"That's right," the man replied with a smirk dripping with arrogance as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's me: Zeus." His voice echoed artificially, as if trying to mimic the very thunder of the heavens.
Drake took a step forward, his boots crunching against the sandy ground. His expression hardened like stone under the dim twilight light. "Milo!" he growled, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned pale. "You again... And you even copied my face!"
Milo—or Zeus—let out a low, mocking laugh, exhaling dramatically. "Of course, brother," he said with disdain, tilting his head slightly. "I made some... minor adjustments to carry out my plan." His eyes gleamed with malice as he spread his arms wide, relishing every moment of this dramatic scene. "But now, thanks to all of you, you've destroyed years of hard work. I'll have to start over... though this time, you won't be part of the equation."
His smile twisted into a macabre grimace, and the surrounding air seemed to chill, charged with static electricity. Drake felt anger burning in his gut, but before he could respond, Milo continued: "I will never die like Zeus, Drake. I only grow stronger with every step I take."
General Bronjort stepped forward, his tall and robust figure casting long shadows under the orange glow of the setting sun. "Milo West, you are under arrest," he declared firmly, his voice sharp as a knife.
"Oh? Really? You and how many others, General?" Milo shot back with irritating calmness, almost as if he were bored. "I may not have Geros's power, but I'm still stronger than all of you combined. Besides, you don't have any more weapons left in your vault to play with those little toys of yours. You should've done something useful with them, huh?"
At that moment, Melisa remained motionless, unable to tear her gaze away from the giant golden hand still floating in the sky, illuminated by the last rays of the sun. It was as if the entire world had stopped beneath that surreal vision. Creg gently tugged her arm, snapping her out of her trance. "Come on, Melisa. We need you to narrate what's happening from here. The people need to know," he urged.
Suddenly, metallic chains erupted from nowhere, wrapping around Milo's arms and pinning him to the ground with a deafening crash. "Well! Took you long enough, Adia," Milo remarked with a sardonic grin, as if he were enjoying even his own temporary defeat.
"I'll finish you off, damn you," Adia spat, her eyes blazing with contained fury as she advanced toward him.
"Go ahead, if you can!" Milo challenged, breaking free with a powerful roar. The chains shattered into pieces with a flash of pure energy, his green aura enveloping him like an electric storm. The air vibrated with the force of his power, and Aragon, who had just entered the scene, muttered a curse under his breath.
"That bastard is dangerous even without those divine powers," muttered Aragon, adjusting his combat stance. Determined, he charged at Milo head-on, but instead of retreating, Milo seemed invigorated, as if every blow only fueled his energy. He countered with superhuman speed, blocking each of Aragon's attempts with lethal precision. Finally, with a swift and brutal motion, he sent Aragon flying through the air. The impact of his body hitting the water was so powerful that it raised a column of foam and spray, glittering under the twilight glow.
"Damn it! We need Podbe as a Universal Wolf!" shouted Billy nervously, crouching behind a rock to avoid being caught in the battle's aftermath. "With him, we'd have already kicked this Zeus or Milo's ass—or whatever he calls himself."
"I don't think that'll be possible," Aiden replied, quickly consulting with Reia. "The system is in rest mode."
Ignoring their conversation, Adia launched herself into another attack. This time, she channeled all her magic into a devastating barrage: zigzagging lightning bolts, voracious flames, cutting gusts of wind, and crashing waves of water collided in controlled chaos. But Milo moved with supernatural agility, dodging each assault with an almost insulting ease. Not even the combined use of elements managed to scratch him.
Melisa, regaining her composure, resumed her narration with a trembling but determined voice. "The battle has reignited. Milo, the enemy we thought defeated, has returned to face the agents. It seems Podbe only managed to strip him of his divine powers, but even so, he remains extremely dangerous. The agents are fighting with everything they've got, but Milo seems... invincible."
The sky began to darken, and the first stars twinkled on the horizon, silent witnesses to a struggle that promised to change everyone's fate.
"Wow! He still has all that energy," Drake murmured in astonishment, watching as Adia unleashed blast after blast against Milo. Though he dodged every attack with near-superhuman agility, Adia didn't let up, blocking any attempt to advance. "I don't think he has much mana left," Eduard noted, adjusting his glasses as he analyzed the scene with concern. Furious, Adia continued unleashing waves of magic without pause, as if determined to end it all at once.
