44 CHAPTER 44: UNUSUAL BATTLE (1/2)

Meanwhile, back at Ru's situation. Ru was still manipulating her plush doll using her enchanted magical powers to support Zeran on his idea by making lots of food. Though, Mai was looking nearly furious of Ru's non-chalant humming and expression, even though they were already in a serious situation. Soon enough, Mai said to Ru, while Mai was controlling her boiling anger,

”So, how did it go? Did he had an idea?”.

Ru replies,

”Hmmm...all I could say is that he kinda found an idea but, I wonder why he'd tell me to cook lots of food...”.

As soon as Mai heard Ru's funny statement, Mai couldn't believe on what she had heard, making her to bash the steel bars of the cage, filled with rising anger. Then, Mai said,

”What is he even thinking!”

”He 's going to a picnic?!”.

Ru was astonished over Mai's fury. There was an awkward silence in the air afterwards. Arseia just sighed over Mai's scandal. Sooner or later, Ru tried to break the ice by replying back,

”Hmmmm...I don't know but, I'm sure he's up to something using these food I'm making...”.

Arseia overheard Ru's words, making Arseia to space out on her thoughts,

(”Food huh...”).

Then, Arseia said,

”Food...thanks for reminding me, Ru and Mai...”

Mai didn't utter out any other word although, she just controlled her anger. As for Ru, she said and suggested like she was a shy teenage girl to Arseia for some reason,

”Uuuum...I can whip out a nice roasted meat right now, using that magical portable kitchen, lady Arseia...”.

Arseia gulped and looked eager, as she heard Ru's interesting words about food. Thereon, Mai was convinced in her thoughts, especially about Zeran's relation with his mother,

(”Now I know where Zen got his huge appetite from...”).

After sometime, Nassus came back. Thereupon, he witnessed that the captive Goddesses inside the huge birdcage were eating roasted baby back ribs with delight on their faces. The way of eating the said food would appear to be messy in most cases but, the three Goddesses were looking very neat and sophisticated upon eating the scrumptious and juicy looking ribs roasted into perfection, since they were having ceramic plates and proper utensils, thanks to Ru's weird magical powers inclined with convenience and food. The three of them looked-like they were graceful ladies of class, dining in a five star restaurant, even though they were sitting in a freestyle position without any signs of chairs. Nassus didn't looked happy as he saw them, turning him to be in his thoughts,

(”I never thought that these Goddesses are acting like this in the midst of a crisis...”)

(”They're truly...disappointing...”).

Then, Nassus tells to them,

”You all disappoint me...”.

Suddenly, Zeran emerged from the huge door engraved with mystical runes, in which Zeran proved his grand entrance and intense presence with a loud bang. Then, he exclaims very confidently, pointing at Nassus,

”The only disappointment you'll see here, is you...Nassus!”.

The atmosphere was starting to swirl in searing heat once again, as the two heroes eyes' collided with each other. Nassus just huffed and looked at Zeran with a cold stare. Then, Nassus said,

”So you've come...to claim your death wish...”.

Zeran replies,

”Nahhh...I just came here to have a nice PICNIC DUEL with you...”.

Mai comments,

”I knew it...”.

His attention was caught by the birdcage. Thereon, he noticed that the three Goddesses were eating baby back ribs dipped in succulent sauce. He waved to them and said in a joyful manner,

”Oh hey Mai, mom and my dear Ru”.

As Ru heard Zeran's greeting, her ears twitched in great excitement. Ru had stopped eating her meal and waved back aided with her endearing voice that would please any man's ears,

”Ara ara♪”

”Hi Zera...don't worry about us, just do what you can♪”.

As Zeran heard Ru's humming voice, he shut his eyes for a moment. He grinned a relieving smile such as if he had heard the voice of an angel. Then, he says in his thoughts with his boosted motivation,

(”Music to my ears...”).

A little while later, he opened his eyes and took a direct look of a tiger at Nassus. Not only that, Zeran wrought out his arm with his divine golden claw. He sighed and said, as if he was taunting Nassus,

”Now then...let's begin shall we...”.

Nassus replies,

”Agreed...”.

Nassus went near the huge birdcage. Then, he casts out, while he was holding out his hand on its steel bars.

”ULTIMA BARRIER...”.

As the magical spell was casted, a huge hexagonal blue barrier had encroached around the cage, turning the three Goddesses visions to be blocked by some sort of forcefield that would to be more appropriate in a sci-fi world, rather than a fantasy one. It seemed Nassus doesn't want them to see his fight against Zeran for some deep reason. Sooner or later, Nassus brought out and wielded his seeped in abyss claw. Thereupon, the both of them said in high spirits and energy,

”LET THE GRAND HEROES DUEL BEGIN!”.

Then, Nassus casts out,

”BLADE MEMORIA...”

”LI-JU!”.

