Final Battle

"So, you have time to chat with your friends during our duel? How very rude of you."

"I see you're not worried, despite every one of your servants being defeated."

"Well, I was never expecting much from that group of idiots. "

"Idiots?"

"Yes, they were idiots. One was obsessed with me, two were just needy children and the other one was a titanic pain in the ass—pun intended."

"Guess someone is getting the award for boss of the year. You pay such close attention to those serving you."

"Not just those who serve me. I make it my hobby to know everything about everyone. However, knowing everything comes with its negatives as well. I'd like to tell you more about it, but it seems both of us are tired of speaking."

"Yes. Let's converse through our fists."

As I was fighting against Elisabeth, I realised something. She is using magic other than Memory Magic. She has been using fire, water, and even rare magic like Spatial Magic. If I remember correctly, Elisabeth said something. What was the spell called again… Memory… Something. AH, Memory Manifestation. She can materialise past or future memories into our reality. So, this Elisabeth is doing the same. That would explain her flurry of fire magic spells. But if she is over one thousand years old that would mean her memory is stacked with hundreds, maybe even thousands of magic spells. Not to mention dangerous spells like Selina's Transmutagene Magic. I need to avoid being touched direc… My thoughts are stopped as I trip over a rock. What the hell is with this turn of events!?!? No, concentrate…

"What's wrong, Haruki? You suddenly fell over. Are you ok?" she says as she suddenly flashes in front of me and tries grabbing my arm.

I pull my arm away and enter my white-haired form. She pulls away. "Do you like this transformation? I call it my Fólkvangr Mode."

"Fólkvangr Mode? What a fitting name. But I'm not surprised. I was wondering how long it would take to get you to transform. You really know how to insult a person, when you don't use your full power from the start, you know?"

In Fólkvangr Mode, I can use healing magic, teleportation, telepathy and mind reading. I wonder if I can use other magics as well. I guess I should give it a shot. I jump further away from Elisabeth to put some distance between us. I stretch my right hand out. Magic starts from the imagination. If I want fire magic, I should picture a flame. The image of a bright orange-yellow flame paints itself on my mind's canvas. Then after the flame is imagined, create a magic circle. This is usually the hardest part, but for me - someone who studied hundreds of magic formulae - this is easy. "Now!! Fire Magic: Fire Arrow!!"

Multiple magic circles appear behind me. Each firing thousands of fire arrows at Elisabeth. "That's quite the spectacle, Haruki." She dodges each Fire Arrow and says with a smile, "But you're finally getting serious."

The fire arrows create small, bowl-shaped craters in the ground. The amount of mana I pour into each arrow increases its speed and destructive powers. I smirk and say, "It's good that I have a near-endless supply of mana." But I can't believe Elisabeth can avoid all the arrows and still advance. I need a spell that can restrict her movements. Hmmm…? How about this? "Fire Magic: Chains of Tartarus!!" Blue-flamed chains spring from the ground and wrap around Elisabeth's arms and legs. It tightens by pulling back into the ground. "Now. Fire Magic: Infernal Canon!!" I fire a beam of concentrated flames straight at Elisabeth. By pouring a large amount of mana, the beam becomes hotter than even the sun and it becomes ten times as destructive. There's no way she can avoid this.

…Is what I thought, however, at that moment I realised why Elisabeth could avoid all those fire arrows. And also, why I stepped into such a small hole in a life-and-death battle. Elisabeth is using Jinx's Luck Magic. Admittedly more skilfully than Jinx.

She smiles and says, "Water Magic: Reflection Mirror."

Water gathers in front of Elisabeth and forms a mirror. The Infernal Canon bounces off the mirror and is fired back at me.

What do I do? If I get hit by that, it will give her an opening to touch me. I need to use a spell to stop my own spell. A spell that won't leave me vulnerable to attacks. Do I even know a spell like that? Oh no… the spell… it's about to hit…

Just as the spell is about to hit me, my mind flashes back. To a memory I've long since forgotten. A memory of my early days in Ragnarök.

'Haruki, what are you reading?'

'It's a book about spatial magic. Hey gramps, this book has a really cool spell called…'

That's it!

Before the spell hits, I point my hands forward and scream, "Spatial Magic: Dimensional Shift!!"

