Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 16 ~ Part 2||

Red and blue flames licked at their heels as they tore down the burning cliffs.

The heat was suffocating. Naturally, Shouto had some immunity, but the fire slowed Tokoyami down. He glanced at the half-human as they ran. The flames and smoke had scorched Tokoyami's feathers, and his skin was red and welted.

Sensing his stare, Tokoyami's yellow bird-like eyes shifted to the side to glance at Shouto. "Don't worry about me. I can handle this inferno." His voice was harsher than usual.

Shouto's lips thinned, but he didn't get a chance to respond as suddenly the fire broke and they came to the rocky coastline of the island.

Shouto's hand flew to his sword, his blood pounding, but there was no one. They were alone.

Tokoyami keeled over, coughing and breathing raggedly. "Do you see tracks or any sign of Yaoyorozu?"

Shouto's jaw tightened. He straightened and scanned the beach, but there wasn't much. Unlike the picturesque shorelines of Southern Greece, the coast of the island was made of stones. Boulders of varying shapes and sizes jutted out of the ground like a natural warning to visitors. And with the magicked fog still blanketing the island, it was hard to see further than a few meters.

Shouto rolled his jaw and turned towards the ocean. He froze. His stomach curled in dread.

"Anything?" Tokoyami asked, straightening.

Shouto's lips thinned. "Yeah," he forced out.

Tokoyami stepped up next to him and followed Shouto's gaze out over the water. "Is that-"

On the horizon, half-obscured by the fog, floated a small boat carrying a man with a long gold-tipped beak covering his mouth. Around his shoulders draped the purple and green colors of the god of nightmares.

"Overhaul! He must be the one behind all of this." Shouto swallowed and set his jaw. His hand tightened on Endeavor. "We'll have to swim." He took a step towards the water. "He must have Yaoyorozu."

Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention.

"Todoroki!"

Shouto twisted, jumping back as a knife shot out of the fog. It embedded into his shoulder. Shouto hissed between his teeth and reached up, pulling it out as the nose-less man appeared on a boulder a few meters away.

"I won't let you go, Spartan!" The nose-less man screeched, charging forward with inhumane speed. "You're mine!"

Shouto's fingers flew to Endeavor, but he barely had time to pull the sword out before the Trojan was upon him.

'Fast.'

A knife flashed upwards towards Shouto's stomach. He countered and stumbled back, but the nose-less man didn't let him adjust.

He flipped his grip on the knife and slashed up. Shouto tensed, but before the blade struck, the Trojan jumped back. Black shadows crashed down with a resounding boom into the spot the nose-less man had stood like a waterfall of black velurer.

"Todoroki!" Tokoyami rasped, running up next to him.

"I'm fine," Shouto said. Blood ran down his arm and pattered onto the rocks below his feet, but Shouto ignored the wound. Not taking his eyes off of the nose-less man, he slid into a defensive stance. "Thanks."

The nose-less man tsked and pulled another knife from his chiton. He looked between them, and then his eyes narrowed on Tokoyami. "I know you." He sneered, his face contorting in displeasure. "You're the monster from Apollo's temple."