Demigod Twin Chapter 13: Hard-fought Battle.

Chapter 13: Hard-Fought Battle.

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(Iphicles P.O.V)

The Hydra erupts from the lake, its nine serpentine heads swaying in eerie unison, each pair of glowing eyes brimming with malice.

The ground trembles as it lumbers forward, its scaled body glistening with an unnatural sheen of mucus and water.

“All units, prepare to fire!” Atalanta’s voice cuts through the chaos like steel, unwavering despite the horror before her.

Soldiers and mercenaries scramble to their positions, hauling barrels of oil and flammable liquids toward the catapults.

The first volley of flaming projectiles arcs through the air, striking the Hydra’s torso.

The beast thrashes violently, emitting a guttural roar as flames lick at its scales. For a fleeting moment, hope rises among the ranks.

But the Hydra retaliates immediately.

The fourth head rears back and unleashes a torrent of fire, obliterating the catapults in an instant.

The explosion hurls men into the air like ragdolls, their screams drowned by the inferno.

“Regroup! Hold the line!” the captain of the Argos guard bellows, his voice straining over the chaos.

With grim determination, he charges forward, rallying the remaining soldiers.

Atalanta’s gaze hardens as she draws her bow. “Get ready,” she mutters, notching an arrow.

My wings flare out and I get into a stance, ready to fight or flee. My heart hammers so loudly in my ears, I barely hear anything else.

The captain’s bravery inspires the others. Over a thousand soldiers and mercenaries surge toward the Hydra, their weapons glinting under the ashen sky.

It’s a slaughter.

The Hydra’s body glows faintly with purple energy, and its central head(5th) releases a deafening roar.

In an instant, lightning arcs outward, splitting into countless tendrils that rip through the ranks.

Screams echo as the frontlines are incinerated. Armor melts, weapons shatter, and the stench of charred flesh fills the air.

“No!” Atalanta’s cry is raw and furious as she watches her army—her people—reduced to ashes.

Before I can think, my wings flex, and I lunge toward her.

Wrapping my arms around her midsection, I take to the air just as bolts of lightning scorch the ground where we stood.

High above the chaos, the devastation is painfully clear. The battlefield is littered with charred corpses, the Hydra continuing its rampage unabated, chomping on survivors.

The scene is enough to make one vomit. I ignore the urge and focus on beating my wings, keeping us afloat.

Atalanta’s breathing is ragged, her fists clenched tightly around her bow.

She doesn’t look away from the burning camp as she speaks, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “Put me down. Now.”

I hesitate, glancing at her pale face. “Atalanta, there’s nothing left down there—”

“Put me down!” she snaps, her green eyes blazing.

Reluctantly, I comply, descending onto a rocky outcrop overlooking the battlefield.

As soon as her feet touch the ground, she raises her bow, her body radiating golden energy.

“You’re not thinking clearly, we don't even have a plan.” I warn, watching her notching an arrow. “That thing—”

She cuts me off. “I watched them die, Icarus. All of them. Friends I've known for years, companions I have shared mugs of mead with. And I will NOT let it go unanswered.”

Before I can argue, she releases the arrow.

It streaks through the air like a comet, striking the Hydra’s chest with enough force to make it stagger.

Without pause, Atalanta fires again. And again. Arrows rain down in relentless succession, each one targeting the creature’s heart.

Her precision is staggering. In mere seconds, over ten arrows embed themselves in the same spot, tearing through the Hydra’s scales.

The beast recoils, retreating into the water with a deafening roar.

I stare, momentarily awestruck. “You… you hit the same spot every time.”

The most surprising thing is not the precision but the 500 or so feet between us and the Hydra. Not to mention the weight behind each normal unenchanted arrow.

Atalanta doesn’t respond, vengeful focus driving her actions.

Her next volley drives the Hydra further back, but the creature’s regenerative abilities become apparent as its wounds begin to close.

---

The Hydra, visibly in pain responds by unleashing waves of elemental breaths at everything close to the shoreline.

Acidic sprays melt through stone and metal, walls of flame consume the remnants of the camp, and the ground itself trembles under violent earthquakes as it stomps forward...heading our way.

“Move!” I shout, grabbing Atalanta as the rock outcrop beneath us splits apart and crumbles.

My wings strain at the extra weight, as we ascend and fly around the Hydra.

“I’m not done yet,” Atalanta growls, charging her bow with magic while I hold her by the armpits, doing my best to steady her aim.

The golden aura intensifies as she draws three arrows from her quiver, their tips glowing with blinding light.

"Apollo’s Judgement!”

The arrows split mid-flight, multiplying into nine radiant beams that strike the Hydra’s heads.

The creature screams in agony as eight of its heads are obliterated.

But the central head glows purple again, charging a devastating lightning blast.

“Watch for the charge!” I yell, diving to avoid the blast. The bolt narrowly misses us, searing the air. “We need to take that head out before the rest regenerate!”

"Get me close!"

Atalanta responds and I dive at the monster, hoping I'm right about it needing time to charge up the lightning breath.

Atalanta notches another arrow, pouring magic into it.

From the mist behind the Hydra, a massive boulder hurtles toward us, ripping through the air at neckbreak speeds.

It's so unexpected, I barely have time to brace myself and shield us with my wings before it slams into my side, sending us crashing away onto the shore.

Pain explodes through my body as I land below Atalanta, shielding her from the impact. My back left wing crumples, several bronze feathers scattering across the ground.

There's no time to rest with the Hydra on the loose. I groan and try to sit up.

“Atalanta… are you—”

“I’m fine,” she cuts me off, her hair loose and wild, voice curt as she grips her bow tightly.

