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Without saying another word, Taufik descended into the arena, where Kratos stood waiting.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"... Lord of the Underworld, Allow me to be the referee in this match"

Said Agon, the God who personifies races, matches, contests, and competitions, stepped forward and addressed Hades with a respectful tone.

Hearing Agos' words, Hades gave a slow, deliberate nod, then replied to Agos' question with a voice that echoed in the hall.

"...Permission granted"

Hearing this, Agon's lips curled into a wide smile and then descended to the arena.

Agos then stood in the middle between Taufik and Kratos.

"... I, Agon, shall preside over this duel, from the challenger's side, standing on my left side, Kratos, God Of Strength And Power, challenges 'He Who Defies Fate' In a duel of 'Life and Death'... Whoever 'Dies' in this duel, According to the agreement that has been agreed upon by the Lord of the Underworld Himself, Lord Hades, the soul of the loser of this match will be locked in Tartaros and will never come out, I and all the Gods and Goddesses present shall bear witness to this sacred combat, From both sides, is there anything you wanted so said?"

"..."

"..."

Hearing Agon's statement, neither Taufik nor Kratos said anything, seeing this, Agon nodded his head again.

"Alright, Since there are no objections from either side, Then let's start this fun; there are no special rules in this match; everything is allowed... Alright, both of you look at the gold coin in my hand. I will throw it into the air, and when this coin hits the ground, that's when this match begins... both sides ready?" Asked Agon once again.

Kratos and Taufik then nodded their heads in agreement.

Kratos, who looked very serious, was a little annoyed with Taufik, who seemed to think all of this was just a normal thing, but Kratos kept his anger to himself and would vent it later when their duel began.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on Agon's mouth, and without further ado, he immediately threw the gold coin in his hand up into the air.

*Clang*

A *Clang* sound was heard as Agos' thumbnail flicked the coin upwards.

All the observers in the hall were silent when they saw the gold coin being thrown upwards. The coin moved quickly as it rose upwards, but when the gold coin was about to fall, time seemed to slow down.

The silent, and tense atmosphere continued, Kratos, Zeus' loyal follower, whose strength was unquestionable, and Taufik whose strength was still questionable, aside from the fact that he was the one who defeated Hercules and managed to free Gaia from Tartaros, even though it was confirmed by Hades himself, but none of them knew how strong Taufik was personally, even Hades himself, did not know how deep Taufik's strength was, if not for that, Hades himself would directly face Taufik, that's why Hades agreed to this Duel, he thought, with this Duel, Hades could measure how strong Taufik really was.

The tense atmosphere continued and became even more tense when the gold coin was about to touch the ground.

Agos had been keeping his distance from the two participants in the arena, afraid of being affected by the fight between the two, because he had always been an 'Enjoyer', not a 'performer.'

All eyes were on Taufik and Kratos; in their eyes, enthusiasm was visible. Life as a God is a long and boring journey, and that's why none of them cared who would lose and who would win; for them, watching the fun was the most important thing.

The atmosphere became more tense when the gold coin was only a few centimeters from the ground, Kratos had been in a ready position since earlier with the twin blades connected by a chain in his hands, while Taufik still had his hand on the handle of his Katana which was still in its sheath and his eyes were not focused on Kratos but on Hades above.

This small gesture only made Kratos even angrier because he thought Taufik was underestimating him. A murderous glare was clearly visible in Kratos' eyes. If looks could kill, Taufik would have fallen a long time ago.

The gold coin continued to spin in the air, and at the final spin before touching the ground.

*Clang!*

The sound produced by the small gold coin was like the sound of war drums in the silent hall, and with the gold coin touching the ground, it signaled the deadly duel had finally begun.

-----------

Kratos stands with a fluid stance, his eyes locked on Taufik. His weapons are a pair of razor-sharp blades, each attached to the hilt with a taut, black chain. His hands are steady, ready to control the blades' movements with swift precision, able to strike from nearly any angle.

Taufik still looked calm, one of his hands resting lightly on the hilt, his gaze unwavering; whether it was because he considered this situation normal or something else, one thing is for sure: the calmness that Taufik showed was very illustrative: the calm before the storm.

