Astral finally hit his mental elation as he relaxed and took a deep breath inward as it all clicked for him like pieces to a puzzle. A slash of pure magical energy was thrown by Zero as Astral dashed out of the way. These magical slashes were invisible and faster than Zero was.
One of them came at his face as with one clean slash he countered it with Muramasa. Astral held the blade in his hand as Zero started throwing all sorts of magic at him from curses, lightning malestorms, tsunami's and more slashes. Astral had enough of the dancing around and stood still as he redirected the lightning into the tsunami and with one strong slash sent it back to Zero who let the waves ride over him as they did nothing.
"You are beginning to be a real pain in my ass." Zero spoke harshly as he swung his arm, slashing open Astral's forehead with a cut, some of his hair fell to the ground as Astral felt that one was faster than the ones before, he would need to be faster in order to live.
These slashes kept coming at him and all Astral could do was block them. His form was perfect as he was finally understanding the defensive zone. 'This is what Lone was trying to get me to understand, all attacks have their own sense about them, and if they enter my space. I can defend it, now just stay focused, and breathe.' Astral forgot about the breathing tricks to amplify his skills.
Each slash of his sword was perfectly blocking each one of the slashes Zero sent at him. As Zero grew more and more tired of his tricks and wanted to end this fight finally. "This stupid human thinks he can beat god's chosen."
"Oh so you admit that you are chosen by the gods and not by the people." Astral retorted as he snickered. Blocking the incoming slashes and was able to keep himself safe from the slashes from Zero as each one was larger than they were. Astral was able to block them with better accuracy.
"You lost your focus, do better, act smarter and reel in your control. Stop letting your emotions run wild." A wave of slashes came at Astral as he spoke, all of them shallowly cut his skin as he felt his cheek. 'That's right, no regeneration, we may have to rethink all of this.'
"Hephaen, we can break in there and create a loophole right?" Lone looked at the sword as he held it with his weak hand as it healed instantly. Hephaen nodded vigorously as he worked on the trick Astral needed to free himself.
Astral increased his speed and focus as the slashes kept coming at him in an intense number as he forgot one major piece to the puzzle. The breathing technique, Astral controlled his breathing and each slash failed to breach his defenses no matter how many there were.
Hopping backward he was surrounded by slices on all sides as he panicked. Reaching his hand out it sliced it open on all sides as Astral realized he still didn't have his magic, but what about a dark vow? The slashes came around him tighter as he cleaved through them as his second hand had his death scythe.
'Did the blood pact work? Full access to my armory is now usable.' Astral slid his katana back into the sheath as he held the scythe in the bloody hand as Zero laughed.
"You think a silly little scythe will save you?" Zero kept laughing as the blood infused with the scythe. Zero lifted his hand up and pointed his palm at Astral. "Exterminate." Millions of slashes surrounded Astral as he took a deep breath inward. And bypassed each slice as his scythe cleaved through the slashes as a small circle appeared at the base of Astral.
Zero was startled as millions more slashes came at Astral as the scythe became a red blur. 'Infusing this with my blood normally wouldn't work, but because I am losing so much I have no other choice.' Astral sent a horizontal slash as it pierced through the attacks and cut open Zero's stomach as his guts spilled outward in a splash of blood before they went back inward.
All the wounds on Astral slowly started to heal based on the severity as Zero saw this. Both hands extended outward as Zero shouted. "OBLITERATE!" The slashes turned red and visible as many made it passed Astral as it dug into his skin, his pact with the scythe healed him, but could not beat the enchantments of the attack.
Astral stood still as he felt sapped of all of his energy. Breathing he noticed a small white glow next to him as he kept blocking the attacks from Zero who had enough of this and was pressuring more to end the fight. The slashes intensified as Astral let them get through, blocking most of them with one hand. His other reached to the small white orb as it exploded. Absorbing the area into an isolated area of Astral's pocket dimension as he stood there, feeling the weight off of his chest from the powers being restrained.
Astral looked at him as his aura radiated, the major wounds healed as he didn't heal the minor slashes over his body to keep the scythes pact alive. "If you want to become more powerful you better face them then when they are at their most powerful!"
Zero scoffed as the magic circle extended out from Astral, this was his domain and Zero couldn't escape, is this the end of the line? "You think I am scared of you?" All sorts of magical light attacks rained down onto Astral as he waved his right arm around. A light barrier stopped all the attacks as Astral regained focus. His powers were back.
Zero forged a lightspear to completely obliterate Astral and his stupid little shield, summoning light constructs as his summon warriors kept Astral busy and bought time as the spear formed. Throwing it with the force of a star Astral didn't have the time to react to it. Someone else made that choice for Astral.
Hephaen was battling one of the light constructs as Astral was handing the rest. Hephaen was trying his best to save his creator. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the lightspear being thrown as the constructs would only add power while they passed. He had two choices, let Astral take the attack or let him take it and buy Astral time, now that the outside world had frozen due to the change in dimensions.
The spear made a booming sound as Hephaen used his last invention he would use. Flash Bombs, throwing it faster and in front of the spear he loaded up his armor and prayed that the enchantments worked. Feeling the spear pressed into his back, the realization happened that it would kill him as he stayed strong, this attack would have been enough to take Astral down.
In his last act, rather than fighting versus the spear he looked at all the light constructs and tested out the mirror round to the light. Loading the custom sniper he made to be a twin to Astrals, firing it killed all but the last one as Astral sliced it down.
He looked up as Hephaen was impaled by the light spear more than a meter away from him. 'Thank you for allowing me to exist.' He signed as he crumbled to dust. Astral's iris cracked. The pressure broke him as a golden ring surrounded both eyes.