Chapter 3.4: It's time

BAM! BAM! BAM!

WHOOSH—SLASH!

WHOOSH—BAM!

The entire Underworld trembled beneath the clash of their blades.

The force behind each impact was so immense that sparks erupted between them as both warriors glared at one another with ferocity.

SWISH! WHOOSH!

The speed of those two monsters defied all logic.

Their eyes moved with astonishing precision, following every motion and responding in an instant.

CLING!

CLANG!

Edén swung his sword with remarkable accuracy.

His movements flowed like a gentle wave.

A thrust.

A backhand slash.

Strikes from every direction.

…

Tenzak answered each and every attack with surgical precision.

His katana moved with elegance, each motion firm and deliberate.

He constantly sought to throw Edén off balance, but the boy’s footwork had evolved considerably.

—Aaaaargh!

BOOM!

Edén’s downward strike was so powerful that it shook both Tenzak and his sword.

—Got you!

WHOOSH!

SPLAT!

Edén executed a perfect thrust into Tenzak’s stomach, forcing him to spit out blood.

Tenzak was sent flying several meters backward, rolling uncontrollably across the ground.

But suddenly, he drove his sword into the earth, gradually slowing himself down.

Within seconds, he regained his composure.

Both fighters breathed heavily.

Thick beads of sweat ran down their faces, yet their gazes remained unwavering.

—Not bad for a worthless little brat —Tenzak said with a proud smile.

—Same goes for you, you worthless punk —Edén replied with a confident grin.

—However…

A dense aura began pouring from Tenzak’s body, resembling trails of solar fire.

—What the hell is that…?

—You’re still nowhere near my level.

WHOOSH!

In the blink of an eye, Tenzak appeared directly in front of Edén.

—Shi—

BAM!

Using the hilt of his katana, Tenzak delivered a sharp blow to Edén’s stomach.

The impact was so powerful that, for a brief instant, every trace of air vanished from Edén’s lungs.

Edén fell to his knees, clutching his abdomen.

Standing before him was Tenzak, watching him with a mixture of sadness and admiration.

—Damn it… —Edén muttered with difficulty.

—Raise your head, Edén. You should be proud of how far you’ve come.

—If it weren’t for my abilities, you’d already be on my level —Tenzak admitted, looking warmly at the boy.

—Yeah…

Edén took Tenzak’s hand and, once again, chose to stand.

…

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The moment was interrupted by slow, mocking applause.

—Not bad, not bad… —Shun said in a gloomy tone—. You’ve gone from being an insignificant ant to a cockroach.

—Congratulations!

—What are you doing here? —Edén asked—. I thought you were away on a mission.

—I was. Those people simply weren’t worthy opponents.

—You didn’t do anything reckless, did you? —Tenzak asked, as though he already knew the answer.

—What kind of person do you think I am? I merely completed my mission.

—That stupid look on your face tells me you did something.

Shun’s face radiated happiness as an enormous grin spread across it.

—Is it really that obvious?

—Don’t bother lying. You’re terrible at it.

—Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.

—So, do you have any good news? —Tenzak asked as he returned his katana to its sheath.

—Yes.

—Seriously?

—Yes… although I think you’re both going to hate me.

—What do you mean?

—The good news is that Edén has already been registered for the GODS entrance trials.

—And the bad news?

—The trials are happening earlier than expected…

—Huh?

—Heh, heh, heh…

—Are you a complete idiot?! —Tenzak snapped, grabbing Shun by the collar and shaking him.

Edén could only cover his face in embarrassment.

—We barely had a year to build his foundations!

—And now you come back with this?!

—Sorry~

Tenzak let out a sigh as heavy as a mountain before asking:

—How much time do we have?

—Uh… Less than a week.

—He’ll die.

—I’ll die.

—Come on, come on. Don’t be so pessimistic. There’s still hope.

—Hope?!

—This is like forcing a baby to fight a nuclear bomb!

—Exactly! —Edén added.

—They’ll destroy him instantly!

—They’ll destroy me!

—Why are you taking his side?! —Shun asked.

—I don’t know… I simply don’t like you —Edén answered bluntly.

…

Tenzak released Shun and sat down on the ground, as though every trace of hope had vanished.

—Damn it…

—We were making such good progress, but this is far too soon…

—Even if we perform the Zenka Ritual, it will take him a long time to gain proper control over it.

Shun turned his gaze toward Edén.

—You’re the only one who can make this decision, Edén.

—Me?

—Yes… To be completely honest, they’ll most likely cut you into thousands of pieces during the trials.

—Right now, your chances of getting into GODS are only one percent.

…

Edén let out a faint smile.

—That means there’s still a chance, doesn’t it?

Shun and Tenzak stared at him in surprise.

—Until now, everything I’ve experienced seemed impossible.

—Like something that could only happen in movies or anime.

—But… here I am.

—Still alive.

—And no matter how small that possibility may be, I want to believe in it.

—I want to believe that I can become strong enough to bring him back.

—My grandpa.

Shun and Tenzak exchanged glances.

Then, after nodding to one another, they declared:

—It’s time.

—Huh?

—It’s time to begin the Zenka Ritual —Shun proclaimed, his eyes shining brighter than ever.

…

The air was heavy and damp.

Edén and the others stood inside a strange chamber deep within Tartarus.

The room was freezing, illuminated only by the faint glow of blue torches.

At its center lay a circle covered in ancient runes, drawn with the blood of the fallen.

Inside that circle was a five-pointed star.

Edén stood upon it with determination in his eyes, surrounded by hundreds of crimson candles.

Shun approached him and whispered:

—Don’t die.

Fshhh!

A cold, sharpened dagger pierced straight through Edén’s chest.

His eyes opened wide as his blood began spilling across the ritual circle.

—What…?

Every trace of oxygen vanished from his lungs.

Edén desperately clutched his chest, striking it weakly in an attempt to force his body to respond.

But…

It was useless.

As a final resort, he turned his gaze toward those he had trusted until that very moment.

But their eyes held no light.

They were cold.

—You bastards…

Suddenly, his entire world turned gray.

CRASH!

Space shattered into hundreds of fragments.

Broken voices.

Wails.

Heart-rending screams.

All of them coexisted within the chaos.

Distorted images.

Unimaginable beings.

Blood.

Blood!

BLOOD!

—AAAAAAAARGH!

…

Silence.

A gentle breeze stirred Edén’s hair.

The boy slowly opened his eyes, confusion clouding his gaze.

—Where am I…? —he wondered as he gradually pushed himself to his feet.

…

At that very moment, his eyes opened wide at the sight before him.

A colossal castle rose majestically in the distance.

Gigantic guards forged from rusted iron watched him closely.

Consumed by fear, Edén tried to take a step back.

But when he turned around…

There was nothing there.

An endless desert stretched far beyond the horizon.

Edén slowly turned back toward the enormous castle, staring at it with fear.

And despite the doubts consuming his mind and the terror freezing his blood…

He chose to take a step forward.