I took my final leap. An eerie smile rose on my face like a demon as I muttered,
"Portal."
An immense energy began to condense at one point. The flow of mana twisted and broke apart. The air cracked, space itself tore open as I vanished from sight.
"Where did he go?"
The man's eyes sharpened with caution. He snapped his fingers, summoning a swirling globe of red dust that spun violently in the air and From that single point, a crimson light burst outward as a scythe emerged, landing perfectly in his hand.
Its blade was black laced with deep crimson, glinting under the dull sun. And its saturation gave it a bloodthirsty look as he swung his weapon through the still air.
Buzz...
Sparks of red electricity followed the swing
As he muttered,
"Let's see, how. Well you can hide from me, or her..."
His words became corrupted. The surroundings fell into silence and From the path of his strike, the red current tore open another realm that looked like hell itself. From it, an old lady appeared, her eerie smile stretched across her whole face like a demon's. Blood dripped from her hollow eyes, staring into nothing, and her body, was like a serpent, it crawled out of the void with a suffocating bloodlust.
The atmosphere grew intense. The world turned blood and black, as if reality itself was bleeding.
The old woman's head tilted slowly as she looked behind the man, and then she screamed.
Screeeek!
The world shook from the sound as she launched herself toward the man's back. He moved slightly, and then reality tore open again as the serpent came straight toward me, screaming.
"How—"
***
~Few min earlier…
Well, I hid myself from him, since there's no way I can win at my level. Also I quickly have to figure out how to bypass the barrier and escape.
I've already altered it so I can use magic inside, but I still can't use any escape magic to flee.
Ughh...
Well, thankfully, I could use this skill like this. I've only ever used it for escaping, traveling, and attacking... whatever.
I closed my eyes, analyzing the pattern I recorded in my mind with my perception skill, and began experimenting with it.
But I guess I can't hide forever.
***
Wth—!
I blocked the attack by forming a hexagonal barrier, but it shattered from the impact, a heavy hit landed on my stomach as I coughed up some blood knocking me several meters away.
"Ugh, what the hell was that...?"
The man came closer in an instant, as if reality had shifted and then he spoke with a calm demeanour.
"Well, well, well... are you done hiding, Boy!?"
He looked at me like a begging dog as if I don't worth his attention, and then I raised my head looking at his eyes with full confidence, then I shifted my gaze towards the creature. Looking at the swirling serpent around him—almost as long as a fifteen-story building.
The surroundings were still covered in blood-red and black imagery, while my mind raced with calculations and code sequences that could help break the barrier.
"Well... I guess, ugh... I have to fight you with my full might."
I stood up, my legs trembling from the pain. Blood dripped from open wounds left by the last impact. My body was breaking apart, but I still smiled as I stared at the man, looking straight up into his eyes.
"So... shall we begin?"
My actions hit him like a knife to his pride. He closed the gap, eyes bulging and looked at me.
"I'm done warning you boy.
I'll make you suffer MORE. THAN. DEATH!!"
A vein throbbed at his forehead. Tension coiled tight as I met his gaze and spoke.
"Try fight me."
Before I could do anything a hand gripped tight, the sudden pressure crushed my face as I got sent flying meters through the air.
"Wth."
He closed distance in a blink and unloaded a storm of blows through my body. Blood sprayed all over my mouth. My vision blurred. I tried to stay conscious, but my head got slammed into the ground, the surroundings exploded into shards of dust as I groaned,
"Aghh."
But even after that I still grinned Through the gap of his crushing grip and taunted.
"That's all?"
"You dare to smile while bleeding. Bold. But willpower will not save you"
"Oh really?.
He smashed my face again but still smirking I shouted
"Portal."
He twisted in surprise trying to stop me as I vanished and reappeared, launching a swirling ball of fire straight into his back.
Boom.
But That wasn't enough and Before I could move—
Vzzzz.
Something manifested behind me like fate choosing my death. I had to dodge or—
"Portal."
I blinked out again. His attack erupted into a destructive lash that threw red sparks in every direction. He stood still, then rolled his head and looked at the exact spot I had been standing.
"I like it. A rat running from his prey. Hahaha. Run all you want, but you cannot escape my scythe. The Death always follows."
He summoned the scythe as the serpent disappeared. Red mana spiraled around him and he vanished, then snapped back in front of me. I slipped free once more. My mind ran simulations at full speed, My instincts screamed at me to survive.
"What is this feeling?
Where are you running?"
"Shi—"
He blinked behind me, blade grazing my skull and cutting down my back.
"Aghhhh."
I spun to kick, but he phased and reappeared to connect a brutal kick to my face, sending me flying. I rolled, landing on my feet, and stared at him. He was different, colder. Like an Another side of him, like a shadow wearing his face.
"What are you thinking?" he taunted.
Hearing that snapped my body into motion. Primal instinct took over, shouting at me to run. I hardened and saw him again—the black shape looming with the weight of lives he'd crushed. The walking death.
