章 85: Yoink

"You won't get away with this..." groaned a battle-weary man with fierce brown eyes, bronzed skin, complex tattoos covering much of his upper body, and dark brown hair combed back into a loose top knot with a curly, spiky mullet. He had sustained considerable injury, including vicious burns to the right side, leaving his right arm a gnarled mass of charred, blistered flesh, yet, despite this, he had yet to release his grip on his curved sword, a behemoth of a blade at nearly 180cm in length.

"And yet here I stand while you, Unaraj Bhiran, kneel...!" exclaimed the wounded warrior's opponent, a man wearing a dark cloak and half-mask that was clearly inspired by the Saighba'an but pure white. His eyes were barely visible but glistened with madness, his voice exuding exultation as he spread his hands wide and gazed up at the waning destruction caused by his use of his Third-Circle Magic, elevated to the destructive potential of a Fifth-Circle Spell.

"See reason, Denam...!" exclaimed Bhiran, full name Alaiph Bhiran, son of the Fortress City of Bhiran's Raj, Aarav Bhiran. His body was on the verge of breaking down due to the over-kindling of his Mana and Aura, but he forced himself to rise, shouting, "Power that is conferred is just as easily taken! Once you have outlived your purpose, you will share the fate of all those you have trampled and tossed aside...!"

Losing his smile, the masked man lowered his gaze, meeting Alaiph's with blazing crimson eyes as he asserted, "That's where you're wrong, my old friend. Regardless of how I obtained this power, it is now mine to wield as I please. And so long as I have my dearest beside, I needn't fear even the Braves..."

As Denam spoke, an ethereal figure appeared behind him, wrapping its pale, white, fur-covered arms around him as it gazed at the wide-eyed Alaiph with a mischievous smile.

"So that's how you've managed to endure our attacks..." muttered Alaiph, his grip on his sword tightening to such an extent blood began to trickle from his palms as he glared at the duo with hate-filled eyes. Denam was an old friend of his he had competed with since childhood, but the gap in their strength had progressively widened after he was chosen as a Brave Candidate while the former succumbed to temptation and addiction. This was the first time they had seen each other in years, so he couldn't help feeling resentful and aggrieved that someone he had once regarded as a friend and brother had joined an organization such as An Lámh Bhán(The White Hand), a vile cult that worshiped the Creator God, Plænner.

Reaching up to caress the face of the Saighba'an hovering behind him, a zealous expression adorned Denam's face as he revealed, "Indeed. I had originally thought my life forfeited and had fallen into despair when I first crossed paths with my beloved, but everything changed when I faced my fear and embraced Death willingly. Since, it has become my closest, most cherished companion..."

As the Saighba'an bumped its head against Denam's as if to confirm his statement, the masked zealot returned his attention to Alaiph, declaring, "Truth be told, there are few things in this world I desire more than your death, Alaiph. However, just as Our Father bestowed his grace and mercy upon me, I now present you the same. Wield your blade in His name, and all those who conspired to prevent you from ascending to the position of Brave shall know your fury..."

Punctuating his words, Denam pulled out what first looked like an icy blue crystal but was actually a frigid heart, still beating as it radiated immense cold and mist. When tossed into the air, the mist expanded rapidly, taking the form of a particularly shapely Saighba'an that landed gracefully on its cloven hooves, extended its right hand, and materialized a curved sword, visually similar to Alaiph's but comprised of the same icy black, blue, and white-tinged material as most Saighba'an weaponry.

"Cast thyself unto this blade, and fear not the cold grasp of death, for its embrace shall not claim but soothe thee eternal..." stated the Saighba'an, narrowing its ghostly blue eyes and adopting an alluring, overtly sensual smile.

"I would sooner die a thousand times than submit to the temptation of a monstrous aberration without any agency of its own..." responded Alaiph, leveling his blade at the Saighba'an, the tips of the two blades touching as he stood proud and defiant despite his injuries.

"Then thou shalt come to know there are fates far worse than death..." declared the Saighba'an, its smile broadening and eyes narrowing as it smacked aside Alaiph's blade, initiating what would ordinarily be his last dance. However, the moment they created distance from one another, the fur on the Saighba'an's body stood on end as a metallic gleam caught its eye, originating from its left flank. It managed to dematerialize in time for what appeared to be a three-meter-long spear to pass through it, but that was just the herald for the attack to come as Will, following in the spear's wake, smashed a fist into the left side of the Saighba'an's face, sending it careening across the terrain and phasing through a building.

Seeing Will appear, seemingly out of thin air, Alaiph, Denam, and the Saighba'an clinging to the latter's back stared at him with expressions ranging from stupefaction to curiosity. Neither of the men recognized him, but when the Saighba'an whispered into Denam's ear, a look of realization adorned his face before he smiled viciously and remarked, "So, you're the Interloper. It's quite bold of you to show yourself like this, especially after what happened the last time..."

"Time marches forward, and circumstances change..." responded Will, extending his right hand and summoning his spear, Dazabagh, back to it in a flash of golden light. It was the first time he was using his mother's prized spear in actual combat, but with B-Rank Spearmanship and his presently enhanced senses and capabilities, he was confident he could wield it well.

