"Mana Zone: Prison Of The Void"
Instantly, a subspace emanated from Fawwaz's body, expanding the surrounding area within a 20-meter radius, shaping it into a disk with transparent walls that enclosed the space like a vast semicircle amidst the forest.
"Wh-what the hell?" Reinhardt, now trapped within Fawwaz's mana zone, felt an unsettling sense of unease.
-shatter
Reinhardt's colossal slash, hurtling at incredible speed to reach Fawwaz, was suddenly shattered into countless fragments by the immense mana pressure within the mana zone.
"Understand, Reinhardt, by invoking your stigma, the victor of this encounter has already been determined," Fawwaz, the orchestrator of this event, spoke to Reinhardt chillingly coldly.
"Damn it, how does a brat like you possess such a potent mana zone?" Reinhardt asked uneasily, now fully aware of the dangerous nature of his predicament.
Mana zone is an ability that allows the user to create a personalized zone infused with mana. The individual who generates the mana zone gains enhanced abilities within it, essentially creating a buff zone for themselves. However, it becomes a debuff for anyone pulled into another person's mana zone, as the creator gains control over their mana. Therefore, the only means of escape is to overpower the opponent's mana zone with a stronger one.
So essentially, everyone possesses the potential to manifest a mana zone, but the level of strength varies based on individual talent. Fawwaz, being a prodigious talent, undoubtedly possesses a high-level mana zone. However, following the incident where Fawwaz was unable to inherit spatial magic, many people, including Reinhardt, seemed to have forgotten about this fact.
It was this realization that caught Reinhardt off guard, leading to a fateful encounter with Fawwaz. While Reinhardt possessed the ability to utilize mana zones like Fawwaz, his own was nothing more than ordinary, lacking the exceptional talent exhibited by Fawwaz. At this juncture, Reinhardt had already met his defeat.
"Ugh, you son of a bitch," Reinhardt muttered in despair, realizing his dire predicament as he could do naught but curse at Fawwaz.
Observing Reinhardt's repulsed expression, Fawwaz noticed, him forming a sign on his palm, clearly indicating his intent to swiftly end the fight.
"Die." With that declaration, Fawwaz unleashed a massive offensive mana surge, hurtling toward Reinhardt at full speed.
"Ugh, SHIT!" Reinhardt's trained instincts sounded a loud alarm about the mana surge. Immediately, his six black wings released a pitch-black aura and swiftly moved to envelop Reinhardt's body like a protective cocoon.
Reinhardt believed his defensive effort could withstand the oncoming mana attack, but his hopes were shattered. The mana held back by Reinhardt's wings came in relentless waves, seemingly endless. Within the mana zone, an individual who activates it within a certain period gains access to an extraordinary amount of mana. In Fawwaz's case, his mana within this period was 'Unlimited'. At this juncture, Reinhardt found himself powerless, with no recourse available.
"AGH, damn, my head is burning up. That damn boy's mana is going to be the end of me," Reinhardt grunted, besieged by a deluge of offensive mana from Fawwaz.
"Haaa, so this is how it ends. Well, at least I've had my share of fun in this lifetime," Reinhardt chuckled darkly, his twisted nature still prevalent even in the face of death. "Even when I'm about to kick the bucket, I can't help but remember that one time I had a blast skinning that woman alive."
"What's with that smug expression?" Fawwaz spoke icily, his piercing blue eyes locked onto Reinhardt's dark gaze. "Don't think for a moment that death will absolve you of the atrocities you've committed. You are a vile creature beyond redemption, and I'll ensure you suffer something far worse than death. I want you to crave death more than anything else."
'Wh-what is this bastard saying?' Reinhardt was horrified by Fawwaz's words. Under normal circumstances, they might have been dismissed as a joke, but in the current situation, Reinhardt recognized them as a genuine threat.
'What's happening? The heat from the attack has disappeared, and why do I see that brat's mouth moving without any sound?' Reinhardt realized he couldn't feel the temperature of the assault anymore, and he observed Fawwaz speaking without producing any sound. It appeared as though his senses were being stripped away.
'A-ahh, so this is what it means!' Reinhardt cursed inwardly, his mind ablaze with rage and frustration. Tears welled in his eyes, betraying his overwhelming emotions. He realized that his situation was far worse than death. As his senses faded one by one, and darkness enveloped his vision, the figure of Fawwaz loomed large in his mind, the last vestige of consciousness before oblivion claimed him.
***
"Mana Zone: Released,"
I immediately released Mana Zone upon seeing Reinhardt standing motionless, his vacant eyes staring in my direction. With this, I was certain of his defeat.
