The space shook with a single snap of Yunia's fingers, forming a shell-shaped suppression barrier to contain the destructive shockwave.
Sandstorm cyclones, crimson aura spirals, black aura spirals, and icy particles swirled together into one enormous storm.
"What terrifying power. Is this Enatur's true strength?" Shadow asked.
"I do not know. We also do not know whether Enatur is the one controlling this terrifying power, or if the Soul Core Curse is controlling him instead," Yunia answered, her eyes trembling.
"Controlled by the Soul Core Curse? What does that mean, Mom?" Lucifer asked.
Yunia did not answer him. Her eyes stayed locked on Enatur.
Small cracks began to form on Avorius's artificial giant palm, spreading wider and wider. The enormous palm shattered into countless fragments.
"Gah!" Avorius was pushed back several meters.
Icy Crimson Fist Darkness launched toward Avorius once again. He only then realized how close the blow was.
The icy fist slammed into him, forcing him backward. His outer skin ripped open, as if being peeled alive. Avorius's body was sent flying, crashing into the ground.
Muscles, tendons, and tissue were exposed. Internal organs scattered around him, and blood soaked the ground. Dark Enatur sprinted forward at terrifying speed, still consumed by rage.
Dark Enatur stood over Avorius's body and brought his fists down on his face repeatedly. Blood splattered everywhere, cracks formed on Avorius's skull, and pieces of brain matter burst out onto the ground.
His breathing was heavy, with hot steam escaping from his mouth. He lifted his hand, staring at his palm drenched in blood.
His pitch-black skin slowly shrank back to normal, reverting to his original skin. The black marks pulled back into the Soul Core symbol on his abdomen. Enatur lost balance and collapsed onto the ground.
Yunia and the others approached him. She lifted Enatur's head, holding it on her shoulder.
Lucifer's eyes fell on Avorius's corpse. "What a brutal battle."
Gabriel crossed her arms. "This man deserved it, even if that body was only a replica," she replied casually.
Shadow flinched. "Replica body?" He stared at Avorius's remains.
Avorius's corpse turned into red sand particles, scattered away by the cold wind and fading into the air.
"I cannot believe it," Shadow muttered, clenching his fists.
"That is how The Divine initiate interactions," Yunia said. "You must prove your strength first before you are allowed to speak with them."
Gabriel nodded. "They are gods on a level completely different from ordinary gods."
"Save that discussion for later. Shadow, carry him. We are going home," Yunia ordered.
"Understood." Shadow lifted Enatur's body.
Yunia opened a dimensional portal, and they all stepped inside, leaving the desert in its natural silence. The portal closed.
---
On the peak of a towering mountain, the cold wind howled through the silence. A man was meditating at the summit. It was the real body of Avorius.
Avorius slowly opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. He rolled his head and stretched his stiff neck.
His hand stroked his short beard. "Enatur Vermillion, huh? No wonder Father is so interested in him. Naturally, he is his grandson, and my nephew."
A woman teleported behind Avorius. It was Karen. She walked toward him, and his gaze shifted to her.
Karen folded her arms. "I warned you," she said with a sigh. "But you are still reckless. That is your own fault."
Avorius let out a small laugh. "Hahaha… you are right. This is my fault." He stood up and stretched his muscles. "But I was very impressed by that battle."
Karen nodded. "I watched it on the screen as well. You were not allowed even a moment to adjust your attack rhythm. Instead, you ended up trapped inside his rhythm."
"You are right. I do not know how Father and Mother will react after seeing his battle," Avorius said. "Karen, that last thing… what was it?"
Karen exhaled softly. "Enatur is afflicted by the Soul Core Curse. But I am not sure what triggered that transformation. Most likely, it was the beginning of his attempt to control the curse."
Avorius said nothing. His eyes trembled, and he rubbed his chin with his fingers.
"Let me warn you again, Avorius. It would be better if you do not provoke Yunia. Even though she is your older sister, she does not consider you her brother. If you push her further, you will end up regretting it after you are the one who made her go berserk."
Avorius remained silent, gazing up at the sky, ending the conversation.
---
Night had fallen. The sky was filled with stars, with only a few vehicles passing by and only a few citizens still active.
Inside the mansion, Hera, Earth, Marina, Carl, Gabriel, and Marissa were sitting in the lounge.
Enatur was in his room with Yunia and Shadow. Chloe was examining Enatur's physical condition. Yunia had already explained everything that happened to him.
Chloe studied the form of the Soul Core Curse symbol on Enatur's abdomen. She flipped through the pages of her book, making sure the shape matched the symptoms.
Chloe exhaled. "Found it."
"Then, what is happening to him?" Yunia asked eagerly.
