173 - Naivety part 3

*

His body lay unmoving in the crater. Standing right above the crater, I conveyed my intent to the one laying with his eyes closed.

"Tch... You healed me with that punch attack? Talk about being brutal. I see, so I've lost huh? Aah?" (Sakase)

His shoulders quivered as he prop himself into a sitting position. Placing his palm over his chest, he checked to see that there was no gaping hole present.

" Full health?... Guh! "(Sakase) His fist struck the ground with his remaining energy. By no means was it an attack, it was easy to tell that he had already lost the will to fight. His cheeks were flushed and tears rolled forth without end. His eyebrows furrowed, the skin inbetween wrinkled incessantly.

"Ughhhh!! How are you able to be so calm?! You healed my health and not your own. You're still at 1 billion out of 40! Does it not scare you?! Are you that much of a monster!" (Sakase)

<... Calling me a monster is just an excuse for you to be weak. Stop it. I'm not scared because I have no regrets.

Well, in secret I've always been scared of death. But I'm more scared of being weak, therefore all the fear disappears as long as I prove I'm strong.

Naive? Maybe. But to correct a problem, we must first accept it... I've accepted it. The fact that there will always be someone stronger than me. That's why my goal... Is to serve myself to the very end, and become the strongest. This way, my friends who love deeply for me will finally be at ease... >

"In the end... Isn't it for your friends instead of yourself? What then! What would all that speech be about then?! In the end, you're still serving your friends, what made it any different from your new ideals!!" (Sakase)

<.... Haha... I see. You know, it doesn't have to be logical at all... Is just an excuse for myself. Hmmm, how troublesome it is to follow ideals. Would they really be my ideals then? I also love deeply for my friends.

What matters is not the process or the result, that's way too ambiguous and dumb to be treated as logic. What really matters is what you need to matter to yourself.

And I choose... Myself. If I become a narcissist, I'll just blame it on those friends. Hahah! This is my quest to gain more power. Something like you doesn't even count as a obstacle! I've faced much harder opponents, opponent's that wielded energy superior to mine. Opponent's that made it seem like I have no chance of beating them.

Despair and submission is my enemy, power is my friend. I will continue to obliterate anyone that stands in my way! >

"You... Where are you pulling that confidence from? I've...been constantly compared to a monstrosity such as you...pressured to do better and wring my soul dry...

A year ago, I've always seemed calm and sensible like a prim and proper noble... But inside I hated you! HATE HATE HATE HATE, Hated you so much that I could kill you! And you just disappeared!?! For a week, I was knocked out of my usual mood. That was when I put in even more effort than ever, stronger than my hatred and murderous intent for you... Was this blazing passion to become stronger!

That was not enough! Heal yourself now, we'll be going for round 2 in half a minute. "(Sakase)

The tears had stopped flowing though his cheeks were now stained with a viscous transparent fluid. In contrast to his furrowed eyebrows, the rest of his face has regained composure. His dark red irises shook in place, as if anticipating for a climactic battle. His muscles twitched from his fatigue that was still building up.

"Yes!" (Sakase)

A warm fluid like substance wrapped around my body. It was transparent and shone in the evening sun with a dewey gold hue. If I had to describe it or give it a name, it would be 'The elixir of life' born from my new skill [war]. A form of energy that was bent to the maximum to heal as much hp as possible.

The routine, or more logical route was to alter it into the percentage path. By having it heal my health by percentages instead of fixed amounts, it can be used no matter how much stronger I grow. Reaching the deepest depths of its potential, it was set to heal 90% of my hp pool at all times. It was a form of energy instead of a magic or physical skill, a counter or anti-heal for this method would be impossibly rare.

Regaining my vigour, I stared straight into his eyes as the wind blew past our location near the crater. Students gathered around, looking on from the second floor. After all, they would be easily killed if they reach the first floor.

[Diamond speed enhancement-5 billion layers]!

The max amount display able by the system was 100 digits, the fact that 3 layers could extend anyone's speed by at least 14 digits already tells a drop of the ocean that is 5 billion layers. Time slowed down to the point it look like it had stopped. It was still moving, anyone with a similar speed could step in fight me in this realm of speed. As long as they have the necessary perception, they could still fire magic even if their body is slow.

Unfortunately for him, it is impossible for him to win.

"THINK AGAIN!" (Sakase)

A large impact blew into the air as a high kick landed on my right cheek. Grabbing the leg, I swung it towards the ground, bringing his whole body into the earth. Right before blasting with a rain of [demonic energy] into every nook and cranny of space around me. Only my body has resistance, if I obliterate everything around me, I would suffer no damage from it.

Escaping the barrage, he ran forward launching a fury of blows. His fist was enhanced by the win to monstrous moments. All of his attacks, his entire rush... Were stopped with a single fist through his abdomen. Planting my knuckles in, a soft texture, his organ wrapped around my forearm. Followed by a large beam of [Demonic energy] that swallowed the both of us.

Tch, so you somehow sneaked into my speed enhancement just in case I were to power up. I have to commend him for that, however if we both suffer the same power up, I still have the superior speed. The gap widens especially if we both used the same percentage boost.

"Hahah... I tried my best... You monster..." (Sakase) Though his body was burnt, had loss too much blood with a gaping hole in his abdomen, and bruised beyond recognition. He was still laughing it off, attempting to provoke me.

This skill was designed for me to control the duration on will, due to how much mana consumption it took. As such, I could have just cut off the link to his speed boost and it would have been done in an instant. Well, whatever. Disabling both our speed ups, I once again looked down on him from the edge of the crater which I threw his half dead body into.