Chapter 3- Battle for Supremacy
This…this was impossible. In this unique space where time is halted, everything else would appear non-moving. Even particles of light would appear frozen. Yet Igor's blade…continued to descend. It moved slower than a snail's pace, but it was moving.
What was more shocking however, was Igor's imperceptible smile.
{Surprised?}
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|DxD|
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It was well-known Igor's sensory capabilities were above the norm. His perceptive abilities were one of his pride hallmarks and an aspect he worked extra hard to better these past few years, especially when he realised Gods could sneak up on him.
That moment with Amaterasu made him realise no matter how strong he was, it meant nothing if some Divine Blade was stabbed into his back. The ability to sense not just an attack, but all impending phenomena around him was vital.
This key motivation made it so he could not only sense any changes around him, but react to them in a calm and timely manner. Atid's technique worked by creating a small instantaneous dimension around them, a realm where time is halted immensely.
He couldn't completely escape the time-stopping effects, but he could resist---and that was more than enough.
{That technique won't work on me again, brother.}
Right before Atid's bewildered eyes, Igor's form flickered like a dying candle before he vanished.
Tswii!
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|DxD|
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In the real world, the spot where Igor and Atid were was empty, but those with supernatural capabilities could feel an odd energy emission there. Those learned enough would know that was an anchor to the real world from the dimension…and were it to be destroyed, any inhabitants would find it nigh impossible to return from that dimension.
Tswii!
Igor appeared just around two dozen metres away from the odd energy emission. He couldn't see it, but he could sense it. It was like a tiny ball the size of a marble. If he destroyed that link, Atid would most likely be trapped. All he needed to do…was destroy the link.
"Hm!"
Igor stretched out his hand like a two-finger gun. A normal energy attack wouldn't do anything to the dimensional link, especially one as advanced and resilient like Atid's. What was needed was not just immense power, but exceptional cutting or penetrating ability that could tear a rip in space.
Chi chi…chi…chi chi…Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi!
Dreadful purple-black lightning gathered around his fingertips. The lightning sparks revolved around a tiny red ball the size of a pin hole. Yet, this tiny ball was causing such a kick back that Igor was forced to support his arm with his left hand.
A second hadn't passed and Atid shimmered back to reality far sooner than Igor expected. He'd needed just the tiniest bit more time to charge this technique to a satisfactory capacity, but power meant nothing if it didn't hit a target.
It was a shame, but an unexpected jab would always be better than an anticipated hook.
[Flash Bullet!]
Choof!
The ball elongated like a needle the moment it was released. It tore through the air like a bloodhound after its prey. The length swiftly increased to the size of a hand and spiraling around it were circles of golden energy keeping it stable and compressed. If he had enough time, it'd be the size of a lance.
"?!"
Perhaps it was years of battle experience, but Atid didn't think twice before he summoned the strongest shield in his arsenal and enhanced it with his power. It shimmered like the steel of old, fresh from the forge.
He truly didn't want to use this shield, but dodging wasn't a luxury he had.
BOOOM!
The lake erupted in a deafening roar. Walls of water rose around the epicentre yet were swiftly pushed away by the powerful pressure.
Atid was forced into a miserable position. He skidded across the surface like he was on hard ground. His jaw was clenched in visible exertion, yet his eyes remained calculating.
BOOOOM!
Another thunderous shockwave erupted. The waters were becoming more and more dangerous. If left any further, catastrophic consequences might occur.
Atid struggled through gritted teeth. His prized shield was on the verge of breaking, a true testament to Igor's technique. If he dared stop supplying his shield with energy, there was a one-hundred percent chance this beam would penetrate through it before he could dodge.
It was why he dared not run. He knew he would suffer a debilitating injury the moment he tried.
[He really got me in a pinch this time.]
A trickle of sweat flowed down his face. He didn't expect Igor would have such a technique in his stash. More than anger, he was excited. The stronger Igor grew, his own growth would multiply too.
[As expected of my rival.]
It was unknown if Igor would attack from behind like usual, but Atid was ready to grab him with his tail and use him as a shield. He just hoped his rival would favour close-range this time too.
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|DxD|
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"Oh my. Now this just won't do."
Far away on the shores, Nandi tapped his staff on the ground and subtly quelled the minor tsunami heading his way. The towering waves swiftly lost their height and energy and became no different from ordinary waves on the shore.
He took a step back to avoid the waves wetting his shoes, but Shiva had no such concerns.
