205 Gods And Monsters (3): Back Home Again

Not a second later after he spoke, Thor launched himself once again at them, eager to witness just what had exactly changed, and if that change would be enough to make this fight a worthy one.

His target, naturally, was Seth. As the only one that was remotely capable of matching him in physical strength, he was the primary foe the redhead wanted to go against. After all, wasn't a clash of raw power with one's fists one of the best things in battle?

Unfortunately, his original intention didn't manage to take into account a tiny detail. A certain someone didn't go through the trouble of almost losing his sense of self and disappearing into the deep abyss just to stand there doing nothing.

In one moment, Thor found his fist stopped by a pair of lance axes, and in the next, his own body was flung in such a magnitude that it made him break several walls along the way, sending him flying through numerous chambers with ease.

One needed only to remember that Thor's earlier blows — despite him clearly not using his full strength — were only able to make them cave in the white restrictions of marble. However, this one strike surpassed it by a large margin.

"I might not be used to being a guardian, but that doesn't mean I will let you get to my Master that easily." Fast, that was the only way to describe Asterios' actions. Even so, his strength was what stood out the most. To go from having difficulties withstanding a 'casual' punch, to then easily swat away like a fly a more serious attack; no doubt that was what had to be considered the most.

'No wonder... He might not have the Sun Authority, but Seth did say that he was the successor of Helios, so he might have a blessing of sorts related to it. Authorities of that kind are known for boosting every aspect of a God to unimaginable levels, more often than not making them the center of a Pantheon. It makes sense then why Berserker got so strong all of a sudden. I have to admit it; he is a crazy fool, but at least he knows how to boost our forces.' Khronos had to admit that he didn't like the way they went about it, especially because he was not aware of this plan. Because he doubted this was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Now that he thought about it, having the Minotaur just set up the Labyrinth and then be a spectator 'enjoying' the show sounded almost like a joke. He could have come up with numerous ways to be more efficient and save themselves from having a dead weight with them. This, though, changed the whole panorama.

The God in question being cursed just nodded at the handiwork of his Servant. Since the transformation was a recent thing, he expected Asterios to suffer a bit getting used to it, but it seems his initial concerns were misplaced. Still, he would continue to keep an eye out just in case a problem arose. But for now...

"Let's go. I doubt that was enough to hurt him in the slightest." In part, because the Divine Monster was still getting used to his newfound strength, so the blow was not as powerful as it could have been. Besides, with his resilience, it would be too good to be true if that could take him down.

Following his own orders, Seth dashed through the regenerated holes of the Labyrinth with Asterios and Khronos following closely behind.

It was only thanks to his instincts that the black-haired man arched his torso back just in time to avoid a lightning punch swung, ironically, like a hammer. The Kingslayer observed with bewilderment how some thin strands of hair were burned to crisps, though thankfully it was not his face the one to suffer that fate.

"That was much better." The only answer he got was a grunt and a kick in the chest. However, thanks to the odd angle Seth found himself in, it didn't do much other than getting Thor a few meters away from him.

That was enough, however, as the distance was enough for Khronos to act. Sharing a quick glance with Asterios who was a little ahead of him to come up with something on the spot, he got to work immediately since it was time for him to have a more active role.

With that in mind, as soon as he got closer to the action, Archer's Magical Energy spiked for a brief moment. Extending his hand toward the Thunder God, the redhead found himself falling down in a hole that had suddenly appeared on the ground, only to reappear on the ceiling much to his surprise.

As if that weren't enough, Asterios quickly rammed his descending body like a truck, making Thor crash down like a meteorite. If the ground hadn't been reinforced beforehand, he would have landed more than a couple of floors below them. Nonetheless, as he didn't want this to become a game of chasing, Asterios made sure to pour enough of his Mana on the white floor to prevent that from happening. 'Funnily' enough, the impact still managed to create a small hole where the God lay resting.

Though, the grin that he was carrying despite their attacks was still unnerving. Fortunately, that was short-lived when Seth dropped a knee onto his chest with such force that a shockwave was created, cracking the ground further in the process.

The Norse God coughed blood from the attack, finally giving signs of being wounded for the first time since the battle began.

Not wanting to let up, Khronos sent numerous clocks that slowly surrounded Seth, taking his body as a cover before firing several beams at the fallen God. The black-haired man then got away with a jump, not wanting to get hurt by accident.

However, just as he moved away, lightning was heard, and his face was grabbed in a tight grip soon after. Thor reappeared before him in a flash with a moderate-size bruise on his chest and multiple wounds on his chest that were slowly bleeding out. Even so, his back was fine, showing that the said wounds weren't deep. What's more, the redhead quickly cauterized them with his own power as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Yes... Yes! Like that!" Saying that with a smile on his face showing that he was getting unnecessarily excited, Thor moved again with incredible speed, making it seem like he had disappeared.

