Chapter 24: Awakening

Atlas and Raven clashed fiercely in the remnants of the old village, their swords sparking with every impact. The dilapidated buildings around them crumbled under the force of their blows.

Raven's eyes glinted with a dangerous intensity as he swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming to cleave Atlas in two. Atlas barely managed to parry, the force of the blow sending him staggering backward.

Raven didn't give him a moment to recover. He raised his hand, and his arm transformed into a thick, metallic shield, shimmering with purple energy.

He charged forward, using the shield to bash Atlas, who was knocked off his feet and slammed into the wall of a nearby building. The structure groaned and then collapsed in a cloud of dust and debris.

Atlas rolled to his feet, coughing and wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. He summoned his purple Zeten birds again, sending them to swarm Raven.

The birds screeched as they dived toward Raven, but he swung his arm, now a massive hammer, and swatted them away, the ground shaking with the force of his strike.

Raven's other ability activated, and suddenly there were five of him, each clone identical and ready to strike. They surrounded Atlas, attacking from all sides.

Atlas spun, deflecting blows, but it was clear he was struggling. One of Raven's clones landed a solid hit, sending Atlas crashing through another wall.

Breathing heavily, Atlas tried to regain his footing, but Raven and his clones were relentless.

They advanced, pressing the attack. Atlas parried one blow after another, but for every clone he dispelled, another took its place. He knew he couldn't keep this up much longer.

Raven laughed, his voice echoing from all directions. "Just give up."

But Atlas wasn't ready to surrender. Gritting his teeth, he focused his energy and summoned more of his purple Zeten birds, hoping to create an opening, a chance to turn the tide of battle.

Drawing on her orange Zeten, Nely summoned a fireball in each hand, the flames crackling with intense heat. She sprinted toward the battle, her eyes locked on the real Raven, who was slightly ahead of his clones. With a determined shout, she hurled both fireballs at him.

Raven barely had time to react. He swung his metallic arm to deflect the first fireball, but the second hit him square in the chest, engulfing him in flames. He staggered back, momentarily disoriented. Atlas seized the opportunity and slashed at one of the clones, causing it to dissipate into a puff of purple smoke.

Raven raised his arm, forming a massive hammer again, and charged at her.

Nely dodged to the side, her agility keeping her just out of reach of Raven's devastating swing. She threw another fireball, aiming for one of the clones. The fireball exploded on contact, reducing the clone to ashes.

The battle escalated, the three combatants weaving through the ruins with desperate intensity. Raven's clones surrounded them, attacking from every direction. Atlas and Nely fought back-to-back, their movements synchronized as they tried to fend off the relentless onslaught.

Raven's laughter echoed through the village. His hammer arm swinging with deadly precision.

Atlas grunted as he parried a blow, his strength waning.

Nely was struggling to keep up. Her fireballs were losing their potency, and her movements were slowing. " he's too strong!

Raven seized the moment. He created a new wave of clones, more numerous and aggressive than before. They swarmed around Atlas and Nely, cutting off any escape routes.

In the chaos, one of Raven's clones managed to land a heavy blow on Nely, sending her crashing into a crumbling wall. She tried to get up, but the impact left her dazed and vulnerable.

Atlas fought his way through the clones, but Raven intercepted him, their swords clashing with a fierce spark.

"You're finished," Raven hissed, his eyes gleaming with malevolent triumph. He summoned his remaining strength and struck Atlas with a devastating blow, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Atlas tried to rise, but his body wouldn't obey. He looked up at Raven, who stood over him with a cruel smile. "You fought well," Raven said, raising his hammer arm for the final strike. "But it ends here."

Before Raven could deliver the finishing blow, a sudden burst of fire erupted from behind him. Nely, using the last of her strength, had thrown a desperate fireball. It struck Raven's back, causing him to stumble forward.

But it wasn't enough. Raven turned, his face twisted with wide smile, and with a swift motion, he knocked Nely out with a single, powerful strike.

Raven looked down at Nely, who lay dazed and vulnerable among the ruins.

A cruel smile spread across his face as he began to approach her, his footsteps echoing ominously, Raven rised his metallic arm for a final strike.

Two figures leapt out from the shadows. The twins, Ezra and Liam, landed between Raven and Nely, their faces set with determination.

