Origins: The Shadow Manipulator

(An hour prior to Julius and Corinna's escape from their prison)

*

Cerberus, who was busy chewing the bones of the Giant that Hades threw at him for his playtime, perked up when he sensed the familiar aura of his master, forcefully opening another entrance to the Underworld.

'Huhrf?' The three-headed dog thought. 'Didn't he arrive already, like, few minutes ago?'

However, he cannot be mistaken. This is his master's aura, every time he enters their Kingdom after a rare visit to the outside world. It's ever rarer in this case because he did the bypass twice in a span of just a few minutes. 'Ahrf, well maybe he transported someone in during the first time, and he's only entering now.'

So, without any further doubts as to the identity of the one forcing open the entrance, the guard to the Realm of the Dead granted the access to the nearest shadow portal from where the master's chamber is located. Then, he returned back to playing with the giant femur bone he previously licked.

*

Finally, the last of the Erinyes he brought along with him entered the bypassed shadow portal to the underworld. "Reeekekek! I'm going home! Too bad I can't say hello to my former self, rekek." The last Fury said, before hopping in. And when she was inside, her voice still sounded. "Reeekekek! My sistahs already flew away, Master. I'll go ahead too. Just ping me when you need me – rekek!" And off she went.

This is actually his first time in trying to open this entrance, and it's taking all of Isaac's remaining strength to keep it open. Now that everyone was in, it's now his time to step inside, when suddenly, someone jumped from behind him and threw him forwards.

Right, he was able to go in, but unfortunately, so was the guy who hurled him in that hole. Because of the diversion, he landed awkwardly with the stranger when they touched the grounds of the Underworld. They rolled until their momentum slowed down, and finally got separated in the process. Both of them hurried to get up, and assume fighting stances.

'Oh dammit.' Rexis thought. 'I wish I had more experience when it comes to being a bully.'

Unlike Sayo, who lives for kicking everyone's asses, Rexis was more gentle – in the most general sense. He doesn't start fistfights and brawls, but he does know when to throw a punch when absolutely needed. In other words, his experience in fighting are only limited to recoil and retaliation.

This is his first time to actually fight without any particular reason. He thought deeper about it, and barely convinced himself that if he has a reason to do this, it's because he has to get outta this hell with Julius and Persephone. This emoboy right here in front of him, is definitely the prick preventing their peaceful escape.

He took a quick glance at his surroundings and gave up because he knows he doesn't have any inkling of which part of the Underworld he's currently in. The only consolation is the presence of a river nearby, which made him wary to approach it, knowing the dangers that any of the Underworld rivers carry in their names.

"Who are you?!" Emoboy snarled at him.

"Dude, I should ask the same! Who are you?!"

Emoboy clicked his tongue and didn't say another word. From his pocket, he pulled out a keychain with a sword as its design. The thing gradually grew in size until it became a wicked broadsword that can rival Sayo's kodachis. 'Holy Hephaestus! Did that god manufacture their weapons too?! Well, as if I'll lose to this guy!'

He brought his arm forward and willed his golden band to expand. In mere seconds, the full form of his shield manifested before him. 'Hehe, it's not only you who got tricks up your sleeves, boyo. I've got my own Aegis too.' He hasn't thought of a name for his weapon yet, so he's borrowing the name of Athena's shield this time.

Isaac slightly squinted after seeing such display. Clearly, the guy with the curly temple-fade hairstyle was from the Modern Era like him, but how did he get his hands on that shield? Did he get transported to Ancient Greece along with the Son of Time? Did he intentionally push him so he can enter here as well?

He knows these questions that are flooding inside his mind can't be answered right away. So for now, he's got to focus and quickly find the Son of Time before things will get worse – before the worst will happen, and that is him, along with his Erinyes, meeting their counterparts in this Realm. 'Gotta wrap this up, fast.'

Isaac knows that the place is to his advantage. It was dark. It only had several faint glows. Which means, there is an abundance of shadows all around him. He took a look at his own shadow and extended it, until it met another shadow cast by some rocks from behind him. He raised his hand, and their shadows moved, creating hand-like silhouettes which were slowly making their way towards Rexis.

Will he be surprised? Of course not. Rexis prepared himself already for something like this since he saw emoboy open up a shadow portal to this place. It doesn't change the fact though that these creepy-looking shadowy hands were making him loose his shit and cry out 'mama' in the situation he's in. He's good in masking this lame fear for now, so far.

He really doesn't know what to do. 'What can this shield do? Make me look cool only?' He's weaponless! Moreover, how the heck do you fight with shadows?

When the first hand touched his own shadow, Rexis thought that it actually tickled. But when the next hand got a hold of him, he can no longer have the liberty to move his body. 'The f is this ninjutsu? It's very familiar!'

He can't move. He was paralyzed in his place. He can't even shout insults at the emoboy. 'This is frustrating!'

"Don't you think that was rather too fast?" The guy said, showing no particular emotion but clearly taunting him for being uncool. "The binds will loosen soon. But I really gotta go." His broadsword, which he only showed off for display, now shrank back into its keychain form and he stuffed it in his pocket.

He was talking to Rexis like he was nothing, like he was pathetic and not worthy of his time. He began walking away but Rexis' anger was on the rise. Yes, he still can't move, but he can feel his anger from within. It's making his body hot, so hot he can barely hold it in.

In that same instance, he managed to move his eyes and caught a glimpse of his left hand, which wasn't carrying the shield, then his right hand – no, both his wrists actually….his tattoos right there…..they were glowing red-orange, live the color of lava. He got so hot now, that he's literally…..catching fire. The next second, his left hand erupted in flames, making a 'shwooom' noise, illuminating the place.

The shadows that were holding him in place vanished, and he dropped to the ground, able to move again. He looked at his hands again….'I'm on fayaaaaah!'

Isaac turned around when he felt the bright light coming from behind him, and what he saw made his eyes widen in shock. 'This guy!'

Rexis was itching to try it, another move he learned from anime, and willed the flames around his hands to compress into a ball. Oh yes, it happened. Ever so slowly, he tried to release it towards the guy and…..

"Wahahaha Fire Style, baby! It's not only you who has a jutsu, emoboy!" He laughed so hard as he continued to release more fireballs towards Isaac, who was struggling to dodge the successive attacks.

'Shit.' He hid behind a rock as the continuous barrage of fireballs were coming out from Rexis' hands. So Isaac connected his shadow once more to all the other shadows in the place, and enveloped the room in darkness. Many shadowy hands soon appeared in front of Rexis, and the light of his fireballs began to dim at their number. Isaac got up from the rock shakily and raised both of his hands. "Catch him." His nose started to bleed, as he commanded all the shadows present to go after Rexis, who already felt that danger was coming.

His flames aren't enough to handle this. Seeing no other way to stop the shadow manipulator, he sprinted and called out his friend's name. "WHERE ARE YOU, JULIUS?!!"

Rexis ran aimlessly throughout the Underworld, shouting alternately 'JULIUS' and 'GYAAAAAAAH.'

Isaac persisted after him, but he continued to run, until he spotted his friend's silhouette, along with the other chick from the meadows. "JULIUS, RUN!!"