An intense struggle. His body could barely stay standing. The world he had created weighed on him as if countless weights were crushing his back. An irritating buzz in his ear. Arthur knew—Jack hadn't even revealed a third of his true strength. He was holding back. It was almost a joke. Letting his companions die just to avenge one person... one life for hundreds.
His body couldn't move, faced with the pressure Jack emanated merely from losing control of his emotions—a dark aura. Once again, mana flowed over his body, forcing it to move. His leg felt like liquid, his skin the container. But he stood, with unshakable conviction, a promise that would not break.
Back to the battle, creating countless thorns to create spaces and openings to attack, aiming for blind spots. With brutality, Jack and his disciples destroyed the walls. He advanced against Arthur while his eldest disciple protected Emilia and the youngest protected the mage.
"Damn it, I don't have enough mana to change the 'world' completely. Just shaping small thorns already makes my body dizzy."
Before he realized it, he was hit by a precise punch to his ribs that made him spit blood and sent him flying. Before he could create anything to protect himself, the eldest disciple was already on top of where he landed, hitting him with a kick.
—Lenny!
In a second, Arthur tried to counter-attack, but Jack managed to warn his disciple in time, who dodged and landed a clean knee strike to his face. Instinctively, he closed his eyes, but when he opened them, he saw that Lenny had disappeared. Before he could understand anything, a huge fireball hit him.
A massive plume of smoke rose. They gathered, watching carefully. Jack looked with worry at Emilia, but his gaze turned to the bodies of his companions who had given their lives for a selfish cause. However, in the end, he was happy. It was disgusting—to be happy about sacrificing so many people just for revenge...
"Master, do you see? In the end, you can rest in peace."
Looking up, his smile was so beautiful, so gentle. His existence was finally concluded. What more could he wish for?
—We won!
Everyone's eyes turned to the youngest, who had his arms raised with a huge smile. Everyone's faces showed a funny grimace. In an instant, a loud sound was heard. There he stood, Arthur. His skin was a black shade, full of bruises, his face tilted upwards with his mouth open. His breathing was damaged, his nose obstructed.
—Miguel, for God's sake, shut up.
Shrinking back, it was like a small ant writhing in guilt. Arthur exploded his mana onto the ground, launching his body forward, trying to hit Jack, but hitting the joint of his elbow instead, followed by a kick to the jaw that knocked him to the ground. A humiliation... Arthur, with his last strength, started biting Jack's ankle. His pupils had shrunk, his consciousness was almost devastated. How strong was that promise to keep him so persistent?
—Finally back to your roots, you shitty dog.
Raising his other leg, he struck his back. With that blow, blood gushed from his mouth.
"I can't fall, I promised... I promised. I promised. I PROMISED!"
Mana began to condense around Arthur, but in a drastically unstable way. He was self-destructing. However, Jack undid the mana he had worked so hard to gather.
In his vision, Jack saw magical words forming in the air. He could finally act. It took time to get permission, but it was useless at this point. They had won.
—Ha, what a beautiful sight, seeing a worm pretending to be human.
That macabre smile, now so funny, missing teeth, a purple face full of bruises. Jack couldn't hide his satisfaction. Arthur began to whisper.
—I guess it's over now, right?
Once again, everyone looked at the youngest, but with his exaggerated expressions. The mage facepalmed, unable to believe what he had heard.
A macabre mana began to flood the room. If they could describe it in words, it would be "terrifying and demonic." So dense. Those who weren't strong enough foamed at the mouth. A vortex resembling a tornado formed. Black tentacles with green hues. And at the top, in the center, it was possible to see "that thing"—a green smile. Two dots and a line, as if drawn by a child. Jack was thrown away from Arthur.
—FULFILL YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN!
That being revealed its teeth. A macabre hand with sharp, pointed nails. That hand was gigantic. Arthur's body levitated towards the nail.
—Give me... the rewards for that.
A lightning bolt struck, followed by a whirlwind of mana that surrounded Arthur. His body lit up. Rays of light shot from his eyes and mouth.
Jack hesitated. Faced with such a immense presence, if he made a mistake, everyone could die. Arthur's body reshaped itself. The torn parts regenerated. What was torn off was replaced. His body became so alive, and once again, he stood. His body floated slowly. That smile already declared his state. He touched the ground softly. The clouds and that macabre being disappeared without any warning.
—You're incredible, Jack. Driving me to this point... but this is all you're capable of. So... die.
He stretched out his arm and opened his hand. A sphere appeared and shot towards them. Emilia parried it using her long axe. The rebound flew towards him. The scene, once so dark, became a shallow ocean that only covered their feet. A wall of water absorbed the mana sphere.
—Took you long enough to wake up, Emilia.
Emilia raised her middle finger at Arthur, grinding her teeth.
—Fuck you.
A snap of his fingers shaped waves that advanced like stakes against them. Spears emerged from the sky, falling like stars.
Jack released a pulse of mana, destroying all the attacks. Something had changed, even his gaze.
—You know, all kings have things that restrict them. We call them seals. We can only use our true power with permission from our superiors...
