A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER
ZWAIN'S POV:-
"Damn it! why her?" I speak in a bitter voice. I am starting to feel hopeless with every passing moment.
'Unia. To think she is involved in this mess,' I mumble as I look at her.
Is this the day I die?
'Well, it's not like I can give up and run away.' I smile as I think about the options available to me.
"I am here only for the Elf Princess, everyone else can leave," she speaks in a robotic voice.
'Haha! Like heck, I can do that!' I narrow my eyes on her. She is standing there without any expression. She seems to be waiting for our answer.
"Okay, just leave our Association alive," Karina speaks with a bitter voice.
I glance at her then sigh,
'It's not like I expected her to fight alongside me in a life or death confrontation,' I think as I stare at her.
That 'harmless' looking demon.
She has already killed 7 people who are equal to Royal Mages and Elf Branches within this Century.
'To surrender is a valid option, huh.'
But...
"I will fight," I make my decision clear.
Karina is shocked at my decision.
Looks like she hadn't expected me to choose to fight.
I turn at her,
"I can never betray my nation and let our Princess to be taken by the Devils. We are Elves. The soldiers of nature. We aren't cowards, Karina. We are the last people on Visca who will surrender in front of the Devils. Even if it means total annihilation." I speak as I look at her. My eyes are determined. From the beginning there was definitely no option to back out from this fight.
She puts her head down with shame.
Her body is still shaking from the fear.
'Who am I to think that when I am no better?' I mumble as I look at my own body which is shuddering.
'My heartbeat is at it's peak too, huh.'
"Okay, I am sorry then. Rest in peace," a robotic voice comes from Unia as she takes out her scythe.
"[Devil transformation: Fortuna]" she activates her devil transformation as she stands there.
There is no change in her outer appearance but...
She blinks, closing the distance between us.
'[Domain of truth: Realm of Fates]' I open my domain.
Time slows for everyone but me and Unia.
Threads surround us as far as I can see.
I dodge her attacks and take a step back.
Then I analyse her and her threads of fate.
'Haha, that's no joking matter,' I chuckle as I look at the enormous amount of threads of fate which are connected to her.
'Cutting each and every single strand is going to take some time,' I think as I move forward.
She attacks me again.
I dodge her and bind her with my threads but she easily breaks free.
I kept dodging her and attacking her.
"How long can you last, huh? I can slow the time here for decades," I ask her even though I know she won't answer back.
'[Thread of Misfortune][Thread of suffering][Threads of Death]' I surround her with few of my strongest skills.
But...
She cuts it easily.
"That scythe, just what is that?" I ask again but it doesn't seem like she is going to answer.
'That scythe is capable of cutting even these threads, huh.'
...
...
How much time has passed?
A month? A year? I wonder...if this goes on I won't be able to save anyone. Think. I must think of something.
...
...
'Since I have less than half of the mana I had, more than 5 years must have had passed, huh?'
"Haah...haah...just what the heck are you made up of?" Catching my breath I ask her as I look at her. Her mana hasn't depleted at all. She is a monster. Whenever I trap her, she escapes from a loop hole that shouldn't possibly exist.
How many times has it been that I had almost got her? Even when I look at her future using her threads of fate, it changes it's direction immediately.
This is getting exhausting.
'At this rate I am going to run out of mana without being able to do any damage.'
...
My mana has completely depleted.
'A decade should have been passed by now, huh?'
I look at her again.
She isn't hurt at all.
She is still standing there expressionless.
No matter how much I had taunted her, she never spoke a single word.
Is she even a living creature? Just why do monster like these exist in this world? Just what are we fighting the devils for?
'Is there no way to kill her? Ah! There is! I know it is a drastic method...Should I really do that...?' I ponder over it.
'What should I do?...what should I do?...haah'
I look at her coming in my direction.
'Damn it! Looks like I have to do it or else Alfheim might perish.'
"Sorry Morpheus. I don't have a choice; I need to do this. I hope you can forgive me and kill her," I mumble apologetically as I think about the plan.
Honestly, the thing that scared me about Morpheus wasn't his speed or circles but his lack of threads of fate. There are some superior beings in this world who can see others' fate and act accordingly.
'Including me of course,'
But someone without a fate has no destiny.
'Honestly, someone like him shouldn't even exist in this world.'
Because the moment, all the threads of fate of a person are cut, the person is bound to die immediately.
Morpheus didn't have any threads of fate attached to him. So someone like Unia shouldn't possibly be able to kill him.
'Now the only question is how can I make him fight her? For that to happen...I have to make her kill his companions first.'
Keeping that in mind, I run towards the place where his companions were but,
"Rest in Peace, Esperestus Mark Zwain," Unia speaks behind me.
I am shocked as my steps halt for a brief moment,
'How does she knows my full name? I didn't tell her that,' those were my last thoughts as my vision faded.
...
...
Time starts flowing normally.
Karina has her head down as she is trembling excessively. It happened too fast. When did she kill Zwain? How? She just kept her head down and prayed in her heart that Unia leaves.
Unia then looks around to search for the Princess.
As soon as she locates her, she jumps in that direction.
She takes Zwain's head with her.
Reaching there, she throws his head on the ground to intimidate them and commands, "I am here only for the Elf Princess, everyone else leave."
Lucy is really shocked as she stares at Zwain's head.
She then run towards Icelos and grabs him.
As soon as she turns towards Corey, she finds Unia standing right in front of Corey.
"Have you met Zitherer, yet?" She asks as she looks at him.
"No," answers Corey with fear in his eyes. His body is trembling.
"Good, then I must kill you before he finds you," speaks Unia in her usual robotic voice.