"Forget about them!" Vincent roared over the chaos as the Nexarians kept refusing their help.
Instead of wasting his time on them, he charged towards one of the masked people. However, he abruptly stopped when he got a good look at the golden-black masks the assailants were wearing.
"Zodiacs!" Vincent exclaimed, and his entire demeanour changed along with his fighting stance as he got in a defensive position.
"What? The Zodiacs?"
No one could believe it, but the truth was right before their eyes. The notorious terrorist organisation was there, but why?
"They came for the Pope, who else?" Rowan scoffed at his brother's stupidity as the heroes formed a defensive wall between the Zodiacs and the Church.
While the Ravens were often held responsible for most of the crimes in Nexaria, in front of the Zodiacs, they were nothing more than class clowns.
While there were only 13 members in the Zodiacs, they were far more dangerous than any other organisation on Nexaria and the surrounding realms. As their name suggested, their members represented 12 constellations known to mankind.
Among the known dozen were figures like Leo, the charismatic and strategic planner. Scorpio, the covert infiltrator skilled in sabotage; Gemini, notorious for their shape-shifting abilities; and many more who were a mystery to Nexaria and rarely showed themselves.
Regardless of the enigma surrounding them, each Zodiac member operated with ruthless efficiency, leaving a trail of chaos and fear in their wake. But none of them were as mysterious as their leader.
The 13th Zodiac member, the group's elusive leader known only as the Nameless, was someone no one had seen before, and most even doubted the existence of the 13th Zodiac.
Thanks to their mysterious ways, the Zodiac's motives remained a big mystery. Even the most brilliant brains couldn't decipher their motives as their actions were unpredictable, and their targets varied from street vendors to royalty.
That's why their presence in the Church was highly concerning, and Rowan immediately thought they were there for the Pope.
The heroes had faced a few of the Zodiacs before, but this was the first time anyone saw the twelve of them assemble in one place. Fighting a single Zodiac was a pain in the butt, and now that their entire squad had gathered there, there was little confidence in the heroes' eyes.
"What are we waiting for? Attack them!" Rowan roared, and everyone went into action.
Sophia began casting her strongest magic and unleashed a searing fire spell aimed directly at Gemini. She had fought Gemini once, and thanks to Adrian's [Analysis] skill back then, she knew the creature was weak to fire.
However, as the spell was about to hit Gemini, the elegantly dressed lady sporting a Ram's mask intervened. With a snap of her fingers, she turned the deadly spell into a shower of rose petals.
"Not a bad attempt," Aries chuckled, playing with Gemini's luscious green hair. "But no one can touch my darling without my permission."
Gemini stood there like a stone statue as if they had no interest in whatever was happening around them.
Infuriated by Aries' interference, Vincent charged towards the pyromancer. However, before he could reach them, Taurus' bulky figure charged at him. Vincent tried blocking the attack but was too weak.
As they collided, Vincent was flung backwards, shattering the heroes' carefully crafted barrier and hitting the Church's entrance. The great hero fell to the ground, struggling to breathe as Taurus' attack destroyed his right lung.
"Vincent!" Clara screamed, rushing to administer first aid to him.
Although Vincent was unimportant compared to Rowan, he was still a part of Alfvanian royalty. After watching him getting recked like that, the elves couldn't stand still and, under Rowan's orders, charged towards the enemy to avenge their bruised egos.
Their action prompted the Zodiacs to retaliate in kind. However, they stopped when Libra made a move and quietly backed down. The Heroes were confused about why they stopped, but Rowan was glad they only had to face one of the Zodiacs.
Since no one had faced Libra before, the heroes were unaware of his skills. But Sophia had a bad feeling about it.
"STOP!" Sophia tried her best to get her allies to halt, but she failed.
Libra slowly opened his eyes after undoing the blindfold, and there was a bright flash before the heroes fell to the ground. Their mana, energy, stamina... they were drained of everything. They couldn't do anything but stare at Libra in horror.
One move was all it took to bring the mighty heroes to their knees. Desperate for help, Sophia looked around, only to realise the Ravens who had been there moments ago were nowhere in sight. They must have slipped inside the Church while the heroes engaged the Zodiacs.
"Fucking... cowards..." Rowan panted.
While what Rowan felt could be true, the Ravens were wiser not to indulge with the Zodiacs. After all, despite their numerical advantage, the heroes found themselves outmatched by their adversaries' sheer strength and skill.
If the heroes were in such a pathetic state, the Ravens would have most likely ended up in a worse situation if they had stayed back and fought the Zodiacs. In other words, the Ravens chose the path that ensured their safety, unlike the so-called heroes.
Meanwhile, the other heroes exchanged wary glances, silently acknowledging the dire situation they faced. They knew that with the power the Zodiacs possessed, they could easily obliterate the Church and all within it if they wished.
"Libra, enough. We're not here to kill them. Not today, at least," Leo's voice echoed in the silence and following Leo's words, Libra closed his eyes, freeing the heroes from their prison.
Even though the heroes were free from Libra's clutches, they were still drained and couldn't move, no matter how hard they tried. Despite Leo's words, the heroes thought they were done for.
Yet, to their surprise, the Zodiacs showed restraint, refraining from attacking their weakened foes. Not only that, Libra had only targeted them, leaving the civilians unharmed.
'What is going on here?' Sophia wondered.
Suddenly, a figure materialised between the Zodiacs and the heroes. As soon as the man appeared before them, the Zodiacs bowed to him, clearing the doubts everyone had about the man's identity.
He was the 13th constellation and the leader of the Zodiacs.
Unlike his underlings, who wore elaborate masks representing the constellations, the leader's mask was a simple masquerade mask, adding to the mystery of his identity.
The other Zodiac members, recognising their leader's arrival, formed a protective perimeter around him. With silent steps, the leader approached Adrian's empty coffin.
The 13th constellation reached into the folds of his dark cloak and retrieved a bouquet of peculiarly dark flowers that only grew in the Nether.
Silently, he placed the bouquet on the coffin as the heroes watched him, wondering what kind of relationship the leader had with Adrian to show himself to the public to attend his funeral.
The 13th constellation stood there for a moment as if praying for the departed. Without uttering a word, the 13th constellation turned away from the coffin and began walking towards the outskirts of the battleground.
The other Zodiac members, in disciplined unison, followed their leader, who created a portal. One after another, the Zodiacs left through the portal, but before the leader's turn, he turned to face Adrian, hiding in the crowd.
Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and Adrian saw a smile on his face before the leader vanished into the unknown, leaving a confused crowd behind.