Time freezes for a second. The world becomes grey. A black barrier forms around the infernal canon spell. In the next second, the spell is gone. Vanished from this dimension. Elisabeth looks beyond surprised like she's just witnessed a force of nature being swallowed by something beyond nature itself.

"Freeze!!" she suddenly screams and the chains binding her become frozen ornaments. She breaks free from the chains and places distance between us. "Are you a monster?" she asks me. "What did you just do?"

Does she not know about Dimensional Shift? Come to think of it, the book I read it from was one of a kind. Or at least that's what Grandpa said. What was the book's name again? Ah well, that's not important right now. Elisabeth realises that she is not on a level beyond me anymore. I can do this.

I close the distance between us and gut-punch Elisabeth with all my strength before she snaps out of her daze. She falls to the ground. "She's knocked out," I say as I look at her unconscious body. Was it really that easy? The woman who gave us all so much trouble, was taken out with only a gut punch. It can't be.

As I turn around a voice behind me screams, "Of course it's not!!" Elisabeth's hand touches my leg. "Hahahaha!!! It's my win Haruki!! Trans—"

As she celebrates her victory, a magic circle appears below us. She pauses as the sigil lights up. While in a confused state, I kick Elisabeth's hand away and jump out of the way before she can activate Selina's Transmutagene Magic.

Five more magic circles of varying sizes appear above the first one and I hear someone's voice saying, "Ifrit, appear." A giant flame spirit appears. It's as tall as the trees in the forest. The same voice says, "Inferno Magic: Infernal Disintegration."

The magic circles glow bright, lighting up the night, and the temperature rises. A pillar of fire blasts from the first sigil into the others. It rises higher into the sky. Growing taller than any of the surrounding trees. Taller than the flame spirit. The flames wrap around Elisabeth, who was still in the centre of the magic circle. The flames burn through her skin, and she lets out an agonising scream that fills the forest. After five minutes of non-stop burning, the pillar finally disappears and so does the magic circle. I wait for the dust to settle before stepping forward.

When the dust disperses, I see no trace of Elisabeth. She was erased by that pillar of flames. And that voice… it was Louisa's. She's completely masked her presence, so there's no way of tracing her. Let's not go where sleeping dogs lie. Plus… I am exhausted.

I fall to the ground. So, this is the end of the evil Elisabeth, huh?

Haruki vs Elisabeth

Victor: Haruki

********************

Mico

"Welcome back, Louisa. Congratulations are in order."

"There's no need for that."

"Why so sad? I let you have as much freedom as you want. It was your choice not to say goodbye to Haruki. It was quite anticlimactic. I was expecting a sob fest; however, I got an island of boredom instead."

"Enough with your jokes. I finished the job, that's all that matters, right?"

"Well, if you say so. Anyway… Now that my greatest annoyance, Elisabeth Faith has been removed from the picture, I now rule the Borneheimer Kingdom. And not only that. Soon the entire Aldrik Continent… No, the entirety of Leagard will be under my rule. Just you wait… I shall amass an army greater than any before and crush you, ?????"

**********************

Sakura Kingdom, ??????

"Hey, how've you been, old friend?"

<…>

"Yes, it appears the destined time has arrived. The arrival of a new True God. The destined one."

<…>

"Hmm, his name? His name was…"

<*Smirk*, I can't wait to see you again, Haruki. >

**********************

The Holy City, Glabaskhan Station

After the events in the Forest of the Missing Emperor, the people hailed us as heroes. Everyone got their memories back and the citizens, who were cold before, accepted us. Despite most of us not being human. The town has decided to choose a new Saintess now that Elisabeth is gone.

"Are you sure you don't want to take up your rightful position as Saintess?" I ask Elisabeth.

"No," she says, shaking her head, "It was never my rightful position. It was a position my counterpart fabricated. Let the citizens choose my successor. They deserve this much and more after all the suffering I put them through."

"For someone who acts like a five-year-old, you are surprisingly mature," I tell her.

"How rude," she says, pouting. "I am over a thousand years old you know. In fact, you are surprisingly childish for someone who is the same age as me."

Same age, huh? I have so many questions to ask Elisabeth, however, now is not the right time to ask. I wonder why Grandpa didn't say anything about me, though.