Ridiculous God of War

Before everyone departed for Mount Olympus, inside the watchtower.

Shane walked behind Batman, hands in his pockets, head down, lost in thought.

Batman spoke first, his voice still deep and hoarse, without turning around.

"Five minutes until departure. If you have something to say, now's the time."

Shane's steps faltered slightly as he looked at Batman's retreating back.

"During this time, I've learned a lot about your operational records through various channels. You've never abandoned a single comrade."

His tone was plain, yet carried a sense of certainty.

"The alliance has only been established for two years, yet you've extended this trust to every single one of your comrades."

Batman's steps didn't stop, continuing towards the helipad.

Shane's brow furrowed slightly.

"The Greek gods specifically requested that I enter alone."

Changing the subject, Shane revealed a rather playful smile.

"If Teacher Prince is safe and sound, then for Earth, trading me, an alien who's only been here for a few days, for peace with the Divine Realm seems like a sure win."

The moment these words were spoken, Batman finally stopped.

He slowly turned around, his eyes beneath the bat-helmet sharp as an eagle's, gleaming coldly in the dim light, fixedly locking onto Shane.

The air between them seemed to freeze instantly, with only the faint hum of the ventilation system remaining.

Shane also looked up, meeting Batman's gaze without the slightest hint of evasion.

On the plaza in front of the Olympus temple, Zeus's urging words, laced with divine power, seemed to solidify the very air.

Shane looked at the God King, whose legend spanned multiple worlds, and suddenly let out a sneer, his tone filled with undisguised provocation.

"You want my body, but how can you prove that your divine power and magic are worth placing on the other end of the bargaining scale?"

Diana's expression changed drastically, and she instinctively wanted to interject.

She knew Zeus's temper too well; this legendary God King could not tolerate the slightest offense.

And Shane's words were not only a clear refusal but also a blatant challenge to the Divine Realm's authority.

To Diana's surprise, Zeus did not get angry. Instead, he stroked his beard, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Then how do you propose we prove it?"

Shane raised his hand, his fingertip pointing directly at Ares, who was nearby, unable to contain himself any longer, his aura of war surging.

"I know nothing but combat and conquest."

"Since you want to set up seven trials, why don't I set the rules instead—find seven gods to fight me in turns until someone can defeat me."

Ares froze, then seemed to hear the biggest joke in the world.

"Ignorant mortal, you dare to challenge me? Do you know that even though the human world is relatively peaceful now, and I cannot draw energy from actual warfare, my power is still beyond your imagination!"

He took a step forward, the thorny armor around him glowing scarlet, a distorted yet immense power sweeping out, causing the flagstones on the plaza to tremble slightly.

"The concept of war is never limited to the battlefield. All the power related to war throughout human history flows through my bloodline, including the nuclear deterrence designed to prevent war."

Ares's voice suddenly rose, carrying a suffocating pressure.

"Do you know how many nuclear weapons humans with self-destructive tendencies have created to this day? The lowest limit of power contained within me is the sum total of all nuclear weapons designed, used, and stored on Earth!"

Athena's expression shifted, and she exchanged a look with Hephaestus beside her.

Without further words, the goddess put away her spear, and the god of craftsmen, carrying his giant hammer, both retreated, disappearing into the shadows of the temple in an instant.

Zeus had remained silent since Shane's boastful words, but his expression was as dark as water. The thunder patterns on his golden robe flickered slightly, and he watched coldly as Ares, rubbing his hands together, walked towards Shane, showing no intention of stopping him.

Shane's feet left the ground slightly, his body slowly floating up, his indifferent eyes looking down at the approaching Ares.

"You also need to understand a concept: the sum total of Earth's military might that you boast of is, in the concept of my race, merely a suitable place for a vacation."

Ares's steps suddenly froze, disbelief in his eyes.

"What race are you from? A nobody dares to talk about racial glory!"

Before he finished speaking, Ares's pupils suddenly contracted, and his divine body trembled violently.

He had lost sight of Shane in an instant; that extreme speed was far beyond his sensory limits.

"Where?!"

Ares roared, his power surging, forming a massive barrier of scarlet energy that enveloped him.

"Here."

A cold voice came from behind Ares. Before he could react, a heavy fist landed squarely on his back.

"Crack"

With a crisp crack, Ares's spine instantly snapped. His thorny armor caved in, and he flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against a temple pillar, shattering the thick marble.

Shane dived down at lightning speed, catching up to the flying Ares in an instant. He grabbed his ankle, swung him like a heavy object, twisted, and slammed him back into the ground.

"Bang!"

It sounded like a firecracker amplified tens of thousands of times, the shockwave causing even Wonder Woman to cover her ears in pain.

Zeus watched it all in silence, his eyes still deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

Violent explosions continued to erupt, shattering flagstones across the plaza, filling the air with debris and dust.

Before the dust could settle, Shane yanked Ares's arm, lifting him high into the air. He then teleported, intercepting him mid-flight, and landed a heavy punch to his chest.

Ares wailed in agony, like a puppet being controlled.

From the sky to the ground, and from the ground back to the sky.

The terrifying explosions were incessant.

Each impact was accompanied by the sound of cracking bones and violent blasts. The plaza of the Divine Realm was utterly devastated, the ground covered in craters of varying depths.

This time, Shane held nothing back, nor did he need to consider environmental damage. Every punch carried unprecedented power. His expression was blank, his gaze locked solely on his opponent.

After a thorough beating, Shane grabbed Ares's helmet, his fingers applying pressure, deforming the hardened thorny helmet.

Then, he channeled the power within him, charging towards the sky. He casually picked a direction and began accelerating without limit.

This was a mandatory course taught to every warrior of the Vitrum Empire – the Decree of Annihilation. Targets under this decree were to be dealt with without regard for consequences, even if it meant destroying the entire planet.

Shane's internal atoms entered a semi-transient state. His ground speed multiplied exponentially, breaking Mach 45 within ten seconds, far exceeding his own reaction speed limit.

The airflow and shockwaves generated by his high-speed flight, laced with intense heat, continuously blasted open the land of the Divine Realm, forming high-temperature, red-orange plasma spheres. The ground was torn open with massive cavities, and the rolling dust and heatwaves in the distance swept across the entire temple area.

Ares, held in his hand, could no longer scream.

Under the intense friction and heat, the God of War's body and armor melted together. In moments, only half a head, like a pool of tar, remained stuck to Shane's palm.

Shane's expression hardened. He casually flicked away the unidentified filth. While still accelerating, he gritted his teeth against the tearing pressure, executing a massive arc-shaped turn. His body became a black lightning bolt, heading straight for Zeus.

Ares was dead, yet Zeus hadn't made a move. This convinced Shane that the God-King was fully suppressing space and couldn't spare more power.

Facing the charging Shane, Zeus snorted coldly, his voice laced with ice.

"You are too arrogant. Ares was just the first."