His location was soon revealed as he smashed the back of Seth's head against a wall, deciding to do a parade across it, all while laughing like a maniac.

Obviously not happy with his situation, Seth punched Thor in the face getting little to no results, until the situation reached a point where he got tired of being the man's venting tool, not helped by the fact that the Æsir God was burning his face with lightning.

Ultimately, Seth blew his foe away with a burst of wind, finally separating each other apart, and making him come to a halt. He was still able to see his attacker get caught in Asterios' hand by the legs — his weapons nowhere in sight — before being slammed onto the ground with tremendous force. His fist then began to burn in bright orange flames, pummeling the downed foe repeatedly.

At that moment, Khronos manifested at his side with an outstretched hand toward his face. "I hope you take this more seriously. There is a limit to how much I can do this for you."

Seth's wounds began to reverse at a noticeable speed. The blood on his head as well as the burn marks on his face swiftly disappeared after a few seconds. He also relaxed his right arm, which was hidden from Archer's view. He had been ready to strike in case the white-haired man meant some funny business.

"Shut up. My head already hurts enough to add your complaints into the mix." Saying so, he got up just in time to see Asterios retreat, his face showing neither joy nor panic. He would have liked to continue his assault, but his instincts warned him to let go. The ones that issued the alarm weren't those of his Servant self, but those of his God one.

"Ahhh... cough... you certainly hit harder than before, beast. I have to admit that letting you complete your transformation was totally worth it. Now I am debating if I should hang your head as decoration on the halls of Vallhalla or simply keep you as my hunting companion." Asterios frowned at the redhead who was standing up but said nothing. Even if he wanted to, he had other things to worry about, like how the atmosphere was becoming heavier by the second.

The world around them seemed to be losing a bit of its color, gaining a gray hue. The sound of static was also becoming more and more noticeable with each passing moment. It was obvious that Thor was starting to use his Authority for real now.

"Letting my pray fight back is fine and all, but I think it is time I remind you that you are the ones being hunted." He then pointed a finger at them as the edges of his lips curved upward.

"þruma." A simple word that made their whole world flash blue without them being able to stop it. Thor watched as the light engulfed them in an instant before a loud bang filled his ears, with the ensuing shockwave not taking too long to arrive, making his long hair dance in the air unrestrained.

Observing the smoke that resulted from his attack, the Æsir God was quick to notice a big shadow that seemed to be trembling a bit. It was only after some time happened and the dust cleared that he could see what it was with clarity.

'A... cat?' What Thor considered as a simple feline was in reality panther over three meters tall with streaks of blue lightning cursing all over its body. The said animal had its muscles spasming at the attack but otherwise seemed fine. However, that was only thanks to the color of its fur. In truth, the panther was badly burned, and only thanks to its tough pelt it was that it didn't get a scar—or worse, killed on the spot.

Beneath the black animal laid the crouching forms of Asterios and Khronos; the former covering for the latter as the protection of the black animal was insufficient. If he were honest, Seth would have liked to use something with more defense than his current form. Unfortunately, the ones capable of taking that attack like nothing were colossal in nature, so he would have ended up crushing his two allies under his weight, possibly creating a way out of the Labyrinth as well.

It was only through instinct that he chose this form, and while it was not the best, he couldn't complain as it got the job done. That was if he didn't take into account the searing sensation on his torso and his numb limbs.

Nevertheless, since he was already like this, he might as well take advantage of it, and if it was possible, deeply scar Thor as revenge. While it was true that he didn't want to kill him, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of his hits all the time either.

Capitalizing on that thought, Seth started to shake his body like a dog to get rid of the paralysis, causing a strange look from the redhead himself, not knowing what was the point of the transformation. He made sure to let his thoughts be known to the other party.

"Why are you not reverting back yet? I don't have any itches, so I don't need you to scratch anything." He said that with the most deadpan voice he could muster, showing that he didn't say it with disdain or as a joke. He was honestly curious.

Not wanting to dignify his opponent with a reply — not that he could anyway —, Seth just released a threatening growl at the same time Thor noticed that lightning was still coursing around the animal's body, causing him to frown in thought.

'Strange. I made sure to disperse my attack. He should be free from my lightning.' It took a few moments, but an idea came up to his head, making his eyes widen. 'That's not mine. That beast is capable of—!'

"Guh!" Before he could even finish his thought process, Seth had already 'slapped' him with his paws against one of the pillars surrounding them. As if that weren't enough, the Shapeshifter rapidly opened his maw, revealing a blue glow similar to the one that had been present during Thor's attack.

