A leisure read discovered in the Library of Philia in the Grove, classified in the fantasy fiction genre.
One Punch God: Aquila
...
Brushing off the dust that had settled on him, he adjusted his attire and stood firm, facing the giant eagle in a tense standoff.
"Heh, so you think you're something special just because you defeated the silent Georios? Mortal, heed my advice..."
The God-King remained silent, gazing into Aquila's thousand eyes. Slowly, he raised his right arm, four fingers pressed together, and with a simple motion, he lightly waved at the colossal being before him.
"Arrogant fool! You will pay the price for your insolence!"
Aquila's fury erupted, their towering form radiating intense heat. In an instant, their massive wings vibrated at an imperceptible speed! A thousand razor-sharp feathers shot forth like swords, hurtling straight toward the God-King!
As everyone knows, the feathers of the Sky Titan can pierce through iron and steel, let alone mortal flesh. Their sheer density left no room to evade!
The violent storm of lethal blades closed in, and time itself seemed to freeze! Aquila enhanced their reflexes, predicting the movements of this arrogant little thief before them.
Noticing the God-King shifting his stance, Aquila mused, he had only two choices! He could push off the ground to evade left or right, or stand firm and brace for impact. But either way, it would be futile! The feathered blades would shift with the wind, altering their trajectory. No matter how swift his movements, they would follow him relentlessly!
But who could have predicted, the God-King never intended to dodge! He pushed forward instead, seizing the first incoming feather blade between two fingers. With a swift turn, he carved a spiral through the air and hurled it back at supersonic speed.
The feather blade curved with the wind, piercing deep into the storm. Without the slightest deviation, it collided tip-to-tip with another razor-sharp steel feather.
"Ding!"
The deflected feather veered to the sides upon impact, colliding with others and further altering their trajectories!
"Ding!!!"
The sharp clashing of feathers rang out in an irregular rhythm, a chain reaction unfolding until the force of the final feather was dissipated, scattering harmlessly into the air! With just a single seized feather, the God-King had nullified the entire storm of blade-like wings!
Aquila was shocked! How could a mere mortal possess such divine skill? Yet, as a being of godly essence, they did not allow themself to be shaken. Seizing the moment as the scattered feathers clouded their vision, they swiftly brought down their claws, sharp as steel greatswords, aiming to end the battle in a single decisive strike!
"Boom!!"
The massive claw struck dead center where the God-King stood, the sheer force of impact carving a deep crater into the ground! No... something felt off. Aquila's mind raced, this sensation was strange... Had it missed? Or— They focused their gaze, only to witness the impossible. Their enormous, razor-sharp claw, many times larger than the God-King himself, was caught, held effortlessly in a single hand, as if the God-King were merely grasping a piece of cutlery!
The countless white feathers drifting through the air painted an eerie contrast against the battlefield's deadly stillness. The once-mighty and untouchable giant eagle found itself frozen in shock, for the first time in a thousand years. Muttering in disbelief, they said:
"Impossible! Even Georios, when fighting me, could do nothing but evade beneath my iron claws, yet you... what in the world ARE you!!!"
"Haven't you already figured out the answer? A mere mortal, nothing more."
"You cocky little—!!!"
Aquila attempted to retract their claw, but under the God-King's grip, it was as if frozen in place, completely immobile. Their expression darkened.
Seeing this, the God-King seemed to smile. He clenched the fingers of his free hand and then, at a speed even a Titan's vision could not perceive...
With full force, he swung his fist.
"Boom!!!!"
In an instant, the divine body shattered!
A tidal wave of force shook the heavens, sending tremors through the divine steel-forged walls, cracking them in multiple places. The sacred temple teetered on the brink of collapse!
From this moment on, the celestial realm would exist no more! The people of Amphoreus would no longer endure the tyranny of the heavens! And all of this was made possible by the God-King's mighty blows, no, by a single punch!
The distant Titan gods sensed the fall of their comrade and erupted into furious howls. Was there no one who could stop him? How could his advance ever be shaken??
What they did not realize was that even one as mighty as the God-King was still bound by the desires of mortals.
Just as before the battle began, he once again adjusted his attire.
"...Congratulations, you have reached your end, Aquila. You are strong, strong enough to be worthy of the name Sky Titan."
He ignored the crumbling stone walls behind him and strode toward the temple's exit. His steps were steady, yet the disappointment on his face was unmistakable.
"But your only flaw, was failing to make this satisfying for me."
Next Episode: "Battling Nikador" (Next issue on hiatus)