『Godsword』
Orsted had at last conjured his ultimate weapon.
With a sweeping motion, he brandished the sword in a seemingly arbitrary direction, causing a colossal fissure to cleave through the ground. He then directed the sword's tip toward Rudeus, a sardonic smirk playing across his face.
"Defend like your life depends on it. Because it does."
Saying that, Orsted's aura expanded.
However, at the same time, a ripple ran throughout the whole battlefield. Everyone felt it, but the danger of Orsted finally taking them seriously muddled the minor detail out.
However, Gal was the only one who could sense that he had felt it before.
The world fractured. Orsted's aura burned as bright as the sun, the motes feeling like they were ethereal shards, lingering in the air like stars on a dark night. Golden shards sprayed across an empty-nothing limitless expanse of a thrumming twilight, refracting the everywhere-from-nowhere light like shattered mirrors.
Rudeus felt it.
There was a sharp pang of something missing, like he had lost a limb, though he couldn't make sense of it. He was drifting, afloat or maybe falling, but where and in what, he wasn't sure.
"What was I been doing just now?"
He knew he was angry a while ago. Or that he had been angry. Now he was just...out of place. No, not hungry, he considered, his derailed train of thought leaping back to the something in which he was drifting. Just there, but what...
He squinted, his gaze fixed on the enigmatic, hazy golden light that surrounded him. Within this ethereal radiance, he discerned a spectral shadow beneath, an otherworldly terrain of fractured ground, its contours strangely recognizable.
Driven by instinct, he inclined his head forward, attempting to descend toward the ground. However, to his disconcertment, there was no sensation of movement, and the perplexingly familiar yet unfamiliar landscape remained frustratingly distant, refusing to draw nearer.
"Get yourself together!" Badigadi's voice brought him out of the stupor as he laid on the ground, entirely limbless while the others gathered around Rudeus, trying to reattach his body with whatever healing scrolls they were left with.
"Aghhhhh, it hurts..." Rudeus screamed, an agonising pain wrecking his whole body. He flailed, like a fish out of water, breathless. He bit on his lower lip, drawing blood from it as a dense metallic taste filled his mouth.
"So, you finally decided to fight, Badigadi." Orsted mumbled, Godsword shimmering in his hand as the mana around them thrummed, beating like war-drums. Something ominous lingered in the air.
They could feel it too. But chose to ignore it.
"HAHAHA! Indeed. You might know this, but do not hold it against me. I am just being thoughtful and doing him a favour." Badigadi spoke and the shimmering, lustrous helmet appeared over his face.
"Whatever." Orsted shrugged it off.
His left hand thrust forward, palm outward, and a searing cone of crimson energy seared the space between them. Badigadi hastily stepped backward, vigorously hacking at the swirling mana with his armored fists. However, the unleashed blast pursued him relentlessly, contorting and undulating like a serpent as it continued to expand in size, evolving into a living torrent of unbridled energy, its insatiable appetite eager to consume him entirely.
With no solid ground to shove off of, he could fly but couldn't use any stepping technique to reposition. Still, his mobility far outstripped Orsted's, which seemed limited to spinning in place as Orsted very slowly drifted away from where they'd appeared.
Orsted had only recently begun tapping into his mana, yet his stamina was already dwindling rapidly. Regardless of how much he augmented his abilities, there was a threshold where his physical form would reach its breaking point. If he harbored any aspirations of prevailing against his adversary, he urgently needed to devise a more effective method of maneuvering to counter the impeccable mobility afforded by the armor.
Another ripple of mana went throughout the air, this time stronger, more potent. The ripple nullified the deluge of ion scattered all across the battlefield by Rudeus.
Dismissing the Godsword—but still concentrating on the coiling stream of crimson mana flooding from his hand—Orsted mentally felt around him.
His feet came to rest against something solid. Caught off guard, Badigadi lost focus on the torrent as he looked down at a small platform of translucent gray, slightly luminous energy. It was perfectly smooth and radiated a gentle warmth.
