The battle erupts through the cavern, with gods and Titans teleporting, clashing, and hurling powers in strobing chaos. Lyra sends her tattoo animals ahead to find Hades and let him know she has escaped. She attempts to reach the glamoured gods to strip their veils, but each time she gets close, she is deflected or attacked. Hyperion saves her from Hecate’s darkness by flooding the cavern with blinding light, driving the goddess away. In the thick of the fight, Hel and Tethys face off. Lyra races toward them, reaching for Hel’s veil. However, just as her fingertip grazes Hel’s face, Hel uses her Hand of Glory touch, killing Tethys.

Theia screams and hurls herself at Hel in grief-fueled rage. Lyra realizes the gods are deliberately avoiding killing her—she is too valuable to them as the only one who can stop Hades. She teleports directly into Hel’s sword strike so that it skewers her through the chest. Mortally wounded but still standing, Lyra uses the moment of shock to tear the glamours from both Hel and Anubis. Both are devastated when they understand what they have done and what they truly are.