With her free hand, she helps me to my feet, her gaze flickering to my damaged wing. “You can’t fly away like that.”

I throw a glance at the Hydra, which thankfully is back to wanton destruction and ignores us.

A grimace twists my face as I flex my wings. The damage on my left wing makes it hard to move and throws off my balance. “I can still manage. It won’t be fast, but I’m not leaving you here.”

“You have to,” she insists. “Go back to Chiron. Carry on his legacy. You don't have to die here.”

She turns away and starts advancing towards the Hydra, grabbing an arrow from the quiver at her hip.

The smart thing to do is retreat, count the expedition as a failure. Everyone else besides us is probably dead. Two people against a force of nature stand no chance. And yet...

I shake my head and grab her hand. “Wait. Chiron told me destiny isn’t something you wait for. You grab it.” I glance at the Hydra, now regenerating its heads—17 in total. “Besides, I may have a plan. We can take it down.”

Despite my fear, my voice resonates with confidence.

Atalanta holds my gaze before her lips twitch into a faint smile. “There's the madness I was talking about. Fine. But you better keep up.”

I tell her my plan and she calls it insanity.

---

We split up. I take to the air on glossy wings, the feathers dripping with oil. My speed is slow with the damaged wing but I'm not looking for speed. Instead I fly around the Hydra as quiet as possible.

Meanwhile Atalanta is on the ground, drawing the Hydra’s attention.

She fires normal arrows, her agility keeping her one step ahead of its -Elemental attacks by leaping off trees before they dissolve under acid, over rocks that are worn away by winds and water sprays...

The Hydra roars as she runs on the water surface, pelting the heads with arrows. It's fourth pair of heads wind back, jaws with sharp teeth open and it unleashes a torrent of flames. That’s my cue.

Diving through the inferno, I grab Atalanta and push forward.

My wings ignite, the burning oil meant for the catapults muffle the sound of my flight.

With a powerful flap, we streak toward the central head as the Hydra prepares another lightning blast.

“Now!” I shout, releasing her mid-air, dodging the attack as the lightning passes below me and above her.

Atalanta spins gracefully, her charged up enchanted arrow flying true, piercing the central head.

I follow with a final dive, cauterizing the wound with my burning wings.

Pulling around, I sweep down and grab Atalanta before she can hit the ground.

The Hydra thrashes violently as we ascend, its remaining heads disoriented.

"Ready to see my Ultimate Skill, Iphicles? I assure you, you won't forget it."

Atalanta says, notching a single arrow, her body glowing with a power different from magic.

The phantom of a sun and moon appear above us, and divine energy pours down on her. I'm in awe at the frightening power that makes my skin crawl. Power that turns the arrow into a bright beam of godly judgement.

“Phantasm: Heavenly Grace!”

Atalanta intones upon release.

The arrow transforms into a rain of golden projectiles, annihilating the remaining heads, save for one.

Flying around the poison breath, I deliver the final blow, severing the last head with my right wing and cauterizing all its neck portions to prevent it from regenerating.

The Hydra stumbles and falls dead, the area trembles at its wake.

---

Atalanta and I crash into the lake, exhausted but alive.

Beside me, Atalanta slings my arm over her shoulder, supporting me as we stumble out of the lake and onto solid ground.

The water drips from my wings, each droplet hitting the ground with a soft hiss as steam rises around us. My breath is ragged, my body aching in ways I didn’t think possible, but the weight of victory keeps me upright.

I deactivate my wings with a thought, the bronze feathers folding into themselves until they vanish from sight. It makes it easier for Atalanta to bear my weight, though I still feel like a burden.

“Your bow…” I manage to rasp, my eyes catching the splintered string dangling uselessly from her grip.

She looks down at it, her lips curving into a wry smile despite the exhaustion etched into her features. “Eh, don’t worry about it. The Hydra’s reward will be more than enough to commission twenty bows better than this one. Cyclopes love gold too.”

I nod weakly, letting her words settle in. The Laerdinian Hydra is dead. We killed it. My mind still struggles to comprehend the enormity of the feat. A monster spoken of in hushed tones, said to be unkillable, now lies lifeless on the shore behind us.

I glance forward, the massive, scaly body of the Hydra sprawled across the sand like a defeated titan.

Its necks are blackened stumps, the water around it stained red with its lifeblood. For a moment, I allow myself the indulgence of pride.

“Iphicles the Hydra Slayer,” Atalanta says, her tone teasing but not unkind. “It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

I smirk faintly, though it hurts to do so. “Don’t let me get a big head, huh?”

Her smirk widens as she shakes her head. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll knock you back down to size if you try.”

Before I can respond, the air grows still—too still. A chill runs down my spine, and my instincts scream at me to be on guard.

A low, menacing voice breaks the silence, dripping with malice. “I have an idea on how to fix that. How about neither of you leave here with your heads intact?”

Atalanta freezes. I stiffen, the exhaustion draining from my body as adrenaline surges through my veins.

Slowly, I turn toward the source of the voice, every muscle in my body screaming for me to run even as I know I can’t.

Standing amidst the carnage, framed by smoke and fire, is Herakles.

He is a vision of blood-soaked brutality, his massive frame cloaked in a tunic that clings to his water-drenched skin.

Crimson streaks his face and hands, none his own. His club, jagged and splintered, drips with fresh gore as it rests casually over his shoulder.

My twin licks his lips slowly, his sharp blue eyes locking onto mine with a predatory gleam. His grin is wide and feral, showing teeth stained with blood.

“Hello, Brother,” he says, his voice almost sing-song, but beneath it lies a current of bloodlust.

The only thought in my mind is...how did he know...?