Cronus' system: Against the gods

Chapter 70 Hercules

The man looked up at the Hydra, his eyes shining with recognition and a bit of frustration. Frustration not because he wanted to fight but because he had once dealt with this thing before and now, it was back again. Truly, this Hydra was something else.

"You! How on Zeus' beard did you come back alive?" He pointed at the Hydra. During his twelve labors, he had killed this beast as one of the, but now....it was back? By the gods!!!

The Hydra's heads swiveled in unison, recognizing the demigod who had once been its greatest nemesis. Its eyes narrowed, and a chorus of growls escaped from its throats. The beast's middle head, the largest and most menacing, bared its fangs, sending a clear message, it remembered Hercules, the man who had destroyed all of it's heads and it loathed him.

Hercules sighed deeply, planting his massive club into the ground with a thud. "Of all the monsters I faced, you were the most annoyingly persistent." His eyes, bright and fierce, glinted with a mixture of nostalgia and annoyance.

He rolled his shoulders, the lion-skin cloak shifting to reveal the hardened muscles beneath. "Ah well, a fight's a fight."

Jefferson, who was barely holding the line with the soldiers, took a step back, momentarily relieved by the arrival of the powerhouse.

Hercules let out a hearty laugh, the kind that could lift spirits even on the bleakest of battlefields. "time to crush this beast back into the Underworld!" He tightened his grip on his club, the ancient wood creaking under the pressure of his hands.

"Tell your soldiers to stay back! And..."

Jefferson interrupted "I know, I should cast a barrier over you and the Hydra since you wanna flex your hands for a while right?" Jefferson smiled. He knew his master too well. He loved fights and hence, he would allow no one to interrupt him"

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"You got it! Arrange all your magicians who wield flames! I'll need it when I'm done beating it up!" Hercules clenched his club harder again and lifted it above his head.

"Got it!"

Immediately, Hercules walked casually to the Hydra, swinging his club as he moved. Meanwhile, Jefferson quickly constructed a large Aether barrier over the two of them.

Hercules planted his feet firmly on the ground, his grin spreading wide as he faced down the Hydra, each of its heads coiling back and preparing to strike.

"Alright, Hydra," Hercules bellowed, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "Time for a good old-fashioned beatdown!"

The Hydra's middle head lunged forward, fangs dripping with venom. Hercules braced himself and met the attack head-on, swinging his colossal club in a wide arc. The impact was like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the ground. The head was flung to the side, crashing into the earth with a force that sent up a cloud of dust and debris.

"Not so tough now, eh?" Hercules taunted, his laughter booming. Before he could take a breath, two more heads shot toward him from opposite sides, aiming to tear him apart. Hercules ducked under the left one, using his massive hand to grab the neck of the right. Muscles bulging, he swung the head into the other one, making both heads slam into each other with bone-crunching force.

The Hydra screeched, its many heads thrashing in anger. Hercules didn't let up; he leaped forward, moving with incredible agility for his size. He brought his club crashing down on the Hydra's body, creating a dent in its armored scales. The ground shook from the impact, and cracks formed in the earth beneath the beast.

"Come on! Is that the best you can do?" Hercules roared, a wild grin splitting his face. The Hydra retaliated, all eight heads coordinating their attacks. Acidic venom rained down from one mouth, while another head exhaled a burst of freezing wind. Yet another sent out a concussive blast of force that rattled the battlefield.

Hercules planted his feet and raised his lion-skin cloak to shield himself from the worst of the attacks. The acidic venom hissed and bubbled as it slid off the magical hide, unable to penetrate its divine protection. The force blast made him slide back a few feet, but he dug in his heels, muscles straining as he held his ground.

"Nice try!" Hercules bellowed, lowering his cloak and charging forward again. He closed the distance with a mighty leap and swung his club like a battering ram, crashing it into the Hydra's leftmost head. The blow sent the head reeling, its jaw cracking from the impact. Hercules spun, his movements a blur, and smashed another head into the dirt with his bare fists.

"Keep your heads in the game, or you'll lose them!" he taunted, his laughter ringing out again. He didn't aim to sever any of the heads this time; he knew better. Severing them would only give the Hydra an advantage. Instead, he focused on breaking bones, bruising flesh, and weakening the beast enough for the soldiers' final assault.

