Chapter 31

My hands glowing with the white light of senjutsu Touki of my life force brutally crushed the throat of a frothing furious hellhound that leapt to take a bite out of my head and even as I let the chocking hellhound fly by I swung Kusanagi in a fast chopping motion into the humanoid chest of an Empousa which began loudly drowning in her blood filling lungs.

"I dedicated the blood of this battle to Ares!" I roared with primal energy as I took a clawed hand to my rune-covered jacket-protected chest so I could slam a celestial bronze dagger into the heart of another Empousa.

And I could feel my strength returning as I glowed with a bloody red glow as my system dinged. [War God Ares has accepted your sacrifice and has blessed you with strength and stamina.]

The child of one of the Big Three Olympians... Was a draw that no monster could ignore. The singing repressed divinity within Andromeda called upon their desire for mortal and divine flesh to feast upon to grow more powerful in essence.

"I dedicate the skulls of the dead I slay to the Lord of the Dead Hades!" I continued as I pulled at my water elemental to form a spinning ring of ice around me that sliced through a roaring miniature giant or as my system labeled it a Laestrygonian that was about four meters tall.

Finally, I finished my 'prayer' as I shouted out. "In the name of a maiden untainted by man, and a mother under my charge. I plead for Lady Artemis's blessing in this hunt!" And the very sky dimmed as the moon appeared briefly in the air and it that sight made the seemingly endless tide of monsters pause as my form glowed with silver light. [User has been temporarily blessed with trait 'Monster's Bane.' Improves all damage done to monsters and banishes their souls deeper into their afterlife.]

I looked down at the assembled monsters with the hellhounds and other directly undead-themed monsters seemingly being pulled into their own shadows by oversized bone hands as Hades did his own part as I devoted the actual deaths of the monsters to him.

And with two divine blessings, I looked at the monsters with naught but pity as even Kusanagi giggled evilly as the divine blessings allowed her to pull so much more mana from the air that our forms exploded with sharp blades of wind tearing up concrete and sending cars flying if they weren't just cut in half.

"Die mortal! Fill the gaps between my teeth!" A larger Laestrygonian roared as he raised up a metal ball coated in green flames that I recognized as the soul-burning Greek Fire but even as he threw it at me. Kusanagi's swirling wings threw the canon ball to the side and I just charged into the heart of battle while keeping a close eye on my back where Sally and Andromeda were hiding behind a large mail truck that got knocked over onto its side after I kicked a minotaur into it.

I slashed Kusanagi towards the large Laestrygonian and the five meter tall monster couldn't react in time as the divine wind blade of the Shinto sword bisected him making his body fall apart and his remains violently pulled into the the underworld by the clearly strengthening bone hands of Hades.

"Yes Jake, the more death you provide to Hades in this area, the stronger his grasp will be over the surroundings." Kusanagi whispered into my mind at catching my thoughts.

I sent my sword a mental nod and then I spoke. "Break the encirclement with me." I spoke as a thrumming noise rang out as my body glowed powerfully as I flared my Touki sending out a great deal of lifeforce.

With a hum of agreement I could feel Kusanagi also taking my stagnant mana and then emptying her own mana as the world went still and silent before a gentle wind blew through the surroundings and I went pale as the winds. An all shearing wind silently sandblasted the flesh and bone from the monsters and the nearby buildings also started to creak and loudly groan as their supports were worn away.

"That's exhausting," I muttered almost panting with exhaustion and I felt Andromeda come closer.

"Are you alright?" She asked clearly worried not only for myself but her and mother's sake as I was the clearly guardian of her and her mother.

And knowing I couldn't show fear right now I nodded with a hidden grimace as I felt my weak lifeforce from using one of Kusanagi's forbidden techniques that used my life force to fuel was rather weak. But I could fix my life force with some meditation or even performing the bedroom arts with one of my Kitsune so I wasn't too worried about it.

No, what I was worried about... Was the monsters still on my radar. Who were just watching us. Watching me for signs of weakness as I could see glowing eyes packed together looking out from the street drains.

I even saw monstrous faces looking down from the upper floors in the windows of the nearby buildings.

I stepped forward with Kusanagi held out at my side and as a flying bat monster flew through the air I mercilessly cut it out of the air with an air blade with the monster hitting the ground and screaming in agony and then fear as Hade's grip enhanced with all the monsters I killed so quickly was sucked into the underworld.

And the sight of a god's domain manifesting seemed to make the rest of the monster's wary and allow us to pass through with Andromeda and Sally following close behind me as I strode out of the mortal free zone and back into the hustle and bustle of the mortal world and as soon as I hailed a cab and used a hypnotism cantrip to get the man to begin driving us towards the Continental, my body went limp with a groan with my head landing on Sally's shoulder.

