Klaus raised the Solar Ball to the skies, his presence on the battlefield now the centerpiece as its radiance drew the attention of everyone.
Rose turned to Shade. "Now, Shade," she prompted as Shade placed his palms on the ground, forming a puddle of darkness beside Riley and Rose.
Olivia's attention shifted to a pool of darkness that had also appeared at her side. Her gaze soon found Shade, who only glanced back in silence.
At last, Klaus hurled the projectile with swift precision, aiming to fulfill their plan.
Riley kept her palms forward, maintaining her ability as the ball of light drew closer to its target. She knew that binding Limbo until the strike landed was crucial. Even if it meant risking herself, she was prepared to ensure their victory.
Rose was about to leap into the darkness pool beside her, but as her gaze fell on Limbo, she immediately realized the god remained unfazed by the attack, and her concern grew.
As the Solar Ball inched closer, Limbo sighed. In an instant, the ball transformed into a massive, dense cloud that spread across the space before him.
The demigods froze in shock. Above them, the Solar Ball reappeared within the clouds, and the dense vapor caused it to detonate, flooding the skies with blinding light and briefly turning dusk into day.
Limbo had swapped Klaus's Solar Ball with a portion of the clouds above, without so much as raising his head. With his eyes covered, it was clear his sight extended far beyond physical vision.
With the Solar Ball neutralized, two spheres of space appeared at each side of Riley's palms, forcing her hands apart and breaking her binding ability.
"This is getting boring," Limbo muttered as he regained his freedom, dissatisfaction etched in his tone. "I am sure Father has seen enough."
The moment passed, and Riley darted toward him with immense speed, the wind surging at her back as she charged through the mist. Her palms thrust forward to strike, but Limbo extended his left hand, pressing a single finger to her forehead.
That single touch froze her momentum, halting the force of the winds around her. The size difference between them left Riley unable to reach him. With a slight adjustment, he set his index finger against his thumb and flicked her forehead. The flick was so powerful that it sent her hurtling a great distance away.
In that instant, Limbo swayed aside. From behind emerged Shade, hidden within the cloud to ambush him. Shade swung his blade, but after two quick sidesteps, Limbo drove his knee deep into the demigod's gut. The Abyssal Pit had moved to intervene, but another sphere of space was revealed to have locked it in place before the god's attack.
Limbo's strike was so powerful that Shade was lifted off the ground, suspended briefly. Swiftly, the god clasped his fingers together and hammered them into Shade's back, slamming him against the earth.
By then, Rose had closed in, but Limbo was already aware.
He turned and swung a crushing right fist at her, but Rose reacted just in time, catching his strike with both hands to stop it from caving in her face.
Limbo poured greater force into his blow, and Rose strained desperately to hold it back. The pressure was so immense that the ground beneath her feet cracked, sinking slightly under her weight. Still, she endured.
Recognizing her resistance, Limbo stretched out his other hand. He smashed a fist into her face so hard that her crimson eyes flickered briefly back to blue. Exploiting the opening, he swung his right hand again--the same one she had restrained--and delivered a brutal strike to her jaw, sending her tumbling across the ground.
All of this unfolded within seconds, just as the cloud that had replaced Klaus's Solar Ball dissolved into the air.
Through the fading mist, Klaus watched in shock as his companions lay battered and broken. Before he could process it, Limbo charged straight toward him.
Klaus thrust out his left hand to summon another Solar Ball, but before he could complete the motion, Limbo had already closed the distance.
Klaus considered using Burst Speed to retreat, but remembered his opponent's warning. Forced to rely on his Phantasmal State, he shifted his form, expecting his opponent to phase through him. Yet to his surprise, Limbo's fist still connected, smashing into his face. The blow was so devastating that it broke his nose and sent him flying.
Pain exploded through him as the light shrouding his body flickered and faded. "H-how?" he thought in shock. "I activated it…"
But as his gaze turned downward while he fell back slowly, Klaus witnessed that Limbo held one of his space orbs in his other hand, aimed directly at him. A sudden force pulled Klaus back before Limbo grabbed him by the neck, slamming him to the ground and dragging his body across it before raising him high towards the skies.
Klaus felt dizzy; the impact of both the punch and his head slamming against the floor clearly affected him. Though despite his back being scraped across the ground, the trench coat he wore remained intact, sustaining only minor scratches.
Limbo choked Klaus with a neutral expression on his face. "I have been studying you all," he said suddenly, his tone calm.
Klaus placed his hands on the god's arm, struggling for breath as he desperately tried to free himself. But Limbo did not budge.
