BOOM.
The sea didn't move. It exploded.
Ares struck first.
No warning. No delay. No divine announcement.
His blade came down like a comet—Naerida blocked it, barely. Her coral shield shattered on impact, shards flying like razors through the water. Dominic was thrown backward by the shockwave.
Athena leapt forward with her spear, spinning mid-current, driving the tip straight toward Ares' shoulder.
Clang.
He didn't flinch. His hand shot out, grabbed her by the throat, and slammed her into a rock pillar.
"Too slow," Ares muttered, eyes glowing.
---
Dominic Charges
The ocean raged behind Dominic, swirling around him like a whirlpool.
He didn't think.
He moved.
A blue surge burst from his palm — water sharpened into a blade. He slashed toward Ares' back, fast, reckless.
But Ares turned, blocked with his gauntlet, and elbowed Dominic so hard he skipped like a stone across the reef floor.
Blood drifted into the water.
Dominic growled, wiping his mouth.
