Anders was the first to voice his concerns about the ominous tree that hung over the battle.
"What is that thing? How does it know Cain?!"
"What do you mean? That's Numineer, the tree of decay and manipulation. It's our first and foremost target besides Cain," Alex answered Anders as she looked over at Cain, whose face was bright with excitement.
"That's Numineer?!"
"CAIN! You dare try to harness it! The core belongs to me!"
Mist rose around Cain as he made an assertion. "Now that's not true at all. It just so happened that your heart was used as the core. But that was when you were the Earth Tree, not the sad state you're in now. Matter of fact, you have already replaced your heart, haven't you?"
Cain smiled cheekily as his mist slowly spread out. Numineer's roots and vines stretched out as they tried to close the gap of space and reach Cain.
"You think you've won, Numineer, but this battlefield was created through my machinations! Today I will transcend my old self and become anew, leaving this place behind with its inhabitants' pools of blood! For I am Pestilence!"
At Cain's words, the mist intensified and spread like a tsunami, propelling everything it hit. Cain cleared his surroundings as the mist rose and surrounded his body. Within a few seconds, he was off, his body half-mist as he flew towards Numineer. Parts of his body would become mist and then regenerate as other parts melted away. This allowed him the ability of flight and arrival at Numineer's trunk in only a few moments.
Cain felt agony, but his expression remained the same, not registering it at all. He swept up the trunk of Numineer as his mist solidified and began to infiltrate and pull out the bark.
The tree shook in pain as its vines twisted like pythons and surrounded Cain's figure. Red and green collided as Cain laughed and Numineer grunted. Red liquid as sharp as steel cut the vines away before returning to a gas-like state.
Green juices flowed from the cut vines. The green liquid fell on the roots and hissed as they corroded the ground around them.
"Animum! You are the Evil Spirit of Sin! You should be cursed! Even in this place, the restrictions should still hold!"
"Haha. Nothing can last in the stream of Time! Your curse has long run its course, and soon your life will be the same!"
Cain took the side of the maul with the pointed head and slammed it into a part of the tree with the bark uprooted. Numineer's pained yells blared through his eardrums. Cain quickly focused on the virus telepathing Numineer's thoughts and eliminating them through the consuming virus.
Numineer was a being that was born from an ancient entity. Without the core of Netherane, it was doomed to die, so instead, it adapted and became a virus in itself. Numineer communicated and controlled everything through its virus, which was Numineer itself.
It was similar to Animum, where those under its effects could remain conscious, but in addition Numineer could also control the minds of what he infected.
With the husk of the Great Earth Tree, Numineer became a fierce opponent that could exist as long as its virus existed. Unlike Cain, Numineer could exist as anything and was born immortal, as human standards didn't bind it. It was a sentient virus.
Except all was not lost. Cain had figured out Numineer's weakness before through testing on himself when he was being tracked, as well as from other sources like the Zimo virus and even plant life.
Everything in Netherane became connected through Numineer's roots, and if it weren't for Numineer being unable to spread out its consciousness, Netherane would already be his.
"You are just a worm in an apple. I will break this husk you stole and end your life!"
Cain yanked his maul, and a large hole was left where he attacked. Yellow pus leaked out, and a rancid smell attacked Cain's senses. He ignored the smell and continued his attack on the tree's body as its body slowly decomposed.
...
While Cain was fighting Numineer, Alex pulled Anders towards her.
"We need to get the suits now. Our only chance to kill Cain is now!"
"What! But that will kill our men!"
Alex slapped Anders. "Look around you! This is utter chaos. We need to kill Cain and his side now, then we can focus on Numineer, who isn't affected by our trump card! We need to win now, and the activator is the only way!"
"I...I..." Anders struggled to respond, but he didn't get time to say anything as a dagger whizzed past his face. Blood flowed from a small cut on his cheek, and his head shifted to the source.
A man with a dagger through his neck stood in front of them. The dagger was removed and the body fell. Behind it was a young man with purple hair who glared at Anders with hostility.
"So, you're the one who betrayed the master. I didn't think we would meet here, but since the Master is fighting that tree, I should pull my weight, don't you think?"
