WAR GOD : Rise After Betrayal

Chapter 20

Ares stood not far from Elara. Since the incident with Rachel, he had been paying closer attention to the movements around him. Not out of excessive suspicion, but because his own emotions were unstable. He was no longer sure what was normal and what was not.

Elara was conversing with several important guests. Her demeanor was calm, professional, and fully controlled.

But that calm was slowly disturbed.

Three men in expensive suits approached. From the way they stood and laughed, Ares immediately knew their intentions were not entirely clean.

“Miss Elara Cole,” one of them said with a wide smile. “So we finally meet in person.”

Elara turned toward them. “Good evening. I’m sorry, have we met before?”

“Not yet,” the second man replied. “But we’ve long wanted to establish cooperation with the Cole Group.”

“We’ve already sent a proposal,” the third man added as he stepped closer. Too close.

Elara maintained her smile, though her tone began to cool. “Please contact my office. Today is not the place to discuss business.”

“Ah, don’t be like that,” the first man said with a small laugh. “This is a relaxed moment. Besides, we only want to chat.”

Ares watched the distance between them grow smaller. One of the men even tried to touch Elara’s wrist.

Enough.

Ares stepped forward. His hand immediately pulled Elara firmly behind him.

“Don’t bother her,” he said flatly, his voice low but clear.

The three men were startled.

“You’ve got some nerve,” the second man snapped, his face turning irritated. “Who are you?”

“Her bodyguard,” Ares replied briefly.

The third man laughed mockingly. “A bodyguard? With that face of yours?”

Ares did not respond. He shoved the chest of the nearest man, sending him stumbling backward.

The atmosphere around them changed instantly.

“Hey!” the man shouted. “You bastard!”

Elara was shocked. “Ares—”

“Stay calm,” Ares said without turning around.

The three men were furious. They glanced toward the altar, where Maxim stood not far away, watching.

“Max!” one of them shouted. “Look at this! An arrogant bodyguard!”

Max approached with a dismissive expression. “What’s all this noise?”

“He pushed us,” the first man said. “Such nerve for a bodyguard to act like this.”

Max looked Ares up and down, then sneered. “Beat him up. He doesn’t know how to fight. Just pretending to be Miss Elara’s protector.”

The mocking tone was unmistakable.

Ares felt something tremble inside his chest.

The seal.

A fine crack seemed to open again.

The three men gave a signal. From the corners of the room, several large-bodied bodyguards began to move closer. One, two, then more and more.

Elara panicked. “Max, stop this! This isn’t necessary!”

Max shrugged. “He started it.”

Tom, who was some distance away, began moving closer, but there were far too many of them.

“Ares…” Elara’s voice trembled.

Ares let out a long breath. “Miss, step back.”

Elara hesitated, but finally obeyed.

The first bodyguard attacked.

The punch was fast and hard. But Ares dodged it with a reflex he did not even understand himself. His body moved as if it already knew the path.

He blocked, twisted the opponent’s wrist, then struck the man’s solar plexus.

One man fell, coughing violently.

The others followed.

Ares moved faster and faster. There were no flashy techniques, no excessive movements. Every strike landed precisely. Ribs, jaw, stomach.

One by one, they fell.

The guests began to scream.

“Oh my God!”

“What’s happening?!”

Some ran away. Others stood frozen, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Dozens of muscular men surrounded Ares. Yet it was they who looked cornered.

Ares slammed one man hard enough to send him crashing into a table. Glasses shattered. Blood splattered as another man was struck by Ares’s knee and vomited on the floor.

Max took a step back, his face pale. “This… isn’t possible.”

He remembered it clearly. Back then, Ares had almost died from being beaten by his bodyguards. The man hadn’t even been able to fight back.

So what was this?

Elara covered her mouth, shocked. Her eyes never left Ares.

His movements were too clean. Too effective. Too… inhuman.

Within minutes, the floor was filled with fallen bodies. Some were unconscious, some were coughing up blood while groaning.

Ares stood in the middle of the chaos. His breathing was heavy. His eyes glowed faintly.

Silence fell.

No one dared to approach.

Ares turned toward Elara. Their gazes met.

There was admiration in Elara’s eyes. Also confusion. And a hint of fear.

Ares jolted.

What have I done?

Without saying a word, he turned and ran out of the building.

“Ares!” Elara shouted.

There was no answer.

The party descended into chaos. The music stopped. The guests were in an uproar. Some called for additional security, others called the police.

Tom approached Elara. “Miss, we need to leave now.”

Elara stared at the exit for several seconds. “Yes.”

They offered brief apologies, then left the building amid the turmoil.

Outside, the night wind blew cold.

“Where did Ares go?” Tom asked quietly.

Elara shook her head. “I don’t know.”

In a place unknown to them, Ares stood alone in a dark city alley. His hands trembled. His chest rose and fell.

“What am I?” he murmured softly.

Images of a battlefield returned to his mind. Screams. Blood. A burning sky.

“I can’t go on like this…”

He stared at his own hands.

That power was real.

And he could no longer deny it.

Meanwhile, inside the car, Elara stared out the window, her thoughts in turmoil.

“Ares…” she whispered.

No one knew where the man had gone that night.

But one thing was certain. He was not just an ordinary bodyguard.

“Tom, after you take me home, you find Ares.”

“Yes, Miss.”