Merlin needed to get Solteq to the trap. ‘Easy, I just need to feed his hatred of me, and he’ll fall for the trap. Hyftri, you can set a link between a follower of Solteq and me. Right?’

“I could, but are you sure the trap is enough? It’s been three hundred years since, as he thinks, you got him exiled. He might have advanced above the plateau.”

‘I’m sure, and haven’t you noticed that the Jolt he put on this body is different than before? It’s more refined than when he was only on the ninth Jolt. I’d guess he’s between thirteen and seventeen Jolts. It’s an obvious observation; He got past the plateau, and he’s most likely as strong as I am.’

“I’ll start now. Get ready, Solteq’s followers are all fanatical about him. Kind of like how pious your followers were.”

Merlin felt a connection being made with a lesser being. Solteq felt his follower’s connection; Merlin was sure of it.

He didn’t have much time. He drew elder spirit symbols of Dhyr, Kelios, and the Eclipse. The symbols took a lot out of Hyftri’s energy and his mental power.

*Crack* The walls of reality began to crack as the symbols lit up. The corpses of elder spirits were powerful, to say the least.

He heard the swooshes and strides of Solteq getting closer. He saw the alternative to this chosen avatar.

It was a large man with a multitude of arms and many eyes replacing his nose and ears. His linkage between spirit and avatar wasn’t perfect; The extra appendages were proof of that. It didn’t matter though, an imperfect link allowed for more spirit power to seep through. He knew what Solteq was thinking.

“You fucker… Don’t you know this ritual will cause HIM to reprimand us? I can’t afford you to ruin my chances for a second time.” Solteq warned.

With the sentence ending, the fight began. Hyftri was keeping the entrapment ritual going while ‘Merlin’ fought Solteq.

[Seventeenth Jolt]

Solteq boomed with orange-hued mana. He amplified it with spirit power which gave the mana a brownish red tint to it.

Solteq shot forward with an even greater speed than the malnourished beast down at the altar. He gave Merlin a right hook which sent him flying into an obstacle of trees.

“Good old times. Right? On Dhyr? Hiding from HIM.” Merlin called out.

He came out of the wreckage with a broken arm and pierced lung. The body wasn’t dead yet. He amplified the body with spirit power and threw a spell in the blink of an eye.

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He only needed one symbol to throw out advanced spells. He made this world’s spell system after all. He made the Eclipse symbol of a closed hand except for the index and middle finger.

[Shattering Eclipse]

A void crescent shot out to Solteq who, in his effort to dodge, didn’t notice Merlin making another spell.

[Kelios’ Hell]

A crackling black fire hotter than the stars spread out and covered Solteq’s body which limited his movement.

“FUCK! Haa… Haa… You’ll regret this. You- “He appeared behind me with his ascendant speed before he even completed his sentence.

“Shit.” Was the only word Zothozeft said as he was sent flying with a kick powerful enough to take half of his abdomen.

When he tried to stand back up again, he almost fell due to the unstable support of his body’s structure.

Merlin’s appearance was akin to the bloodied and bruised corpse of somebody who was half eaten by a beast.

Solteq’s appearance looked like the scorched and almost melting visage of a bloodthirsty hatred-fueled maniac.

They were at a standstill. Merlin didn’t need to win; he only needed to stall for time. ‘Based on the energy circulating next to us. Hyftri is almost done with the merging ritual to get the dew of a celestial leaf from the corpse of Dhyr. I guess I should end this since I don’t have much time left. It’s a bit boring but it’s necessary.’

“…You’re not only trying to trap me using those symbols… You’re trying to merge this planet with the planet of Dhyr.” Solteq realized as he felt the energy.

He tried to run until the black flames started to hurt less and less but taking his energy more and more. He started to slow down and then eventually with the spell [Phiret’s Embrace], which Merlin amplified the spell with the amount of spirit power this body could handle, Solteq’s avatar died which left Solteq’s spirit form.

He couldn’t describe spirit forms since they were ever-changing. The trap activated as soon as Solteq was in his spirit form.

The spirit was contained, and Merlin brought out a container filled with etches and symbols of great spirits. The most helpful symbols were the symbol of the great spirit of Dreams and the symbol of the great spirit of The Eclipse.

With the second to last material in his possession, all he needed was the merging ritual to be completed and then he could get his celestial leaf.

He walked across the hell that was the battlefield between himself and Solteq.

He observed the black fire that was gnawing at the trees and the destruction of the mountains near here. He noticed that the shockwaves of Solteq’s Jolts caused a wall of rubble to spread around the forest.

With nobody able to enter the forest, it gave a sense of calmness throughout the area. All the beasts were dead, and no lesser beings were alive here except the trees that would soon die in the flames.

*tap* Merlin went down the stone stairs toward the altar. “What’s the progress on the ritual.” He asked.

He saw formless energy or smoke in front of it. Sometimes there was a familiar face in that smoke or energy. It was Hyftri. She spoke.

“The merging ritual is almost complete. You will have at most thirty seconds before the great spirit of the Fickle-Minded awakens. Also, you will have ten seconds before the hand-made Soldiers of that great spirit arrive here.” Hyftri explained.

“I got it. Protect the altar.” Merlin said as he started to regain the energy and stamina he lost during the battle.

***

“The ritual is about to be completed. Are you sure you’re ready?” Hyftri asked.

“I regained enough of my energy. Don’t worry, I’m ready.” Merlin answered.

There was a rumbling sound which was followed by a shattering of something.