Cronus' system: Against the gods

Ares lunged forward, his spear a streak of crimson destruction. Lucius barely had time to twist his body before the blade sliced through the air, missing his throat by inches. Even so, the aftershock alone tore through his armor, leaving a searing line of divine energy across his chest.

Lucius clicked his tongue. That spear is trouble.

Before he could counter, Ares was already in his face. A massive right hook crashed into Lucius' jaw, the sheer force sending shockwaves rippling outward. Lucius' head snapped to the side, but his feet remained planted.

The War God grinned. "Still standing?"

Lucius spit out black ichor and rolled his shoulders. "You're durable. I'll give you that."

Ares twisted Phobos in his grip. "You haven't seen anything yet."

He thrust the spear forward.

Lucius barely managed to sidestep, the blade grazing his ribs. But before he could capitalize on the dodge, Ares pivoted, bringing his knee into Lucius' gut.

The impact doubled Lucius over.

Ares didn't hesitate.

He brought both fists down like a war hammer, driving Lucius into the earth with enough force to rupture the ground. Cracks webbed outward as the battlefield caved in, a crater forming beneath them.

Lucius coughed, but before Ares could follow up, shadows surged.

Dark tendrils lashed out, coiling around Ares' limbs, pulling him toward the abyssal void forming beneath them.

Ares snarled, flames exploding from his body. The shadows shriveled, hissing as his war aura burned through the corruption.

Lucius took the opportunity.

He struck.

A clawed hand shot forward, aiming for Ares' exposed throat.

Ares caught it.

The two forces clashed, muscles straining, divine flames battling abyssal darkness. For a brief moment, they were locked in a test of raw power.

Lucius grinned. "Not bad. But strength alone won't—"

Ares headbutted him.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Each impact sent shockwaves across the battlefield.

By the fourth, Lucius' smirk faltered. His vision blurred for a split second.

That was all Ares needed.

The War God released his grip, his elbow slamming into Lucius' sternum. The monstrous warrior staggered back, only for Ares to drive a savage kick into his ribs, sending him flying.

Lucius skidded across the ruined ground, his feet digging trenches into the battlefield before he managed to stop himself.

He exhaled, rolling his jaw. "Alright." He flexed his fingers, his abyssal armor reshaping, adapting to Ares' attacks. "You're actually pissing me off now."

Ares cracked his knuckles. "Good."

Lucius took a step forward—

—then vanished.

Ares' eyes widened. Fast.

Lucius reappeared above him, mid-air, his claws already descending.

Ares barely managed to raise Phobos in time.

CLANG!

The spear and abyssal claws collided, the impact sending a deep tremor through the air.

Lucius didn't relent.

He twisted mid-air, his leg whipping around in a savage kick—

Ares dodged, but the aftershock still ripped through the ground beneath him.

Lucius landed, shadows exploding outward, swallowing the battlefield in darkness. Ares was already charging forward, flames erupting from his spear, cutting through the black abyss.

Their battle resumed, a brutal exchange of fists, blades, and raw power.

Each strike shattered the battlefield.

Each clash reshaped the land itself.

Ares' war aura burned like a raging inferno, his every movement precise, instinctual—a warrior who had fought for eternities.

Lucius, on the other hand, was an unstoppable force, adapting, twisting, shifting—his shadows learning from every blow.

Ares swung.

Lucius ducked.

Lucius countered.

Ares blocked.

They moved faster.

And faster.

And faster.

Until their battle was nothing more than a storm of destruction.

Neither yielding.

Neither faltering.

Just two monsters of war colliding—

—until the earth could take no more.

The ground collapsed.

Ares and Lucius plummeted into darkness.

Darkness swallowed them whole.

For a moment, there was nothing—only the sensation of falling.

Then, fire erupted.

Ares' war aura blazed to life, his crimson flames burning through the abyss as he thrust Phobos downward. The spear pierced the void, igniting the space around them, and in an instant—

The Underworld answered.

The abyss twisted, reality bending around them as their surroundings shifted.

The two warriors slammed into solid ground, but it was no longer the battlefield they had left behind. Jagged obsidian cliffs loomed around them, the sky above a swirling mix of black smoke and sickly green lightning. Rivers of molten fire snaked through the cracked terrain, and distant wails echoed from unseen souls, trapped in eternal torment.

The Underworld.

Lucius landed on one knee, claws digging into the rocky surface. His abyssal armor absorbed the impact, tendrils of shadow curling around his form. He slowly lifted his gaze, his mismatched eyes gleaming under the eerie glow of the hellish domain.

