The Seraphic System-Chapter 112: The Living Maze

The Seraphic System

Chapter: 112

(The Living Maze)

-{???}-

She observed her daughter, feeling her fist clench and her lips purse imperceptibly.

The view vanished as she entered the well-known structure of the Labyrinth.

Her daughter had grown stronger, and her efforts were well-structured and well-thought-out. A baseline for a daughter of hers, but one that had pushed her beyond the normal level of her children.

Perhaps that was expected.

What was not expected was the new variable within Annabeth’s soul. Something foreign that piqued her interest and drew her utmost scrutiny; rare was something not immediately identified under her gaze, and rarer still was it that one of her children possessed such a thing.

It took a few seconds to scan the soul item and find a mark.

Yahweh.

A Sacred Gear.

A blessing from the Biblical God who had remained silent for so long.

The ancient markings shone with power and reflected the sheer faith placed behind them.

Athena’s mind whirled.

The chances of this being purely up to the sporadic heavenly system that controlled the Sacred Gear flashes in her mind.

She took in all the factors.

The human side of Annabeth, having somehow received a Sacred Gear, and against all odds, that Sacred Gear hadn’t awakened until this day, not in the many moments of danger Annabeth had to face. Sacred Gears are, after all, supposed to react to intense feelings in humans.

Yet that hadn’t been the case.

The sacred gear had awakened in a completely safe, relaxed state. Most auspicious of the facts was the connection her daughter shared with the Angels and their Father.

That’s how the Goddess of Wisdom had found herself experiencing an emotion she could not acknowledge.

The chances were simply zero.

That meant the biblical god had done it himself. A god had blessed her daughter. Another God had answered when she had not. Another power had chosen to invest in her daughter’s success.

Another’s subordinates hung heavily on her daughter’s mind.

Athena felt for her daughter, cold eyes narrowing.

She worshipped another God.

That thin line of faith wasn’t tied to her.

How could this have happened?

Athena replayed over everything.

She had watched Annabeth closely after another God had reacted to her prayer, saving her from a sad death and sending Angels to protect her in a show of casual lack of limitations that her family suffered from.

The memory attempted to pull on her emotions and to war against logic.

Outwardly, her face remained neutral, and her eyes stared off at something that only she could see, but inside, she felt her chest burn with flames that corroded her heart.

Her daughter should seek her approval and worship the being who gave her life. But instead, she chose another God. Logically, she understood her choice. That didn’t mean she necessarily approved of her betrayal.

Speaking of which.

The two anomalies were with them now as well. The Poseidon boy who could not die and the entity that should not even exist. When she learned that her daughter was partaking in yet another divine quest, she was proud.

A daughter garnering so much worship for her would always look good, even if she were joining the Poseidon spawn.

Then, she became confused.

Annabeth and her crew were obviously planning something, but they had somehow managed to hide it from her gaze. A rather annoying thing that was entirely expected from a daughter of Athena.

She had spent considerable effort analysing their movements, trying to understand their purpose.

Why hadn’t they selected a team? Time was scarce, and going first when multiple groups had been sent would help, even if they were used as a rock to test the waters.

Then, within a few seconds, it became clear.

They had been waiting.

For the Angel and another unknown but powerful man.

Despite her calm and reserved demeanour, she could become fiercely and intensely focused when threats to the natural order emerged. And these were definitely threats.

Hestia was acting strange. Some unknown force had captured Artemis. Ares had vanished and betrayed them. Aphrodite has left Olympus without any explanation.

It wasn’t a good look.

It was a loss of control.

Zeus was annoyed.

Even now, golden lightning was dancing with the clouds and cheered in the sky of Olympus.

She had been tasked with determining if this was just a series of coincidences or if some divine conspiracy was at play. If underhanded tactics were being used to undermine the Olympians from within.

These newcomers had naturally drawn her attention. Their timing and involvement were too convenient to be brushed aside as mere coincidence. That’s definitely why she was investigating them, and not because of some stupid jealousy she felt at her daughter’s adoration for them.

No, her strategic mind calculated probabilities. Analysed patterns. Sought weaknesses. It didn’t have time to deal with things as illogical as emotions.

There was a group behind this.