His angelic-like form now stood with a vacant gaze, his six wings drooping as if drained of their strength. The red stigma on the back of his right hand still glowed, indicating that the alteration of his stigma was still active.
-step step step
I walked slowly towards him, enduring the pain from the battle. Blood continued to trickle from my nose and mouth, and my Third Eye overheated from excessive use, affecting my brain directly.
-stopped
I stopped right in front of him, glancing towards the stigma. After examining it, I called out to someone.
"You can come out now, Uncle Merlin, and Sir Ian."
-rustling
Rustling ensued as two figures emerged from the surroundings. Uncle Merlin and Ian were the individuals who assisted me in the assault on Reinhardt's mansion.
"I never expected you to defeat someone of Reinhardt's caliber on your own, Young Master Fawwaz. Truly impressive!" The one who spoke was a young man in his early twenties with black hair streaked with white, his golden eyes gazing at me with admiration. He was dressed in a black suit, resembling a royal civil servant.
"It wasn't as monumental as you make it sound, Sir Ian Magnus. In truth, I won because I managed to outmaneuver him," I replied modestly to his praise.
Ian Magnus, an ordinary individual elevated as one of the 'Three Wills of the Emperor.' The 'Three Wills of the Emperor' comprised three extraordinary individuals chosen directly by the emperor himself.
Rumors circulated that just one of them was enough to shake the continent, and Ian Magnus was selected due to his exceptional talent in magic. He was the youngest member of the group.
His purpose in joining this mission was to document the achievement of the Everglen family in capturing Reinhardt and to oversee the mission directly. The credit for capturing Reinhardt would be bestowed upon the Everglen family, with me as the primary executor receiving greater recognition.
This was also advantageous for me, as I aimed to boost my reputation to facilitate my entry into the academy.
"You look terrible, Master Fawwaz. Here, take this." While lost in my thoughts, Merlin spoke to me with a worried tone, handing me a high-level potion.
"Thank you, Uncle Merlin." I accepted the potion from him and immediately consumed it. Instantly, all the pain in my body vanished, and my vitality surged.
"Hahaha, do you know how worried Sir Merlin was when you experienced those symptoms, Master Fawwaz?" Ian chuckled heartily, teasingly.
Hearing this, I simply smiled at both of them. Sir Ian laughed, while Uncle Merlin wore a bashful expression. In truth, we had agreed that I would handle the situation with Reinhardt alone. If Ian and Merlin had been involved from the beginning, my battle with Reinhardt would have concluded much quicker.
"Um, Young Master Fawwaz, how long do you think it will take for him to regain consciousness?" Ian interjected, gesturing towards Reinhardt's body.
Suppressing my smile as I delved deep into thought, I turned my gaze towards Reinhardt's body, speaking to answer Ian's question.
"At the earliest, it will be three months, but we don't know his mental state when he wakes up. So for now..." I conjured a wind spell and condensed it into a sharp blade, cutting off Reinhardt's right arm.
-slash
"...I will sever the source of his power, rendering him no different from a common man when he awakens." I continued after perfectly severing Reinhardt's right arm and using magic to staunch the bleeding.
My intention was not to inflict suffering upon him. I wondered what trials he would face when confronted with the Prison of the Void for months and awakening without his stigma.
"Haha, your smile is leaking, young master," Ian remarked awkwardly, scratching his head. It seemed I couldn't contain my smile when thinking about it.
"Very well, I will depart with Reinhardt. What about you, Sir Merlin?" Ian asked Merlin while producing a medium-sized sphere from his subspace.
"Ah, I will accompany the young master with his affairs. You may go ahead, Sir Ian," Merlin replied, stroking his white beard.
"Alright then, I will head straight to the empire. Thank you for your hard work, Master Fawwaz. May the Emperor's blessings be upon you," Ian said, bowing slightly before teleporting away with Reinhardt.
Watching Ian depart, I walked towards the mansion with Merlin following behind me.
"Alright, it's time to fulfill my final goal..."
"...let's save Kadita."
***
In a large room within one of the mansions, a young woman sat on her bed. She gazed out of the window at the moon, tears streaming down her face. Her deep blue eyes seemed to stare emptily at the moon, her long midnight blue hair disheveled, strands falling over her mouth and eyes.
She sat huddled with her arms wrapped around her knees, bent over as if afraid of something. Her face appeared vacant as if she had lost all hope and purpose in life, displaying profound frustration.
~~~
A/N: Thank you for all the support you've given me; it truly boosts my spirits. ^_^