We started to circle around, across from one another.
Gulp.
"So you are the mastermind behind this whole operation?" Sweat dripped down my forehead.
He leaped right at me with a downward slash.
If I try to block a slash like that, my sword will break!
I held my sword angled.
Skreee!
His claymore grazed along my blade, hitting the ground.
I high kicked, aiming at his head, but he blocked my kick with his arm.
Jumping backward, I put some distance between us.
How does someone that big move that quick?!
And that strength...
"Is that all you have? How disappointing... here I thought I might have some fun for once." He sighed disappointed, looking bored.
Sharpness up!
I gripped my sword tight, running a circle around him from the right.
His back is wide open?
I took my chance, charged at him, jumped, and swung at his arm from behind him.
He stepped backwards and elbowed me into my stomach.
Agh!
I groaned, trying to ignore the stinging pain.
Landing on my feet, I aimed for his knees and swung.
Clank.
My eyes widened as he blocked my slash with his claymore.
What is this?! It's like I'm fighting the last boss after just starting the game?!
His massive hand grabbed my head, lifting me up then throwing me against the wall.
WHAM!
I hit the wall so hard it cracked, throwing quite a dust cloud.
My consciousness faded for a second.
I fell down on my knees, trying to prop up myself with my sword.
"You really thought this would be enough to save that girl?" He yawned.
"W... where is s... she?"
"Why should I tell you? It's not like you'll be able to save her anyway."
"Let alone the girl you brought for us."
"W... what?"
My vision doubled.
"You heard me right, after I'm done with you, I'll have them both pay for what you've done."
Shizori... I failed, I couldn't protect you.
Akari... I'm the reason you got pulled into this, and I didn't even manage to save you.
What kind of an isekai is this even?! This feels more like a Souls like!
He lunged right at me, hitting the sword out of my grasp, pinning me against the wall with punches.
He kept punching, my consciousness faded in and out.
"Enough playing around, time to finish this."
I'm barely conscious, wounded all over, with broken bones and one eye swollen shut.
With the other eye I glared at him.
"For someone so weak, you do have at least some guts."
He raised his claymore and placed the tip right on my chest.
Really? This is it, again?! I got a chance at living my dream, and I just blew it this quickly?!
Cold steel slowly pierced my chest, my heart.
My vision blurred, darkness encroached, and consciousness faded.
NOOOOOOOO!!
A distant scream.
Sounds like Shizori...
Well, it's too late now anywa...
My head tilted forward.
Shizori dropped to her knees, her body trembled, and tears streamed uncontrollably.
He pulled out his claymore.
My body hit the ground.
"You better come out, don't make me have to come get you myself!"
I'm so useless... I can't save Akari, I couldn't help Alex...
She stood up and walked out from behind the arch.
"There you are, now be a good girl and come over here." A wide smirk appeared on his face.
Her head drooped as she took one step after another closer to him.
A voice. Not mine. Not human. Calm, vast, echoed through the dark night.
«Intervention authorized.»
"Show yourself!" He shouted, looking around.
«A.E.G.I.S. - booting up.»
My body slowly got up.
He took up his combat stance.
"You aren't dead?!"
Shizori froze, her gaze snapped to me, putting her arms together against her chest.
A... Alex?
«A.E.G.I.S. -online.»
My eyes opened, a blue ring shone around my green irises.
Scanning the surroundings before locking onto him, the ring turned red.
"Hostile detected, immediate action recommended."
"Current strength not sufficient, overclocking required."
"Did you loose your mind?!" He screamed as he lunged at me, claymore aimed right at my neck.
"Attack incoming, deploying barrier."
I held out my hand.
He swung, but a blue barrier appeared around me and blocked his attack.
Trying to break through the barrier, he kept on pushing.
"Overclocking engaged, high risk detected."
"Risk assessment finished, unavoidable."
"Overclocking proceeding, 10%."
He pulled back, trying to slash the barrier over and over.
Every swing he did, slow but heavy, created wind pressure.
"You won't beat me by just hiding behind a barrier, you coward!"
Enraged, he swung wide with his full force.
The barrier shattered.
