Chapter 30: Clash of Champions and the Thunder God's Arrival!

Chapter 30: Clash of Champions and the Thunder God's Arrival!

Thalios watched as Damon drew his weapon, a fierce determination hardening his features. With a swift motion, he unsheathed his own sword, the celestial bronze blade gleaming as it caught the light. He raised it high, summoning a bolt of lightning from the heavens above. The very air seemed to shudder as the bolt burst through, connecting with the tip of Thalios's sword.

"Damon, look out!" Naia yelled, her voice filled with concern.

Without hesitation, Thalios hurled the lightning-charged attack toward Damon, unleashing the full power of his thunder. The air crackled and sparked, the scent of ozone filling the courtyard.

Damon felt his muscles tense as he gripped his sword tightly, summoning every ounce of his power into the blade. The blue hellfire burned brighter than ever, turning almost white-hot. With a mighty swing, he unleashed a wave of underworld fire, sending it hurtling toward the incoming lightning.

The two forces collided in mid-air, erupting into a violent explosion that rocked the entire courtyard. Flames and sparks flew in all directions, the shockwave sending smaller statues toppling and uprooting nearby plants. The onlookers shielded their eyes from the blinding light, the sound of the explosion ringing in their ears.

As the dust settled, Zeus and the other major gods could be seen behind a protective barrier that the king of the gods had summoned. It shimmered with divine energy, allowing them to watch the duel without being caught in the crossfire.

"Oh my, what a mess," Aphrodite said, looking around at the destruction with a mix of amusement and disdain. Her perfect hair remained somehow untouched by the chaos.

Hera, the queen of the gods, frowned deeply. "I think that is quite enough of this, don't you?" she said, her voice tight with disapproval as she looked at her husband.

However, the other gods didn't seem to agree. Poseidon spoke up, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Are you kidding, sister? It's just getting good!" The lord of the seas yelled, lifting his goblet of wine into the air with a cheer.

The resulting explosion had left cracks spider-webbing across the marble floor of the courtyard. Nearby fountains had been reduced to rubble, water spurting erratically from broken pipes. The once-lush grass was either charred black or crackling with residual electricity.

But Damon and Thalios were far from finished. They charged at each other again, their weapons clashing in a shower of sparks. Each blow sent tremors through the ground, the raw power of their attacks threatening to tear the very fabric of Olympus apart.

Thalios swung his electrified sword in a wide arc, forcing Damon to duck and roll. As he came up, Damon thrust his hand forward, sending a wave of ghostly energy at Thalios. The son of Zeus barely managed to deflect it with a hastily summoned lightning shield, stopping the shadows in their tracks.

"You fight well, son of Hades," Thalios growled, his breath coming in short gasps. "But you cannot hope to match the power of Zeus!"

Damon's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that," he replied, his voice cold as the depths of Tartarus.

They clashed again, their powers intertwining in a deadly dance. Fire and lightning, shadow and light – the very elements seemed to be at war.

From a safe distance, gods and demigods watched in awe, their faces illuminated by the constant flashes of fire and lightning. The raw display of power was unlike anything they had ever seen from demigods before.

"This is beyond a simple duel," Athena murmured, her grey eyes analysing every move. "They're tapping into power that should be beyond demigods."

Hades nodded, a hint of pride in his dark eyes. "Indeed. It seems our children have surpassed even our expectations."

As the battle raged on, it became clear that Damon and Thalios were evenly matched. Neither could gain the upper hand for long, each powerful attack met with an equally strong defence. Their gifts seeming to match one another in raw power.

Finally, both demigods seemed to realize that this stalemate could not continue. They separated, each preparing for one final, decisive clash.

"Guess I've gotta give it my all..." Damon said being able to see he couldn't overpower Thalios.

With a quick look at his system, Damon assessed his options, seeing he couldn't power up nor did he have access to any hidden ability, being forced to use his imagination.

"That's it..." He muttered, having the idea suddenly come to him.

Damon focused and allowed his entire body to be engulfed in flames, burning hotter and hotter as he let his power explode.

"You wanted a fight. Then let's see you take this!" Damon yelled, becoming engulfed in the fires of Tartarus itself.

Hades watched from the distance along with the other gods shocked by what was happening.

"Remarkable... To have such control over the flames of Tartarus without being consumed by them..." Hephaestus said, having control over fire himself.

Thalios watched Damon become engulfed in the blue fire and roared as he accepted the challenge, letting his power burst to life and summon a bolt of lightning down from the heavens, hitting him and becoming a living lightning rod, electricity coursing over every inch of his skin.

"This is the end for you!" Thalios yelled out, letting his rage consume him and strengthen his abilities.

