Timothy learned some of the most unexpected knowledge about his past self's achievements. He gained information about Feenix, whose name Ivione enunciated as Photine.
He believed little to nothing and readied himself to take on one of the most difficult challenges; to defeat Ivione in one way or another.
"I'm not afraid of some emperor. I'll never be. Do you know why?" Timothy's demeanor changed from awestruck to grave and confident.
"Because inaction breeds doubt and fear. I decided to travel across the Vast Expanse because I know some people exist and need help. And if the world government can't reassure the protection of their own people, then someone like us can. That's the only reason I ditched one of my previous friends and continued searching for new people."
Timothy spread-opened his fingers and tightened his arm muscles. "Most pirates in the Vast Expanse hunt for treasure or to earn the title of the strongest. All of which is one of the most selfish reasons a human lives. I'm not all about peace and bliss, but if things become unfixable, I'll step up."
The flames continued seething abruptly. Timothy's sentence affected Ivione in some way he chose to conceal. But they weren't enough to alter Ivione's way of consideration.
Timothy lunged forward, towing steam behind him and vanishing from Ivione's view. It astonished him to see a human practically become a breathing flash.
Popping out behind Ivione, Timothy swung his leg overhead like a sledgehammer and attempted to slam the heel's bottom into the top of Ivione's skull.
Grinning away from Timothy's view, Ivione converted his body into pure air as Timothy's foot struck the floor, producing a tremor through the fortification and damaging some corners of the room.
Timothy immediately flipped into a handstand, bouncing forward before Ivione struck him from behind. He dodged the first attack, but the god of wind launched the second.
He developed a gust that blew through the aisles and caught Timothy in its path before he could land. It knocked him over, hurling his weight forward.
Timothy touched the floor with his finger and planned to make a quick movement he could utilize to strike before Ivione caught him.
He was too slow.
Ivione popped out of thin air with a boosted knee and bashed it into Timothy's midsection. It spread immense pressure through his body that had the potency to shatter an entire skeleton.
Ivione smiled egoistically, watching Timothy getting hurled toward the roof and already plotting the next move.
Ivione traversed through the casted air currents to swoop up to Timothy and clutched his ankles with both hands. He hauled Timothy's body, tugging him in a circular motion with his arms, and heaved him toward the bottom.
Timothy couldn't regulate his body from the high speed as he fell and had to accept once his body collided and kicked up a whirlwind.
"You should learn more about yourself before confronting a deity." Ivione descended toward Timothy, pressing his soles against the ground while standing before his enemy. "If you don't connect with your predecessor, you'll perish before reaching the end of your journey."
Ivione elevated his leg at the height of his hips and prepared to tromp on Timothy's dome and crush it like a pumpkin. "Here's my proof!"
The foot smashed, but before it could connect with Timothy's head, a spiraling wind flitted from the chamber and rammed Ivione, staggering him.
Kyora showed how upset she was, holding the staff between her palms while glancing forth. Her face practically became a shaded silhouette, hiding her eyes and forehead behind a darkening stare.
"Thanks, Kyora! You're a lifesaver!"
Timothy sprung to his feet, and before landing, he slammed his soles into Ivione's abdomen and knocked him back into his throne.
He tugged his right arm behind him and unleashed a missile made of pure fire. It shot through like a bullet. It exploded around Ivione on impact, swallowing him into an inferno.
Ivione formed an air dome around him that blew the flames away like dust.
He was disturbed and used the air bubble to assemble a typhoon. It blew in Timothy's and Kyora's direction, driving them back through the door. Timothy relied on his resilience while Kyora held one of the seats before getting thrown into the clouds to her death.
"Kyora! Can you hear me? A-Are you hurt?!" he inquired and saw Kyora clinging to the seat, her lower body lifted above the floor.
He couldn't help her.
He barely managed to stand, and if he were to move and try to make a step, the hurricane would overwhelm him and blow him off the flying citadel.
The power of the wind increased, and Timothy covered his face from it. Timothy's feet practically began slipping, causing him to lose grip on the balance.
It blew aside rock pieces, various fabrics, and seats, some of which got damaged from the wind's weight. It exerted enough pressure, which aggravated Timothy's eyes due to its mass shoving against them.
Timothy's mouth quivered, rapidly losing his balance. It stemmed him from making a move. He knew that the flames he controlled would effortlessly get blown away.
"I... can't move... Wind's too strong." The wind was overwhelmingly heavy. It was powerful enough to cool off Timothy's body he heated up himself.
Ivione didn't let up. He exerted as much forceful wind as he could, of which he practically had no limits due to being classified as a monarch and a semi-god.
"Tim!" as Kyora called out to him, she gained her captain's attention. She hung on to the sea with one hand, her fingers gradually slipping down the wood. It wouldn't take much time before she'd lose her grip and get blown out above the clouds.
Timothy had to do something to save her, but he knew it wouldn't be easy.
He gazed at the citadel's doorframe and devised a quick plan. "No choice... Grab on!" Timothy allowed himself to get taken by the wind and tossed outside. Nonetheless, before leaving Kyora behind, she tried to take his hand but failed, being too slow.
It compelled her to fly out in the cloud, caught amidst the strong wind. Timothy heard her scream as he yelled out to her, trying to follow and hopefully catch her in his hand, but he was unsuccessful.
Her body was already falling down thousands of meters above the ground. And to make things worse, Ivione decided to launch an additional attack by speeding behind him and striking his elbow into Timothy's nape near his carotid artery.
Timothy suffered a fractured bone. It whitened his eyes, forced his mouth to open widely, and caused enough damage to make him lose his breath.
The feeling of an immense shockwave, spreading through his head, knocked him unconscious and drove him to fall off the airship's edge.
In those seconds, Timothy witnessed a bunch of black-and-white memories, most of which he didn't experience before. It wasn't just random visions or memories. They had a unique story behind them, some of which included people he never met or knew.
One of the final visions showed him a woman's face, opening her eyes before vanishing in an instant. He was out cold, unable to move, while his knocked-out body hastily fell toward the ground, speeding to his possible death.
He lost focus on the battle, trying to save his friend, and suffered a blow that conceivably led to his final moments in experiencing the world.
To be continued...