Ares’ betrayal had to be done in conjunction with someone. Or maybe even some group. Who were they? Kronos’ involvement was all too obvious, but it left them with more questions than answers. The threat level was rising exponentially with each hint they uncovered.

There had been a rumour that Sacred Gears were being systematically removed. The Biblical God had become active after millennia of silence.

Another major shift in the balance of power.

Another thing she had not predicted.

Another variable that was just too convenient to be a coincidence

She was able to put aside personal grudges, at least for a time, to serve the greater good. The question was whether these anomalies served that greater good or threatened it.

Her daughter trusted them. Annabeth, a child quickly rising to the cream of her crop, is earning much of her attention.

Strategically, she needed more information.

The Fates were silent. Enemies were moving, and the Biblical God seemed to have a hand in these developments.

Zeus wanted answers, but beyond the exasperation she usually felt at his orders, a dagger of genuine concern was twisting her insides into a tangled mess.

Three Olympians were missing. One was leaving, and Hades was acting strange.

She needed to understand exactly what game was being played and whether Olympus was a player or a piece on someone else’s board.

She didn’t wish to admit it, but the rustle of feathers and intense light didn’t subside.

-{Kai}-

I stared down the long stone pathway.

The walls curved upward to meet the ceiling, obscuring whatever lay beyond in cold shadows. Even here at the entrance, three separate corridors branched off into darkness, each one doubtlessly leading to countless more passages deeper within.

We stood at the mouth of the cave, a deceptively small opening that concealed something far more dangerous.

A maze.

The walls were covered in thousands of tiny carvings, symbols and marks worn smooth by time. Above the central pathway, a large delta symbol had been etched deep into the stone.

The Mark of Daedalus.

The silence pressed against us. Whatever sound had existed before our arrival had vanished completely, leaving behind an unsettling quiet that made my skin crawl. A wrong taste is almost entering my mouth.

"Are you sure you’re going to be able to navigate this?" I asked, turning to Annabeth.

She had a bunch of books with her, two of them open. "Yes, despite what many think, the Labyrinth can be traversed to a certain degree."

"Really? I’m already getting a little confused." Percy said, scratching the back of his head. "How was this even built underground?"

"I don’t think it is truly built underground," I said, making Michael nod.

"It seems this is a pocket dimension of its own, an impressive display of craftsmanship," Michael commented.

Annabeth didn’t look all too surprised, though she frowned thoughtfully. Percy’s eyes went wide.

"Wait, we aren’t on Earth anymore?" Percy asked.

"Nope," I replied casually, looking around.

Could I just break through these walls and rampage my way through here?

"Isn’t that kinda dangerous?" Percy asked, then quickly added, "I mean, more dangerous than usual?"

I gave him a raised eyebrow. "More dangerous than going to save Artemis, which means potentially confronting whatever subdued a Goddess so easily that she couldn’t even resist?"

Annabeth’s lips twitched. "The maze you were already warned would try to kill us isn’t suddenly more deadly just because it’s in another dimension, Percy."

Percy crossed his arms. "I was just saying it could collapse or something, and we’d all die in some weird void. That’s all."

"We would be fine, especially with Michael. Though I wouldn’t want to linger in the dimensional gap for too long." I commented. "I also doubt it’s going to be that easy to break."

Percy shot me a look like he wasn’t entirely convinced, but shrugged. "Alright, alright. I get it."

"I think it is one of our best options," I said. "We could teleport nearby, but that wouldn’t be anywhere close, according to Michael. Then there’s the option of merely following the most direct path there, which could be fast via flight, which would still introduce the problem of being seen."

"Can’t you make us invisible or something?" Percy asked.

"I could, and I’m sure we would get past whatever is probably waiting for us. But there are a lot of ways to see through that." I replied with a shrug. "I’m trying to limit the amount of fighting we’re doing. Perhaps for a less messy quest than last time."

"That’s a low bar," Percy muttered, but he was grinning. "But yeah, I’m not complaining. A mission without divine fights would be great."

Annabeth stepped forward. "There should be an entrance at the base of Mount Othrys. If we can get there through the Labyrinth, we skip whatever defences they have on the surface. Once we’re there, we can scout the area and figure out the best way to approach."

She glanced at me. "We’ll need to be careful. The Labyrinth connects to important places, and those places usually have guardians."

