The bull of judgment was unlike any ordinary beast. Its hide shimmered like ivory beneath the sun, etched with glowing yellow runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. Its massive hooves struck the ground like thunder, cracking the earth with each step. Steam curled from its nostrils, and its jagged horns—sharp enough to pierce stone—gleamed with divine energy.
Above, the sky darkened unnaturally, as if the heavens themselves recoiled from the beast's arrival. A voice, deep and resonant as the shifting earth, rumbled through the battlefield.
"I can't believe we have to fight yet another thing after coming back." Ceremus sneered as they equipped themselves with their weapon and approached the bull.
Hael's lips curved into a grin, staring at the king, who looked irritated, but there was an unmistakable glint in his eyes. He knew it more than anyone else that Ceremus was secretly happy at the prospect of fighting again.
The way his shoulders loosened, the way his grip on the divine spatha was firm but relaxed, how his gaze sharpened like a predator's. He was in his element.
"Try not to enjoy yourself too much, Your Majesty." The guard teased, earning a scoff in response from the king, but his eyes flicked to the sky, wary.
Though he couldn't confirm it, he felt as though there was something dark and equally powerful staring down at them as they prepared to engage in battle, however his worries vanished when he felt Ceremus staring at him.
They met each other's gaze and nodded, forming a silent pact. Then, as one, they surged forward. The bull saw them instantly, locking onto them like a force of nature, and let out a deafening roar. The sound sent tremors through the air as it kicked up dirt, its muscles rippling before it launched itself forward like a boulder hurled by the gods.
Above, Dicaeus chuckled, the sound vibrating through the very marrow of their bones.
The collision was explosive.
Hael raised the aegis just in time, bracing himself as the beast slammed into him, the impact rattling his bones. The golden shield held, but the sheer force sent him skidding back, his sandals digging into the ground to keep him steady.
Ceremus took the opportunity, sidestepping with fluid precision and slashing at the bull's flank with the divine spatha. The blade bit into the creature's hide, but instead of tearing flesh, it struck resistance—an unnatural, nearly impenetrable toughness. Sparks flew yet the bull barely flinched.
"It's armored," the king gritted out; of course it is.
The beast retaliated instantly, its head whipping around, horns aiming for Ceremus' exposed side. But Hael was already moving, leaping onto the bull's back and driving his own sword downward.
This time, the blade pierced through—but only slightly. A shallow wound, crimson seeping between the golden runes on its hide. The bull roared in fury, twisted violently, and threw Hael to the ground.
"Hael!"
He barely had time to recover before the beast turned on him. The surrounding air warped with divine energy as the bull's horns crackled with golden light, its judgment manifesting into raw power. It stomped forward, preparing to gore him—
—but Ceremus moved like lightning, intercepting with his shield raised high. The impact was earth-shattering. Sparks erupted from the shield's surface as godly power clashed, but Ceremus didn't yield. Instead, he roared, pushing forward with all his might, forcing the bull back step by step.
"Get up!" he shouted at Hael.
Hael wiped the blood from his lip and rolled to his feet, gripping his sword tighter. The two warriors adjusted their stances, instinctively falling into sync. The bull circled them, snorting, analyzing its opponents.
Then it struck again.
It lunged for Hael again, but this time, Ceremus was ready. He dashed in, feinting right before pivoting left, slashing down hard across the beast's foreleg. This time, the blade cut deeper. The bull staggered, and in that moment of vulnerability, Hael seized the opening. With a loud cry, the guard swung the aegis forward like a battering ram, smashing it against the bull's skull. The creature reeled, its divine glow flickering. It was weakening.
It really looked like they had a chance at winning this battle, and the people in the barrier watching the fight couldn't help rejoicing. Meliše watched on, her eyes darkening with each passing second.
The battle has only just begun. She thought to herself.
The two pressed their advantage, moving like twin storms—Hael swift and precise, Ceremus unyielding and brutal. The battlefield was a blur of motion, the clash of blades against divine flesh, the thunder of hooves against stone.
But then, in a single miscalculation, the tide shifted.
With a guttural snarl, it slammed its hooves into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling outward. The ground beneath them cracked, forcing both warriors to leap away as jagged rock spears erupted from below. Ceremus landed in a crouch, barely avoiding the trap, while Hael rolled, narrowly dodging another spike that nearly impaled him.
The bull charged again, this time unpredictably, weaving between the debris as if it were an extension of the battlefield itself. It caught Ceremus off guard, ramming him with full force. The impact of the bull sent the king flying, crashing his body into a shattered pillar with a sickening crunch.
"Your Majesty!" Hael's voice was raw with concern, but there was no time to check on him—the bull was already turning its wrath on him.
Its mouth opened, and an earth scorching flame erupted from deep within his belly, preventing the young man from getting close. It was an endless flurry of Hael having to dodge, block, swerve and duck as he tried not to make contact with the bulls' vicious flames.
Once the bull had its full, Hael didn't hesitate as he threw himself forward. The divine spatha sliced through the air, aiming for the bull's throat, but at the last moment, the beast twisted, moving faster than a creature of its size had any right to. Hael's blade missed its mark, grazing only its shoulder.
"Just what is this animal's skin made of?" He hissed as he continued to launch assault after assault, but to no avail.
"We'll need to combine our attacks," Ceremus said as he dodged another of the bull's flames. "I pierce, you block, vice versa. We can't afford to drag this fight on any longer."
Hael nodded, sharing the same idea. The area had already taken up too much damage, and Meliše had warned them that she could only keep the barrier on for forty minutes since she wasn't in possession of her full powers.
Ten minutes had already gone by, and Ceremus didn't want to have to expand another ten over this bull. Whoever this god was that sent down this disaster deserved to be flogged to death, butchered into tiny pieces, and sent down to the depths of the underworld, never to revive nor reincarnate again.
The two men charged at the same time, engaging in a brutal dance of deflection and counterattacks. Each strike Hael delivered seemed to amply his powers, and he felt a strong burst of energy leading him to attack more aggressively. He moved like a shadow, his blade an extension of his fury as he sliced through the air, Ceremus covering for him at the back.
It seemed as though they had regained control, their strikes becoming faster and more precise, carving luminous lines of golden ichor into the bull's hide. He absorbed every attack with the aegis, manoeuvring the shield skillfully to deflect and control the beast's momentum.
Their hard work paid off as it faltered under the weight of their might, its monstrous form slowing as their coordination reached a perfect harmony. As intended, perfect sync and synergy allowed them to press on despite a thousand men pushing back.
Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the worst possible thing to happen happened.
The bull reared up, its eyes burning brighter, the earth cracking beneath it as its form seemed to expand. A golden aura ignited around its massive body and the wounds they had inflicted began to close.
"No," Hael breathed, his grip tightening around the shield.
Ceremus felt a deep sense of dread looming around his body. Everything they had done was for naught, as the bull seemed to look even stronger than before. "It's healing, just great."
The sky above split with divine energy as Dicaeus' form flickered in the heavens, his blood-red eyes gleaming.