Chapter 263 Hercules Vs Ziona



The atmosphere was electric as Hercules prepared himself, his massive gauntlets clanging together in a deafening rhythm. In contrast, Ziona moved with lightning speed, her sharp claws glinting in the dim light.

CLANK— CLANK

Their clash was a symphony of sound and sparks as they exchanged blows, each one trying to gain the upper hand. Hercules relied on his brute strength to overpower his opponent, while Ziona used her agility and quickness to avoid his attacks and strike from unexpected angles.

Hercules bellowed with fury, his eyes blazing as he charged toward Ziona with all his might.

Swoosh— Swoosh

The sound of their weapons meeting was like a chorus of swishes and clangs, and Ziona remained calm and focused, analyzing Hercules' movements and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Despite the overwhelming force of Hercules, Ziona held her ground. She had spent years perfecting her fighting style, and it showed in her fluid movements and precise strikes.

The battle between them was intense, their movements so quick and precise that it was difficult to keep up. Ziona moved around Hercules like a blur, striking with lightning-fast claw slashes and powerful kicks. Despite his enormous strength, Hercules struggled to land a hit on her.

Ziona was constantly analyzing Hercules' movements, searching for a weakness to exploit. She studied the way he moved, the way he breathed, the way he attacked. And as the battle continued, she began to find her opening.

"You're too slow for a mongrel," she taunted with a smirk, dodging yet another punch from Hercules.

"Shut it, you slippery bitch!" Enraged, Hercules shouted as he charged toward her with reckless abandon, swinging his fists like a madman.

Ziona remained calm and focused, sidestepping his attacks with ease and countering with precision strikes.

CLANG— CLANG

Her sharp claws clashed with Hercules' heavy gauntlets, their battle creating a deafening noise that reverberated through the maze.

Swash— Swash

Despite Hercules' enormous strength, Ziona held her ground, blocking his attacks and counterattacking with her own. Their movements were a blur, each one calculating and precise, making it difficult for the other to gain an advantage. 

'...How is this bitch so fast?'

Hercules was taken aback by Ziona's speed and agility. He had expected her to be an easy target, but she was anything but.

He gritted his teeth, his muscles bulging as he tried to overpower her with his brute strength.

As they continued their fierce assault, Hercules began to tire, his movements becoming less coordinated and his attacks losing their power.

Ziona seized the opportunity and launched a swift and calculated barrage of strikes, each one finding its mark with incredible accuracy.

Swash— Swash—

With a pained grunt, Hercules stumbled backward, his armor torn apart by Ziona's razor-sharp claws. Blood seeped from his wounds, staining the ground red.

"Arghh!"

Ziona's grin widened and her eyes shone with determination. She gathered all her strength and sprang into the air, delivering a devastating kick to Hercules' head that sent him crashing to the ground, gasping for breath.

Thwack—

With her opponent down, Ziona didn't hold back. She unleashed a flurry of blows, each one landing with lethal precision.

Swash— Swash— Swash

Finally, with a cry of pain and frustration, Hercules lay still on the ground, his massive body writhing in agony as he struggled to breathe through the wounds caused by Ziona's claws.

Ziona smirked as Hercules fell to the ground. "Ha! What a disappointment. You're nothing but a brute," she taunted, ready to finish the fight by delivering the final blow to his head.

However, a sudden and strange transformation overcame Hercules. His eyes turned white and narrowed into slits, his muscles flexed, and he launched himself toward Ziona. In a flash, he grasped her shoulders with one hand and reached for her throat with the other.

His aura had changed completely, and his speed had increased at least tenfold. The surrounding atmosphere began to change as well, with heavy winds blowing as if heralding the arrival of a mighty presence.

!?

Ziona was caught off guard by this sudden surge of power and instantly held up both hands to stop Hercules' forward motion by pushing him away. The strain on her arms was intense, but she managed to hold him back, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of his newfound strength.

It was clear that Hercules was now a completely different opponent from the one she had fought only moments ago.

"Arggh, what is this all of a sudden? Where did this abrupt power-up come from?" Ziona muttered as she tried to dodge Hercules' continued assaults.

