After his spar with Zerlos, I found Dante near his home.
I stopped him before he entered, wishing to tell him of my decision. I filled him in on the details I knew: that another battle had arrived, and that I could only choose one person to aid me.
I proposed it as a question, giving him the option to refuse, as I would never force my people into battle, regardless of how helpful they would be.
"It would be an honor to fight alongside you, Father Vale," he responded, and I was happy to see his devotion.
Afterward, he collected his copper sword from inside and headed to the crimson field with me.
We sat at its center as we waited for the rest of the time to pass before being transported.
Dante and I sitting in the field together drew the eyes of the other disciples, and I realized it was necessary for me to call them over and fill them in, at least the ones in the nearby vicinity.
"If you can hear my voice, come over and join me, though make sure that you sit five meters away from us."
The men and women nearby hesitated before making their way over.
There were twelve of them, and of the recognizable faces, I saw Zerlos, Laomi, Levon, Sera, Zavid, Obin, and Flores.
The rest were newcomers who I had yet to have the chance to spend any time with.
"Some of you may have been able to guess, but I go to battle soon. I did not wish to tell you, lest you worry about me, but I can assure you that I will return to Unus alive and well."
I gestured towards Dante, who was the only one sitting near me.
"The rules of the battle state that I must bring only one other fighter with me. Of course, I had a few options, but ultimately decided on Dante. Though, that is not to diminish the prowess of others."
All those present nodded their heads in acknowledgment; however, Zerlos' face twisted into deep sadness.
It was only for a moment, and after I cast my gaze on him, he quietly fixed his face and nodded as well.
This truly hurts him.
I understood his pain, but I couldn't put ourselves at risk simply to please others.
Dante had bested him in a duel, so it only made sense for me to choose him.
"I'm not sure how long we will be gone for, but as usual, I leave Zerlos in charge of things in my absence. Please make sure that you all pass on the news to the others, as we will probably have left before they return from their duties."
I dismissed them, and they all wished me luck in the battle.
I watched as Zerlos strolled over to his home and shut the door.
I enhanced my hearing to listen to the man out of curiosity, and from his home, I heard him sobbing in rage or depression.
For a moment, I felt regret, but then made sure to swiftly wipe it away.
My decision has been made.
But what bothered me most was how important my decisions were to the others, to the point where it would bring them to tears.
An hour had passed, and it was finally time for Dante and me to be brought to the world of Battle 002.
The world shifted around us, sending us into unconsciousness as we traversed the unknown realms.
---
We awoke at our destination.
I stood in a square arena made from sand, boxed off by tall walls and a ceiling higher than we would ever be able to reach.
The room was roughly 50 meters in width and length, and we stood on one of the far sides.
I turned to see Dante standing not far from beside me, though what was strange was that he was attempting to move around, but was seemingly being stopped by some sort of invisible barrier enclosed around him.
I tried to do the same, pushing my hand out in front of me, and it met some sort of resistance.
This is clearly Osidon's means to keep us in place.
Dante's mouth moved in an attempt to speak, but I heard no sound come from outside of the barrier, even when I focused and enhanced my hearing.
Far ahead, on the other side, I noticed two figures standing similar to myself and Dante.
One of them, who was evidently the god from his clothing and physique, was a tall, slender man.
I enhanced my sight to see him more clearly.
He was a young man with orange hair that was scruffy in a way that made him seem harmless.
He had what you would call a "baby face", though his physique was muscular, even through his red and black robes.
His fingers were adorned with rings of all different colors, and around one eye, he wore some sort of tribal-looking face paint.
The woman looked less glamorous. She simply wore a brown jumpsuit, which made her look like a ninja. It covered her face but allowed her hair to stick out from the top, which was in a high ponytail.
They both wore weapons on their backs, though I couldn't make out what they looked like from the angle where I stood.
Then, Osidon's voice sounded around us.
"Listen carefully, Vale, God of the Broken, and Oliva, God of Serenity, as I will now explain the rules of the second battle, to both you and your disciples.
This battle will be called Tag Team, though don't let its name fool you; you will be having no control over when you wish to tag your teammate into this fight.
Instead, it will be controlled by a 30-second timer.
The gods will start, their barriers being dropped, and will be allowed 30 seconds of combat. If they fail to kill each other, then they will be transported back to their boxes, and their disciples will then be released to do battle with each other.
If neither of the disciples is able to defeat the other in the time limit, then they too will be transported back to their boxes, and the gods will be released to fight once again.
This process will continue until we are given a victor!"
The rules were simple, and they favored my way of thinking.
If I were able to get out there and win my battle within the first thirty seconds, I could avoid having to risk the life of Dante.
However, as I looked at the woman on the far side, I saw a weak-looking figure, whereas my opponent seemed strong, as all gods did.
Perhaps Dante will be fine, even if I am not able to win within 30 seconds.
"The reward for the victor of this battle will be 20 men and women, as well as two large houses for them to live in, supplied with provisions."
...
"Now then," Osidon's voice shouted, as I felt a presence drop from around me, the invisible barrier.
"Let the battle begin!"