Standing atop the mansion, I found myself face to face with Reinhardt, who had transformed, his once ordinary human form now transfigured into that of an angelic figure.
His six black wings spread wide; the angelic feathers that ought to have been beautiful now exuded a sinister aura, their once radiant hue transformed into a pitch-black shade.
His body was now clad in armor that mirrored the hue of his wings, and his sword had elongated, emanating a lethal aura.
His visage was now concealed behind an iron mask reminiscent of a high-ranking knight, adorned with a black circle symbolizing his angelic nature.
"Ugh, the thought of having to fight him makes me uneasy. Just a few days ago, I was just an ordinary teenager."
As I grumbled and broke out in a cold sweat at the horrifying sight before me, Reinhardt had already completed his transformation in full.
Despite the goosebumps, I didn't let it show too much, maintaining my sense of rationality. This wasn't the first time I had witnessed Reinhardt in this form. In fact, I had already strategized for his transformation. Strange as it may seem, I wouldn't stand a chance against Reinhardt if he didn't resort to this mode.
"Fawwaz, it seems you're not surprised by my transformation."
"HAHAHA, I didn't think I would use this against a brat who can't even use his family magic."
Reinhardt, who had begun to babble incoherently about me, now emanated a black aura from his body, stretching towards the sky. The immense aura pierced the heavens as if Reinhardt were announcing to the world that he had embraced his stigma.
"What an arrogant display of power to flaunt his superiority to his adversary!"
Certainly, he intended to intimidate me and emphasize our power disparity, but I never entered a fight to lose. With resolve, I unleashed dozens of medium-level elemental spells at him.
In an instant, dozens of intricate magic circles enveloped Reinhardt, obstructing any avenue of escape for him.
But Reinhardt appeared unperturbed by his surroundings, casually standing his ground as he absorbed all the incoming attacks.
"Die," I declared, activating all the magic circles simultaneously and directing their combined power straight at him.
-BOOM
A massive explosion erupted from my magic, shrouding the area in smoke and concealing the large crater formed by the attack. Despite my confidence in my magic, I was certain that this assault would never reach him.
-swish
"Your attack didn't even scratch me, yet you still dare to challenge me? Has the Everglen family failed to educate its descendants, leaving you all as fools?"
Reinhardt emerged from the dissipating smoke, seemingly unfazed by the recent onslaught. His stature remained towering, his armor pristine, and his wings outspread, exuding an aura of dominance.
"Now it's my turn to strike."
Now, he raised his sword high, the blade crackling with dense energy before he brought it down in a powerful swing.
-slash
As his sword descended, a towering arc of slashing energy surged toward me. The path it traveled shattered, demonstrating the immense power behind the attack.
Quickly activating 'Third Perspective,' I swiftly dodged out of the range of the slashing energy. Using fire magic to enhance my footwork for a powerful jump and employing wind magic to maintain my balance mid-air, I successfully evaded the attack.
'Tsk, I can't get hit by that attack; once I do, I'll die'
Reinhardt, observing my evasion, swiftly lunged towards me, his sword maneuvering with the grace of a leaf carried by the wind as he attempted to strike me down.
However, thanks to the Third Perspective skill, I managed to narrowly evade each strike, albeit with considerable difficulty.
As Reinhardt unleashed his sword slashes and I attempted to dodge them, our dance of evasion continued for some time.
Suddenly, Reinhardt's foot shot toward my head with incredible speed. Despite my efforts to block it with my hands, the vast difference in physical strength resulted in me being sent flying away by his kick.
-crashed
"Ugh, damn, I let my guard down," I grunted, feeling the impact of Reinhardt's attack.
Instantly, dozens of energy slashes hurtled toward me at full speed. With the Third Perspective active, my survival instincts kicked in. I swiftly conjured a substantial amount of medium-level magic to counter the onslaught of slashes and hurled it in their direction.
-boom
The medium-level magic collided with the incoming slashes, forming a barrier that absorbed the impact and once again saved me from the brink of defeat.
"Huff, huff, huff. I'm using too much mana. My third eye is also nearing its limit."
It's undeniable that I won't be able to evade all of Reinhardt's attacks indefinitely, nor can I simply launch random assaults at him, as they would have little effect. I must utilize my mana efficiently. At the very least, I need to endure until the opportune moment arises to unleash 'it.'
"Tsk, a pest like you is proving to be quite resilient, much like a cockroach."
Reinhardt, who had been relentless in his attacks, now appeared visibly irritated. Unbeknownst to him, my ability to dodge his onslaughts relied on the Third Perspective, which had now reached its limit. From this point forward, I must rely solely on my abilities to evade his strikes at all costs.
"Oh, the blue light in your eyes has vanished. Have you reached your limit, boy?"
Reinhardt's incessant banter began to grate on my nerves, but I knew I had to respond to him to buy some time.
