"Let's kill him"

Ezra was scanning his internals.

The energy was sucked to heal him to his peak form, but it was still in excess-and now it threatened to spill.

Ezra expected this, so much energy would kill him from within.

'I've temporarily crossed grandmaster level'

To hold the power of a Grandmaster in the body of a master-that body couldn't last long.

In essence.

'I have five, no, four minutes'

Four minutes before the mana overloaded his system and killed him.

'I have to kill him within that time'

With his objective confirmed..

Zoom!

Ezra vanished.

'I can't follow his movements?!'

Ziltris looked as if he was going crazy, when a shadow covered him.

'Huh?' he looked up.

"Boo"

Ezra swung his scythe.

'Damn!'

Realizing that retreat was impossible, Ziltris put up his mantis arm to guard.

But..

Slice!

It was cut through like a leaf.

"Ha..."

Watching his arm fall off so easily, Ziltris was speechless.historical

The arm regrew instantly, but Ziltris took on a new level of cautiousness, retreating while his brain whirred.

'That weapon..could it be?'

Before he could speak.

BAM!

A kick to the face sent him afar.

Boom! Boom!Boom!Boom!Boom!

Clearing out trees like a certain someone.

Ziltris hastily got his feet, snapping his broken jaw back into place.

Right then..

"Right here"

"You..!"

Boom!

Ezra's leg smacked Ziltris' forehead, sending him afar.

Ziltris halted him body and balanced himself, before staring at Ezra with hidden meanings.

"If I'm not wrong" he pointed at the scythe. "That's a weapon of Kaldun, is it not?"

Ezra raised a brow. That gave Ziltris all the confirmation he needed.

"I am a fanatic of his work" he continued. "In fact" a weapon appeared in his hand. "I have one his works right here"

A double edged double sword with a blue handle in between holsting the thin blades of light green colour.

"This is Swift Blade, a legendary armament. But to think I'd be forced to use it..Truly, we are the same"

Spinning the scythe, Ezra attacks.

"We are not the same-in fact we're built with different components-let me show you!"

The moment the Skyfall and Swift Blade clashed..

*KANG!*

A loud shockwave erupted, destroying the surrounding tree.

Right after..*BOOM!*

The soil caved in massively, massive cracks all over.

The place was thoroughly wrecked.

Clang!Klang! Kriiiiiin!Kakaka!Clang!

The soil was wrecked every time they clashed.

Ezra's outmatched Ziltris in skill, but he covered that point with powerful attacks, but now that Ezra was at his level, the factor was amplified.

At the same level-though temporarily-the demon energy couldn't affect Ezra's mind anymore.

With Skyfall, that was able to conduct any element, Ezra lit up the surroundings, placing ice and blood attacks to detract Ziltris' movements before raining down dark lightning and then fire, while making sure to keep his attacking pattern sufficiently random.

Ziltris countered with a Swift blade coated in demon energy. But his movements lagged, like he was having trouble using Swift Blade.

Under Ezra's control, Skyfall elongated, of which he smashed Ziltris away like a golf ball.

"Kuh!"

Spurting blood, Ziltris' body had caved in from the side.

His body straightened itself-the healing factor at work.

With Ezra fast approaching, Ziltris steadied himself.

"So that's it's ability?" Ziltris remarked, looking Swift Blade trembling heavily in his palm.

The demon energy shot off the blade's surface.

'Annoying' Ziltris thought. The veins in his right arm pulsed as he tightened his grip on Swift Blade. 'But it'll have to do'

Both men went at each other, scythe and sword clashing back to back, desecrating the forest with every passing second.

They were moving so fast it looked like a mirrage.

Most would only be able to make out the clash of silver and red energies before the Incessant shockwaves knocked them off their feet-if not into their graves.

Whenever Ziltris successfully dodged, the layer of ice, lightning or fire would go on to destroy things behind them, further excerberating damage.

A minute passed. Ezra noticed a problem.

'I'm not healing!'

Being showered with injuries by the second, the inability to heal was fatal, sooner or later he would succumb to the injuries.

'At this rate I'll lose!'

Ezra refused to consider that an option. 'I can't let my subordinates die again!'

Ziltris' healing factor was the only reason the battle was still ongoing.

'There's always an upper limit, no, too uncertain. I just have to cut his head off!'

With each passing second, Ezra's attacks grew increasingly reckless, but that only had him pile up wounds faster.

Agitation was filling up his system, his attacks became concentrated on Ziltris' head and neck.

"Ahhhh!"

He let out a raging scream, forcing his body to the utmost limit.

'I'm going to die-then you're going with me!'

His aura rose ever higher, as did the output of his attacks.

Cla!Cla!Kin!Krin!Cla!Clang!Kring!

Ziltris was no joke, thwarting every attempt, whole other attacks healed instantly.

The weapons lit up the place with sparks every time they clashed, while the surroundings froze, burned, broke from lightning strikes while demon energy accelerated destruction several times over as it sucked up the potency of the items in the surroundings.

