Skyler finally arrived to find his friends kneeling before two unfamiliar figures.
He walked over slowly. As he got nearer, the strangers noticed his presence. "Oh, I almost forgot! One of you is missing; that's why I was overthinking it, how silly of me," Vespera whispered.
"I hope you both know what you're doing," Skyler commented.
"What do you mean?" Fatum asked, puzzled.
"Because I'm about to take action!" Skyler shouted as he dropped two boxes on top of Vespera and Fatum, trapping them.
"Let's get out of here!" Skyler yelled, rushing to Eliana and lifting her onto his back. Meanwhile, the others picked up Jay, Parker, and Cain, and they all made a break for it.
They dashed toward the forest where Orion had gone.
As they were fleeing, they ran into Orion.
"What's going on!?" he demanded.
"There's no time to explain!" Skyler replied hastily.
Suddenly, Vespera and Fatum broke free and reappeared behind them.
"I'll handle them; just go!" Orion insisted.
While others helped the injured escape, some stayed back with Orion to confront Vespera and Fatum.
"I'm joining you," declared Merlin, along with Zhen.
Vespera wrote something in her book, and just like that, Orion was pinned to the ground.
Zhen was also in danger, but he used dark magic to shield himself, redirecting the energy back towards Vespera and Fatum.
Merlin unleashed flames at Vespera and Fatum, but Fatum effortlessly dissipated the attack.
Next, Zhen launched a light magic offensive against them.
"Light magic!" Zhen shouted as shimmering white particles swirled, but Fatum caught it and neutralized it yet again.
Their attempts seemed futile as Fatum consistently dispelled their magic.
"We need a new plan," Zhen suggested.
"Orion—" Zhen began, but his sentence was abruptly interrupted when he witnessed Orion vanish into the ground, only to reappear right beside Vespera and Fatum, prepared to unleash golden arrows.
"Golden Arrows, Cyclone Glimmer!!"
The arrows struck Vespera and Fatum.
Orion quickly dashed backward and unleashed another volley of golden arrows, hitting Vespera and Fatum once more.
Both Merlin and Zhen readied their own spells and finally unleashed their magic.
"Light magic!" Zhen yelled, impacting Fatum. At the same time, lightning magic shot at Fatum's head.
"Ice magic!!" Merlin exclaimed, creating a massive block of ice intended to crush, but Fatum countered with, "Plot Twist 1," transforming the ice into water.
From behind, Orion fired two enormous arrows, but Fatum simply declared, "Plot Twist 1," causing the arrows to lose momentum and hit the ground instead.
Vespera scribbled in her book, "Two chains suddenly appeared and bound Orion," and it happened as she wrote.
Orion was immobilized.
"Purify!!" Zhen shouted in frustration, aiming a light magic spell at Fatum. The green spell, infused with a hint of white mana, was focused on its target.
But Fatum retorted, "Plot Twist 1," causing the magic to twist and rebound on Zhen with such force that it nearly knocked him down, although he was resilient due to his dark magic affinity.
Then, Merlin began fusing his various spells—fire, ice, lightning, and wind—into a massive cyclone aimed at Vespera and Fatum. Fatum assessed the strength of the cyclone and said to Vespera, "Let's retreat." The two quickly fled.
Zhen's dark magic dissipated the cyclone as it approached.
---
Seems the three of you are unable to move. Is it fear, the threat I pose, or the danger I represent? Surely it can't be that, right?" Life stated with a smirk.
"Well, you may be right about one thing, your danger level. But I assure you, I can match that intensity, if not surpass it," Ryuta replied.
"Enough of this, Ryuta. Stop inflating your ego with false bravado. Sure, you might be immortal, but your friends are not. They could be gone in an instant; my lethal ally awaits my signal. You've already lost, even before the game began," Life explained coolly.
"True, we may not be immortal, but I've figured out your weakness, it's the very same fear that grips all humans: death," Cain asserted.
"Unfortunately for you, I don't fear death. He's on my side, so it's not something I worry about," Life shot back.
"That's missing the point, Mr. Life. What Cain is trying to tell you is that there are ways to neutralize you, and you won't see it coming," Yami interjected confidently.
