Atlas gritted his teeth, his jaw tight with frustration as his eyes darted to Dune, who had just risen to his feet. "What's your plan?" Dune asked, his voice sharp but tinged with desperation.
Atlas sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "We can't beat that guy," he admitted, his tone bitter. "The plan is to go to the portal and get out of here."
"But Ned… where did he go? Damn it!"
Their heated exchange was interrupted by a cold, mocking voice that sent shivers down their spines. "He's in another dimension, where he'll face the Trials of Life and Death, in other words, Blessings Ceremony" Matiane declared, stepping forward.
"What?" Dune and Atlas blurted out in unison, their faces twisted in shock. Matiane chuckled, his tone dripping with disdain. "Oh, you two will join him soon enough. There's no stopping it. It's the will of the gods."
"Gods don't exist," Dune retorted, his voice defiant. But his conviction wavered when Matiane laughed, a dark sound that echoed through the ruins around them.
"You've never been outside this city, have you, boy? How can you be so sure?" Matiane sneered. Dune clenched his fists, unable to argue. The truth of Matiane's words gnawed at him. He had never left the city's confines, and the weight of that realization rendered him silent.
"Well then," Matiane continued, his voice like a blade slicing through the tense air. "Let's end this."
Matiane blurred into motion, dashing between them with terrifying speed. His blade gleamed as it swung down toward them. But just before it struck, it collided with another sword, an icy blade that seemed to shimmer in the faint light.
"Cadogan!" Atlas exclaimed, relief flooding his voice.
Matiane's grin widened beneath his mask as he turned his head slightly, scanning the battlefield. His crimson eyes narrowed when he realized someone was missing.
"What happened to the other man?" His voice was sharp, almost accusing. He didn't see the black-toothed man who had been with them earlier. "Did you kill him, Cadogan?"
Cadogan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pushed Matiane back with surprising force and stepped between the two younger fighters and their enemy.
It's like I already know… He came, tore my city apart, slaughtered the innocent, then left without a word. No reason, no explanation. Just destruction in his wake.
What the hell is his deal?
Cadogan's gaze shifted to Matiane, searching for any sign of guilt, regret, anything, but the mask hid everything.
His voice was sharp, cutting through the tense air. "Matiane, what do you think the King will do when he finds out? That you let the city fall, let innocent people die, just to catch Zetens? You think he'll forgive you?"
A quiet chuckle slipped from Matiane's lips, muffled behind his mask. "Oh, Cadogan… do you really believe you or any of the Zetens standing with you are making it out of here alive?"
He stepped forward, slow, deliberate, as if savoring the moment. "I wouldn't count on it."
And even if the King knew exactly what happened here… he wouldn't dare touch me. To kill God's apostle? That would be a declaration of war against Atreus, the God of War."
Cadogan sighed, his calm, steely gaze turned to Dune and Atlas. "Everyone else escaped," Cadogan said quietly, though his tone carried an unspoken command. "You two need to go as well. I'll handle this."
But Matiane only smiled, his confidence was unshaken. They won't leave so easily. Not after losing one of their own. He thought.
Dune's expression hardened. "We can't," he said firmly. "He took my brother."
Cadogan sighed heavily, his frustration palpable as he looked back at Matiane, who stood motionless, watching the exchange like a predator toying with its prey.
"You have to go," Cadogan insisted. "I can't fight at full strength with you two here. You don't stand a chance against him. Neither of you do. Just go Now."
Dune hesitated, his fists trembling at his sides. He wasn't ready to abandon his brother. "No," he muttered.
That's when Atlas intervened, shoving him. "You idiot!" Atlas snapped. "We have to save Ned, but not like this!"
Dune glared at him, but before he could argue further, the portal they had planned to escape through shimmered ominously. "Damn it!" Dune shouted as he followed Atlas. When they approached portal, a sudden force erupted from the portal, throwing them back violently.
Atlas hit the ground hard, coughing as he struggled to process what had just happened. "What the…?" he gasped, wide-eyed.
Cadogan's expression mirrored his shock. "The portal rejected you?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
A low chuckle drew their attention back to Matiane, whose crimson Neba pulsed with sinister energy. "You poor souls, Didn't you know? Zetens can't pass through Neba portals."
Cadogan's jaw clenched, but he ignored the jab, his attention fully on Dune and Atlas. "Just run," he ordered. "Go as far from Fein as you can. Head west, you'll reach Rendely eventually."
Atlas didn't hesitate this time. He grabbed Dune's arm and began dragging him away. Dune resisted at first, but the urgency in Atlas's grip and Cadogan's unwavering gaze forced him to relent. Together, they ran, their footsteps echoing as they disappeared into the distance.
Cadogan turned to face Matiane, his stance steady and unyielding. "Come here, Red Devil," he growled. "I'll show you what I'm capable of."
Matiane laughed. "Why don't you escape through the portal, Cadogan?" he taunted. "Save yourself, you coward."
But Cadogan only chuckled. "Because…" he began, his voice calm. He shrugged off his cape and tossed it aside, revealing his bare chest.
Matiane's eyes widened in shock and delight as they fell on the intricate blue cross tattoo etched into Cadogan's skin. "You're a Zeten," he whispered, his tone a mix of awe and excitement. "How wonderful."
Cadogan smirked. "Even if I wasn't, I would never run from a fight, you shithead."
The two locked eyes, their battle stances shifting subtly as they prepared for what was to come. Energy crackled in the air, a mix of Cadogan's icy blue Neba and Matiane's fiery red Neba.
Cadogan's smirk never wavered as he raised his icy blade. And with that, the two charged at each other, their Nebas colliding in a brilliant explosion of red and blue, signaling the start of a battle to the death.
Dune and Atlas sprinted beyond the city walls, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the chaos behind them. The once-mighty city now loomed in the background, shrouded in smoke and bloodshed.
As they ran, their path took them through a grim battlefield, full with the corpses of soldiers who had fallen in a struggle. The sight of the lifeless bodies was haunting, but Dune's mind was elsewhere, consumed by thoughts of Ned.
How can I even save him when I'm so weak? The question gnawed at Dune with every step. He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling inside him.
Even Atlas, with his Purple Zeten hadn't been able to do anything to help against enemies like Matiane or Cadogan.
The reasons were painfully clear to Dune. First, Atlas lacked a creature for his Zeten, an essential factor for unleashing its true potential. But even more important was the fundamental rule of Zetens, power meant nothing without a strong body to wield it.
It didn't matter how powerful someone's Zeten was. Without the physical strength and Strong Neba to balance zeten, it was useless. Worse, attempting to overextend one's abilities could backfire, leaving the user vulnerable or even dead.
If a person's original Neba was green, their body could only enhance itself to a Green level, no matter what color their Zeten was, even if it was Red, Purple, or higher. The enhancement would always align with the limits of the user's base Neba.
Dune glanced at Atlas, who kept running ahead silently, his jaw tight. Even with a Purple Zeten, Atlas was no match for someone like Cadogan or Matiane. His body and original Neba simply wasn't strong enough.
That's what made the situation even more hopeless. What chance do I have when even Atlas can't fight them? That's all i can do? To just run?