The cavern resonated with the demonic muttering as the wounded Belthazor stood before the energy source.
With an ominous energy flow, the demon began absorbing the essence, attempting to regain some of its peak form.
“You arrogant human… I will bury you here alive,” the demon mumbled, its voice dripping with malice as it harnessed the power flowing from the spatial slit.
‘Tch.’
I clicked my tongue, realizing that the battle was about to take a more challenging turn.
The demon, fueled by the absorbed energy, would undoubtedly become a more formidable opponent.
As the demon completed its absorption, a surge of power emanated from its form. The cavern seemed to tremble as Belthazor stood, rejuvenated and more menacing than before.
–SWOOSH!
I readied [Celestalith] in its bow form, determined to continue the assault. However, as I released an arrow towards the demon, I witnessed a distortion in the space around it.
‘I knew it.’
The demon was manipulating the spatial energy, nullifying the trajectory of my attacks. That was also the reason why my first attack didn’t hit. I had followed its movements cleanly, yet the attack had missed.
As I realized that the demon’s newfound control over space made direct attacks almost futile, I started racking my brain.
I needed to reassess my strategy, finding a way to exploit weaknesses and disrupt its concentration.
‘Even if the start of the time is different, Balthazor is still Belthazor.’
It seemed I had underestimated it a little since it had just awakened. Though, it won’t change that much.
“You cannot escape your fate, human. I control the very fabric of space around me. Your feeble attempts to harm me are in vain,” the demon taunted, its voice resonating with newfound confidence.
‘We will see about that.’
I thought, grabbing [Celestalith] with its form turned to daggers. Since then, I have known what it was going to do.
–SWOOSH!
I adjusted my strategy, holding [Celestalith] with its form turned to daggers. The demon’s taunts echoed through the cavern as it reveled in its newfound power.
However, I knew that despite its mastery over spatial manipulation, every entity had its limits. I needed to find a way to exploit those limits and turn the tide in my favor.
–WRRR!
Before I could formulate a plan, the cavern once again crackled with spatial energy. Belthazor, now moving at an even faster speed, instantly appeared right before me. The acceleration in its spatial movements caught me off guard.
“Prepare to be crushed, insignificant being!” the demon declared, its claws covered in spatial energy.
With a burst of supernatural speed, Belthazor launched a rapid assault. Its punches distorted the space around me, creating a challenging environment for me to navigate.
Eyes of Hourglass.
Dash.
The demon’s attacks came relentlessly, and I struggled to evade the blows as each strike threatened to disrupt my concentration.
I needed to activate my two skills to match the speed of its attacks. The time around me slowed as my brain registered the information as fast as it could.
I also felt the increase in my speed as my mana started being supplied to my body.
Yet, I knew using it too much wouldn’t help much, and I needed to conserve my mana. From what I could see, there was one more trick that Baltazor could still use.
He still seemed relaxed.
I continued to fight with him, utilizing every possible aspect of my arsenal. I was reading its body movements and everything to predict where his attacks were going to come from. If I had wasted any time trying to use my reaction speed, things would get quite messy after all.
–CLANK!
I blocked the incoming claw with my daggers from the right side. The spatial energy crackled around us, and each clash sent shockwaves through the cavern. Belthazor, fueled by its rage and newfound strength, relentlessly pressed the assault.
–CLANK! CLANK!
As the demon continued its assault, I focused on blocking and evading its blows. Each clash of our weapons resonated in the cavern, the spatial distortions adding an extra layer of complexity to our duel.
–CLANK! –CLANK!
I maintained my defense, the daggers absorbing the impact of the demon’s relentless attacks. However, the force behind each strike threatened to push me back. The spatial movements accompanying Belthazor’s punches were disorienting, and I struggled to maintain my footing.
“Where is your initial confidence, huh?”
He continued to speak, but I knew it was still not the time. I needed to wait for the perfect moment.
‘An attack from the left.’
I read his body and readied my daggers for a spatial swing.
CLANK!
And just as I had thought, he slashed the empty space with his claws. But, because he was able to bend the space, in reality, he actually slashed just my right side.
“Ho?”
–CLANK!
But, to not give me any time, he followed his slash with another one, but this time appearing before me. I also read his movements once again and deflected the attack at that exact moment.
“Arghk-“
But, my posture of deflection wasn’t optimal, and I had injured my wrist a little in the process.
“Heh…Your end is here.”
He mumbled as he raised his other claw. Even though my wrists were hurting, it didn’t matter at this moment.
Yet, the more I got injured, the better it was.
The crimson color of my mana started covering my vision once again, as I started feeling the familiar feeling of bloodthirst.