Jack's body began to grow. His muscles swelled, his shirt began to tear. His eyes glowed in a blue tone, but his uncontrolled, heavy breathing took the scene. His veins bulged, and he convulsed. And finally, he took a deep breath.
—I hate this power. Everyone has wished to read minds at some point. They might even say it's a blessing... It's a curse, one I've carried my whole life. I remember you said you feel nothing...
A dark, shadowy aura exuded from Jack's body. That deep gaze looked directly beyond Arthur—it stared into the wickedness, the souls that had passed, those who died without any mercy.
—Congratulations, I'll help you with that. I'll engrave a deep trauma into your mind that will instill fear for the rest of your life.
He disappeared, throwing a punch against Arthur, who defended himself. Spinning in the air, he recovered and advanced, where Jack also retaliated, counter-attacking and landing a sure punch on Arthur's face. The environment shifted to a plain.
Back to the fight, a frantic exchange of blows without any opening for external interference. Just the two of them. But even with a power that had taken him beyond his limits, Arthur hadn't landed a single punch.
"Damn it, I used the blessing! So why am I at a disadvantage?!"
A hook with condensed mana directly to the solar plexus. Exploding mana at the base of his left foot, he flew up and prepared, landing a vertical kick right on his head. Arthur, without any hesitation, grabbed his ankle.
—Surprise~
Smiling as if he had planned this far ahead, he mocked, ready to use his technique.
—Predictable.
He didn't notice that Jack had enchanted a spell on his foot, causing a wave of mana that sought to destroy his insides—a direct hit.
"What absurd reaction time! He hit a sphere on my arm in that short period? He noticed?"
Blood ran from his mouth, but he was standing, as if he didn't even care about the blow.
—Shall we stop playing? Stop analyzing and come at me with everything, or I'll kill those ones over there.
Mana condensed in Jack's fist to a level incomparable to before. Arthur prepared, ready to use his technique. Both initiated the combat with a clash of fists—a shockwave that traveled a long distance, a blast that threw everything nearby into the air. But the contest began to reveal the winner. Jack began pushing Arthur back. His strength and mana were superior. Losing the clash, he was thrown far away, but Jack noticed numerous wounds on his arm. Before Arthur could open his mouth to taunt, he was surprised by an attack from behind. He jumped, dodging the horizontal axe swing. A punch hit Arthur on his cheek. Before he could even think of recovering, he was hit in the rib with a precise blow and struck by a fireball in the air.
"These sons of bitches!"
He altered everything around him, creating numerous boulders that fell like meteorites. But releasing a wave of mana, Jack destroyed them all. However, a well-aimed punch to the liver hit Emilia. Before Miguel could react, Arthur snapped his fingers, forming thorns that pierced his skin. Lenny prevented the damage from worsening, destroying all the thorns. Jack destroyed the entire space, creating uneven ground, aiming to restrict Arthur's movements.
"A damnably good little group in terms of synergy."
Before I could think of any way to counter-attack, they had already repositioned. Jack advanced, trying to create openings. The eldest disciple stayed behind providing cover. Emilia protected the old mage who needed guarding. What the hell happened? Ah... I see myself flying. He disappeared. His speed tripled. His eyes shining like beacons. His body shrank—once so tall, now shrunk. Of course, he was still quite tall. Blinding my eyes like a sun, I see that dense, flaming magic coming my way. Losing is not an option. Using the powers I received from the pact, I created tentacles and protected myself from it. Then, I changed the environment to a place where I have the advantage—a city is ideal. I can hide or take advantage of the space. Besides, I separated them all, sending them as far away as I could, especially him. But I couldn't separate everyone individually. Only Jack was sent away, so they are in a group. But of course, it's an absurd cost. The larger the place I create, the greater the cost to create something of that proportion. It took more than half of my mana. What a blow.
—Ha... Ha, are you going to give me some time...?
With an abrupt expenditure of a high amount of mana, he staggered, dizzy. But something bothered him doubly—increasingly vivid visions that brought a strong pain to his head. A shadow making a gesture for silence, while smiling. He couldn't understand what it was.
"Why are they taking so long! The fourth hasn't even returned to the sub-space. What the hell is he doing? Besides, everyone vanished with lame excuses. If I hadn't underestimated them! And that thing that's bothering me the most... how did they find the door?"
Immersed in thought, he let his guard down, and Jack appeared, punching him with such force that his body spun in the air without moving from the spot. He used mana, holding Arthur in place. He was knocked out for a second, and when he tried to move, Jack attacked again. But Arthur managed to react and defend. Useless. The mana condensed in his hand exploded instantly, using the same principle as Arthur's technique. Jack broke his wrists.
—Shit.
Holding his left arm, Jack quickly tore it off, followed by a direct blow to Arthur's core, which released a strong wave of mana that destroyed him internally.
The tentacles moved, attacking him, but before they could touch him, Emilia, with her axe, made a clean cut, slicing them all in half.
—Do you have any cards left?
That look that screamed for an even bloodier fight. Arthur spat blood uncontrollably, each breath forming blood bubbles.
—Get up. Elevate this fight one more notch. Don't you dare fall.
