Spirit and body become one.

A miraculous phenomenon, the manifestation of a person’s inner strength.

Such union grants an extraordinary power, one that knows no bounds: the Spirit Mode.

Underworld Level -2, Restricted Block

Lied, Zaccharias and Mare descended into the depths of the Underworld, an area forbidden even to the guards themselves. It did not take long for danger to knock at their door.

“Looks like we have company” the talking crow said while feeling something lurking in the shadows.

The crow immediately created a barrier around Mare and left Lied to fend for himself as the “company” flew towards him at supersonic speed.

“W-What…?!” the wide-eyed human thought as a large claw grabbed him by the neck.

“Lied!” Mare shouted.

“You couldn’t wait for us” the very composed Zaccharias adjusted his hat.

This critter that Yamir and Naomi called “dweller of death” was tall, extremely thin and had a warped face. The monster turned its head to look straight at the talking crow, the one holding a huge prana which it followed to Level -2.

“You know what it is, Zaccharias?!” Mare asked him.

“’Animus’, the argus-eyed watchdogs of the Restricted Block” the crow said.

Lied was trapped against the wall by the critter. His new clothes were not damaged in any way due to the fact that they were manufactured with the property Plasticity, giving them greater durability. Lied took advantage of the Animus’ distraction to scoot away.

“I couldn’t feel his presence! And such raw brutal strength… what the hell is this thing?” Lied thought.

The Animus suddenly let out a roar that echoed off the thick walls as Lied covered his ears. Zaccharias and Mare did not hear it because they were inside the barrier.

“I’ll let him handle this” the talking crow said.

“Can Lied defeat it without the Spirit Mode?” Mare asked.

The crow became profoundly serious whilst a deep silence reigned there.

“…Of course not.”

“Then why?”

“For the same reason that I asked him to go through the trials even though I wasn’t absolutely sure he would be able to pass them. The only option was to trust his resilience.”

“What if…”

“I won’t let Lied die. However, I will not allow him to go any further, for his own good.”

Both aztecs fixed their eyes on the human.

“This is your last chance, Lied!” Zaccharias thought to himself.

Lied swallowed his saliva as he stared at the Animus. He was aware that there was a huge power gap between the two. Unlike in his previous battles, the odds were against him this time. The boy trembled convulsively with fear before the beast.

“I’m scared?” Lied thought.

The Animus used Sensitivity on him just like Lied did with the jaguars, a sign that the roles have been reversed. The teenager girded his loins and adopted a fighting stance.

“This funny feeling… right, give everything I have and, in the end, defy all expectations… isn’t that how it should be? The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning!” Lied smiled as he was itching to fight.

[END OF CHAPTER]