The sea had never known silence like this.
Not even during the Hollow surge.
Not during the Choir's awakening.
Not when the Door of Names shattered.
But now…
As Ares stood before Poseidon, axe dripping molten foam, grinning like war itself—
The ocean held its breath.
Because it remembered this god.
And it remembered that he had never bled.
---
The First Blow
Ares didn't waste words.
He swung.
His axe tore through the water like fire underwater—
a blazing arc of violence honed by centuries of conquest.
Poseidon blocked it, barely.
The impact sent a shockwave through the reef.
Coral shattered.
Trench walls cracked.
Tidecallers screamed.
Poseidon skidded backward, muscles groaning, Trident glowing wild.
Ares grinned wider.
> "You've got weight now, boy. I can feel it."
> "I'm not a boy," Poseidon growled.
> "Then stop holding back."
---
Maelora and Varun Join
Before Ares could strike again, Maelora darted in, her sea-blades flashing.
