In a fifty mile vicinity surrounding Bagnion, the pressure in the air had increased threefold, as if the gravity itself grew stronger.
The amount of power and mana swirling Falvi was so great, it was forcing Cassiel to kneel.
His body was gone, but his spirit was still burning bright.
This was the last of Falvi's light.
.....
Taking just one step forward had caused Cassiel to fall flat onto the ground.
Another step, and it felt as though he was being crushed under a toppled building.
The closer Falvi got, the more pressure that weighed down upon Cassiel, to the point he'd feel as though his body was breaking.
Despite the immense pain Cassiel was going through, he didn't open his mouth to scream out in agony, yet instead, he used his last resort method.
"F-F-Fifth... tier m-magic..." Cassiel began chanting, slowly creeping his arms towards his heart.
"F-Fo-"
Before he was able to finish, however, Falvi bent over to pick him up by the back of his neck.
Even without having eyes, it was clear Falvi was staring into Cassiel's very soul, and without a mouth, it was impossible for Falvi to speak, or so Cassiel thought.
It was an ear piercing, deep, and cryptical voice.
"Remember this helpless feeling as you crumble under the power of a true hero, Cassiel."
"Suffer as I have."
Without a moment of hesitation, Falvi drives his hand straight through Cassiel's abdomen, to then after pulling it out, before shoving Cassiel onto the ground to yet again squirm under his powerful mana pressure.
Gushing blood from his mouth, Cassiel looks down at his stomach, watching his wound struggle desperately to regenerate, only for it to be repelled by Falvi's secreted mana.
His thoughts began to run wild.
He was losing blood rapidly, he was being overpowered greatly by his enemy, and he had no hope of reinforcements arriving before anything drastic could take place.
He was lost.
Yet, only seconds after, Falvi would make the mistake of forcing Cassiel to remember what he was doing this for.
"Stay down for a minute, wretched parasite. I'll bring you the head of your right hand man." Falvi states, turning to face the castle.
It felt as though time had stopped.
Cassiel's thoughts died like bugs to a flame.
He stopped thinking, and allowed his emotions to take over.
"I'll kill you... you bastard!" Cassiel screams out, causing Falvi to turn back to him.
Staring at Cassiel as he laid on the ground, Falvi crouched down.
"How?"
The word alone sent trembles throughout Cassiel's body.
"Just as I thought." Falvi would say, before turning to walk into the castle.
Forming his sword in his hand, Cassiel uses all of his force and might to push the point of the blade right above his heart.
"F-Fifth tier magic..." Cassiel pants.
"Formless... Seppuku."
Before entering the castle, the hue of Falvi's spiritual body would dim for a moment, causing him to turn around.
Just seconds ago, all of the surrounding mana was being fed into Falvi's body, which was what had been keeping his soul intact.
However, turning to see Cassiel standing, slightly bent over as his wound slowly stopped bleeding, Falvi's spirit shuddered.
The mana was now being split between the two as they were on even ground.
Cassiel's three x buff from his magic gave him a fighting chance.
It was now up to who could endure longer.
.....
Charging forward, the two clash fists, blowing the sole tree in the outer bailey away to fly through the wall enclosing the castle.
The supporting walls of the castle itself were too blown inward, causing a great portion of it to crumble and fall to the ground.
With another clash of their fists, the ground under them would collapse, forming a huge crater in the ground.
As the blows continued, the surrounding area would loosen and break more, until finally, they'd clash fists one last time, giving the ground a break.
.....
Burrowing his eyebrows, Cassiel grew enraged as he'd roll Falvi's attack off his shoulder, before counter attacking with a cross to the face.
The blow would travel through Falvi's body in it's entirety, before flowing back out through his fist as he'd launch Cassiel back by a meter just off the force of his attack alone, despite not making contact.
Realizing what had just happened, Cassiel grows weary.
Hitting Falvi would only make him stronger, as he was sapping the mana from out Cassiel's body, yet if he doesn't attack, he'd run out of time and become an easy target to kill.
Giving him no time to strategize, Falvi quickly closes the distance, slamming his foot into the ground with an axe kick just two inches away from Cassiel's face.
The dirt beneath them instantly breaks from the impact of Falvi's attack, causing it to be unbalanced.
"That's right, you're on a time limit too, aren't you?" Cassiel realizes, kicking off of Falvi to gain distance once more.
Growing impatient, Falvi raises both of his hands into the sky.
Instantly, three Spears of Calamity are summoned, all pointed down towards Cassiel.
"Bastard..." Cassiel says through his gritted teeth.
With what little time he has, he pours half of his remaining mana into a Blood Shield as all three spears launch down at high speed.
Pushing Cassiel back, his shield slowly cracks, beginning to fragment.
Just as it breaks, two of the spears dissipate into the air, leaving only one left.
Using his sword, Cassiel pushes into the spear with all his strength, digging his feet into the dirt to stop him from sliding.
This, however, was all planned by Falvi.
Darting forward, Falvi kicks the spear from behind, shattering Cassiel's blade and the spear together.
Taking this chance, Falvi grips Cassiel by the neck, only to then slam him into the ground twice, before straddling on top of him.
Every punch had the weight of a boulder behind it.
The ground under them would crack further with each strike, only staying up as Cassiel was taking the brunt of the force with his face.
Bleeding profusely, Cassiel's vision grew dazed and blurry.
Unable to move his arms, Cassiel does the only thing he can.
As Falvi's fist comes crashing down towards his nose, Cassiel opens his mouth wide, catching Falvi's fist with his teeth, before chomping down with all his strength, biting the knuckles off of Falvi's spiritual body.
The tear Falvi's body began seeping out pure mana in a liquid form, leaving it to splatter onto the ground next to Cassiel as Falvi darted back.
Consuming the mana flesh, Cassiel has a sudden surge of painful power, as Falvi's mana fights against his own.
Standing up slowly, Cassiel holds his head tightly, screaming in agony, before in a flash, the pain disappears.
He had fully consumed Falvi's mana.
Slowly realizing what he had just done, Cassiel's face is painted with a sinful smile.
"Come, Falvi." Cassiel mocks as he walks forward, still grinning ear to ear.
Falvi, who had been holding his fist, watching as it leaked mana, glares at Cassiel, before dashing straight towards him.
Aiming to clash fists again, Falvi begins to reel back his arm, only to be caught off guard as Cassiel ducks under his attack, before biting into his side, ripping out another piece of his "flesh".
Yelling out in rage, Falvi grips both of his hands together, before striking down upon Cassiel's back.
Through the pain, however, Cassiel bites again, ripping another piece of his flesh off, before going in for thirds.
Immense amounts of mana were pouring out of Falvi's body, causing him to grow weaker by the second.
"DAMN YOU, FIEND!" Falvi screams in rage, before sending a shockwave of mana off his body, causing Cassiel to lose his grip.
Again, Falvi sends another pulse of mana out, this time sending Cassiel back by a meter.
"This was your decision, Cassiel.
Flying into the sky at rapid speeds, Falvi stops just fifty feet into the air, before crossing both of his arms across his body, forming an x.
"Heavens above, forgive me as I cause you to collapse just for today." Falvi chants, staring into the night sky above.
"Give me the power to defy reality on a whim."
"Eighth tier magic, Collapsing Heaven."