Hades looked at Verethragna and said, "How did you know my identity? Is it by sensing the aura I left on Godou through the Warrior's avatar?"
"Correct. I never expected you, the famous Lord of the Underworld, to descend to this mortal realm." Verethragna's expression was calm, but his eyes flickered with a battle-hungry, excited light as he spoke.
Then, Verethragna reached out towards Kusanagi Godou. The Prometheus Grimoire in Godou's embrace flew into Verethragna's hand as if responding to some summons.
Verethragna looked at the Prometheus Grimoire in his hand and smiled slightly. Then, with a forceful squeeze of both hands, he destroyed it. His White Stallion avatar returned to his body, and he consequently returned to the peak of his power.
Hades looked at the shattered Prometheus Grimoire and said with a face full of regret:
"Ahhhh~~~!! What a pity. To just destroy a slate grimoire possessing Prometheus's authority of [Theft] and so on."
"To fight the famous Lord of the Underworld Hades, I must engage in battle in my optimal state." Verethragna looked at Hades excitedly. As he spoke, a Golden Sword adorned with ancient runes on its blade materialized in his hand—the manifestation of his Golden Sword.
Grasping the Golden Sword, Verethragna attacked Hades with an excited, ferocious grin.
Seeing this, Hades extended two fingers of his right hand, caught the oncoming Golden Sword, and threw Verethragna away.
Simultaneously, Hades's hair turned red, and his eyes became a pale green.
'His hair and eye color changed!?' Erica and Kusanagi Godou watched the change in Hades's appearance, thinking to themselves in astonishment.
Seeing this, Verethragna's expression grew even more excited. "Hades! You finally deign to use your true power!!"
"I'm different from you all. I am, so to speak, in an unawakened state. Thanks to your Golden Sword, Verethragna, I have awakened the first stage." Hades said, looking at his own long red hair.
"Hmph—!! Hades! Verethragna! Don't think I don't exist!!" At that moment, Melqart, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up. As he raged, the weather suddenly became a tempest of violent winds, lightning, and thunder.
Melqart chanted an Kotodama:
"Wind, rain, and thunder! By the true name of I, Melqart, Baal-Hadad, I call upon thee! Storm, heed the call of the Cloud-Rider, come swiftly!"
Hundreds of lightning bolts shot out from all 360 degrees, aimed directly at Hades.
Hades placed a protective shield on Erica and Kusanagi Godou that reflected attacks. Meanwhile, Verethragna also raised his Golden Sword high and chanted the Kotodama for the White Stallion avatar:
"For victory, hasten forth before me! O immortal sun, bestow upon me the radiant steed. O swift-footed spiritual horse, bring forth the halo symbolizing thy master!"
Neighhhhh—!!!
The eastern sky began to burn. A golden sun revealed itself amidst the clouds, and a white stallion wreathed in solar flames charged rapidly towards Hades.
The flames on the white stallion were so intensely hot that they evaporated all the surrounding rain.
Sleeve of Heaven and Earth—!!
Hades swept his right long sleeve. Within the sleeve appeared a purple galaxy. The narrow sleeve could contain the Yin and Yang and all things of the universe, swallowing both the sun-fire-wreathed white stallion and the heavenly punishment-like lightning bolts into its confines.
"What!!" Verethragna and Melqart exclaimed in shock, watching Hades stuff their authorities into that tiny sleeve.
"I return all your attacks to you."
Hades gave a mysterious smile, then waved his left sleeve. The sleeve opening was like a black hole, from which two white stallions entwined with lightning and solar flames galloped forth.
Boom! Boom!
The two thunder-fire stallions struck Verethragna and Melqart. Their large and small figures were enveloped in flames, bearing marks of lightning strikes.
"Haaaaa—!! I will not be defeated by my own avatar!!" Verethragna shouted. The flames on his body then dissipated. After using the Goat avatar to heal his wounds, he immediately grasped the Golden Sword and attacked Hades.
"Hades! Don't you underestimate me either!!" As a Divine King possessing numerous authorities, Melqart also quickly shook off the binding solar flames and swung the two wooden clubs in his hands to attack Hades.
Facing the attacks of two powerful deities, Hades remained expressionless, not considering their assaults worthy of his attention at all.
At that moment, Hades's hair color changed from red to black.
Gods Destruction!!
Hades extended his right arm, his right hand clenching into a claw.
A powerful energy gathered in his palm, then released in all directions. The resulting force reduced the surrounding seawater and ruins to their most basic atoms, utterly obliterating them.
The weapons of the two gods were consequently shattered. Next were their authorities. Among Verethragna's ten avatars from the authority named [Warrior of the East], the eighth avatar, Goat, was the first to shatter. This was Hades's measure to prevent Verethragna from reviving and fighting again.
Verethragna's remaining avatars also began to shatter one after another. Melqart's authorities—lightning, Death, sun, life, and others—likewise shattered in succession.
Finally, their bodies were shattered. Having lost their authorities for Death and rebirth, they could no longer resurrect.
"Hahahaha~~~!! So this is the taste of defeat. And my opponent is that King of the Underworld, Hades. Delightful, truly delightful." In his final moment before returning to myth, Verethragna looked at Hades and laughed heartily.
"Is that all you've got?" Hades said with a wave of his hand. Not long after walking away, his pupils contracted sharply as he clutched his chest. All of Verethragna's and Melqart's authorities had actually merged into his body; he had obtained all of their authorities.
"Why did I obtain their authorities? In a sense, I am not human at all." Hades asked in confusion.
With the fall of the two gods, the violent storm over Sardinia immediately dissipated, replaced by calm and sunny weather as if the apocalyptic tempest from before had never existed.
"Wait! Lord Hades!! Why did you do this!!" At that moment, Erica stepped forward and shouted at Hades.
Hades then looked at Erica and said with a smile, "Just call me Allen. Like an emperor on an incognito inspection tour in the past, just treat me as an ordinary person."
"And one more thing." Hades came before Erica, lifted her beautiful chin, and said with a smile:
"Erica, you said before you wanted me to be your exclusive painter. But that's a line I should say. Would you be willing to be my exclusive model?"
"..." Erica looked at Hades without speaking, her face flushed crimson as she gazed at him. Hades's deep green eyes, like the bottom of a lake, held an intangible charm that deeply captivated her attention, as if the whole world consisted only of her.
Kusanagi Godou felt like he had eaten a lot of dog food; his presence here was simply that of a third wheel.
"If you are willing to come with me, I will wait for your answer at sunset at the ruins on the other side of this island." Hades whispered softly into Erica's ear, then vanished from the spot like a gust of wind.
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