"Ooh, how ominous! If you believe you can, then go ahead and neutralize me. I'm all ears," Life challenged.
"The method of neutralization isn't a physical instrument," Yami clarified.
"Then what is it?" Life inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"I am the neutralizer," Ryuta declared with conviction.
"I should be the one taking you on, neither Cain nor Yami, just me," Ryuta insisted firmly.
"If you believe you're the only one capable, then perhaps your friends don't mean much to you. But don't worry; I'll keep them safe," Life replied, teleporting Cain and Yami away with ease.
"Leave," Ryuta commanded.
Yet, Life's companions remained still.
Turning back, Ryuta's eyes ignited with a white glow, and his pupils turned crimson. "I said leave," he commanded again, his overwhelming power radiating from him, inducing nausea in those nearby. Eventually, his companions obeyed.
"Quite impressive, you managed to frighten them. But your overwhelming presence made me feel nauseous; let's not do that again."
"Absolutely, I happily agreed," Ryuta stated.
"Looks like we're just waiting to see who emerges victorious, right?" Death remarked.
"True enough, but it's only a matter of time until we prevail and eliminate your leader," Cain asserted.
"I suggest you refrain from mocking my leader lightly; I am loyal to them, and I won't waste my efforts just to take out you two," Death responded.
"Relax, you won't be able to defeat us anyway; we're much stronger now," Yami asserted confidently.
"Confidence is fleeting, Yami, but your life is not," Death replied, studying Yami's expression.
"Go ahead, give it a shot," Yami challenged.
Suddenly, Death lunged forward, aiming to strike Yami's stomach with his scythe, but it was futile. "What!?" Death exclaimed.
"As I mentioned, I am the embodiment of The Devil, impervious to disintegration and poison. But thanks for your effort; I've finally acquired your disintegration affinity," Yami declared. "And I almost forgot, I can take skills, similar to how you've done with others, but only half of what you have. So don't fret; I won't outshine you completely, but I'll definitely keep you on your toes," Yami concluded.
"Alright then," Death declared, charging toward Cain and attempting the same tactic once more. "But let me tell you, your disintegration powers won't faze me. I possess a strength that keeps my body tough," Cain asserted confidently. "And remember, Death, just because you've used your scythe to end others doesn't mean you're unbeatable. There will always be someone out there who can outdo you or nullify your abilities," Cain pressed on.
"You've taught me a valuable lesson about not being overly confident, but you've also reminded me that I've been holding back my true capabilities," Death replied.
"Oh, come on, don't throw off the energy here, Death! Knock off the potential talk. What's the use of hiding your true strength only to be taken down early because you're too cautious?" Cain challenged.
"Let me remind you again, potential is pointless if the one wielding it is foolish," Cain stated firmly.
However, I'm not at all what you portrayed, my friend. If I truly were, I wouldn't have survived this long, let alone initiated the confrontation with both of you," Death stated.
"Please, don't try to sound clever. You're strong, but your grasp of our strategy is lacking. You clearly fail to see the bigger picture. Our stance is that concealing your true abilities is foolish. While we do acknowledge your restraint in not killing us simply because you're following orders, that doesn't equate to intelligence. Essentially, you're just a pawn to your leader." Yami confidently asserted.
Cain suddenly chuckled, prompting Death to ask, "Why are you laughing?"
"Because it's amusing," Cain replied. "We're arguing about the nature of our intelligence and how it's determined by our actions. Death, I can't help but feel pity for how long you've believed yourself to be clever," he added.
---
"Your sacrifices will ultimately be futile, Ryuta. Have you taken the time to bid farewell to your friends?" Life inquired.
"I haven't, but I believe this is the right decision," Ryuta affirmed.
"It's unfortunate that we start on a somber note. Just as a final reminder, neutralizing my power won't be a simple task, for I am The Life Deity," Life proclaimed.
'Is he referring to himself that way?' Ryuta pondered.
"Prepare to witness the extent of my threat. I am The Third Deity of This Era, The World's Strongest Transmigrator, Ryuta Nukumizu!"