I considered her words.

My eyes moved to the way out.

"How exactly are you going to manage navigating this place?" I questioned.

I could help, and I imagine MindMaven would be useful if she found herself unable to.

Annabeth pulled out a piece of chalk and marked the wall beside us with a Delta symbol.

"The symbols. They’re directional markers Daedalus left throughout the Labyrinth. If you know how to read them, they can guide you." She studied the carvings on the walls ahead. "I’m pretty sure I can manage it."

"Pretty sure?" Percy raised an eyebrow.

"The hard part isn’t the navigation," Annabeth said, frowning as she consulted one of her books. "It’s everything else. The Labyrinth is full of unknowns. Traps, trials, creatures that live down here. It’s become a hub for beings rejected by the Gods. Monsters, outcasts, things that don’t belong anywhere else."

She closed the book. "And finally, the maze itself is somewhat alive. It’ll try to separate us, confuse us."

"Sounds welcoming," Percy muttered.

Michael’s hand rested on the pommel of his blade.

"Lead the way." I gestured.

We entered the maze, with Annabeth leading.

And quickly, we were consumed by tall walls of dark metal that rose hundreds of feet.

It felt oddly casual.

I was cautious but not overly so. I imagined if I hadn’t become so strong or if Michael hadn’t been here, that would be different.

After achieving a certain level of power, it was hard to find anything terrifying.

The maze was certainly unique, and it allowed monsters to arrive quickly, with paths opening up in seconds. The maze became less straightforward, beginning to create diagonal paths.

I watched as one section slid into a new position, the grinding sound echoing through the space. Occasionally, platforms floated at different heights, some connected by bridges, others isolated.

The walls moved in patterns. Sections would slide left, then right, then rotate entirely. A pathway that existed one moment vanished the next, replaced by solid metal.

Some monsters appeared, but they weren’t worth fretting over. They fell to Michael’s light before they could even see us.

That’s how we made it through, with Michael cutting through monsters with surgical precision.

Only when a massive bronze bull charged towards us did Mahoraga step forward, only to throw it into a wall.

Then proceeded to pierce its skull.

Michael shot him an annoyed look.

The next group of monsters died even faster to his blade.

The shifting maze led us deeper. Another roar echoed through the seemingly infinite labyrinth, just around the corner.

Once more, Percy’s hand went to Riptide immediately, the pen transforming into his celestial bronze sword.

His eyes lit up. Michael’s blade materialised in his hand, holy light already beginning to gather along its edge.

Neither reaction was necessary.

Mahoraga appeared in front of the charging creature, some kind of chimaera variant and delivered a single, devastating punch. The monster exploded into golden dust before it even registered what had killed it.

Percy’s excited grin slid off his face. "You know, I’m starting to feel like I might not actually be needed here."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Stop complaining."

Percy huffed, sheathing Riptide with an exaggerated sigh.

I stared at him flatly. "I doubt monsters of this level could affect you anyway. Is your thirst for action that deep?"

"I’m just saying," Percy continued, gesturing vaguely at Mahoraga’s retreating form. "Maybe I should’ve just practised my canoe skills or something."

"You’re terrible at canoeing," Annabeth pointed out.

"Exactly."

"I wonder what your father would think about this," I commented.

Percy shrugged. "Not like he cares much."

That became the pattern for the next few hours. Michael cut through monsters with an almost absurd ease, his blade moving so fast it left afterimages of light. Mahoraga was able to kill a few because of his position in front.

They seemed to be in some kind of competition, with Michael reacting and bursting into random minor jealous fits.

Annabeth and Percy seemed to be baffled by the sheer power.

I could only imagine how it felt knowing a God-killing Angel was protecting you.

The monsters weren’t really strong, but it didn’t matter if they were either. It’s not like God-class Monsters would just be walking around.

It was almost weird. If I had done this before finding myself in Heaven, I’d have been a lot more serious and definitely a lot more nervous.

The walls here were strong, perhaps even able to resist a freshly turned God-class’s power for a little while. But they wouldn’t be able to resist if Michael released his full might.

The only thing stopping me from ordering him to do that would be the fact that we needed to follow the maze if we didn’t want to end up in a random dimension.

Michael shot an annoyed look at the Divine General’s back.

