couldn't. No one could escape the power of the sun.

With a final scream, Skadi was struck down, her body crumpling to the ground in the distance as a glowing orb flew out of her body and floated on top of her...her godly essence...if I erased that, I would take away her divinity...and if someone got their divinity stripped unwillingly...it would kill them and erased their soul...but I'm not that cruel.

I stood there for a moment, letting the scales return to balance, feeling the last remnants of Apollo's power fade away. The battlefield was silent now, the air heavy with the aftermath of the fight. The gargoyles had been destroyed, Apollo was defeated, and Skadi was no longer a threat. It was done.

I then turned to see Lux running toward my direction, and Artemis also leading Leon and the others here...the 2 have grown well...but they are nowhere near as powerful as we need them to be yet...but progress is progress.

'Artemis, help me capture Apollo, my boss will need him."