chapter 20

Back within the abode of the enforcers, approximately 30 minutes after Hephaestus had left Zeus and his enforcers to discuss on how to deal with the possibility of a traitor existing in Olympus and currently all the people involved were silent and the reason for that was the conclusion they came to after their deliberation.

"My lord are you sure this is for the Best?"

Bia asked, she feared that this decision might make the situation worse and guarantee one of Zeus's Children as a traitor, however same time it feels like the only possible solution.

"It's the only way to ensure that I keep my throne, I can't simply let the possibility hang in the air"

"I understand that my lord but sending them all to Tartarus  that's a bit extreme isn't"

Nike voiced her concern, after a few minutes of deliberation  with them Zeus's came to the conclusion that while they waited for Athena and Apollo to come back with the Oracle which my take weeks or  months to ensure that nothing happens while they wait all of Zeus's Children will be confined I'm Tartarus for the time being or at least until the ones that are traitor are revealed to be innocent.

"Are you questioning our lord Nike? Are you in cahoots with the traitor??"

"Oh give it a rest will yo— huh?"

 Nike Was interrupted before she could finish her sentence by what felt like a phantom hand gripping her very soul  she immediately stood up  and looked around, she wasn't the only one who felt this Kratos did as well, the both of them had stood up and frantically looked around and stretched out their senses but they couldn't find out who just trespassed onto their domains.

"What is it?"

Startled by their sudden movements, Zeus quickly questioned them asking for them to explain their actions.

"I think someone just tried to use my concept."

"Yes mine too, it felt like someone touched my soul"

Hearing their answers everyone immediately became on guard as they all realized that it might the traitor trying something. The enforcers were one if Zeus's most powerful Allies anyone could use their concepts they'd be a force to be reckoned with especially if they got their hands on Nike's victory.

"Whoever they are, they're playing a dangerous game"

Nike warned as  she stared up in the sky, she couldn't decent who it was that just tried to hijack her power but whoever they are they should be careful because trying to use another's divinity would have dire consequences.

....

"now we wait and See"

Hephaestus voiced as he released a breath, what he just did was dangerous, if Nike or Kratos are able to recognize that it was him that tried to use their concepts of victory and strength he'll immediately be outed as the Traitor and he'll have to flee Olympus for a while, however  he wasn't worried that much as he had some to help should  that happen.

A small box  the size of a Rubik's cube  was held in his hand, the box had an artificial eye on one of its sides akin to the eye of a robot or Android. The  box Also had stitches on the other sides.

"making it out of flesh would have been weird"

He voiced as he spun the prison realm on his finger as he looked at it. The one that had trapped  Satoru definitely wouldn't be able to trap Gods however this one should.  With some Uru metal and a bit of spatial manipulation  thanks to the concept of space  Hephaestus now has a box that can trap gods. Using  [Transmute] makes it far more easier to forge that he thought,  not mention he doesn't even need to  write the runes at least not manually.

With  the prison realm now  spinning on his  on his index finger  he then cast his gaze on to the table and looked at his finished works. There was an actual Rubik's cube place on the table, unfortunately however though it does function in a similar fashion as the prison realm it was meant to summon various types of monsters  if one  doesn't solve it the moment they  pick it up, the monsters summoned can range from weakness to  strongest monsters depending on one's luck, this  was a made as a joke, A way to mess around with Aphrodite.

There was also two tall mirrors equal to  his height that were placed near the table, one of  the mirrors was going to be for Aphrodite and  the other for himself  they would function like tablets used for video calls  and  they  can be used to watch certain events unfolding in the mortal realm, like wars and  other stuff. He  wanted to use his memories of certain TV shows but messing  with memories is  dangerous so  Aphrodite will have  to settle for watching the daily lives of mortals when  bored or she could just contact him  and  chat.

The  next  weapons were another  soul sword but this time it  was  imbued with his own  concept of fire  and unlike the  black blade  that is Zangetsu this one  doesn't simply cut the  soul but instead goes so far as to burn it, it's flames are intense that they burn hot  enough to eradicate away the  soul of  any god that is struck by it,  the blade itself  was unremarkable I'm terms of design as it looked like  a simple curved  blade a katana. The other weapon near the blade was a spear,  a crimson barbed spear that had a faint glow to it, unfortunately it  was currently unfinished.

The other weapons on the  table  were three weapons that he made that  were not imbued with  any concept  and  were purely powered by magical energy. The  first was a golden single handed axe that would absorb the power from  the sun to  progressively grown  stronger as  the continues. The  other  two  were hammers  one  was  a  rectangular hammer with various runes carved on its corners to  all for levitation, divinity absorption and  Lightning, Hephaestus also added a personalized rune where only  the owner can lift it, this  was done to  test  the limits of Runecrafting,  the other hammer was the same  with the different being its shape as it was shaped both a hammer and  an  axe.

"anyway I should probably go give Aphrodite her gift and  finish the rest of these weapons and then work on creating Ea and Excalibur"

Creating Excalibur shouldn't be  that big of  a  deal  however creating  Ea should be after that sword is a  sword of destruction with enough power to  destroy all things and Hephaestus plans  to create a complete exact copy indistinguishable from  the original and  he won't be  cutting corners when  creating it  and  then  there there's fall back once a weapon of that magnitude and power is  made.