I pretended not to notice.

After what felt like another few hours of walking, we entered a chamber that was distinctly different from the rest.

The maze design was strange; we had come across multiple chambers. Most of them weren’t on the way, but it was weird since some of them looked like areas that had been lived in.

This whole place felt more like an elaborate hotel more than anything, and I found myself... interested.

Daedalus huh?

The expanse we found ourselves in this time was a circular, perhaps fifty feet in diameter, with a domed ceiling that rose high above us. But what caught my immediate attention were the entrances.

Archways lined the walls at regular intervals, each one leading to a different pathway, a different section of the maze. In the centre of the chamber sat a raised platform covered in strange markings and symbols.

The vast area had golden lines weaving through it.

"It seems to be some focal point. We will need to go through this one, though, to get to where we need to go," Annabeth commented, her grey eyes alight.

She was definitely having fun.

Above one of the archways, carved deep into the stone, was a series of Greek letters.

"Where many paths converge, only the wise may choose," Annabeth read aloud, translating. "It’s a puzzle chamber."

Annabeth squealed. Percy groaned. I chuckled.

"Of course it is. The one pathway we need to get through." Percy groaned. "Why couldn’t it just be some big monster Kai and his scary Angel can one-shot?"

Annabeth ignored him, circling the platform slowly.

Her fingers traced over the markings, her expression intensifying. "These symbols..."

A roar interrupted her analysis.

From three different archways, monsters poured into the chamber. Hellhounds. Empousai. A pair of Laistrygonian giants that had to duck to fit through the entrances.

"That’s more like it," Percy said, drawing Riptide again.

Michael was already moving, his blade singing through the air. Holy fire erupted along its length as he bisected a hellhound mid-leap. Mahoraga stepped forward with mechanical precision, grabbed an empousai by the face, and slammed it into the ground hard enough to crack the stone floor.

Percy scowled, water formed around its tip, and it tried to whip out at a monster. Tried being the keyword, for that monster turned into stone as soon as Michael gazed at it, and it crumbled into motes of dust.

Annabeth didn’t even look up from the platform. "Keep them busy. I’m close to something."

"Oh, don’t worry," Percy muttered, trying to find a monster that wasn’t dying. "We’ve got it totally under control."

Mahoraga punched the giant Percy was fighting. It exploded into dust as well.

Percy lowered his sword. "Right. Never mind."

I smirked. "Hey, it’s not that bad."

"Says you." Percy narrowed his eyes. "Haven’t you gone through multiple massive battles?"

While the chaos unfolded, I wandered over to one of the archways that had caught my eye. A bird-like creature tried to pounce on me, but an arch made of light pierced it before it could even come close to me. I continued onwards, unbothered.

Unlike the others, this one had a small alcove beside it, and set into the wall was a raised circular stone covered in the same strange symbols.

A button, essentially.

Honestly? I was a little bored watching Mahoraga and Michael speed-run the legendary Labyrinth. My curiosity got the better of me.

I pressed it.

For a second or two, nothing happened.

Then the ground beneath my feet moved.

The entire section of floor I was standing on rotated with violent speed, pulling me backwards through the archway. Which was only because I didn’t resist. The walls around me shifted and slid, creating a tunnel that hadn’t existed seconds before.

A secret room?

I caught a glimpse of Percy’s startled face as I was yanked away at incredible speed.

The maze pulled me through twisting corridors, the walls reconfiguring themselves around me. It was disorienting but not particularly threatening. I kept my balance easily, riding the moving platform as it carried me deeper into the labyrinth’s heart.

After perhaps thirty seconds of rapid transit, the platform slowed and deposited me in a massive chamber.

A chamber that was not empty.

Dozens of monsters turned to look at me. Giants, cyclopes, dracanae, manticores, and even what looked like a young hydra coiled in the far corner. The chamber was easily the size of a football field, and it was packed with them.

I stared blankly at them. Then a sigh of disappointment scraped past my lips.

"Really? I thought it’d be something a bit more interesting than this." I commented. "I mean, would it hurt them to make a treasure room? Who even makes a trap that activates by pressing a button?"

One of the cyclopes grinned, showing yellowed teeth the size of my hand. "Fresh... Meat..."

"I highly doubt that."

I looked around the chamber calmly, taking stock.

