"—uuuuuuck!!! Epimetheus!! Like the first fucking hero, Epimetheus!!"

"You're surprised, boy, but that’s to be expected." His eyes narrow in on Cirrus as he slowly gets into a stance.

"Of course I am. I actually really liked your legend. Also, Malion, did you know this!?"

"I did. I am sorry, Hera didn’t wish to discourage you." Malion averted her eyes a bit from Cirrus. "I am sorry again."

"It’s fucking Epi-fucking-metheus!? He is my favorite hero!"

Epimetheus made a sour expression.

"Pfft… What poor taste." He said it in a dismissive tone. "I thought you enjoyed that fool Argonaut, but to know I was your favorite…"

Epimetheus’s expression soured even more at the thought.

"Really?" Cirrus put his left foot forward, widening his stance as he held Gram in his right hand, putting the blade to the ground. "I always thought such a pioneer deserved far more respect than what he was given. Well, I guess you can just be a character in my legend." Cirrus said mockingly.

"Bold words. Let me hurry that legend along, boy!!!"

Epimetheus shot forward with his great sword in hand.

"I’m not in a rush!!"

Cirrus rushes forward as well.

They both swing, their swords clashing.

Clang~!!!

"You were faster before!! Did that armor make you faster?"

"Maybe!!"

Sparks of electricity and cinders of fire mix and fly within the temple.

"I must say I’m very impressed! This sword of yours is far more durable than I expected!" The fire on the sword intensifies.

"Thanks, but I guess a cursed sword can hold its own against a divine weapon!" The electricity intensifies even more.

 

In the city, they could hear the sounds of thunder and the clashing of blades, while both fire and lighting illuminated the temple’s pillars.

"He must already be facing him! Quickly! Try to take as much of everyone as you can!!" commanded Aphrodite.

 

Homebase.

"… Epimetheus, I hope you can give my grandson a good challenge," Hera spoke with full confidence of Cirrus' victory.

 

Down in the Great Temple.

Rumble!!!

Rumble!!

Rumble!

"There's really going at it," Malion said as she ran through the labyrinth.

"Let go of me!!" shouted Rhea.

"Not until you help me reach the Primordial Fire! Now I can do this the easy way, or I can do this the 'I break your bones and leave you somewhere dark in this labyrinth way!' So what’s it gonna be?"

"Geh… J-Just keep your head the way you’re going and then take a right." Rhea said.

"Good."

 

Back to the fight.

Clang!!

Bwoosh!!

Crack!!

Crack!!

Bwoosh!!

 Clang!!

They kept exchanging blows with one another, Cirrus was covered in burns, and Epimetheus was covered in singes and numb body parts.

"Huff! Huff!"

"Huff! Huff!"

They were both methodically examining one another as they paced around each other like wolves.

‘He’s strong, but his swordsmanship… It’s easy to tell he relies more on his magic than actual skill! I’ll just keep this war of attrition going, but he is a level 8, right? He is far stronger than that dark elf. Who knows how long he can keep going?’

‘He’s terrifyingly skilled with that great sword. He makes Zald and Ottar look like children waving around big sticks. 3000 years of experience… This was what Hera meant. Fuck me and that sword.’ Cirrus looks at Gram to see cracks forming on it. ‘A divine weapon against a cursed weapon made by an angry god might as well be a solid metal rod to a bundle of sticks. I’ve learned enough of his fighting style. It’s time for me to really drain his stamina.’

Cirrus stops pacing, as well as Epimetheus, in response.

"…"

"…"

They stared at each other sternly with fisheyes.

"…(Exousía, Adorn: Chimera)!!!!!!!!"

Cirrus’s shout caused Epimetheus to act first. Epimetheus dashed forward before he knew it.

‘No matter! I’ll—wait! Is that!’

Armor quickly dons Cirrus as he holds his ground. Epimetheus could see a glint in his eyes as he smiled.

"Show time!!!"

"!!"

On sheer instinct alone, Epimetheus held his weapon up like a shield, and then a clang.

CLANG~!!!!

"Grr!!" He gritted his teeth as his own great sword smashed against him, sending him crashing through wall after wall before finally impaling his sword into the ground to stop himself.

Rubble!! Rubble!!

"Huff! huff! huff! huff!"

           ‘How arrogant of me to think he only had one set of armor!! He spent time getting to know my moves to properly know how to use his armor! No matter! So long as—!!’

Epimetheus looks around to see he is in the Marron Room of the Great Temple, which houses the cleaner part of the Primordial Flame.

"Well shit," Epimetheus said, not wishing for Cirrus to get closer to the flame, even if it was a false front.

After sending Epimetheus through more walls, Cirrus looks at Gram.

"Fuck… I wish you could have lasted longer."

They heavily damaged Gram, with the cracks being more prominent, damaging the runes.

"Hecton."

Cirrus sheathes Gram and puts it in his shadow before Hecton shoots out his spear, Spekð.

"Let’s hope you can last longer against a divine sword… Old friend."

He swung Spekð around as electricity began to coat it.

"Lets! Fucking!! Go!!!!!!"

Cirrus charged through the hole he made to reach Epimetheus as he looked away.

"Epimetheus!!!!!!!!!!"

He glanced at Cirrus before his sword was clad in a blinding blaze of fire.

"Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Booooooom!!!!

Fwooooooooosh!!

A strong gust of wind shot out through the temple from the force of their clash. Sure enough, thunder and fire came out next.

