CHAPTER 68 - THE WEAKEST
LUKE HODGES
I ignited the will phase for a longer period of time, and yet there was a single thought in my mind that would make this will phase even more better than what it was.
Mana Rotation.
If only I had the proper technique to learn it and master Mana Rotation, I wouldn't even bother to take off the will phase but things don't always go my way.
Before I managed to cruelly talk to myself, the giant void hammer swung down on me. I reacted instantly by lifting up my sword with all my might, countering the giant hammer ready to kill me and squash me like a bug.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fully stop it. My left hand took all the damage, leaving it numb and weak against any other incoming attacks.
I groaned in pain, but mostly I was curious about what my current abilities would be able to do against a Scythe. Most importantly, if I was able to grow while fighting a Scythe or a Retainer just before I would be able to kill Cadell with my own two hands.
However, one strike was enough to numb my arm. That meant that my odds against a Scythe now were bad.
Dammit!
My current Strength isn't enough! Even with the Phase Will Fully–
Dragoth stepped in further into my own radius, like he was challenging me, provoking me more to unleash my power on him. "It seems that it doesn't take that much to break an Asura. Now I see why you know Cadell, but in reality if he can defeat you so can I!"
His voice had gotten more arrogant than before. It was pissing me off already.
My teeth were against each other with a force that made me taste iron. "That arrogance of yours is going to get you killed." I simply said, shifting the weight of the hammer to the side, letting it land solid on the ground which shook the whole surroundings like an earthquake.
The big horned Scythe quickly recovered his weapon by disintegrating it before materializing it back.
His blood red eyes widened a little but not enough for me to take it as such, so I did something he didn't expect.
Fast and fierce, I jumped right in front of him, swung the reflectionless black sword aimed at the top of his skull.
Noticing my actions, Dragoth's brows went forward. His muscular arms still held onto the re-materialized hammer which was not action ready.
"I got you."
[Blood Iron]
Sharp and deadly spikes rose from the ground, similar to Cadell's abilities.
I was late in reacting, one of the spikes was able to puncture my right arm. My arm became one with pain and began throbbing the more I held it in that position. And without any thought I activated Acceleration.
The world around me began to lose its color, becoming only black and grey.
With Acceleration activated I could take out the spike in my right arm, but I can also get rid of the Scythe right in front of me. Yes I will kill him right now–
Before I could make my decisive move, a sharp pain resonated deep in my head causing me to lose concentration of Acceleration in one go. The pain was so strong that tears, I didn't know if they were tears of blood or not, builded up and started to stream down my cheek. My right eye was hurting as well, hence I had to close it hoping it did better and that is when I saw it.
The whole world that was colored in only grey and black regained its color slowly but surely.
If I wanted to do something, now was the time.
But the question was, How?
How could I make my move now?
My right arm was punctured by a red blood spike while my left arm was numb. Not only that but my ability was fading away from my grasp. Mana Rotation had stopped because of my fast-paced ability and I couldn't keep the Will Phase on without any mana or will power.
The Acceleration was completely drained from the friction of the world.
Now only I and Dragoth stood here, it was no longer only me who moved through the colorless world.
"There is no way an Asura is this weak. Or perhaps I was stronger than the Asura!"
Hearing this I was only able to laugh.
A hard and long laugh, that was actually funny hearing that from someone who had died off-writing because he was so undervalued.
It was funny to me, despite my injuries that put me on death's door or perhaps even steps away from it. Hearing it from a pathetic being like him was amusing and entertainingly stupid.
"What are you laughing about? You are about to die by my hand, have you lost your high position as an Asura already?" Dragoth said, getting closer to me as he filled his war hammer with more mana to amplify its size. "No matter. Die."
[Absolute Zero]
Once more, the surroundings of both Dragoth and I turned to white silvery. Cold and lonely, it enveloped everything without any discrimination.
"No."
My voice boomed with power even though I didn't make it loud enough. My breaths could be seen as I inhaled and exhaled.
The tall muscular man backed off for a second before getting his wits together. His blood colored eyes showed arrogance and annoyance all at the same time. He stood tall and almighty like he was more powerful than any other being in this place, but he made a mistake. He was wrong.
