49 - Tournament 2 part 5

Whichever way, winning the tournament would mean winning the throne. I'm not fitted for governing, so I would just obtain the support of the 7 great families, gain the position of royalty and pass on the throne to Fez.

Staring at each other, we knew [stealth] and [illusion] didn't work if we both had the same tier. This meant that sneak attacks couldn't be utilised in this battle, they would just be futile. The only difference between us was that, I was of a physical build while she was a magical build.

It was always troublesome going past a certain speed as the heat produced would make the air explode, going full speed would destroy the barrier and maybe even the school. These restrictions were always in place as I wasn't the type of person that disregards property damage like superman. The only occasion when going full speed was okay, was when a scenario similar to James happens and the attacks cancel out each other.

It was common for something like strength or vitality to be boosted to the extremes, but agility was still an unexplored territory. The school had a huge library with a wealth of information, one information was that people would always mysteriously disappear when they focused on boosting agility. Was someone "monopolising" a stat and killing anyone attempting to focus their build on agility? Guess I'll never know.

With practiced steps, I lunged in to close the distance, while fez prepared a rain of darkness. It felt like ages since we fought even though it was just a year ago. Twirling the shadow in my hand into a scythe, I shot forward and swung from the side. A ray of darkness flashes by, forcing me to dodge to the side and forfeit my attack. Disappearing into the darkness formed around herself, Fez released tentacles that spiralled around like a drill.

Surrounding me, the tentacles drilled through the air as I shot back with shadow stakes. Raising countless shadow stakes from the ground, I cleared a way in the forest of tentacles before firing back with [void beam]. Obliterating the surroundings, smoke and dust filled the air. Making use of the situation, I closed in the distance while swinging my scythe from the side.

Using a device similar to a briefcase, a purple light was emitted from the centre, spiralling clockwise, creating a barrier of sorts that defended against the scythe. Holding up for less than a second, the barrier shatters as the recoil pushes the scythe off my grip. Dismissing the old one and creating a new scythe out of mana, I continued the assault, each time my attack was blocked by the barrier as it constantly regenerated a secondary layer. At the same time, I was getting reduced to the recoil. From the average viewer, only a few seconds passed, but for the people involved, they could notice that more than 50 scythes has been shattered on the barrier, each time the recoil reduces.

Gradually gaining the upper edge, Fez abandons the device as she shoves her right hand into her pocket. A cage of darkness forms around, from the inside it was as if I was in another dimension. No matter how much attacks I fire, it will never reach the barrier, causing me to be trapped inside. [Shadow step] didn't work either as there was a space lock inside the cage, this was similar to uncle Vadim's territory skills, except it was somehow even more brutal. Using [Abyssal dome] 's subskill [territory creation], I released the space lock by overwriting the dimension in a small area with my own territory.

With the space lock released, I could finally teleport out of this cage. As soon as I manifests, I was greeted by a hail of dark spears and tentacles. Dodging them relatively easily with my speed, I sent shadow stakes into the chaos to neutralise the hail of darkness. We both run as projectiles ran around us, paying no heed to the fact that every bullet could destroy a small building, we kept eye contact.

Lunging forward with my scythe, I used [Deceit blow] to for multiple illusions and [swift strike] to block any future sight or predictions skills she may have. A new unfamiliar magic circle appears in the air, [Absolute mana authority(dark)]. Every single shadow stake, tentacle, spear and even my scythe shot towards me. Unable to activate [shadow step] as well, I punched the ground to blow every projectile away. To my dismay, their trajectories did not budge in the slightest. *shk shk shk* Blades of darkness impale through every corner of my flesh, blood flowwd out like a never ending fountain as the [cursed] status effect added further suffering to my already dire situation.

Thanks to my class, I have the skill [All element resistance-tier 4], the damage was reduced by 40%. Yet... So much damage had still been done. Fez was such a formidable enemy, it wouldn't be a surprise if she found a way around James's cheat like class and became the tournament champion. It seemed that any dark elemental skill would be turned against me, my only other element is fire which was far too weak to drive off all the blades stuck inside me, considering they're only tier 2 skills.

Ah, that's it. The answer was so simple, yet I took time to reach it. What stat have I obsessed over ever since the first day I was in this world? Agility. Going at full speed, I physically ripped out all the blades of darkness and lunged to the other side of the match ground in an instant. Naturally, the air detonated, leaving a path of carnage in my wake. But that was only natural if I used my full speed. There was a chance I could break the barrier and kill Fez, but what else could I do? She proved that she had the strength to oppose this speed. That was reason enough.

Instantly, a ring of destruction swallowed the inner core of the match ground. Using hundreds of illusions, I saw through all of them and headed straight for the target. Landing my right leg that squished through the ground like swiss cheese, I launched every joule of energy through my right fist. Focused into a single point, spaced itself shooked and trembled as if bending itself. At that point my right fist was emitting gravitational force, purely from immense might.

It felt like my right hand was carrying a planet, the pressure suffocated me, but I had to push on. All of this occured in less than a second as Fez felt like death was gripping her spine. "Ahhh———!" My right sleeve ripped as the ground was starting to pull towards my fist. A second later, explotions ruptured all around. Keeping my eye on my target, I couldn't stop pushing forth. It was as if an invisible pressure stronger than the weight of a plant was pushing me forth. Gradually the weight diminished as my arm inched ever closer to Fez

landing my fist, darkness consumed my vision for a second before everything disappeared. Except for some strange locations like the King's enormous fortress of a castle and other strange buildings, I floated meaninglessly in the void.