Olympus
Several days had already passed since the morning Damon decided to accompany Grayfia while she prepared all kinds of cakes for him. At first, he had only planned to spend an hour with her to fulfill the promise he had made and allow her to relax inside her new home while doing something she genuinely enjoyed. However, the unexpected arrival of Hera and Aphrodite ended up extending the moment throughout the entire day.
And so, what began as a simple conversation inside the kitchen turned into a peaceful afternoon filled with food, jokes, and far more laughter than any of them had expected. Much of that laughter was caused by Aphrodite, who was only beginning to learn how to bake and made several mistakes during her first attempts.
Even so, the Goddess of Love learned quickly. Whenever she truly applied herself, Aphrodite could be a remarkably capable goddess, reminding Damon that she was still the daughter of Uranus and possessed tremendous power that she rarely used seriously. Honestly, the redhead was beginning to think that training her in the future might be a good idea. If Aphrodite learned how to properly control her full potential, she could become a great asset to Olympus.
After all, love could be an extremely dangerous weapon.
Setting that aside and returning to the main subject, Grayfia began the day maintaining her usual flawless posture, but as the hours passed, she gradually relaxed more and more. By the time night fell, she was already speaking with Hera and Aphrodite with a natural ease that even the devil herself found surprising.
Normally, she only felt that comfortable when she was completely alone, drinking tea inside some secluded room within Castle Lucifer. Because of that, discovering that she could relax in the same way beside those two women had been a new experience for her.
Since then, the three of them had begun spending much more time together. They met almost every day, whether to drink tea in the gardens, walk through the palace halls, or take part in any other activity that might occur to them as friends.
The situation reached the point where Damon had already wondered several times whether he had officially lost his maid, because the truth was that everything was beginning to seem ridiculous.
Grayfia, who had initially remained close to him almost constantly while speaking about the importance of properly fulfilling her duties, now seemed to have abandoned all those speeches. It had become completely normal for the silver-haired woman to disappear for hours in order to accompany Hera and Aphrodite.
More than once, Damon had expected to find her inside his office, only to discover that she was with one of the two goddesses discussing subjects he did not understand and, if he was being completely honest, did not particularly care about either.
Despite that, the redhead had not truly complained. If Grayfia managed to feel comfortable not only with him, but also with other people inside Olympus, her adaptation would become much easier. Furthermore, having friends with whom she could relax would probably make her work easier in the long run.
The relationship was also beneficial for Hera and Aphrodite. The stronger the bond between the Goddess of Love and the Goddess of Marriage became, the greater their influence over human relationships would be. Marriages and romantic relationships could become more stable, strengthening both goddesses with each passing day.
During those days, Damon also discovered something he never would have expected: Grayfia had a considerable weakness for fashion, especially elegant dresses, high-quality fabrics, and any carefully crafted accessory.
He had always known that the Lucifuge paid close attention to her appearance. She had even told him herself that she enjoyed shopping for clothes, but Damon had assumed it was mainly due to discipline and her habit of remaining presentable for every occasion. After all, Grayfia had been Lucifer's wife and one of the most important maids in the Underworld.
However, it only took Aphrodite showing her a few designs for Grayfia to reveal a much deeper interest, something Damon never would have expected from a woman who was normally so cold and controlled.
Hera did not take long to join them. As Queen of Olympus, she had always paid close attention to elegance, jewelry, and fashion connected to royalty. Even her sacred animal, the peacock, represented part of the beauty and majesty she valued so highly.
Aphrodite, meanwhile, was practically the very definition of beauty and fashion. It did not take a genius to understand why the three women had become so close in such a short amount of time.
At first, Damon found the entire situation rather amusing. However, that amusement quickly disappeared when the three of them began spending hours analyzing designs, comparing materials, and discussing which dress would suit each of them best.
Although they shared the same interest, their tastes were quite different. Hera preferred royal elegance and designs that reflected authority. Grayfia favored refined, practical, and perfectly crafted clothing. Aphrodite, as expected, proposed much more daring options.
Things became worse when the three of them decided to turn Damon into their personal judge.
Whenever they tried on a new outfit they considered worthy of a goddess, they called him over to give his opinion and decide which of them looked best. Damon tried to answer carefully so he could escape the situation as quickly as possible, but every choice led to more questions, suspicious looks, and new comparisons.
Not to mention Aphrodite's comments, which were always designed to place him in an even more complicated position.
