The God of Sea flaunted a devilish smile as he looked down on the king vessel. In the sea of golden light, the lifeless body of the king rested. The rule-breakers halted, and for a moment, their eyes took a glimpse of the current scenario outside of the wall.

Poseidon’s laugh echoed, making the rule-breakers be devoured by darkness. As the golden light slowly lost its shine, the dimness began to envelop the vicinity once again. Yet, unlike earlier, their eyes seem not to mind as their vision is much clearer than the last time.

He halted upon reaching Garet beneath his feet. He slowly drew his sword as if he was eager to take Garet’s life without hesitation.

“This is what fools get, Lockser,” Poseidon stated.

At bago pa man maituloy ni Poseidon ang kanyang plano, kumpol ng mga pixie dust ang sumayaw sa kanyang paligid at iyon ay mabilis na sumabog. Hirap na hirap sa Freya habang ang isang mata niya ay mulat ang kawatan niya’y nakasalampak lamang sa lupa.

Binalot muli nang maraming holographic screen ang katawan ni Garet, piniprotektahan siya sa biglang atake ni Freya.

“Fools!” Ang nakabibinging sigaw ni Poseidon ay umalingangaw sa buong kontinente. “I will… I will kill everyone of you!”

At dahil sa muling pagbalot ng kadiliman, ang mga mata nila’y nagmistulang bulag sa paligid. Hinanap ni Alexis si Freya sa gitna ng balakid, nang marating ang kaibigan ay binalutan niya ang kanilang paligid ng kasing tibay na proteksyon na mayroon si Garet ngayon.

“Freya…” Alexis mumbled. “Can you lift your arm?”

“I… I can’t,” Freya answered. “Hindi ko na ulit makita ang paligid. Nasaan si Garet?”

“I don’t know.”

Poseidon darkened the sphere of water more, blinding the demigods trapped inside. The demigods who weren’t protected by Alexis’s blessing were slowly losing their consciousness one after another as they drowned and suffocated in the cryptic sea.

And once again, Poseidon draws his sword, determined to pierce right through the king vessel’s heart. Yet, before his sword could touch Garet, the golden light glinted once again.

All of a sudden, Glifford, Dark, and Jackson were standing in front of Poseidon, stopping him from killing their king vessel. Their eyes were once again clearer than sky and sea. Dark deflected Poseidon’s sword, pushing Poseidon out of the way.

“You’ll never touch him, not a single chance!” Dark declared.

“Hindi lang si Garet ang naghanda upang pabagsakin ka.” Madilim na tiningnan ni Jackson si Poseidon kasabay nito ang paghuni niya, ang mga damo sa ilalim ni Garet ay nabigyang buhay na tila ba’y isang malambot na higaan iyon. “Kung handa siyang mamamatay para lang matalo ka. Handa kaming mamamatay para sa kanya upang matalo ka niya.”

Nang makita ni Alexis na ayos na ang sitwasyon ni Garet, itinanggal niya ang kanyang blessing na bumabalot dito dahilan upang lumuhod si Glifford sa kaibigan, isang botelya ng likido kulay asul ang pinainom nito sa walang buhay na si Garet.

“Dude, gumising ka na. Hindi bagay sa’yo ang mamamatay, ang pangit mo r’yan oh,” pagbibiro ni Glifford.

Wala sa sariling napalingon sina Dark at Jackson sa puwesto ni Garet at nagkapalitan ng tingin.

“Hala, legit nga!” Pagulat na sambit ni Jackson.

Sa ‘di kalayuan, dalawang babae ang nakabusangot na pinapanood sila. Nang maramdaman nilang tatlo ang nandidilim na tingin ni Alexis, pare-parehas silang nag-iwas ng tingin. Samantalang si Glifford naman ay tumungo sa kanilang puwesto at maalagang rumespundi kay Freya.

“You’re magic drained too,” Glifford said to Freya. He pulled another bottle of liquid in his pocket, the liquid he gave to Garet. “Drink…”

And while Glifford was helping the others, both Jackson and Dark faced Poseidon.

Dark and Poseidon’s magic collided as their sword met. “Oh, boy. This is heavy…” Dark thought. He was trying his might to par Poseidon’s power, yet he still lacked.

Tumalsik si Dark dahil sa lakas ng puwersa ni Poseidon, bago pa man siya tumama sa isang makapal na tipak ng bato, isang makapal na damuhan ang sumalo sa kanya kasabay nito ang matamis na huni ng musika ni Jackson.

“Nice, kambing!”