"Even at my limit, I could still easily kick your stinky ass."
I provoked him in hopes of buying some time. Reinhardt was undeniably powerful, with abilities surpassing those of most individuals, though his prime lay several years in the future. Even so, his prowess was truly extraordinary, yet his sense of rationality was lacking and easily swayed by provocation. Just like what Ivan did to him in the original story.
"Damn it, I'll kill you."
Reinhardt snarled, his anger evident as he lunged towards me, his six large wings beating furiously to quickly close the distance between us.
-slash
His sword sliced diagonally at me with lightning speed. Bereft of the Third Perspective, I painstakingly evaded it by ducking. However, Reinhardt swiftly followed up with a powerful kick to my chin, sending me hurtling through the air. Not content with that, he added a barrage of kicks to my stomach, striking repeatedly in a relentless pattern.
With his final strike in the patterned attack, Reinhardt delivered a powerful kick directly to my stomach.
'cough'
Blood spurted from my mouth in response, and I was propelled away at full speed towards the forest. My momentum was abruptly halted as my body collided forcefully with a large tree.
-crashed
"Ugh, damn, that hurts."
Blood gushed from my mouth as the force of the kick overwhelmed me, causing my internal organs to scream in agony. The impact shattered my left arm, and blood trickled from my nose and mouth, leaving me battered and wounded.
Confronted with these harrowing ordeals, I pondered, "Why did I engage in these actions? Why did I confront someone I couldn't even defeat? What was the purpose behind it all?"
As these questions tormented my mind, a slash of pitch-black energy materialized from a distant direction. With terrifying velocity, it tore through anything in its path, obliterating all obstacles that dared to stand between it and me.
'Ugh, I have to dodge.
Harnessing a volatile combination of fire and earth magic, I unleashed a blazing inferno that engulfed the side of my body, creating a powerful shockwave that propelled me away from the impending danger. However, the price of this desperate maneuver was evident in the searing burns and painful abrasions that marred my flesh.
"Ugh, that hurts."
I groaned through clenched teeth, feeling the agonizing sting of my wounds.
"Seems like a bit of overkill, but at least I managed to dodge that slash."
As I endured the excruciating pain coursing through me, Reinhardt descended from the sky, his wings outstretched, a clear display of his superiority over me. With effortless grace, he halted directly above me, casting a daunting shadow that seemed to magnify my vulnerability.
"Remarkable that you've managed to survive this long," Reinhardt sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "But you should know, I've lost all interest in you. Take solace in the fact that you'll meet your end with this sword."
His words served as a grim reminder: this was the culmination of my journey. The reason I had endured every trial and tribulation was for this very moment—the moment when he unleashed his ultimate attack.
Essentially, Reinhardt's power is not everlasting; there's a finite time limit. Each use of his stigma chips away at his consciousness, gradually eroding his sanity until he becomes devoid of rational thought. Thus, every time he taps into his stigma power, his mind bears a periodic burden. Reinhardt must have been aware of this, which is why he aimed to swiftly dispatch me by unleashing his ultimate attack without hesitation.
However, employing the ultimate attack would further strain his already burdened mind, providing the opportune moment for me to unleash my ace in the hole.
"What's with that irritating expression on your face? Do you truly crave death that much? Fine, I'll grant your wish."
My unintentional smirk seemed to irk Reinhardt, disrupting his focus.
Reinhardt raised his sword skyward, drawing forth a surge of immense energy that converged upon his sword. The air crackled with electricity, echoing the rumble of thunder as if in response to the power emanating from the sword.
"Come to me, Seraphklinge!"
Instantly, Reinhardt's sword transformed, elongating into a sleek longsword with a blade that bore a mesmerizing hue, oscillating between shades of black and white. The crossguard, razor-sharp and finely crafted, complemented the blade, while the hilt bore the emblem of a black wing, adding to its ominous allure.
It was Reinhardt's primary weapon, harboring his most potent attack.
"Consider it an honor, for you shall bear witness to my most formidable strike as your life comes to an end."
-SLASH
In an instant, an immense slash hurtled towards me with breathtaking speed. Despite the dire circumstances, I found myself surprisingly devoid of fear.
"Right, there is a reason behind Fawwaz's untimely death in the original story."
Immediately, I activated the Third Preceptive, and in an instant, time seemed to slow to a crawl. I observed Reinhardt, who had just concluded his attack, and before me loomed a colossal slash poised to cleave me in two.
'haha'
In that fleeting moment, clarity washed over me, and I found the answers to my earlier questions. With resolve, I formed a mark with my right hand, initiating the creation of a subspace that swiftly consumed everything in its vicinity, including Reinhardt and the lethal slash aimed at me.
'The reason why I had to die at the beginning of the story..."
.
.
.
"...was because I was too strong'
With the answer now clear, the victor is unequivocally determined.
"Mana Zone: Prison of the Void"