The arena crackled with tension as Celos and I stood face-to-face, the space between us heavy with anticipation. The spectators were silent now, waiting for the battle that was sure to be unforgettable. The previous matches had been tests, but this was something else entirely—a true confrontation between two forces that transcended normal limitations.
Celos tightened his grip on his spear, his aura like a black hole, pulling everything into a void where nothing could escape or exist. The air around him shimmered with a distorted reality, as if the world itself was bending to his will.
"I've heard about your power, Sion," Celos said, his voice calm and cold. "But raw power is nothing without understanding. I'm about to show you what it means to face someone who has transcended simple ability."
Before I could respond, he vanished. In an instant, he closed the gap between us, his spear lashing out like a lightning bolt. I barely managed to block, summoning a shield, but it disintegrated the moment his spear touched it. A shockwave blasted through my defenses, sending me skidding back.
"That's the thing about anti-concepts," he continued, not giving me a chance to recover. "They're not just countering you—they erase any notion that your abilities could ever work."
He attacked again, this time with a series of swift thrusts. Each strike was precise, aiming at my vitals while disrupting any attempt I made to stabilize reality around me. I retaliated by summoning a barrage of spectral swords with various elemental properties, each imbued with different concepts, but they flickered out of existence before even reaching him.
"No matter what you try now, it's pointless, every concept you apply, every sword you generate, everything you can utilize will just be absolutely negated." Celos sneered. "You're in my world now."
I gritted my teeth, feeling the strain as my every effort was nullified. It wasn't just frustrating—it was terrifying. Celos' ability to outright erase concepts was the ultimate counter to everything I could do. For the first time, I felt genuine pressure in a fight.
He didn't let up. His spear carved through the air, each swing releasing waves of anti-concept energy that tore through the arena's barriers. I dodged and weaved, but even the terrain I tried to manipulate vanished within his influence. It was as if my reality itself was unraveling in his presence.
I knew I couldn't keep retreating, so I pushed forward, trying to outmaneuver him in close combat. But he was faster and sharper. Every move I made, he predicted. Every strike I attempted, he countered effortlessly. And then, with a devastating sweep of his spear, he caught me off-guard, driving the blunt end into my chest.
Pain exploded through my body as I was launched across the arena, crashing into one of the floating platforms. I gasped for breath, trying to steady myself, but Celos was already upon me. He pressed his advantage, pinning me down with a relentless assault. His spear was everywhere—each swing and thrust coming at me from impossible angles. I was barely holding on, and it wasn't enough.
In a final, crushing blow, he slammed me into the ground, his spear poised at my throat. The crowd held its breath as they watched, wondering if this was it—if I had finally met my match.
"You're done, Sion," Celos declared, eyes blazing with confidence. "This is the end."
For a moment, it felt like he was right. My abilities couldn't touch him. My strategies were crumbling. I could feel the weight of defeat pressing down on me.
But then, something inside me snapped.
It wasn't anger. It wasn't desperation. It was a calm realization—a deeper understanding of my power, and the essence of the fight itself. I wasn't just some reality-warping powerhouse. My abilities had always been about more than that.
They were about defying what others believed was possible.
Celos noticed the shift in my gaze, but it was too late. I pushed against his spear, feeling a surge of energy course through me. The air around us rippled as my power broke free from the constraints of logic. My wounds began healing, and my aura intensified, turning from a subtle glow into a brilliant storm of green energy.
"What... what is this?" Celos muttered, taking a step back.
I slowly stood up, my eyes glowing with renewed determination. "You made a mistake, Celos. You think erasing abilities is enough to stop me. But you can't erase what refuses to be defined."
He snarled, launching himself at me with a ferocious assault. But this time, I was ready. I didn't need to rely on tricks or clever strategies. I needed only one thing—an unshakable will to win. My power surged, amplifying everything about me. My speed, strength, and awareness all skyrocketed as I entered a new state—a fighting state where everything clicked into place.
I met Celos' attack head-on, catching his spear in my hand. The force behind it was still immense, but it no longer mattered. I crushed the tip of his weapon, snapping it like a twig. Celos' eyes widened in shock as I closed the gap, striking him with a flurry of blows that sent him reeling.
"What are you—? How are you—?" Celos stammered, unable to comprehend what was happening.
I didn't answer. Instead, I raised my hand and summoned a blade—a green sword that materialized out of pure energy. The Alzatch Blade.
This sword was different from anything I had created before. It wasn't just a weapon—it was a manifestation of perfectness itself. The blade was smooth and flawless, its edge gleaming with a light that seemed to bend reality around it. The Alzatch Blade didn't just cut—it completed any task it was given, even if that meant defying the rules of logic and space.
As I held it, I felt a sense of wholeness, as if this blade was the culmination of everything I had learned and endured. The crowd gasped as they witnessed its brilliance, and even Celos faltered, sensing the overwhelming potential of this new weapon.
Celos roared in defiance, gathering all his anti-concept energy into one final, devastating attack. The void around him expanded, devouring everything within reach. "I'll erase everything you are!"
I didn't flinch. Instead, I calmly raised the Alzatch Blade and whispered, "Complete the impossible."
In a flash, I swung the sword. The green energy surged forth, cutting through Celos' void as if it were mere air. His anti-concept energy, his spear, even his very presence—all of it was nullified in an instant. The Alzatch Blade defied the logic of his abilities, overriding them with a single, perfect stroke.
Celos' eyes filled with disbelief as he collapsed, his power drained, his aura shattered. The battle was over, and I stood victorious.
The crowd erupted into cheers, but I could barely hear them. The only thing I focused on was the blade in my hand—the Alzatch Blade, a weapon that was now bound to me. Its power was limitless, yet it was also a burden. I knew this wasn't the end, but merely the beginning of something much larger.
As I turned away from the fallen Celos, I felt a strange sense of calm. The War Games were far from over, but with the Alzatch Blade in hand, I was ready for whatever challenges awaited.