Chapter 196: The Last Face Off (2/2)

Zinnia was left stricken with a mixture of grief and anger staring at Alton. Both stared blankly at each other, neither knowing what to say. Alton built up the courage sighing. ”Hey Zin… Are you alright?”

”Alton… I. Well…” She began mumbling only to stop frozen on the spot her eyes widening seeing Ragnar standing behind him. ”Alton look out!”

Alton couldn't react fast enough as a long icicle ripped from the ground piercing through his stomach holding Alton in place. Screaming in pain, Alton turned seeing his father staring sinisterly sending a chill down his spine. ”Judgement Typhoon? How truly low… May I remind you my poor, poor Alton we both know you cannot defeat me with your mother's stolen powers!” Alton was tossed to the side, smashed into a newly made ice wall. Ragnar pinned him against the wall holding him by the neck as the hailstorm returned. ”You're nothing more than a leech feeding off others. You cannot be anything more than that.” Thrown into the air Alton was blasted with a constant barrage of hail flying back. Curling his hand forward, he dragged out all of the blood from his wounds into a mighty liquid javelin. Ragnar erupted before throwing it from the ground kneeing Alton in the chest, destroying his counter-attack. Above the streamer, Ragnar clutched both hands together slamming Alton down crashing through the wall and to the ground. Ragnar stood floating in the air, waiting the moment he expected. The air got that bit colder as part of the wall froze over. Alton rippled through at high speed in full control of the Garden throwing a punch. Ragnar avoided the attack staring on with superiority. ”There you are.”

The two began matching blows with Alton taking serval and Ragnar blocking the rest taking minimal damage. Spinning in the air, Alton was kicked back to the ground as Ragnar charged up serval attacks. Those icicles charged were all frozen in blocks stopped in its track. A heavy blizzard emerged around Ragnar alone blocking off any escape. Keeping his calm state of mind, he withstood a bombardment of ice snapping at his defence with his frozen wings covering his body as a shield. Charging up over time Ragnar unleashed a sharp iceberg ripping through the blizzard making the ground shake. Alton stared blankly up as Ragnar smashed into him. Blocking the attack, Alton moved his free arm around to strike back, but Ragnar saw this coming sending a sharp chunk of ice to withhold Alton's might. ”I will not be denied!”

Ragnar gave a look of disappointment tutting. ”You really don't get it, do you, Alton? You really don't know when you've lost!” Ragnar placed his hand on Alton's head, dropping his temperature more overpowering Alton entirely. Alton's eyes turned a colourless blue as he fell to the floor, shivering uncontrollably. ”You're stronger in some regards. But I can tell you're still holding back unintentionally. Helga recently sealed your powers for a time, didn't she? You live in so much fear of what you are. That's what makes you weak. If you had accepted the monster, you are you might have won. But that would have meant turning Rhinefield into a wasteland like Sunset Peak, so perhaps that's a good thing.”

”No way… He defeated Alton in his Garden form… Impossible.” Zinnia whispered.

Impossible is only a word used by weaklings who have no clue of true power. That's what you said earlier, no?” Ragnar teased stepping on Alton. ”You won't last much longer even with that stolen power of mine your insides are slowly freezing over—the heartbeat struggling with each passing second. You'll make a marvellous ice sculpture when all is said and done. The only good thing you've done for the world no?”

”You're wrong!” Scarlett yelled, dragging herself forward. ”Alton is more than you could possibly imagine. He's strong, he's saved us all from our demons. He's a hero to so many people. You're just so fixated in your guilt and the past you can't see anything good in your own son!”

Ragnar walked up to Scarlett holding her neck, forcing her to look past the wall. ”Look beyond what you can see Syndicate. This world is dead, and it's like that because of him. No matter how many people he saves, he will always have that blood on his hands. And he'll do it again, I'm sure he's come close, and no matter how much you claim he's strong that curse will consume him and destroy the world. Unless I put an end to this.”

”Stop… Please, don't hurt her. It's me you want. I'll give up but please don't hurt them.”

”Now we're talking,” Ragnar smirks dropping Scarlett. ”Finally deciding to accept the truth. You know none of this would have to happen if you had just done as your told. Sunset Peak, your friends even Lily would still be alive if you had done just this.” Alton lay on the floor completely done. His will was over, and he had given up. Ragnar walked over proud of his achievement, but as he reached out for Alton, a small orange flicker passed through the boy's eyes. Ragnar stepped back slightly thrown off, shaking his head. ”That cannot be. No that's impossible… I killed you, I'm sure of it.”

”Impossible is only a word used by weaklings who have no clue of true power.” A soothing voice whispered in Alton's ear. ”You stealing my phrases now? There's not a single thing original about you is their Alt? You cannot give up here I won't allow it. He's wrong about you, he always has been. It's your power. Fight Alton! Fight!” Alton's head lay on the ground as his vision went blurry. Blinking serval times, he found himself sitting on a park bench dazed. ”There you are, sleepyhead. You never know when to quit, do you?”

Alton turned dazed, seeing Sam holding a bottle of water. His heart skipped a beat as a slight slur came out. ”Sam? Is that you?”

”Of course, it's me, idiot. Welcome back.”