"Don't you think you rushed Dimori too much, Nandi?"
Shiva watched Igor steadily readjust himself to reality. The sudden time shift impacted him much more due to his high perception.
"Ohohoho~. I believe this is just the right stimulation, my lord. He learns much faster when placed under pressure. A little spar with a friend is a great way to test his progress after all."
"Hmmm…"
Shiva merely hummed in acknowledgement.
"Alright. Tell him there'll be no training today."
"Is there a specific reason perhaps, my lord?"
"Don't speak as if you don't know, Nandi. You know full well he'll be in no condition to train after this fight."
Nandi chuckled lightly.
"As you wish, my lord. I'll convey the news to him once he's done."
"Mm."
Su!
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|DxD|
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Atid was placed under pressure…
"[ASCEND! ASCEND! ASCEND!]"
…but he didn't cave in. Behind glowing green slits were a pair of determined eyes searching for a way out. Atid still couldn't believe he was in this situation. Igor really caught him at a vulnerable time. If he had just given him a bit more time to readjust, he'd have fled.
[It puts into perspective how much he had to work to rapidly adjust to the changes between dimensions, partner.]
[Now's not the time to be proud, Ddraig!]
Atid grit his teeth in exertion. He still didn't know how Igor could maintain enough focus to create such a complicated attack. Getting out of that dimension should've made him feel extremely disoriented and induced a sense of vertigo.
[I suggest you redirect your efforts into surviving rather than admonishing me, partner. You never know when he might make his next move.]
[I know that.]
Atid could not move from his spot. He had to constantly bolster his shield's defences against Igor's self-sustaining attack. But the more he remained trapped, the more he entertained the thought of enduring an injury and escaping.
[It really is intriguing. Those spirals act not only as stabilizers, but as reserves of energy that will feed the needle drilling into our defences.]
[Ddraig!]
Atid felt like cursing. His prized shield took him hours to create yet it could barely withstand a single attack. It made him scoff at his smithing techniques. His 'strongest' shield trapped him like a dog, both in mind and body.
[I have to make a choice soon--]
Tswii!
"?!"
Damnit! Now he really had no choice BUT to move. Igor was far above him, too far for his tail to reach him. Even worse, he'd charged a very powerful attack.
"[Super Galick Gun!]"
Ka…DRUUUUUUUU!
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|DxD|
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A few seconds prior…
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The amount of curses flowing through Igor's head were enough to update a dictionary. The moment he released his Flash Bullet, he finally couldn't withstand the disorientation and vomited into the lake. The feeling of dizziness was too much even for him to bear.
His senses were so out of tune that he suffered from a splitting headache. He never imagined his enhanced perception could be reversed into such a dangerous weakness.
[This bloody piece of toddler shit. I swear I'll rip him in half!]
Parvati's training on appropriate vocabulary went down the drain as he washed his face. A good cussing always let out the anger, something his auntie wouldn't understand.
A good three-to-five seconds had passed by now, quite long for people of their calibre. He wasn't at 100%, but he'd recovered enough avoid getting lost in the Dimensional Gap.
GRUUUU!
His aura exploded once more and caused visible ripples on the lake. Igor had long since reached and surpassed the realm where his attacks could bring about armageddon and being capable of such power required precise control over it.
He didn't know if Atid could use more than one shield at a time, but it wouldn't matter. He'd put in a lot of power into this attack.
Tswii!
He swiftly appeared metres above Atid with his body poised to strike. The wind from the still-continuing clash blew back his hair apart from an adamant strand hovering over his eye.
Time seemed to slow down and Igor could see it all. Atid turned to look above him, anxiousness clear in his gaze. He seemed to be gripped with indecision, but Igor wouldn't give him the time.
"[Super Galick Gun!]"
Ka…DRUUUUUUUU!
"?!"
As the swirling mass of purple-red energy barrelled towards him, Atid knew he had to escape. No technique he had could be used. This blast would completely obliterate him before he could even activate his Zone.
[Damnit!]
He was in a lose-lose situation. No matter what he did, a price would be paid in blood. But, a calculated injury was a much better alternative than death.
Su!
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Igor's powerful energy wave tore into the lake like a massive hammer striking down. The clap alone was so loud it burst eardrums. It was fortunate Igor had stopped his attack from penetrating below and localised the effects to the lake otherwise, the impact would've been much worse.