Austin stood in front of Anders as he spoke in a mocking tone. Anders himself already knew who he was just by his appearance and attitude.
"So you're Austin, Pope of the Church, as well as Cain's pupil."
"Indeed, the new meets the old. We should take this moment to prove who learned more, shouldn't we?"
Austin stopped the pleasantries and took off. Anders followed him with his eyes but would lose him as he traveled through the soldiers fighting around them.
He was defensive as Austin took his time to lose Anders and attack him from multiple angles. Their fight had begun.
Cries of despair rang out as the siege beast charged toward Numineer as they fought off his roots in an effort to support Cain. The fighting would pause every once in a while when Numineer's anguished grunts would blast in everyone's heads. This would take down many, and the survivors would continue to fight each other as blood sprang from their ears and noses.
The same was true for Austin and Anders. They would pause, and whoever recovered first would have an advantage.
With the battlefield drained of blood, the effectiveness of Anders's attacks diminished as the blood wasn't there to conduct his lightning.
Instead, he was on the losing side as he was taken aback by Austin's footwork and skills. It was a battle purely of technique, and neither side relied on anything else. It wasn't long before the fight was decided, and Anders was brought to his knees with cuts shallow and deep all around his body.
He didn't reach for his vials as he looked up to stare at the victor. Both of them looked each other in the eyes and understood. They both knew Cain, and both understood he didn't care for them.
"I only fight to repay him, you know. I like the status and all, but this is madness. I had hoped you could show him the light. I have watched as the years ate away at him; he needs to be saved."
Anders let out a chuckle. "Who would think both apprentices would share the same thoughts? Unfortunately, he is long lost in that hell. Only death can save him. You should understand his sanity is long gone."
"You're wrong. There is a tiny piece still preserving itself. Occasionally I could see his eyes dim, and a spark of clarity could be seen in those terrible eyes. I think he's just lost, lost in a place of despair. He needs something to awaken him from his slumber. With a purpose beyond what he seeks now."
Anders fixated his vision on Austin as he looked at his serious and calm face. His skin was darker than others, and he was on the good-looking side.
"What do you suggest then? I have long given up. Nothing reached him."
Austin let out his hand, and Anders grabbed it. He was pulled up as the two stood side by side.
"I have an idea. We need to-"
Austin stopped mid-sentence as he clutched his stomach and vomited blood. Austin was in shock as his blood mixed with the red soil. His head dulled, and he lost his footing, falling to his knees.
Anders was horrified as he looked around. He quickly realized Alex wasn't there.
'She released it... there's nothing we can do now.'
Anders lowered his gaze as he spoke in a low tone, "I'm sorry, it seems we won't be able to pull off your plan."
Through coughing, Austin laughed as he choked a bit on his own blood. "It seems so. You shouldn't worry though. It is only a matter of time until Master finds himself again. I'm afraid...cough...we won't be able to see it."
Anders's eyes swelled as he felt something come from his nose. He took his finger and found that it was blood. He lightly smiled as he realized Austin was already dead on the ground. His face was still and carried a sense of hope.
Anders looked around the battlefield as people fell left and right. In the distance, he saw figures in white clothing with masks depicting a bird's head.
Anders fell on himself as he used all his strength to see the battle of Cain versus Numineer.
He could see Cain's figure as he flew around Numineer's trunk like a fly. The two siege beasts supporting Cain were becoming slower as their cries turned to whimpers. He watched as the first was taken by the roots and its torso was pierced and ripped apart.
The other soon followed as it suddenly stopped moving and fell. The roots positioned themselves upright, piercing their bodies as they slowly slid down as their cries stopped.
Anders lost strength in his body when his head found itself in a pool of someone's blood. He did not know if it was his or someone else's.
This was where he would die, betrayed by his comrades. It was inevitable. He knew Alex was self-centered but never realized it was this bad.
'It seems my journey ends here, and I've never completed my mission. Heh, for some reason, death doesn't seem that bad. I just hope... master... sorry."
The light exited Anders's eyes as they closed, and he joined the many dead on this battlefield.