Clang!!! Bwoosh!!

Ting!!! Ting!!! Crack!!

Clang!!! Bwoosh!!

Clang!!! Ting!!! Ting!!! Crack!!

Clang!!! Bwoosh!!

Ting!!! Clang!!! Ting!!! Crack!!

Thunder and fire mix and attack one another in a vicious onslaught of metal and magic.

Clang!!! Bwoosh!!

Clang!!! Crack!!

Clang!!! Bwoosh!!

Of course, Cirrus and, in turn, Epimetheus knew they had to evolve their style even more and added more.

Clang!!! Crack!! Thud!!!!

Clang!!! Bwoosh!! Thud!!!!

"Gah!?!?"

"Gak!?!?"

Cirrus threw a kick to his chest, while Epimetheus threw a palm strike at his chest.

They both hit one another a few feet apart.

"Ugh… Cirrus!! Tell me!!" Epimetheus stabs his weapon into the ground to help him stand up. "Tell me why you picked to walk down this fucking path of the hero!! You know my story. You know how it ended for everyone else who walked that damn path!!"

"Ugh…" Cirrus does the same, catching his breath.

"I know they found you amusing! Amazing, in fact! They shower you with praise and admiration for all you have done for them!! But despite everything, Cirrus!! As much as they love a hero, they love it more than anything to see a hero fail. To fall. Die trying. In the end, they will all come to hate you. So why bother at all!!!"

"Hmmm…" Cirrus gets his breath back. "Why? Why I decided to be a hero when I long threw that notion away…" He smirks. "It’s because my wife asked me to be a hero who was happy. Simple as that."

"Ha… Hahahaha!!!" Epimetheus couldn’t help but laugh at such a reason. "Happy!? Being a hero and being happy are two things that will never mix!"

"I know that. You see, you old fuck." Cirrus stores his weapons in his shadow, and his armor fades away. "I knew long ago that I was of the same breed of hero as you. A hero of the classical era is known more for their capacity for violence and slaughter than for anything else. In a thousand years, they will not remember how I sing, how I play the guitar or piano, or the city that I built for the people to better themselves. Especially for the people of Israfan, I am an unredeemable monster. In the end, they will never let you be famous and happy."

"Then why bother with this!? Go back to your wife and let me finish—"

"Finish what? Finish fulfilling the responsibility you chose for yourself. We are the captains of our own fates."

"Hah!! What utter bullshit!!" Epimetheus clenched his sword tightly in anger. "Did you know what happened when I tried to escape my fate!? I was only pulled right back in!! Never being able to escape it!! And that goes for you as well!! Happiness?? Throw that shit into the trash!! You and me are weapons, killers!! Meant to be used and discarded when the gods find a sharper weapon!! Do not forget that!! You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature!! It’s our fate to be used as weapons to take lives!! Fate is what binds a man to tragedy!! That is what the title of Hero does to you! You are stripped of your agency and forced to play a role beyond your control!! Like a puppet on strings!!"

"Heh… Hehahaha!!" Cirrus laughs to himself.

"What’s so fucking funny? You think this is funny!!"

"Kinda. As fucked as it sounds, I begrudgingly accepted my fate as a hero."

Even more, anger fills Epimetheus.

"Do you actually like my legend so much that you wish to be a fool!!" he shouted.

"No. I know the mistakes you made, so I will not repeat them."

"You think you can kill the Black Dragon!? Hah!! I couldn’t do it, and neither could your mother."

"You talk as if you know her." Cirrus glares at Epimetheus.

"Tch! Only so much as to beat her within an inch of her life before she threw herself into a river."

Cirrus closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"… I see. Then if I beat you, I would be capable of killing the Black Dragon, then?"

"Grrr!!!" He squeezed the handle of his blade even more tightly; his teeth began to crack and get repaired by the flame. "How fucking desperate do you have to be to kill yourself!! This is advice from a hero who has experienced it all!! I was a king!! I had love!! A family!! But my duty as a hero replaced that all with mockery and scorn at my failure of not killing a Black Beast!! Even after I relentlessly killed army after army of monsters so they can have a home!!"

"My… you truly are a Greek hero." Cirrus lamented his fate. "But regardless, I will keep my promise."

"You stupid fuck!! How much do I have to say to get off this suicidal path?! A story is not worth happiness!!"

"Epimetheus." Cirrus looks him dead in the eye. "No man can walk out on his own story, and they sure as hell can't refuse their girl." Cirrus makes a wry smile, clenching his fists and putting them up. "So I will fight tooth and nail, no matter what you say. I won’t back down. You can prop me up at the gates of hell, but I won’t back down."

"… You truly are a fool, high on his own status." Epimetheus sneers at Cirrus. "The Demon of Shalzard. The Golden-Horned Demon. The Murderer."

"Doesn’t matter what I am called, it’s the deeds that make the man."

"Then I must be the biggest fool in the world, but that will soon change. The world is waiting for me to do it."

Epimetheus walks past his sword. He needed to punch some sense into Cirrus.

"It’s not about you." Cirrus goes up to him as well. "IT’S ABOUT THEM!!!"

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!!"

"YOU FUCKING BOOMER!!!!!!"

They ran at each other.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

 They both threw their fists, and the sound of meat hitting one another filled the room.

THUD~!!!

THUD~!!!

 

Two fists clash, seasoned.

One young, one old, both heroes.

Each other's mirrors.