Gravity and Ice Confrontation

"Alright, we are alone now, so let's begin, Golden One," Marcus said calmly as he removed his gloves.

"Of course... Gravity Shadow," Felix drew his sword and took a battle stance. An emerald aura surrounded Marcus as he clapped his hands, causing a transparent emerald circle with a radius of about 10 meters to appear below him, with Marcus at its center. Felix leaped away from it, and as Marcus clapped again, the circle vanished, and the stones and trees within it began to float in the air while Marcus stood firmly in the center.

"If I had stayed inside, he could have played with me now," Felix thought in concern as he observed the floating debris.

Marcus waved his hand, directing the rocks and trees toward Felix. Felix started cutting and smashing the incoming projectiles, moving here and there to fend off the attacks. He formed icy spears and aimed them at Marcus, but as soon as they entered the Sira field, they fell under Marcus's control, who redirected them back at Felix.

Felix continued to defend himself, trying to maintain a distance from the Sira field.

"Snowstorm," Felix swung his sword in a circular motion, creating a storm to obscure Marcus's vision. He prepared to launch sharp icy spears towards Marcus. The storm suddenly cleared due to the waves surrounding Marcus, and Felix quickly launched the spears. As they neared Marcus, they were caught in the swirling currents and redirected. Marcus sent them back at Felix with greater speed. Felix barely managed to deflect them with his sword. 

"The center is the only spot where he can't control gravity because he sends out horizontal waves," Felix thought as he blocked the attack. He found Marcus rushing towards him. "No... I've entered the field!" Felix started to float in the air, unable to move.

"You're under my control now," Marcus said softly, a cold expression on his face. He began to throw Felix around, crashing him into trees and the ground with great force, leaving deep craters.

"If this continues, I'll be killed," Felix thought anxiously as he was tossed about. A golden aura spread around his body, healing his injuries.

"Trying to heal yourself?" Marcus said while manipulating Felix.

Felix formed an icy shield around himself to lessen the impact of the collisions. The shield broke with each hit, but Felix kept reforming it.

A crimson vortex emerged from the trees nearby. Felix stared at it in amazement while Marcus murmured, "It seems Her Highness is dealing with a troublesome opponent."

"Does he mean the Queen?... Could Celesia be her opponent?" Felix worried upon hearing Marcus's words. "I need to go quickly to save her... I need to get close to him to take him down." Felix used the snowstorm to guide himself toward the center, gradually approaching Marcus. "I can strike him from above," Felix thought as he drew nearer. Marcus directed him upward to slam him into the ground. Felix suddenly removed the shield. "Why suddenly?" Marcus looked at him in shock as Felix formed sharp icy spears and dropped them quickly on Marcus.

Marcus clapped quickly, dissipating the circle, causing Felix and the floating objects to fall. Marcus redirected the spears towards Felix but was struck by two, one in each shoulder, while deflecting the others.

Felix moved quickly away from Marcus, who was bleeding profusely.

"You're smarter than you look... but it's time to get serious now," Marcus said with a frightening look, his aura intensifying, with emerald ripples extending from his hands to his elbows.

"Yes... you are right," Felix said seriously, taking a deep breath. A blue aura surrounded him, and an icy crystal mark appeared on his neck.

"Gravity Shadow Art... Spatial Field," Marcus clapped, creating a circle with a radius of about 30 meters. It quickly disappeared, causing the ground to break into pieces and float in the sky. Felix stood firmly on one of the floating pieces, ready to attack, while Marcus stood on another piece, surrounded by gravitational waves that gave him a significant boost in strength.

"Moment Freeze," Felix rushed at Marcus with immense speed, forming icy spears and launching them at Marcus, who dismantled them with a single strike.

"He's using gravitational waves to dismantle anything that hits him," Felix thought, leaping to another rock while watching Marcus intently, searching for an opening. Marcus jumped from rock to rock, approaching Felix. Felix formed an icy shield, but Marcus's powerful strike shattered it, sending Felix crashing into another rock. Marcus charged at Felix, who was struggling to get up. "The Queen's presence has vanished!" Marcus's distraction was brief, but he continued his approach. Felix took a deep breath, "Ice Breath," freezing Marcus, causing him to fall heavily.

A golden aura spread around Felix, healing his injuries. He stood firmly, ready to fight. The ice around Marcus shattered as he leaped towards Felix, anger evident on his face. Felix also rushed at him, and the blows exchanged were fierce. "Every time I strike him, it vanishes instantly," Felix thought as he blocked Marcus's deadly blows.

"Evander's presence has disappeared!" Marcus's attention wavered, and his gravitational power weakened. Felix landed a strong punch, sending Marcus crashing into a rock. Felix planted his icy sword into a rock, "Snowstorm, Ice Rods... Fusion," spreading the storm across the area, leaving behind ice rods on every rock. Marcus quickly got up, approaching Felix but slipped on one of the icy rocks. His gravitational control weakened as he was airborne. "Icy Spears... Level Two," Felix directed stronger icy spears at Marcus, who deflected some but lost his left hand and was pierced in the abdomen by another. "Argh," he fell heavily to the ground. His marks faded, and the rocks returned to normal. Felix approached the dying Marcus, who was in pain. "Why does a young man like you risk his life for people like them?" Felix asked, looking at him with pity.

"We all have our reasons... You could say I'm repaying a debt," Marcus replied coldly, looking at the sky. Felix quickly turned to head back to the formation, his face filled with sorrow for Marcus.

Meanwhile, Marcus gazed at the sunset as he took his last breaths. "I didn't know the sky was this beautiful... Did I ever enjoy this life?" Marcus wondered silently.

"Live happily... my son," 

Marcus's mother's words echoed in his mind suddenly. His eyes gleamed as he remembered her last words to him. A tear slowly rolled down his cheek as he whispered regretfully, "I'm sorry...."

"I'm sorry, Mother..."

"I... forgot your precious words"

"If only..."

"... If only I remembered them earlier"

Those were Marcus's last words as he died peacefully, his face serene, among the ice columns reflecting the golden sunset rays.