"I'm making that thing and  no one  can stop me"

...

Athena landed onto the grounds of Olympus, she  staggered bit and  nearly lost her balance. Her face was bruised,  with a cut lip and a dark bruise on her cheek. Her breathing  was heavy almost as if she physically ran all  the way  to  Olympus, she was hold one of he arms with the other like it was broken and it was not healing, there was golden blood on the side of her mouth, there was some bruises on her  stomach and ribs as well. Once she landed she began running towards  the royal palace, or Rather she tried since she could no feel strength at her feet. She did not scream or tried to call out anyone as that would draw to much attention.

It didn't take too long before she was met with the guards of the palace, who were quite shocked by her appearance and quickly responded to her.

"Lady Athena, what's wrong what's happening, who did this to you"

The guards quickly tossed their spears aside and assisted her and helped her stand straight. Their minds were shocked to witness her in such a state,  Athena was one of the 12 what enemy out there could harm her like this, they could not even hazard a guess.

"Quickly Call father or Hera or anyone, I have terrible news, hurry and take me to the meeting room"

More guards had arrived and quickly heeded her order as they scrambled to call anyone that would be  available while the other guards carried her toward the meeting, they could see the state she was in, she could barely stand and seemingly tired which meant she was in a great battle not only that but they could see the injuries, a broken arm that hadn't healed itself and various bruises that also haven't healed  it was clear she needed some medical help but she said she wanted to be taken to meeting hall.

Once they had carried her by the door she quickly told them to let go and she used all her strength and walked towards her seat, the guards weren't allowed in there so they simply stood by the door waiting for orders.

'Fucking Tartarus I'll kill him for this'

She hadn't thought that a single drop from the river of Styx would weaken her so much, she Laid her head on the table as she tried to catch her breath and waited for the other Gods to arrive.  The first to arrive was Hera followed by Themis.

"Goodness Athena!!! what happened?"

Hera asked  in mild shock as she held her mouth at such a sight, Themis on the other was the most shocked and quickly sprinted to Athena's side to get a clearer look at  her and alleviate some of the pain she might be feeling, an expression of worry was plastered on her face as she tried to gently touch Athena being careful not to harm her.

"Who did this to you, why haven't your bruises healed?"

"Styx?"

Hera answered with a question, a single  look was enough to identify the problem or rather any competent God would notice, gods have a natural healing factor and it is very difficult to kill them, having their heads blown off would not be  enough to  kill them. In order to kill a God one has to resort to measures that are extreme, like rapidly accelerating their life span to kill them but that  could take a long while since the life span of a God is close to a million years, the other measures is weaken their soul which can be done by splashing them with some water from the river of Styx.

"indeed, Hera is Correct"

"who was it?"

It was at this time that  a few more Gods arrived, Demeter, Leto and Hermes. All three were  Also quite shocked to see Athena in such a state.

"what happened? Where's Apollo?"

Leto rushed to the young  Goddess's side as she asked, a look of grave worry was written all over her face, her mind racing to various unthinkable conclusions.

"Apollo Betrayed us, he is the traitor"

Leto's ear began ringing and she suddenly became dizzy as the disbelief hit her like a bolt of lightning, she staggered back her ears refusing believe Athena's words. everyone in the room was shocked silent, one of Zeus' Children who he favored betrayed him?! If Hades was here he would have laughed at such a thing.

"No, you're lying  Apollo would never do that he loves his father"

"I'm sorry Leto but it's the truth,  the moment he got his hands on the oracle he changed and attacked, I don't know when he got the time to go to the river of Styx  but a drop from the river was enough to render me nearly powerless."

"No you're lying"

"I understand your disbelief but look at me, Would I do this to myself??"

Athena asked, she understood why Leto would be in such disbelief, convincing people of unbelievable lies was much harder than just simply telling them a white lie and in all honestly she felt bad for Leto but nonetheless in the future she'll have to keep an eye on Leto's movements as the Goddess is bound to investigate the matter.

While Athena explained  to the others, Hera was in her own state of Confusion, Apollo was definitely an unexpected one but he is one of Zeus's Children so it wasn't impossible but from what she saw…

'I could have sworn it would be Hephaestus'

It seems her marriage to Zeus will be prolonged for quite a while and by the looks of things Leto got the short end of the stick.

"where's is Apollo now?"

Hera asked and got a stare from Leto, their relationship wasn't the best considering what Hera tried to do to Leto when she was pregnant and Hera was certain that Leto thought she wanted Apollo to be captured and killed.

"don't know, we were near the isle of Crete when he got the oracle and weakened me, I fell unconscious momentarily after he struck me in the jaw and when I woke up I was falling to the sea I used the last of my remaining power to come back here I didn't see where he went"

She  explained,  the longer she spoke the more tired she felt. She had underestimated the effectiveness of  a single drop  from the river, hopefully  Apollo won't die considering that he got more than just a drop.

'Crete??'

Hera thought a bit Confused.

...

A/N: my week has been a bit hectic, how has your been going? better than mine I hope.