179 Last Round (2/2)
But it only saved Malum temporarily, Fafnir used his Manifestation and teleported right beside him ”Oh s.h.i.+t, I forgot!” Malum exclaimed and used Karma to protected himself as he was struck.
This time, he failed to stop in time and crashed on a planet and even went through it just with the momentum given by Fafnir's a.s.sault. Malum only stabilized after he emerged from the planet's underground on the opposite side.
He then grinned and laughed loudly ”That's how it should be!” As expected, the battle excited him even more than Arima.
Two golden hammers appeared around him and tried to crush Malum at the same time. The dragon snickered. He threw Karma in the air and extended his arms outward. He slammed the two hammers on each side with his palm and stopped them with his physical strength alone.
His arms made some loud cracking sounds and even more veins burst ”{Hey!}” Night called but Malum ignored him. His fingers pierced the hammers' surface and he pulled the giant weapons so that they would spin. When the handles were facing him, he immediately grabbed them.
The two weapons tried to return inside Fafnir's 'Vault' but Malum used another Art ”[Fourth White Art, Upper-Layer, Digillum Aeterna]” White chains coiled around the two hammers and forced them to stay in Malum's hands. At the same time, another section of Malum's magic circuits became overloaded and made him go through horrible pain.
Fafnir teleported right next to him just after. His expression was even more twisted than before. He seemed to be enraged that someone was trying to take his possessions. He inhaled and gathered fire in his throat.
Malum inhaled too as black flames gathered around him. The two dragons roared simultaneously and the gold and dark breaths clashed together and exploded.
”[Accelerando]” Malum chanted and channeled his magic around his body. Different circuits broke again and he appeared right behind Fafnir with even more speed than Arima. He contracted his muscles and swung the two hammers he carried.
At that moment, Malum's limiter had been completely released. His body was now exerting 700% of its normal capability. The berserk dragon roared and hit Fafnir with both hammers at full power. The two hammers broke through the golden dragon's scales and propelled him inside a nearby burning star, slightly smaller than the sun.
Malum dropped the two hammers and raised his trembling arms. He caught back Karma with his right hand and pointed his left palm at the star ”[Second Destruction Art, Cavum Nigrum]” A small black bead formed in Malum's palm and was thrown toward the star.
The small marble cracked and exploded to let place to the giant black hole. The dark ma.s.s instantly covered the entirety of the star and consumed it in no time. Malum gritted his teeth and closed his hand into a fist.
The black hole abruptly stopped attracting the nearby asteroids and planets and disappeared as fast as it came. When it was gone, the star that it had 'swallowed' with Fafnir inside was nowhere to be seen.
Malum panted heavily just after and howled in pain as some strange, glowing cyan fissures appeared on his body, starting from his chest area. His heart, to be exact ”{I told you to not overdo it!}” Night scolded him again.
”That's…” Jorga was astounded as he watched from afar. If he had to be honest, the moment Fafnir came out of the Second Blue Art's confinement, he thought that Arima was going to be overwhelmed. But when he saw the black dragon beating Fafnir around like it was nothing, he became utterly shocked.
”That's not Arima” Layla remarked ”It's Malum; his counterpart” Jorga's eyes widened ”The technique he's using right now is the Berserker's Path. In theory, if you abandon all of your emotions an let your bloodl.u.s.t and rage take the upper hand, you can destroy every limit of your subconscious and fight like an enraged beast”
”Malum and Arima can more or less stay sane because they are separated and can help each other…” Layla explained and Jorga listened gaping.
”But there are of course some big disadvantages. The first one is the self-harm caused by this technique. Malum is already in tatters right now. 80% of his injuries are because of himself” She said.
”But the worst thing is not that” She added grimly.
”…Are you talking about his magic circuits?” Jorga asked ”It's obvious that there's something wrong with them from what I can see”
Layla nodded ”Magic circuits are like roads you build for your magic. When a powerful magic is cast and goes through those 'roads', they damage it a little. And if you cast the same magic again, it will use the same 'road' and then destroy the magic circuit. That's why some magic can never be used twice a day, a week, a month or even a year”
She sighed and squinted her eyes to look at Malum ”Right now, Malum is in a berserk state; both physically and ethereally. Each one of his magic generates a huge power. In this state, every time he uses a specific magic like the Kind Demon's Arts, he will not only suffer great pain but the circuits will burst and overheat”
”In this fight,” She paused ”He's only able to use a particular magic once” She declared and Jorga's expression darkened ”Fortunately, the Kind Demon's Set is special and uses different circuits for each Art but except that, Malum is only able to use a magic of one type once”
”For example, since he used a fire breath earlier, he actually lost the ability to use basic fire magic anymore” Her voice became graver and Jorga fell silent.
”{You already used two of the Destruction Arts and don't even think about the First, or even all of the others Arts which are ranked First, you will die by just using them. You are also far from having the same control as Arima. It's the same thing for the forbidden Arts}” Night was quite irritated and spoke to Malum whose body was shaking uncontrollably.
Night sighed ”{I understand now. You will just go all out no matter what… How long can you hold out?}” He inquired.
Malum grinned ”Five minutes” He answered ”That thing is getting stronger. It may not be obvious. But I know it. I had to raise my strength several times to keep up with him and that's how I kept the balance. But it won't last long. I will soon have to let the place to Arima again” He honestly replied.
”{Go ahead then}” Night said ”{Five minutes}” He declared and connected with Jorga through telepathy. Just after that, a fissure in s.p.a.ce opened and a golden claw, bigger than before by at least a fold, emerged.
”Last round” Malum laughed and said.
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