Right before his claymore slashed me, I flicked my finger.
Between us a magic circle appeared, creating a big wind explosion that sent him flying.
"25%."
Using his claymore like an anchor, he stopped himself.
"Body reinforcement, flame aura!" His muscles grew even bigger, veins popped, and a huge flame covered the whole claymore.
"48%."
"Quick step!" He flashed right behind me. "Bear slash!"
"Danger imminent, deploying barrier."
The barrier appeared, but he slashed right through it.
"Emergency!"
My right leg's muscles coiled up, using that force to launch me up.
He sliced my leg clean off.
"How long are you planning on running away?!"
I landed across from him.
"76%."
"Counting up won't save you either!"
"Quick step!" He disappeared.
I launched myself to the left.
As he appeared right where I was, a magic circle underneath him appeared.
His eyes widened.
The magic circle created strong wind slashes and launched them at him.
"89%."
A few slashes hit, ripping through his clothes, he blocked the rest.
"I'm not going to let you!"
I slipped, crashing to the ground.
He didn't hesitate. He took the opportunity and dashed to me, coiling his whole body.
His grip tightened and he swung his claymore in a massive arch.
"Colossal Cleave!"
"98%."
The flaming claymore came right for my face.
"99%... 100%."
"Overclock completed, Combat mode engaged."
My mind went into overdrive, racing so fast that the world around me slowed down.
I shifted a little backward, just enough to dodge the cleave.
The ring in my eyes turned into a dark purple.
"Quick step." I flashed to put more distance between us.
He bent his knees, getting ready to dash.
I waved my hand left to right in front of me, numerous magic circles appeared behind me, following my hand.
He froze in place, and his face lost all color.
"What the h... hell?!"
"Judgment day - engaged."
The magic circles opened portals, slowly, all kinds of gun barrels appeared through them.
He held his claymore in front of himself and tensed all his muscles.
"Target locked on - Judgment fall upon my enemy!"
All the guns started firing simultaneously.
The bullet impacts kicked up a lot of dust and debris, creating a thick impact cloud.
Afterwards all portals disappeared, I didn't move, just stared at the cloud waiting.
As the cloud dissipated, a silhouette appeared.
He coughed out blood.
"You MONSTER, I'll take you down with me!" He screamed, his whole body riddled with bullet holes.
I gripped an invisible scabbard on my waist.
A black scabbard holding a katana appeared.
Tensing all his muscles and taking a deep breath, he gathered the last of his strength to leap at me.
My eyes locked onto him.
I grabbed the hilt with my other hand.
Crouched down, I coiled my muscles, the katana's glow radiated stronger.
He swung wide from above his head.
"Mountain Splitter!"
"Void slash."
A silent, black slash flew through him.
His attack shattered the ground, a huge cloud covered us.
"ALEX!" Shizori screamed.
"Intervention completed."
The cloud dispersed, he was lying down on the ground in a pool of blood.
His claymore lodged in the ground behind me.
"Host vital signs critical."
I collapsed backward against the claymore.
Shizori sprinted to me, her whole body trembled.
"Repair impossible, death imminent."
She held my hand, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You can't just D... DIE on me like that, Alex!"
"A.E.G.I.S. - shutting down"
"Light heal! Light heal! Light HEAL!"
She closed her eyes.
Her hands bloomed green, radiating stronger and stronger the more mana she channeled into them.
"P... Please... Alex, open your eyes!"
The wounds tried to close, but they opened back up.
But she didn't stop, she kept trying.
Her breath got ragged, sweat drops formed on her forehead.
My mana is running out...
B... but if I stop, he'll die.
She clenched my hand tighter.
"I'm not giving up! I'll save you!"
That's the least I can do to repay him for everything...
Her hair began to glow faintly, the light spread from the roots all the way to the tips.
Even if it ki...
A warm, gentle voice echoed through the night.
"Stop that thought, my child."
"I don't have time for this right now! Don't distract me, unless you are going to help."
"You care this much for this lowly human?"
"SHUT UP!"
"Is that any way to speak to a god?"
"Light heal!"
"Ignoring me now?" haha. "Fine, but your futile attempts won't save him."