"Jake what's wrong?" Andromeda demanded and I groaned under my breath as I thought.

'Why are all demi-god-related missions just elaborate quests of suicide? Oh yeah because to be a demi-god is to live a life of suffering.' I mentally groaned as I answered tiredly. "That attack I did to wipe out the wave of monsters was a bit of a one-time thing and its left me rather exhausted." 

I took a breath and then popped open a couple of healing and mana potions to try to top up my natural state as I could see on my radar monsters were still following us at a greater distance then before.

"Keep quiet for a minute." I ordered the two of them as I took out my phone and called Amagi.

After a couple of looping ringing noises, Amagi answered in her typical matronly draw. "Yes darling have you already finished your mission?" She asked as I put her on speakerphone so everyone could hear.

I however had to deny my milf kitsune as I answered quickly. "There have been complications Amagi, I need you and the others to meet me outside the Continental, besides Ahri and Musashi I want everyone ready for heavy combat... Senko will be taking a VIP into the apartments we rented as well as we will be escorting the main VIP to where she will truly be safe." I explained.

There was a short pause and then Amagi spoke more seriously. "Very well Jake, we will ready the charms and other weapons as well. We will be outside in a couple minutes." She then finished with a loud clicking noise ringing out as she ended the phone call to obviously call the others to be ready while I just relaxed for a minute.

"Is things really that bad?" Sally asked with her continuing her question. "I mean will there still be even more monsters." She finished.

To which I answered with complete and utter honesty. "Yeah... That previous wave of monsters will just be a simple warm-up for what is to come." I finished with my eyes going cold as I realized I was going to have to use all my cards in getting Andromeda safely to Camp Halfblood. My Terracotta warriors, enchanted tools for the girls, and of course using temporary buffing potions and charms that will put a strain on our bodies afterwards.

After a moment of thought, I also sent Yuki a message saying I had a troublesome demi-god escort mission going on and that I may be out of contact for a couple of days should something happen.

Then with that finished, I looked over at Andromeda who looked obviously stressed about all this going on and I spoke up. "It's fine, worse comes to worst, with your mother safe in the supernatural hotel I can use a special teleport back to one of my safehouse's should we get overwhelmed fighting our way to the safezone." 

And Andromeda had a very good rebuttal as she almost petulantly demanded. "Why can't we just teleport to where we need to go in the first place then?!"

'Because Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, and the all the rest of the damn Olympians are assholes who want to challenge their children to their deaths.' I thought with annoyance before sighing and answering.

"There are very powerful wards around the area... Should someone that isn't explicitly allowed to teleport there does, they will be struck down by a great number of magical and divine effects." I finished while shuddering at the thought of being attacked by all the domains of the Olympians who had put their power into fueling the barrier around Camp Halfblood.

Either way with that said I frowned as I realized that monsters were following us closely in the shadows so I spoke out. "My friends are Kitsune or women with fox tails and ears, one of them will escort you to my apartment in the hotel alright Sally." I clarified.

To which Sally gave a shallow nod as she looked at Andromeda with clear concern before she spoke. "And then you will escort Andy to camp?" She asked.

"Of course." 

Although it was clear that Andromeda clearly had questions she wanted to ask but thankfully with the knowledge that more knowledge would paint a target on us, she just kept silent and thankfully we got to the Continental without issue.

And as our taxi rolled to a stop outside the front of the hotel I could see all my kitsune power walking over while I helped Sally and Andromeda out of the car so I could hypnotize the driver of a small van to give me their ride.

"Sally here is my phone number." I said giving her a slip of paper and then passed her a small bundle of Drachma's and Gold Coins to be used in the Continental. "Everyone get in we are going to the Camp," I said flexing my aura in warning to a flock of a dozen harpies that landed atop a nearby building and were all but salivating while looking at Andromeda.

'Dear gods this is getting to be bullshit.' I thought and smiled as Amagi and Shinano jumped atop the van and seeing their thoughts I spoke to Yukikaze who I knew already learned how to drive. "Yuki, you drive with Kaga and Akagi riding with you. Kaga, you sit in the back and shoot fox fire at enemies that chase from behind and Akagi you cover the sides." I ordered as I casually leaped stop the bus with my feet making a loud thudding noise as all three of us slipped on some anti-notice wards so humans wouldn't pay attention to us.

And with a hum Yukikaze turned peeled out as the previous happy van owner was gushing about the gold I gave him that I looted from the Gumiho realm as I wasn't just stealing the bus from him after all.

Though I did notice that not a single monster actually landed on or touched the Continental Building as we drove off through the almost empty streets of New York and into the countryside towards Camp Halfblood.