Damon didn't reply, but the intensity of his hellfire increased, burning brighter than it ever had before. He let all of his power flow out around him, the very air shimmering with heat, feeling his body start to give way to the power.

They charged at each other, the very ground beneath their feet cracking under the pressure of their power. The air between them distorted, warped by the conflicting energies.

"Father, shouldn't we stop them?" Hermes asked, not sure if it was a good idea.

Zeus and the others were already thinking the same thing, knowing that enough was enough.

Just as they were about to collide, a blinding flash of light erupted between them, seeming to blind everyone except a few who already knew what was happening.

The light soon faded, and a stranger stood between Damon and Thalios, effortlessly holding them apart with his bare hands. He was tall and muscular, with a short beard and eyes that crackled with power. In one hand, he held an ornate hammer that hummed with energy, which he had used to stop Thalios's lighting.

The stranger spoke, his voice like rolling thunder. "That's quite enough, lads."

With a casual flick of his wrists, he sent both Damon and Thalios tumbling backwards, their immense powers seeming to fizzle out in the face of this newcomer's strength, or the over usage of their own.

The stranger twirled his hammer, electricity arcing around it in a display that made Thalios raise an eyebrow in question as it dispersed into the air harmlessly. "You've both disrespected the gods for long enough," the man said, looking down at both of them with a look of anger on his face and disapproval.

"Now, now, boy. That's enough." A mighty and deep voice said, getting everyone's attention as they looked towards its owner.

Zeus stepped forward, his expression a mix of surprise and respect. "Thor," he said, addressing the stranger. "Just in time, old friend," Zeus added with a welcoming tone.

As Damon and Thalios picked themselves up, staring at the man who had gotten between them before turning their attention towards Thor and Zeus in disbelief, the other gods and demigods began to murmur among themselves. The appearance of this Norse god had just added a whole new level of complexity to an already extraordinary situation.

Thor grinned, his eyes settling on Damon and Thalios in interest. "I see your offspring are enjoying themselves," Thor said.

Zeus chuckled, though there was a tightness around his eyes. "Indeed. Though I must admit, I am curious as to your own boy there." Zeus said, already guessing that the man who had stopped Damon's and Thalios's fight was the son of Zeus.

Thor's expression grew serious. "Aye, that's my boy alright. Too much like his mother for my liking though." Thor said as he scratched his head.

Thor stood before Zeus himself, an imposing figure of legendary might. Standing taller than Zeus, his muscular frame and scares spoke of countless battles. His long beard and flowing golden hair seemed to crackle with electric energy. Thor's eyes were his most striking feature - a piercing blue with flecks of lightning dancing in their depths.

He wore armour that blended Norse tradition with an otherworldly gleam, a red cape billowing behind him. Strapped to his belt was none other than Mjolnir, his legendary hammer, which hummed with barely contained power.

His voice, when he spoke, was like rolling thunder - deep and resonant, yet with a hint of good humour. Thor's mere presence altered the atmosphere of Olympus, bringing with it the wild, untamed energy of the Norse realms.

"We have come to answer your challenge, lord Zeus." Thor then said, looking down at the king of Olympus.

A hush fell over the assembled gods and demigods. The implications of Thor's words hung heavy in the air as the gods themselves seemed to lose their smiles.

Damon and Thalios, their rivalry momentarily forgotten, exchanged glances. Whatever was coming, it was clear that their world was about to change dramatically, remembering the words of their fathers about the tournaments of the gods.

Zeus smiled before he nodded, looking up at the Norse god of thunder. "I see, it would seem the others will be arriving sooner than I expected also." Zeus said.

"let us retire to the council chambers. Hera, please see to our guests. The rest of you," he said, addressing the other gods and demigods, "enjoy the festivities. We'll reconvene in the morning."

As Zeus and Thor walked away, deep in conversation, the courtyard erupted into excited chatter. The duel between Damon and Thalios, impressive as it had been, was now overshadowed by this new development.

"Be seeing you." Son of Thor said with a smile before he turned around and walked away with his father and Zeus.

Naia approached Damon and Thalios, concern etched on her face. "Are you two alright?"

Damon nodded, his eyes still fixed on the retreating form of the so-called son of Thor. "Fine. But I have a feeling our trials are far from over."

Thalios, slowly stood to his feet, making a fist as he allowed small sparks to crackle from it.

"Seems we have greater threats to contend with after all." He said before he turned his attention to Damon.

"We can settle our duel another time, cousin." He said before he walked away, leaving Damon and the others alone.

"Who in Hades was that?" Brick asked, feeling an extremely powerful aura coming from the son of Thor, having watched him stop both Damon and Thalios with only one hand each.

"That... That is your competition." Pallas, the daughter of Athena said, having also watched what had happened with the others.