Chapter 45: Aura Clash

"Okay," Neo nodded. "Follow the plan."

"A plan?"

Suddenly, the crackled and Morrigan appeared next to them.

"You think your plan, whatever it might be, has a chance to work?"

Arthur reacted.

He fired a small lightning bolt.

Just as it was about to hit, Morrigan disappeared and reappeared at another place.

The other Zeus Clan members revealed themselves.

They surrounded Neo, Arthur, and Nathan.

'They were waiting for us,' Neo thought.

Arthur prepared his next attack.

Before he could do anything, Neo stopped him.

"Let me talk first."

He looked at Morrigan and spoke,

"We are not here to fight. Our friend has been kidnapped by some unscrupulous people. We are searching for him. Have you seen him anywhere?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Why should I tell you?"

"Fair enough."

Neo smiled when she answered back with his words.

Suddenly, Zoe, a member of Zeus Clan, stepped forward.

"Hey!"

Although, she tried to hide it, she looked anxious as if she wanted to prove herself.

"Speak with your heads down! You are talking to the people of Zeus Clan!"

She let her aura slip out.

The air crackled and the pressure descended on Neo and Arthur.

She grinned when she saw Arthur's pale complexion.

Suddenly, an aura, heavier than hers, appeared.

It covered the area like thick blanket.

Zoe felt as if she couldn't breathe.

She stared at Neo, the source of the aura, with wide eyes.

"W-what is that aura?"

The others realized something was wrong.

They thought Neo was stupid to choose Rank 1 token.

However, his dense aura of death shocked everyone.

It was almost tangible.

Arthur and Morrigan, while not bewildered, were still surprised.

The nine Zeus Clan members, except Morrigan, released their auras.

Their combined presence bore down on Neo.

Their expressions turned into an ugly grimace.

Neo, even if only for a moment, could resist them alone.

"You fucking bastard!"

They could not let such a shameful situation be broadcasted to their families and the world.

Their auras turned wild.

The massive presences charged at Neo's aura and tried to subdue it in one go.

Neo's sphere of presence shrunk.

Just as he was about to lose completely, he, for the first time, released his aura of darkness.

Instantly, his aura exploded and the Zeus Clan members' aura was pushed back.

The clash shook the trees and the shockwaves rippled as if a typhoon arrived.

"I'll ask again," Neo said. "Have you seen my friend?"

"Yeah, and we killed him!"

Zoe, unable to bear the defeat, charged.

Her attack was interrupted by Arthur.

"Do it!" He shouted.

Suddenly, the Divine Energy in the air moved.

They noticed Nathan at its source.

"Shadow Snare!"

The Spell required a long time to cast.

It should have been impossible to trigger it in front of the enemy.

However, due to the aura clash with Neo, they unconsciously ignored the weak presence of Nathan.

They were distracted and he successfully trigged the Spell right under their noses.

The shadows below Neo and Morrigan surged.

They climbed up their bodies.

"How about we settle this somewhere else?" Neo asked.

"Fine."

Morrigan didn't interrupt the teleportation.

There was no need to be cautious.

Neo's aura surprised her, but aura and actual strength were not always linked.

Anyone could tell Neo was weak by looking at his bruises and wounds from the battle against Nathan's Shadow Summons.

The two appeared over a tall cliff.

Morrigan scanned the surroundings.

"You should use the traps you've prepared."

"There aren't any."

Neo held his sword and dashed at her.

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Arthur looked at the Zeus Clan members with a vigilant gaze.

He covered Nathan behind himself.

They prepared for battle until Lucas suddenly laughed.

He held his stomach.

"Hahahaha, crazy idiots, did your plan involve splitting us off from Morrigan?

"Did you think you could defeat her if she was alone?"

Since the remaining nine members were not teleported, it was clear Neo and Arthur planned to deal with Morrigan first.

The two probably thought it was better to eliminate the strongest opponent before dealing with others.

The Zeus Clan members stared at Arthur with mockery and pity.

"I will explain it to you in layman terms since you aren't from God Clans."

Lucas smiled.

"The Zeus Clan is divided into three families.

"Montaigne Family, Valemont Family, and Mistraven Family.

"Every family sends four to seven children to academy every year. These children are cream of the crop of their batch.

"But this year was different.

"Morrigan singlehandedly defeated all participants from the Montaigne Family.

"She left her opponents in a miserable state. They couldn't even join the Academy anymore.

"This is why she is the only one from Montaigne Family this year.

"Even all nine of us together aren't her match. There is no way you and your friend can defeat her."

Arthur grimaced when he heard Lucas.

But.

He could do nothing expect believe Neo.

Lightning crackled around Arthur.

"Are you seriously trying to fight us alone?" Lucas scoffed.

"Yes."

Arthur pointed his finger at Lucas and fired a lightning bolt.

The lightning bolt was about to hit Lucas when it changed its path and flew towards Zoe.

Arthur frowned. He lost control of the Spell.

Zoe absorbed the lightning bolt.

She smirked.

"I can eat suck weak lightning easily— Cough! Cough!"

She puked blood.

Her eyes widened in horror when she saw her blood-stained hands.

"Are you stupid?"

Arthur looked down at her.

"Even if you can overpower my lightning, absorbing others' Divine Energy is no different from eating poison."

"Y-you!"

While his words were true, Zoe never encountered a similar situation.

The absorption would harm her only when the opponent was far stronger than her.

…?

The faces of Zeus Clan members hardened.

Zoe, while weakest in the group, could fight against them on equal footing, and sometimes even win.

Her strength was not too far from everyone else.

Before they could react to the horrible realization, Arthur activated another Spell.

"Banshee Scream."

His voice tore through their eardrums and stunted them.

Their vision shook.

The noise of the Spell continued to echo.

They felt the ground spin beneath them.

"Focus! He has disappeared!" Lucas shouted while he pressed his bleeding ears.

He took out the shield and the sword.

No matter where he looked, he couldn't find Arthur.

Invisibility?

It was an advance technique of Air Element.

'Lightning, Sound, Air.'

'He can use three elements?'

'How!? There is no way he is a no name demigod!'

Lucas commanded.

"Use your senses to search for Divine Energy activation. He will sneak attack anytime—"

"Argh!"

Zoe screamed.

She held her bleeding torso.

Lucas ran to her and checked her injuries.

"A physical wound…?"

Judging from the size, it was made with a dagger.

"Hiding and attacking. This isn't how a mage fights."

Lucas felt his common-sense being challenged.

Why could Arthur, an assassin, use three elements perfectly?

He was curious, afraid, and bewildered.

While he wasted his time dazed, another member was attacked.

But.

Just when Arthur cut Harrison's tendons, he received a sword slash to his chest.

"I've got him!"

Harrison shouted.

Arthur jumped back with a pained face.

The blood dripping from his wound revealed his location.

It made his invisibility useless.

'I took two of them out in a surprise attack. It's good enough.'

He cancelled the invisibility Spell and used a lightning flare Spell.

The flash blinded the group.

Lucas didn't make the previous mistake.

He didn't wait.

Closing his eyes, he rushed towards Arthur and attacked.

He couldn't let Arthur take the initiative.

Their swords clashed and a shockwave….

Sword?

Arthur had a sword?

Lucas opened his eyes as soon as he could see again.

"Dammit!"

A Shadow Knight stood in front of him.

Arthur had, somehow, disappeared.