"The wind one depends too much on her speed and versatility," the god continued. "That is why she did not expect to be outpaced. The darkness one relied on his defenses, so he was shocked to see them bypassed. The other one depended on her strength, but she was unaware of how outmatched she truly was."
Limbo's shackled gaze fixed deeply on Klaus's squirming face. "You, on the other hand," he said, "depended on my supposed lack of a way to harm you. That is why you were unaware of the true nature of these Singularity Cores."
Klaus's confusion grew, until his mind began piecing it all together.
"Even light can be affected by the pull of a black hole," Limbo explained, revealing how he had bypassed Klaus's Phantasmal State.
Because he knew Klaus transformed his body into light particles while using the ability, the orb he held allowed him to bind those particles in place and manipulate them, making it possible for his physical body to affect the demigod.
Limbo turned briefly, his attention flickering to the other demigods before returning to Klaus. "From a single encounter," the god said, "I can tell you act as a beacon for the others. Someone they rely on."
His neutral gaze stayed fixed on Klaus. "Which tells me you must be the first one to go."
With those words, Limbo tightened his grip, and Klaus slowly began to lose consciousness. Klaus's palms clawed weakly at the god's hand, trying desperately to break free.
"I could easily rip your head off your shoulders right here," Limbo said coldly. "But that would only stain my armor with your filthy blood."
Klaus's vision dimmed, his strength fading, but at the corner of his eye, he saw Shade slowly rising to his feet. That single sight was enough.
"Embrace death at the hands of your superior," Limbo chanted as Klaus's eyes drifted closed.
But before anything else could happen, Klaus suddenly reopened his eyes--now glowing with a deep purple hue. At the same time, his left palm ignited with a faint orange glow where it pressed against Limbo's armor. The action was peculiar, but the effect on the god was immediate.
Limbo's expression shifted in shock as he dropped Klaus from his grasp. An orange mark burned across the god's armor where Klaus's palm had been, and a strange symbol manifested on his hand: a skull wrapped by an orange, glowing serpent.
Though Limbo's eyes were hidden behind his shackle, his divine nature still let him perceive the sudden change in Klaus's eyes--exactly as Klaus had anticipated after witnessing the god swap the Solar Ball with a cloud earlier.
Klaus gasped desperately for air, clutching his neck, but his gaze fell on Limbo, who staggered back, clutching his head in agony.
Limbo screamed uncontrollably, his face tilted to the skies as his hands dug into his hair in unbearable torment. The god's suffering was clear, and Klaus quickly turned to the side.
"N-Now, Shade!" he shouted hoarsely, collapsing to his knees with a raspy cough.
Shade had risen fully to his feet, one hand pressed to his torso as he gasped for breath, still feeling the effects of his earlier injury. But without hesitation, he stretched out his right hand, inhaling deeply to steady his focus. The Abyssal Pit surged from the ground, coursed through his body, and pooled into his right palm, wrapping around it completely. But that was not all.
As Shade held his palm upward, an object began to materialize above it, a golden glow expanding as it lengthened. A familiar weapon soon took shape, its radiant gold form and the red cloth tied at its tip leaving no doubt as to what he had summoned: Impaler.
Twenty minutes earlier...
As Klaus turned his attention to the rift Ace had spawned, while still in Under World, he heard a sudden call for him.
"Hey, relax, mijo," Iris said as she walked closer. "Do you have a plan against any of the bad gods when you get there?"
Klaus remained silent for a bit, but before he could respond, Iris continued.
"Well, chico and I have something we've been working on that could help you guys."
After her words, Iris turned her gaze to Tyler, who glanced back at them. Soon, Tyler recognized that she was talking about him.
"Woah, hold on, Iris," he said. "I didn't agree to this."
"Oh, tranquilo," Iris said. "This might actually help them in their encounter."
"It might also kill us," Tyler pointed out.
Iris tilted her head to the side. "You realize the situation we're in, right?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Riley asked, her confusion mirroring that of the majority.
Tyler glanced at Iris, who smiled back at him, causing him to let out a frustrated sigh. "It's kind of like a team-up with our powers," he explained. "I can use my Karma ability to cause retributive illusions on a target and create a perfect opportunity, but it tanks my physical state and her mental state."
Tyler turned to Iris, his voice raising slightly. "Something that would be even more fatal if it were against a freaking god."
"We could just deactivate it if things get tough, though," Iris said with a grin.
"But how's that supposed to help us exactly if you guys can't be there?" Rose asked.
Tyler took a moment as he recognized all eyes were on him. "Well... I can kind of transfer the ability to someone else," he said, his lack of enthusiasm evident, "so they can mark the target in my place."