Using Wind Mana to generate platforms that could improve his mobility and provide explosive acceleration where necessary. Orsted could perform anything in this world. And this specific gimmick was Julian's creation, back when he was still trying to land a single hit on Orsted.
His head snapped up, reacting to a sudden flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. With uncanny speed, Godsword hummed to life in his grip, just in time to intercept a sweeping, deadly cut aimed at his neck. The force behind the attack sent shockwaves through him, as Badi harnessed his momentum to collide into Orsted, launching him off the platform and hurtling toward the unforgiving ground below.
Orsted spiraled out of control, his body careening wildly through the empty expanse of space. Before long, he came to an abrupt, jarring halt as his back collided with a solid, resonating surface.
Badi bore down upon Orsted, his Blade-like hand leaping and thrusting with such astonishing speed that it became an indistinct, golden blur. Every strike unfolded as a near-instantaneous burst of motion, a testament to the enhanced capabilities of his Fighting God Armor, which not only accelerated his movement but also heightened the velocity of his attacks.
Regaining his footing, Orsted met the Fighting God's onslaught with precision and agility, mirroring each of his opponent's movements. They engaged in a dance of combat, falling into intricate patterns.
However, it swiftly became apparent that since his encounter with Laplace, every strike from the Fighting God possessed a far more feasible and brutal efficiency, expertly countering Orsted's moves. It became evident that, were it not for Orsted's dragon physique, Badi would have easily outpaced him within moments.
Orsted raised his feet from behind and caught him in the neck, but Badi vanished.
Orsted stood up in a quick movement, but something hit him like a battering ram between his shoulder blades, and he was knocked forward. Badi appeared in front of him, and the long, winged blade that jutted from the side of his armour plunged through his skin just above his stomach, the white clothes shearing apart.
A sickening ripple went through him, every atom of his being recoiling. He jolted painfully when the pointed object's point wracked against the skin over his back, lacking the force to puncture completely through.
Godsword shimmered out of life as Orsted lost his focus.
A spear appeared in Badi's hands, and he launched it at Orsted. However, even without the Godsword, with enough mana, the spear disintegrated as Badi immediately moved to catch his arm.
Orsted twisted with remarkable dexterity, breaking free from the hold, and swiftly followed with a precise jab aimed at the Fighting God's chin. Simultaneously, he discharged a mana blast directly into his face. As the Fighting God recoiled from the strike, Orsted's arm coiled around him. Capitalizing on this moment, he harnessed the momentum to lift his opponent off the ground, executed a swift spin, and forcefully launched him through the air.
Another ripple ran through the air.
A compact air platform materialized beneath Orsted's foot, and he infused his body with mana, propelling himself forward with an explosive burst of energy, closing the gap between himself and Badi in a fraction of a second.
However, Badi was equally swift. He deflected Orsted's strike aimed at his heart with a single hand, and in a fluid motion, he seized Orsted's wrist with his other hand. With impeccable timing, Badi absorbed the full force of Orsted's momentum, driving his knee into Orsted's stomach with tremendous force.
His body flexed, and the ribs beneath it cracked. He started flying backwards, but Badi still had his wrist. Jerking him to a halt, he reared back with his spear. Using Badi as an anchor, Orsted spun around and planted his feet against his chest, then pushed outward, again causing an explosion under his feet.
His grip broke, but Orsted's leg screamed in pain at the thigh as Badi's spear punched through his rock hard skin and cracked his femur. At the end of the explosion, he was left floating in the air, spinning around and shedding a thick trail of blood from his shredded leg.
'What is going on? Why isn't he taking it seriously? Why is he giving up so early?'
Badi continued his fight, but despite his carefree nature, anxiety clawed at him.
