The Expedition of Mount Athos - (3)
The Golden Sword of Chrysaor.
A monstrous figure resembling a giant serpent, controlling a sword made of gold suspended in the air.
Chrysaor was born alongside Pegasus after Medusa was beheaded by Perseus...
Unlike Pegasus, he possessed strong monstrous traits, and by the time Medusa sought him out, he had long since vanished.
Orthrus.
A massive dog monster with two heads and a serpent-headed tail.
He was the firstborn among the children of Typhon and Echidna, and he was a sibling to Cerberus in the underworld and the Chimera, which was slain by Bellerophon.
The most noticeable were the two demigod-like monsters, but the other monsters following them were not to be underestimated either.
Among them were Harpies, creatures with the head of a woman and the body of a giant bird of prey, as well as moving trees, man-eating deer, and giant lizards...
"They're coming from the mountains! Quickly intercept those in the sky..."
"Let us not retreat! This is a war against monsters under the watchful eyes of the gods!"
"It will take some time for the messenger sent to Macedonia to return! Hold on until then!"
"I dedicate my struggle to the war god Ares!!!"
Krrrgh! Kheung! Shiiik-
As the parade of monsters advanced in lines, the heroes quickly took combat positions and prepared to fight.
Soon, spears and arrows flew, and monsters surged forth, eager to devour humans.
As the two groups, filled with murderous intent, collided, the screams of humans and the howls of beasts mixed together.
The sound of spears clashing against the claws of monsters created a harmony that opened the stage of battle.
Even amidst this chaos, there were heroes who stood out.
One of them was Orion, the hero leading the expedition.
Shuuuk- Pook.
His arrow pierced another monster's neck.
As the son of the sea god, renowned as Greece's greatest hunter, he accurately targeted only the monsters even in the midst of the chaotic melee.
Once again, Orion's powerful arm muscles aimed at the monster, pulling back the bowstring...
His next target was Typhon's offspring, who was eagerly devouring humans with its two heads.
Pook.
Krrrgh?!
Orion's arrow, boasting perfect accuracy, pierced the beast monster's leg.
Only then did Orthrus, seemingly noticing him, throw aside the human it had been holding in its mouth and charge forward.
"This one...!"
"Orion! It's coming your way! Be careful!"
Nearby heroes tried to stop the monster, but their attacks only left scratches on its tough hide, unable to halt its advance.
Though it wasn't as tough as the skin boasted by the Nemean Lion, another child of Typhon, it was thick enough to withstand most heroes' attacks without a mark.
Krrrgh-
"The hide is too thick! It can't be a Nemean Lion...!"
"Tch! Orion, it seems..."
"I know, everyone step aside! I will kill this beast!"
It was because Orion, the son of the sea god, possessed great strength that he could pierce its leg.
Quickly assessing the situation, the son of the sea god discarded his bow and drew out a large club and shield from his back.
The battlefield was a mix of heroes and monsters.
On the other side, the Golden Sword of Chrysaor was fiercely attacking the heroes with its poisonous fangs and flying blades...
Here, the screams of humans desperately wielding weapons while being torn apart by savage man-eating deer echoed.
Orion crossed the center of the battlefield, locking eyes with the monster charging at him, firmly gripping his club.
Krrrgh!!!
"If it's a child of Typhon, then it's a fitting prey for my achievements!"
The clash between the leaping Orthrus and Orion, swinging his club at him.
In the Olympus divine palace, Apollo stood with his arms crossed, looking down below.
The sacrifices offered by the heroes attempting to enter Mount Athos were received by his father, Zeus, but...
"Apollo, you are to observe them and assist as necessary."
"Understood, Father. But what do you mean by 'as necessary'?"
"It means exactly that. Gaia, who keeps watch over the heroes as they accumulate their tasks, would not allow the expedition to reach Mount Athos unscathed."
"So...?"
"You may intervene 'within reasonable limits' according to your judgment."
It was precisely because Zeus commanded him to observe the expedition and assist appropriately.
Although Heracles was born, it was a precaution taken by Zeus, fearing that the great hero might not become one due to some unfortunate event or be killed by Hera.
The more heroes he could nurture, the higher the chances of producing a great hero to take to war against the Gigantes.
Relying solely on the newly born Heracles was not enough...
As the king of the gods, he needed to consider the worst-case scenario.
As Apollo recalled his conversation with Zeus, someone quietly sat beside him.
It was his sister, Artemis, the goddess of the moon.
