Afterward, the mixture calmed down, and now there is a black substance in the bowl that looks like tar.
"It all went well; now, we just need to forge the key."
Raven said this and stood up.
This time, it's Dio who kneels in front of the bowl.
"What item did you choose?"
Raven asked with curiosity.
The whole point of the ritual was to make this substance, which can only be used in certain situations, a permanent key to the underworld.
He had already thought of the perfect thing to use.
Dio took his sword from behind my back and plunged the blade into the ground in front of him while leaving it standing.
"Your sword? Are you sure?"
Raven asked him.
"It's one of the few things I'm sure I won't lose, and underworld metal is perfect for enchantments."
Dio replied while picking up the mixture from the ground.
Dio's xiphos, a traditional Greek sword that starts thin at the hilt and widens towards the tip, a double-edged blade.
Dio picks up the bowl from the ground and tips it over.
A thick black liquid that smells surprisingly like wet earth falls onto the sword's hilt, where a skull with ruby eyes is carved into the silver pommel.
The liquid drips slowly while covering the entire sword.
It begins to glow subtly, and the faint glow fades away as the viscous liquid disappears, leaving the sword in its perfect state.
"Success."
Dio said while holding it by the hilt and lifting it from the ground.
"Let me check."
Raven requested.
Dio turned to her while holding the sword horizontally in the palms of his hands.
She comes up behind him and crouchs down next to the black blade of underworld metal.
"Yes, I don't see any issues."
Raven confirmed after a few seconds.
"Well, the time has come."
Dio told her with a smile.
"Are you sure you want to go now?"
Raven asked while removing her purple hood and looking into his eyes.
"Time is short; I have to use it wisely."
Dio replied while picking up his backpack from the ground and slinging it over his shoulder.
He might stay for a few hours if she looked at him and begged him, so Dio walked a few meters on the grass to avoid giving her that chance.
"Good luck!"
A voice shouted from above them.
Dio looked up and saw Koriand'r with all his other friends, including Roy.
They were all at the window on the floor above, looking at him.
Dio gave them a nod and turned toward the ocean. He looked out at the city and gasped in awe.
Dio raised his sword above his head and brought it down as if cutting everything in front of him in half.
"Άνοιξε, διατάζω!"
Dio said as the sword made its move.
When it falls completely, a thin black crack appears where it passed, and the crack widens a few centimeters while emitting black smoke.
The crack then opens completely out of nowhere, and a stone portal appears in front of him, sculpted with various Greek letters.
The doors are black with several white skulls attached to them, and in the center of the double doors is one of Hades' symbols, his golden fork, and above the stone portal is a sculpture of Cerberus looking down.
"The door to the underworld."
Dio said it aloud while looking at it with admiration.
He wasn't an expert given that he lived with an archeologist for a few years, but it gave him some sense of beauty to appreciate a work of art like this.
The double doors open towards me with a strong creak, and the black mist that was once contained spreads across the floor.
The inside of the door has nothing, just a great darkness that even his vision couldn't see.
Without fear, Dio took a step forward and then another until he passed through the doors.
...
In the farthest part of the city at this exact moment, there is an old and small one-story house squeezed between two tall buildings.
It has its own unique charm despite its small size.
There is a stone staircase that leads to the ground floor, where there is a small patio with colorful flowers surrounding it.
The flowers are so pretty that anyone walking by would only notice them.
On the other hand, they would surprise those who are knowledgeable about magic.
They are all very valuable in the magical world, but the sign below, which is connected to the bars of the small patio, makes them give up on anything.
"Madame Xanadu, Enter Freely And Unafraid."
It's written on the sign in blue ink in beautiful calligraphy.
On the patio at this moment, two women are sitting, one in front of the other, at a table with a teapot in the center.
One of them has straight black hair with bangs, icy blue eyes, and full lips with red lipstick.
She's wearing an all-black feminine suit and has a headpiece.
"It must have already gone by now."
Zatanna Zatara said this while taking a sip of her tea.
The woman in front of her was leaning back in her chair while shuffling a tarot deck in her hands.
A woman dressed in a long red dress had black hair and strong green eyes.
She had a black hue around her eyes, giving her a mysterious air.
She had a bunch of different kinds of gold necklaces around her neck, and she had a ring on each finger.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
Zatanna asked her.
"I don't understand the reason for this meeting, Zatanna."
The woman spoke in red for the first time, and her voice was sweet and low.
"Nimue, you know that when he returns from the underworld, he will undoubtedly gain power, and she may now be able to sense him."
Zatanna explained and put her teacup on the table.
The woman in red stopped shuffling the cards and then looked at Zatanna.
"That is inevitable. You know that very well. The spell I put on him protected him for many years, limiting his abilities. Now that he's awake and learning, she will definitely sense him at some point."
These words made Zatanna uncomfortable.
She already knows the story, but now that she has a strong bond with the boy, she wants to prevent him from suffering.
"So we have to tell him everything as soon as he returns."
Zatanna said.
"No, my magic is still working, so we have some time even if he strengthens a bit more. Let him live his life in peace."
Nimue denied.
"That's not much time. That boy is immensely talented. He created several spells from scratch. This is something that many magicians have worked on for years."
Zatanna insisted while thinking that telling the truth before everything bursts out is the best way.
"But you didn't tell him that, did you?"
Nimue asked.
"I didn't want him to get arrogant. Magicians who become overconfident in their abilities end up doing terrible things."
Zatanna agreed, with a slight tremor in her body, while thinking of some friends who ended up badly.
"The child is the offspring of a god with her, one of the ancients, like me. From what I know, he is the first hybrid of this kind, so it makes sense for him to be extraordinary."
"Talented he is, but to face her, it takes more than talent. He can't do it alone, and leaving him without information can cause us problems. You know how manipulative that witch is."
Zatanna tried once again to convince her.
"Please, Zatanna. I know her weaknesses, but she is still my sister."
"Sorry."
Zatanna apologized, and Nimue smiled and accepted her apology.
After that, Nimue places the deck face up on her hand, and a few cards float to the highest part of her chest and face Zatanna.
"Don't worry, my friend, the cards favor us. It's not time to reveal the truth, but it's approaching. Until then, let's continue waiting."
"You and your cards, so be it. It's not my secret anyway."
Zatanna said as she picked up the cup again and took another sip of tea.
Of course, she still hasn't accepted this, and she will surely continue to insist.
If she hadn't promised not to tell anyone, she would have already told Dio everything.
...
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