"Trust me, it could help you guys a lot," Iris assured, turning to Tyler. "You just transfer it to who you think could get an opening and place the mark."
Iris kept her gaze on Tyler, and her smile persisted. Her gaze caused him to sigh even harder, his frustration from her pressure evident.
"Fine," Tyler said. "But if we manage to survive all this, you owe me a date."
"Deal," Iris said with her grin intact.
Tyler moved closer to the departing demigods. "So who should I place it on?" he asked. "Though it has to be someone ready to be in harm's way."
"Why's that?" Klaus asked.
"I can only transfer the ability to one person for now," Tyler explained. "And the person has to be the center of attention to lure the opponents in and catch them off guard with the mark."
Rose turned to Shade and Riley, before turning to Klaus. "It should be you," she said.
"Are you sure?" Klaus asked. "It would leave you guys a bit more defenseless."
"We just need to remain out of harm's way," Shade said. "I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Perfecto," Iris said with a smile. "Then it's all set. Hopefully, we can keep a god immobilized long enough for you guys to take them down."
"That isn't possible," Quinn cut in from the side. "According to my knowledge, it's virtually impossible for a mortal being to deal fatal damage to a god since they can't invoke the Ouroboros."
"What's that?" Siren asked.
"It's more or less a rule that makes infinite beings finite in power during a clash," Link explained to her.
"So even if we manage to immobilize a god, it wouldn't matter?" Shade asked.
"Not really," Quinn confirmed. "As long as the Ouroboros isn't present, there isn't a way to harm a divine being... except for one."
The demigods kept their glance on Quinn, who turned towards Lance.
Lance glanced back, recognizing the meaning of her words. "You mean Camelot?" he asked.
"Last I checked, Camelot is one of the sacred weapons forged by Siege," Quinn said. "Meaning it's capable of harming any being in existence and dealing permanent damage to them."
"I'm not even surprised that you know that," Klaus mumbled softly.
"I am sorry, but I cannot intervene," Lance said. "I understand the implications and value I may provide with my presence, but I cannot go against my orders and depart from this world."
"I get that," Quinn stated. "But you can grant others access to the arsenal, can't you?"
"Yes, but it is not that simple," Lance said. "Any being that attempts to wield a sacred weapon without mastery could be subjected to madness. It took me weeks to overcome the mental strains it caused every time, and years to master just one of these weapons."
Quinn remained in thought for a moment, attempting to find a solution, when Arthur cut in. "I don't think the rules are as simple as that, brother," he said, catching everyone's attention.
Arthur still felt odd after his incident with Limbo, but he chose to ignore it for the moment and provide any suitable information he could.
"During our brawl when you first spawned the weapon against me," he elaborated, "I was able to use all of my strength to stop one of your attacks, even for a moment. So, a few seconds of holding Camelot long enough to throw it instead of wielding it should prove enough."
Arthur's assessment was sound, and Lance thought of the possibility for a moment. "But who would be able to wield it for so long?" he asked. "The weapon is extremely heavy as well without mastery."
Arthur's eyes swiftly turned to Shade. "During your fight with him in the Divine Tournament," he began, "the two of you clashed weapons while you wielded Camelot, which means his darkness could prove sturdy enough to lift it, even for a second."
Quinn analyzed everything in the moment. "He's right," she said. "Pure darkness in its natural form was made to be strong, so it could be effective in holding the weapon up for a brief moment."
Her gaze turned to Shade. "I'm not completely sure about the effects it'll have on you, but at this point, we need to be ready to take risks. That's if you're willing to give it a try."
Shade wasted no time responding. "Of course," he said. "If the risk to my mental state could save our world, I don't even have to think about it."
Quinn smiled at his dedication before Link cut in. "All this is cool," he began, "but what happens if the gods choose to just scan your minds and figure out what plans you have? Hell, what if they're watching this very conversation right now?"
"I can assure you that no one's watching us right now," Quinn said. "It's a risk, but my Precognition tells me that even The End isn't surveilling us."
"And as for scanning your minds," Iris added, "I can help with that as well."
Her eyes turned from their usual hazel to purple, focusing on Klaus and the others preparing to depart. "This should make it so they can't just look at you and see all your plans," she explained. "It should also provide an illusion that prevents them from knowing further."
"But that can only work if they don't choose to pry further," Tyler said.
"Well, it's all about risks, si?" Iris asked.
"Fair enough," Tyler said with a shrug.
"You guys better get going," Quinn soon said. "Hopefully, you won't need to fight anyone."
"Hopefully," Riley repeated.