The Hydra's middle head, the one that seemed to carry the most intelligence, roared in fury and tried to wrap itself around Hercules, constricting him. Hercules let out a grunt, feeling the serpent's crushing strength as the coils tightened around his body. But with a defiant roar, he flexed his muscles, expanding his chest and forcing the coils to loosen.

"Nice squeeze, but I've wrestled serpents bigger than you!" Hercules roared, grabbing the scales of the head and yanking it down, slamming it into the dirt beside him. The Hydra's eyes flared with rage, and all the heads reared back, preparing a synchronized elemental attack.

Hercules took a deep breath, planting his club into the ground and bracing for impact. "Here we go," he muttered, a wild gleam in his eyes. The Hydra unleashed a torrent of destruction: fire, ice, acid, and concussive waves all converged in a cataclysmic assault aimed directly at the demigod.

But Hercules held his ground, his lion-skin cloak wrapping around him and absorbing the worst of the elements. The earth trembled, and the heat scorched the air, but when the smoke cleared, Hercules emerged, battered but still standing. His hair was singed, and his muscles glistened with sweat, but his grin had never faded.

"That all you got?" he roared, lifting his club once more. He swung it in a brutal arc, smashing into three of the Hydra's heads at once and sending them crashing into the ground. Each impact created a crater, and the beast shuddered under the onslaught.

Meanwhile, Rex sitting in a corner, his eyes closed, unaware of the new savior's arrival was still meditating. "Whoo! Finally...." Rex heaved a sigh as he stood up. It had taken him ten minutes to fill up his Aether reserves.

Rex steadied himself, his heart pounding in sync with the tremors caused by Hercules' brutal blows against the Hydra. Sweat dripped down his brow, but his eyes shone with renewed energy. He summoned the Sword of Damocles once more, its blade shimmering dangerously as it materialized in his grip.

Prepared to strike, Rex sprinted forward, only to skid to a stop at the sight before him. There, standing like a mountain of raw power, was a man clad in a lion-skin cloak, swinging an enormous club with a force that defied reason. Each swing sent shockwaves through the ground, and the Hydra, despite its monstrous size, was being battered back.

Rex's eyes narrowed in curiosity and awe. Who is that? he thought. Instinctively, he activated God's Eyes, expecting to glean information about the newcomer. But to his surprise, the usually infallible ability fizzled, static clouding his vision.

No way, Rex thought, frustration flickering across his face. "God's Eyes isn't working?" He mentally reached out to Cronus. "What's going on, old man? Who is that?"

Cronus' voice, calm and amused, echoed in his mind. That, my dear boy, is Hercules. The son of Zeus. A demigod known for his absurd strength and courage. Even the gods themselves respect his might.

Rex's jaw dropped. "Hercules? The Hercules?" He looked back at the man who was now grappling one of the Hydra's heads, his biceps bulging as he forced the beast down.

The scene was almost surreal, but Rex had no time to dwell on his amazement. He turned and spotted Jefferson, who was barking orders to the soldiers and coordinating with the barrier mages. Rex made his way over, still holding his Sword of Damocles, the blade humming with energy.

"Jefferson!" Rex called out as he approached, causing Jefferson to spin around. "Is that him? Is that the person you were waiting for?"

Jefferson's face lit up, a mixture of pride and relief softening his otherwise battle-hardened features. "Yes, Rex. That's my master, Hercules," he confirmed, a grin breaking through the stress lines. "The legendary hero himself. And by the looks of it, he's having the time of his life."

As Jefferson spoke, his usual cold demeanor lit up in admiration

Rex couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, he sure looks like it." They watched as Hercules roared with laughter, parrying a barrage of venomous strikes with his club, his sheer joy in battle infectious.

Just then, Hercules twisted around, his eyes locking onto Jefferson. He lifted his club and signaled with his free hand. "Fire Magicians! Heed my battle cry!" he shouted, his voice booming over the chaos. He was preparing for a final strike, wanting the flames to finish the job.

The soldiers behind Jefferson tensed. But Rex stepped forward, a mischievous smirk spreading across his face. He placed a hand on Jefferson's shoulder.

"Hold up," Rex said, his voice confident. "I've got the perfect flames for this."