The walls were thick stone, heavily reinforced.

I could break through, or I could just kill everything in here. I was leaning toward the second option, but before I could even take action, something else did.

Michael’s power exploded across my senses.

Yeah, that was about what I thought.

His holy energy flared like a supernova, so bright and intense that every monster in the chamber went blind before dying. The signature was unmistakable, protective fury mixed with genuine panic.

Oh well.

The wall to my left exploded.

Stone and debris blasted inward as Michael tore through the labyrinth itself, his wings fully manifested and burning with golden flames. His sword was wreathed in the same flames, one that could unmake existence itself, and his eyes glowed with a fury that didn’t befit his otherwise soft features.

The monsters didn’t even have time to react.

Michael moved like the wrath of Heaven given form. His blade cut through the chamber in wide, devastating arcs. Holy fire consumed everything it touched. Monsters turned to ash mid-scream. The young hydra’s multiple heads were severed in a single strike.

Then his speed became far too much for me to track, and in less than a second, the entire chamber was empty except for slowly falling motes of golden light.

I looked over his shoulder, seeing another doorway that led to a pathway, with no other diverging entrances.

Michael landed beside me. "Father! Are you injured? Did they touch you? I’ll hunt down every-"

"Michael," I said calmly. "I’m fine."

"I... oh." His wings folded slowly.

"Good job." I praised with a smile.

Michael beamed.

-{Percy Jackson}-

The Angel was a monster.

Percy was in disbelief.

He hadn’t seen what had happened, only the outcome and the realisation that he had only caught the build-up of emotion.

Kai had suddenly found himself as the Lord of Heaven. Knowing that in theory was one thing, but seeing just what he had access to was another. For some reason, Percy had got it in his mind that the Arch-Seraph was less than a God.

Powerful, no doubt, but having such a powerful being with them just felt so surreal. Especially with how most Gods seemed to have some barrier they couldn’t cross, which was why they struggled to mimic human traits so much.

Michael, on the other hand, had been too humane to be a God. He was too kind, too emotive, and too beautiful to be a God. He couldn’t lie, but Michael looked very... effeminate.

Overall, Percy was under the impression that Michael must be weaker than the Gods as well.

But Percy had seen it in that split second.

The way his face had morphed into nothing and his eyes had burned. Then he was gone, and he looked over to find dozens of thick walls smashed through with ease, burning at the edges.

The walls he could probably smash one or maybe two of by using all his power. ’Maybe’ had muscles bigger than his with how much heavy lifting it was doing in that sentence.

Michael himself looked worried, and Kai treated him like a puppy.

He let the shock pass through and found himself feeling more grateful than before. As absurd as the thought of Kai somehow inheriting the equivalent of an entire pantheon was, it was nice for once to not have everything stockpiling against him.

Greg stood next to him, looking at the scene blankly.

Percy patted him on the shoulder.

"It’s good to have you here, Greg." Percy grinned.

Annabeth let out a breath. "When did the world stop making sense?"

-{Kai}-

And as we watched, the walls began to repair themselves.

Stone slowly began to flow like liquid, segments sliding back into place with grinding sounds. The labyrinth was regenerating, trying to restore its structure.

I wondered, if I absorbed it for energy transmutation, would it continue repairing?

"The maze is self-repairing," I observed.

My eyes were on the path, and the walls moved, grinding and reshaping. The passage quickly shut as if not wishing to be seen.

"Kai?" Annabeth asked, looking through the massive hole.

"We are taking a detour," I announced. "Michael."

Michael perked up.

"Smash that wall."

It was done the moment the words left my mouth.

The maze began shifting, and we quickly followed the new corridor.

Annabeth and Percy quickly caught up, both of them looking confused at my abrupt desire to follow the seemingly random path.

It led downward, the slope gradual but steady. The air grew warmer.

Torchlight flickered ahead.

Then there were voices.

And we came across a chamber.

A huge chamber, occupied with figures in dark armour, moved through the space, directing operations. They weren’t Greek monsters. They looked human, mostly, though some had features that suggested otherwise. Horns. Wings. Scaled patches of skin.

And they were moving monsters.

Cages lined one wall, filled with creatures: hellhounds, harpies, even a chimaera.

