As Zinia and Mei ventured further into the wasteland, the desolate silence around them grew heavier. The wind was still, the air thick with the lingering scent of burnt earth and decay. Zinia's steps were unhurried, her posture relaxed, but her eyes were sharp, scanning the horizon with calculated awareness. Mei walked a step behind her, his expression as unreadable as ever, his presence ghostlike as they moved through the battlefield ruins.
Suddenly, Zinia halted.
A subtle but distinct pressure pushed against her senses, something distant yet rapidly approaching. The air hummed with energy, a disturbance she could not ignore.
"Something's coming," Zinia muttered, her voice calm but edged with a sense of readiness. Her eyes narrowed as she turned her gaze upward, where the faintest shimmer of light streaked through the sky like a comet.
It was fast—no, faster than fast. Near light speed.
Mei remained silent beside her, though his posture shifted slightly, ready for whatever would follow.
Zinia raised a brow, her lips curving downward. "Of all the nuisances… it had to be one of them," she sighed, her tone dripping with annoyance.
Without hesitation, she snapped her fingers, and both she and Mei disappeared from sight. It was more than just a simple invisibility spell; they vanished entirely from all forms of perception—physical, magical, and otherwise. Their presence was erased, hidden from even the most advanced detection methods.
Zinia wasn't particularly interested in the approaching entity, but the situation demanded caution. She wasn't in the mood for unnecessary confrontation, especially not with what was coming.
Within moments, the creature arrived. The blinding light that had been streaking across the sky descended upon the wasteland like a judgment from the heavens. A lance of pure, radiant energy slammed into the ground just a few dozen yards away from where Zinia and Mei had been standing. The beam cut through the air with terrifying precision, its brilliance so intense that it illuminated the barren landscape for miles around.
The light didn't hit Zinia or Mei; it wasn't aimed at them. Instead, it found its target in a massive creature that had been hiding among the ruins, a hulking, grotesque beast that had gone unnoticed until now. The monster's eyes widened in the last second before the weapon of light beheaded it cleanly. There was no sound, no resistance—the creature's head simply disintegrated, and its massive body crumbled lifelessly to the ground.
The air was still for a moment, the lance of light vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
Then, from the sky, a tall figure descended.
It was humanoid in shape but far more imposing than any human could ever be. Its body was encased in smooth, shimmering armor that seemed to ripple with light. The armor covered every inch of its form, from its head down to its feet, with no visible seams or gaps. There were no discernible features where a face should be, only a smooth, blank surface. Across the chest of the figure, glowing runes pulsed faintly, and an ethereal, soft hum radiated from its presence.
The being—no, the *Deity*—stood silently over the corpse of the fallen creature. Its head tilted slightly, as if analyzing the scene before it. The wind shifted, carrying the faint scent of ozone as the Deity's presence dominated the desolate wasteland.
Zinia, still hidden, watched with a cold gaze. There was no intrigue in her expression, only mild irritation.
"That's a Deity," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, but Mei heard her clearly. "These things are littered across the skies, especially in areas like this where the boundaries of reality are weak." She crossed her arms, her eyes never leaving the armored figure. "Their job is simple: detect and eliminate any living entity that moves near, at, or faster than light speed."
Mei, his expression unchanging, glanced toward the Deity, then back at Zinia.
"Why avoid it?" he asked, his tone flat but inquisitive.
Zinia scoffed softly. "Not because of the Deity itself," she explained, "but because it's a nuisance. These things are relentless once they lock onto a target moving at high speeds, and I have no interest in wasting time fighting one of them." She glanced at Mei, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "We could defeat it, it would still be difficult, but why bother when it serves no purpose?"
Mei remained silent, understanding her logic immediately. It wasn't fear or even caution that led Zinia to hide—it was practicality. Engaging with the Deity was unnecessary, and Zinia hated wasting energy on things that didn't amuse or challenge her.
"The Deities," she continued, "are just another complication in this multi-sided war. They patrol the skies, waiting to catch anything foolish enough to break the speed barrier. It's why most beings, even the powerful ones, avoid traveling at those speeds unless they're absolutely sure they won't be detected. It's an unwritten rule of survival in this world."
Zinia's eyes gleamed as she watched the Deity linger over the fallen monster, its head turning as if it was scanning the area for any other threats. After a few moments, the creature lifted its hand, and a pulse of light rippled outward, sweeping across the battlefield like a wave.
Zinia remained unfazed, confident in her concealment spell. The Deity's light passed over her and Mei without so much as a flicker of recognition.
Satisfied that there were no other threats, the Deity slowly ascended back into the sky. The hum of its presence faded as it disappeared into the clouds, leaving the wasteland in silence once more.
Zinia let out a small breath, her concealment spell dissipating. She stepped forward, her boots crunching on the dry earth, her posture relaxed but her mind sharp. Mei appeared beside her, his gaze shifting to where the Deity had vanished.
"Annoying, aren't they?" Zinia said, her tone casual but laced with disdain. "They don't even bother distinguishing between threats and mere travelers. Anything that moves too fast becomes a target."
Mei nodded slightly. "Yes sister."
Zinia flicked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression darkening as she glanced toward the horizon. "There are more important battles to fight than those with mindless drones."
With that, she gestured for Mei to follow. "Come. This wasteland has more to offer than Deities."
As they continued their journey across the barren battlefield, the eerie quiet returned, but Zinia knew this was nothing compared to higher ranking being, since drones type deities are classified as rank 4. Walking through the world was something she had to do and protecting it was her task as a messenger.