Meanwhile, at the very lake where Taltheilei lay, Menrva fell into its waters, striking the surface with such force that a massive wave rose and flooded the entire shoreline. The people who lived nearby, witnessing what was unfolding, fled in terror. They knew gods were battling one another, and there was little—if anything—they could do.

  Upon the hill from which Menrva had fallen stood Bellona, her appearance now drastically transformed. She wore a golden helmet crowned with red plumes and a radiant Roman cuirass that shone like the midday sun. A blood-crimson cape flowed behind her. Instead of traditional Roman sandals, she wore high-heeled footwear of similar martial elegance. Her chains had reshaped into a whip, and in her left hand a blazing flame burned as though her entire hand were engulfed in fire.

  “What is it, Menrva? Is that all a former Keres can offer?” the Roman goddess mocked. “No wonder you lost.”

  Menrva surfaced, gasping for air. As in Nitassinan, when they had followed Sedna beneath the waters, the Etruscan goddess could not swim. The sensation of drowning was dreadful. She was not accustomed to fighting without her divine powers—but neither was Bellona. Yet with the Hikaptha amplifying her strength, Bellona clearly felt the suppression far less.

  Bellona cracked her chain-whip forward.

  It wrapped around Menrva’s neck.

  The chain tightened. Blood streamed as Menrva began to choke.

  “Shall I pull you out of the lake, Menrva?” Bellona asked sarcastically, lifting her with the whip as the goddess slowly strangled.

  Menrva’s neck bled profusely; her eyes began to lose their shine. Shame filled her. All her effort—Athena’s trust—seemed wasted. Only one last card remained.

  At that moment, Tania lunged and slashed Bellona’s back with her flaming claw, tearing part of her cape. But upon striking the armor, Tania’s hand cracked.

  “Is that your grand strategy, Menrva? Using Loki to rescue this pack of incompetents?” Bellona laughed while Menrva continued suffocating.

  “It did nothing!” Tania shouted, retreating in pain, her hand broken from the impact.

  Bellona turned and pointed at her with her incandescent hand.

  “Let us see whose fire burns brighter, lioness!” she shrieked with manic laughter, her left hand blazing even more intensely.

  I cannot assume my manticore form here, Tania thought in frustration.

  Suddenly, a blade of water struck Bellona’s hand, deflecting the shot from her burning finger. The blast veered off and obliterated a grove of pines, leaving behind a dark crater ringed with smoldering ash.

  Susanoo stood with his katana raised in both hands.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Sumimasen, Tania-san. ’Tis the full extent of what my humble abilities could accomplish,” he said apologetically.

  “Only you dared strike me?” Bellona roared. “And the rest have soiled their garments and fled?”

  Dark-powered ice stalagmites struck her from the side—but melted instantly upon contact.

  Bellona glanced left and saw Ana and Loki attacking together in coordination.

  “Mars Gods such as I possess no elemental weakness—save, perhaps, against one another,” Bellona said, closing her eyes with a malicious smile. “It is regrettable that even united you cannot scratch me.”

  Rodrigo trembled. Before him stood one of his deepest fears: a woman trying to kill them. His principles resisted striking her—but if he did nothing, his friends would die. Especially Menrva, still being strangled.

  “Rodrigo! Do not think—let your instinct guide you!” Epona shouted. “Are your principles worth more than our lives?”

  Receiving no answer, she looked at him and smiled gently.

  “I will not judge what you do. But I know you will do what is right.”

  The young tannin inhaled deeply, then screamed in frustration. White spheres of energy burst from his hands and struck Bellona’s body—yet none had any effect.

  As Rodrigo attacked, Epona hurled herself forward and punched Bellona’s jaw bare-fisted. The impact produced a sickening crack—her fingers shattered, and she fell backward in agony.

  “It’s useless!” Rodrigo shouted, trying desperately to open his chakras—but the anti-divinity barrier prevented it.

  “Might I humbly petition thee to assume that most wondrous… hishishi… that noble lion of flame, Tania-san?” Susanoo asked, sword still leveled.

  “No. Impossible. Can you summon that destructive rain you showed in Denendeh?”

  “Muri muri. I have expended the very last measure of my vigour upon that solitary attack,” Susanoo answered grimly.

  “We are in trouble,” Tania muttered.

  “Do not hurry, members of Orniskem,” Bellona purred. “As I have said, I cannot kill you. Though I shall claim Menrva’s death was self-defense.”

  She raised her burning hand to the sky.

  Steel magic circles materialized beneath Orniskem’s feet.

  “These circles shall render you immobile while I slay that wretch Menrva who dared mock me.”

  Menrva, nearly spent, channeled electricity into her hands and clenched the chain with all her strength. The current surged through the metal and into Bellona.

  “You damned bitch! This lightning is nothing to me!” Bellona screamed—yet her body convulsed.

  As a Mars deity aligned with steel, electricity wounded her far more than she admitted.

  “Were you not vulnerable only to other Mars?” Menrva gasped through strangulation. “Liar!”

  “Fool!” Bellona spat, lifting the Hikaptha before her. “While I possess this, I am invincible.”

  Below her, Epona realized Bellona had not ensnared her—she had stood too close, outside her casting range.

  Anpiel says I have a hard head… let me trust him this once.

  With all her strength, Epona drove her skull into Bellona’s jaw while the goddess was still being electrocuted.

  The blow staggered her. She spat blood.

  The Hikaptha slipped from her grasp.

  “The Hikaptha!” Bellona cried. “I should have destroyed it as I was instructed! Damn it!”

  Dazed from the electric shock and the headbutt, she fumbled blindly.

  At that instant, a bald eagle streaked across the sky, seized the falling Hikaptha in its talons, and turned sharply before landing upon Anpiel’s right arm.

  “Everyone always forgets the malak,” the angel said dryly. He had not been immobilized either, as he had not directly attacked.

  Epona collapsed face-down, blood pooling across her brow.

  Bellona fell heavily onto the ground.

  “Epona, quickly—catch!” Anpiel hurled the Hikaptha toward her.

  She caught it with difficulty.

  “I do not know how this works—but I will use it!” she cried.

  Epona's form shifted into her anthropomorphic mare aspect—white mane flowing, crimson eyes blazing. The Hikaptha entangled within her mane.

  Like lightning, she struck Bellona once more as the Roman goddess struggled to rise.

  The impact shook the entire landscape.

  Bellona’s transformation shattered. Her golden armor fractured and broke apart.

  The Roman goddess fell backward—into the sea.

  If you’d like to support the story, a follow or rating helps a lot.

  The next part will be released Tomorrow.