The armoured figures were chaining them up, loading them onto carts and perhaps moving them somewhere?

"What the hell?" Percy whispered.

That hadn’t been a trap; it was a secret entrance.

A guarded entrance, which the maze itself was trying to help.

Annabeth blinked, but I saw her coming to the same conclusion.

The maze shifting caused everyone to turn to us.

One of the figures barked orders in a language I didn’t recognise.

Silence...

A figure in black armour, with bat wings fully outstretched, took a hesitant step forward.

Devils, huh?

Then came the sound of something massive moving behind the cages.

A Manticore emerged from the shadows, wearing segmented armour across its lion body, the metal gleaming with enchantments. Its scorpion tail had been fitted with bladed extensions. Even its human face was partially covered by a war helm.

More followed. An armoured Chimaera, plates bolted to its three heads. Hellhounds with spiked collars and chainmail. A dozen other creatures, all fitted for war.

The devil’s eyes widened as recognition hit him.

"Intruders."

I shot him a mock-sympathetic look, feeling the energy around me come to life. "Bad day to be taking orders."

I looked at Michael.

"Leave a few alive."

Michael didn’t need further instruction. His wings flared out, and with just that move alone, Michael caused a wave of delirium to spread across the room.

I could see that the people there realised exactly who was standing in front of them. The General of Heaven was in their midst, already in motion, light erupting from his form as he became a streak of light.

The chamber descended into chaos.

The bat-winged commander tried to flee through a side passage. The air around him blurred as Mahoraga appeared right beside him and grabbed him by the wing and continued slamming him into the stone floor.

In under a few seconds, it was all over.

The Devil looked at us with terror.

"Talk," I said, walking toward him while Mahoraga kept him pinned. "What are you doing here?"

The Devil’s eyes darted between Michael, Mahoraga, and me. His armour was cracked, one wing bent at an unnatural angle. "You don’t understand what you’ve done-"

"New Satans or Old Satans?" I asked.

"Old Satan Faction," Michael said idly.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"How do you know?" Annabeth questioned.

"Only the older Devils supporting the Old Satan Faction speak the Old languages of Devil kind. There’s no point to it; hence, the New Satan Faction has given up those languages and instead uses the language of humanity. Most Angels know the basics, after all, we used to hunt them. Having information on your prey is crucial." Michael said emotionlessly.

"Hunt?" He barked. "I doubt-"

I tapped him and injected a small amount of holy power, not enough to kill, but definitely enough that he screamed. His skin paled as the holy energy spread through his body painfully.

"I’d be careful with words in your position," I warned with a smile. "Now, what are the Devils doing in Greek territory? You couldn’t possibly just be kidnapping Greek monsters, right?"

Annabeth and Michael got my gist, while Percy remained clueless.

"The Khaos Brigade," Annabeth announced.

His demeanour turned serious.

"Stupid name." I vaguely heard Percy snicker.

He was ignored, even as my lips twitched.

"It would make sense, the Old Satan Faction is dying out, and the evil pieces remove the chances of beating their rivals. Last Metatron reported, not many Lords were loyal to their cause." Michael said passively.

The Devil grit his teeth. "You know nothing. We have just as much to provide as the God you grovel in front of."

"Sounds like a resounding affirmation to me," I said, looking over to Percy.

"Dudes practically checking the villain check box." Percy grinned, unbothered by the sight.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

The Devil remained silent and looked at me with dread written all over his face. "Who are you?"

"That’s not something you should concern yourself with, especially if you’re being truthful," I said, feeling a hint of darkness enter me.

"I think it concerns me quite a bit. I’m not a brat. Are you a Seraph? Such power could only be held by a higher-ranking Angel. Especially with your Father dead." The Devil attempted. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Michael became a statue, while Annabeth and Percy sent me concerned looks.

I remained unbothered.

Being so confident in outdated information made it even more amusing.

"I guess just about as dead as all four of your leaders. What is it? The second or third generation of their bloodline leading you? How is that going? Have they surpassed the Ultimate Class yet?"

The devil’s mouth opened and closed.

"You have no idea what is coming for you all." He spat.

"The Architect’s attack?" I questioned.

He gave me an aghast look, his face becoming devoid of any emotion but horror.