He wasn't any stronger than Draneeve, and I knew that too. Hell, if that masked bastard were to actually not drown in his own arrogance, he would have been a Scythe but his greed and arrogance was too much.
That is the reason why he will die by my hand, and so will Dragoth.
Recently, I've discovered a bad habit.
My hand rose, slowly, like it was underwater. Going against the gravity of the liquid, however, it wasn't rising up slowly without any reward. Power. It had power in its palms, destructive power that would entirely cover this whole continent when it was fully mastered.
The air became colder, the floor became difficult to keep balance on, and the face that Dragoth showed me as his feet were covered on the heavy and dense ice made me smile like a madman.
The sounds of the ice crackling over his feet and covering them like nothing before made me happy but it was quickly overrun by the sheer strength this Scythe had.
Shattering like thin glass and yet they delivered a loud and crashing sound. I clicked my tongue but it no longer mattered. I now had something I had lost… or at least the feeling of it.
I don't know if it was because of my Will Phase being too much for my human teen body or because I was too drunk in my own power, but I felt warm enough to confuse it with my own elemental affinity which I once possessed.
It took a minute to really process what had happened.
In reality there wasn't any fire that provided the warmth I felt. Nothing of what was fire related to heat involved was non-existent.
Was I under a spell?
Quickly I activated [Acceleration] avoiding any attacks from the Scythe and instead looked around for anything that seemed out of place. Coincidently there was, deep down the hallway past Dragoth was a mana signature that I couldn't fully comprehend. Something I could understand was the color and the warmth it came from.
"There you are." I managed to say after being overwhelmed by my own power.
After noticing this queue, I immediately deactivated [Acceleration] without a second thought.
My eyes, drawing out the immense pain along with blood rolling down my face, stared into the eyes of the giant Alacryan.
His smile grew so much it started to annoy me.
"To hell with this. I don't have the time to fight you anymore." My irritated voice came out and the Scythe noticed this.
He increased the size of his war hammer like it was nothing, but that nothing was going to fire back. "HAHAHA. You are the weakest of the Asura and still think you can kill me? The Great Scythe!?"
Then, Dragoth sprinted towards me with his war hammer already in stance to be pushed with all his Alacryan strength. I only stared at him not doing any moment to alert him or it was just my arrogance now that I had this feeling of my goal halfway completed.
When it was time to swing his giant war hammer, Dragoth did so but his strength wasn't that of an Asura. His hammer hit the top of the cavern hallway and caused a rapid earthquake but it didn't fully go through the hard rock that sustained this hallway.
The crimson blood colored eyes were sucked out of his arrogance and confidence in mere seconds.
Dragoth tried to make his war hammer smaller in size but he was too late.
"This hallway is covered with the mana and Aether that your High Sovereign brought forth from what he could only extract, and I don't blame him, it is pretty sturdy…" I said, activating [Acceleration] and then jumping to be face to face with the Scythe. Then I let go of the spell as I called for the Black Void sword into my hand. "Unlike your horn." I swung down, the purple motes already clinging to the pure blade of the reflectionless black.
Seconds before he was able to comprehend my sudden appearance and the loss of his giant horn, I once more activated [Acceleration] and used [Down Force] on the whole hallway, but primarily on the giant Alacryan.
The weight of the gravity spell brought down the collapse of the cavern hallway with enough concentration on my part.
Thankfully, it had been a couple of meters full of rubble so for a Scythe like him, at least I would be able to sense his mana signature. But there is no need to worry about him right now.
I walked where red mana signature was leaking from and ended up finding something or more like someone I had been looking for.
"Hello there, I am here on my own accord to save you from this cold and dark place." I spoke in a more dignified tone from the opposite side of the bars.
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Author's note: HAPPY THANKSGIVING DEAR READERS, SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN CHAPTERS. I HAVE NO EXCUSE OF THIS BUT I SWEAR THAT I AM WORKING HARD TO KEEP THIS NOVEL ALIVE IN SOME WAY. ALSO SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTER I REALLY WANTED IT ONLY TO BE A FIGHTING CHAPTER BETWEEN LUKE AND DRAGOTH BUT AS TIME WAS GOING ON, THINGS NEEDED TO BE THIS WAY FOR THE PLOT.
SINCERELY; GENTLELORD