"You?" Adrian looked at him intently, nervously adjusting his own glasses with a twitchy gesture. "Seeing her like this, how long do you think she can keep going?"
"I'd say another couple of minutes," Eduard responded after a brief pause.
"Why?" Eduard asked, tilting his head slightly.
"For nothing," Adrian replied quickly. "I'll be right back." Without further explanation, Adrian hurried off toward where Rafael stood. He began explaining his plan in hushed tones, gesturing urgently with his hands.
"What are they planning?" Azulema asked, crossing her arms as she watched Adrian with curiosity. Since Adrian was in love with her, he couldn't help but tell her everything. Without wasting a second, Azulema gathered the group and gave them a clear order: "Keep Milo busy for five minutes."
No one knew exactly why, but they understood it was crucial. Everyone nodded with determination.
Floud joined the battle, launching fireballs that illuminated the battlefield with flashes of orange. Electric bolts zigzagged through the air, followed by cutting gusts of wind and shards of earth rising from the ground like missiles. Meanwhile, Amaya used her gummy bears, transforming them into living explosives. These tiny candies leaped onto Milo, hugging him before bursting into flashes of light and sound, enveloping him in smoke and ash.
Megumi hurled razor-sharp rocks that sliced through the air with a sharp whistle before heading straight toward Milo. However, he seemed to anticipate every move. With an ear-splitting roar, he unleashed his devastating AURA technique: "NUBIA DRAGON RAGE," a golden explosion of energy that expanded in all directions, repelling every attack as if they were dry leaves swept away by a storm.
Adia's energy began to wane. Her movements grew less precise, her spells weaker. When she finally ran out of mana, Eduard, Ezequiel, Adora, and Mukio sprang into action, charging into close combat. Gabriel also recovered from his initial confusion, slowly processing the revelations he had received. With renewed determination, he joined the fight. Riota, freeing himself from Gat's restraining grip, tried to approach Milo, but he skillfully avoided him. He knew that if Riota touched him, he could copy his physical strength abilities. To protect himself, Milo used his AURA as impenetrable armor, glowing like a golden sun.
Benjamin, transforming into a giant bear, charged at Milo with all his brute force. But the blows barely tickled him; Milo didn't even flinch, as if he were merely playing with them. One by one, the agents were defeated, receiving a crushing beating that made it painfully clear who held absolute control.
Jake attempted to use his shadow as dark whips, extending them toward Milo like octopus tentacles. But Milo activated the first form of his AURA, creating an invisible barrier that deflected the attack effortlessly. Piti sprinted at full speed, delivering rapid and precise punches, but even his most accurate strikes bounced off without causing any damage. Finally, Milo stopped his advance with a single motion of his hand, shoving him backward with such force that he collided with the others.
Gat, firing his famous energy beams, tried to pierce through Milo's defenses. But these too were deflected, as if hitting an invisible barrier that rendered him untouchable.
"I hope what you said works, Adrian," Azulema murmured urgently, glancing toward where Rafael, Akira, and Becky were hastily constructing something. "We'll give you as much time as possible."
Adrian nodded firmly, his eyes fixed on the scene as he watched Azulema lead the assault. Leila, Mark, and the others, alongside her, began to press Milo using a combination of telekinesis and precisely thrown objects. They tried to immobilize him, but Milo enveloped himself in his AURAL energy, glowing like a golden sun. With a powerful roar, he repelled the projectiles they hurled at him and broke free from the telekinetic grip as if it were nothing more than a gentle breeze attempting to hold him back.
Billy, Elena, and Maria could only watch helplessly from a distance. Their abilities were still nascent, especially Billy's, who had yet to discover his true power. Frustration was etched across their faces as they witnessed their companions fight desperately against an enemy who seemed invincible.
Drake entered the battle with four mud warriors, created through his materialization power. The towering colossi advanced toward Milo with heavy steps, kicking up clouds of dust as they moved. But Milo shattered them effortlessly, as if they were fragile vases struck by a slingshot. The chunks of mud fell to the ground with a dull thud, making it clear that even this strategy wouldn't work.
