The IMG, with bated breath, struggled to keep a stable composure as the vessel kept on it's course back towards Afterlife; Zyphon to be more precise. There seemed to be a hurry to everything. Elmitrios couldn't remember when he had last felt like this. He wasn't sure what to do. When they were getting into his vessel, Moruzen had collapsed. A structure standing for eons, degenerating like that was incomprehensible. Unbelievable. Juvo's power had reached the stars. He wasn't even sure if Valal was alright against him.

Turbulence.

The sudden discrepancy had all their attention. "What was that?" Sierra managed in a feeble tone, her eyes critical in worry.

Then a solid jerk.

It only needed a second for realisation to hit. "We are under attack!" one of Radhika's comrades shouted, her voice sharp on her words.

"Who will shoot at us here?!" Jarka spurt out.

"It's Juvo," they heard the booming voice. There was anxiety in it. "We need to evade him. I don't know if the shield will hold up against his attacks. We'll have to dodge... somehow. Get ready."

They knew what he meant. But what would they hold on to? That was when the membrane of the walls separated in two gooey forms for each of them, tightly securing them in place, solidifying an instant later.

"This doesn't feel right," Lily said.

And she was on point.

The ship went in all sorts of directions and changed them so fast they felt their brains floating and hitting in their craniums. It was like a wild ride in an amusement park. Only scarier and more real.

Behind Elmitrios' vessel, streaks of energy floated, targeted precisely at it. Juvo's army was close by. He lead the others who were protected by an electric shield. If this situation could get any worse, Elmitrios couldn't fathom how. It was getting more and more difficult.

"Can't you attack him?" Radhika shouted.

"No. I never need to attack while sitting here. My body is enough for the job. Hence, my ship isn't bestowed with any weapons."

"Can't you stop him?"

"I... doubt it. He's become too strong... but how?" He sighed. "If I go out there to attack, it would risk losing all of you. There's no telling what he'll do. If your souls are vaporised, then that's the end for all of you. And Kahaden must not have that in mind."

"So we just evade his attacks and hope for an escape? There's no other way?" Sanduo impatiently remarked.

"I'm afraid not. Just trust me and... hold on."

__________

The hallway was dark and smoky. The air was stale with dust hung heavily in it. Laraken pulled his hostage's legs and dragged him. He writhed, but Laraken gave no heed to it. He was too furious to even keep him alive.

Moruzen was destroyed. He didn't know what to make of it. There were so many questions slamming in his head. And worst of all, Valal was missing. He had never done anything major without orders from him. But he had faith he was doing the right thing.

Earlier when all the Gods were fleeing, and Moruzen was crumbling, he had watched from the shadows as Juvo led his army out of the devastated building. He had sneaked in and abducted one of his men. And luckily, no one had noticed.

Now, he chained his victim up and hoisted his body to his eye level. His flailing limbs were mockingly weak. The horror on his face was unmistakable.

But Laraken was too angry to think straight. He needed to let it out.

He kicked his hostage.

Again.

And again.

Till he begged.

Till he was wasted.

Laraken wasn't finished yet. He shocked him through the chains and he cried out.

Feeling less worse he came face to face with him. "You see? You won't live if you go against me. Try being dishonest for once and I will end your existence right here. In an instant. Hence, answer me truthfully. Do you follow?"

The hostage slowly bobbed his head.

A sinister smile played over Laraken's face. He sat down on an altar and sighed deeply. Once he had calmed himself, he asked, "Where did Juvo get this power from?"

__________

Their frightened state was incomparable to any experience they might have had in their lives. The uncanny feeling of the ship exploding, them getting flung out into the multiversal plane- all sorts of negative thoughts reigned over their minds.

Elmitrios had so far managed to keep his vessel in one piece. But he doubted if that would be the case in the near future. Juvo's attacks were systematically placed and it seemed like he was getting accustomed with Elmitrios' maneuvers.

He was helpless in this situation. How he loathed Juvo. If only he were on ground. But his rationale told him it would have been no good either. For this form of Juvo was at par with the Gods; if not greater.

__________

"Are you sure? That's what he said?" Laraken spoke loudly, confused at the form of reality breaking across him. His voice echoed in the dark chamber in an eerie rumble.

"That's what he said. When he rescued us all, he told us about it. It was like, he never required the Book of Gods. The key was the ultimate power," the hostage ended the explanation.

Laraken shot past him. What was he saying? What was in it? Those keys were set up eons ago. Nobody remembered what was in those vials.

But he was sure of one thing. That Juvo's key was different. From the hostage's explanation, it had a blue liquid while the key was supposed to contain a green one. That was the reason why the book did not show it's contents when he used the key in it. The liquid was different.

But, it gave him power. This Godly power. That was distressing. What was it that had such raw power inside?

There was only one way to find out. He brushed past his hostage. "Please don't leave me like this!" He heard him scream. He only gave him a sideways glance; then disappeared in the shadows.

__________

At last, Zyphon was in sight. With great effort and pain, Elmitrios had successfully brought the crew to the place where they had started from. For the time it had taken to come to Zyphon, Juvo had relentlessly kept on attacking his ship. But the shield seemed to hold and Elmitrios had been able to evade most attacks.

He steered downwards and spiralled down on the planet. The shots went past the sides of the ship and hit the ground, eruptions spurting out in many places at once.

Elmitrios brought the ship to the monastery, in a gradual descent, where he had picked them all up from.

But he noticed a change.

It seemed to be crowded.

The mob was not in hundreds...

...from what it looked like, the numbers must have been in millions!

Who are they?

The massive mob was monochromatic. They shone.

For they were not living. Not in the traditional way. They were robots.