Izparut stood high in the heavens. Beside him, four other figures hovered in the sky.
A red-haired youth with a massive greatsword slung over his shoulder. A green-haired girl holding a short emerald staff.And… a single, remarkably composed rock.
"Yo! Anzheng!"
"Finally couldn't sit still anymore?" Izparut grinned wildly, looking down at the Level 8 mage below.
Anzheng's body was withered, hollow—his eyes and mouth nothing but empty voids.
"Izparut."
"Heh… so this is the 'principle' you kept preaching about?"
Izparut brushed his long hair back, not the slightest hint of guilt on his face—only a faint smile.
"Well, sorry about that. I'm not the kind of person who sticks rigidly to rules."
He tapped his temple.
"As a mage, the most important thing is flexibility, Anzheng."
Anzheng remained composed. No anger. No sorrow. Only calm.
"Flexibility."
"What I see… is nothing more than a clown who abandoned his bottom line."
Izparut shrugged, utterly unconcerned.
"Heh. Call it whatever you want."
Thud—
Obadis stepped forward, positioning himself directly between Anzheng and Izparut.
From his center, an invisible domain spread outward.
Clang!
In an instant, a vast region of space was completely sealed.
A Defender didn't just protect allies—they also prevented enemies from escaping. If the opponent tried to flee, the Defender would be the first to intercept. And in doing so, they were the least vulnerable to counterattacks.
Barriers rose in all directions.
Anzheng glanced around.If he wanted to escape now, there was only one way—
Kill Obadis.
Akasei grinned.
"Yo, old man."
"I usually don't hit kids, the elderly, or women… but since Iz is such a bastard, I guess I'll make an exception."
"If you've got someone to blame, blame this guy with no moral bottom line."
Izparut smirked.
"Did you just invent those rules on the spot?"
Kumironi raised her staff.
"Everyone, we're facing a Level 8 mage. Please take this seriously."
Ding! Ding ding ding ding—
Layers of emerald light bloomed across the group.
[Instant Recovery Blessing: Immediate Heal]
[Sustained Extension: Extends Burst Effects]
[Wound Reversal Over Time: Rewinds damage taken]
[Anti-Magic Ring: Negates magic damage]
[Internal Vital Armor: Forms regenerative armor within the body]
[Delayed Death: Slows life dissipation]
[Life Essence Condensation: Stores all healing effects for instant restoration upon damage]
Whoosh—
A dense green radiance poured down from the sky like a waterfall, washing over everyone present. At the same time, a raging emerald storm formed across the battlefield. Every breath replenished vitality.
Within the storm, rain fell—green droplets like a torrential downpour.
[Revival Gale] + [Rain of Life]
And at that exact moment—
Anzheng raised his hand.
The ocean rose. The sky descended.
[8th-Tier Earth Magic — Heaven Falls, Earth Converges]
RUMBLE—
Obadis' body expanded instantly—growing to the scale of an island.
Arms braced against the sky. Feet planted in the sea.
He split heaven and earth apart.
BOOM!
In the same instant, a red streak shot forward—
Akasei had already reached Anzheng.
[6th-Tier Origin Magic — Absolute Law of All Magic]
Ding!
For a fraction of a moment—everything froze.
But only for that fleeting instant.
The stillness collapsed onto Obadis alone—locked in place as he held apart sky and sea.
Meanwhile—
Akasei's greatsword came crashing down.
[Invincible Style — Tenth Form: God-Slaying Infinity]
A strike as if it could cleave open the world itself.
CLANG!
But in that same instant—
Anzheng vanished.
The sword cleaved empty air—its aftershock crashing downward.
BOOM—
The sea split apart.
And Anzheng reappeared high above the sky.
With a single motion—
Countless magic circles ignited.
[8th-Tier Light Magic — Infinite Radiance of Billions]
Ding!
Hundreds of billions of magic circles unfolded across the sky.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Every single one locked onto—
Obadis.
Not because Anzheng didn't want to target Akasei—
But because all targeting was forcibly drawn to that immovable stone.
Obadis was engulfed in endless beams of light.
Each beam carried the full force of a Tier 6 Light Mage's attack.
Yet—
Obadis stood unmoved.
Unbreakable.
Unshaken.
"Disgusting rock."
Akasei laughed.
"Yo—trying to break Stone Bro's defense?"
"Even I can't do that!"
WHOOSH!
He shot upward again—
Reappearing before Anzheng.
Anzheng raised his staff—
Akasei suddenly saw countless lines stretching in every direction.
Anzheng's Origin Magic governed eternity—unchanging permanence.
[8th-Tier Magic — Instant Annihilation Lines]
SHHH—
In an instant—
The battlefield filled with countless thin black lines.
They formed—
And immediately sliced through Akasei.
SLASH!
His body was cut apart instantly.