The Goddess of Love was truly putting on an entire performance for him. Damon had already lost count of how many times the blonde woman had used a dress, a pose, or a simple question to tease him and test his patience while maintaining a completely innocent expression in front of Hera and Grayfia.
Damon had not said anything about it. A clear demonstration of the immense mental strength he possessed, allowing him to resist being controlled by his baser instincts during moments like those.
At least, that remained the case for now.
The memory caused a small smile to appear on his face before quickly fading. Damon slowly released the air from his lungs and once again focused on the flow of power moving through his body.
At that moment, Damon was sitting in the center of one of the most secluded training grounds in Olympus. He was shirtless, with his legs crossed over the stone floor, his back straight, and his eyes closed. His divine energy circulated rapidly through every part of his body in a constant and precise cycle.
Several small spheres of energy floated around him, each requiring a minimal portion of his concentration as he controlled his power in a slow and measured manner.
Possessing an enormous reserve of power, along with the chakra of nine beasts, meant nothing if he wasted half of it every time he attacked. Furthermore, Damon's power was constantly growing, so maintaining precise control over it required continuous training.
Dozens of clones could be seen performing different activities throughout the field. Some practiced hand-to-hand combat against one another, others trained with swords, while several remained seated in meditation, attempting to maintain small constructs made from divine energy without allowing them to lose their shape.
A more distant group launched attacks against barriers created by other clones, measuring the exact amount of force they could apply before breaking them. Nearby, two others practiced high-speed movement, appearing and disappearing across different parts of the field while attempting to reduce the time required to change direction.
In simple terms, the entire place functioned like an enormous machine designed to continuously improve Damon.
It was during one of those cycles that he sensed two presences approaching. The redhead did not react. He would have recognized those energies anywhere.
Poseidon was the first to enter the field, observing the clones spread throughout the area with obvious interest. Hades walked several steps behind him, as reserved as ever, keeping his hands hidden within the dark sleeves of his robe while silently analyzing every detail.
Poseidon let out a low whistle upon seeing several clones fighting one another at the same time. "So this is how you train, brother. I must admit, at this rate, I will never catch up to you."
Damon slowly opened his eyes. The small spheres of energy continued moving around his body as he turned his gaze toward his brothers. A smile appeared on his face upon seeing them.
"How do you think I became so strong, little brother?" he replied with obvious amusement. "Besides, you would not catch up to me even in a million years."
Poseidon raised an eyebrow at the comment, although he did not appear genuinely offended.
"Wow, such humility…" the god replied sarcastically.
Hades cast a brief glance toward the God of the Sea, maintaining the same serious expression as always. "Poseidon, you are the last person who should speak about humility," he pointed out calmly. "Or would you like me to remind you of the time you lost Athens to Athena and, because you could not accept the decision, flooded part of Attica?"
Poseidon narrowed his eyes immediately. "That was a different situation…"
At the exchange, Damon burst into loud laughter and looked toward Hades with obvious amusement. He had not expected his more reserved brother to attack Poseidon so directly.
"I did not know you had that in you, Hades!" Damon shook his head while continuing to laugh. "It is always good to see you, brother."
The God of the Underworld merely gave a brief nod, maintaining a completely serious expression despite Damon's laughter. His lack of reaction caused small beads of sweat to appear on the foreheads of both his brothers.
"You are welcome, brother," Hades replied calmly. "Besides, Poseidon would not stop bothering me to come with him. He was beginning to become irritating."
"Hey, all you had to do was say no. If I had known it bothered you that much, I would have left you alone," Poseidon protested with an amused smile.
Hades slowly shook his head at his brother's obvious lie. "I told you no around seven times, and you ignored me."
"I only wanted to visit our brother, you know?" Poseidon raised both hands in surrender. "Besides, would you rather spend another week locked underground?"
"I was not locked away. It is my responsibility to maintain order within the Greek Underworld," Hades replied seriously. "And during these past few days, it has become increasingly difficult. Even within Tartarus, there has been more movement than usual."
The mention of the primordial immediately drew Damon's attention. Any change involving Tartarus was far too important to ignore.
"Do you know why?" the redhead asked.
Hades took a few moments to organize his thoughts before answering. "I am not completely certain. Obviously, it could be connected to what you told me about Kronos, but it is difficult to draw a conclusion from the outside." The God of the Underworld paused briefly. "Even Melinoe and Hecate avoid venturing too deeply inside. Tartarus has become more hostile than usual during these past few days, and neither of them has managed to discover the reason."
