CHAPTER 2

Seeing Matrix fall, Phantom surged forward, intent on joining the fray.

Retreat!

The command flashed through Matrix's mind, a desperate attempt to establish a mental link. It was too late.

Ki'isan Teminese•

Moyin intoned, her voice echoing like a cacophony of a thousand whispers. The realm seemed to warp as a beam of dark light erupted from the pendant, approaching the speed of light.

Phantom's eyes widened in horror. Years of experience allowed him to deflect the beam with his arm, which subsequently disintegrated from the force. He wanted to obey Matrix's command to retreat, but his trust in the god's judgment compelled him onward toward the sinister goddess.

Before Scarlet Dust could prepare another attack, something struck her like a siege ram, sending her careening through the air. A portal materialized before Phantom, whisking him away.

Matrix knew Phantom couldn't do much in this battle injured; removing him from the field was the best choice.

Springing to his feet, Matrix quickly scanned the distant demigods locked in combat. Demigods had "god" in their name, after all, and their powers were undeniably terrifying.

Unsurprisingly, they were locked in a stalemate, a balance maintained only because Matrix had yet to issue a kill order.

At that moment, the battle felt pointless.

Moyin was uncooperative, even seemingly enjoying the torment, like a damned masochist. Her tactics were commendable, unlike anything he had faced in recent years, but ultimately, they were only a frustrating distraction.

He longed to plunge his god-slaying blade into her spine and end it all, but he knew better. A secret bound them, making her far more valuable alive than dead.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and Matrix made his decision.

Fine, I'll cripple her and send her back to Oblivion. See how she escapes this time.

He raised his palm. Particles adrift in the ineffable universe swirled around it, creating a central void that housed a myriad of unknown, powerful phenomena he called Barryons. The energy condensed, flowing into his arm, giving it a dark, glossy luster, like obsidian.

His arm suddenly felt heavy.

Barryons were the cornerstone of Matrix's power, what ran through his veins and his very soul—the power bestowed upon him by his father.

Let's get this over with.

Moyin, just regaining her feet, felt a vice-like grip close around her neck. The next moment, she was soaring through the sky at a neck-breaking speed.

With a grunt, Matrix leaped after her, eliciting a shockwave that shuddered through the ground. The terrain was vulnerable and unstable, but his power granted him unparalleled leverage in the air.

Matrix rained blows upon Moyin, creating explosions akin to a nuclear chain reaction, the air igniting with each massive impact. A powerful bolt of lightning tore across the sky, momentarily illuminating a portion of the Anchor Realm.

Far away, on a snowy peak, a pair of silver eyes opened.

Scarlet Dust landed in a heap of shattered bones, a smile playing on her lips as she gazed at the sky, now blotted out by swirling energy.

"Damn, this one hurt," she winced.

But the pain was more than worth it; it had attuned her to the pendant.

So that weird bastard wasn't lying.

She thought, as the pendant's power surged into her, healing her at an astonishing rate.

Matrix landed beside her, but the dark billows of energy swirling around her obscured her form.

"Disengage… but stay close,"

he mind-commanded his generals, suspicion etched across his face.

YS and Frenzy stood frozen, staring at Moyin's assistants—or perhaps they were friends? They, too, seemed lost, unsure how to proceed. Their leader lay momentarily unconscious, and they dared not approach to check on her, paralyzed by the fear of provoking Matrix's wrath. All they could do was stand and wait.

From the moment Moyin had challenged him, Matrix harbored suspicions. The rational course for someone freshly escaped from confinement would be to lie low, to plan revenge in secret. This sudden confrontation felt staged, far too convenient.

What's more, he had noticed a dark glee flickering across her face each time he struck her. He'd initially dismissed it as a consequence of staying in Oblivion for far too long, a sign that confinement had broken her mind.

Now, he realized she had been deliberately holding back. The more he assaulted her, the more power she seemed to absorb. That method of channeling energy resonated deeply within him; it was frighteningly similar to the way he activated his god-slaying blade.

The conclusion hit him with the force of a physical blow.

It has something to do with that damned, stolen pendant. I have to retrieve it immediately, even if it means severing her head from her shoulders.

Matrix was about to brave the tenebrous cloud when a pristine light flooded the area. It was the Angel of Order...and her incorporeal army.

Se'mudara*.