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|DxD|
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Atid was grievously injured. In his attempt to survive Igor's planet-destroying technique, the seemingly insignificant Flash Bullet not only tore through his shield, but also punctured his right lung.
He escaped obliteration, but his stamina had taken a serious hit. The moment that purple beam penetrated the lake, he was far gone, instantly having opened over ten kilometres of distance between them.
*Huff*…*Huff*…*Huff*…*Huff*…
An array of magic circles surrounded his body. Green light covered his wound and it was healing at a visible rate. Atid armed himself with two spears and a war-axe, his tail gripping the axe. Dozens of ambush traps surrounded him like a high-profile target.
He desperately needed time to recover. He wouldn't last long if he couldn't breathe properl--
Tswii!
"..."
Far above him, Igor appeared and rapidly formed a massive golden sphere above his head. He wished he was in an illusion, but the energy coming from that sphere was very real.
"Tch!"
The traps he so meticulously set for him were wasted.
Psshhuuaaa!
He swiftly escaped into the distance. In his current state, he knew he was outmatched and Igor had all the cards.
[I need to buy time.]
But just as he contemplated how, he heard that dreaded noise once more.
Tswii!
"?!?!"
Atid looked on with unveiled horror.
[H-How? How could he teleport such a massive thing!?]
The boy wasn't blind. This wasn't a minor attack meant to dupe him. The energy on that sphere contained enough energy to render him miserable. That type of power is NOT something you can teleport, not something of this mass.
[Partner! Get ready to defend!]
Atid grit his teeth as he realised he hesitated for too long. The pressure from this giant sphere pinned him in place.
"Damnit!"
"[ASCEND! ASCEND! ASCEND!]"
It'd leave a sour taste in his mouth, but the only way he was surviving would be to transform again.
"[HYPERDR--]"
Tswii!
Igor appeared before Atid with his clenched fist covered in golden energy. Everything had fallen into plan. The moment his rival revealed a gap, he swiftly collected the sphere's energy into his fist for this one decisive blow.
"Got you."
BOOOOOOOM!
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Silen--
*Grab!*
"No. I got you."
"?!"
Right before Igor's eyes, the world lost its colours once more. The familiar sight of matrix lines forced him to realise he'd fallen into a trap.
Atid smiled through bloodied teeth. His hands firmly grasped Igor's arm which had punctured through his stomach. He wouldn't be able to escape with Instant Transmission.
*Cough!*
He didn't say any words and instead raised his tail. The scaled tip was the width of three fingers and more than sharp enough to be wielded as a blade.
*Puchi!*
A stab through the heart. Crucial arteries were cut, resulting in massive internal bleeding.
*Puchi*
A stab through the throat. The spine was severed, robbing him of his body from the neck down. Now, the--
"?!"
Atid attempted to stab him in the head when a painful burning sensation exploded from his stomach.
[WHAT?!]
The moment Igor felt himself being pulled into this dimension, he'd activated the second stage of his technique and released the flow of ki. At this point, whether his heart or spine were destroyed, the motion of ki could no longer be stopped.
As a result, a life-saving victory blast tore its way through his rival's stomach.
Ka…DRUUUUU!
With no body or veins to restrain it, the blast wave swiftly barrelled through Atid and far into the skies of this dark dimension where it finally reached the boundaries.
*CRACK!*
The surroundings cracked like glass. Atid could no longer maintain this dimensional space. The intensity of Igor's blast shattered it apart, forcing them to return to reality. The familiar sun came into view once more, but Atid had far more pressing concerns. Without the dimension, he was sent flying to the sky under the momentum of Igor's energy wave.
SUUUUUUUU!
His figure was launched into the skies. A brief unconsciousness had claimed him from the pain. It was prime opportunity for a counter-attack and as much as Igor would like to follow up, his crippling injuries prevented him from moving.
"Nnggh!"
Igor willingly used ki to sink below the surface. This water infused with nature energy could help him hasten his healing. It was fortunate injuries of this level weren't too detrimental. As long as either his heart or brain existed, he'd survive, though it would take him a few seconds to heal.
[Argh! My head.]
What was more concerning was the double dose of disorientation tearing him apart. He could barely tell up from down, never mind where Atid was.
[I promise I will scramble him to pieces!]
Igor was completely submerged and gradually sinking. His shattered heart was steadily regenerating and he estimated all bleeding would stop in five seconds. He didn't know Atid's current condition, but he reckoned his rival must be in a much worse state than him.
[I need to press this advantage.]
