I know something was wrong about that 12-star Dragon Sage we're fighting against. He took an absolute deadly blow from Sebastian, and he also turned to ashes when Marina's black flames engulfed him.
However, he's still alive and uninjured. His burnt remains disappeared in a blink of an eye, and now he's restarting his march upward the stairs to reach me.
"What's happening?" Marina exclaimed. "Is it some kind of illusion magic? But Ulysses already dispelled any sensory interruptions a while ago. Did it not work?"
"I'm sure that it's not an illusion magic that disrupts our senses or our brain," I answered as I clenched my fists. "Everything we have done at this point is real."
"Lord Corasell." Odette was starting to worry. "What should we do?"
I gritted as I channeled my mana into my brain. Electricity buffed the speed of my synapses, and I obtained the processing speed of a quantum computer.
"Overclock tenfold. Activate Timeline Prediction." I muttered.
My vision went into a kaleidoscope that contained two thousand possible outcomes of our actions. I saw every strategy from Marina attacking with a flaming sword, or Odette protecting me with a holy barrier, me using a thunder snap to electrify his body, or Yehanna making her way towards the enemy and stabbing Rex Nullius in the back.
However, all of those actions will have the same future outcomes.
Rex Nullius will survive. He will certainly die, but still, he will survive. It's a contradiction in common logic and reality!
"Dragon Sage Thesis Number 1: Reality Negation." Rex Nullius said as he stood still with a smile on his face. His crimson eyes with dark sclera glowed upon meeting my gaze. "My original spell that only I can activate at this point. It is the power to deny reality and rewrite it as I please."
"Impossible!" I cried out loud. "Are you saying that you're a god? That you're omnipotent!?"
"Hah!" Rex Nullius chuckled. "Maybe. I'm just like you, a Dragon Sage who sold his soul to evil and devoted his life to endless knowledge of magic. The only difference is that our abilities are twelve universes apart, and you have no way of beating me. You're still a hatchling."
"No way! Are you telling me that we can never beat you?" Marina roared as she materialized black flaming swords in her hands.
"I will protect everyone, no matter what it takes!" Odette clenched her scepter.
I just stayed silent.
Rex Nullius is saying the truth. He died and was revived by negating reality. That's the only true explanation why he can't be killed. Even my Timeline Prediction says so.
"Marina! Odette!" Yehanna shouted from the distance while evading the black witch's tentacle attacks. "Focus on keeping Uly away from him! Or else we're done!"
"Right!" Marina and Odette nodded.
I was so rattled that I forgot our main objective here: to live. I've already known from the start that we have no way of beating Rex Nullius. We will shift our objective from assassination to survival.
I extended my arm and poured mana on the Dragon Seal gloves. A magical circle appeared and it flashed white light towards my three Dragonoid Contractors.
"Dragon Seal Unlock!"
Odette sprouted a pair of fins on her wrists and ankles, and a long eel-like blue tail sprouted from her back. Also, blue horns grew out from her temples.
On the other hand, Marina grew a pair of long black horns on her head. Wings made out of black flames spread out from her back like a dark angel.
As the two ladies transformed to their Partial Dragon Form, their magical capabilities are exponentially heightened. They will draw out mana directly from me, who has a tremendous pool of mana. Sure, I will be burnt out after this, but having two Dragonoids who have the same power as two Devas is a force to reckoned with.
"Maximum Holy Shield!" Odette raised her staff, and a bubble of light covered me, Marina, and even Yehanna who is having her fight with the tentacle witch.
"With the power of abyssal flames, obliterate the enemy!" Marina unleashed an X-shaped burning projectile using her two swords!
The X-shaped sword slash hit Rex Nullius, which immediately exploded into a shower of black fireworks. His burnt arms, legs, and head flew away in every direction, and the smell of burnt blood dominated the air.
"Let's go, Lord Corasell!" Odette pulled my hand. We started to run towards the second floor, and Marina kept on following our backs.
"That attack would only slow him down," Marina said. "But at least we will have a chance to escape!"
"Wait, what about Hanna-"
I was immediately interrupted when my senses went static. It was only for a brief moment, but it's enough to hurt our brains.
"Kya! What was that!?" Odette exclaimed.
"Reality Negation!" I cried out loud.
"Let's keep on moving!" Marina snapped us both to our senses.
We continued to run down the stairs until we reached the second floor of Lancelot Manor. However, we were surprised that the enemy 12-star Dragon Sage is already waiting at the edge of the stairway.
"You can fight. You can run. You can hide. But nothing you do matters. I will catch up to you, Dragon Sage Ulysses Corasell." Rex Nullius frowned.
"Light Wall!" Odette waived her scepter, and a screen made from photons blocked the stairway.
Rex Nullius tried to touch the holy wall, but his fingers were deflected. "As expected from a divine priestess, your holy magic is superb. However…" He spread out his arm and created a silver sword. He dipped the sword into the light wall and slowly, it made a crack!
"Lord Corasell! Please escape! I'll try to hold him off!" Odette cried.
"No, Odette! You won't have a chance!" I hollered back. "There's no way I'll leave you like this!"
"Let's go!" Marina grabbed my wrist and forced me to go downstairs. "If Rex Nullius gets you, it's all over!"
"But-"
I never had the chance to rebut. Marina pulled me downwards, and I almost tripped myself. However, before we could go back to the first floor, I heard a loud shattering of the glass.
Accompanied by the shatter, is a swift wind.
"Kyaaaaaaaaah!"
I looked back at the source of the voice. And I was horrified.
I saw Odette rolling on the stairs, her eyes slashed out. Blood sprayed on the stairway until Odette hit a wall to stop her fall.
"Odette!" I cried out loud.
"Help me! Help me! I can't see! Where's my scepter!?" Odette cried as she tried to touch the floor blindly.
I felt something on my shoe and realized it was Odette's scepter. I picked up and rushed towards her.
But then…
A sword came flying straight to Odette's temple. The silver blade pinned her head against the wall, immediately ending the poor cries of the divine priestess.
Blood and some meat chunks splattered on my face. My eyes widened in shock, and I lost all my strength on my knees.
"O-Odette!?" I muttered.
There was no answer.
She's dead.