"Impossible! The rules of the realm are absolute. There is no way they can be broken, not by a warlord, serpent, or any other being. How did you do it? What even are you?" Alone screamed.
While he used the heat of his spectre to dry his piss-stained grab.
"Aye, don't make an otherworldly entity, as long you don't understand the abilities you use," Mercy argued back.
He knew Alone was in denial. So, he needed to explain what was going on.
"A realm is another world with two specific abilities to help its user. One is passive, and the other is direct." Mercy paused.
"The realm's passive ability is already known to its user, but the direct ability is unknown. The only method of finding the direct ability is experimentation." Mercy took a pause, but his lips took a curly smile.
" Whether in battle or elsewhere, at normal people who can't fight back. Whether it be a child, women, man, dwarf for animal."
"Your direct ability is Adaptation. When someone trapped inside casts his or her ability, your realm reads and makes you immune to effect when seen enough times." Mercy glared at Alone.
"The problem is how many times is enough? You didn't fight any powerful people to learn about the realm, so you didn't know the answer for powerful spells."
"He is absolutely a warlord from how he speaks, but he doesn't release a tiny bit of Warlord's energy. He reads his opponents so fast ." Alone wondered while Mercy spoke.
"You must have tried your realm against some thieves or killers who use illusion magic. They might have lost their effect after two casts, but I am better than that. You are underestimating me without even realising." Mercy laughed.
"What do you want to know?! The way we are fighting our battle will be to stand still. No matter how much you try my divine retaliation will stop it, you can't hurt me, boy. Better than surrender and give up right now." Alone advised Mercy on the situation.
"I won't say that if three of the knights... sacrifices you brought with yourself mysteriously die after you fail to cast your divine retaliation in time. I think you should reconsider your words." Mercy replied.
"Tch?!" Alone bit his tongue, realising he gave it away while praying to God.
"I should have been more careful! I am a veteran warlord; what is happening to me?!"
Alone was angry and tried his best not to show his face.
"That means if I catch you off guard enough times with different attacks, your sacrifices will die slowly or instantly, and that doesn't matter. When they die, you can die, too."
Mercy raised his hands, and the swords came. He pointed one at Alone, asking,
"How many times have I cut you with this sword that you adapt?" The lowest number from a sword that could burn a realm did not make Alone very happy.
Mercy began walking towards Alone, clutching his sword in one hand. The tip of the sword touched the ground, and a trail of flame followed where the tip passed on the ground.
Alone knew he had no chance. Maybe if he had more orbs of power consumed, he could try to stop him.
"It's over. Can't win." Alone opened his book, and he read it as patiently as he could. He gave up his gaze and attention towards his book and his God. He sat on the ground and kept reading.
"Huh..." Mercy felt Alone's defences and attention going down. Alone even broke his contact with the star. He was lying there defenceless and open, ready to be killed.
"Hey!! Don't take the fun of the battle out of this!" Mercy's sword vanished in the air, and he was disappointed, noting that Alone had given up like that.
"How did this happen? What sort of warlords are living in this time? In my days, warlords were better." Alone unresponsive and didn't care.
Mercy didn't have any words of encouragement to give... only arrangements.
"Alone, I am considering making some divine vows to make this battle exciting. Why don't the two of us make this battle more exciting?" Mercy cheerfully offered the idea.
"God loves all and creates all men equal and dwarfs to serve them..." Alone kept reading his book in the background.
"I won't use Illusion and fire magic for our battle. You can also increase your power to 15 orbs for this battle. In fact, I will make all the sacrifices to complete the vow. What do you think?"
" Dwarf are paw-?" Alone stopped reading his book and stared at Mercy, his eyes didn't show but Mercy had his attention. There was a chance of him coming back to fight.
Alone closed his book and got up on his feet. He looked at Mercy with less to no intent of fighting.
"And would I agree to that? I know if you are willing to give away that much. You will ask for something big. What do you want?"
"I guess you want me to spare all those hurt others that I use to protect myself and deliver justice to stronger evil. You want to fight and spare their lives, do you?" Alone asked.
"Nah, If I were to ask for that, it would be stupid. Criminal or not those sacrifices are your aspect and ability. I will not limit any of your ability, I want to decide something that is in your control."
"Can you speak clearly for a second? What do you mean? I have things to give up for a vow if you are asking about that. " Alone was tired of Mercy speaking in weird sentences.
