The Nature of a Demigod

The Darkest Decay

"Trust me, 'Kronos', I know how it feels to have something stuck inside of you. You'll never be whole. I hope you know that. Even if you win here, you won't win the war. You think Erebus is on your side?" I asked. "I will destroy that puny elemental." he growled.

"How are you going to beat him if you can't even beat me?" I asked. "I mean, a scythe does seem a bit unfair, though. That thing's bigger than you. Do you really want people to say that you only won because you've got a better weapon?" Kronos sneered.

His scythe began to change, until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade. I'd almost been run through with that thing a couple of times.

I had an idea. It was a bad one, but it was an idea nonetheless. I remembered what Annabeth said on the bridge. I wondered if his sword would have the same effect...

Next to me, Annabeth gasped like she'd suddenly had an idea. "Y/N, the blade!" She unsheathed her knife. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

I didn't understand why she was reminding me of that prophecy line right now. It wasn't exactly a morale booster, but before I could say anything, Kronos raised his sword.

"Wait!" Annabeth yelled.

Kronos came at me like a whirlwind. I drew moonlight blindly and caught his blade on mine, my knees almost buckling under the power of his attack.

I fought on instinct alone, trying to swallow my anger and fight clearly. Luke's skill as a swordsman was hard to match, and it's even more extreme when he's being powered by a titan king.

Ethan ducked to one side, trying to get behind me until Annabeth intercepted him.

They started to fight, but I couldn't focus on how she was doing. I was vaguely aware of Grover playing his reed pipes. The sound filled me with warmth and courage-thoughts of sunlight and a blue sky and a calm meadow, somewhere far away from the war.

On my right, I saw Percy standing there with Riptide out, his eyes darting around. I shook my head at him. I wasn't gonna win, even if I had help. That wasn't the goal here. Maybe I could stall him long enough.

Besides, it was going to be up to a child of the big three to defeat Kronos, so I knew that whatever would happen to me might not matter with his fate. But it did with my own.

And I could hear the cackling now. It wasn't in my head anymore. It was getting closer. Everyone in the throne room heard it, and like a vacuum, the air seemed to be sucked out.

Behind Kronos, darkness started to swirl in the middle of the throne room. Shadows snuck out from every crack on the area. It all was pulled towards a tornado of shadow starting to build in the background of our fight.

One of the monsters that tried to poke at it was absorbed, threaded into living darkness and pulled into the twister.

Erebus was here...

Even Kronos took a shaky breath, looking stunned at the twister. Through the darkness, I could see his face. Just barely. His disgusting grin forcing itself through the darkness. He was watching. And he was waiting. Kronos turned back and kicked me in the side before I reacted.

"You've made mistakes, Y/N" Kronos started. He chuckled and continued, "If you would have just joined me, everything would have been so much easier for you. You could have lived. You could have fought beside me. We were friends once." Kronos shook his head, processing what he just said.