One Last Chance

The strands from my stone lit up in golden color and rose to the tip of my shoulder. Both of my eyes turned red and the veil of the same color disappeared from my vision

I was fully sentient, I was conscious of not falling into the Wrath that held me back for so long... the only difference, was now I just as powerful as all of the Deities I had gone up against.

If not even more powerful.

"Get as far back as you can... run, wherever you can run to. This is going to hurt me a lot, and it's probably going to send a shockwave out." I yelled out to everybody.

"Good luck, Dad!" Faith shouted out to me. She helped Illya run away, and Carl, Shike, and Boo all ran together with them as I stood in front of the Isle.

It was close... about the same distance as the height of one of the trees in the Redwood forest.

This is it... I've evolved into a Deity, and this was my test.

I held my left hand up as the point closed in on me. I wasn't ready for the pain that was about to follow, but you shouldn't ever be ready for pain.

The pressure of the Isle moving toward me was now sending the wind underneath it all around. The pressure from the wind, on top of what the Isle was spitting toward me... was unbearable. It shortened my breathing, and it caused anxiety... but it doesn't matter! I can do this!

And as I exclaimed that, the point connected to my stone.

And I blacked out.

It pierced my stone, cracking it down the middle, and shooting straight into the middle of my hand.

I rose my right hand in conjunction with my left hand, and the tip of the isle pierced further into my other arm.

I didn't feel anything at first... but as soon as I did, I couldn't even measure the pain.

It was so unbearable that I didn't know where I was.

It pushed me back further than any attack, and I slid across the glass while bracing my legs. There was too much to focus on!

My feet slid again the glass even more as the Isle continued to plummet toward me with no evidence of slowing down.

My arm was turning numb... and words appeared in my eyes again.

[WHAT ARE YOU STOPPING FOR? START PUSHING, PUSSY!]

Avie...?

You're right, what am I doing?!

I surged the strands in my left arm. I wasn't sure how it happened, but the illuminated colors from the golden strands in my arm were starting to turn into an iridescent color instead of solid gold.

And finally... the Isle began to slow down.

Even if it was a minuscule amount, it was still slowing down... and there was still a chance!

The muscles in my left arm tensed as I felt a distorted voice in my head shout out. I was tensing so much... and the stone on my left hand that had cracked was resonating with the voice.

Pushing against the tip of the Isle, I focused my eyes up and watched the tip of the Isle crack. We were going to break it before we deflected it?!

All I had to do was gain the strength to flick my wrist to the side, and the Isle would be sent away with just as much force as it had when it came toward us. I just needed that strength.

[ADRENALINE SURGE: ACTIVATED]

[CURRENT HEART RATE: 301]

I clenched my teeth as I tensed my muscles even more. It felt as if they would burst, I still wasn't strong enough to tackle this obstacle?!

Don't be ridiculous...

"Is that all you got, Bossman?" I heard from behind me.

I turned my eyes behind me to see the image of Ullr with his hand on my shoulder.

"What... what are you... how are you here?" I asked the strand formation of Ullr.

"I could do this! You got this, Bossman! Never give up!" Ullr told me again.

Why isn't he answering my questions?

Oh... is he just a mirage? Is this just a reminder of how powerless I am? Is that why my mind is doing to me now?

[I Thought A Reminder Of Your Friend Would Make You Stronger.]

Avie... I feel so stupid right now! What am I doing?! Have I truly not grown at all?!

"Avie... give me... one last bit of strength! We can do this!" I smiled.

My feet braced again and the Isle was almost at half of its original speed... and my hand began to move.

Even just a tiny amount, my hand began to move, and my stone began to glimmer in its white color.

My eyes fixated, and my tunnel vision reactivated once I spotted the fine point of The Isle.

And I moved my wrist around three millimeters to the left.

[CURRENT HEART RATE: 350]

[LIFESPAN REDUCTION: 12 MINUTES]

[VESSEL FREED]

[VESSEL CORRUPTION: 20%]

All in an instant.

Avie screamed the most agonizing tone in my head, and my left eye exploded.

My stone shut off from its white coloring, I lost all feeling and control in my left arm, the left side of my ribcage broke, and golden strands were seared into my left arm as if I was grilled alive.

The Isle moved and broke the sound barrier right next to my head, instantly deafening me, shooting me back as far as I've ever been before, and causing me to blackout before I hit the ground and tore my body up as glass slashed at my skin.

I somehow managed to brace while flying backward and I bounced, regaining footing and sliding on the glass while holding my left arm as it hung low on the side of my body.

The Isle was sent out of the atmosphere and couldn't be seen. It completely vanished.

"Dad?!" Faith shouted out to me. I stood up, as strong as ever, realizing that strands weren't healing my left arm.

Holy shit... it's really not healing.

Every time I tried to push strands into my left arm, nothing happened. It bounced back. My fingers wouldn't move. It was completely dead... did it really take that much out of me?

"Avie, thanks for your help!" I shouted out.

I waited for her voice...

But it never appeared.

"Avie...?" I asked again.

And nothing.