"The symbol that looks like a sharp number six is exactly the same as in the book. But the one on his abdomen has short branching lines on each side, like roots."
"Does that mean this symbol is not in the book?" Shadow asked.
"That is correct. In other words, this curse is not complete. The dark spirit of your uncle, Enatur's transformation, the mistake in the ritual, caused the Soul Core inside his body to become unstable."
"The real problem is the Soul Binding Chains that are shackling both of their spiritual souls. To remove that technique, your son's spiritual soul must be restored first."
Yunia stood up. "We already obtained the medicinal ingredients. We only need to create it."
"In that case, there will be no problem for the second stage. The next stages each have different levels of difficulty, especially when it comes to the ingredients," Chloe said.
"For that, you must prepare a new physical body for me. After the second stage is completed, we will search for a method to restore the spiritual body of Uncle Marrec. You must help me if you want your son to survive," she continued.
"That is not a problem. For me, it is like killing two birds with one stone."
"Then, let us talk about my request," Chloe said.
Chloe's expression shifted into something extremely serious. Her sharp gaze was so intense it made Yunia's blood turn cold.
"My request is… you must help me fight the Fallen Angel Alliance and reclaim the Heaven of Darkness."
"That is all?"
"I thought that was enough. I am not interested in troubling you more than this, especially since you have a child who still needs your protection. Besides, you must also want to revive Uncle Marrec, your mentor."
Yunia felt relieved that Chloe's presence gave her hope.
Yunia extended her hand. "Alright, so we have a deal?"
Chloe took Yunia's hand and nodded. "Yes, we have a deal."
Shadow let out a long breath. His eyes rested on Enatur with a look full of hope for his recovery.
Yunia and Chloe were still shaking hands. They smiled, yet a frightening aura wrapped around them.
"I just did not expect that the last face I ever wanted to see would be right in front of me," Chloe said while smiling sarcastically, covering her mouth with her fingers.
"Oh please, what do you mean, Chloe? You think I want to see your ugly face and that washboard chest of yours?" Yunia replied with a smug grin.
Shadow sensed danger and ran to the lounge.
"Your face is starting to look like a wrinkled old grandma, Yunia."
"And your hair looks like the granny hair of a nursing home ghost, Chloe."
Veins bulged on their faces as they pressed their foreheads against each other.
"Who are you calling a wrinkled old grandma, HUH?!" Yunia yelled furiously.
"And who are you calling granny hair, HUH?!" Chloe shouted back.
Yunia and Chloe began fighting like children.
Hera and Shadow rushed into Enatur's room and caught Yunia and Chloe brawling. Hera immediately smacked both their heads, causing huge lumps to appear. Both of them kneeled in front of Hera.
"Unbelievable. At your age, you are still fighting like children. Do you not have serious matters to discuss?" she said with irritation.
"Yes, I am sorry!" both replied at the same time.
"So, what are the results?" Hera asked.
"My focus is to restore his spiritual soul. After it recovers, then I will repair his spiritual body. As for the Soul Binding Technique, I will need an expert from the Grim Reaper to help me break the binding," Chloe said.
"That is not a problem. I will summon an expert from the Grim Reaper." Yunia then shifted her tone. "Chloe, what if I create a new physical body for you?"
"That is fine. The sooner the better."
"Alright. We will wait for Nightya to return. She is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning. I will message her."
"Then, let us inform the others. They have been waiting," Hera said.
"Alright, let us end the discussion for now. A little relaxation is necessary," Chloe replied.
---
Merly City, Wildfield Federation. Many buildings were destroyed, and thick smoke covered the air in several locations. Soldiers were busy collecting the bodies of fallen officers. The soldiers who survived were filled with grief for their comrades.
Inside the medical tent, a female doctor had just finished performing surgery on a gunshot survivor. She stepped out of the tent.
"It is the last day, but for some reason it feels heavier than usual."
As she removed her helmet shield, long wavy jet-black hair flowed beautifully in the wind. Her black eyes were mesmerizing. Her bronze golden skin looked stunning under the sunlight.
Her name was Nightya, the Goddess of the Night, Enatur's fifth sister.
Beep… beep.
Her phone bracelet rang. It was a message from Yunia, her mother.
"After your mission is completed, come home immediately, sweetheart. I need your help to create a new body for Chloe."
"Huh? So Goddess Chloe is still alive? Then that means…"
Nightya exhaled in relief, filled with happiness after hearing Yunia's good news.
"The fatigue I felt earlier just disappeared instantly. Thank goodness… Enatur."
"Today I will return. Tomorrow morning, I will definitely arrive home."
Nightya replied to Yunia's message.