"It is a shame that I was not able to fight Julian Greyrat to the fullest. The Death God asked me to show him that he not the only one who craved for someone stronger than him. So that he never feels lonely once he battles me." Badigadi spoke from behind his armour, his sanity still intact.
Orsted scoffed, a sound like stones shattering. "Lonely? Him? Looks like you and him, both have a wrong perception of him."
Orsted stepped on thin air and teleported in front of Badigadi. His inhuman eyes widened in surprise, but he managed to bring his spear up to defend as a blade appeared in his hand. Orsted swung toward him, baiting him to move his spear to catch the blow, but let the blade dissolve at the last moment, using the force of his swing to strike him in the chest.
Orsted's knee drove into his lower back, his elbow coming down on the base of his neck, and he flickered out of his line of sight again, appearing just behind the arc of his spear. Mana rushed into his fist, releasing in a burst as he struck him just below the ribs, the force of it pushing him away.
In a startling display of agility, Orsted reappeared at Badi's side, swiftly seizing two of his arms. With impeccable timing, he drove his elbow forcefully into Badi's chin, simultaneously leveraging the power of his kick against the back of Badi's knee to unbalance him.
Employing the momentum generated by his perpetual fall and the subtle shifts created by his strikes and kicks, Orsted executed a graceful aerial spin. During this maneuver, he conjured a mana blade, replacing Godsword, and swung it upward beneath Badi's raised arms, aiming for a strategic strike.
Two fists hit him at the same time, sending him tumbling out of the zone's limited atmosphere and into the mangled craters that surrounded it. A vertical wall formed to catch him, and both slammed into it with enough force to crack it.
Orsted jerked around, looking for Badi. He was staring at his right side, where all three of his arms drifted beside him, connected to his body only by the streams of blood spilling out of the severed joints and limbs.
Pushing against the cracked platform, Orsted zipped through the air again.
『Oh, spirits of the magnificent waters, I beseech the Prince of Thunder! Grant me my wish, bless me with thy savagery, and reveal to this insignificant servant a glimpse of thy power.』
Suddenly, all the lightning that had dominated the sky above began to converge toward a singular, pivotal point. Each raindrop that plummeted from the heavens carried tiny, luminous sparks of electricity within its liquid core.
『Let fear strike the heart of man as thy divine hammer strikes its anvil and cover the land with water!"』
Meanwhile, vivid blue streaks of lightning danced and darted through the powerful gusts of wind that swept across the islet, creating an electrifying display that illuminated the entire scene with an otherworldly radiance.
『Come, oh rain, and wash everything away in thy flood of destruction. I call upon you, mighty spirit of light, shining lord of the heavens. "Do you see the impudent foe towering before us? Do you see your sworn enemy, in all his arrogance? I would be the holy blade that strikes him down! Let your radiant power teach him that the emperor yet reigns supreme』
A crack formed in the thunder-filled sky. It seemed like it was a dimensional gate. From it emerged a massive luminous bolt, covered in crackling lightning streams that seemed like it was a punishment from Zeus himself.
The spell rained down on Orsted who was holding Badigadi's ripped arms in one hand and his other hand plunged inside Badi's face, denting Laplace's best creation inwards as the armour broke and countless splinters impaled Bad's face, inciting a heavy groan form his mouth that shook the ground.
Orsted clicked his tongue. The provocation of using Godsword was a bluff. Indeed, he did summon it, but what it was a replica of real thing. An imitation formed out of Orsted's battle aura.
'If this thing hits me, I am a goner.'
Orsted thought as he clung on to Badi, not letting him go away. His initial plan was to use Badi as a meat shield from the incoming God Ranked Spell.
In all honesty, whether it was his enemy's spell, as Orsted looked at Rudeus who was still trying to reattach his legs and right arm, Orsted felt respect for him.
'He has far surpassed his former self. Alas, he wasn't on this side this time around. What a shame.'
However, no matter how much he lamented, despite using Badigadi as a shield, there was no denying that Orsted would accumulate heavy damage from this attack. The deluge of ions scattered all over the ground were guiding the lightning exactly where to land.
