50. Hitting the Limit

(Powerstones>>> You will be getting bonus chapter for this week, on Wednesday, Next week's goal is 500 Powerstones, Also I have decided to change my rest days from Monday and Friday to Wednesday and Thursday, though this Wednesday, you will get a bonus chapter , Also, lemme know how you liked the fight between Akeru and Yami?)

'It's like on a different plane. Does this mean that it's travelling between different dimensions or in the gap between different dimensions?' Akeru wondered as the slash neared him.

'Wait, how the fuck am I supposed to take care of that slash with this new spell? It's kind of useless in this scenario; it just gives me a better understanding of what Captain's spell is doing.' Akeru was left actionless in the scenario.

He tried proposing different solutions and checking their validity; however, time was limited.

Akeru's focus spell deactivated as the dark-colored slash made contact with his skin, ignoring his best defense.

'FUCK'

A big slash appeared on Akeru's body as red-colored blood became visible.

Akeru stopped his hand, armed with dual types of elemental mana while furiously vibrating, a few centimeters before Yami's body.

'I would have been dead if Captain aimed at my neck. I lost this,' Akeru thought while dispelling the mana from his hand.

"Hahaha, I didn't expect to get stronger at this age. You really are a lucky kid for me; last time I got the money and now I got stronger. I guess my decision was really right," Yami said while patting Akeru.

Akeru's expression twitched.

This wasn't what he wanted to hear after losing a battle for which he had prepared for 3 years.

'I should have thought about some counter-measures for that dimension spell too, but I hit my limit with my combat system long ago. I added lightning to my repertoire due to overcoming the speed limit, which my grimoire helped with, along with helping me increase my offensive capabilities.

The only way to increase it is either by creating a new spell that would have ridiculous offensive abilities or actively taking part in battles with people slightly stronger than me while going all out, like today, which would help me awaken a new spell.

The former would take too much time even with my focus spell. I guess it's time to learn a new element to break my limit,' Akeru absentmindedly thought without using any spell.

"What are you thinking about so seriously, brat? Did you just remember a debt you have to pay?"

"N-No, I just realized that I have hit my limit with my current combat system."

"Hmm, didn't you just awaken a spell?"

"Wait, how do you know?" Akeru asked, baffled.

Yami bonked him. "Why are you acting dumb? Most of your clothes are torn, and even if they weren't, I could have seen the light."

"Oh." 'Damn, those protection seals were useless; my clothes are now useless,' Akeru cursed in his mind.

"Anyway, I think that spell itself must have opened some paths for you to consider taking next, so cheer up. Not many people could grow stronger after reaching the grand magic knight realm," Yami smirked.

"I guess." 'Temporal magic is already a tough cookie to crack, despite getting that advantage of being able to abuse my focus spell in that loop. Spatial magic would be similar.'

At that time, some Black Bull members finally came on the scene.

"Damn, that battle was so manly! I am already itching to have that kind of battle," Magna said.

"You guys are really roughed up, huh? Let me fix your clothes." Threads could be seen coming from Vanessa's fingers as she mended their clothes.

She didn't fix the parts where there were wounds on Akeru so that wounds didn't touch the cloth.

She also didn't bother fixing his t-shirt as his upper body was a mess.

"So, you really lost your heart, huh? Yet you are alive. I guess that spell you have active around you must be recovery magic?" Finral asked with a freaked-out expression.

Akeru still had Seraph's nursery active (or shell), but the lightning aspect was removed at the moment. That barrier also allowed Vanessa's threads to enter.

"Yeah, that's really a pain in the ass—no, in the chest. I would have to meet with Owen-san; he is going to kill me as I don't think I could wait for a few days with this much pain to heal my heart on my own," Akeru groaned.

He could already imagine the expression the old man with blue hair would have.

"That big water spell was really strong. If Finral hadn't reacted quickly, we would have been hit with that," Luck said while lightning came out of his body.

He really wanted to pounce on Akeru right now and get into a fight with him.

Akeru ignored the only red line on him which was flickering in intensity multiple times in the last few seconds, clearly indicating that Luck had changed his mind at the last moment of doing that action multiple times.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I forgot that you guys were present here," Akeru sheepishly said while taking the pastry Charmy had offered.

"Maybe you should get to the doctor first," Vanessa said while looking at Akeru eating the pastry like he didn't have a hole in his heart.

She would have believed that he couldn't feel the pain if she had ignored how tense his muscles were.

"Senpai, I would have to trouble you; just drop me at the royal capital," Akeru said while finishing the pastry.

He washed his hands in the water of Seraph's shell directly.

"No worries," Finral said while creating a portal.

"Captain, I'll see you in a bit." With that, Akeru disappeared from everyone's view.

"Let's fight, Magna!" Luck, who wanted a very good battle, didn't even wait for the other party's reply while directly pouncing on him.

Magna summoned a fire baseball which clashed with Luck's gloves while throwing the latter like a baseball.

"After a good fight, I need to take a dump," Yami said while taking a puff from his cigarette which he had brought out in the last few seconds.

Finral closed his previous portal and created another immediately.

With that, Yami walked into the portal.

---

"So..."

"Yeah?"

"You're here again," the man sighed.

"Indeed. Will you believe me if I said I missed this place?" He said in an innocent tone.

"Didn't you say that you hate this place last time?"

"... You only realize the importance of something after you have lost it."

Owen deadpanned at Akeru.

"Do you have a thing or tendency to get a hole in your chest? Last time you had a hole in your left chest, now you've lost your freaking heart?"

"Hehe, this was a training accident, so it was done in a controlled environment."

"I am really amazed at your pain tolerance," Owen said briefly.

"Also, it seems you have learned recovery magic. Let me give you some pointers while I help you regenerate your heart," the man said.

"Thank you so much, old man!"

"I'm not that old! I would barely be considered a middle-aged man."

'I have come so far, huh? My pain tolerance has come so far too. Though my time in Grand Magic Zone for nearly 3 years had increased exponentially compared to my past self, my time when learning lightning body enhancement had really taken it to absurd levels till we are here.'

Akeru felt that he had climbed a mountain unintentionally when looking at where he started.

---

"I'm back," Akeru said while entering the base from the front gate.

"Woah, you're already back in half a day? You're back to normal already?" Magna asked in shock.

"Well, kind of. With help of the old man, I was able to reduce the time it takes me to heal myself. Though it takes a few days to heal completely, I should be able to battle at my peak without much problem."

"Captain was looking for you," Vanessa said.

She didn't have to elaborate more as, surprisingly, Captain came from the corridor.

"Oh, I was waiting for you only. I've got a mission for you; you were especially requested."

"Woah, that's quick. So what's the mission?"

"You are deployed to the border of Diamond and Clover kingdom."

***

A/N- Just to mention for clarity, but the focus spell refers to 'Still Spectator' of Bystander's Magic.

Anyway, look forward to the next arc. It's going to be epic; I will try to flesh out Akeru's character more while showing different kinds of character interactions.

***

Join my Patreon to support me and get up to 20 advanced chapters:

- DESIRE96

(search it up)

Check out my other works too.