Just as Atlas had expected, Ramiun agreed. His life was on the line, so for now, he needed to protect himself at any cost.
He had already decided that he was going to take Atlas out after being free, along with getting the key Fragment back. For now, he believed he had underestimated Atlas, not realizing that the guy could also teleport somehow. Next time, he reminded himself that he wasn't going to make that mistake.
For now, he just needed to free himself from Atlas' grasp. Everything else could come later.
"That's good. Take out the Fragment and place it on the ground. After we have a deal, I will free you."
"How can I trust you?"
"How can you not?" Atlas asked. "I only want to get some benefits later. And as you said, I can't get more fragments without your help, so it's better to work with you. I just need to see your sincerity for now. Let me hold onto the first fragment."
Instead of forcing him and making him take some drastic steps, it was better to lure him to give up the fragment himself. That was the best and the safest option for now. Everything else could come later.
"I keep it inside my castle. Take me there. I'll let you keep it." Ramiun agreed, asking Atlas to let him go to the castle.
Atlas didn't think much and agreed. In any case, this man's heart and his life were within his grasp.
Atlas cast a flight spell on them and flew up, still having his hand inside Ramiun's chest like Ramiun was a puppet.
He went back to the caste, expecting a battle to be taking place nearby, but there was no battle. It looked as if the battle had shifted to another place. The entire street before the castle was completely empty, which made it easier for Atlas to get inside.
Ramiun was so frustrated for being at the mercy of Atlas, all because he underestimated the guy, but he couldn't do anything for now. Until he freed himself, he had no choice, and he didn't want to take any risk. He knew that if he tried anything Atlas might crush his heart in fear which was very bad for him.
He led Atlas to a chamber that was very close to his bedroom. Bringing out a key from his pocket, he unlocked the door.
"The fragment is inside." He pushed the door open and pointed at a small box in the distance. "You can take it."
"You open it." Atlas was quite careful not to fall into any trap. He entered the room but didn't open the small box. He let Ramiun open the box.
"Are you scared?" Ramiun asked as if provoking Atlas.
Atlas didn't fall for the provocation and stuck with his initial command. "Open the box."
"Fine!" Ramiun himself opened the box, revealing a beautiful key fragment inside the box.
Finally, after making sure that it was indeed the key fragment, Atlas picked up the small orb. It was the right one! It was the last fragment he was looking for, and now that he had it, he completed his set. He now had all he needed.
"Now release me. I did as you asked. I showed my trust to you; now it's your turn to show your trust since we'll be working together."
"Oh, about that part." Atlas smiled wryly. "How can I forget my promise? Let me free you right now."
Unfortunately, Atlas' words were meant in a different context. The definition of freedom that he used now was much different than what Ramiun thought. Now that he had the key Fragment, he didn't need Ramiun anymore.
Instead of releasing Ramiun, Atlas pulled out his heart, still holding Ramiun's heart. He ripped out Ramiun's heart before crushing it firmly.
He tossed the crushed heart away. As soon as his heart was pulled out, Ramiun felt like his soul was crushed. He lost all control of his body, which became so weak that he couldn't even move.
He even struggled to speak, but no words came out.
Atlas still didn't leave Ramiun as he didn't want to risk anything. He stabbed his sharp fangs inside Ramiun's neck and started feasting on him.
Only when Ramiun finally lost his life Atlas freed him. He tossed Ramiun's body aside, which felt limp on the ground.
Atlas gazed at fragments. The last one, and it was in his hands now. He had completed his search. Now he had everything that he needed to attempt what he wanted.
He was just one step away from his goals, and now he didn't need to fight anyone to get to that goal. He didn't need to look for anyone. All he needed was to go to his village, where he had buried his sister.
After keeping that Fragment securely, Atlas left the room and the Castle.
He stepped back on the street, still able to hear some battle noises. He located the direction where the sound was coming from and flew in that direction.
He landed near the battlefield, from where he had a clear view of the battle. Just as he expected, with Lilith's help, Vor was having an even easier time. More than half the Blood Lords were dead already, leaving only a few who didn't look to be in good condition.
Some of them were even trying to escape, only to be stopped by Luna.
Still, one Blood Lord did manage to escape. It was the oldest Blood Lord who thought that there was no chance of victory here. He ran away, sneakily leaving the place.
Atlas noticed the old man leaving, who was the leader of the Blood Council. Atlas didn't want to leave a person who could create trouble for him in the future. Instead of observing the battle, he went after the old man.
****
Within five minutes, the battle was over. Lilith observed all the dead Blood Lords, making sure none was alive. In another place, Vor stood still, looking at Lancaster. He wanted to approach him, but he didn't know how to. He wasn't even sure if he still could talk to Lancaster.