Percy Jackson - Beyond the Gods

The biting wind that whipped through the valley was nothing compared to the tense silence that hung over it.

The field before him seemed tranquil, but something alerted him.

The Hunters were closer than he imagined.

Ikki could feel the presence of each of them, guessing their intentions as they all came in his direction.

They appeared, emerging from the shadows of the trees with the clear purpose of attacking him. Their arrows were launched like lightning, while the blades of their daggers flashed in the moonlight, cutting the air with a deadly hum.

The Hunters knew this would be their only chance to defeat him, and they could not fail. They knew of the victories Ikki had won and the legendary feats of his past—a man capable of facing even gods. He was a threat, but his beauty also had the power to seduce.

During the nights around the campfire, he told stories of his life, his battles, his pains and victories, and the Hunters couldn't deny how much he charmed them. But that didn't matter now.

What he had done to their lady, the suffering he had caused, still reverberated in their souls….

Hatred burned in their hearts, mixed with the bitter sadness of having admired this man, and the attraction that once existed now transformed into contempt. Each of them knew what he represented: a deep pain, a betrayal they could not ignore.

With the offensive launched, Ikki merely observed the arrows flying towards him, both explosive and sharp.

There was no rush.

A subtle movement of his finger, and with an almost disinterested touch, he redirected the attacks, dodging the arrows as easily as a breeze deflects a fallen leaf.

He moved with impressive lightness, as if dancing amidst the storm.

The Hunters surrounded him with meticulous precision, as if they had rehearsed every move.

They were willing to use all their acquired skills to defeat him.

But Ikki, with his impassive gaze, remained motionless for a moment, as if waiting for something. When the arrows flew towards him, the first was deflected to the side with a single movement of his hand, without even looking at it. The sound of the redirected arrow was muffled by the light breeze cutting through the valley.

The others didn't hesitate.

Artemis' warriors attacked with more determination.

One of them leaped forward, her sword gleaming with the intention of striking the Son of Zeus from the side.

But, the instant she got close, Ikki extended his index finger and deflected her blade with a movement as smooth as a touch. The sword moved away from his body, redirected by the minimal force placed in his movement.

The Hunter momentarily lost her balance, and before she could react, he, with the same imperturbable calm, took a step back and used his other finger to touch her shoulder, propelling her like a bullet back against the trees with minimal force.

The sound of more arrows being fired reached him, but he only smiled softly. Like a shadow, he dodged to the right and then to the left, moving back and forth with a speed the Hunters could barely follow. Each arrow was redirected by his finger, his hands, or even by a slight movement of his body. There was no hurry, no desperation in his movements. He seemed to be enjoying the ease with which he deflected the attacks.

As he moved among the Hunters, he touched a shoulder here, redirected a blade there, knocking down one warrior after another with just a touch or a calculated movement. With each fall, a Hunter would quickly rise, some part of her body broken, determined, but soon she was down again, with a growing sense of humiliation, unable to achieve even the slightest of her objectives. They knew of the Son of Zeus' feats, they knew of his unusual strength, but seeing that power demonstrated so simply and disconcertingly made them feel completely beneath him.

The battlefield became a game of patience for Ikki, as if he were waiting for something, as if he were allowing the Hunters to see how powerless they were before him.

One warrior tried to attack with a dagger in each hand, leaping in a treacherous movement, but Ikki, with a simple movement of his arm, deflected the blade with precision, his hand moving as if brushing away an insignificant insect. He then spun his body and, with a single flick, sent the Hunter flying backward, landing on her back with a muffled thud, her senses stunned by humiliation.

Another group tried to encircle him more closely, firing arrows in various directions to catch Ikki by surprise. But again, he moved with an unnatural calm, deflecting each attack with a simple movement of his fingers, as if he were merely amusing himself with the situation.

One of the Hunters tried a different approach, a furious run towards Ikki, her eyes blazing with anger and determination. She believed she could be faster, more aggressive than the others, perhaps even the only one capable of defeating him. But as she approached, Ikki simply stepped aside, an action so simple, yet so precise, that the Hunter passed him by without realizing it. She tried to recover, but he was already near her, touching her forehead with a finger, sending her flying through the air until she collided with a tree with a dull impact. The Hunter fell to the ground, unconscious, shame washing over her immobilized body.

The field was becoming increasingly empty. The Hunters, one by one, were falling, and Ikki was still standing, with an air of absolute tranquility. He watched each warrior with a look almost… of pity, as if he were waiting for some sign of real resistance to emerge. But there was none left. Each blow he delivered, each touch with which he defeated one of the Hunters, was a reminder of the overwhelming disparity between them.

And then, with a smooth movement, he turned, observing the figure of Zoë approaching, her eyes full of hatred. He could feel the rage pulsing in her movements, and she was willing to go to the end, no matter the consequences.

Zoë, watching the scene, was about to lose her patience. Her eyes were red with rage, and her hatred for Ikki grew with each of his movements. She couldn't allow him to get away with this, not after what he had done to her lady. With a cry of fury, she launched a volley of arrows in his direction, each one more deadly than the last.

But Ikki, again, merely deflected them with an irritating calmness, moving as if time had slowed down.

With deadly accuracy, Zoë fired an arrow, swift as the wind. Ikki moved just enough for the arrow to pass inches from his face. Another arrow followed, and he deflected it with a simple touch of his finger, the projectile deviating from its trajectory and embedding itself in a distant tree.

Without wasting time, Zoë advanced, her blade flashing as she attempted a direct strike. Ikki, however, dodged to the side with disconcerting elegance, and before she could react, he placed a finger on her shoulder, applying light pressure that made her stagger backward.

With a cry of frustration, Zoë attacked again, her dagger gleaming as she tried to strike Ikki from all angles. But he was always a step ahead, dodging with ease, his movements almost lazy as he evaded each attack with impeccable precision.

Zoë attacked with everything, each movement laden with her frustration and anger, trying to achieve something—anything—that would injure him. But Ikki, unhurried, with surprising agility, appeared in front of her like a ghost, a finger extended to redirect her blows, and a gentle touch on her forehead sent Zoë flying away, the impact of the blow making the ground tremble.

She got up, pure hatred in her eyes, and lunged at him again, furious, wanting to destroy the man who had destroyed her lady.

But, before she could even react, Ikki appeared behind her, his back to her, with the speed of lightning. He grabbed her by the back of her shirt, mocking her with a disdainful smile.

"Can you fly?" he asked with chilling calmness, before, in a movement that seemed a mere whim, he launched her into the sky with a force that caused a sonic boom, making the air around them vibrate.

She ascended at breakneck speed, before Ikki disappeared from her sight, appearing just above her, like a disturbing and unbeatable presence. He then kicked her towards the ground, and the impact was so powerful that her body slammed against the earth with crushing force, leaving her visibly injured, like a puppet thrown into the abyss.

The silence after the impact was deafening, and as Zoë crawled to her feet, a feeling of humiliation and defeat crushed all her feelings of revenge.

Ikki glanced at the fallen Hunters; he figured he'd gone easy on them. With a sigh, he turned and walked towards their flag, picking it up and casually carrying it to the campers' side.

He walked towards Zeus' Fist, arriving there quickly. As he approached, the campers began to gather around him.

As soon as the flag in Ikki's hands changed from blue, victory was clear!

Chiron, in his majestic centaur form, watched from a nearby hill. His wise eyes shone with a mixture of surprise and admiration as he watched Ikki approach with the flag. He stood up, his voice strong and clear, echoing across the field.

"Campers, victory is ours!" Chiron announced, raising his hand to get everyone's attention. "Ikki has brought the Hunters' flag! Capture the Flag is over, and victory belongs to us! For the first time after more than forty-five consecutive victories for the Hunters."

The field erupted in cheers and shouts of celebration. The campers ran to surround Ikki, their faces lit with excitement. They congratulated him, their voices mingling in a cacophony of enthusiasm.

"You did it, Ikki!" one of the campers exclaimed, eyes shining with admiration.

"How did you manage to defeat them all?" asked another, impressed.

Ikki, always calm and serene, gave only a calm reply: "It was a good fight," as if the feat had been nothing special.

Percy, with a wide smile, approached Ikki and joked, "Dude, you really are Superman, huh? Never disappoints!" He gave Ikki a friendly slap on the back, laughing enthusiastically.

Ikki chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Part of the job, Percy."

Thalia, watching the scene with her arms crossed, snorted in frustration. "Once again, Ikki manages to be the center of attention," she grumbled. "As if he needed more impressive feats for everyone to admire."

No one heard her complaint.

As the celebration continued, Silena Beauregard stood a little apart, watching the crowd surrounding Ikki. She gave a sad smile in his direction, as if wanting to join the celebration but feeling unworthy to do so. Her eyes shone with a mixture of admiration and melancholy.

Ikki noticed Silena and gave a slight nod, as if encouraging her to join the group. But she remained where she was, lost in her own thoughts.

Annabeth also kept her distance, observing everything with an unreadable expression.

The campers surrounded him, some trying to touch the flag, others simply admiring the hero who had led their team to victory. They hailed him as a champion, a symbol of their strength and skill. Even those who had doubted him before couldn't deny what they had just witnessed.

While the campers were still celebrating the victory, Nico di Angelo made his way through the crowd, his eyes shining with admiration. He stopped in front of Ikki, looking at him as if he were facing a hero from his favorite stories.

"You're amazing, Ikki!" Nico exclaimed, his enthusiasm uncontrollable. "How did you beat all the Hunters? Did you use lightning? Did you make a hurricane? Did you pass through them like wind and grab the flag?"

Ikki squirmed slightly at the boy's questions. Since the campers were on the defensive, none of them had seen how he had defeated all the Hunters, and they hadn't yet recovered enough to leave where they had been defeated. He looked at the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder as he spoke, "I just had a good fight with them."

Just behind Nico, Bianca di Angelo approached, a light blush tinting her cheeks. Her steps were hesitant, but there was determination in her eyes as she approached Ikki.

"Congratulations, Ikki…" she said, her voice soft but sincere. "You brought victory to everyone, that was incredible!"

Ikki turned his gaze to Bianca, his smile widening slightly. "Thank you, Bianca."

Bianca lowered her eyes for a moment, the blush on her cheeks deepening. She gave a small smile, shy, but genuine. "I just wanted to say I'm impressed. And… thank you for protecting my brother, not letting him run into danger to face the Hunters."

Nico nodded vigorously, agreeing with every word his sister said. "Yes, thank you for everything, Ikki!"

Ikki looked at the two and said calmly, "You can count on me."

Chiron approached, a satisfied smile on his face as he observed the scene. "Ikki, you brought us an impressive victory today," he said, his voice calm and full of pride. "Your performance was extraordinary."

Ikki bowed his head in acknowledgment, but his eyes maintained the same calmness as always. "It was a team effort," he replied modestly. "We all contributed."

As the celebration continued, the campers couldn't help but look at Ikki with renewed admiration.

The celebratory mood began to dissipate as a somber presence appeared on the horizon.

The Hunters of Artemis, wounded and exhausted, began to approach the campers. Some leaned on each other, their expressions hardened by pain and wounded pride.

The group advanced with difficulty, their heavy steps in the snow revealing the weight of defeat. Among them, Zoë Nightshade stood out, walking alone, blood dripping from cuts in her clothes and accumulating at the corners of her lips. Each step she took seemed a monumental effort, but she refused to accept help, keeping her head held high with fierce determination.

The campers turned to watch them, the joy of victory quickly replaced by a wave of compassion and taunting.

Zoë stopped in front of the Hunters, her sharp gaze fixed on Chiron and the campers. Her breathing was heavy, but her posture remained firm. She didn't say a word, but her silence spoke for itself.