Afterwards, a huge blade tinged in great radiance of pure white emerged from Nassus's other vacant hand. The blade looked-like it was molded from a crystal with different sharp edges on each side, turning it to look-like a sharp piercing razor blade. Though, at the end of its sharp narrow tip, it was leaking out droplets of liquid crystals, such as the blade was letting out her own tears for Nassus. As Zeran saw Nassus's enchanted weapon, he was stranged such as he was seeing Otorine crying for Nassus, although he didn't mind it that much and Zeran responded by casting out his own,

”BLADE MEMORIA!”

”DA REAZ!”.

Thereupon, Zeran was now wielding his own brand of Blade Memoria, although its form was very different from Nassus's magical weaponry. Zeran's Blade Memoria looked like it was a combination of a whip and a blade slathered in all deep black, in which the razor blade looked-like it was a snake blade accesorized by a few amethyst gemstones per segment. Thereon, the whole form oozed out the form of a mysterious serpent, revering the manifestation of his dark Goddess Ru. Not only that, he was feeling Ru's spirit supporting his fight, boosting his confidence even more. The air became frozen in silence but, the sheer burning eyes of the dueling heroes for bloodshed made the whole place to be very intense, as they were about to commence their battle using their said Blade Memorias infused by their feelings for their own Goddesses. Zeran didn't let out the first strike but, he was anticipating Nassus's movements. After sometime, Nassus went unto the offensive and startled the battle by swinging his weapon from above unto Zeran firsthand. Though, Zeran already expected that kind of attempt, so he just parried it with his blade that suddenly stiffened itself to become a solid blade. Their eyes met as their blades were grazing into the sparks of hellfire. Nassus noticed that Zeran had became more formidabble, so Nassus had leapt back for a few distances and started to talk,

”So you'd be one of the puppets of that da*ned demonic God in another world then?”.

Zeran replies with an awkward smirk of a sarcastic menace,

”Hah? Puppet? Demonic God?”

”Err...nah...I just want to free those Goddesses I hold dear to me...”

”I don't care about those other Gods and Goddesses...”.

He pointed his blade at the distant Nassus and said his rebuttal,

”And what about you? What's with you in ENSLAVING these poor Goddesses?”.

”I'm sure it's much more than, pleasure...”.

Though, Nassus's response was a powerful smash on the ground with his acheing blade. Thereon, white rocky pillars protruded from the crystal white ground in an orderly line producing a wall of earthen white material that was directed unto Zeran. Though, Zeran dashed to the right, making him to dodge the lethal strike in the nick of time. Nassus removed his humongous crystal blade stuck to the ground like it was mere needle punctured from the cushion. Then, Nassus responds to the previous question with his sudden shout,

”IT'S BECAUSE...”

”I WANT TO FREE THAT ONE AND ONLY GODDESS FROM THAT DEMONIC GOD'S CLUTCHES...”

”THAT'S WHY, I AM ENSLAVING THE OTHER GODDESSES IN ORDER TO CRUSH HIM, BY UTILIZING THEM!”

”No matter what it takes...”.

As Zeran heard Nassus's deep and desperate words, Zeran was in his own thoughts suddenly,

(”Wow...he's even more ambitious than Fae and Angehime...”)

(”But...to think...his reasons are kinda FAIRLY noble...”)

(”I wonder who's this GODDESS he wanted to save...”)

(”She must've been worthier than Goddess Otorine then...”)

Afterwards, Zeran compliments Nassus,

”Ummm...noble ideals I see?”

”And what about...”.

Nassus already expected Zeran's next words would be, so Nassus replies in a snap,

”Yes...Angehime also wants this change to happen...”

”She chose this by her own will...She shall support me upon my ideals...”

”I don't know what she'll benefit from this though...”.

Though, Zeran wasn't pointing Nassus's relationship on Ange for some reason, instead he continued to tell his real statement regarding another matter, that would pique interest in a sublime way,

No I mean, YOUR relationship with Goddess Otorine...”.

The atmosphere became awkward and the grave deafening mute of death seeped through the air, as Nassus didn't respond. He just squinted his eyes, such as he doesn't want to talk about that sensitive topic. It looked-like Nassus was open for opportunities, although Zeran felt tense and he just gulped, since he must've pushed Nassus's switch for some reason. Sooner or later, Nassus gritted his teeth in rising furiousness, although he dropped a sudden tear from his agonized face. Soon, Nassus jumped high into the ceiling. Then, he crashed down on Zeran, using his mighty blade. In turn, Zeran did a nice backflip to dodge Nassus's lethal strike. Thereon, Nassus had only made a severe crack on the floor that rumbled the whole place such as an earthquake had occurred. Afterwards, Zeran tossed out the temporal sealing spheres that he had amassed from Celestia heavens and the ones his mother Goddess gave to him recently. Then, he says with an insulting smile,

”I'll just let out these babies out if you would...”.

As those were near Nassus's range, they exploded and let out a powerful flash of blinding light, making Nassus to block the bursting radiance with his mystical blade. The light that was let loose was comparable to the intensity of a real flash bomb in a modern world. Later on, Zeran saw in his non-intrusive cyber vision the text saying,

[”Succesful ?...??? Sealed abilities of HERO Nassus...”].

As he saw that funny information, he was kinda infuriated in his thoughts,

(”So I can't see which of them are sealed...no matter...”).