Zatiel flew calmly through Wasteland with the small Neo-Demon boy on his hand. He had already made sure that there was no problem with the child's condition, he was just sedated with a potion.
It would have been easy to clean his system and wake him up, but Zatiel chose to let him sleep, as it will be better for the child if he doesn't remember what has just happened.
According to Dante's records, the child's name is Junter and he lives in the core of the City of the Sun, like many other Neo-Demons. There was nothing that distinguishes him too much from the rest of the children, besides the fact he was born with a Rank 4 bloodline.
But even that was not significant since there is a growing percentage of the child being born with their Metallic Dragon bloodline at a high-level thanks to their parents' constant use of atavism.
There are at least thirty Neo-Demon that have been born with a Rank 4 bloodline in the past few years and hundreds with a Rank 3 bloodline.
Despite the great number and the fact they can roam freely through the center of the city, it doesn't mean that they are not highly protected.
Just like any other member of the Daybreak Clan, he has a Sun Tadpole on his hand that establishes a link with the Elder Brain.
That, plus the constant surveillance by the tower should make any attempt of kidnapping impossible, and yet he was taken.
The City of the Sun has dozen and sometimes even hundreds of Magi entering and exiting at all times for commercial purposes. But they are only able to move in approved routes and are constantly watched, especially if they are Rank 2 and 3 life forms.
But these people were able to trick the tower scanner and Dante's view of the city through the Sun Tadpoles.
They infiltrated in the core area and somehow managed to take the Neo-Demon child and leave a perfect copy of him in his place, with even the connection between the Sun Tadpole and the Elder Brain being hijacked.
When Dante's analyzed the condition of the members of the clan he found something weird. Although the copy of the child acted normal and the Sun Tadpole did not report a problem, the Sun Tadpoles of the people close to him allowed the Elder Brain to detect an irregularity.
There were small details in the copy behavior, like his way of breathing, movements, and even how he was observing his surroundings that allowed Dante to realize that he was not the child.
Dante immediately contacted Zatiel and the Ancestor of the Neo-Demon race flew away from the magic tower with his heart full of rage.
By focusing on the connection between the Primordialis Core and the Genus Core in the child's heart, Zatiel was able to locate him immediately.
Thankfully, his advance to Rank 3 was completed a few days ago and he had been familiarizing with his new powers when he was informed what just happened.
Due to his rage and anxiousness for the fate of the child, he had not contained anything during his fight against this group and the only ability he did not activate was his Blood Essense Combustion. Which, he would have also activated if the fight would have prolonged to much.
The reason why he was able to go through all these Rank 3 Magi with such ease was thanks to the two new abilities he obtained when he finally became a Rank 3 Neo-Demon.
Just like with every advance in the Ranks, he obtained an Innate Spell, and it was with that one that he was able to appear in front of the strongest member of the group and almost split him in two.
The Innate Spell's name was Life Teleportation and it allows him to disintegrate into dots of light and reappear immediately in any part of the Sun Domain.
As for his black eyes, that was not a spell but an ability of his new True Name that was the evolved form of Dexisus, Terminus.
Terminus made the destructive power of his attack even greater and when he activates it, his eyes became black and they can pull people's mind into a horrible landscape of eternal torture that harm their will and weaken their powers.
In a Rank 3 life form, it can inflict an immense fear that can weaken their strength between 10 to 20 percent.
The ability did not have a name but due to its characteristic and Zatiel bad taste with names, he decided to call it Abyss' Gaze.
There were a lot of questions on Zatiel's mind. Like how this group full of Rank 3 Magi manage to accomplish a feat that even a Rank 4 life form should not be able to do and also who ordered them to kidnap the child.
This was part of the reason he did not kill Severus. With his abilities, the Neo-Demon was sure he will be able to extract all of the secrets of the young man.
Even though he was not going at his maximum speed, it did not take him long to exit Wasteland, and just as he did that, two projectiles landed less than one hundred meters away from him.
When Zatiel saw this scene a weird expression appeared on his face. Especially when he saw that the projectiles were a man and a woman full of injuries and above them was an old man with a wicked smile.
They were all Eye Holders, and there was a defiant look in the eyes of the man and woman as they stare at the old man with rage.
The Neo-Demon almost laugh when he saw such a scene. Two young people full of talent, and with a great will, facing an old monster who is using his power to bully them, and when everything seems lost for the duo, a powerhouse appeared that will save them because he sees potential in them.
'Sorry, but I am not in the mood to play the hero,' Zatiel just ignores them and continues to fly.
But unfortunately for the Neo-Demon, even if you don't look for a problem, it doesn't mean that problems will not look for you.
"You, stop and identify yourself!" There was a commanding tone in the voice of the old man as he spoke.
Although the old man felt that Zatiel was a Rank 3 life form, he also detected that he had advanced not too long ago and as a Master Rank 3 Eye King with a Rank 4 bloodline, he felt superior to the Neo-Demon.
When Zatiel heard the old man's command, he sighs to the stupidity of the situation. But when he turns around, he notices something that made his eyes widened.
When the old man saw this, a smug smile appeared on his face, thinking that Zatiel was terrified of him.
As for the duo in the ground, the little hope they had in their heart vanished when they saw his behavior.
The old man got closer to Zatiel and with a demeanor of superiority, he orders him.
"You have seen something you should not have, but I can let you leave as long you swear a magic oath and give me your space ring."
Zatiel mind was too busy to care about the man's words and he just ignores him.
The Eye King got enraged when he saw Zatiel disregarding his word, and he starts shouting.
"I told you to hand over...!"
Sadly, the old man made a serious mistake and when Zatiel hears his voice again, rage appeared on his face.
"Shut up trash!"
The bone sword appeared on Zatiel's free hand, and the Neo-Demon cut the head of the Eye King who was stupid enough to get closer to him and have his guard down.
The duo on the ground could not believe what has just happened. The man who they thought was terrified of the Eye King, split the head of the latter with such ease that seems surreal.
Before they could feel happy for the dead of the old man that has been chasing for such a long time, a feeling of danger assaulted them and they saw how the person they thought was their savior was looking at them with cold eyes.
If he was not an Animus who specialized in Clairsentience and had not advanced to Rank 3, which strengthened his soul, Zatiel would have not been able to see it and would have thought that everything that just happened was random acts that resulted in him saving these two people.
But now he was able to detect the disgusting power of fate in them. Somehow they were guided to this place just when he was leaving Wasteland.
After a moment, the Neo-Demon calms down and focuses all of his power on Clairsentience. This discipline allows him to have gathered information in all sorts of ways, and even have a glimpse of the future.
Zatiel power as an Animus was not strong enough to certainty predict the future, especially since the river of time is in constant change due to the action of powerful life forms, but he was able to have a glimpse of his connection with these two people.
It was too blurry to accurately discern anything, but he could feel a bond appearing between them.
Unfortunately for the duo, this made Zatiel's coldness only increase.
The Neo-Demon eyes narrow as he focuses on the man and woman. Without saying a word, he activates his bone sword and made it enlarge until it took the form of a giant snake made of blue fire that pounced at them.
The duo was too injured to resist that type of attack and when they feel an imminent death approaching them, they just look at each other and smile.
Just when the sword was about to shatter and burn their bodies, a grey light came out from their hearts, and by the surprise in the Eye Holders' face, it was clear that they did not know what it was.
The grey light gathered in front of them and formed a faceless figure that throws a palm against the sword, stopping it.
Zatiel was not surprised by the appearance of the grey figure. His actions were in order to draw him out and when he sees him, all emotion vanish from his eyes.
"So we finally meet, Sage."
