The Crimson Strike

Kael was in serious trouble — now he had to face two Titans at once.But that didn’t shake him. He knew this would be far harder than before, yet he stood firm.
Both Titans charged. Menoetius and Ceto, in her aquatic form, attacked in perfect sync.Ceto lashed out with massive water-formed tentacles — yet they weren’t just water. They were dense, sharp, and strong enough to tear through solid stone.
Kael was under heavy pressure.He managed to dodge most of the attacks, countering when he could, landing clean hits on Menoetius — but Ceto kept her distance, making it nearly impossible for him to reach her.
Suddenly, the three paused.Ceto emerged from her aquatic form, revealing her true self.
> “Greetings, mortal,” she said with a sly smile. “My name is Ceto, and as you might’ve guessed, I’m a Titan too. You’re quite impressive… strong — and even handsome, I must admit. But unfortunately, you stand in our way. Leave now, or die.”


> “You think it’s that easy to kill me?” Kael replied, raising his sword. “Now that you’ve shown yourself, I know exactly how to destroy you. All I need to do is rip you out of that watery shell and cut you to pieces. Since you’re the one who annoys me the most, I’ll deal with your brother later. You’re first.”


> “Hahaha! Foolish mortal!” Ceto laughed mockingly. “Do you truly think you can kill us? We are Titans — the first beings of this world! Do you really believe something as insignificant as you could ever hope to defeat us?”“You’re the one who’s going to die!”


Ceto reverted to her aquatic form and lunged again — this time, faster.Menoetius joined her, swinging with raw fury.
Kael read their movements carefully. He could feel their power steadily rising.
> “If this keeps up, I’m in real trouble... This guy’s tougher than Heracles, and his fighting style is almost the same. Even his brute strength feels identical — except he’s getting stronger every minute.”“And that cursed sea witch... I can barely move with all these tentacles around. If I don’t end this fast, I’m done for.”


Even as he fought, Kael began channeling his Aether into his blade, forcing it to its very limits.
— Dynamis: Aither Tmēma!
He poured almost all of his inner Aether into the sword, compressing it until it vibrated with divine intensity.When the energy finally stabilized, it projected outward — forming a translucent, ethereal extension that elongated the blade, humming with overwhelming power.
When he swung, the strike was nearly invisible — a cut so sharp it sliced through matter, energy, and even magic itself.Reality seemed to part before him.
The Aether surrounding the sword blazed in a crimson-red light, like compressed celestial fire.The air around Kael distorted and quivered, and the ground beneath him fractured into glowing lines following the flow of his strike.
A radiant scar of light flashed through the air — and then vanished.
With that attack, Kael severed both of Menoetius’s arms and shredded the tentacles encircling him.
The Titans froze for a moment, stunned that Kael had countered so brutally.Meanwhile, from the heights of Olympus, Athena observed the battle. Her sharp golden eyes widened slightly.
> “Kael... you’re truly remarkable,” she whispered.“No wonder you’re called the strongest demigod alive.”


Having disarmed Menoetius, Kael dashed toward Ceto, weaving through the torrents of water.He slashed her aquatic form repeatedly, carving through her defenses until her true body began to emerge.
Just as he was about to land the finishing blow, Menoetius roared and struck Kael with full force, diverting the blade’s trajectory.The slash cut deeply — from Ceto’s chest down to her abdomen — but it wasn’t fatal.
Raging in pain, Ceto’s tentacles lashed out, smashing Kael away.
His vision blurred.He gasped for air as his body trembled — the side effects of Aither Tmēma.He had used nearly all his Aether; now his wounds wouldn’t heal, and every movement felt unbearably heavy.
Ceto and Menoetius began arguing. She was furious — her brother’s arms had been torn off, his body split open, yet both were already regenerating. Still, she couldn’t accept that a mere mortal had almost killed her.
Roaring in fury, she gathered her power and swung a colossal tentacle down to crush Kael once and for all.But Kael’s body wouldn’t move. He was out of strength — out of Aether.
Then, suddenly. Two slashes ripped through the tentacle before it could reach him. 

Theos and Sophia had arrived just in time.

> “Don’t you dare… lay a finger… on Master Kael!”— Theos growled, his eyes burning with rage.