Having Fun?!

"Don't worry, young one. I'm not going to kill you. I'm here to have some fun. I'm an old man that needs to do some stretching. Won't you be kind enough to help? After all, both of you are in deep trouble for nearly destroying the forest. I came here to see what was the issue."

Ah, I knew that display of power would end up reaching the Arks. Bryan and I would have ended up seriously injured had Z not arrived. I mean, Bryan was currently lying down and deep in la-la land. But the Slayer wasn't dead. As for me, I'm still standing here, not dead.

I fought against Raiyen and survived a kick from Mavislin. But somehow, this Mage was levels above them. I was beginning to think that even dodging his attacks would be impossible for me. That guy wasn't even using any Elemental Energy to fight me.

It was barely making a dent on his Elemental Energy Pool, even if he did. Z's Energy Bar looked quite full within my vision. Are all the Founders this terrifyingly powerful? The novel portrays them as vital, but they can be weak.

During the Umbra Arc, this Mage was backed up to a corner and was nearly hacking up an ocean's worth of blood. But, now, as I stood before him, I was afraid of my life. I had never felt so frightened and intimidated before. And I seem to enjoy this feeling...

The thrill of meeting someone this powerful. I had to calm myself down so as not to look like a fool in front of the Founder. Every ounce of my body was screaming to fight this Mage and hit my limit.

I wanted to see how far I could go when the boundaries of the fight were my body and Elemental Energy. The life I'm living now was far different from before. Enemies were stronger, people were friendlier, and the world was much more beautiful than the one I left behind.

I was too used to being strong in my previous life that I'd forgotten the emotion of being daunted. I glanced down at my Elemental Energy bar. I began to worry. If I don't conserve my Elemental Energy now or find a way to get more... Then I'm going to die.

This problem was another challenge and thrill for me to finish the match against Z.

"And when I transported both of you to this place, the spells of the previous arena have been all nullified. As we speak, a junior Mage is busy using her powers to fix up the area. Don't worry, and I understand that you only had a friendly match with Bryan."

"However, it doesn't give you the right to decimate the forest. Thus, count this match as a punishment. Because I'm not as weak as Captain Slow lying there," explained Z, as his Kunais vanished.

Oh, come on! Bryan isn't all that bad! He's a new Mage, trying to survive while still mingling with the humans. Give him a break! That poor guy doesn't have the luxury to live over a hundred years, unlike most Mages. The fact that he isn't dead should be an accomplishment.

The Galaxian Mage smiled as he pulled a single Kunai from behind him. I instinctively held my sword up and was on guard once more. The man laughed as the Kunai in his hand glowed.

"I understand you are trying your best to hide your feelings of excitement, but you're not doing a perfect job at it. However, I will not deny you the thrill of facing a Founder in battle. But, as you've seen, I am lightyears away from the standard of Bryan or Raiyen."

"I was the one who trained Mavislin and Raiyen, so it makes sense that I am stronger than them. So let's do this, shall we? If you can brave this spell that I'm going to unleash, then I'll let both of you off the hook. I'll even say some words of praise for you to the Headmaster."

"Would that be fair for you? Or do you want me to add in some other rewards?" asked Z, raising one of his eyebrows.

I started laughing, much to Z's confusion. Since that man was aware of my emotions during a battle, there's no point holding them back.

"Of course, it would be! After all, I don't have much choice. What's going to happen to me if I reject that offer?" I asked, cracking a devilish smile.

"Well, as I said for the umpteenth time, I am not going to kill you. Instead, if you'd rejected my challenge, I'll either bribe you with more rewards or return to the normal world again, ending this encounter. So, do you still want to continue? Because you haven't got much Elemental Energy left."