"So they do!" exclaimed Denam, spreading his arms wide and spewing spittle as he shouted, "But if there is one thing more absolute than the march of time, it's the certainty of death! You've stuck your nose where it doesn't belong, so now suffer the consequences...!"

Clasping his hands together and then forcibly pulling them apart as if they were magnetically attracted, Denam shouted, "I call upon the Forces that Bind the Heavens! Channel the pressure of the Infinite Void! Descend with Unyielding Might and Crush my enemies! Gravity Anvil...!"

Though he could have interrupted the chant halfway through, Will waited until Denam had nearly completed it, causing a hazy, vibrant purple circle to expand across the ground with him at its epicenter. An ordinary Third-Circle Gravity Anvil only encompassed an area of ten meters, but Denam's expanded to encompass at least five times that, compelling Will to whistle before remarking, "Not bad..." without any semblance of urgency.

Seemingly realizing something was wrong, the Saighba'an hanging off of Denam abruptly evaporated into icy white mist. At nearly the exact same time, the effects of Gravity Anvil triggered. However, instead of flattening Will into a pancake, the direction of gravity abruptly reversed, causing all within its area of effect to be launched into the air along with the debris of various buildings.

"Wha-what did you do...!?" exclaimed Denam, his eyes widening in panic beneath his mask as Will used the debris rising with them to pinball his way over to him, grinning from ear to ear as he brandished his spear and shouted, "Here's that certainty you're so fond of...!"

Feeling a sense of existential dread on par with when he first realized he had been marked by a Saighba'an, Denam instinctively assembled several layers of anti-physical barriers between him and Will. This saved him from being bifurcated in two, but Will's raw power, combined with the quality of his weapon, allowed him to slice through and shatter each of the barriers, the shimmering, silvery-white tip of his lance slicing through and leaving a prominent arc as it cut halfway through Denam's stomach.

"Im-impossible..." choked Denam, a large volume of reddish-black blood erupting from his lips as he held his stomach in a vain attempt to prevent his guts from pouring out.

"Sorry," hummed Will, smiling as he placed his spear safely back into his Inventory and linked his hands behind his head, unbothered by the fact gravity had returned and they were about to free-fall to the ground as he teased, "But you should have listened to your friend. Relying on a power you didn't earn and don't fully understand is beyond foolish..."

"You...you bastard...!" screamed Denam, releasing his guts and extending his hands toward the grinning Will, emitting chantless, blood-red lightning from his fingertips. He felt betrayed and confused by how Will could injure him, but more than anything, he felt unbridled, indignant fury. Thus, rather than enkindling or igniting the energy within his body, he utilized his blood as a catalyst to power the Fifth Circle Magic Spell, Chain Lightning.

Though he wasn't sure what Denam would try, Will was unsurprised by the man's desperate attempt to secure a pyrrhic victory. His skipping his chant could have made things dicey if he were a Magus or Archmage, but since incantations, magic circles, and spell formulae were required to give Spells their structure and control them, the lightning struck randomly and without focus. A few strands impacted Will's barrier, but since the majority arced elsewhere, he could meet Denam's blazing crimson eyes, streaming bloody tears, with a raised brow and a cheeky smile.

Interrupting Will's goading, the Saighba'an he had sent flying entered his periphery, spinning through the air like a sawblade before hammering his resummoned spear and sending him careening to the ground below like a meteor. He managed to right himself in time and execute a hero's landing, but the pain that shot through his knee and thigh caused him to wince as he mused to himself, 'Pride cometh before the fall...'

Using her Aura and powerful leaping ability, the Saighba'an descended toward Will like a lightning bolt, using the mortified Denam's body as a springboard. Will recovered from his knee injury and backstepped, but his mobility was momentarily impaired, allowing the Saighba'an to nearly slice his throat, grazing his laryngeal prominence and causing a layer of frost to spread across his neck.

'She's exponentially slower than the last one, but much faster than the one I killed...' noted Will, his smile broadening and eyes wide in focus as he used Dazabagh's shaft to block and deflect the Saighba'an's endless string of attack. He found its dance-like movements, shapely figure, and swift strikes mesmerizing, but they weren't without fault. Whenever she wanted to land a heavy blow against his guard, she would perform a full turn using her right hoof as a pivot, so he waited for her to do so before raising his spear protectively and feigning tripping backward.

Seizing upon the opportunity, the Saighba'an changed the trajectory of her attack from a broad, sweeping slash to a one-armed overhead strike, intending to knock Will further off balance, forcing him into a vulnerable position. Instead, she abruptly found herself struck center mass as Will made his spear contract, allowing him to change its angle subtly before causing it to extend to its full length.

Not expecting an attack from such an angle, the Saigbha'an, while not particularly injured, was momentarily stunned. It didn't even need a full second to recover, but Will needed even less time to end things, his hand moving like a blur to pierce the Saighba'an's chest, grasping its icy heart as he plainly stated, "I'll be taking this," as he placed it into his Inventory. As a result, the Saighba'an's body immediately dispersed, leaving behind considerably less mist than usual...

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