He was now swinging his fists with increased speed and brute strength to overpower her, slamming his gauntlets into the ground with tremendous force, leaving deep dents in the ground, evidence of the immense power behind them.

Ziona gritted her teeth as she continued to dodge Hercules' relentless attacks. His newfound power was overwhelming, and she struggled to keep up with his lightning-fast movements.

Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what had caused this sudden change. 'Had he been holding back earlier, or was there something else at play?'

As she evaded another one of his strikes, she caught a glimpse of something strange in his eyes. There was a glint of something unfamiliar, a power that seemed to be taking over his body.

She recognized that Hercules was no longer in charge of his actions as if an unknown power was now controlling him. Unless she acted promptly, she might be in grave danger.

Ziona mustered all her strength and executed a powerful counter-attack, striking Hercules' weak spots with lethal accuracy. She realized that she needed to put an end to this battle as quickly as possible before the external force controlling Hercules could dominate him entirely.

Swash— Swash— Swash

Hercules groaned in agony as her claws ripped through his armor once more. Despite stumbling backward, he continued to swing his gauntlets with renewed aggression.

With a sudden burst of speed, Hercules closed the gap between them and delivered a devastating blow to Ziona's gut, causing her to lose her breath.

He then grabbed her neck, squeezing it tightly. Ziona gasped for air as she felt blood oozing out of her nostrils. She coughed uncontrollably, struggling to breathe, as she tried to free herself from his grasp.

Cough— Cough

Hercules, consumed with rage, swung his fist once again, striking Ziona and sending her crashing into the wall.

Thud—

The impact shattered her bones and crushed her organs, leaving her barely conscious and struggling to breathe.

She lay there, gasping for air, her body writhing in agony. Hercules slowly walked towards her, his aura growing stronger and more ominous with every step.

Ziona felt an overwhelming sense of dread and helplessness as she realized that she was facing a force beyond her comprehension. 

The presence behind Hercules was massive and menacing, and it felt like the air around her was being sucked out by its power. Ziona knew that her life was in grave danger, and she tried to muster her remaining strength to defend herself, but her body felt like it was failing her.

She could sense that this was no mere human, but something far more powerful and dangerous. The weight of the presence was suffocating, and her mind raced as she tried to think of a way to survive. But as Hercules loomed over her, she knew that it was too late to escape.

***

Ares sat atop the high wall, silently observing the intense battle unfolding before him. As he watched Ziona and Hercules clash, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment as the latter's aura suddenly changed, granting him an unexpected power boost.

"...She fought well," Ares muttered to himself, watching Ziona fly across the maze after taking the full brunt of Hercules' last strike. "But it seems the odds were never in her favor. Not against a chosen one like him."

He watched as Ziona struggled to get back on her feet, frozen in fear at the overwhelming power emanating from Hercules. Ares could tell that this was her first time facing a chosen one, and it was clear she was struggling to keep up with him.

Ding!—

!?

Ares was surprised as he heard a sudden notification sound from his system. It had been a long time since he had received a new quest, and he was curious about what it could be.

"I haven't received a new quest in ages," he muttered as he summoned the system to check the notification.

[System Notification!]

[Sudden Quest]

Title: Defeat the Chosen One, Hercules!

Description: A constellation has interfered with the natural course of events and taken control of Hercules, imbuing him with overwhelming power. Your mission is to take him down and restore balance to the universe.

Reward: ?

***

"...."

"...So let me get this straight, I have to take down a constellation that possessed Hercules?" Ares muttered as he read the quest's description.

Without wasting any more time, Ares sprang into action as he saw Hercules standing before Ziona, ready to strike.

"I hope the reward is worth it," he muttered under his breath and leaped off the wall, hurtling towards the battlefield.

Swish—

He moved with lightning speed, leaving a trail of blue light behind him, and arrived just in the nick of time as Hercules was about to strike Ziona. 

With a swift movement, Ares intercepted Hercules' strike and dismembered his hand in a single fluid motion. The severed limb fell to the ground with a sickening thud, and Hercules howled in agony, blood pouring from the stump like a waterfall.

Thud—

!!

Ziona's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Ares suddenly appear before her and effortlessly save her from certain death.