That unsettling feeling returned to everyone. The portal through which they had faced an imposing force returned.
—HaHaHaHa.... HAHAHAHAHA.
A deep laugh, like hammers beating on their eardrums. He was amused, seeing his contractor in such a deplorable state. But his attention turned to Jack, who was flying towards him with his fists glowing red. He had been saving that—his final technique, which he named {Mind's End}.
—EMILIA! QUICK!
They grouped up quickly, hiding behind Emilia's large axe. Condensing their mana together, they created a barrier that enveloped them.
That fist, which carried so much pain and resentment—thoughts created from memories, turning his strength into reality—condensed such a vast amount of mana that even the subspace felt the weight of that blow. Impacting it, it began to crumble.
"I'm sorry."
A gesture so gentle that it resurfaces amidst so much chaos. A smile so free and sweet. A memory he swore to forget. Setting them aside, he regained his concentration, ready to blow everything up.
Countless tentacles covered in eyes flew towards him. Jack landed his fist, which sank into the multitude of tentacles, causing them to explode and shatter. A wave so strong and dense it was visible to the naked eye. Emilia and the others could barely protect themselves. A curtain of smoke rose, caused by the debris from the buildings.
—Lenny! Can you see him?!
Everyone looked for signs of him. In the distance, Miguel saw his master. A smile spread across his face, placing his hands on his chest and sighing in relief.
—He's over there! Let's go— interrupted by Jack's voice, stopping them from approaching.
Eyes that couldn't turn to his companions, so wide open. Holding his arm, which was covered in blood, his flesh torn apart. That blow had a strong recoil. He bit his lips worriedly, anxiety taking over. The smoke curtain began to disappear. Once again, that damn guy was standing, but his aura had completely changed. That being was gone—it was a fact. Arthur had been possessed.
—I can't even find the words! How long has it been since I had a chance to fight?!
While the one who had taken consciousness of the body was immersed in happiness, Jack interrupted with a series of blows. Disgustingly, he conjured numerous tentacles that received the punches. A dense black mist began to drift towards him. A powerful kick created an impact wave that dissipated the mist, but where it had grazed him, it left numerous marks.
"That mist is like blades. If it hits me directly again, it'll be a pain."
Followed by numerous blows intending to clear everything and reach Arthur, but he was interrupted by the spreading mist. Without noticing, Emilia managed to hit him, cutting off his right arm.
—Emilia!
They had arrived to help Jack. It was almost a joke—five humans against a god-like being.
Darkness enveloped the entire room. At the center was he, with a macabre smile, as if his mouth had been slit.
—I hope you haven't forgotten how to fight.
—Are you really going to?
Even if he wanted to deny it, they stood no chance against him. That being was just toying with them, waiting for the next move without any concern for counter-attacking. So Jack made a decision—that power which made him a king.
The aura around them changed. Once relaxed, now so bloodthirsty. The attack began. The synergy, already strong, was now at an absurd level. Each blow followed by a combination of coordinated attacks.
Years ago, they were a group recognized as one of the strongest of their time. They were named "The Void Breakers."
That being who claimed to be a god began to be pressured. All the blows hit him. It was obvious at this point—this was Jack's true awakening.
—Oh!! Wow!
In the distance, someone watched the fight, sitting while swinging her legs cheerfully.
The combo was destroyed with a new type of attack he revealed. The mist transformed into living beings—they were like depraved-looking demons. He created a massive armor with a huge scythe. Before he could swing it, Jack destroyed it.
"This bastard gives me no space. My regeneration is too slow. He's off guard. I need to destroy his arm."
Aiming at his right arm, he advanced, forming his mist in his palm. Jack dodged, but when he realized, he was smiling—it was a feint. He managed to hit him and corroded the flesh around the bones, leaving nothing but them.
—That attack was really fucking awesome, but sorry, it's over.
Fallen to the ground, Arthur flailed like a fish out of water. Jack sacrificed his arm to get close and create a massive point-blank explosion in multiple spots.
—To your misfortune, when I use my awakening, I can hear intentions, the voices of inanimate objects, and other little things.
Jack fell to his knees. In sheer desperation, Emilia arrived with a smooth, spherical object—a sacred artifact. She began to heal him once again.
—You were lucky... because... this... vessel... is...
His eyes lost their shine. A purple mist began to seep from his body, returning to where it came from.
—Quite an adventure, huh, boss?
His eyes were heavy, as if weights were forcing them shut, but he couldn't pass out there.
—You're looking pretty rough, aren't youuu?
Without any warning, a person appeared beside them. She had no presence, like a ghost. Emilia drew her axe and swung it at her neck.
—She's one of us.
Her neck was almost cut, but she barely blinked. She had dark purple hair. Dark brown eyes, so dark. She was like a flea, about 1.60m tall. Her voice was relaxed and cheerful, but her smile was extremely forced, as if she didn't know how.
—I've never seen you. Who are you?
The axe didn't move, threatening her neck.
—She's not suspicious. After all... she was the one who discovered how to enter this place. In fact, the person who helped the most in hunting this bastard was precisely this woman.
—Pleasure, my name is Abby!
End of Chapter.