Orsted braced himself.
『Phase. Twilight. Twelve Constellations. Eyes of Wisdom. Polarity. Lapse』
A smirk graced his lips, which slowly turned upwards into a malicious grin.
『Phase, Paramita, and Pillar of Light. Parallelism. Reversal. Bane of existence』
"Damn you." Orsted sneered and pushed Badigadi from himself and once again reverted to a full-blown fist fight with him, decimating everything in his path, uncaring of the monstrosity that was about to fall on him.
『Existence and Non-existence. Nine Ropes. Polarized Light. Crow and Declaration. Between Front and Back. Tangible and Abstract. Flux. Void. Infinity. 』
"Such a show-off." Orsted cackled, punching Badigadi as the armour tremored before breaking into a million pieces around Badi's middle section. Seeing the opening, Orsted disappeared and reappeared in front of Badigadi, his hand already in the shape of a spear, ready to make a demon flavoured donut.
『LIGHTNING』
『VOID』
The two spells collided. A harrowing darkness, one that plunged even the God Classes' hearts into fear encased the whole island. The lightning that had threatened to eat and charr each and everything in its path seemed to fizzle away like a candle in a storm. It almost felt like the energy flooding the island with shades of blue was nothing but a lie.
It wasn't just the lightning. All the small fires he caused, the strong winds, the raindrops. Everything that made up the island was falling into darkness.
It wasn't just an ordinary darkness. It was a fleeting one, but the inky darkness was not just a lack of light, but it was a lack of any existence. As the hollow, massless, imaginary sphere fired off from a figure's hands, it ate up the space around the gigantic spell, leaving nothing but a distorted reality.
The clouds scattered away and looking up at the sky, it seemed like a shattered glass.
And as a huge gust of wind whisked away the dust, everyone had the same reaction.
"Are you for real?"
"How did he even break it?"
"The Blazing Sword! I will kill you!"
A boy stood in the air, his feet stepping on visually nothing. His robes were torn as he removed them from his body, letting the wind take it away from him.
He was wearing a half-sleeved black shirt and white pants. Ignoring all of them, he looked at Orsted and then at Rudeus.
Two swords were attached to his hip as raised his chin and an amused look appeared on his face.
"Brother. Orsted. You two look like you've been slapped around a lot."
He spoke as his aura expanded like a dome all around him.
His long white hair rose up from his nape, as if wind was whisking it upwards.
"Why don't you leave these to me? I told you not to waste mana." Julian mumbled as he raised his hand.
"Can't really do that when the Fighting God is here." Orsted replied, dodging a lousy punch and sinking his elbow in Badi.
"Hmmm. Told you to retrieve it before someone else get their hands on it. Are you low on mana?"
"Not really. I abstained from using any mana-exhausting spells or techniques. But I will be left with no choice if I keep fighting him."
The boy nodded.
Many snowflake-shaped particles flew around him. Each crystal glowed, illuminating their surroundings. The ice crystals gathered on his right hand and formed a long silhouette.
He swung his right hand once, and a sharp, skin-piercing wind flew. The bitter cold was visible in the form of white particles. The wind rushed forward, and everyone began to cast their defensive techniques.
It was as if thousands of knives rushed towards them instead of a gust of wind. As it penetrated their barrier, blood splattered on the ones on the receving end. Their bloodstained robes were ripped and torn apart. Swords got chipped and became even more brittle. Their flesh and bones were brutally being carved away.
However, the boy was confused at the pitiful sight.
"I don't mean to kill you... completely. Hm, maybe this was too strong for you."
"Damn you!"
The Water God, Reida Reia spat as Julian stopped his spell.
"Well, I don't want the warm-up to end too soon. I still want to get some exercises in before I go and kill the Fighting God."
With that, Julian drew his crimson sword out.
The final battle was reaching it's climax.