An attacker charged toward her, and she lazily stepped aside, her fiery blade slicing through his side. He crumpled to the ground, and Hestia yawned. "There. Happy?"

Adrian didn't respond; instead, he shifted his focus to the remaining attackers. The group had managed to hold their ground, but the fight was far from over.

Abyss, whose blade was now drenched in blood, glared at an approaching enemy. "Bring me something worth my time," she snarled, her violet eyes blazing with fury.

Medea, standing back-to-back with Lilith, parried a strike with her flaming sword. "We can't keep this up forever," she said through gritted teeth. "There's too many of them."

Adrian, with his fiery chains snapping around him, took a look at his surroundings and made up his mind. "Let's do something about it then."

He leapt backward with a burst of energy, landing with a powerful stomp that shook the ground beneath him. "Move back! Everyone!" he ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.

The group obeyed without hesitation, retreating to form a defensive line behind Adrian. Medea moved to his side, dark fire gathering in her hand. She glanced at him, already guessing he was up to something massive. "You sure about this?"

Adrian gave her a firm nod. "Hold them off for a moment. I need time."

Understanding the gravity of his request, Medea took charge, hurling black fire daggers into the oncoming crowd. Each dagger exploded on impact, engulfing the attackers in dark, searing flames.

Lilith lashed out with her whip, which crackled with red energy, slicing through armor and bone without effort. "You owe me a drink after this, Adrian!" she called, still smirking, despite the intensity of the fight.

Ava raised her staff, summoning jagged rocks from the earth and flinging them like missiles at the attackers. Her precision was impeccable, each projectile slamming into its target with bone-crushing force.

Eris darted between her sisters, her emerald-green energy swirling around her daggers. She moved with deadly grace, her strikes landing true with each fluid motion. "This is more like it!" she laughed, clearly enjoying the chaos they were causing.

Hestia, standing off to one side, tossed fireballs with an air of boredom. Her flames arced lazily through the air, exploding against their enemies with devastating power. "This is such a waste of energy," she muttered, sending another attacker flying. "I hope someone's keeping count though, because I'm not."

Meanwhile, Adrian closed his eyes, shutting out the noise and chaos around him.

He reached deep within, searching for the wellspring of divine energy that now pulsed through his veins.

The power of the goddesses he had freed—Medea's anger, Ava's desire for success, Abyss' fixation, Lilith's passion, Eris's jealousy, and Hestia's calmness—coursed through him, creating a powerful blend of strength and intense feelings.

The energy bubbled and surged, tingling at his fingertips as it demanded release. He could feel its heat building, ready to erupt.

When Adrian opened his eyes, it felt like they were burning. They were bright and shone with a strong, golden light that was hard to look at.

The attackers pressed forward, emboldened by the group's momentary retreat.

But Adrian didn't hesitate.

He raised his sword high, channeling the raw energy into the blade.

The weapon glowed, its edge shimmering with a razor-sharp arc of energy that pulsed with lethal intent.

With a powerful swing, Adrian brought the blade down in a wide horizontal arc. The energy surged forward, a devastating wave of force that tore through the battlefield like a scythe cutting through wheat.

The arc of energy struck the advancing enemies with a thunderous roar, cutting through everything in its path. Armor, weapons, and bodies were cleaved in two, the sheer power of the attack leaving a blood-soaked scar in the earth.

The cries of the attackers were silenced in an instant. The field before them became very quiet, with just the sound of Adrian's fiery chains hissing as they returned to him.

The group stared in stunned silence at the carnage before them.

The once-threatening horde of enemies had been reduced to dismembered bodies and rivers of blood, the ground painted red in a macabre testament to Adrian's power.

For several moments, no one spoke.

Finally, Lilith broke the silence with a low whistle. "Well," she said, her crimson eyes glinting with a mixture of awe and amusement, "that was… effective."

Ava lowered her staff, her golden eyes narrowing as she studied Adrian. "That was more than just effective," she said quietly. "That was…"

"Overkill," Eris finished, though her tone held a hint of approval.

Medea stepped forward, her dark flames dissipating as she sheathed her sword. "It was necessary," she said firmly, her eyes locking with Adrian's. "But you can't rely on that every time."

Adrian, his chest heaving from the exertion, lowered his sword and nodded. "I know. It's draining. But we can't spend all day battling them when we are on the clock."

Abyss approached, her blade dripping with blood. She wiped it clean with a rag, her violet eyes fixed on Adrian. "Impressive," she admitted grudgingly. "But don't think I'm going to let you do all the heavy lifting."

Hestia, leaning casually against her fiery blade, gave a slow clap. "Bravo," she said lazily. "Remind me never to get on your negative side."

Adrian glanced at her, his fiery chains flickering out as he sheathed his sword. "Remind me to make you take things seriously next time," he shot back.

Hestia gave him a faint smile, her marine blue eyes glimmering with amusement. "There's no fun in that... just unnecessary stress and all," she trailed off.

Adrian's fiery chains retracted completely as he scanned the battlefield, his gaze sweeping the area for Selene. She was approaching slowly, her silver eyes darting nervously between the others and the blood-soaked field.

"Selene," Adrian called out, stepping toward her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded quickly, though her grip on the dagger betrayed her lingering tension. "I'm fine," she said softly. "Thank you… for protecting me."

Adrian's expression softened. "That's what we do. You don't have to thank us for that."

Selene gave a small nod, but her gaze dropped to the ground, avoiding his eyes.

Medea, who had been watching Selene closely, tilted her head as if analyzing something. Whatever conclusion she reached, she kept it to herself, instead turning to Adrian.

"We need to leave," she said firmly. "That display of yours may have been effective, but it was loud. Very loud. It'll draw attention—and not the kind we want."

Adrian nodded. "You're right. Let's—"

A voice rang out from afar, interrupting Adrian before he finished his sentence.

"Why the rush?" the voice drawled, dripping with amusement. "I was just getting here."

The group froze, each member tensing as their eyes turned toward the sound.

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