It was as dreadful as it was beautiful.

The enormous battle disrupted that of the subordinates-who had long since stepped away from both each other and the forest-as they watched the spectacle from afar.

Another minute passed.

'Dammit!!!'

Ezra made a desperate strike for the neck.

Slice!

'Huh?'

Spinning his weapon as well, Ziltris made a beeline slice from below, cutting off Ezra's scythe wielding arm!

The arm began silding off, but..

'No!'

Losing his arm in this situation would have his head chopped off right after.

In this instant, Ezra refused reality.

'I will not let them die!'

His eyes went bloodshot while blood leaked from his nose as Ezra pushed his brain into overdrive.

In that nanosecond, the answer came!

Ezra froze the blood in his right arm, preventing it from falling just long enough for to pass the scythe to the other arm.

Immediately the blade fell into his left grip, Ezra made a swing for Ziltris' neck!

In seven years, he'd naturally learnt to wield weapons on both hands.

Ziltris was no slow poke either, raising his blade to behead Ezra in the same moment.

'Die!'

Approaching Ziltris' neck, the scythe sizzled, gaining the attribute of fire.

With his mind still on overdrive, Ezra knew dodging Ziltris' blade was impossible if he sought to kill him in this instant.

Ezra bent his knees, hinging forward, which lowered his height.

He sought to go lower, but anymore would affect the scythes trajectory.

And then..

Slice! Slice!

Both blades cut the opponent.

Ziltris' head was lopped off, bouncing on the ground before coming to a halt.

The headless body feel backwards.

"Haaah..Haaah..Haaah.."

Ezra panted heavily, taking a long and slow stare at the headless body.

The clashing auras of silver and red had dissipated.

Kang!

Skyfall fell to ground with a thud.

Still panting, Ezra touched his face with left arm.

"Ha.."

A thick cut ran through his right eye and nose, barely avoiding his left eye.

'So..I lost an eye..'

He was so tired even his thinking had slowed.

Cough!

"Huh?"

Retracting his palm, it was painted red.

Cough*Cough*Cough*

He fell to his knees, coughing blood nonstop.

Riiip!

His right arm fell, letting blood gush out.

The frozen blood holding it had defrosted.

From his nose flowed trails of blood, dripping continuously.

Cleaning his nose, it hit him. 'Right, I'll be dead soon'

He could feel the residue mana reaching boiling point.

"Ufff!"

Breathless, Ezra fell on his side.

'I'm dying far earlier than I expected. But if they survived..then it's enough'

"Hahaha"

A crackling laughter, all too familiar broke Ezra out his reverie.

Straining himself, he turned his head to see Ziltris' head crackling.

'Don't tell me-

"Relax" the head turned to face him. "Even I can't grow a new head"

Ezra was relieved.

"I'll die in a short while" Ziltris remarked. "Too think I'd end like this..how futile"

Ezra stared with renewed curiosity.

Where is the prideful and self-righteous guy from before?

"I came to kill you as a order from my lord..And I have succeeded"

"Being 'his' pet *cough*cough* is nothing *cough* glamorous"

Ziltris' eyes widened.

"After all *cough* look where that pride led you?"

"Y-You" for the first time, Ziltris was genuinely shocked. "K-Know of him?"

"Like you wouldn't believe"

Ziltris stared with utmost surprise before his expression settled.

"I see" he muttered.

Ezra blinked in confusion. 'I see? What is he talking about???'

Fast steps were heard.

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

His body was tilted to have his back to the ground.

The siblings crowded his view.

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

Their panicked expressions said it all, Ashton and Johan kept calling him.

Ezra spoke, "Calm down" his tone weak.

They quietened.

"You all did great" he spoke. "And I expect you to continue that way"

"Then get up, you're the boss"

"I can't.."

"W-What are you saying?" Velora's voice broke.

"I'm sorry" Ezra said. "You'll have to go on without me"

"Lift him up!" Ashton shouted.

"Stop, sto-*cough*cough*cough"

"Ezra!" Roxanne freaked seeing Ezra spew so much blood.

Ezra stared at them with a lukewarm expression.

Theron made himself known. "Are you okay?" Speaking with a calm unheard of.

"It's no use *cough*cough" Ezra smiled. "I'll be dead in a minute or two *cough*cough*cough* I'm surprised I lasted this long"

Theron muscles tightened. "There must be something, I mean, with a lot healing potions, we can delay it long enough to get you-

Ezra gently shook his head. "No healing potion can help me"

'Because excess energy isn't a disease' he chuckled inwardly. 'If I don't die of blood loss first that is'

He was bleeding on all sides.

"Damn!" Johan slammed his hand into the ground, his eyes growing teary.

"There has to be something we can do!"

The siblings could only hold their tears.

"There is"

The siblings snapped to attention.

Looking behind them to see the speaker.

Ziltris' head.