66 Surprise!

The Shark shaped attack launched itself towards Amaterasu. The sun goddess prepared herself. She raised her sword and slashed the attack in half right down the middle causing it to split and rush past her on both sides.

" Ha, was that the best you could sea god? That was pathetic." Amaterasu gloated. Though secretly she was afraid of the attack and had just gotten lucky enough that it was slow.

Poseidon smirked and raised his hand and slowly brought it down.

Amaterasu's eyes widened and she turned around.

A thousand sharp blades formed above her head and with a flick of Poseidon's wrist all started rushing down towards her.

' SHIT!' Amaterasu rushed to cover herself with a shield of fire, swinging her sword rapidly to create a wall of flames that just managed to shield her, however she left herself open and Poseidon kicked her in the side of her chest, sending her crashing right into the water.

Poseidon followed the woman and leapt into the water after her.

Amaterasu desperately struggled to get back to the arena floor but was stopped multiple time by Poseidon, smashing into her and forcing her deeper and deeper into the water.

" Yield girl. You cannot win this match." Poseidon told the woman.

" I will not. The faith of the people rides on my blade." Amaterasu replied. " I won't lose." Poseidon backed away from the woman as her body started to row hotter. A bright flame emitted from her mouth that slowly started spreading all over her body.

These flames were bright orange and were turning white at the end. The covered Amaterasu's body and the water they were both in started to boil away.

Poseidon retreated from the water and watched, impressed by her heat, as Amaterasu rose from the water.

" NISHI ZANJITSU GOKUI!" Amaterasu shouted. her heavenly flames erupted into massive pillars of fire. Poseidon smirked as he expected no less from the lady of the sun.

The heat from her body began to evaporate the very metal from which the stands of the arena were made of. And impressive feat. A feat which all gods in the arena, even Poseidon himself remarked as Amaterasu entering the realm only the strongest of gods can attain.

" Amaterasu, your desire to protect the hopes and dreams of your people have pushed you beyond a point not many gods have yet to attain. Welcome young lady to the realm of the heavens. In honor of your newfound strength, allow me to crush you with the full power of the deep." Poseidon raised his Trident and took a step towards Amaterasu.

The sun goddess followed his movements to the exact moment he stepped forward, only to realize she was watching an after image. Her eyes popped open when she spotted Poseidon crotched down in front of her thrusting towards her stomach with his Trident.

Amaterasu quickly spun her sword down and deflected most of the strike, however she was not quick enough to stop it completely and the end blade of the Trident ran through her stomach.

Poseidon, however, was not unfazed by this exchange.

' These flames, they're almost as hot as Hades.' Poseidon thought. He felt the hilt of his blade beginning to burn, despite the fact that it was naturally a heat insulator and was still covered by his water.

Poseidon couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

Something even those in the stands took notice off.

" Wow! When's the last time he's smiled like that?" Zeus asked. He was amused by the fight before him. Poseidon, seemed to be playing with his opponent at first, but now was thoroughly enjoying himself.

" I believe it was when you two fought." Hera replied. She herself had eased up on her nephew overtime and came to respect the strength that was Poseidon.

" Oh yes, that damn bird girl of his. I forgot." Zeus exclaimed.

In the past, Zeus had grown jealous of Poseidon's bedding of the Phoenix and attacked him upon his return to Mount Olympus. During that battle the two men nearly destroyed Olympus itself.

" Yes, It was quite a thing to see. And even now, he looks so alive. Quite the battle junkie we have. First you Zeus and now Poseidon. Hahahahaha! I haven't had so much fun in years." Hades laughed.

" Nor I." Ares stated.

The Greek Gods all laughed as they watched their representative battle. But none truly could comprehend where this lust for Glorius battle came from. None but the youngest, Diana.

" Do you know why?" Diana asked.

" Why what?" Hades wondered.

" Why he fights like that." She replied.

" No, I have no idea. Do you?" Zeus wondered.

" It's in his blood. Though we've long since abandoned the title. We can never forget where we came from. Spartans enjoy fights like this more than anything else in the world. A true battle where we can push past our limits as well as our opponents' limits. Nothing excites us as much. My father told me there were only a handful of times in his life where he felt truly alive. When he first fought King Leonidas all those years ago, when he married and had us, and more recently when he went to China and fought their emperor. And all this time since then, he's looked for something. Someone to challenge him like that again." Diana explained. She watched her father form high in the stands and enjoyed seeing how happy he was to have found an opponent worth battling.

" HAAAA!" Poseidon raised his Trident and began swirling it around. " Tell me Amaterasu, what is it you want in life? What pushes you? Why do you fight for your people?" Poseidon asked.