"Brother. What brings you here?"
"Dear brother. Shouldn't we help the heroes who are struggling down there?"
"Still, they must pass such tasks to become great heroes, right? We cannot rely solely on the newborn Heracles whom Father cherishes so much."
"But..."
The beautiful goddess gazed worriedly at the underworld.
Noticing the affection, worry, sadness, and impatience in her eyes, Apollo sighed.
His sister, Artemis, was a virgin goddess who had sworn purity.
However... for some time now, she had been seen growing close to a human.
"Is it not alright to save a hero bravely facing Orthrus?"
"... Well."
The only human male Artemis was close to, aside from family, was technically a demigod.
That giant hunter's father was Poseidon.
It was perhaps inevitable that the goddess of hunting and archery would grow close to Greece's greatest hunter.
But how dare a mere human try to approach a virgin goddess who swore an oath by the River Styx? I, Apollo, am watching with wide-open eyes, and yet they dare to overstep their bounds...
"... I don't particularly like it."
"Huh? What did you say, brother?"
"Nothing. If that's your opinion, then I shall send a crow to assist the humans a little."
As the son of Poseidon, who was horrifically protective of his children, he could not directly punish them.
But... what if it were an 'accidental incident' that occurred while fighting monsters?
The area near the Kingdom of Macedonia had long since turned into a bloody battlefield.
The tide of battle between the heroes gathered from all over Greece and the mythical monsters began to tilt increasingly in favor of the monsters.
Numerous monsters had attacked the humans first, but these were heroes confident in their own skills.
Those trained in the underworld through Thebes and those who had honed their skills by capturing monsters from the mortal realm were not easily defeated.
However...
"Damn it! What do we do about that flying sword... Gah!"
"Huff... Is there no one else who carries the blood of the god of wind?"
Shiiik-
With scales so hard they could deflect the heroes' weapons, sharp poisonous fangs, and a massive body that was a threat in itself...
The real problem was Chrysaor, who controlled the golden sword and flew freely in the sky.
"Ugh... Ack!"
Once again, a scream erupted as a hero who introduced himself as the son of Notus, the god of the south wind, was pierced through the belly by the golden sword.
While Orion faced Orthrus, who would stop that dreadful monster?
If the people from Thebes, who seemed accustomed to dealing with giant serpents, had not distracted it, they might have all died here...
Even amidst the ongoing battle, Chrysaor appeared unscathed, while the morale of the expedition members gradually waned.
Above their heads, something flew.
Caw-caw- Cack-
"What is... that sound?"
"That shadow in the sky... a Harpy?!"
Even amidst the battle with the monsters, the humans glanced up at the sky, feeling a sense of relief at the powerful cries of the bird.
A unique cry, a large black body, and a divine aura that resonated with everyone.
"It is the divine beast that Apollo raises, the crow!"
"Is that the crow that burned for delivering news of the princess of Thessaly, Coronis?"
"The sun god is watching over this place! O radiant Phoebus Apollo!"
Apollo, who once had a romantic relationship with Coronis, the princess of Thessaly.
He had sent down his white crow as a messenger to deliver news to Coronis.
However, Coronis had an affair with a human named Ischys, and the crow immediately informed Apollo of this.
Enraged, Apollo shot Coronis with his bow, but he immediately regretted it and glared at the crow...
Upon meeting the gaze filled with the power of the sun, the white crow's feathers turned completely black.
Thus, the black crow, Apollo's divine beast, appeared here.
The divine beast of the sun briefly soared through the battlefield before diving straight at Chrysaor.
When it was in the sky, it appeared as a mere dot, but as it descended to the ground, it grew larger and larger...
Eventually, the divine beast, now as large as several people combined, clawed at Chrysaor's back.
Shiiik!
The serpent monster, spewing forth blood from its back, writhed in agony.
Seeing this, the heroes steeled their resolve and charged at Chrysaor once more.
The flying golden sword was also preoccupied with the crow in the sky... and Orthrus was being held back by the expedition leader, Orion.
If the two demigod-like beings were removed from the battlefield, the odds would be in our favor!
The remaining monsters were mere small fry compared to the Sphinx or Python, who had trained in the underworld alongside the great heroes.
"We can do it! We can win! We have already made it through the training grounds of Thebes! These monsters are nothing compared to that..."
"Ares, god of war! Grant strength to my sword!"
"Let’s quickly slay them all and help Orion...!"
Unless another variable appeared, the expedition would end in victory for the heroes.