Another Challenger Approaches! Hephaestus VS Striker!

"Blacksmith of the Heavens…." Striker murmured.

Hephaestus smirked as he continued walking forwards, dressed in full golden armor. "You flatter me, call me Hephaestus!" Hephaestus shouted as he entered the combat range of Striker.

Striker sheathed his blade and pulled back a punch. "As you wish!" He said as he disappeared from in front of Hephaestus.

WHAM!! The impact cracked the ground as Striker suddenly reappeared in behind Hephaestus and threw a powerful right hook. White cracks started appearing in the air around his fist as he clicked his tongue.

"I may be a blacksmith but I do know how to fight." Hephaestus smiled as he turned his head.

The air started moving, as if a mirage was being lifted. Slowly a black shield with silver highlights appeared and shattered, causing Striker to disappear again.

The cracked fragments of the shield started cracking even more until they turned into a fine powder, not resembling the shield it once formed. The powder started gathering above the head of Hephaestus as he raised his left hand.

Hephaestus smiled. "Speed comes at the cost of quality, did you never learn that!" He shouted as he lowered his hand.

The black powder exploded, turning into a thin sheet that sat in the air around Hephaestus. "Great Forge: Destruction!" He said.

FWOOM! The powder shook to his left, then his right. It kept shaking more and more violently each time until the air started picking up, creating a small tornado.

"Predictable…." Hephaestus muttered.

The air started moving more and more rapidly until Hephaestus was stuck inside of a tornado of black.

"Great Forge: Chain Prison!" Hephaestus shouted as he slammed the ground with his warhammer.

The black dust in the air shook violently, disrupting the tornado and darted towards the left side of Hephaestus, catching something and transforming into black chains that nailed themselves into the ground.

The tornado dissipated revealing Striker sword, wrapped in black chains.

SHWOOM! Striker appeared next to Hephaestus. He pulled his arms back and lunged forwards. "Thunder Clap!" He shouted as he slammed his hands together.

The ground around the two caved in as a crater developed. Cracks started appearing in Hephaestus' golden armor as blood started dripping from his nose.

Struggling to keep a foothold, Hephaestus grabbed the metallic collar of Strikers armor and held onto it tightly. With his other hand he grabbed the warhammer and violently swung it.

WHAM!! The head of the hammer crashed into Striker's left arm. Loud cracks could be heard as the bones inside shattered. "Volcanic Arc!" Hephaestus shouted.

"Stage Two!" He continued. Bright red, liquid bubbles started flowing from the head as it began hissing.. KABOOM!!! It erupted as Hephaestus let go of Striker sending him flying backwards and melting his left side.

"Just to be safe!" Hephaestus said as he buried the end of his hammer into the ground, arced backwards and clenched tightly as if he were about to pull a blanket over his head.

"Great Forge: Titanic Mausoleum!" He pulled the invisible blanket over his head.

Immediately, as if responding to his wishes, the black chain turned into dust and flew towards Striker's body, still flying above the ground. Along with it the ground around Hephaestus' feet morphed, as if turning into water, and darted towards Striker. Simultaneously the ground beneath Striker leaped upwards and encompassed him. More and more ground kept throwing itself at the pile of mud that was now Striker.

After a few seconds the movement stopped and where Striker's body should have been was now a giant, grey and brown pyramid with black greek letters written around it.

Hephaestus stared at his new work for a few seconds before smiling with a twinkle in his teeth.

"Not too shabby if I say so myself..." He stroked his beard, "Now for the finishing touches."

SNAP! His middle finger hit the drum of his thumb. A deep rumble resounded in the ground as a little quake followed. After a few moments the ground quieted down and settled along with an unsettling silence that filled the battlefield.

DUM! DUM! DUM! A eary sound followed. With each sound the ground started to tremble more and more.

"Tch! I rushed it..." Hephaestus clicked his tongue.

The sound grew louder and louder until the mausoleum started to shake and tremble. WHAM!! The final sound pierced the air. After a few seconds a giant piece of the mausoleum landed next to Hephaestus.

There was now a giant hole in it, on the face that stood in front of Hephaestus. A faint green light could be seen through it that grew stronger with each passing moment until finally it could be seen perfectly. It's neon green shone brightly, lighting up the surroundings in the middle of the day.

"If I were a mortal, this would have finished me..." Striker said.

He leaped out of the hole and landed in front of Hephaestus. His melted left half had already reformed but something seemed off. He tried patting out the green fire that burned around his neck and left shoulder but no matter how hard he tried it wouldn't go out. It burned and singed his skin which would repair itself immediately after. The cycle kept continuing as Hephaestus watched with a smile.

"Greek Fire… It'll never go out." Hephaestus explained.

Striker's head snapped back to Hephaestus, fear flashed in his eyes before disappearing. "When you grabbed my collar..." He started.

"I put a trap of mine, now, no matter how much you heal, you'll always burn." Hephaestus finished.

His armor faded as he dropped down to one knee and closed his eyes. His slow, calm breaths turned into sharp wheezes as sweat dripped down his face.

"Anytime now Prometheus…." Hephaestus murmured.

Striker smirked as he walked up to Hephaestus. "Come!" He put his hand out. His blade rose from the dirt and launched itself towards him.

"I will end your suffering now Hephaestus." He caught the blade in his good hand and raised it above his shoulder.

"Mimas' blade?" Hephaestus asked.

"Indeed!" Striker replied as he brought it down and buried it into Hephaestus' left shoulder, nearly cleaving his body before pulling it out and kicking him over.

A blinding light appeared in front of Striker as he staggered backwards, caught unaware. "Sorry Heph boy, but we'll make the time you bought for us worth it!" Prometheus said as he picked up Hephaestus' body and stared at Striker!