AN: Hello! I'm back! Well, sorta anyways. I have a plan for the rest of this story now (or at least a rough outline) so look forward to another 5 or so chapters to wrap up the Titan War Arc!

I will be stopping (likely for awhile, if not permanently) after the Titan War to try and work on other stories, but progress will be slow. My best friend was diagnosed with COVID and shit's hitting the fan, but I'll try my damndest to get chapters out on this and Fairy God-Slayer.

Ship is confirmed Perlia as introducing the Shinto demigoddess this late would be back taste, but let me know your thoughts on pairing her with someone else (maybe Leo IF I get to the Giant War Arc).

Chapter 18: Friend of Foe?

3rd Person POV

Two days after Percy's 15th birthday, the Hunt was tasked with their next mission of eliminating monster warbands gathering under the Titan's banner and departed on the third day after restocking provisions.

While the warbands were increasing in both size and numbers, they were becoming harder and harder to track down. Truthfully, it was mainly due to Artemis' duties on the moon chariot that they were able to get any idea of where they were gathering across the U.S.

Percy hardly cared about any of those. Yes, they were worrisome and even the youngest hunters could tell that war was on the horizon; not only because of the prophecy approaching in less than a year's time. There was an unexplainable and unseen tension in the mythological world, but nearly every demigod felt it all the same.

No, Percy was more worried about the other Shinto demigoddess that was currently somewhere in the states; presumably on the opposite coast, or near there at the moment. If Percy had to guess, she was scouting out the Roman camp in California before setting out on her mission to find him. After all, that's what he would have been doing if the roles were reversed.

He just wished he knew whether or not she was there to simply talk or to kill him. He had a gut feeling it was the latter. However, those thoughts could wait as the hunters were getting ready to pack up camp and move again.

Percy POV

We were running through the forest somewhere in New York and rapidly approaching the stateline as the sun was setting when Phoebe settled into a slower pace next to me at the back of the pack while Thalia manned - or womanned - the front.

"I can see the gears turning in there, Little Brother. What's on your mind?" she asked and my lips settled into a thin line. "The Shinto demigoddess. I have a gut feeling that she's been sent here to kill me," I told her and that time she grimaced.

"Do you think she's allied herself with the Titans?" Phoebe asked and I let out a dry, humorless chortle. "Not a chance. From my year in the homeland I picked up that nearly everyone in Shinto mythology wants nothing to do with the Greeks. They've always disliked one another, but after World War II and the atom bomb…" I trailed off and Phoebe's eyes widened for a fraction before they narrowed again.

"She was probably sent here by her godly parent to eliminate the 'abomination' of the Shinto Pantheon," I told her and she openly frowned at that self-deprecating comment. "Well, don't worry about it Little Brother. When we find her, we'll help you take her out," Phoebe told me and I shook my head sadly.

"This is a Shinto matter Pheebs. Plus, I know the hunters are more than capable and can kick the campers and immortal Greek ass until Apollo burns out, but she may be stronger than me. She's a full Shinto demigoddess," I told her and she tilted her head in confusion.

"Since I have a blending of Father's and Poseidon's essences, my chakra network is… limited. I don't have as much as I would if I was solely Father's child and she doesn't have that problem. At least, that was how it was explained to me. My demigod powers may be leagues above Greek demigods like Thalia, but I don't know how outclassed I am in chakra," I revealed to her and she allowed silence to take over for the rest of the run.

3rd Person POV

Nightfall came and camp was set up with haste as the hunters went about their duties when Artemis called for her son.

Artemis POV

"Walk with me," I told my baby boy as the two of us walked away from camp to an open clearing. "Hand-to-hand spar," I told him and took my stance while he looked at me in confusion before shrugging and settling into his own.

I was worried about him. He had told me that Poseidon had found him before we surprised him for his birthday. On top of that, Poseidon blatantly threatened him for killing his son before Percy… accepted that their fates were intertwined whether either of them wanted them to be or not. I was immensely proud of him for that and I knew that had he never taken the year long trip to train, he wouldn't have been able to do so. I very well could have lost my only son had that been the case.

Those were my thoughts as I dodged another kick and followed up with a palm strike that he batted away with his own.

"What's that over analyzing brain thinking about?" I asked and he faltered slightly, forcing him to block my kick instead of dodging it. Still, he said nothing and I rolled my eyes. "I can feel the uncertainty and tension radiating off of you," I told him and stopped the spar after 30 minutes allowing him to relax as well.

