Chapter 121

Hades was a monster, there was no denying it. He lived for eons, had a level of dedication to growing that most gods could only dream of, and a level of talent rarely seen in history. In the end, it was somewhat natural that Hades became such a powerhouse.

However, where most of his peers were content with just being a powerhouse, a frog in a well who didn't know of the wider world, Hades desired more. At least, he did now. In the past he only grew from a sense of necessity and envy toward his more naturally gifted siblings.

But now he well and truly desired strength. He wished to stand upon that peak, to hold the fate of the world in his grasp, and to reshape existence into his paradise. The goals he would have thought foolish and naive in his youth were now all he desired.

Hades was a monster, the strongest Greek god that had surpassed the likes of Chronos or Zeus. He had grown so strong that even the four dragon emperors couldn't move in his presence, the prison dragon Vritra paralyzed at his aura and the Spear Saint hardly standing.

That was the power of Hades. The power of the Ninth strongest being who desired the world and all that it held. That was the power of his convictions. That was the power of his dreams, the dream he shared with that young girl.

"…" Examining his body for a moment Hades was fairly satisfied. It was limited to just within this domain but he was currently capable of defeating Ra. It would be difficult of course, the old bird was much too smart for it to be anything else, but Hades was confident that was the case.

Ddraig and Albion had grown weaker due to the loss of their physical body and heart, Ordes and Crom Crauch didn't size up to their predecessors, and the last two were nothing more than a nuisance. In this battle, he was a mere step away from victory.

"You're a nuisance." Pressing his boney palm onto Marco's forehead the young man fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Deathly energy belonged to the dead, fill the body with it and death would inevitably come.

The emperors may be the strongest but Marco's mere presence, or rather those purple flames, disturbed his magic nearly as much as Vritra was. There was a reason the holy power of the God of the Bible was dangerous to creatures of the night and though he was regretful to say he was amidst their ranks.

Stabbing his staff into the ground the air itself shimmered as an invisible wave of death spread from him. It wasn't meant to be an attack but this warning of his had turned out that way without his intention.

Growling at him the five lizards surrounded him, their large bodies surrounded by flames, poison, bone chilling mist, and the corrosive darkness of the tainted moon. It was an impressive display, especially when he recalled their strength.

While Hades did have the upper hand it was paramount to remember that the Red and White Dragons once held the position of Fourth Strongest being while the rest weren't far behind the two originals. Perhaps that was why when all five dragons found themselves flying thousands of miles away before they could even react they were so surprised.

"…!" Stuck into a mountain with blood spilling from his Draconic lips, Saji didn't even know how to react to what happened. It was all so insane with him becoming a devil recently and now fighting Hades but this… this was absurd. He didn't even see what had nearly cut him in half!

"Get up." It was the cold voice of Ordes that woke Saji up from his thoughts, the deep growl of the young dragon somewhat muffled. Turning toward the boy in anger, Saji's complaints disappeared as he laid eyes on the boy he saw at school each day.

His resplendent blue scales were shattered, tainted red with blood, and falling off in droves. He hadn't noticed but Ordes was somewhat in front of him and the wound that had nearly killed him had been largely blocked by Ordes if the source of the gash that cut almost severed his chest was what Saji thought it was.

The Blue Dragon Emperor didn't spare another word for the young prison dragon as he flew off, his powerful wings nearly sending Saji flying. The black dragon couldn't even see the young dragon move before the sounds of battle returned in full force.

Gazing at the torn rope that lay at his side Saji had a choice to make. Did he run away, survive today and return to his siblings, or did he fight a futile battle against a being so strong that it was useless to even try?

"Don't count me out!" Shouting wildly more to trick himself than anything else Saji flew through the air, his serpentine body shooting through the air like a lightning bolt. He felt like running, like hiding away until the apocalypse was over, but when he saw his junior fighting so hard… he couldn't help but move as well.

***

"Hey. Wake up." Kicking the corpse of Marco the late Spear Saint was a woman that could only be described as royalty. Long blond hair, a beautiful face sculpted by divinity, and blue eyes that seemed to contain a piece of the skies within them. 

"… Don't kick me. I just died, you know?" Groaning Marco stood up, his body screaming at him in pain as he ripped the nail in his head out of his body. Purple flames covered his wound for a split second before disappearing alongside the wound leaving only pristine skin behind.

"I don't care. Get up." Clicking her tongue in annoyance, the owner of the Longinus that had joined the former holy trinity Alphecca Tyrant. Born from the blood of Jesus and the hatred of millions the Nails of God was a naturally forming Longinus.

Hades' deathly energy was so thick and intensely stuck to his soul but the nails of god were able to deal with it with the instinctive assistance of his Longinus. It was tough but it was necessary to follow their guiding star's plan.

"What did he bribe a royal like you with? Wanna talk about it over drinks sometime?" Chuckling at his lousy attempt at flattery Marco's eyes were hardly on his conversation partner at all. His role was to be a surprise but that meant Hades was running at full power unless Saji came back. 

But would he? He was young and he had no stakes here. He was only here because Sona was but even she was only here because of her connection to Rias and Damian. Marco was sure that she understood the danger of the situation as well but that was no reason to risk limb and life on a suicide mission like this.

"I don't drink with commoners." Rudely refusing him Meredith Ordinton was hardly amused at his flirtatious nature that showed its ugly mug even in the face of extreme danger. She didn't like him much and she made that abundantly clear but unfortunately they were going to stick together for a while until it was their time to act.

In the meantime, they could only rely on a teen's loyalty, courage, and moral compass to save them.

****

Make sure to support me on pa_treon.com/TrapOverlord for 12 extra chapters. 

Remove the _ in the url.