Everyone continued trying to face Milo, but despite having stripped him of his supposed divinity, defeating him still seemed impossible. The agents kept getting back up, time and again, as if their renewed willpower could make up for their waning strength. Thanks to Podbe and Aiden's earlier sacrifices, they had managed to take away the power of the black stone, but they still lacked the energy needed to finish him off.
"Why doesn't his mana run out?" everyone wondered aloud, their voices heavy with disbelief and exhaustion.
"That's because he's using AURA as his energy source," Aragon explained, recovering after emerging drenched from the water. His clothes dripped as he returned to the fight, his eyes filled with determination. "That damn bastard has unlimited power," Gat growled, firing another energy beam at Milo, though he deflected it without effort. "Meanwhile, we're at our limits."
On another part of the battlefield, Adrian and the four members of his team worked frantically. The pieces they had been constructing began to come together under their expert hands. "This piece goes here… and this one there," Adrian muttered, more focused than ever before. His mind raced, calculating every detail.
"It's ready," Rafael announced finally, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I hope it works."
"There's no time to test it," Adrian responded urgently. "Aiden," he called, turning toward the young man. "Come here. I need you to do one last task. And you're the right person for it."
Aiden quickly approached, his expression resolute. "You can count on me to take that guy down once and for all," he said without hesitation.
Adrian whispered the plan into his ear, and Aiden's eyes lit up with understanding. Without wasting a second, Aiden and Podbe prepared for the attack. Just before launching themselves into the fray, Eduard pulled something from his pocket: a small bottle containing a shimmering potion.
"This is all I have left," Eduard said, tossing them the bottle. "I saved it for a major emergency, and this is definitely it." Both drank the contents quickly, feeling their energy restored instantly.
Gat, who had earlier overheard Eduard say he had no more potions, wanted to protest, but upon seeing the situation, he understood. "It doesn't matter," he muttered to himself, launching another attack at Milo. He realized why Eduard had given the potion to Aiden and Podbe: they were the only ones who could turn the tide of the battle.
With their energies restored, Aiden created a small portal in front of him, his expression tense as he prayed it would work. Designed to transport someone from one short point to another, he had never tested it in combat before. The portal opened with a bluish flash, revealing a small doorway the size of a human. Without hesitation, Aiden stepped through, closely followed by Podbe. Both disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a resonant echo in the air.
Simultaneously, all the agents launched themselves into the attack against Milo. Absolutely everyone, including Adrian's team, joined the fray. They needed to buy time and keep Milo distracted. Adia also returned to the battle, though her energy was nearly depleted. Her movements were slow and heavy, as if every step required a superhuman effort.
When everyone tried to surround Milo, he unleashed a repulsion power with his AURA. A golden shockwave erupted from his body, sending everyone flying through the air like leaves caught in a hurricane. But Milo didn't notice that a portal had opened directly behind him.
"Podbe, the system is back online," Reia informed him telepathically. Without a second thought, Podbe emerged from the portal, his eyes blazing with determination. With a fierce roar, he unleashed all his abilities at once: Firehead, Steel Bite, Golden Claw Slash, Hardness, and Ray Breath. Each attack struck with devastating force, though he knew his mana was draining rapidly.
Gabriel and Aragon, seeing the opportunity, channeled all their AURA power to support Podbe. Together, they launched a combination of attacks targeting a single weak point in the AURA armor Milo had created. Milo didn't have time to seal that small breach because Aiden came sprinting out of the portal as if there were no tomorrow. In his hands, he carried a strange object—a metallic square, which he hurled toward Milo's back.
The square pierced through the tiny opening in the AURA armor and, upon making contact with Milo's skin, began to transform. It expanded rapidly, turning into a vest that clung to his body like a magnet. Before Milo could react, the vest tightened securely, impossible to remove.
The key to success lay in the invisible nanobots that Adrian and his team had discreetly dispersed earlier during the fight. No one had noticed them, not even Milo. Upon hearing the impact of the square against his back, the nanobots leaped from their hiding places and attached themselves to the villain, completing the device.
Milo tried to rip off the vest, but it was futile. Suddenly, Adrian pressed a few buttons on his wristband, and the device sprang to life. Milo felt a surge of pain course through his body, as if something were draining his life energy. His AURA began to fade, and his arrogant posture wavered.
"I hope this works," Adrian muttered to himself, crossing his fingers tightly. Everyone watched the scene with a mix of skepticism and hope. Had they finally managed to stop Milo?