“Dark bobo!” Sigaw ni Jackson.

Both Dark and Jackson gulps as the air becomes denser; the place becomes more horrifying the longer they stand in their position. And slowly, they take a glimpse in Poseidon’s direction—an enormous amount of magic being released brought their terrors back.

The rainfall again plummeted to the ground, yet unlike earlier, they were changing and transforming once they touched the soft soil. An army of water soldiers marched towards them, and with Poseidon’s magic injected within them, their strength and numbers aren’t just for show.

“Do you think you can handle him?” Dark asked, glancing above him.

“I’m not a goddess for nothing.” And along with Savannah and Emerald, Artemis charged towards Poseidon.

The golden light gleamed once again but was much brighter and blinding than before. “Am I late for the show?”

The rule-breakers standing still on the battlefield smirked as the blessed human appeared out of nowhere. Her appearance brought the darkness into nothing but a simple hindrance.

“Sakto lang,” sagot ni Jackson.

Isang kulay itim na magic circle ang pumatong sa gintong ilaw kasabay nito ang pagluwa ng lupa sa daang-daang mga skeleton at sa kautusan ni Dark, ang mga ito’y sumugod sa mga sundalo ni Poseidon. At dahil higit na mas makapangyarihan ang grupo ni Poseidon, karamihan sa hukbo ni Dark ay natatalo.

Muli, ang kakaibang gintong ilaw ay mas lumiwanag pa. Saglit na nagulat ang iba dahil sa kakaibang epekto nito sa kanila, ang parte kung saan mahina ang mga sundalo ni Poseidon ay lumitaw, maging ang kay Poseidon mismo.

“Alyssa! Shit ang lupit mo!” Sigaw ni Jackson.

Ngumisi si Alyssa. “Maliit na bagay, number 1 fan!”

Poseidon gritted his teeth while clenching his fist. His eyes looked and glared at Garet, the reason why this group of troublesome beings is fighting him right now. And without uttering any word, he manipulated the around him, targeting the unyielding king.

But with Alyssa’s gift, Artemis immediately saw it, making her froze the water in just a snap. Savannah stole the chance to land her attack; her foot landed in Poseidon’s broad shoulder, making that specific part be petrified. And after that, Savannah threw her Crystalline Sword towards Emerald.

Emerald lunge her attack on Poseidon, who was suffering from disability because of Savannah’s attack. Emerald sliced through his chest, making him plummet to the ground. And to fasten Poseidon’s landing, Emerald kicked him with might.

“Tangina mo! One hundred times!” Sigaw ni Emerald.

Isang malakas na pagsabog sa lupa ang nagnakaw ng sandali nila. At sa isang mahinang pagtapak ni Artemis sa kanyang paa, ang kalupaan ay binalot ng yelo, ngunit hindi ang tubig na nakapalibot na nagkukulong sa kanila. Samantalang ang katawan ni Garet ay tinaas ng mga damuhang nakapaligid sa kanya.

“Badtrip na ako,” bulong ni Artemis. “Hindi ko man mapayelo ‘yon.”

Natatawa siyang nilingon ni Savannah, sinisilip kung seryoso ang kaibigan, “Badtrip ka na ba talaga n’yan? Parang ganyan ka naman araw-araw e.”

“Pinagagamit sa’yo ni Alyssa ang blessing niya para luminaw ang mata mo pero hindi mo pa rin napansin na mas nakasimangot ako ngayon.”

Nakangiwing nilingon ni Savannah si Alyssa, sumesenyas na tingin si Artemis. “Seryoso ka ba talaga?” Tanong ni Savannah.

“Sabing badtrip nga.”

Naudlot ang pagtatakha ni Savannah nang dahan-dahan nang nabiak ang kanilang tinatapakan sahig na gawa sa yelo. Ang hukbo ni Poseidon ay mabilis na natunaw, kumakapit at minamantyahan ang yelo hanggang sa natunaw ang mga ito’t nabahutan ng itim.

“I will let you meet your demise, just like your king, fools!” Poseidon roared. “And killing all of you will be a message to the nation that defying the sacred laws is the most abundant sin of all.”

The water around began to upsurge, pulling everything above. And in the middle of Poseidon’s wrath, a glint of blue flame suddenly caught all of their attention.

The flame began to envelop the sphere of water, evaporating the dim liquid little by little. As it vanquished the darkness, Poseidon’s eyes suddenly widened as he looked above him—the king vessel was looking down at him, without any remorse or emotion written on his face.

“Who told you that I’m already defeated, fool?”

#