Nero held his head in his hands still sitting in the trees. He started to pull out his hair in frustration. He hadn't noticed that Stick and Yumo had come back into the forest.
"We'll split up, go left and I'll go right," Yumo said.
Nero's eyes widened hearing their voices.
No way, they definitely are back for me this time. Nero thought. What should I do…what should I do.
They were definitely close by.
What should I do…
Those who don't choose will have choice forced upon them. Nero had implicitly understood this his whole life. However, this was the first time that he had understood that his inaction had led to this very moment.
"Found you, you fucking brat," said Stick
Stick instantly activated his divine power, the mirage of Phobos appearing behind him. The same whip he had used previously appeared in his hands. Nero, due to human instinct alone, started to run away.
Nero fled through the trees jumping from branch to branch. His breathing was shallow and panicked as Stick followed behind. Yumo, hearing Stick shout, decided to try cut Nero's exit off. He started to make his way to the forest entrance.
Stick snapped his whip aiming for Nero's back. Only the tip of the whip grazed his back.
But it was enough.
Stick uttered 2 words "Phobos, Fearmonger,"
In front of Nero a woman appeared. Her face was all too familiar to Nero. The first face he saw when he was born. The one that nursed him back to health when he was unwell. The one that died. The one that abandoned him.
"Mother…" whispered Nero
Stick hearing this was confused. His whip, when the curse was activated, it caused the inflicted target to see their biggest fear. Regardless, he continued to move forward to pursue Nero. He was right behind Nero who had stopped on one of the branches.
"My son," started Nero's mother. "What happened to fulfilling my dream, remember who you serve. As my son, your priority is your mother. Now and always. I'm the only reason you stand where you are today. Go and fulfil my destiny."
He knew it wasn't real. He knew it. The shape of her, the voice, the way she held herself — all wrong, all borrowed from his worst memories. He told himself that.
It didn't help.
Nero snapped around facing Stick. He activated his divine power, the mirage of Aten appearing behind him. However, it didn't stay behind him, instead the mirage assimilated with Nero.
He still looked human, but light behaved differently around him. Shadows thinned along his skin, refusing to deepen, and his eyes shone with a steady white-gold glow highlighted by dark black pupils. Behind his shoulders hovered a perfect solar disk, thin rays stretching outward like lines of intent, some ending in the faint suggestion of open hands. He stood perfectly still, calm and unyielding, as if the day itself had decided to take a human shape.
Stick didn't have time to react. On instinct he jumped at Nero trying to snap his whip again. However, before it could even reach, Nero uttered a single order.
"Fall".
Stick didn't understand what was happening. His body was already obeying before his mind registered the command. He had time for one thought — this isn't possible — before the ground came up to meet him. On impact Stick felt bones snap all over his body. He screamed in agony, the pain burning itself into his flesh. Death would have felt more pleasant the sensation Stick felt in this moment.
Nero jumped down to the ground. He looked at Stick's face with nothing but pity.
"One down,"
Yumo heard Stick's scream and instantly was on edge.
"There's no way… Stick wouldn't lose. Not to that kid, even if he is an avatar, he didn't show us anything we couldn't handle. Was he holding back? Were we tricked?" Yumo muttered under his breath.
He stood up and started to walk back into the forest. With his divine power all he needed was one hit. He still had 2 darts left for today which gave him two chances. He wouldn't need those two chances. He never missed.
Nero appeared behind him.
"How…" started Yumo.
"Stop chasing me if you want to live." Nero said bluntly.
Nero started to walk off, heading back to Froja. Yumo sweating, activated his divine power in desperation. A final attempt to complete the task. The blowpipe appeared in his right hand envisioning the path his dart would take to pierce the target.
He raised the blowpipe to his lips.
Nero turned around facing Yumo. He decided to show Yumo the difference between the two of them.
Yumo had never missed. Through hundreds of targets, the dart had always found its mark. He told himself this as he raised the blowpipe. He told himself this as the boy turned around. He told himself this right up until the moment the hands appeared from behind the boy and plucked his dart from the air like it was nothing.
His survival instinct forced him to jump back in pure fear of the kid. He tried to create another dart to try another shot at Nero.
Ultimately it was all in vain.
Using the hands behind him, Nero threw the dart straight back at Yumo hitting him directly in the chest. He continued dashing towards Yumo until he stood face to face with Yumo. Covering his fist in light he threw a punch into Yumo's gut. Blood started to pour out of Yumo's mouth, his eyes rolling back. The poison from the dart made sure Yumo wasn't getting up for a long time.
Nero stood over him, his new form imposing over Yumo.
"Is this the power of an avatar…" Yumo croaked.
Nero stayed silent for a moment.
Then he manifested a golden scythe in his left hand. The blade wasn't polished but brushed, scarred with use. Small chips didn't dull it; they gave it character. The gold darkened toward the tip, like it had absorbed countless endings. The handle was wrapped in worn leather. This weapon was meant to be used, not worshipped. It had always existed. Now it chose to manifest itself.
He turned blade of the scythe onto Yumo's right hand and swung, slicing it clean off.
Yumo screamed as he suffered this divine punishment. It felt as if the sun had sliced through his hand. Tears budded in his eyes, almost escaping, before he forced them to stop.
Finally, Nero spoke, the words hanging heavy in the air.
"This time I've taken your hand. Next time I'll take your life."
Nero walked away leaving Yumo. It had been six minutes since he merged with Aten.
He lay on the ground looking up at the canopy. The light came through in thin strips. He thought of Astrea. He thought of Sodom's note.
He got up.
He didn't know how much time had passed. He didn't know if she was still in Froja.
He started walking.