Chapter 5.3: Giant's Bane Pt III

In 1957, an American man by the name of Paul Anderson was able to lift the heaviest weight above his head.

6,270 LBS. Dubbed as the "Greatest Lift", nobody has ever been able to beat this record that was stapled in history.

Nobody until today.

The weight Gabriel felt upon his shoulders was not like anything he felt before in his entire life. This truly was a punishment fit for a Titan. The weight of the world was but a saying in books and myth. For in reality, Atlas held up the entirety of the universe upon his back. And Gabriel was no Titan.

As soon as Gabriel pushed upwards with both hands upon the universe, he was brought down to both knees making an indent on the solid gold platform where he was trapped.

His body screamed out in pain. Begging to release the weight Gabriel held up with nothing but sheer will! Gabriel ignored it.

He had come too far to fail now and Mjölnir, the hammer he had been searching five long years for, was finally within his reach.

The timer had reached the thirty second mark.

He could see James in the distance fighting off some strange beasts that came en masse, flooding into the prison like vultures to a carcass.

Another thirty seconds passed and Gabriel finally managed to stand on one knee.

This was going to be a long four minutes.

The beasts were vile creatures that only exist in the imagination. Yet here they were in front of James coming in endless hordes. The beasts emerged from the darkness with one sole purpose on their mind. Killing the one who held up the universe. James got a good look at the beasts as he cut one in half at the waist.

The wretched things had the torso and arms of man, with claws that cut diamond as if it were butter. The legs and head were that of a goat. The goat head had six eyes, three on each side of its face, with two horns protruding from its cranium. When they roared, razor sharp teeth designed for tearing flesh off bone could be seen in their mouths.

Cosmic horrors that descended from the darkest corners of space where light was non-existent.

James revolted at the sight of such a disgusting creature and relished in the opportunity of destroying these demons.

But sadly James was just one man against a legion. And he was losing ground.

"I need an army!" James thought to himself. He decapitated another goat-man then using the Shout of Ares, he roared like ten-thousand men that carried through the large prison area. The shout, for the power it was named after, did its job. The goat-men paused in their advancement. Frozen as an illusion of the grim reaper appeared above James with the scythe raised ready to cut down James' adversaries.

That brief pause provided James just enough time to slam down a spear of spartan origin in the ground with the blade part facing upwards.

Nothing happened.

The effect of the shout was wearing off and the goat-men began to advance once more.

James side-stepped a large cleaver then delivered a shin blow to a demon's face breaking shattering it's skull. A hard kick in the back knocked James to the ground making him grunt from the pain. He cut off a leg below the knee closest to him then quickly scrambled to his feet. He turned to the assailant that kicked him on the back and was suckered punched in the jaw.

James' vision became blurred. The ringing in his ears muffled the sounds around him. His breathing became ragged and everything seemed to slow down around him. The blow to his jaw had rocked his brain inside his skull with so much force he had dropped to one knee.

James took a deep breath and managed to stand back up.

'If I die! At least I will die standing!'

The cosmic horrors all roared in unison as if taking up James' challenge of defiance.

A demon leapt into the air! Saw-tooth sword raised above its head to deliver a killing blow!

Instead, the goat-man was sent flying back into the wall splitting apart the horde as Moses split the red sea. The demon looked down to see it had been pinned to a wall by a spear. The demon looked up to see red eyes glowing with rage from within a spartan helmet.

James' army had arrived.

The Spartans appeared from the spear that James had stabbed in the ground. Without any orders they immediately began engaging the enemy James was fighting on his own moments earlier. Brutal, calculated, and efficient killers. Every blow they made was from years of experience and trust with one another.

One Spartan walked up beside James and surveyed the one-sided carnage. Armor black as soot. The helmet darkened his face so only red glowing eyes of righteous fury could be seen.

James didn't know how he knew this one's name but he could feel that the man standing next was a seasoned warrior.

'Leonidas', James exclaimed.

The Spartan King laughed with a booming voice.

'Before we continue our conversation. I think you might want to check up on your friend. Do not worry young king. We send the vile creatures back to the depths of hell from which they came!'

James nodded and ran over to where Gabriel was now in a squatted position.

'You doin alright?'

'Oh yeah. Just…fuckin..great..!'

James managed a half smile.

'How much time do you have left?'

'Just reach the three minute mark. You think you can hold them off a little longer?'

James saw the undying will in friend's eyes.

'Until the end.'

'Bis zum Ende.'

Gabriel took a deep breath and began to rise up from the squatted position into a full stand with his arms above his head raising the universe.

Two Spartans nodded at James and took defensive stances with their shields up and spear at the ready on either side of Gabriel.

James sprinted back to the battle just in time to decapitate a demon that was going for Leonidas.

The Spartan King grunted a thanks as more Spartans began appearing. Some were fully armored. Others stripped to the waist with nothing but the bottom half of a black tunic, greaves and vambraces.

'These Spartans are not from Greece?', James asked Leonidas.

'No my friend. They are fallen warriors from different countries around the world. Honorable men that died in service of their country.'

James ducked as a large hammer swung past his head then sliced upwards splitting the goat-man in half from groin to head.

'Do not focus on killing blows, young king. Cutting off a body part is just as efficient when facing off against vast numbers', Leonidas instructed while kicking a demon in the chest with so much force it shattered the sternum making the demon cough up blade.

James then grabbed its horns and with a savage twist, he forced the demon's head to turn the opposite direction of its body.

'Gabriel, how much time is left?!', James roared.

'Thirty seconds!'

James took a deep breath and once again using the Shout of Ares roared like ten thousand men! The demons froze in fear.

James and his Spartan army continued to cut down the endless hordes as the three pillars that had vanished began to reform and attach to the floating rings above Gabriel.

At the 3 second mark the Greek pillar solidified first.

At the 2 second mark, the Egyptian pillar did the same.

Just as the timer reached zero the Nordic pillar solidified and the chains that snaked around Gabriel's waist and wrists retracted back into the rings. The universe he was holding up began to strike lightning down upon the cosmic horrors, rising from Gabriel's palms hands.

Arcs of black lightning crackled around Gabriel's hands as opened and closed his fists, letting the feeling of this godly power flow through him like water flowing into the ocean.

Gabriel unconsciously punched upwards into the universe and grabbed at a handle the pulled downwards to finally claim his prize.

Mjölnir was his at last!