WALLACE GARRET

"Why exert yourself so relentlessly?" Mrizem’s words resounded within my thoughts as his weapon clashed against mine, their collision echoing through the expanse of the battlefield.

The milieu was awash in a sea of sol, while a peculiar luminescence emanated from my eyes. This was a consequence of Nelchael’s bestowed blessing, a proficiency I had refined during my sparring sessions with Kabir. Within this visual spectrum, I discerned numerous disturbances in the flow of sol across the area, a testament to the ongoing battles.

The inevitable confrontation between my counterpart and me had finally transpired. This encounter was akin to a collision of ideologies and motives, transcending the mere physical realm.

"Both of us are shackled by our objectives, Mrizem," I responded with a composed demeanor.

Simultaneously, I loosened my grip on the chains tethered to my scythe-head, enabling Mrizem’s weapon to glide past mine, its trajectory directed straight towards my heart. However, just as his weapon was poised to strike, an inexplicable deceleration overcame it—time seemed to stretch for the incoming blow.

This effect was a consequence of the cloak I donned, fashioned from the essence of Zlamaos, the keeper of time. This cloak wielded the ability to impose temporal sluggishness upon anything seeking to inflict harm, bringing it to a standstill. I could activate this feature up to five times a day.

Capitalising on this instance of suspended time, I seized the opportunity to catch Mrizem off guard. I used my enhanced strength to grasp the chain connected to his weapon, hauling him towards me. Predictably, distortions materialised in the space around him as he disappeared.

Yet I had foreseen this countermeasure and harnessed my blessing to foresee Mrizem’s point of emergence. As he materialised above me, my weapon, which I had earlier relaxed my hold on, pierced through the air’s fabric, delivering a gash to his hand as he recoiled.

"Why do you hold back?" I inquired, sensing his restraint.

Despite my superior speed and prowess, he still surpassed me in sheer power. Unlike me, he enjoyed the guidance of the corrupted king of the Overseers.

This recognition led me to notice Mrizem’s hesitance whenever he aimed for a decisive strike against me. It was as if he resisted engaging me fully—perhaps he didn’t truly desire our confrontation to escalate. Had he unleashed his full powers, the battle might have already been decided.

"Refrain from forming hasty conclusions, young one," he retorted. As his words concluded, his weapon materialized behind me, aimed at severing my neck. Swiftly, I rolled onto the ground, evading his strike as his weapon cleaved through thin air.

At the same time, a ripple formed in the air, and I disappeared, traversing into the omnipotent web of space. My gaze swept across the web, revealing an array of distortions propagated by Mrizem’s powers; his attempts were aimed at seizing direct control over the all-encompassing fabric rather than merely harnessing it, as I did.

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As I reappeared a few metres away from Mrizem, his weapon was simultaneously flung towards me. Yet I had foreseen this course of action, leveraging my foresight to anticipate its trajectory. I launched my own weapon in retaliation, culminating in a resounding clash.

"Face it. You were unable to dispatch me last time, and it appears history repeats itself now, Mrizem. Why persist?" I queried, my words penetrating him like slender needles. Anger ignited within his eyes, casting a fiery crimson hue, leading to a series of weapon clashes as we manoeuvred through the spatial warp, materialising in varying locations as our forces collided.

After the clash subsided and we descended towards the ground, Mrizem exhaled a low, resentful sigh, tinged with a sense of pity. "I am left with no alternative but to...

He paused mid-sentence, a momentary silence enveloping him.

Then, as if summoning his determination, he recommenced, his resolve firm. "I am left with no alternative but to eliminate all who stand in my path!"

In tandem, an array of illusory afterimages emanated from him, converging upon me with palpable murderous intent shimmering within their gazes. This intent, however, appeared to waver like a flame caught in a fierce gust of wind.

Before they could reach me, these images dissolved into nothingness, ensnared by the spatial anomalies I had conjured. The fabric of space shattered and contorted around them. The true Mrizem remained concealed, awaiting his opportune moment.

"Why deny me the chance to return home? Wallace, please step aside. I can assure you and your allies a secure haven in the new realm Lord Mirrikh envisions," His voice reverberated throughout the expanse.

"And what of the earth, consumed by your Lord’s madness? Are you willing to sacrifice countless lives merely to sate your yearning for home? Can you genuinely ensure that the corrupted monarch won’t turn his malevolent gaze upon your own universe?" I countered, unmoved by his words.

In tandem with my actions, I deftly evaded a flurry of strikes as his form materialised near me. The strikes bore no malevolence, as if his intention to end my life had waned.

Yet, abruptly, the strikes resumed, far deadlier than before. I barely managed to evade them, yet countless small cuts marred my flesh.

"Why do you falter, Mrizem? Given all you’ve committed, why do you deviate from your mission to eliminate me?" I pronounced, my words carrying enough weight to reach his ears.

I recognised that exploiting his inability to directly confront me was the sole means to overcome him.

His response remained absent. Swiftly, his figure manifested out of thin air, clutching his weapon. It spun at remarkable speed, akin to a cyclone, enveloping him in a defensive shield. The scythe’s chains, spiralling like a helicopter’s rotor blades, rendered the weapon even more menacing.

This technique was perilous, and I was acquainted with it. However, projecting Mrizem’s trajectory was an insurmountable task as he warped numerous times within a mere second. The velocity exceeded my robe’s capacity to slow it down. Thus, I had no option but to await my body’s disintegration.

It seems I am left with no alternative," I sighed.

Just as Mrizem abruptly materialised in my vicinity, his whirling weapon poised to cleave me in two, the space surrounding me shattered. I instantly warped behind him, and the shattered expanse transformed into a void that appeared to devour all within its grasp. It was as if a hole in reality itself had emerged.

This was one of the powers of the third phase of space weaving! In the last days of my training, I had finally accomplished it.

Mrizem had no recourse but to be drawn into the fractured space. The shattered milieu reconstructed itself gradually, affording him time to withdraw and halt the weapon’s rotation. My wounds initiated healing as I transmuted the shattered space into sol.

At last, his figure became visible, previously concealed by the rapidly spinning weapon. His gaze was downcast, his eyes avoiding contact with mine. It was as if guilt weighed on him.

"You can’t even meet my gaze. You must be the one to end me, not delegate the task to an inanimate object while averting your eyes," I proclaimed, resolute determination emanating from my gaze.