Damon narrowed his eyes slightly as he listened. "Perhaps it would be better for you to examine it personally," Hades continued. "Your presence may reveal things the rest of us cannot perceive."
Damon nodded slowly, carefully considering what his brother had just told him. If Tartarus was reacting before Kronos had managed to free himself, then there was a possibility that the Titan was not the only threat moving within its depths.
A snort from Poseidon eventually pulled him out of his thoughts. "I understand all of that, but would it not be simpler to go inside, finish off Kronos, and end the problem before he manages to escape?" the God of the Sea asked. "I mean, would that not solve most of our problems?"
Damon gently shook his head before standing. At the same moment, the small spheres of energy dissolved and returned to his body while the clones spread throughout the field continued their respective training.
"You are right about one thing, brother. I could enter Tartarus and deal with Kronos before he manages to escape," Damon admitted. "But the truth is, Kronos does not concern me."
Poseidon raised an eyebrow while Hades remained completely attentive.
"The same applies to the other Titans," Damon continued. "They could free themselves today, and we would deal with them within a few hours as though nothing had happened. What truly interests me is discovering why Kronos believes he has any chance of winning."
The redhead crossed his arms while directing his gaze into the distance.
"Kronos knows me. He knows what happened the last time we fought, and he also knows that I am far stronger now. Even so, he continues preparing his return as though he is convinced that this time will be different."
A more serious expression appeared on Poseidon's face. "So you believe someone is helping him."
"I believe there are more snakes than we can see at first glance," Damon replied. "If we act against Kronos too soon, those snakes will only hide more deeply. I would rather let them believe their plan is continuing to advance while we discover who else is involved."
Hades nodded, understanding the logic behind the decision. "Kronos will undoubtedly make excellent bait."
"That is correct," Damon replied before turning his attention toward the still doubtful Poseidon. He placed a hand on his shoulder and continued in a calmer tone. "I am not saying your idea is bad. In hindsight, it may even seem foolish that I do not end this right now, but I have my reasons for not moving too quickly. Always remember something, brother: even the strongest being can fall if he enters the darkness without knowing what awaits him."
Poseidon still had some doubts, but he understood what Damon was trying to tell him. Finally, he nodded in support, making it clear that he would respect his decision. Damon thanked him with a small smile before removing his hand from his shoulder.
The God of the Sea decided to set the subject aside and focused his attention on one of the clones training several meters away. "What is the deal with all those copies of you?"
"They are Shadow Clones," Damon explained while directing his gaze toward the same clone Poseidon was observing. "Each of them can train independently, and when they disappear, I receive their memories and the experience they accumulated."
Poseidon stopped watching the clone and returned his attention to Damon. "Does that mean you can perform dozens of training sessions at the same time?"
"Exactly. Although it is not as simple as it appears," Damon clarified. "All the information returns at once. If I create too many clones and keep them active for too long, my head ends up paying the price."
Hades silently watched as one of the clones disappeared after receiving a direct blow. A small cloud of smoke occupied its place for an instant before fading.
"That explains why you continue training even after reaching your current level," he finally commented. "It is a rather efficient way to accelerate the process. I almost feel envious."
The final sentence caught Damon's attention. It was uncommon for Hades to express what he thought so directly, although Damon was not surprised that he had understood the true value of the technique so quickly. Among all his siblings, Hades had always been one of those who best understood the discipline required to train and perfect one's power.
"I am strong, I will not deny that," Damon replied, agreeing with his observation. "But in my opinion, there is always room for improvement."
Poseidon opened his mouth, probably preparing to make some sarcastic comment, but Damon moved first and delivered a sharp slap to the back of his head.
"Hey!" the God of the Sea protested, bringing one hand to the spot while staring at his brother in disbelief.
Damon let out a small laugh at his reaction and took several steps toward the center of the training field. He then turned around to face both of them with a much wider smile. "Alright, you two. Since you came all the way here, how about we have a little training session like old times?"
Poseidon immediately stopped rubbing his head. The annoyance disappeared from his face and was replaced by a competitive smile. "That sounds much better."
Hades remained silent for several seconds before slowly removing his cloak and placing it on a nearby rock. "I have no intention of holding back merely because you are our older brother."
Damon smiled as he watched them take their positions in front of him while the nearby clones began moving away to clear the field.
"I expect nothing less from my brothers…"
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P@treon: Brotato
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