(Intermission) Destined Lovers or Enemies - Chapter 11: Fight For Freedom!

Chapter 11: Fight For Freedom!

Cerberus lands on the street below after bursting out from the clock of the clock tower.

Zeth and Sasha open their eyes and mouths wide in shock.

“It’s Cerberus!” Sasha urgently states. “But why is he here!?”

All three of Cerberus’s heads start sniffing around as the people in the area start running for their lives.

Sasha’s eyes open wider, her body shaking for a moment. She grabs Zeth by his arm and starts running, heading in their intended direction.

“Cerberus is trying to sniff me out!” Sasha urgently notes.

Zeth clenches his teeth, eyes focused on Sasha. “It’s a good thing we’re getting out of here while we can!”

They turn a corner, moving as fast as they can without drawing attention to themselves. However, Cerberus runs to where they just were, still sniffing.

Zaydra stands on top of a building and is shocked, focusing her eyes on Cerberus. “Ceberus! Does that confirm my suspicion that Zeth and Sasha are here!?”

Cerberus sniffs the spot where Zeth and Sasha were standing before they started running. It then looks up and starts running to follow their trail.

Zeth and Sasha continue running, getting close to the city’s exit.

Zeth points forward. “We’re almost out of the city!”

However, Cerberus is right on their trail. It has now determined which one is Sasha and starts charging magic in its three mouths.

“It’s on our trail!” Zeth shouts.

Cerberus releases large fireballs from all three of its mouths.

Zeth and Sasha dive to their left to dodge the fireballs as the people around them run for their lives.

Suddenly, a cluster of Star Shards fly in and slice through all three Cerberus heads, cutting all of them off. With all of its head cut off. Cerberus dies.

Zaydra drops down from above and lands in the area. She looks at the two people running away with their backs turned to her. Zeth still has the cap on and Sasha still has her hood up.

“You two. Stop and turn around,” Zaydra demands.

Zeth and Sasha stop but don’t turn around, their eyes wide open with deep concern.

Zeth thinks to himself. “Zaydra is here too!? Damn it…”

Sasha thinks to herself. “If we turn around, we will be discovered for sure. But not turning around also makes us suspicious. What should we do?”

Zaydra starts walking towards them, her eyes solely focused on them. “I said, turn around. Now! Why was that monster chasing you?”

Zeth thinks to himself. “We have to act on our instincts now.”

Zeth takes a deep breath as Zaydra walks closer to them.

Zaydra continues talking with suspicion in her tone. “Not going to talk? Come on. I saved you. It’s not like I’m going to hurt you.”

Zaydra has a stern expression as she walks close to them, readying her fist. Then, in almost an instant, Zeth turns around and grabs Zaydra’s arm to stop her punch. He punches her hard in the face, which knocks her back into a building wall.

Zeth shouts, “Come on! Run!”

Zeth and Sasha start running out of the city, now at the outer edge of it.

Zaydra pushes herself off the building wall and rubs her face, narrowing her eyes in anger.

“You won’t get away this time!” she yells.

Zeth and Sasha are now fully out of the city, entering an open grassy plain.

“We've got 24 miles to go!” Zeth urgently states

“And now they’re after us!” Sasha shouts, her voice full of unease.

Suddenly, a small meteor flies in and explodes near Zeth and Sasha. They get caught in the blast.

They jump out of the flames, only suffering a few minor wounds. Zeth throws his burning cap away, and Sasha pulls down her hood, revealing that her hair was in a bun. She undoes it so her hair can flow freely again.

With a serious tone, Zeth says, “I guess there is no disguising ourselves any further.”

“We have no choice but to fight our way to freedom,” Sasha admits, also in a serious tone.

They look at the person that attacked them and see that it’s Zeth’s older brother, Zenfaro.

“You will answer for your heresy, little brother,” Zenfaros states, frustration in his voice.

“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Zeth replies.

Zenfaro points at Sasha. “Then, please explain why you are with her. How many have met their end at her hands? You are disrespecting them by being with her!

Zeth stares at Zenfaro with a serious expression across his face. “People can change. I’ve seen the change in her over the past month.”

“Have you learned nothing in your life?” Zenfaro asks, his frustration increasing. “Those who commit crimes must be punished for them. The blood of many victims is on her hands. How about this? Turn yourself in and let us kill her. If you do, you will not be executed.”

Zeth stands firm with a serious expression. “I will not.”

Zenfaro furrows his brows. “…So be it.”

Zenfaro charges his magic. Zeth goes into Raging Star Mode, and Sasha enters her True Demonic Release.

Zenfaro releases a cluster of meteor shards directly at Zeth and Sasha as they rush toward him. Zenfaro clenches his hand, causing the meteor shards to all start homing in together. Zeth’s raging aura bursts out and destroys the shards. (Author’s Note: This is something Zeth from the main series has never done. Perhaps alternate dimensions result in different growth for people.)

Both Zeth and Sasha punch Zenfaro, hitting him with enough force to knock him away.

With more distance gained, Zeth and Sasha continue running, heading in the direction of their ultimate goal.

Zaydra soon arrives on the scene from behind. She shouts, “No! Don’t think you’re getting away!”

Sasha summons two Hell Vultures in front of herself and Zeth. “Get on! We’re going to fly away!”

Zeth ends his Raging Star Mode as they both hop onto a different demonic vulture. The vultures quickly take off into the sky. Zaydra releases a handful of Star Shards at them as they fly away.

Sasha clenches her teeth as she looks back at the Star Shards. “Those shards will tear through my vultures!”

“Leave it to me,” Zeth replies.

Zeth forms his own Star Shards and throws them back toward Zaydra’s Star Shards. They all collide and destroy each other, allowing Zeth and Sasha to continue flying away.

“Damn it!” Zaydra yells, stomping her right foot on the ground in frustration.

“Well, this is working out well. We’ll be there in no time,” Sasha says.

“You’re going to jinx it!” Zeth replies.

Sasha quickly puts her hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”

Suddenly, winged angels fly in the way of their path. The angels release various projectile magic attacks. The vultures try their best to dodge as they continue flying forward. However, two arrows come flying from below and pierce the necks of each vulture. They die and start falling down.

Down on the ground, Sapphire stands with a determined expression, revealing that she was the one who shot the vultures. “Sorry, prince, but you will pay for your heresy.”

Zeth and Sasha jump off the dead vultures as they fall, landing on the ground and ready to fight. They find themselves surrounded by the forces of both Heaven and Hell.

In the distance ahead, a cliff can be seen in the direction Zeth and Sasha are facing.

Five Miles Left.

Zeth clenches his fists. “We have one option left…”

“…Fight for our lives,” Sasha finishes.

Narrator: Zeth and Sasha find themselves surrounded and are no longer able to simply run! It’s time to fight for their freedom!

Chapter 11 END

To be Continued in DLoE – Chapter 12: Zeth and Sasha vs Heaven and Hell