This is a story that goes back to a time when the fruits of chaos are still being formed, the cruel fates yet to be revealed.

In another volume of his journey through the Underworld, the “Adam’s Heir” will fight memorable battles and meet people who might have the answers he is looking for.

Origins, convictions, and duties. Everything will be put to the test once more.

Ganeden

The event to be told…

Lied and Xanthus had a conversation about the Adam’s Heir’s lost memories in the park. In the end, the aztec sent the human to Mictlan, and now Xanthus was holding the lad’s lifeless body on his left shoulder. Perhaps just a coincidence, but that was when the silhouette of the second-in-command of the Illuminatus approached them.

“Today’s a beautiful day, don’t you think?” Zechariah greeted him with his typical smug smile and hands behind his back.

“You…” Xanthus said as his eyes peered intently at the male.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost” the Illuminatus member said.

“…Yes, one that I thought I would never see again” the blonde said and turned to face him “But that doesn’t matter. Who is ‘Martyr’?” he finally asked.

“Hm? A member of the new Illuminatus” Zechariah replied.

“What’s your goal?” Xanthus continued his interrogation relentlessly.

“Who knows” the male with long dark hair said cynically.

“Don’t feign ignorance” the young man with blonde hair said.

“Haha, as cheeky as ever! He would have loved this” Zechariah gestured with his right hand and said to him in an ironic tone.

“I ask and you answer. Simple” Xanthus answered back.

“Talking like this is very boring. Please allow me to make one or two comments” Zechariah waved his hands as if asking for the male’s understanding, yet it was obvious from the grimace on his face that he was just teasing him.

Xanthus laid Lied on a park bench, then stared at Zechariah as his fierce, cyan eyes locked on the man.

“If you are not willing to answer, then you can comment on your death” Xanthus threatened him.

“Hah, as if you could beat me…” Zechariah sneered and smiled.

“Want to test me?” the blonde asked a rhetorical question as a gold, brilliant glowing aura surrounded his torso.

“Hehe, right, you’ve ALWAYS been a fan of tests, Xanthus” the black-haired man said and activated his Spirit Mode as a dark prana enveloped him “Come on, let’s have some fun… for old times’ sake!” he exclaimed.

“Don’t call me by my name!” Xanthus shouted.

They charged at each other as both masters of their own spirits. Xanthus made the first move by delivering a powerful punch, which Zechariah skillfully dodged. Then, the Illuminatus member tried to trip him up, but the young man jumped over his foot.

Xanthus swiftly dribbled past his opponent by performing a body feint, and then aimed for the stomach as he found an opening. It was at that moment that a dark hand clutched at him as Xanthus was caught by surprise. Zechariah took the opportunity he himself created to strike him, however, his fist was stopped by a barrier of light.

“Such a beautiful light…”, Zechariah thought.

Xanthus used his ability to make a celestial ladder and ascend to the sky. Zechariah in turn rode a sort of prana-made black carpet that materialized, following him afterwards. They kept on fighting way above the ground, not afraid of attracting attention.

“Shadow and darkness manipulation. Even the Spirit Mode is the same…” the blue-eyed aztec thought during their exchange of blows.

“Then, may I call you by a name that isn’t yours?” Zechariah asked him, feeling amused.

“Shut up!” Xanthus bellowed.

 

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In another part of Ganeden, a crowd of people stopped what they were doing to watch what they thought was an unexpected fireworks display.

“Look mommy, fireworks!!” a beaming little boy said as he pointed his finger at the sky.

“Oh, how beautiful! But at this time…?” the child’s mother said, feeling strange about the situation.

Due to the fact that Xanthus and Zechariah were in their spiritual forms, normal people couldn’t see them and therefore believed that the sparks in the air were fireworks.

 

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None of them yielded to the high intensity combat as they kept pace with each other, battling it out on top of houses and frightening the local residents who thought they were being hit by an earthquake.

“You’ve gotten even stronger in these last few years… as expected of one of the unsung heroes of the Second Spiritual War. In terms of latent potential, I would venture to say that you don’t lose to Adam and Nachash” Zechariah honestly admitted.

“Yeah? And what do you know about Adam and Nachash?” Xanthus questioned him.

“Oh, you have no idea…” the Illuminatus leader’s right-hand man said.

“Spit it out!” the blonde exclaimed.

The fight went on without Xanthus receiving any answers from Zechariah. The blue-eyed aztec channeled prana into his right hand and shot a laser at the enemy, who used his arms to defend himself. Zechariah absorbed the shadows of objects around him and, by combining the Density and Expandability properties, transformed those shadows into spiritual energy. Lastly, Zechariah mimicked his opponent as he focused that prana into his right hand, hurling a shadowy blob at the target. The blonde avoided the attack that brought a tree down instead.

Both fighters descended to the ground, their clash produced wind gusts that dried the lawn which was wet because of the rain. There stood the smiling Zechariah and the grim Xanthus. The blonde-haired male sighed and turned his back on the Illuminatus member.

“Whatever. There’s no point in wasting any more time… with a ghost from the past” Xanthus said, feeling indulgent after understanding that he wouldn’t get anything out of their duel.

“Fair enough — you do need to leave that boy somewhere” Zechariah said as he eyeballed the unconscious Lied on the bench.

“Are you going to get in my way?” the young man asked him in a menacing tone.

“Of course not! My work here is done…” the man said and then his smile vanished “Xanthus, you must have felt it too. Nachash is returning. The ‘Talking Serpent’ wants to finish what he started” he declaimed.

“But we killed him eight years ago…” Xanthus lowered his head and said, looking confused.

“You only destroyed a fragment of his existence. As you have surely noticed, there are more ‘eggs’ whence that one came” Zechariah explained.

“And the organization is helping him?” the blonde-haired male looked at him and asked.

“…Heh” Zechariah immediately cracked a nostalgic smile “’When in doubt, ask your spirit. It shall steer your way towards the answer.’ Isn’t that what Zaccharias used to say?” he said.

“Tch” Xanthus said, visibly troubled.

“We shall meet again…” the Illuminatus member gazed at Lied before continuing “…when the kid learns how to differentiate truths from lies” he said before leaving.

The blonde remained silent in the center of the park for a few seconds. Xanthus turned to the bench where the Adam’s Heir lay, so close yet so far. He wondered if Lied had already met Zaccharias, Xanthus’ great idol and almost the father he never had. Yes, no matter how lost the teenager may feel in the present, with Zaccharias he will have the guidance and support he needs.

“No more victims” Xanthus clenched his fists and said.

 

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Aqua, a few minutes later

At the top of the hill where he had been seen before, a blonde-haired, dark green-eyed lad – who was actually the leader of the Illuminatus – stared into the horizon bearing an unceasing anguish in his heart. A goldfinch cooped up in a reality that seemed incomplete.

Zechariah, whose presence the teenager felt beforehand, appeared at his side bearing news. Nicklaus A. Corum, however, didn’t take his eyes off the fabulous view for a moment.

“Klaus, I met with Xanthus” the male said.

“…How are Core and the others doing?” the leader asked.

“I didn’t hear from anyone” Zechariah replied.

“I see” Nicklaus said.

“Are you worried?” his right-hand man smirked and asked him.

“I want to see him” the blonde ignored his question and said wistfully.

“You mean Lied?” Zechariah said.

Nicklaus activated his Spirit Mode as a dark green aura surrounded his body. He nodded and gripped the cross-shaped black pendant around his neck.

“I’m sure it won’t be long before you see each other again…” the black-haired man said.

[END OF CHAPTER]

[END OF VOLUME 3]