Chapter 25: Broken promise

Twelve-year-old Atlas lay on the ground, beaten and broken. The five tall men with strong Nebas towered over him, their faces twisted in cruel delight.

They laughed and jeered, their unleashed swords gleaming ominously in the dim light. Atlas's whole face was bruised, blood trickling from his split lip, his eyes swollen from repeated blows.

He cried out, his voice barely more than a whimper.

"Please... someone... help me," he sobbed, his words lost in the mocking laughter of his tormentors.

"Help you?" one of the men sneered, kicking Atlas in the ribs. "You think anyone cares about a little Zeten like you?"

Atlas winced in agony, his body convulsing with pain. Why was this happening to him? What had he done to deserve this? All he had done was steal a loaf of bread.

He was starving, desperate to survive. His stomach had been empty for days, and the gnawing hunger had driven him to this desperate act.

"Get up, you little rat," another man spat, swinging his sword which was glowing with Red Neba, slicing across Atlas's shoulder. The pain was unbearable, and Atlas collapsed, unable to stand.

"Why...?" he gasped, his voice choked with tears. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because we can.. you should be thankful that we are not killing you," the leader of the group said with a cruel smile.

Atlas's vision blurred with tears and pain. He felt himself sinking into darkness, his mind a whirlwind of anger, sadness, and despair. It was in this moment of utter hopelessness that he heard them—the whispers.

Kill them. Destroy them all. Make them pay.

The voices in his head were dark, insidious, but they offered a solution, a way out of his suffering.

Atlas's heart pounded, his anger and fear merging into a potent, uncontrollable force. He could feel the power within him, a dark, terrifying strength that promised vengeance.

No... I can't... I mustn't...

But the pain was too great, the humiliation too deep. His resolve crumbled, and he gave in to the whispers.

Kill them.

With a primal scream, Atlas rose to his feet. The five men stepped back in shock as a dark aura enveloped the boy.

His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and his skin began to darken, turning pitch black. Horns sprouted from his forehead, and his body grew taller and more menacing.

"What the hell...?" one of the men stammered, but it was too late.

With a single swing of his hand, Atlas decimated the five men. They didn't even had second to react,

Their bodies were torn apart, their screams echoing through the village. As they fell, their bodies was absorbed into Atlas's body, Sending them in Purple dimension .

The whispers urged him on. More. Kill them all.

Atlas walked through the village, his every step leaving a trail of destruction. Houses crumbled, fires ignited, and the villagers' terrified cries filled the air.

He killed indiscriminately, his hands coated in blood, a smile of twisted satisfaction on his face.

Men, women, children—none were spared. He absorbed them, each soul adding to his power, each death making him stronger. His body was a vessel of darkness, his mind consumed by the whispers.

Finally, he stood amidst the ruins, the village burning around him. The whispers faded, leaving only silence.

Atlas looked around, the realization of his actions sinking in. The weight of his deeds crashed down on him, and he fell to his knees.

"No... what have I done?" he cried, tears streaming down his face. He remembered everything, every life he had taken, every soul he had consumed.

The faces of the dead haunted him, their eyes staring back at him with silent accusation.

"I swear... I swear I'll never use this power again," he vowed, his voice a broken whisper. "Never again."

Atlas's ability lets him lose control for some time, unleashing a demonic creature within him, a force that he couldn't control, that wouldn't stop until everything in its sight was destroyed.

He had become a monster, a demon fueled by death and destruction. And he knew that he could never let this happen again, no matter the cost.

And here he stood, after four long years, breaking the promise he had made to himself. Atlas's eyes glowed with a fierce, unholy light as he faced Raven.

The demon within him had been unleashed once more, and he could feel the dark power coursing through his veins. He smiled, a chilling grin that sent shivers down Raven's spine.

Raven's bravado faltered, but he quickly masked it with anger. "Come here, I'll tear you apart, demon!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the ruined village.

They clashed again, but this time Atlas was a force of nature. His blackened skin shimmered with an ethereal light, and his eyes burned with an intensity that matched the fires around them.

He moved with a speed and strength that Raven couldn't match. Every swing of his arm, every kick, every strike was filled with lethal precision.

Atlas lunged at Raven, his fist connecting with Raven's jaw, sending him crashing through several houses, reducing them to rubble.

Raven groaned, struggling to his feet. "What the hell is this?" he muttered, wiping blood from his mouth. He had never encountered such raw, unrelenting power.

With a roar, Raven charged at Atlas, swinging his sword with all his might. Atlas dodged effortlessly, his movements a blur.

He countered with a flurry of blows, each one landing with bone-crushing force. Raven's metal armor, formed from his Neba, began to crack under the relentless assault.

Raven screamed in fury, summoning his clones to overwhelm Atlas. Dozens of Ravens appeared, attacking from all sides. But Atlas was undeterred.

He moved through them like a whirlwind, tearing them apart with his bare hands. Each clone that fell only fueled his rage further.

Atlas grabbed one of the clones by the neck, lifting it off the ground and smashing it into the earth.

The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, and the clone disintegrated into dust. Raven, seeing his strategy failing, attempted a desperate final attack. He formed a massive hammer with his Neba and swung it at Atlas.

Atlas caught the hammer mid-swing, the sheer force of the blow causing the ground beneath them to crack.

He twisted the hammer out of Raven's grasp and snapped it in half with a flick of his wrist. "

Then Atlas punched Raven in the chest, sending him flying back. Raven crashed into the remnants of a house, debris raining down around him.

He struggled to his feet, panting heavily. His Neba and Zeten were nearly depleted, his strength waning.

Atlas advanced, his eyes glowing with malevolent intent. He lunged forward, faster than Raven could react. In an instant, he was upon him, sinking his teeth into Raven's neck.

Raven screamed in agony, thrashing helplessly as Atlas bit down harder, the taste of blood filling his mouth.

The life drained out of Raven, his body going limp. Atlas tore the head of Raven from his body and then let him fall to the ground, dead.

He stood over the lifeless body, breathing heavily, his form slowly reverting back to normal as his Zeten and Neba were exhausted.

Atlas looked down at his hands, now normal once more. The demon within had receded, leaving him standing alone amidst the ruins.

The promise he had broken weighed heavily on his heart, but he knew that it had been necessary. This time, it had been to protect his friends, to save the people he cared about.

But suddenly, someone appeared behind Atlas. It was Nea, the invisible Zeten who was hiding this whole time, waiting for her chance to attack .

In her hand was a long sword glowing with orange Zeten. She dashed towards him, ready to stab Atlas who was already falling down from exhaustion...