Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

A divine pressure crashed on everyone's limbs the moment they stepped into the golden dome. They slowed as if invisible shackles wrapped around them.

"It's as if we're struggling in a swamp."

Achilles narrowed his eyes as he struck his spear into the ground.

"Come, Tromos Troias!"

Lightning rumbled and descended on his spear as a divine pillar cast ominous shadows over his face.

From it, his intricate and indestructible chariot manifested. The pounding of hooves colliding with air followed as Xanthos and Balius, the two divine horses, rushed to harness themselves.

Without wasting a second, he lept on it and seized the reins, his voice thundering.

"Come on. We won't win by fighting alone!"

Although he would have preferred a duel, his desire for glory wavered. Without Adam's chaotic contract, Zeus' leash would tighten around his neck again, and his goal to defeat him would vanish like a mirage.

Karna lept on the chariot and patted his trembling shoulder, his warm smile contrasted by the two suns burning intently in his eyes.

"We won't let Zeus have his way. We won't let Adam die, either." His Vijaya bow formed in a flash of golden light, solar arrows condensing on the bowstring. "I vow it on my father's name, Adhiratha."

As his voice rumbled amidst the divine energy's hum, Merlin and Wukong joined them on the chariot.

However, Wukong's brows creased as his hand shot to Merlin's collar. Gripping it, he gritted his teeth and pointed at Heracles' golden veins and expanding frame. Read the latest on empire

"Look at him! Your plan is a fiasco!" He held Merlin outside the rushing carriage, his fingers twitching. "I told you I'd kill you if you lied."

Merlin raised his hands, his firm eyes meeting Wukong's.

"Perfect plans don't exist when gods are involved. You know it better than anyone, Sun Wukong. The time isn't for inner strife, so let's proceed like this: we kill Heracles first, then you kill me if you're unsatisfied by the outcome."

"Humph."

Wukong shoved him against the railing behind him and crossed his trembling arms over his chest.

"Heracles' strength and resilience were already on par with gods. With Tyr's hand's ability to slow us down and empower him, he's covering for his weaknesses." His knuckles whitened around his staff as defiance melded with despair in his voice. "He's on the level of a major god now. I can't defeat him alone."

He turned to Karna, Achilles, and Merlin.

"I won't let him get past me no matter what happens, so watch for an opportunity to kill him."

A golden headband appeared on his head as his eyes darted to Adam, softening despite the critical situation.

"Knock out this troublesome little brother and keep him safe."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Without waiting, he lept down from the rushing chariot as the three remaining seals blocking his powers shattered like threads.

Divine qi rushed to his limbs, and the air hummed with the scent of the immortal peaches as his layers of immortality returned to his tensing limbs.

He gripped a handful of hairs and blew his qi and essence on them.

Before they could drift to the ground, they shifted and grew into hundreds of perfect replicas, each sharing his equipment and strength but not magical abilities.

Simultaneously, a veil of fog obscured his features as his body transformed. Scale-like stone covered his growing limbs as his staff mirrored his new size.

Soon, he towered higher than the gasping Jotuns, matching Heracles' gigantic transformation.

His voice thundered next as he pointed his Ruyi Jingu Bang in his adversary's direction.

"The heavens could not bind me, hell could not contain me, and no mortal or immortal has ever broken my will! Shall we begin, or will you bow before the Monkey King to save yourself the humiliation?"

As his voice thundered, Heracles' eyes snapped open. Two beams of divine light pierced through the battlefield as his shoulders trembled in amusement.

"Hahaha! I never refused a fight. Let me send you to the underworld, monkey."

The ground rumbled under his forceful stomps. His arm, a mountain of muscles, moved like a speeding train, causing the wind to roar.

BANG

A deafening storm rose as the fist collided with the staff.

The poor demons below trembled as furious gales propelled them hundreds of meters away. Yet, they couldn't avert their eyes from this battle, not when Wukong shockingly gritted his teeth and slid back under the fist's pressure.

Meanwhile, Achilles drove his chariot to Adam while Merlin isolated him in another space with his mana.

Then, the divine horses galloped into the air, above the hundreds of replicas and behind Heracles' head.

"Strike simultaneously!"

Merlin's urgent voice ripped through the air as his mana roared in his staff.

Achilles hurled his Pelian Ash Spear while Karna fired a barrage of solar arrows that vaporised the air.

The clones punched, thousands of eastern dragons made of pure qi roaring toward Heracles' giant back.

Finally, Merlin coughed up blood, yet his eyes sparkled with determination as his voice thundered.

"Shard of Anathema!"

A chaotic void, loaned by Tiamat and predating creation, assembled in front of him into a replica of Excalibur. The wind raged and swirled around it as he made it spin before he hurled it at the colossus' neck.

All the attacks drew colorful arcs in the air before they collided with the giant.

BOOM

A sparkling pillar of energy engulfed Heracles' body, freeing Wukong from the pressure, as he, too, joined in the attack.

His hands trembled around his staff as he swiped it at the pillar, determined to crush the adversary threatening his newfound home and companions.

However, a hand cut through the scalding pillar and gripped his Ruyi Jingu Bang's blunt edge, stopping it cold.

"Hahaha. That's it?" Heracles' voice rumbled as he blew the energies like a mere cloud of dust, revealing his unwounded body. "I expected more."

He twisted the staff, snatching it from Wukong with brute strength. In the same movement, the wind roared behind him as he aimed his new club at the pathetic ants who dared to strike his back.

Achilles reacted first, his hands flinging the reins urgently for his horses to move.

Yet, they trembled under the mountain collapsing on them, too scared to take a step.

"Move!"

He roared against the wind pressure as despair clawed at his heart.