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.

Zaccharias startled both Mare and Lied, especially the latter.

“Huh?” Lied said.

“Zaccharias?” Mare found his attitude strange.

The talking crow created a barrier around Mare. Lied let his guard down as the crow gave him a painful clout on the head that sent him flying backwards.

“What was that for…?!” Lied got angry.

“Didn’t you hear me? We’re going to fight. However, I’ll only use one of my wings.”

The human felt like he was being looked down on and took a step forward.

“Are you sure?” Lied asked.

“Yeah” Zaccharias replied.

“You too, Lied?” Mare gasped in disbelief.

For the teenager it was an opportunity to assess his strength versus a Spirit Mode user with 100% SSL. Furthermore, he was not able to show the extent of his power before.

“If that’s the case, then I won’t hold back!” Lied shouted as he blasted off towards the talking crow wielding the Anima Sancta.

The Adam’s Heir tried to cut its small body surrounded by a black aura, but the crow blocked the attack using just its right wing and then Zaccharias pushed him by simply touching his forehead.

“Are you for real?!” Lied thought as he was forced to move away by his opponent’s extraordinary force.

Lied went back into the fray, nevertheless the talking crow easily managed to read the very same movements that the Animus could not keep up with.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t told you how I died yet” the aztec said while deftly avoiding his attacks “Eight years ago, I fought Nachash and lost.”

“What…?” the human said in a low voice.

“You don’t stand a chance as you are now.”

Lied gripped the Anima Sancta firmly. The young man went at him showing an overwhelming willingness, even though he knew he could not win. The talking crow dodged and gathered his energy to make a wave-shaped body of prana.

“This one is a basic, yet very effective technique if used at the right time.”

The aztec fired the wave at his chest and put an end to the fight. The barrier that protected Mare disappeared. Zaccharias walked up to Lied who was lying conscious on the ground, too tired to retain his Spirit Mode.

“I’m not a doctor, so the wounds will have to heal over time” the crow said as it started to cure him with the Expandability property.

“…I see. Awakening the Spirit Mode was just the starting point” the boy reached a conclusion.

“Exactly. The real training begins now.”

The aztec smiled. The lad felt Zaccharias’ heartwarming aura once again as he returned the smile.

…

In Lied’s soul, the normal version of the red hooded figure watched the events unfold next to the Adam’s Apple. He sensed a tenebrous prana within the soul as he turned around to see the shadow of a person with fiendish dark green eyes.

“…It’s you, Nachash” the normal version said coldly.

The normal version continually suppressed the presence of the Talking Serpent inside Lied, but nonetheless, the snake crawled into a hole formed by the Spirit Mode awakening…

“All great expectations are followed by sadness, those who have much to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous. He may have your soul, but he still has my eyes” the silhouette laughed wickedly and vanished.

The red-haired man clenched his fists as strong emotions welled up. He bit his lips.

“No. I will not let Lied become one of your pawns…!”

…

8th Underworld Level, Upper Block, Administrative Floors, Reincarnation Room

A silver-haired, blue-eyed male in his twenties wearing a ponytail arrived at the Underworld out of the blue, through a secret portal that directly connected Mictlan to Aqua and vice versa. He wore an elegant attire with an eagle badge and carried a sword stored in a scabbard on his waist. This gallant gentleman was sent on a particularly important mission.

“Okay, where do I find the God of Death…?” he wondered.

[END OF CHAPTER]

[ARC “AWAKENING” ENDS]

[END OF VOLUME 2]