Zoran withdrew his palm, and Silver Lion collapsed into unconsciousness.
Thales and Kino were the designated Ultra Beast warriors of this reincarnation cycle, but that wasn't the reason Zoran chose to protect them. Master Wyatt was their master, and Zoran had just obtained the answers he wanted from him. For Master Wyatt's sake, Zoran decided to spare them. Otherwise, Silver Lion's previous punch would have absolutely sent them both to the afterlife.
Thales was quick-witted; seeing Zoran defeat Silver Lion so effortlessly, he immediately put on a flattering face and started showering him with praises. It seemed fat kids really did have thicker skin.
Zoran didn't care to listen to his sycophancy. While pleasing to the ear, he had already heard such words countless times before.
As for Kino, something suddenly clicked in his mind. The pen that had moved on its own back in the classroom to pass along answers must have been the work of the man standing before them. That telekinetic ability was exactly like how they had been lifted into the sky earlier.
"...Lifesaver! Why don't we run away quickly? It's really dangerous over there!" Thales looked as if he wanted nothing more than to rush forward and cling to Zoran's leg.
Zoran glanced at him before turning his gaze toward the distant street shrouded in the night. A powerful pressure erupted as massive Hetero-Energy swept through the night sky.
That was Logan's power.
Strictly speaking, it was hard to determine who would win in a fight between Logan and Master Wyatt. After all, though Master Wyatt's Hetero-Energy was incredibly immense, he lacked basic offensive capabilities, much like Thales after his awakening. However, Master Wyatt possessed a game-breaking technique that allowed him to go toe-to-toe with absolutely anyone: Primordial Void Annihilation. It was a broken ability that absorbed surrounding Hetero-Energy for his own use, forcefully dragging both himself and his enemy into an alternate dimension to "fish" for eternity.
It was an exceptionally powerful skill, yet equally awkward. Because it would trap Master Wyatt himself as well, he couldn't just throw it around at everyone he met.
The fluctuations in the distance originated from Logan's Ultra Beast Form: The Abyssal Lion.
Zoran glanced down at Kino and Thales. "Let's go show our faces," he chuckled.
"Show our faces? For what?!" the two chimed in unison.
Before they could even process his words, their vision went black. When they opened their eyes again, a colossal, dark-gold lion Ultra Beast stood right before them. The Ultra Beast Form was one of the ultimate expressions of Hetero-Energy, striking absolute terror into anyone who witnessed it.
"Whoa! Run for your life!" Thales let out a panicked shriek, grabbing Kino and trying to hide behind him.
Zoran scanned the battlefield. Master Wyatt looked perfectly fine, while the battle between Golden Lion and Phoebe had already concluded. The box containing the Netherworld Key had ultimately fallen into Logan's hands. Ultra Beast warriors grew stronger through their convictions; evidently, Phoebe was still slightly lacking in that department.
The massive Abyssal Lion looked down upon the battlefield. Logan's gaze swept over the crowd, but the moment he spotted a certain figure floating in mid-air, his expression turned grave.
That guy had shown up again.
"The Netherworld Key is something we must secure at all costs. I ask that none of you stand in our way," Logan's steady voice echoed from within the Abyssal Lion.
"We have to stop him!" Phoebe panted. She had just forced herself to withstand the raw pressure of the Abyssal Lion. Her Hetero-Energy had been overwhelmed almost instantly, and the Netherworld Key had fallen into Logan's grasp.
Master Wyatt turned his gaze toward Zoran, and Logan followed suit. Kino and Thales, the two guys Zoran had just saved, also stared up at him. In an instant, everyone's eyes converged onto a single point, locking onto him.
"Why is everyone staring at me?" Zoran asked with a calm, effortless smile.
Master Wyatt was momentarily taken aback. He had never been a rigid or overly serious character, and right now, he desperately wanted to deadpan.
A Nebula Body powerhouse is standing right here. Who else are we supposed to look at?
The final ownership of the Netherworld Key now hinged entirely on Zoran's stance. Precisely because everyone on the battlefield understood this, no one dared to make a rash move. Even Logan, despite being in his terrifying Ultra Beast Form, lowered his massive body after a low growl, exuding a sense of restrained docility.
"Esteemed master," Logan addressed Zoran. "Let me lay my cards on the table. The Netherworld Key is the key to resurrecting Hades. But as a leader, Hades is by no means an evil man. Perhaps once he returns, you two might even become friends."
Logan truly had no other options; he could only resort to trying to soften his approach. As for fighting? There was absolutely no way he could win.
Hearing Logan's words, Zoran slowly shook his head and replied earnestly, "Hades harbors the ambition to rule the Seven Parallel Universes. I highly doubt he could sit down and have a pleasant chat with me. Furthermore, I have no interest in making friends wherever I go."
Hearing this, Logan's heart sank. He glanced at the Netherworld Key in his palm and shifted lower, his mind racing to map out an escape route.
"However," Zoran suddenly added in the next breath, "resurrecting Hades isn't necessarily a bad thing either!"
"Huh?!" Phoebe gasped in shock from the sidelines.
The resurrection of Hades, a tyrant who conquered realms, waged wars, and craved world domination, wasn't a bad thing? Something about that logic sounded incredibly warped to her.
"Why?" she demanded, looking directly at Zoran.
The expression on Zoran's face turned rather subtle as he swept his gaze over Phoebe. He thought to himself: Girl, you really are eager to drive your own father into a corner, aren't you?
Phoebe was Hades' only biological daughter, though at this moment, she was completely oblivious to the fact. The current dynamic truly possessed a delightfully ironic sense of "filial piety" that made it hard not to chuckle.
Zoran looked at Logan and slowly uttered a line that left everyone utterly bewildered, a statement born of pure, chaotic amusement: "If Hades doesn't resurrect, wouldn't things be a lot less entertaining?"
"Hiss…" Master Wyatt sucked in a sharp breath.
Even Logan himself froze. This emotional rollercoaster was proving to be a bit much to stomach. What... what on earth did that mean?
Zoran arched an eyebrow. He kept the true meaning to himself, though the statement certainly carried deeper implications. If Hades failed to resurrect, this world would be down one Nebula Body powerhouse. When Shendu eventually arrived, wouldn't his younger brother, who had finally found a worthy opponent, lose out on a bit of fun?
Though Logan was thoroughly bewildered, he still lowered his massive frame and said seriously, "If that is the case, then I shall thank you on his behalf. Naturally, I will report all of this to him upon his return."
Logan's eyes swept across everyone on the battlefield before ultimately landing back on Zoran. "You are a reasonable man. Perhaps we truly can become friends."
Zoran dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "No need. Go back and finish your mission. Go do your resurrecting, and tell Hades to hurry up and restore his strength."
As if suddenly recalling something, a subtle grin crossed his face. "I am indeed a reasonable man. But in the future, someone entirely unreasonable is going to pay Hades a visit for a little chat."
"Tell Hades to sit tight and wait for a bit."
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