"Stay with me, Alex!"
"If you really want to save him, then offer me your blood."
"My blood?!"
"One drop. That is all I ask to save him."
"You really expect me to trust you?"
"Trust is irrelevant. Need is what matters now."
He's right... but why now? Why only a drop of my blood?
"Time is running out."
"FINE!"
She bit her hand, held it above my chest, and squeezed.
"Take it, just save him!"
A drop of blood formed, while falling, it started to glow, then vanished.
"Smart choice..."
Her white hair started to glow stronger, turning yellow.
A strong wave of heat overcame her.
Where is all this mana coming from?
"And now chant 'Divine Heal'."
"Divine Heal!"
A strong yellow light radiated from her hands, creating a small barrier around us.
THUMP! thump... thump...
My chest hitched, a violent, gasping breath.
The worst of the wounds began to close.
It's working!
All our wounds closed up, even my leg regenerated.
Truly a divine miracle...
Her vision blurred, and her head felt heavy.
She slumped forward, falling onto me.
Thank god...
Eyes heavy, she passed out.
Inside me... Silence.
Then a single, faint beat.
I found myself floating in a dark space, like an endless void.
"This place feels familiar..." I looked around.
"What's that?"
A black sphere floated closer to me.
"So you are Alex?"
"Seriously? A talking ball?"
The ball changed form, looking exactly like me but completely black.
"How amusing, not many humans react like you."
"Suuure, let me guess, they all react scared or shocked?"
"Exactly, though there are occasionally exceptions like you, of course."
I lean back putting my arms behind my head.
"So, are you a god?"
"Not exactly."
"No? Then what are you?"
"I can't tell you that... yet."
What is that thing talking about? Aren't I already dead... or am I?
"You aren't dead yet, I have been watching your journey so far."
No privacy at all, huh?
"I hope you enjoyed watching my suffering." I rolled my eyes.
"What would you have done if you had more power?"
"You mean like, cheat powers or something?"
The being nodded.
"I don't know? Enjoy my life?"
"What if you could go back and change one thing?"
I glared at the being, my eyes dark, cold, and lifeless.
"That one's easy, I'd go back to where I found Shizori and Gai for the first time and kill him."
"Just kidding." I laughed. "That could make things even worse and might not even have changed the outcome."
The being chuckled.
"You really are so weird."
"Well so, what happens next? I'm getting kind of bored."
"I need you to do something for me."
Oh hell nah, the typical isekai trope of getting a grand mission?
"So you'll revive me, but in return I have to do whatever that is?"
"Sadly, I can't fix the amount of damage you took."
Cough "Useless." Cough
"Well, thankfully someone else will take care of that."
My eyes narrowed.
"What are you talking about?"
A wide smirk appeared on the being's face.
"Unfortunately, I can't tell you, since it has to do with my 'grand mission' for you."
I sighed deeply.
"Be honest, do I even have a choice?"
The being shook its head.
"Not really, the only thing that's up to you is whether you succeed or die in the crossfire."
"Figured as much, so what is this 'grand mission'?"
"You need to get stronger."
HUH?! My mouth gaped, eyebrows furrowed.
Get stronger? Like, no shit, Sherlock. Stronger for WHAT?!
"So impatient..."
"Or you could just not talk around the bush?!"
"You need to become stronger, beyond human imagination."
"You'll need to take out enemies beyond human comprehension."
Talking in riddles now?! I want to bash my head against a WALL.
"Let's just cut to the chase."
"You want me to beat someone super strong, got it."
"What kind of help will I get?"
"A.E.G.I.S."
"A.E.G.I.S.? Is that the name of a weapon or something?"
Shhh
"I can't tell you more than that for now, too much attention would be bad right now."
A sudden bright flash appeared in the distance.
"Seems like we are running out of time."
"You didn't even tell me what's happened outside yet!"
Something invisible started to pull me towards the light.
"Don't worry, she'll tell you everything you'll need to know for now."
I stretched out my arm towards it.
"WAIT! I don't even know your name!"
"Don't worry, we'll meet again."
"A little bonus tip for you. The divine ones are not what they seem."
"Gods?!"