Janus wanted to go with Ryder, but he controlled his urges and stayed behind with his nephew. It was only his powers that were keeping Caen in something similar to a cryogenic state, somehow saving his life for the time being.
He knew that if he left and something happened to his nephew, then it was going to be too late to regret anything at all.
His nephew was already the weakest he had ever been. His life was barely hanging on, and even with everything they could do, it was unlikely that he could be kept alive for more than a short time.
So, reluctantly, he made the difficult decision to stay behind and ensure his nephew's safety, leaving this important task on Ryder's shoulders.
Entering the portal, Ryder disappeared.
***-
Not even the recent security mechanisms established in the Realm of Gods could stop Ryder.
His portal opened directly in the City of Gods. He stepped out, wondering what kind of sight he was going to see. However, as he stepped out, he noticed that the place didn't look much different than he remembered.
There were no signs of destruction,at least none noticeable. The buildings stood tall and majestic, and the streets wide and clean. The only difference was the lack of people that could be seen in the surroundings.
It seemed that the chaos of the war didn't have much effect on the City of Gods. As Ryder walked through the streets, he approached the Mansion in the center, the place that now belonged to Ezekiel and Gabriel.
However as he approached the mansion, he noticed the door of the mansion open, a graceful man stepped out of the mansion, his long dark robe fluttering with the wind.
Ezekiel had already sensed that he had a new guest.
"Who are you?" he asked Ryder. He didn't know why, but he found Ryder to be a little different. Similar to the Gods, but also an unique existence on its own.
Not just Ezekiel, but the others also arrived. Although Ryder had passed the security mechanism, but the people of the City were still alerted about the intruder.
Within seconds, Ryder was surrounded from all sides. Behind him, there were the Rebel Gods, along with a few Villagers.
"My identity is insignificant. I just came here because I need a little something from you," Ryder raised his right hand, as if asking for something.
"What if I don't give anything to you?" Ezekiel didn't even ask what Ryder wanted. It didn't matter. Even if Ryder wanted a glass of water, he wasn't willing to hand over anything.
"Then I'll be forced to involve myself in this matter, which I really want to avoid," Ryder sighed, his expressions complicated. He just wanted to take the antidote and return home, not making things complex but he couldn't return empty handed.
"You'll force Lord Ezekiel? Such arrogance!" One of the Rebel Gods was frustrated with Ryder's arrogant tone.
He wanted to show Ryder his place, at least bring him down to his knees. With that anger, he rushed ahead, attacking Ryder.
"You people... Why can't you let me stay out of your matters like I want?" Ryder raised his left hand, snapping his fingers.
The Rebel God who had rushed ahead froze in his place, as if time itself had stopped for him. Cracks started developing all around his body, as if he was made of stone.
Right in front of everyone's eyes, his body shattered into hundreds of pieces. Ryder didn't even look at the face of the attacker before killing him. This kind of strength wasn't ordinary.
Ezekiel frowned. Ryder's face was surrounded by a hazy shroud, which made it impossible for him to see his face. But with the kind of strength that Ryder showed, Ezekiel was convinced that he wasn't normal.
Ezekiel applied his unique aura in his eyes, strengthening his ability to see through things. But even then, it proved hard to see through Ryder's shroud.
Fortunately, he did manage to get through Ryder's barrier and see his face.
Seeing Ryder's face came as a surprise to him as he was taken aback. "Chaos? No, you're not him. You just look identical. Who are you?"
Ezekiel still hadn't entered the battle with Ryder and he wasn't scared either. He wasn't worried that he couldn't win. Instead, the only reason he didn't attack was because he was curious about the identity of the man before him.
Strangely enough, the man had Divine Energy beyond what any god could possess. Even the Chaos he had fought last time didn't have such pure and raw Divine Energy. It was as if this Divine Aura came straight from an Ancestral God.
But just the Divine Aura, but the man also had some traces of being a mortal. It was as if once upon a time, he used to be a mortal as well. In that way, Ryder was more similar to him than he was to the Gods.
"I'm no one you need to worry about. As long as you don't attack my world, I won't attack your side, as I am tied by an oath. But... I would still prefer that you give me what I want, or I'll have to break that oath..."
Ryder once again reached out his hand. It was an oath that had tied him up for a long time. It all happened when they had won the last great war.
The Realm of Gods was given to Chaos and his family. Since Chaos was gone, many people were worried that Ryder, who was the strongest at that point, could control the Realm of Gods indirectly. Many also worried that he might just snatch the throne.
Although Chaos' family didn't have such doubts, to calm the citizens of the Realm of Gods and to make them respect the Ruling Family more than they respected him, Ryder took this oath.
Thanks to the oath, he wasn't going to interfere in the matters of the Realm of Gods, no matter the reason. As long as his world wasn't attacked by them, he couldn't attack the Realm of Gods or involve himself in any war that involved the realm of gods.
