Argus and Azzy slowly rose in the air, intending to have a second round of battle. The former was sure that he wouldn't be captured in that prison again, and the latter intended to test the full potential of Jupiter's form.
Qridus was also out of his meditation, but he was also calmly spectating the scene alongside his master and the divine cow, Io.
The reason?
Not because he is insensitive to the results of this battle or against Azzy.
It is because of the wager placed by Argus himself.
Azzy and Argus fight for ten minutes. If Azzy manages to strike Argus even once in his Deity mode, the latter would not only admit defeat but give away his weapon. But if Argus wins, Azzy will replace Qridus as the guard for the next ten years. In the meantime, Qridus will temporarily manage the clan as he wishes.
So, whether he wins or loses, the clan's immediate future is secured, except that his freedom is at stake here.
Then, why should he take this nonsensical wager?
Well, Azzy was dead confident about winning. No, the Reaper was one hundred percent confident in winning this challenge. Unlike usual, Jupiter's transformation can be controlled by both of them at the same time, according to the Reaper.
Brimming with confidence, Azzy charged forward at his peak speed.
In an instant, he covered their gap and threw out a punch. Argus swung down the sword at a faster speed and he seemed like he was about to strike Azzy's shoulder, but then, Azzy's figure turned out to be a mirage and his sword passed through him while Azzy's kick appeared behind him.
Argus, with his reflexes, flew to the side and evaded the kick. But, Azzy didn't stop it.
He started throwing punches and kicks while Argus was swinging down his broadsword. Both of them are evading each other attacks and trying to strike down their opponent at the same time without launching any big attacks.
Since neither has any enmity, atleast at the moment, with the other and both of them surprisingly have the same goal, i.e., proving their superiority over one another and not accidentally destroying the surroundings, they keep their battle simple.
One minute, two minutes, five minutes, seven minutes, and eventually, the battle entered the ninth minute with no signs of Azzy dominating the battle. Azzy himself also started to get worried about his potential loss as the Reaper refused to get involved but encouraged Azzy to do better, maintaining his stance that he would help him out at the last second.
Azzy's concentration was at its highest, and his punches were getting faster as seconds passed by, forcing Argus to eventually go on the defensive and evade them instead. Of course, he was also prepared for any unexpected ambush with lightning attacks.
But, before he blinked his eyes, something struck him on the chest and he blasted away, crashing into the sea.
"Argus..." The divine cow beast, Io, panicked in worry.
Qridus was stunned for a moment as Azzy appeared in Argus' original place. Devorah's smile widened, and she gave a nod of approval, "Although incomplete, he managed to bring out the ultimate form, the Titan."
For a while, Argus didn't resurface and Azzy went on diving into the sea, bringing an unconscious hundred-eyed giant to the island over his shoulder while carrying the broadsword.
Leaving the giant broadsword on the ground, Azzy bowed to his ancestor, "Lady Devorah, before I invite you to our clan, there is something I would like to do for you."
"Seal of Gluttony, unleash."
A few days later;
Azzy stood at the exit of the clan village, with his family members, clan lords, pavilion masters, and many other people standing in front of him. Affea was seen asleep, with a trace of tears on her face. Vesyrn was carrying her.
Summoning the sword of radiance into his hands, Azzy bid his farewell to the ones who came to send off him, "I don't know how long it takes for me to return, but I'll try my best to return as quickly as possible. Until then, hang in there."
"Dad, I leave the clan in your hands."
"And Mom, I leave Dad and Affy in your hands."
"Goodbye..."
As he bid farewell and the gates of the clan village were closed, Azzy let out a deep sigh, taking a glance at the sword, "Alright. Let's do this."
He motioned the sword to the sky as if he was piercing it, shouting, "Lux Aeternum, let's go."
A beam of light was shot into the sky, which descended back onto Azzy, enveloping him before he disappeared from the place.
As his eyes recovered the sight, Azzy found himself standing on one of the empty floating islands of a planet filled with nothing but water. Watching at the vast endless ocean, Azzy mumbled in surprise, "Where in the world am I?"
The sword in his hand then brightly glowed as it spoke, "Welcome to the world of Aquilonis."