章 19: The Completion Mission(2)

As my fist connected with Dante's face, an unexpected rush of memories flooded into my mind, as if they didn't belong to me. I found myself immersed in Magna's experiences. He had once knelt before Zora, requesting guidance on runes and arrays, hoping to contribute in a meaningful way. Zora, being patient, agreed to share his insights, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and understanding Mana's behavior. Despite Magna's limited mana reserves, he displayed unwavering determination and resourcefulness but struggled to create intricate arrays for swift, powerful defenses.

Recognizing his vulnerability in battle—his shortage of magical energy—Magna embarked on a relentless journey to craft a unique spell, a concept even Zora hadn't explored. He developed a smart strategy to utilize this spell, a technique tailored for fighters like him.

As my focus snapped back to the present, I could feel all of the hard work, both Magna's and mine, invested in months of painstakingly inscribing runes on our bodies to make this work. It took me half a year to create, and I succeeded because, well, I'm me. As I started to address Dante's bewilderment, I thought, "C'mon, it ain't that complicated." This was a unique, one-time spell, uniquely mine. "I just connected us, and evenly split our magic!" I exclaimed to Dante as I landed another hook. We dubbed it 'Secret Flame Magic: Soul Chain Death Magic,' a creation born from our efforts.

I could see the gears turning in Dante's mind as he contemplated a way to undo my spell. I made sure to prevent any hasty actions on his part, cautioning, "Lemme Give You a Heads-Up. This chain is our souls. If you yank it or break it, you'll go insane. So better be careful." A deranged, 100% Dante would be nearly impossible for anyone to deal with, especially considering I was pretty sure Asta's Devil Union should be timing out about now.

From behind me, I sensed Captain Jack's astonishment as he made a declaration that filled me with pride: "What the...?! No way a peasant could use a spell like that!"

Zora, my man, responded with a smirk, "The thing is, though, he did it. If we attack from out here, it'll mess with that spell's effect...so just watch, alright?"

Indeed, the main weakness of this magic is that it's only effective in one-on-one situations. External forces could easily shatter the chain, driving both of us to madness.

As I began to wind up for another hook, my thoughts drifted toward the quest completion requirement. It emphasized killing, not merely defeating Dante, as Magna had done or, more accurately, would do. Dante's body magic made him resilient, like a stubborn cockroach that refused to succumb. Even though it was never confirmed, it was heavily implied that Jack had dealt with him off-screen after they departed.

The idea of conserving my mana to finish him off seems futile because when I run out, so does he, and vice versa. There would be a brief period during which he would be defenseless after being knocked out and depleted of mana, and I needed to seize that opportunity to its fullest extent.

Blood poured out of Dante's mouth as I winded him, delivering a solid blow right to his chest with my left brass knuckle. He let out an ugly sound, "Ghk....," as he cast 'Gravity Magic: Heavy Infighting.' He had adopted a traditional boxing stance and countered with a left hook.

After taking a brief moment to recover from the pain marring my right cheek, I turned back to him with a defiant smile. "Hey, didn't you say I could attack you as much as I wanted? Huh, chief?!"

My response was met with an ugly and grotesque smile from Dante. "Shut your mouth...you filthy thief!!!" Dante outstretched his right palm, resembling the action he took with Captain Jack when he was about to finish him off. He then cast one of his signature spells, "Gravity Magic: Presence of the Demon King." A powerful downward gravitational force assaulted me, crushing the stone floor beneath and attempting to force me to kneel.

But I refused to yield. "We've got the same amount of magic. I can tough this out!!" I nervously smiled and struck him squarely in the chest with a right fist. This time, upon contact, Dante staggered back a bit due to a fiery explosion.

However, he wore a malevolent smile as the gaping wound on his chest began to close, his body magic working double time to regenerate his injuries. He devilishly mocked me, "No matter what you do... as long as I can regenerate with body magic... you'll never manage to defeat me!!!"

I watched on with unwavering confidence as he rained down a flurry of blows upon me, all of which I blocked with the traditional boxing defensive stance. He taunted, "Get down on your knees and regret... that you got above yourself and defied me!!!"

Undeterred by the relentless onslaught, I took a moment to breathe and recalled both Magna's training and my own experience as a US Marine. I gracefully ducked and weaved as he attempted to connect a right hook. It was as though I felt an illusion of Zora cheering me on, filling me with confidence, and at that moment, I delivered a resolute blow squarely to Dante's face with my right fist, sending the Demon King's vessel crashing to the ground.

Not staying down for even a moment, Dante propelled himself back up using anti-gravity. Chunks of the stone ground around him began to carve out from the floor and floated, surrounding us. "Why you...how dare you... you punched me in the face... You put my back... on the ground!!" Just then, the floating stones began to rain down on me, and I used my lightning-fast reflexes to shatter them with single, precise punches.

