Podbe hit the ground with a dull thud, the sound echoing like a distant reverberation as his body lay motionless. All his senses faded, plunging him into absolute darkness. Faintly, he could hear Aiden's voice in the distance—desperate, guilt-ridden, and trembling with sorrow.
"No! Podbe, it's my fault! That bolt was meant for me, and you pushed me out of the way to save me… I should have been the one to die. No! Come back, my friend!" Aiden shouted, shaking Podbe fiercely in an attempt to revive him, but to no avail. His hands trembled, and silent tears streamed down his face. Everyone watched in horror, paralyzed by the magnitude of what was unfolding.
In his mind, Podbe repeated: "I'm sorry, Aiden… I couldn't keep my promise to always be by your side, but at least I managed to save you. I'm so sorry!" But the words never left his lips; they only echoed within his mind, trapped inside a body that no longer responded.
Meanwhile, Zeus brushed the dust from his hands with an arrogant gesture. With a single stomp, the electricity surging through his feet obliterated the entire ceiling, revealing a vast ocean stretching endlessly around them. The horizon seemed infinite, illuminated by dark flashes emanating from his towering figure.
"Careful," Adrian warned quickly. Alongside Rafael, they conjured large floating metal plates that deflected chunks of earth and debris sent flying by the explosion. However, it was clear they were struggling against something far more powerful than themselves.
"All of this is your fault. Now I'll have to rebuild everything using my power." Zeus was possessed. The electrical charge radiating from his body shifted to a sinister blend of black and red, ominous and menacing. His eyes glowed with a crimson intensity, and his clothing transformed into a pitch-black suit that seemed to devour the surrounding light. An overwhelming wave of malevolent energy poured from his being, creating an oppressive presence that made breathing nearly impossible.
With every step he took, everything around him crumbled into dust. He repeated over and over in a cold, merciless voice: "I just want my world to belong solely to me. And if I must eradicate and purge it, so be it."
Zeus teleported with each step, inexorably closing in on Aiden. "No! Stay away from him!" his friends screamed, but they were repelled by Zeus's mere presence, flung through the air like leaves caught in a hurricane. Thankfully, Leila acted swiftly, using her telekinesis to catch them midair, preventing serious injury.
"He's not himself," Drake observed worriedly as he watched Zeus advance erratically.
"Yes, he's erratic, and he's after Aiden," Eduard added urgently, pointing toward the villain.
"Quick, we need to protect him," Adia declared with determination.
"But that's impossible. That guy is on another level," Azulema replied, crossing her arms, though anguish was etched across her face.
"I know, but I have to try to save my grandson," Adia affirmed firmly.
Adia began creating layered force fields, one after another, in a desperate attempt to shield Aiden. But with a single flick of his finger, Zeus shattered each barrier as though it were nothing more than an eggshell. Megumi tried to form a wall of earth, but it was instantly pulverized by Zeus. His advance was relentless and inevitable. Floud hurled magical attacks, yet they seemed to be absorbed like a vortex whenever they neared Zeus. Riota prepared to intervene, but Gat stopped him, gravely warning, "That guy is too much for you."
Aragon also launched his AURA attacks alongside other allies, but even their combined efforts barely fazed Zeus. The villain staggered forward erratically, determined to finish off Aiden, blaming him for his failures and for pushing him to the brink.
Drake used his powers to quickly craft weapons and tools, but his creations were obliterated on contact, just like Amaya's attempts. Others charged at Zeus head-on, throwing themselves at him with desperate determination, only to be swatted away like broken puppets with a casual snap of his middle and thumb fingers.
Nothing seemed capable of halting his relentless march.
"You need to leave. Use your portals to escape from here," Adia instructed while hurling spell after spell, trying desperately to slow Zeus's unstoppable advance. But Aiden, paralyzed by guilt and anguish, attempted countless times to create portals without success. His mind was clouded, unable to focus as he stared at Podbe's lifeless body lying motionless on the ground.
Beside him, Reia took his hand firmly. "We have to get out of here… Podbe is gone. I can no longer feel his heartbeat," she said, her voice heavy with sorrow but laced with urgency. She tried to pull him along, tugging forcefully, but the boy remained stubborn. He refused to abandon his friend's body, even knowing deep down that all hope was lost.
At that moment, both felt themselves immobilized. It was as if an invisible force had ensnared them, leaving them utterly helpless, unable to move or speak. With a casual gesture, Zeus flung Adia against one of the remaining walls. Electric stakes pinned her there, driving her into the rubble with cold brutality.
"No one will save you, foolish boy," Zeus sneered, looking at Aiden with a cruel smile. With a sweeping motion, he gestured toward everyone who had accompanied Aiden, now rendered useless and scattered across the ground. "For everything you've done to me, you'll have the privilege of dying in my own hands."