"Screw my mana. I'll, crush him!"
"Oh, now you're serious. Come at me."
"Wind step!"
Vushh.
I boosted myself up to him, circuits I created hummed with energy. He launched himself too, scythe slicing through the air, as I summoned the elementals with a wave of my hand.
Seven spheres of patterned circles revolved around me, rotating like miniature suns. My mana surged outward, pulsing with raw power as I funneled every ounce of energy into my hands.
Tenfold, hundredfold, no, two hundred folds!!
"Aarghh!" I screamed, feeling the energy tore through me.
The man grinned, striking his scythe against my fist.
BOOOOM."
A blinding flash exploded between us. The ground beneath us evaporated in waves of heat, lavenders crumbled into dust, and the air itself turned to ash. Clouds shredded into nothingness. Only two figures remained, suspended in the chaos, still floating.
He licked the blood dripping from his hand, his expression calm, almost serene—but I could see the faint strain in his stance. I hovered there, limbs trembling, blood streaking my face, energy nearly drained.
"Heh, ugh… I guess I cannot defeat you at my level. But there's one thing you forgot…"
"What?"
"I was not your target but. She was."
His eyes darted to the side, surprise flickering across his face as the girl raised her hands, chanting a spirit spell that shimmered like liquid silver in the void. She launched a sudden strike which he hadn't anticipated.
Boom.
The man moved, trying to block it with his scythe, but it was too late. The attack struck him. And in that moment, I lunged forward, scooping the girl into my arms, and used Portal—vanishing as the world tore itself apart behind me.
"We will meet soon," I whispered, the words barely audible over the lingering echoes of destruction.
"Where are you running?" His voice bellowed from his burning body, rage boiling through the air, but I had already disappeared.
The man stayed floating in mid-air, fury etching every line of his body, muttering,
"I'll find you…"
"The one who says 'Who lost his target?'"
"Why are you here, Angelina?" he demanded.
"Well, the boss sent me, so you wouldn't cause trouble—but it seems you've caused quite a mess."
"Shut up. Don't interfere."
"Oh my… where is your calm? You seem to have gone crazy again," she said, eyes glowing with a suppressing aura. The shadows twisted around her, the world itself seeming to bend as she stepped closer. Her voice resonated like void.
"You know your place, right?"
The man's composure snapped back, as he spoke respectfully.
"Yes, my lady."
"Oh, you're back. But… the pests are still wandering—quite troublesome, I see."
"But not for long."
She smiled, sharp and knowing, then melted into the shadows, her presence vanishing like smoke. The man followed her back.
***
A swirl of energy burst midair, as we both crashed on to the ground.
Thud.
"Ah—!"
"Ugh…"
I landed on soft grass beside a river. The girl groaned above me.
"Hey… can you get off me?" I muttered, barely able to breathe.
She gasped, face turning red as she scrambled up. "Ah—sorry! I didn't mean to—"
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," I said, coughing up Blood, as I wiped it off with my sleeve.
Seeing that, she immediately leaned closer, supporting my back. "Hey, you're bleeding too much! Don't move!"
"Don't look so guiltly," I said with a half-smile. "I just did what I had to."
Her hands trembled. "But… why did you save me like that? You could've died."
I chuckled weakly. "Well… guess I like gambling with death."
She frowned. "Stop joking."
"I'm not." I took a deep breath and looked at the fading smoke in the distance. "You didn't notice, did you? That man—he set up a barrier. It blocked every magic, every escape spell, even outer communication."
Her eyes widened. "What? Then how did you—"
"I didn't break it," I said quietly. "I… changed it."
She blinked. "Changed it?"
"Yeah. I overwrite its mechanics from inside. But I needed time to figure out how to bypass it. That's why I fought him—to keep him distracted."
"But that attack at the end… what was that? The seven glowing orbs?"
"That was the gamble," I said, smiling faintly. "I knew when I released all seven elements, the impact would force the barrier's structure to overload and For a moment, the protection spell I'd cast on you would break too."
Her expression softened as realization hit her. "Wait… so when my barrier disappeared, and I thought you were—"
"Yeah," I said. "I knew you'd come rushing back. That was my only chance. The moment you moved, the enemy's focus shifted. That's when I used Portal."
She stared at me, speechless for a moment, then hit my chest lightly. "You idiot… you actually gambled your life on me reacting like that?"
"Heh. Worked, didn't it?"
"That's not funny!"
I smiled weakly, eyes half-closing. "Maybe not. But it got us out."
"Don't you dare sleep right now," she said, shaking me slightly.
"Too late," I muttered, smirking faintly. "Guess… I can rest a bit now. You'll watch my back, right?"
"Wait—hey, don't—"
Her voice blurred as darkness took me in.
Still, I smiled to myself.
As For the first time, I wasn't alone. At least in this world
And, A reason to grow again.
To destroy the church.
And uncover the truth behind the summoning of otherworlders.