Ares stood tall, rolling his shoulders. "This place suits you," he said with a smirk. "Welcome to my second home."

Lucius exhaled sharply. "Tch. What, you think dragging me down here changes anything?" His shadows pulsed, expanding outward like a living abyss. "It doesn't matter where we fight." His smirk returned, sharp as a blade. "I'm still going to bury you."

Ares' grin widened. "You can try."

Then he moved.

One second, he was standing still. The next—

He was on top of Lucius.

Phobos descended like a comet, wreathed in crimson fire.

Lucius barely had time to raise his arms before the spear crashed into his guard, the sheer force splintering the ground beneath them.

The impact sent shockwaves through the Underworld, the force shattering nearby cliffs. Rivers of molten lava erupted, spraying across the battlefield.

Lucius growled, shadows thickening around him as he shoved Ares back. He twisted, a whip-like tendril lashing out from his armor, aiming to pierce the War God's chest.

Ares caught it mid-air, flames surging through his grip, incinerating the darkness in an instant. He yanked, dragging Lucius forward, and drove his knee into Lucius' ribs.

CRACK.

Lucius gritted his teeth. Even with his armor, he felt that.

Ares didn't let up.

His fist blurred forward—

Lucius vanished.

Ares' punch hit empty space.

Before he could react, Lucius reappeared behind him, his claws already descending.

SHINK!

Black talons ripped into Ares' side, tearing through his armor and drawing golden ichor. The War God grunted, but instead of retreating, he spun into the attack, twisting his body with the momentum.

Lucius barely had time to react before Ares' elbow crashed into his temple.

The blow sent Lucius reeling, his vision momentarily white from the sheer impact.

Ares pressed forward. He twisted Phobos in his grip, its flames surging as he prepared a thrust to the heart.

Lucius snarled.

His shadows expanded, forming an abyssal shield just in time to catch the spearhead. Sparks flew as divine fire clashed against pure darkness.

Lucius dug his heels into the ground, pushing forward.

Ares grinned, his strength meeting Lucius' head-on. "That all you got?"

Lucius exhaled, his breath curling like smoke.

Then, without warning—

His armor shifted.

The abyss expanded, and suddenly there were three of him.

Ares' eyes narrowed. Shit.

The two clones struck simultaneously.

One grabbed Ares' wrist, locking the spear in place.

The second one drove a fist toward Ares' ribs.

Ares twisted, throwing a brutal kick that dispersed one clone in an explosion of shadow. But the distraction was enough.

Lucius, the real one, ducked low, his palm slamming into Ares' chest.

Dark energy detonated from the impact, sending the War God hurtling backward.

Ares skidded across the ground, his heels carving deep trenches in the obsidian terrain. He came to a stop, his chest smoking from the blow.

He laughed.

"Now that's more like it!" His golden ichor dripped onto the ground, sizzling against the black stone. His war aura burned hotter, the air around him warping from sheer heat. "No more tricks, Noctis. Let's see if your fists can match your mouth."

Lucius cracked his neck. His armor pulsed, absorbing the surrounding darkness, his form growing more monstrous by the second. "Don't cry when you realize you can't keep up."

Lucius, the real one, ducked low, his palm slamming into Ares' chest.

Dark energy detonated from the impact, sending the War God hurtling backward.

Ares skidded across the ground, his heels carving deep trenches in the obsidian terrain. He came to a stop, his chest smoking from the blow.

He laughed.

"Now that's more like it!" His golden ichor dripped onto the ground, sizzling against the black stone. His war aura burned hotter, the air around him warping from sheer heat. "No more tricks, Noctis. Let's see if your fists can match your mouth."

Lucius cracked his neck. His armor pulsed, absorbing the surrounding darkness, his form growing more monstrous by the second. "Don't cry when you realize you can't keep up."

Ares pressed forward. He twisted Phobos in his grip, its flames surging as he prepared a thrust to the heart.

Lucius snarled.

His shadows expanded, forming an abyssal shield just in time to catch the spearhead. Sparks flew as divine fire clashed against pure darkness.

Lucius dug his heels into the ground, pushing forward.

Ares grinned, his strength meeting Lucius' head-on. "That all you got?"

Lucius exhaled, his breath curling like smoke.

Then, without warning—

His armor shifted.

The abyss expanded, and suddenly there were three of him.

Ares' eyes narrowed. Shit.

The two clones struck simultaneously.

One grabbed Ares' wrist, locking the spear in place.