The desire to vomit was strong in him once more, but he suppressed it. He did his best to ignore the dizziness and spread his senses once more.
[Found him!]
Using Instant Transmission in his state was too risky. He could barely process the information his senses were giving him.
Worse yet, he could feel the backlash from the meditation technique starting to set in. He reckoned he had ten or twenty seconds to cancel it before things got out of order.
[One chance. I only have one chance.]
His head was a mess and time wasn't on his side. Atid had clearly demonstrated his tactical mind and didn't fear trading injury for injury.
[I'll use all my energy for this one.]
Grim resolve fueled his mind. This kind of reckless move might be extremely detrimental, but it was currently the most effective one in his situation.
Zuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzu!
Igor ignored the buzzing in his head and conjured two ki discs.
[Twenty seconds. Make them count, Igor.]
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|DxD|
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A few moments prior…
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The gamble had paid off, but the cost was a bit higher than expected. Atid hovered in midair with his torso stripped of armour. Only his legs and face still retained his Thunder Drive armour along with his tail.
A few magic circles worked on recovering the giant gaping wound in his stomach. His armour could not endure the blow nor the subsequent blast wave that followed after.
[He really caught me by surprise.]
From the moment Igor made that large sphere, he'd been ready to draw him in and trap him with his Zone technique. His only error was underestimating the speed of ki.
[Remain alert, partner. There's no telling when a desperate attack might arrive.]
[I'm aware.]
Atid grit his teeth and placed a small pill-like contraption into his gaping hole. The pill hovered in the middle and began absorbing the traces of Igor's energy remaining in his body before dissolving into ashes. It took a good three seconds, but it was enough to speed up his healing process.
[Be aware of his Instant Transmission, partner.]
[He can't use it.]
His muscles and skin had finally stitched themselves together, allowing him to swiftly wrap a white bandage around his midsection.
[Unless he's truly an idiot, he won't risk using it before recovering.]
Armour formed on his torso once more along with his three jet wings. All this time, he remained aware of Igor's state. Out of them both, he was the most ready.
"[ASCEND!]"
[Time to take him down.]
Two spears formed in his hands. It was time for guerrilla warf--
"?"
Atid saw the two large discs penetrate the lake's surface along with numerous tiny discs and ordinary ki blasts flanking him from the side. It was this same line-up that placed him into a miserable position. Well not anymore.
[It won't work a second time.]
Psshhuuuaaaa!
His thrusters came to life. He swiftly dodged the discs and didn't try to block nor deflect them.
Su!
He flew around while maintaining distance from his rival. It was counterintuitive, but he wouldn't risk getting close to Igor without a decisive chance.
Su!
He continued to dodge and began filling his spears with energy. The moment Igor's arms showed signs of overloading, he'd charge forward and release his killing shot. It was a simple plan, but one he had confidence in.
[Just a bit more…]
Unfortunately, when a fighter is assured of an advantage, it is hard to avoid getting a bit too confident. Being constantly cautious is something even the oldest of warriors would find somewhat difficult to maintain, not to mention a young teenager.
Atid was stronger than Igor. He had the upper-hand and for a little while, he was sure of his victory. Never did he imagine Igor would be so crazy as to pull off a sudden and completely unexpected reversal.
Atid was not careless by nature. Carelessness could get someone killed on the battlefield. But it was also a fact that he couldn't follow everything at once. The mix of energy discs and blasts Igor released were easily in the hundreds, perhaps in the thousands.
A good ten had been spent avoiding this dense onslaught, waiting for an opportunity where his veins would give out---and that is where the issue was.
Perhaps it was an oversight. Perhaps it was blind confidence. Or perhaps there were too many things to focus on. Atid had neglected paying attention to Igor's flow of energy. The meditation technique was still active, meaning Igor had perfect control over his ki. His veins would never tire for no ki "scraped" against the walls.
This advantage allowed Igor to unleash blasts and energy disc like a machine gun. His intent wasn't to hit Atid, but to spread his energy all over. The presence of his energy signature everywhere would make it difficult for his rival to sense what he really had in store.
[Hellzone Grenade!]
A single gesture and all the blasts and discs came rushing back. They came from all directions, completely stupefying Atid.
But it wasn't over yet.
"[Super Explosive Wave!]"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
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AN
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Did my best to sift through grammar errors. I found a few in chapter 2 as well and corrected them. If you find any, please let me know in the comments.
Otherwise, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed.