Percy Jackson: Son of Hades - Prince of the Underworld

[Third Person's PoV] 

The next day…

"Come on, Nico, you can do better than that," Lucian said, holding a wooden sword casually in his hands.

"No, I can't! It's literally my first time wielding a sword! This is the best you're going to get!" Nico panted, his swings clumsy and uncoordinated.

Lucian froze mid-motion. "Oh... I forgot about that."

"How do you forget something like that?" Nico asked, glaring between heavy breaths. "I'm eight! In what world would it be normal for an eight-year-old to wield a sword?!"

"In this one," Lucian replied plainly, resting his wooden sword on his shoulder.

Nico, bent over with his hands on his knees and breathing like a winded dog, paused before nodding. "You know... that's fair. I can see that."

Wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his hand, he straightened up. "So can you actually teach me properly? Like, instead of just swinging your sword at me and expecting me to magically become a grandmaster?"

Lucian shrugged. "Well, I'm someone who learns best by being thrown into the fire, so I guess I assumed that'd work for you too. That said, you weren't bad—being a demigod comes with some handy instincts. But yeah, I can see how my method might not be ideal for everyone."

Nico's breathing calmed slightly, and he hesitated before speaking, his voice wary. "Although… I, uh… don't really want to focus on swordsmanship. I want to learn how you use my shadow and other abilities, like you do."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "First off, let me say you don't need to be scared to tell me how you feel. I'm not exactly the type to get mad over stuff like this."

Nico flushed lightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry…"

"And second," Lucian continued, "I'm teaching you this not because it's fun—honestly, even I think swordsmanship can be boring. I prefer a scythe or a polearm myself. I'm teaching you because it's a useful skill to have."

With a small smirk, Lucian held his wooden sword in front of him. "Watch this."

Shadows coiled around the blade, and with a quick motion, Lucian sent out a flurry of shadowy slashes through the air. They dissipated shortly after, leaving faint trails of darkness in their wake.

Nico's eyes flickered with mild interest, but it was clear he wasn't entirely impressed. He'd seen Lucian fight Heracles—this was tame by comparison.

Lucian scratched his cheek, looking slightly embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he said, "If swords don't interest you, we can find a weapon that does. That's what we're here for, after all—finding a weapon that feels right to you, one you'll enjoy using."

Nico glanced at the wooden sword in his hand, then back at Lucian. He shook his head slightly, understanding the underlying lesson: the importance of blending weapon mastery with innate abilities to become even more dangerous.

"I get it," Nico said thoughtfully. "But I like simplicity. Sometimes the simple option is best. I'll stick with a sword—though maybe a saber, for a personal touch."

"A saber?" Lucian asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that your favorite type of sword?"

He held up his ring, transforming it into a sword, then reshaping it into a saber—a blade with a slightly curved edge that widened toward the tip. "Something like this?"

Nico's eyes lit up as he nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Exactly like that."

Lucian turned the saber back into a ring and chuckled. "Alright, Mr. Pirate. I'll show you how to wield a saber."

Nico's cheeks flushed. "What's wrong with pirates?" he muttered. "Pirates are cool…"

Lucian grinned. "Agreed. No judgment here. But since you're into pirates, let me introduce you to the story of One Piece and the start of the greatest pirate era."

Nico tilted his head, confused. "I thought we were learning about swords?" 

…

Meanwhile, in the camp's weapons area, a shadow clone of Lucian stood casually beside Bianca.

"Everyone seems tense…" Bianca observed, glancing at him. "Is someone leaving the camp really such a big deal?"

"It's not usually," Lucian replied, leaning against a rack of spears. "Campers come and go—it's normal. But Luke is well-liked here, so it's a big deal because it's him."

"He was?" Bianca asked, her expression skeptical.

Lucian smirked at her doubt. "What, you didn't find him attractive or something?"

"No?" she replied, confusion and disgust crossing her face. "Why? Should I have? Is that what girls around here are into?" she asked in mock horror.

Lucian chuckled but didn't respond immediately.

Bianca tilted her head, her expression turning serious. "He's just too… mysterious, if that makes sense. It felt like he was wearing a mask. And people who hide behind masks are usually ugly on the inside. I can't find someone's mask attractive. Maybe it's just a me problem, though," she added with a shrug, picking up a spear.

She attempted a stance but immediately grimaced. "Yuck. I look ridiculous holding this," she muttered, setting it back.

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "So you didn't find him attractive because he was 'wearing a mask'?"

"Not a literal one," Bianca clarified, rolling her eyes. "Like I said, it's probably just me. I can tell when someone isn't being truthful. It's gross. That's why I wasn't totally against considering you as my brother."

"What?" Lucian asked, blinking in confusion.

"You're true to yourself—that much is obvious… a bit too truthful honestly. I like people like that," Bianca explained with a slight smile, picking up an axe. She frowned at it and quickly set it back.

"How can you tell?" Lucian asked, curious. 'Does she have a unique ability that wasn't mentioned in the original story?' he wondered.

"I'm just good at reading people," Bianca said, her tone casual. "It's something I had to learn while taking care of Nico. It was just us, and I had to figure out who we could trust. Not by words, but by their mannerisms. The more I did it, the easier it got. It was just Nico and me against the world."

Lucian looked at her thoughtfully. 'A skill she developed to survive… impressive. Is this really the same girl who later left her brother with strangers to join Artemis?'

"Bianca, quick question," Lucian said, breaking the silence as she examined a sword.

"Hm?" she asked, looking at him.

"Let's say a goddess offers you immortality and the chance to travel and hunt all over the world with her. But to accept, you'd have to swear off relationships with boys and leave your brother behind. Would you take it?"

"What? Hell no!" Bianca scoffed, her tone sharp. "Sure, Nico can be annoying, and sometimes I wouldn't mind a little space, but that's just being in a different room—not leaving him behind forever. I'd never forgive myself if I did something like that." She paused, then added quickly, "Don't tell him I said that. He'd be insufferable if he knew I said something nice about him."

'Ah, that's right,' Lucian thought. 'This version of her only spent a few months caring for Nico, not years all alone…'

Bianca set the sword down and walked over to a rack of bows. Picking one up, she raised it, drawing the string back expertly.

Hearing the satisfying snap as it returned to place, she smiled and turned to Lucian. "I saw how you used a bow and arrow to fight Heracles. Teach me?" she asked politely.

Lucian smiled kindly. "Sure."

"Ew," Bianca said, shuddering. "Don't look at me like that. That was disgusting."

Lucian's lip twitched. For a brief moment, he considered never being kind to her again.

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Dear Diary,

The tiktok ban lasted for around 14 hours... Those hours were torturous, I know have breath in my lungs once more.