With a dismissive flick, he tossed Reia aside like a scrap of paper. Then, he strode toward Aiden and lifted him off the ground with one hand, gripping the boy tightly by the throat.
"Podbe!" Aiden screamed inwardly, but the words wouldn't leave his lips. His eyes reflected sheer panic and desperation as he struggled futilely to break free.
"I love your expression," Zeus said with a sinister grin. "An expression that pleases me: filled with fear."
Adia, still pinned by the electric stakes, strained with all her might to break free. "Is my magic truly powerless?" she murmured in frustration. Tears began streaming down her face as she watched the chilling scene unfold before her. "I can't lose Aiden… He was kind, and I accompanied him on his journey. And how could I have known he was my grandson? If only I hadn't made that foolish mistake of sifting through my thoughts and memories, none of this would have happened…" she whispered to herself, consumed by guilt and fear.
Melisa and her group watched the transmission, horrified. "Is this really the end of humanity as we know it?" Melisa asked softly, her trembling voice reflecting the collective disbelief. People around the world looked on in stunned silence, silently praying for something—anything—to stop what was happening. Even other agents wanted to intervene, but they either didn't know the exact location or were too far away to arrive on time.
Marie, too, was watching the video, horrified by what was about to unfold. Her hands trembled as she tried to process the magnitude of the tragedy unfolding before her eyes.
"Podbe!" called a soft yet firm voice.
"You again, cloud woman?" Podbe replied, a mix of surprise and irritation in his tone as he floated in the limbo where he found himself.
"Cloud woman? No one's ever called me that," the ethereal figure responded with a light laugh. Then her tone grew serious. "Why are you giving up? You hold the greatest power within you, and because of a single wound, you're ready to surrender. Look…"
The cloud showed him a heart-wrenching scene: Zeus holding Aiden by the throat, tightening his grip as the boy struggled to breathe. The anguish in Aiden's eyes was palpable, and the fear etched across his face ignited something deep inside Podbe—a spark cutting through the darkness.
"Are you going to let that happen, little hero? Are you going to let them kill your best friend?" the cloud asked, her voice resonating with urgency.
"No! Never! I'm not giving up, and I certainly won't let him suffer like that. This can't end so badly," Podbe declared with renewed determination. His words vibrated with a force that seemed to shake the very fabric of limbo itself.
"Please, send me back to them," Podbe pleaded, his voice heavy with desperation.
"I'm sorry, young man," the cloud replied calmly.
"But didn't you just tell me I needed to go save him?" Podbe asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yes, that's exactly what I said. But you must do it yourself—you can go and save him, young man. Come on, give that villain everything you've got!" the cloud exclaimed before vanishing completely, leaving Podbe alone in the void.
At that moment, a brilliant light enveloped Podbe as tears of resolve streamed down his face. "Aiden, I won't let you die," he vowed in a whisper that echoed like an unbreakable oath.
At the same time, in the real world, Zeus laughed cruelly as he tightened his grip on Aiden's neck. "Well, boy, this is your end. I'll squeeze you little by little while I savor your cries of pain," he said with a sinister grin.
The barrier immobilizing Aiden began to dissipate, allowing him to weakly struggle against Zeus's relentless hold. But the more he fought, the stronger the grip became, until Aiden could barely emit a whimper of agony.
"There's nothing we can do," Drake muttered helplessly, clenching his fists as he watched the scene unfold, desperately trying to find a way to reach his grandson.
At that exact moment, an ear-splitting scream tore through the air, like thunder piercing the oppressive silence. It was a visceral sound, laden with pain and suffering, seeming to erupt from the depths of someone's soul. Its echo froze the blood of everyone present, cutting through their hearts with an intensity impossible to ignore.
"No!" The cry rang out clearly, a roar filled with anguish that vibrated like an unsettling warning.
The sound reverberated across the battlefield, even causing Zeus to pause briefly. All eyes frantically searched for its origin—but what they saw—or rather, feared seeing—left them paralyzed.
Aiden lay motionless on the ground, while Zeus stood over him, his towering figure casting a dark shadow over the fallen boy. Aiden's friends and the allies who were still able to move erupted into exclamations of horror.
"It can't be!" Reia cried, tears streaming down her face as she tried to rise, though her body remained weakened from Zeus's earlier attack.
"Aiden!" Adia choked out, struggling futilely against the electric stakes pinning her to the wall. Her eyes reflected a mix of disbelief and devastation.
Drake, Megumi, Floud, and the others exchanged glances filled with helplessness and rage, unable to process what they had just witnessed. The scream had been so raw, so full of agony, that no one doubted the obvious: Aiden had fallen.
But then… why was Zeus still standing? Why wasn't he celebrating his victory? Instead, his posture was strange, as if something had deeply unsettled him.
The air was thick with uncertainty. No one spoke. No one moved. Only the lingering echo of the scream continued to resonate in their minds, like a warning none could decipher.
What had really happened?