Raven's smile faltered for a moment, but then he laughed. "Two more pests to swat away. Very well, let's end this quickly."

He created a new wave of clones, each one a mirror image of himself, surrounding the twins with menacing grins.

Ezra and Liam fought bravely, their coordination seamless as they took on the onslaught of clones.

They moved with fluid precision, each attack met with a swift counter. Ezra's strikes were fast and precise, while Liam's movements were powerful and deliberate.

Together, they managed to hold their ground, protecting Nely from Raven's relentless assault.

But Raven's clones were numerous and unrelenting, attacking from all directions. Despite their best efforts, the twins began to tire, their movements slowing as the clones continued to multiply.

Raven watched the battle with a satisfied smirk, knowing his victory was inevitable.

One of the clones managed to land a heavy blow on Ezra, sending him crashing to the ground. He tried to get up, but another clone struck him, knocking him out cold.

Liam glanced over at his fallen brother, a look of horror and desperation on his face. "Ezra!"

With Ezra down, the clones turned their full attention to Liam. Alone and exhausted, he struggled to keep up with the relentless assault.

Raven, seeing his opportunity, advanced with a deadly purpose. "You're alone now," he taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice.

Liam fought valiantly, but he was clearly outmatched. With a swift and brutal strike, Raven plunged his sword into Liam's stomach.

Liam gasped, his eyes wide with shock and pain, as he collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from the wound.

Raven stood over the fallen twins, a triumphant grin on his face. "Pathetic," he muttered, pulling his sword free.

He looked around to ensure no other threats were approaching, satisfied with the devastation he had wrought.

Raven sensed something and turned around, seeing Atlas still on the ground, face down. But Atlas was now burning with purple Neba and Zeten. Behind him, a purple vortex portal materialized. Raven, looking unimpressed, muttered, "Those stupid birds again?"

But this time, it was different. The portal grew larger, big enough for a human to step through. Then, more portals appeared—ten, twenty, then hundreds, spreading across the battlefield.

Everyone was shocked. Liam who was bleeding from his wound, watched in disbelief. Ezra, who had fallen, stared from afar. Even Nely was stunned.

Atlas stood up slowly, still looking down.

He opened his eyes and glanced at the sky with a complicated expression, then looked at his fallen friends.

From the portals behind Atlas, people began to emerge—men, women, children, old and young—all with dark black skin adorned with purple tattoos, glowing with purple Neba, standing behind Atlas in unison. Thousands of them.

Raven's confidence wavered for the first time. His hands trembled as he muttered, "am I scared? What is this?" Forming a purple sword, he faced Atlas. Suddenly, one of the spectral humans ran and merged into Atlas's body.

Atlas glowed even more intensely with purple energy. Covering his face with one hand, he spoke to his friends, "Run, get away from me as far as you can."

More spectral humans began merging into Atlas, increasing his power. Nely stood up, helping Ezra to his feet, and together they carried the bleeding Liam. Raven, unwilling to let them escape, appeared in front of the trio, ready to strike.

He swung his sword, but Atlas suddenly materialized in front of them, glowing with purple Neba, and caught Raven's sword with his bare hand, staring him down without a word. The trio ran as fast as they could.

As they fled, Nely, puzzled, asked, "What the hell is this? Why did he become this strong already? What's up with Atlas?" But Liam, also bewildered, could only respond, "I don't know. I've never seen this before."

Raven, determined, swung his sword again, but Atlas dodged and kicked him, sending him flying. However, Raven landed perfectly, undamaged.

Atlas looked down and sighed, "Well, seems like it's time to use this." He looked at Raven with a resigned expression.

The remaining spectral humans merged into Atlas, who exploded with a burst of fire and purple Neba light. The shockwaves were so powerful that Raven had to shield his face.

When the shockwaves subsided, Raven was stunned by what he saw.

Atlas now wore black clothes with two giant horns on his head, his eyes glowing purple. He had grown taller, over two meters, with sharp teeth and a long cape.

His skin was black, making him look like a demonic creature capable of unimaginable destruction.

But Raven knew exactly what this transformation meant. Atlas had lost control, becoming a demonic monster fueled by his own power.