He shuffled his feet a bit uncomfortably and I sat down, gesturing for him to do the same. "Also, Mother's intuition," I said with a small smile after he sat down and took a deep breath. "It's the Shinto demigoddess. She won't ally with the Titans, but I highly doubt she's here to befriend me," he told me and I nodded and allowed him to vent with his words after venting with his fists.

"When she finds me," he began and I noticed he didn't say "if", "It'll be a fight to the death and one I have to do alone," he finished and I tensed as my protectiveness reared its head. "Absolutely not. The Hunt and I stand with you. I cannot interfere unless attacked due to Ancient and Inter-Pantheonic Laws, but your sisters will fight with you," I told him firmly and he reached out and put his hand on mine.

"They can't Mother. I told Phoebe already, she may very well be stronger than me. She doesn't have the same limited chakra network that I do and as strong as my sisters are, they wouldn't stand a chance and we both know neither of us would ever put them in that position," he said softly, but with an undertone of authority.

But I was too caught up with what he said to catch that right away. "Limited?" I asked and he sighed deeply. "Yes, limited. Father told me that due to the blending of essences, my chakra network is hindered. Had I been solely Father's child, I wouldn't have such issues; she has no such limits. On top of the fact I don't know her godly parent," he said and I frowned again.

Usually, he had his own theories on things like this. It was rare to see him so unsure and… not scared, but apprehensive. As if he read my thoughts, he quickly added, "I narrowed it down to two likely possibilities and a third that is less likely; none of them good." I motioned for him to voice them and he nodded.

"The only three that would likely seek to eliminate me are Yamata-no-Orochi-sama, the 8-headed serpent that my father slayed. He would seek revenge against Father, but we're unsure he even has a kid," he told me and I bristled at the thought. My mind ventured back to my brother and his fight against Python when we had left Delos millenia ago.

Python was only one serpent and we barely killed it and made it out alive. An 8-headed one seeking revenge on my son for nothing other than his Father? I aggressively didn't like that. I was snapped back to the present as Percy kept talking.

"Tsukuyomi-sama normally would to spite Father since they're siblings, but since I was adopted by you, another Moon deity, I highly doubt he would try to kill me. He is crafty, but he wouldn't kill a child of the Moon, even across Pantheons, unless provoked," Percy said and I nodded in agreement.

"And the last?" I asked, a slight nervousness creeping into my tone. "Amaterasu-sama. She and Father hate one another. Imagine Hephaestus and Ares and multiply it tenfold," he said and a cold fear gripped at my heart. Despite being a goddess, the very human and very primal urge to take my son and hide him from the world nearly took hold. The only solace I had was that Percy was rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand.

"So what's the plan?" I asked finally after a moment of silence and saw the determination settle into my son's beautiful eyes. "The plan is to up the intensity of my training as we eliminate threats to the war. I imagine she's in the West still; she probably sensed the Roman camp and is or already scouted it out," he said and I briefly shifted to my Roman form of Diana at the thought of Rome being attacked.

Seeing this, Percy quickly amended his statement. "She won't attack. Like I said, Shinto want nothing to do with Greek affairs and they view the Romans as the opposite side of the same coin, but I imagine she was curious like I was when I sensed them."

Diana nodded in understanding and satisfaction and retreated to the recesses of my mind. "She won't be able to sense me from this far away, but she'll know that I'm east of her. When the confrontation happens…" he trailed off and let me figure out the rest. He quickly adopted a thoughtful expression and asked, "Could you ask a deer to come here and summon paper and a pen?"

I gave him a questioning gaze while a deer trotted into the clearing and nuzzled into my hand first while he scribbled in Japanese kanji. I recalled that deer were the messengers of the Shinto Pantheon and caught on to what he was doing.

Percy POV

I finished scribbling the note and tied it to the antlers of the deer that my mother called for me. The deer was a sweetheart and nuzzled into my hand as he had Mother's before taking off in a casual trot out of the clearing and out of sight. Hopefully, the message would be received well.

"Come. Let's retire for the night," Mom said softly and we headed back to camp to sleep for an early and intense day of training the next morning.

3rd Person POV

Things were coming to a tipping point. War with the Titans was on the horizon and Percy was supposed to be the one to decide the fate of the Western World. But before that, he had a more pressing issue to handle and likely an even harder battle to fight against an opponent he knew next to nothing about.

And worst of all: he had to handle it all alone.