"No, I am asking your death. I want you to die in the same ways you killed all those evil men, women, children and Dwarfs, the way you punish the evil. Your judgement will be sent upon your head. Trapped in ice, eating chewed down by insects, slowly. Understood?" Mercy had a smile similar to the illusion in the ice crystal.
"He is asking for nothing? If he defeats me without a divine woe, he can do that anyway. No advantage in that."
"Lord Alone are you scared that your God won't save you? Are you scared even after restricting my spell powers and giving you the powers 15 orbs of power? Were your prayers to this day useless?"
"You don't dare say anything about my God, Blasphemous boy. I will accept no insult to him, you call him weak and scared. For this nerve, I will send you to hell for sure."
"I insulted you, not your God." Mercy thought.
"Then it's final. We both agree and decide to make a divine woe for this battle. I call you Lord of Hell. Make our contract for this match."
"?!"
quake...tremble...
The gates of Hell began emerging from the ground, began emerging from the ground. Built with solid stone walls, the skeleton hung from the sides and the five essential elements- Fire, Steel, Water, Earth and Wind were carved on each side of the gates.
"Good evening, My customers." A melancholy voice came from the side, and then the gates of hell opened.
"Lucifer Morningstar." Mercy spoke.
Lucifer Morningstar, the merchant of all divine vows. He wore gilded gold armour on his body. A fair skin, gold graced eyes, his hair was saffron. He bore a sweet smile just like his voice. A dream of a fair maiden, but only some knew his true nature.
He was the merchant of Divine Vows and prince of hell some call him. Also, the only thing walking alive that Mercy knew he couldn't even touch with having all 20 orbs of power.
Lucifer was powerful in some other way than the power of orbs or the warlords. A truly divine entity. His origins and methods of power were unknown, but none really cared.
"I believe the terms of battle have already been decided. I will make sure the words of the two sides hold. Now, please give me your sacrifices, and the battle can begin."
Alone stepped up,
"For the present, I shall receive, I will give up the ability to have physical relations for the rest of my life." Alone offered openly.
"Payment rejected, the value of the offered payment does not match the power you will receive." Lucifer replied smiling.
"Not even for only one single battle?! That is injustice!" Alone argued, his veins were popping out again and face was becoming red.
"If you can't afford the payment, either the trade will be cancelled or, the other can pay for both of them." Lucifer replied ignoring Alone's question and mocking him with smirk instead of a smile.
"A test of pride." Mercy thought, "Alone should let me make the payment and rest easy, but will his pride bear that strike?"
"Fine, take any member of my family as your payment for the prize of this Battle." Alone announced in a harsh, sad tone, and his fate was sealed.
"Payment accepted. I will take away the one family member you love more than your lustful actions. In the coming festival of Roses, 2 months." Lucifer replied.
Alone nodded his head. Mercy could see his eyes becoming red and swallowing more tears.
"Fine... But why did he ever do lustful acts if he was a man of God in the first place? And why does he only care about one person in the whole family more than a woman in bed?" Mercy never understood the craze behind lust.
"As for me...." Mercy smiled at Lucifer and the other smiled back.
"Okay the payment, the power will be returned for after the battle has ended. has been made from both sides. The battle can commence now."
"Wait?!! The boy did not offer anything at all, how can you start the battle like this?"Alone objected.
"I believe you don't know that I can read minds. I can know your sacrifices if you tell me through your mind. There is no requirement to tell me loudly in public. People have just made it a norm."
"Customer Alone, Only the abilities that are enhanced or stopped in the original contract, should be mentioned to both sides. His illusion and fire spells have been stopped, if you want to give an ability as payment, why put yourself at a disadvantage by announcing it in public?" Lucifer said it all with a smile.
"Customer Mercy has given up his best ability for this battle. You have the promise of Heaven and Earth on that." Lucifer then looked at Mercy.
"I hope you enjoy the battle to the end. I will see you from my place down below, hoping you will call me again soon. Thank you for the trade." Lucifer gave both sides a final smile.
But something was different this time when he looked at Mercy. "!" Lucifer's fingers were curled as if he were calling Mercy towards him. Then Lucifer went inside, and the gates disappeared.
"I cannot lose this battle. I will kill you, Mercy, or whatever your name is you will die!!!" Alone began raising and charging his scepter.
"I cannot do that. I could die infinitely if I didn't surrender my natural ability for this battle."
To add a thrill to his fight, the lord of the undead had given up his ability to resurrect. The battle to add a new life to his battles.
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