*Clang!*

The sound of coins falling was heard.

Immediately, the ground beneath them trembles with the sheer force of their movements.

*Swoosh*

In the blink of an eye, both of them vanished, and all that's left are fleeting traces of dust. The air is thick with anticipation as the aftereffects of their initial clash linger in the arena inside the Hall.

Kratos is the first to reappear, his twin blades streaking toward Taufik in an unpredictable web of motion, each blade swinging with the speed of lightning, one coming low, the other high. He controls them with a fluidity that almost seems unnatural, each attack designed to overwhelm his opponent from every angle.

Taufik moves like water, flowing around the attacks with an ease that matches Kratos' speed. His katana flicks through the air in a blur, parrying each blade with his katana as though it were an extension of his own body. With every strike, his calm focus sharpens, his gaze unwavering. His Katana blade meets Kratos' blade with rhythmic precision; each move he makes is a perfect counter to the next attack that Kratos launches on him.

*Tink!* *Clang!*

The sounds of striking metal echo through the Hall. Kratos attempts a feint, his twin blade sweeping one way before snapping back the other. Taufik, however, is already several steps ahead, his footwork allowing him to pivot just out of range of the counterattack. His katana flashes through the air again, aiming to slice through the chain that connects Kratos' Twin Blade.

Kratos reacts instinctively, pulling his weapon back just in time, the blade missing its target by an inch. He can feel the bite of the air as Taufik's katana slides past, but the warrior is already closing the gap. Kratos doesn't yet fully know Taufik's full capabilities, but with the weapon he currently wields, Kratos knows that in close quarters, his weapon loses its advantage.

Kratos takes a step back, his blades snapping back into position. He grins, a low rumble in his chest.

"You're quick, but... "

Kratos flicks his wrists, and both his twin blades fly outward in a powerful burst of motion, aiming to strike Taufik from either side, forcing him into a defensive stance.

But Taufik is undeterred. His movements are so fast they seem like an extension of the wind itself. He dodges to the right, feeling the air rush by as one of the twin blades sails past him, while his katana arcs upward in a calculated riposte. The blade slides through the space between the chains, aiming for Kratos' exposed wrist.

Kratos winces, feeling the sharp edge graze his forearm, but he doesn't pull back. Instead, he grits his teeth and counters with a sudden, brutal lunge. The chains lash forward like serpents, seeking to bind Taufik's arms and legs.

Taufik rolls to the side, his katana flashing out to slice through one of the chains in a quick, fluid movement. The chain falls to the ground with a metallic clang. Kratos snarls, momentarily off balance.

In that split second, Taufik moves in. His katana comes down with the speed of a storm, aimed directly at Kratos' chest.

But Kratos isn't done yet.

He yanks the remaining chain back, using it to create distance between them, forcing Taufik to retreat just as the tip of the katana nears his chest. The tension is palpable; the two of them are locked in a deadly dance of give and take. Find exclusive stories on empire

For a moment, there's silence between them as they circle each other; amid the silence between the two of them, the cheers of the audience continue to be heard louder and louder as the duel continues, both taking stock of the situation. Kratos is slightly bruised, a cut across his arm from Taufik's katana, but Kratos is still standing strong as if the injuries he suffered were completely non-existent.

"Impressive, As expected from Kratos the 'Ghost of Sparta'. Really impressive~"

Taufik murmured, even though Kratos himself didn't know what Taufik meant by the 'Ghost of Sparta' that Taufik said.

"... You're not bad either, I admit that"

Kratos says, his voice low; with a little annoyance, he continues to say.

"But you're a little arrogant by not giving your all... Let's see if you can keep up that attitude... WITH THIS"

With a sudden roar, Kratos launches himself forward, both chains spinning in the air in a devastating whirlwind of steel. The chains lash out like serpents, and the two twin Blades at the end of the Chain were like fangs ready to pounce on Taufik. one aimed at Taufik's head, the other at his legs. The ferocity of the attack is unlike anything Taufik has encountered before, there's no room for error.

....

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