First person POV - Mateo
When I was born, my parents ditched me in a river. At least, that is what I was told.
However, when I was ditched, apparently, a being felt bad for me and gave me the blessing:
[Mini-awakening]
Which allowed me to survive in the river, despite my head smashing with rocks or a predator swallowing me whole. Slowly, I kept dying and awakening until I slowly grew and finally was able to escape from the river, lake or sea, whatever it was.
With this ability, I could become the strongest by simply dying over and over...but something stopped me. Which was the pain. The pain of dying again and again.
No. It wasn't the pain. It was the fear of death. The uncertainty and the doubt towards my blessing. What if it doesn't work one day? What if the mysterious being takes away my blessing suddenly? All of these questions made me not want to kill myself over and over again.
However, despite having no such blessing, I met someone who wasn't afraid of death.
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"Realm of melting eyes," Kael said, his eyes full of determination and the thought of proving himself.
"That dumbass! You shouldn't use a realm in that condition, you'll die!" Maxwell yelled, slightly angry.
However, it was too late.
Kael, Maxwell, Mateo and the barber were teleported into his realm, the same plateau and the same lava around it. "Quite an interesting realm, you got there," the barber said, charging towards Kael, who was not in the condition to fight, especially after using his realm. "I want you to kill you first."
"You think I'll let you?" Maxwell said, turning into lightning itself and appearing in front of the barber, grabbing his face and throwing him towards Mateo, who already had his punch prepared, which drove straight into the barber's face, launching him into the ground.
Though, all of that went in vain as the barber simply smiled and got up in the very next second. "I like you three. I can feel excitement flowing through my veins!" The barber said, teleporting in front of Maxwell and capturing his leg between the two blades of the scissor, cutting it instantly.
Which caused Maxwell to lose his balance and fall instantly. "Tell me, four eyes, what are you without your lightning ability?" The barber said, his eyes and smile as wide as they could be. "Nothing! You would be nothing!"
Maxwell clenched his teeth due to the pain and he let out a slight smirk despite all the pain. "I can use my ability in other ways too," he answered, and as soon as he did, a massive cloud formed above the barber, which caused thunder that electrocuted the barber or so Maxwell thought. "Ah...that tingles," The barber said, dodging the following electric strikes from the cloud.
However, suddenly, Mateo came from behind and landed a powerful punch that launched him towards Kael. "Ah, this is my chance! Finally, I can fuckin' kill this bastard!" Kael thought, a grin forming on his lips.
He made lava tentacles rise from the ocean of lava, which attacked the barber, however, the barber was able to dodge all of the attacks, whether they were trying to stab him, crush him or launch him. In fact, he was also able to cut the end points of the tentacles, though it was useless as the tentacles were made out of lava and simply restored themselves.
"Woah, woah, don't kill yourself now," the barber said to Kael, who vomited blood as soon as he tried to attack the barber again. "It'll be too boring if I am not the one who ends your life."
"Wait until you see your two friends die," the barber said. "Wait until you are in despair."
"Too much talking can distract a person," Mateo said, appearing next to the barber and about to land a punch, though, the barber blocked it. "You can never use the same move on me twice," he said, cutting Mateo's head with the giant scissor like how someone would cut a vertical piece of paper.
"Ah, fuck...the pain!" Mateo said to himself once he had awakened.
"Now, awaken more and more until you become as strong as me," the barber said, his sclera and iris turning pure black and his pupil turning a glowing red. "Show me the pain of dying over and over again, surpass me using your ability! So that I can surpass myself as well."
"No. I will be the one to surpass you," Kael said, standing up despite all of the injuries and the toll on his body. "Right here and now."
The barber laughed at this. "You talk big for someone this weak. Ah well, I can sense that you are slowly growing more powerful. By fighting with me, you want to get stronger. Haha, how greedy can someone be?"
"As greedy as someone can be," Kael answered, cracking his knuckles. "In order to kill my father, I'll do anything."
"But I am stronger than your father," the barber said, licking his lips dramatically.
"Bullshit," Kael said.
Though, in the next moment, the barber teleported behind him and whispered in his ear. "Want to find out whether I'm lying or not, my little princess?"