" I have my reasons. I want to be able to strong enough to protect them. To guide them towards a better future. One where they can be safe and live their lives to the fullest without persecution and interference from Petty gods. And to do that, I'll become the strongest, under the heavens and within them." Amaterasu replied. She concentrated and the fires surrounding her body all engulfed her blade. When the smoke cleared all that remained was a smoldering blade with black ash coming off of it. " I don't have much energy left. I can't keep that form up for long and you are an opponent that i can't beat without it. So, this is me. All of me. I will give you everything I have. All of it. Into this one last strike. will you accept it?" Amaterasu asked.

" Of course, my lady." Poseidon replied. He continued Spinning his Trident until finally the large torrent of water that had formed behind him, turned into a Shark. " Shark emperor, lightning bite strike." Poseidon muttered, His giant Shark engulfed his Trident and became a part of his hand, a Torrent of black lightning surrounded the beast, and its eyes flashed red.

The two gods stared at each other and then with one strong step, they exploded towards one another.

" HIGASHI Kyokujitsujin!" Amaterasu thrust her sword forward and a pillar of flames erupted from the blade.

Poseidon replied by thrusting his trident forward, the mouth of the shark opened, and the wo forces began battling against each other.

" AHHHHHHHH!" Amaterasu shouted. She pushed with all of her might against Poseidon's trident, but even with her newfound strength, the water god was just too powerful. Amaterasu watched as her sword steadily shattered and Poseidon's trident came towards her.

Poseidon himself watched as the girl, her face full of sorrow, closed her eyes and accepted his blade. However, just before he could run her through the chest, Poseidon aimed his blade down and instead pierced her abdomen. A serious injury, but not as fatal as running her directly through the chest would have been.

The collision caused a massive explosion in the arena, that forced the gods to brace themselves.

When the smoke finally cleared, Poseidon was standing above Amaterasu's unconscious body.

The Shinto gods all trembled in fear, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo both erupted into anger. They couldn't believe that their sister had lost.

" You fought well, sun goddess, I hope you survive. Until next time." Poseidon turned on his heels and walked out of the arena.

" WOW! What an amazing display! THE WINNER OF THE MATCH IS POSEIDON!!!!!'

Winner: Poseidon!

Time Limit: 10 minutes and 53 seconds.

Finishing Move: Shark emperor Lightning bite strike.

The Greek Gods all cheered loudly over the victory of one of the strongest Shinto gods, knowing full well that the remaining two fights would be won just the same.

However, on the Shinto side of things, while most of the gods all watched sadly as Amaterasu's unconscious body was being removed from the ring by the medics, Amatsu-Mikaboshi's angered exploded.

" You lost it. You just cost me everything, you little sun bitch. Everything I've been working so endlessly for, all of it is gone now. Just because you wanted to save a few human lives." Mikaboshi clutched his blade, the grasscutter, with anger. His locked intently on the goddess. " AHHHH YOU STUPID BITCH!" Mikaboshi exploded from his seat in the arena right towards Amaterasu.

" Damn him." Tsukuyomi shouted.

Tsukuyomi and Susanoo both took off after Mikaboshi to try and stop him, however, they were just slower than the dark god.

" DIE!" Mikaboshi shouted as he swung his blade down at Amaterasu.

However, before he could deliver the death blow, his strike was intercepted by none other than Amaterasu's opponent, Poseidon himself.

Poseidon twirled his Trident around and f=deflected the strike forcing Mikaboshi backwards.

The dark god growled and leapt at Poseidon with his sword raised to strike down at him.

Poseidon parried this Strike as well and stabbed at Mikaboshi, only for the god to block the strike with his blade and retreat.

" What are you doing, Poseidon? Why are you stopping me?" Mikaboshi asked.

" All fighting is to be done in the matches, if you don't want to wait your turn, I'll be more than happy to take you on... Right now." Poseidon told the man.

" I'll kill you where you stand." Mikaboshi growled.

" You'll die trying." Poseidon replied. His demeanor cold and ruthless. His aura began seeping out and his bloodlust shot through the roof.

So, much so that Tsukuyomi and Susanoo, who had tried to defend their sister suddenly felt as if death had grabbed hold of them.

" Well... Well, look at this folks. We... We have an open challenge. Do the gods on each side accept this challenge?" The announcer asked. He looked back and forth between the two pantheons. Zeus nodded, if Poseidon managed to kill Mikaboshi that meant that when it came to their fight he would win automatically. And since Amaterasu was unconscious and being treated by the med team, that meant Tsukuyomi and Susanoo had the final word. And they both nodded. " All right, people we have a new match. MIKABOSHI VS POSEIDON!"