One of the rocks floated beside Dante, and he started to manipulate it with his gravity magic, changing its shape into something resembling an executioner's blade. It had a broad and blunt rectangular edge, ready for a devastating strike.

He swiftly grabbed the stone blade in his right arm and swung it downward at me. With a light hop and a quick sidestep to the left, I managed to evade the blow. I countered with another explosive fist aimed at him, but he deftly blocked it, using his shoulder to absorb the impact. He smiled with indifference and boldly declared, "Go ahead! Steal half my magic with an underhanded spell, then start a fight on equal terms. You'll still take damage, while I'll constantly regenerate!! In the end, our original specs are completely different!!"

His pupils dilated, and his smile took on a more sinister edge as he continued, "You're not the one!!! No, a grotesque creature like you... could never bring me supreme joy!!!"

At that proclamation, it felt as if Magna's soul was reawakening inside me, and I sensed his thoughts echoing in my mind. "Yeah, that's right," he thought, "I'm just a peasant. I wasn't born awesome like a noble or a royal. I'm not Luck; he's a commoner, but he's got incredible instincts, and ever since he reincarnated as an elf, he keeps getting stronger too. I'm also not Asta. That kid's a peasant like me, and with zero magic, he's got even less than I do. But he has anti-magic, and that stuff's completely insane. All I've got is..."

Roughly Six Months Ago:

Magna and I felt a deep weariness as we returned to the Black Bull base from our journey to the Heart Kingdom. Disappointed and frustrated that our attempts to master the mana method had fallen short, Gadjah bluntly asserted that it wasn't a matter of effort; rather, we simply didn't possess enough mana. It was a bitter realization, leaving us feeling lost and inadequate. Our attention turned to our Captain's back as he casually read a newspaper, puffing on a cigar.

"Mister Yami...!" we began.

"Hey. How was the Heart Kingdom? Fun?" He responded nonchalantly.

"Yessir. Uh... Mister Yami? Why did..."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you... let me join your brigade?"

Without facing us, he answered, "Huh? Hmm... maybe because it looked like we'd have common interests."

"...I see," we replied impassively and quietly, carefully masking our disappointment.

Then, he turned his eye to look at us from the corner of his vision. "Also... because you looked like the gutsiest one out there." Our shock was impossible to conceal, as it dawned on us that Yami saw something in us that we hadn't fully recognized ourselves.

Present:

"I... will never, ever lose... when it comes to guts!!" I internally screamed, my determination surging. I pursued Dante, ducking and weaving, searching for an opening to deliver a blow, while he continued to retreat, maintaining distance and evading my punches. He dropped the blunt blade he had been wielding. I couldn't afford to stay down.

"I busted my brain to come up with this strategy... and I trained for it like crazy. You've got no right... to complain about it!!!!" I yelled at our enemy, reflecting on the months of hard work and preparation that had led to this moment. Although Magna's consciousness voiced his indignation, I was firmly in control of the body.

Dante struck our jaw with a left hook, following up with another punch. We continued to duck and weave, landing another solid blow on his chest with our right fist. The exchange of punches intensified as I gradually gained the upper hand, reigning down a flurry of lefts and rights. Smoke billowed, concealing his presence due to the explosive force of my punches. "I'm gonna blast you to smithereens, loser!!"

In response, Dante unleashed another left hook as the smoke dissipated, revealing him with his characteristic devilish grin, completely unharmed. "Nice try! Do you see now? This is reality. Unfair, unequal reality!!" He proclaimed, looking down at my battered figure.

"It's all... pointless!!" he declared, rushing in with a right hook. But just at that moment, he froze as his devil transformation unraveled, returning him to his normal state, half-naked and exposing his grotesque wound. "What?!" he questioned in shock.

"You little punk!! What did you do this time?!" He demanded.

I couldn't help but chuckle, my voice laced with defiance. "Heh heh he... ya moron! Not a thing." I flashed an infuriating smile and elaborated, "You and me are just both out of magic, that's all!!"

His face contorted in horror as he looked down at me, nervous sweat dripping from his forehead.

I continued, driving the point home, "With your monster magic, I bet... you've never run out before. You've also never fought anybody who has as much magic as you do... so you didn't even realize you were burning through so much, didja?!"

"Now, you can't use any decent spells!!" I finished, watching the realization dawn on his face as he began to sweat more, understanding that he had been locked out of his gravity magic and super-regenerating body magic.