"You need to update your sources. Whoever is giving you your information is clearly bad at their job. We’ve already been there, and it’s all done and dusted." I smiled.

Percy gave me a surprised look as I enjoyed the Devil’s despair with a wicked grin.

Michael’s previously neutral face had turned positively gleeful, and a new warmth filled his expression.

"So, do you have any other piece of information that’ll keep you alive, or am I wasting my time? Don’t bother trying to extend your rather wasteful life by lying."

His face distorted into another level of ugly at my words.

To put more weight behind my words, I let my holy energy come to settle in the air. Just a little bit of my energy was enough to overwhelm him. He was just a High-Class Devil after all.

He didn’t speak.

I pointed my finger.

Michael’s face became emotionless, but he stared intensely.

"Judgement."

His eyes turned black, and then he was gasping, his body shaking like a leaf in the wind, and his eyes were looking wildly around. He seemed out of it. He didn’t seem to be able to tell if this was reality or if he was still under his own hand-made nightmare.

"W-we have prisoners."

The Devil easily revealed what we needed to know.

Annabeth looked positively curious, but I was glad to see she didn’t object like I thought she would have. This was needed unless I wanted to go for a more brutal manner of torture.

This was a Devil.

I nodded. "Michael, kill him."

His eyes shot open. There seemed to be something desperate lurking in his now conscious eyes.

"No wait- there’s more! Lord Riz-"

He couldn’t say more.

His head was gone, and his body began to fade into dust.

Percy snorted, looking down at the dust with oddly cold eyes.

"It seems even Devil kind isn’t immune to internet brainrot. Lord Rizz? Seriously? Was that his gamertag or something?" Percy’s disgusted voice rang out.

For a moment, silence surrounded us. We all looked at Percy with various expressions.

Then I burst out into a fit of uncontrolled laughter.

Percy had instantly flipped the mood.

Annabeth rolled her eyes but seemed grateful for the switch.

After a few moments, I calmed down enough to form words. I thought about the next course of action, but it wasn’t that hard to see what we had to do.

I looked at my cohort.

"It seems like we’ve got another detour to make."

-{Zoe Nighshade}-

Zoe leaned her head back against the bars, trying to ignore the throbbing in her ribs.

They had bitten off more than they could chew.

When they had heard the quest to find their Goddess, they had set out with due haste. Phoebe had been left with the brunt force of the hunters while they sent a small party to head the quest.

She had expected more resistance out of the son of Poseidon, but he had given her a bored refusal and had left.

She hadn’t lingered on it. The brave rumours of the boy seemed misplaced, and perhaps it was to be expected. A man wouldn’t step up for Lady Artemis of all people.

Nevertheless, they had found the threat.

Their quest hadn’t lasted long.

The ambush had been perfectly executed.

They’d been surrounded before they even realised what was happening. Powerful enemies, coordinated and skilled. Even some Minor Gods were involved.

It had been disheartening.

Zoe had taken down one of them before someone had hit her from behind. The others had fought hard, but numbers and surprise had won. They’d been overwhelmed with ease, disarmed and caged.

They hadn’t even fought the leaders of the ambush.

And they hadn’t even gotten close to whatever objective this force was working toward.

Lady Artemis would be furious. If she even knew they were missing. If she could reach them down here.

Zoe’s hand clenched. They’d failed. Simple as that.

They had been spared purely in preparation for something bigger. And by the looks from the devils, their fate wasn’t a good one. In truth, Zoe was preparing for a last-minute escape attempt.

She would not allow herself to be enslaved.

As a hunter, she was one of the rare beings who knew of the outside world, unlike the Demigod camp, which was so well concealed. She knew these were Devils.

There had been dealings before, and she could say she truly abhorred most of them.

She looked at the rest of the hunters with her.

They would most likely fail.

But they wouldn’t stop trying for the sake of their lady.

Footsteps approached.

She looked up. Two figures were walking toward the cages.

One was a young man, blonde and handsome in a way that made her distrust him immediately. He moved with casual confidence. His stunning eyes looked around.

Besides him was another, almost too effeminate to be a man, his face shining with an ethereal quality. He had long blonde hair and a cold expression.

Neither looked like they belonged in a military camp.

The blonde man smiled as he approached. It didn’t reach his eyes.

Then everything happened at once

-END-

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