Without hesitation, he fired a beam of blue lightning at the still-recuperating God that quickly impacted square in his chest, sending him flying once again, not being able to resist the swift succession of hits.

Not letting up, Seth retreated to where his companions were, making quick-eye contact and conveying to them the rough plan he had in mind, earning a nod of acceptance from the two.

The Kingslayer then turned his head to the fallen God, opening his mouth again, but instead of another beam, he released a dark fog that immediately began to fill the space they were in.

Thor got up just then and acted straight away as he noticed that time was not on his side. The redhead raised his palm before slamming it onto the ground with great speed, creating a burst of wind in all directions which he planned to use to disperse the incoming cloud.

However, much to his surprise, his countermeasure was futile. It wasn't because his defensive attack had been weak, but it simply had no effect whatsoever on the incoming fog as if it wasn't real and only a product of his imagination. Thanks to that, he became trapped without being able to do much about it.

It didn't take long for Thor to notice some irregularities. This was no mere 'mist' where his vision was just impaired. No, here he was in total and absolute darkness. If someone told me that his opponent had taken all the colors in the world, leaving only black, he would believe me without a shred of doubt. Not only that, but he also noticed that his sense of smell had become non-existent.

Now, he was not some kind of hound that could distinguish smells just like that, but he, for sure, could detect the scent of an animal like that cat or minotaur. Unfortunately, that seemed to be an out-of-reach thing at the moment.

The zapping sound of lightning soon reached his ears, showing that he at least retained that sense. By reflex he looked around, even though it was obviously useless in this dark world, unaware of a pair of golden eyes looking at him from above.

And so, the creature jumped off the ceiling soundlessly.

The descent was fast, like the Æsir God's reaction. Just through instincts alone, Thor was able to notice the incoming attack and reacted accordingly. From the ground around him all the way to the covered heavens above, a pillar of lightning shot up, engulfing everything across its path.

Sadly, that was not going to end his predicament as in a flash of light, the beast appeared once again, this time at his side with a headbutt, making the God crash against a pillar one more time.

Seth was over him in an instant, and Asterios, who was now on his Master's back together with Archer, took the chance to resummon his new weapons and stab the Thunder God in both shoulders, fully knowing that aiming for vital spots could trigger Thor's instincts and making him miss entirely.

Ironically, living his entire life in this Labyrinth made him used to the dark, so the fog's effects were reduced a great deal on him, allowing Berserker to strike with accuracy where he wanted to. The grunts of the enemy were a nice boon considering all the insults that were thrown at him. Even so, he was aware that complacency would lead to doom and that was why he had to act fast and not get distracted.

Flames shot from his hands gripping his weapons all the way to the tip of the lances in an instant, commencing the process of burning the Thunder God from the inside.

Naturally, though, Thor wouldn't let himself end up a charred corpse without fighting back. Amidst the darkness, he saw those feral eyes looking at him to which he offered a grin in return.

"El...ding." As soon as he said that word, he found himself being bitten by the beast on his torso. The powerful arcs of lightning that were starting to congregate around him began to dissipate at the same time that numerous hieroglyphs expanded from the zone where the panther's fangs were.

It didn't take a genius to realize what Seth was trying to do. 'He is releasing my soul? This is getting too laughable.'

Thor forcefully moved his arms, making his muscles suffer more in the process. One hand was put over the beast's head, while the other found itself gripping one of the burning weapons. 'Let's see if you can absorb this. Himinn!'

This time, it was not only blue lightning that converged around the Thunder God. Purple and yellow flashes of it also manifested in the vicinity.

Seth's hairs started to stand up, warning him of the danger. He looked with reluctance at the symbols appearing on his opponent's body. If Thor was in a weak state, he could guide his soul to the other side without his consent, but things changed if his will remained strong.

It was a poor attempt. Something he tried 'to see if it worked'. A fool's wish, one that would obviously not come to pass. After all, it was never that easy.

'Asterios, release him, we are going to be gravely wounded before succeeding.' With no other choice, he commanded his Servant through their mental link to let go of Thor, something Berserker quickly did.

Seth jumped back immediately to get out of the danger zone, but the redhead merely smirked at their actions. They wouldn't be getting away any time soon.

Just then, Thor noticed how the black fog was being pulled back, slowly but surely revealing his target's location trying to run away from one of the holes in the wall. They stopped, and so did he.

Looking up, a new foe seemed to have joined the fray.

"Ah... This place kinda sucks, but a man's gotta do what he's gotta do, I guess. You don't mind if I join you in your hunt, do you, Thunder God? I have some accounts to settle with the minotaur over there, you see."

Ikarus had just come to even the field.