It wasn’t to the extreme yet, but I could feel the increase in my physical attributes, and that was it. Th link to the orign of this information rsts n ovl(ꜰ)ir(e).nt
–SWOOSH!
I readied my daggers to counter Belthazor’s next attack.
The demon, fueled by its arrogance, launched another assault. Each strike was swift and filled with the power of spatial manipulation.
–CLANK! –CLANK!
I deflected the attacks with my celestial daggers, but the spatial energy accompanying each strike left small injuries one by one.
The pain only fueled my determination. I couldn’t afford to falter now.
‘Soon, it is soon. Just a little more.’
Belthazor continued his relentless assault, exploiting every opportunity to strike. I focused on reading the muscles on his body, predicting the trajectory of his claws. As the battle unfolded, I could feel the familiar surge of bloodthirst coursing through my veins.
The crimson hue of my mana enveloped my vision, enhancing my physical attributes. The pain in my wrists became secondary to the increasing strength and speed I gained. I welcomed the bloodthirst, using it to my advantage.
–CLANK! –CLANK!
I deflected another series of attacks, but this time, I noticed a pattern in Belthazor’s movements. His right leg, right wrist, and left shoulder were slightly clenched. I could also see the spatial mana psions bending the space between his right hand and me.
‘A right spatial swing again.’
I thought, readying myself.
However, before I could adjust my defense, the demon vanished from my immediate vision.
I sensed a disturbance in the space behind me too late. Belthazor, utilizing his spatial movement, appeared right behind me.
The realization struck me – a feint.
–STAB!
“Burghk!”
In that split second, I felt the claws pierce through my chest. I turned to deflect the attack, yet the strength I could muster at that split second was not enough to ward off the assault, and I could sense the spatial energy enveloping his attack.
“Burghl!”
I could feel the blood rising from my stomach to my mouth. My breathing got haggard as my consciousness tended to waver for a second.
“Did you think I don’t understand what you are doing?”
I could hear his voice coming from my back.
“A pathetic human like you thinks he can read me? Though your abilities are certainly commendable, you are two hundred years early to beat me.”
–THUD!
Belthazor’s cruel laughter echoed as he kicked me from behind. My body flew across the cavern, slamming against the rocky surface at the far end.
–TINGLE!
The impact reverberated through my entire being, and I could feel the sharp pain in my head as it hit the hard surface.
“Grr…”
Blood dripped from my wounds, and my vision blurred as I lay on the verge of losing consciousness. Yet, I knew it was close.
The time for the end was close. Even though my body was begging me to stop, even though the brain wanted to shut itself down, I had far long grown past the point of being controlled by mere instincts.
For me, walking on the bridge called life and death was something normal at this point.
‘Soon…..He will do it soon….’
Belthazor’s voice reached me from a distance, his arrogant words echoing through the cavern.
“You humans, elves or dwarves…..Whatever….You have all tried to suppress my race once before…..Yet, you are this pathetic, can’t even raise your heads…”
I struggled to move, my body resisting every attempt to regain my footing. Belthazor’s taunts continued as he reveled in his apparent victory.
“You fought well, but you should get what you deserve for disturbing my plans and wasting my time with your pathetic presence.”
As his words echoed, I could see the energy converging into two points in the cavern.
“Now, you shall bear witness to the difference in power between us!”
From where I lay, I could see the demon rise into the air. His right arm shone red, and his left arm glowed with a deep blue radiance.
“This is one of my favorite techniques,” Belthazor declared with a malicious grin, channeling the energy between his two arms. As he stood confidently in the air, he seemed assured of his imminent victory.
The energy between his hands intensified, and he took the opportunity to explain the nature of his technique. His words reached me from a distance, my weakened state allowing only fragmented comprehension.
“This technique involves the special mix of two different particle spins, one reverse and one direct.” He explained, with his grin intensifying.
His disgusting face and teeth made me want to puke, yet I tried my best to hold myself. I knew now wasn’t the time.
My eyes continued to watch his every movement.
“Once the two spins are combined, there will be no traces of you remaining in this world. You will become a part of the complete void, leaving nothing behind. Everything you have done, the fight you gave, will be meaningless, empty. Nothing will remain of you. This is your punishment for disturbing me.”
Belthazor’s laughter echoed through the cavern as he reveled in his anticipated triumph. He mocked me further, questioning what thoughts raced through my mind as I faced the impending oblivion.
“What do you think before you die, insignificant being? Your struggles and resistance were futile. Now, embrace the void that awaits you!”
At that moment, he had already finished channeling the two energies and was about to start mixing.
“Heh…..”
And the moment he started doing that, I could no longer control the grin that formed on my face….