CLANG!

The mountains were alive with the sound of clashing weapons and powerful roars. Adrian ducked just in time to dodge a blast of crackling green energy from Eris's twin daggers. The air around him sizzled and he quickly rolled to his feet.

Then, with a swift movement, he turned to block a fierce sword strike from Abyss using his fiery chains. The battle was heating up!

"Focus, Adrian," Abyss said sharply. "You're wide open."

"I noticed!" Adrian grunted, pushing back against her strike before turning to avoid Lilith's whip, which lashed toward him with a sharp crack. The crimson energy coiled and struck again, forcing him to leap backward.

Lilith smirked. "Aw, come on, husband. Don't tell me we're already wearing you out."

Adrian's chest heaved as he straightened, his fiery chains snapping back into place. "You call this training? Feels more like an ambush."

Ava laughed, her staff glowing with golden light as she conjured a barrage of shimmering projectiles. "You wanted all of us to work together, Champion. Consider this teamwork."

Adrian barely managed to deflect the incoming energy blasts with his chains, the golden sparks raining around him. His muscles burned, and his breath came in short bursts, but he refused to back down.

"You could try holding back!" he shouted, his fiery chains flaring brighter.

Medea, perched on a rocky outcrop, crossed her arms and smirked. "Hold back? What would that teach you? You need to handle us at full strength if you're going to survive what's coming."

Eris twirled her daggers, her emerald eyes glinting. "Besides, you need the practice. You're still too predictable."

Adrian scowled but didn't argue.

He knew they were right.

He had pushed for this training, demanding that the goddesses show him their full capabilities so he could learn how to fight alongside them—and against them if necessary.

However, the intensity of their attacks was too much to handle.

Hestia watched from the sidelines, reclining against a boulder with a lazy expression. "You're doing great, Adrian," she called with a hint of mock encouragement in her voice. "At this rate, you might last another five minutes."

"Hestia," Adrian growled, ducking under Abyss's blade and deflecting Lilith's whip in one motion. "Do you ever do anything besides sit there?"

She yawned, stretching languidly. "I'm conserving my energy. Unlike some people, I know how to pace myself."

"Useless," Eris muttered, rolling her eyes as she threw another dagger, this one aimed directly at Adrian's feet. He leapt aside, but it grazed his calf, sending a sharp sting up his leg.

"Watch it!" Adrian snapped, wincing.

"Stop whining," Medea called, her black flames swirling around her hands. "You'll heal. Eventually."

The training session escalated as Ava summoned massive golden barriers that boxed Adrian into a smaller space. He had to think quickly, using his fiery chains to swing upward and avoid the incoming strikes from Abyss and Eris.

He landed on one of Ava's glowing walls, his feet slipping slightly on the smooth surface.

"Not bad," Ava said, her tone impressed. "But let's see how long you can keep this up."

She raised her staff, and the barrier beneath him began to flicker and shift. Adrian growled in frustration, leaping off just as the wall dissolved into golden shards.

He landed hard on the ground, rolling to absorb the impact, only to find Lilith's whip snaking toward him again.

This time, he caught it with one of his fiery chains, yanking hard. Lilith stumbled slightly but recovered quickly, her crimson eyes narrowing. "You're getting cocky," she said, snapping the whip free.

"And you're not?" Adrian shot back, dodging another energy blast from Ava.

Selene stood near the edge of the field, her silver eyes watching the chaos unfold with quiet intensity. She hesitated, then stepped forward, her dagger drawn.

"I should join them," she murmured, but Hestia reached out a hand, stopping her.

"Let him handle it," Hestia said lazily. "If he's going to lead us, he needs to prove he can keep up."

Selene frowned but nodded, stepping back reluctantly. "I hope they don't push him too far."

Adrian's body ached, every muscle screaming in protest as he deflected another series of attacks. He had lost count of how many times Lilith's whip had grazed him or Abyss's blade had nearly found its mark.

The goddesses weren't just testing his strength—they were testing his endurance, his strategy, and his ability to adapt.

"You're slowing down," Abyss said calmly as she launched another flurry of strikes.

Adrian blocked two but took the third across his shoulder, the impact sending him stumbling. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.

"Not done yet," he growled, swinging his chains in a wide arc to create some distance.

Ava and Medea exchanged a glance, and a subtle nod passed between them.

Ava raised her staff again, conjuring a massive golden sphere that hovered ominously above the field. At the same time, Medea unleashed a torrent of black flames that surged toward Adrian, forcing him to retreat.

"What are you two planning now?" Adrian muttered, his eyes darting between them.

"Something new," Ava said with a smile.

Before Adrian could react, the golden sphere shattered, releasing a burst of radiant light that blinded him momentarily. He stumbled, and in that instant, Medea's flames struck, enveloping him in a searing heat.

Adrian hit the ground hard, his fiery chains sputtering as he struggled to regain his footing. The goddesses paused, their eyes narrowing as the ground beneath them began to tremble.

"What's happening?" Abyss asked, her grip tightening on her sword.

Adrian pushed himself up, his vision still blurry from the light. "That… wasn't you?"

"No," Ava said, her tone cautious. "It wasn't."

The trembling grew stronger, the earth cracking beneath their feet. A low, guttural sound echoed through the mountains, sending a chill down Adrian's spine.

Lilith's whip coiled tightly in her hand as she scanned the area. "Tell me that's just the mountain settling."

"It's not," Eris said grimly, her emerald eyes darting toward the shadows. "Something's coming."

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