But—
At the same moment—
He regenerated completely.
"Useless!"
Akasei swung his sword again—
CLANG!
The blade cut through countless black lines—
But its power was greatly reduced.
Anzheng raised his staff.
BOOM!
A black-and-white blast erupted—
Swallowing Akasei whole.
This wasn't some random enemy.
This was a peak Level 8 mage on the verge of ascending to Level 9.
BOOM!
The blast was cleaved apart—
But its remnants remained—
Lingering in the world.
What should have been a fleeting spell—
Now existed eternally.
"This is what a Level 8 mage looks like!"
"But just this—"
"Isn't enough!"
Anzheng raised layers upon layers of shields—
Tens of thousands—
Each forming part of a massive composite structure.
[Eternal Composite Magic]
"By my origin—eternal and unchanging."
BOOM!
Akasei charged again—
Shattering space, breaking through layers of annihilation lines—
Cutting through ten thousand shields—
Reaching Anzheng once more—
But—
A second Anzheng appeared behind him.
Front and back—both raised their staffs.
"Kumironi! Obadis!"
[Invincible Style — Eleventh Form: World-Crushing Ring]
BOOM!
Akasei struck forward—
Shattering the attack ahead—
Destroying the Anzheng before him—
But the attack behind him still landed.
Black lines surged again—
Filling the space permanently.
They sliced through him repeatedly—
But he continued charging forward—
Relentless.
"Oh~"
A delighted voice echoed through space.
Izparut finally raised his staff.
"6th-Tier Origin Magic — Inner Void."
BOOM—
Reality collapsed.
In an instant, the world dissolved into chaos.
The black lines vanished.
"Iz…"
Anzheng's voice echoed from everywhere.
Akasei stood within the chaos—
Blocking attacks from hundreds of directions.
Anzheng had disappeared.
"You'll become me someday."
"Why resist so desperately?"
Izparut sighed lightly.
"I told you already."
"I will never become you."
"Don't presume to define someone else's fate."
The chaotic space shattered again—
Revealing a pure white world beneath.
And there—
Anzheng stood.
But no longer human.
A distorted being—wrapped in dark, intangible tendrils.
A shadow trailing behind him—
As if he could fall into another world at any moment.
Akasei looked up.
"Huh. Second phase?"
Izparut spoke calmly.
"That's his true form."
Akasei grinned.
"Figures."
"But… I've got one too."
He crouched—
Preparing to leap—
But Izparut raised a hand.
"Hmm?"
"This is a mage's battle."
"You've done enough."
Akasei paused.
"…Seriously?"
"If he escapes, it's on you."
Izparut replied calmly.
"If he escapes, it's entirely my responsibility."
He stepped forward—
Ascending into the sky.
A towering presence—
As if he were about to overthrow a god.
"Izparut."
"Once, I thought you would become the greatest mage in the world."
"I was right."
"My only regret…"
"…is that I didn't kill you back then."
Izparut's voice was calm—absolute.
"If only?"
"If 'if' mattered, you wouldn't still be stuck at Level 8."
"You'd have reached the Origin long ago."
"Your regrets go far beyond that."
"Come."
"At least you'll die at the hands of the world's strongest mage."
The space shattered again.
Black.
White.
[8th-Tier Mind Magic — Eternal Soul Fracture][6th-Tier Mind Transcendent Magic — Indestructible Mind Barrier]
BOOM!
A mental explosion echoed.
Magic flooded reality—
Only to shatter instantly around Izparut.
"Your magic is outdated, Anzheng."
"If you understood modern magic theory…"
"…you might stand a chance in one timeline."
Magic formed—
Then collapsed.
"Reverse Deconstruction."
"All magic has structure."
"Understand it—and you can dismantle it."
Izparut walked forward slowly—
Untouched.
Then—
He pointed behind him.
"There are countless layers of space."
"But if you walk with the elements…"
"…you can't hide from me."
BOOM!
Anzheng's magic reversed—
Striking himself.
"You're too slow."
"So slow I've already undone your magic…"
"…before it even completes."
Anzheng trembled.
He hadn't even seen the attack.
A Level 8 mage—
Unable to perceive what hit him.
Absurd.
"IZPARUT!"
He roared.
Blood burst—
His body regenerated.
But every spell he cast—
Was turned against him.
"Use another forbidden spell."
"Otherwise…"
"You'll never beat me."
"…Fine."
"8th Forbidden Magic — Fate."
A strange sensation filled the air.
Fate.
The most supreme magic.
Anzheng's body trembled—
PUFF!
Blood sprayed.
The spell failed.
He couldn't cast it.
Izparut's expression dimmed slightly.
"…You can't even cast it anymore."
"7th Forbidden Magic — Elements."
Izparut raised his staff.
The world trembled.
All elements—
Obeyed him.
BOOM.
The battle ended.
...
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