Finally, Tyler moved closer, his left hand shifting to his right arm before stretching his sleeve up, revealing his bandaged forearm. He tore the bandages off, exposing his snake tattoo that glowed a deep orange.
He stretched his hand towards Klaus, who also raised his left. Their palms touched for a moment, and Klaus's palm glowed briefly before dulling back to normal.
And with that, the departing demigods turned toward the rift, walking into it and leaving Under World.
Now...
Limbo grabbed his head in pain, his screams and grunts echoing as his mind raced. He perceived flashes of illusions that felt real, visions that judged him for every unjust act of his life. And because he had lived for eons, creating worlds for The End to destroy, there was much to be judged.
Back in Under World, Tyler's exposed tattoo glowed brightly as he gripped his arm with his left hand, teeth clenched from the immense pain. Similarly, Iris tilted her head back toward the ceiling, her deep purple irises expanding as her mouth hung open. She exhaled heavily, burdened by the strain of keeping the god bound with their combined ability.
Seizing the moment against his foe, Shade spawned Impaler over his right hand and took a stance, preparing to hurl the weapon. He drew a deep breath before finally gripping the lance.
A wave of indescribable pain surged through his mind and body, but he forced himself to focus. The weapon's weight was immense, one of the heaviest things he had ever carried, but with a single swing, he hurled Impaler at Limbo, the spear rushing at the god's chest from behind.
Klaus kept his eyes fixed, his anticipation mirroring the focus of the other demigods. Even The End glanced on with intrigue, eager to see what would come next. But before the weapon could strike, Limbo forced his mind to process the illusions faster than expected.
With that, he sped the entire sequence ahead, concluding it before Impaler reached him. In an instant, he regained clarity, surveying his surroundings and grasping the situation.
In one motion, Limbo twisted backward, seizing the weapon mid-flight. The force pushed him a noticeable distance away from Klaus, but he held steady, preventing the spear from piercing him.
"No," Klaus muttered, watching Limbo halt Impaler's momentum completely.
Rose and Riley stood frozen in silence, seeing their chance at victory crushed.
Meanwhile, in Under World, Tyler and Iris were freed from the unbearable strain.
Tyler struggled to move, his right hand rendered temporarily useless. But then he noticed Iris collapsing beside him. Swiftly, he lunged forward with his left hand, catching her before she hit the ground and falling to his knees with her in his arms.
"Are you two okay?" Piper asked, concern flooding her voice as she rushed over.
"I'm fine," Tyler answered between breaths. "Just… can't feel my right arm."
He gently rested Iris's head on his lap, checking her breathing with his left hand. "She's still alive, too," he confirmed. "I'm sure she'll be fine."
"Thank the gods," Piper said with relief.
"Let's just hope your pain and their effort paid off," Link said grimly.
Tyler gave a faint nod. "I hope so," he muttered.
Back on the battlefield, Klaus, Shade, Rose, and Riley watched as Limbo dropped Impaler before sinking to his knees. The god exhaled, the shock in his eyes hidden behind his shackle.
"It… cannot be," he whispered. "To think these blasphemers concealed such a heinous act."
After a moment, he slowly began to rise. Klaus and the others exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain of what to do next.
Limbo straightened his posture. "It seems I must put these beasts down before they bite the hand of their superior," he said venomously.
With that, his right hand reached for the shackle over his eyes.
The demigods knew they had no chance against him, yet they refused to yield. They charged forward as Limbo slid his index finger into the lock, releasing the metal from his face.
As the demigods moved closer, a surge of power suddenly coursed through the area, sparks flickering behind the god's back. Slowly, Limbo's eyes opened, revealing pure white irises that were similar yet distinct from those of the other gods.
As Klaus inched toward him, Limbo placed the tips of his right thumb and middle finger together and snapped his fingers. Instantly, Klaus froze in place, the world around him rendered completely static.
"What the…" Klaus thought.
He could not move a single part of his body, nor activate any of his abilities. Beyond that, everything within a small radius of his vision that remained frozen had lost all color, reduced to black and gray.
Klaus could not even shift the focus of his eyes, leaving him unable to confirm the safety of the others behind him. With no sound in the surrounding area, he could only assume they were in the same predicament.
Limbo--the only figure in the radius still in color--gazed at the demigods with visible annoyance. Soon, a ring of light manifested slowly behind him after the sparks subsided, forming a halo similar to those of the other gods.
"To think you creatures could force me into using my divine powers," he spat, irritation clear in his tone. "I have disgraced the judgment of Father."
Though ashamed to have been cornered, Limbo refused to dwell on it. "I had intended your deaths to be quick," he continued, his gaze on all four demigods. "But now… I will make you all hurt within my Labyrinth."