"But neither can y—" he was cut off as I struck his jaw with a non-magic-powered left uppercut. There are other ways to fight, I thought. Desperation and an ugly expression twisted his face as he declared in desperation while winding up a left hook, "I can't possibly lose!!! Not me! Not to a... a nobody like you!!" His fist landed on my right cheek, but this time it didn't hurt.

"Shaddup... you psycho!!" I thought, sending him crashing to the floor. Originally, this was where Magna had triumphed, but I knew I had more to do. Drawing on the last reserves of our strength, I knelt beside the unconscious Dante, gripping his neck and head. With a slow but powerful twist, I heard a crack, and then I waited in tense silence for what felt like an eternity.

"DING! Congratulations on fulfilling Magna's completion quest requirements. Commencing consciousness transport back to host's body in 3..2..1.."

Before I left, I stood tall and let out a victorious cry to the heavens, "Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" As for Luck and Asta, who had just entered, I did nothing; the real credit belonged to Magna, after all, so he could handle it.

------

I awoke groggily on my bed, examining my body for any changes. I was pleased to note that, apart from a very subtle increase in strength and power, there were no changes or damages. I settled in and waited for my system to initiate while lying down on the bed.

"DING! Congratulations on completing the completion quest 'Rages at Ringside.' Rewards full synchronization on template Magna Swing (Rare), Partial Completion Ticket (Heroic) x1, Crazy Cyclone (Rare) x1."

"Magna's broom, huh?" I mused. It could be handy before I learn how to fly, but I'd have to customize it first. As much as I respect Magna, that doesn't extend to his sense of fashion.

"Light, what is the difference between the heroic completion ticket and the rare one?" I inquired.

"DING! The rare ticket has a random progression draw of 0 - 20%, while the heroic version offers 0 - 30%."

"Alright, not bad," I thought.

Before I bonded with Vetto, I decided, "Light, exchange my two uncommon bond tickets for a rare one and redeem a template."

"DING! Exchanging for a rare bond ticket."

"DING! Redeeming rare template. Success."

I stood up and examined the 'new' template. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!" I indignantly questioned my partner.

-Name: Vetto (Unbonded)

-Alias: Vetto the Despair

-Race: Elf

-Magic: Beast Magic

-Age: 27

-Height: 195 cm

-Blood Type: O

-Eyes: Purple

-Hair: Blond

-Country: Neutral Zone (Elysia)

-Occupation: Village Protector

-Affiliation: Ten Apostles of Sephirah (Formerly)

-Progress: 0%

"Another Vetto?" I asked my partner. "To begin with, isn't it pointless to have multiple templates of the same character, and you never once said we can get the same template?"

"DING! The host never asked, and the host has been repetitively informed that he will be introduced to new aspects as time progresses. To answer the host's question, templates about the same character can be assimilated to make more progress."

"Then what's the difference with partial completion tickets?" I inquired.

"Assimilating templates allows for random progression ranging from 0 - 99%. In other words, the host has hit the jackpot."

"Really?!" I questioned excitedly. "That's insane! I don't want to spend another 5 years on a template." Without hesitation, I made my decision, "Alright, Light! Assimilate my two Vetto templates and bond me with Vetto!"

"DING! Assimilating templates Vetto (Rare) x2. Progression 8%."

"DING! Bonding Template Vetto. Complete."

-Name: Vetto

-Alias: Vetto the Despair

-Race: Elf

-Magic: Beast Magic

-Age: 27

-Height: 195 cm

-Blood Type: O

-Eyes: Purple

-Hair: Blond

-Country: Neutral Zone (Elysia)

-Occupation: Village Protector

-Affiliation: Ten Apostles of Sephirah (Formerly)

-Progress: 8%

"Only 8%?!" I indignantly proclaimed.

"DING! The host was informed progression is random. I wish you better luck next time."

"Fine," I sighed, feeling a sense of defeat. "Redeem the partial completion ticket for Vetto," I commanded.

"DING! Redeeming Partial Completion Ticket (Heroic) x1. Progression 30%."

"And now I get the full score?" I incredulously questioned, a glimmer of hope building within me. Whatever, 38% progress in less than a minute isn't so bad. I felt my mana and physical strength surging, like an unstoppable tide. "I should have as much magic as Mimosa," I approximated, feeling the newfound power coursing through me. "I should be Gramps' level now, right?" I mused. To be fair, I could have beaten him before with my Soul Chain Death Magic, but I had refrained out of concern for causing an incident that could harm his soul if he acted impulsively. That spell was a lethal attack meant for enemies.

With renewed confidence, I thought, "I can finally leave the village," clenching my fist. I began to clean up and prepared to head outside to challenge my grandfather to another duel, marking the beginning of my adventure and a journey to preserve my manhood.