-

"What trouble have you gotten into Jake." Shinano asked quietly as Kusanagi blocked the rushing winds of our van ride from drowning out our words and I looked over at the silver-haired kitsune who like Amagi and I. Were watching the monsters rushing through the tree line clearly judging if they should attack the well-defended demi-god we were protecting.

Thankfully Andromeda couldn't hear us from inside the bus so I didn't hide what was going on. "Daughter of Poseidon rang the dinner bell with unveiling her heritage to fucking all the monsters of NYC... No idea why other magical organizations and other groups aren't getting involved but I think something fucky is going on with the Olympians who haven't stomped down all the heat." I finished with a frown as I swung Kusanagi into the air to send a wind blade into a flock of Harpies that were flying too close and with a scream the leading Harpies lost a wing to the wind blade and fell towards the ground.

And as though that scream being the dinner bell. A roar rang out and I mentally whimpered as from the corner a fucking massive lion with metallic-looking bronze fur charged onto road and began chasing us.

[Ligrosa] [A loose weapon of pure butchery, bred by Zeus crippling the goddess Bastet and forcing her into bearing the Nemean Lion's child. Said child killed too many demi-gods and Zeus had to, partially cripple her after she mauled Ares before he could use his true divine abilities to escape. Warning, she is utterly insane, her insanity couldn't even be cured or altered by Artemis or Dionysus. Insanity prevents mental effects and illusions from affecting her. Incapable of being harmed by a weapon made by any hands. Can only truly be harmed by lightning. Lvl 130]

"I cannot harm her Jake!" Kusanagi harshly warned me mentally and I cursed as I ran into a conceptual defense for the first time. And one of 'no harm may be done to them by any tool made by a hand' Not mortal hands, not divine hands, not monster hands... Just anything you do to her that had a basis in being created 'by hand' she was utterly immune to.

This is bullshit! Shouldn't only gods have that conceptual nonsense!' I thought furiously as I shot a Celestial Bronze arrow into her mouth but I saw the arrow just explode into shards of divine scrap metal as the arrow shattered on her teeth.

And knowing we all had no way to harm the lion due to even our magic falling under the aegis of things we create by our own hands. I used Kusanagi to send a powerful compressed bomb of wind at the charging half-breed of Nemean Lion and the cat goddess Bastet.

A loud boom rang out as the compressed air bomb smashed into Ligrosa and I smiled slightly seeing that although she was completely fine after taking the wind bomb directly to the face. The actual force of the explosion broke her sprint and made her roll across the road allowing the van to make distance from her.

"Yukikaze floor it!" I yelled with my Kusanagi sending my voice into the kitsune's ears inside of the van while I saw Ligrosa getting back to her feet and resuming her sprinting charge towards us.

A blooming tide of white-hot flames burned out as Amagi pointed her four tails at the monster who roared at the force of the flames pushing against her even if the flames were doing nothing to her. 

But then I cursed under my breath as a loud screech tore through the air and from the surrounding forest came a flock of Stymphalian Birds. Each one was bigger than the largest of mortal birds with gleaming black metallic beaks and claws that shone under the sun light's glare. 

And as they flew towards us with terrible intent, I remembered their other major ability and what made them a major pain in the ass! As each bird of the dozens... Hundreds of the fucking winged rats, began frantically flapping their wings over the van and with each flap, came dozens of needle-thin and sharp feathers with bronze-like bladed vane's that pierced partly through the van even with my Kusanagi's wind forming a quick barrier to stop the tide of feathers.

"Well this is troubling," Shinano muttered and as I looked at her she smiled wryly as she clearly felt something with her Senjutsu but before she could explain I got to sense it on my own mini map. As upon my map were two more red dots closing in fast and I could hear them breaking through the forest. Untill finally the two monsters broke through the tree line I wanted to scream as this was completely unfucking reasonable in the extreme.

Smashing through from the right side was a nine-neck and-headed monster that was obviously a Hydra in having a draconic body but with the many draconic heads snapping at the van. And on the left-hand side was a winged serpent form and as I looked up at the hovering monster I heard a loud dinging noise in my system as my body went stiff. [Eyes of Petrification noted but discarded due to an Emperor refusing to freeze under another's gaze.]

I grimaced and I quickly lashed out with my hands smacking Amagi and Shinano with my free hand sending them home with my system pinging that it was removing the curse of pertrification from when they instinctively looked at Medusa.

'But hey... At least Medusa is in her sorta sexy Gorgon form.' I thought blankly as Medusa screamed in utter fury. "The flesh of Poseidon shall not escape me! I will tear the very flesh from her bones and feed her slowly to my snakes!"