Chapter 54
This is a fictional story by realTensai
The atmosphere grew heavy, as the insane man was only a few meters away. Just the act of breathing took Alvis more concentration than it was healthy. His eyes were glued on the man, not wanting to miss one movement of his.
"I see, I see, I see," Voyzez said, nodding his head way too often. "White hair? Yes, you are the one! You are, you are, you are! Or are you not? But I can feel your mana, so you are! Welcome. No, you should rather welcome me, who has come all the way just for you. Wait? Right now, you are welcoming me, aren't you? Ahhhh, how grateful! For a man like me! This is insane. Insanity!"
Every word of his added fuel to Alvis' hatred. Now that he knew what the Devil Cult was planning with him, it was hard to suppress the growing urge to kill all of them.
"Alvis, what is he talking about?" Lia said, her eyes displaying concern.
"You can ignore everything he says. He is insane."
Voyzez kept running his mouth, though the words didn't register in Alvis' head anymore. He activated Mastermind and went over his plan one last time.
Exhaling, he finished.
Everything is fine. Let's start.
Once more, he used Assassin's Eye on his opponent.
Error: The opponent's power is too high for you to estimate.
Alvis clicked his tongue, yet didn't lose his calm. He had already experienced Voyzez's power firsthand. He knew how inhumanly strong this man was.
But talking about inhumanly strong, where is Dane?
"Al!"
Talking about the Devil. Well, I guess I shouldn't use this saying.
With speed only rivaled by world record keepers, Dane entered the battlefield.
"I came here after receiving your message," he said once he was standing next to Alvis. However, he turned his head a few times and understood the situation. "Now I see why you said I shouldn't bring Sekki with me. Are we gonna fight this dude?"
Dane gulped, clenching his fist as sweat drops formed on his forehead.
"Yes."
They stared at the insane man who was just standing there, talking to himself as if possessed. His piercing yellow eyes would make every psychopath seem like a child. The scars on his head were a testament to his insanity.
"Listen, everyone. No matter what happens, you can't get hit by his shadows! They will turn you insane."
Alvis' announcement made Lia and Dane assume a defensive fighting position. He himself activated his improved mind protector spell, shielding his mind from external attacks. However, even if it would negate Voyzez's insanity, he would still not dare get hit by it.
Safe is safe.
"Ahhh, my brain, it itches," Voyzez said, grabbing his head. He then proceeded to scratch it with his long fingernails, the scars on his scalp reopening. Blood ran down his face right into his eyes, making for a gruesome sight. "Stop looking at me. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop,—"
"Earth cannon!"
With the flick of his hand, Mana coalesced before him, morphing into an earth ball. Its explosive power sent Alvis stumbling and, with a loud boom, it destroyed everything in its path. He had leveled up his advanced mana manipulation skill a few days ago. And whilst using Mastermind, his spell's power increased even more.
Yet, it made no difference. Dark shadows absorbed Alvis' attack, keeping Voyzez unharmed.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! I was still talking! How dare you attack me! This is unforgivable. Disgusting! No, this is even worse. This is insane!"
"Don't let him rest," Alvis shouted as he was already preparing his next spell. "Keep attacking him."
Following his call, Lia and Zaini gathered Mana for decisive attacks. Zaini's magic staff glowed and the mana density in the air rose. Purple particles flickered around before joining together, forming an incredible energy beam.
"Eat this!"
Zaini fired his energy beam right at Voyzez. In the same instance, Lia had finished her preparations, too. Both her arms were high in the air, and her eyes were closed. Dark clouds hovered over the entire festival grounds, a product of her creation.
"Heavenly punishment!"
She opened her green eyes again and swung down her hands. A massive lightning bolt distorted the very atmosphere as it struck down the lone man, devouring his existence. Alvis had to hold his ear so the thunder wouldn't destroy his eardrum.
This is perfect!
Zaini's and Lia's attacks were just the beginning. They would keep tiring him out and overload his shadows. After doing a ton of research, Alvis had found two ways to counter Voyzez's mana-absorbing shadows. And they were currently using the first way.
Bombarding him with so many attacks, his shadows can't keep up!
A method he couldn't have used on his own. Even with Lia and Zaini on his side, this method would still not work. However, he still had Dane and his wildcard.
Smoke emitted from the place Voyzez had been standing, not letting them see what happened. Yet his voice was answer enough.
"This is insane. Insane, insane, insane, insane, insane, insane! How dare you attack me like that?!"
The smoke cleared, revealing an unharmed Voyzez. Lia's eyes widened in horror, but Alvis didn't even react.
This isn't nearly enough to defeat him.
"Dane, are you ready?"
"As ready as one can be!"
"Then let's start."
Alvis let mana flow from his core through his veins, boosting his physical strength to the utmost. His body felt lighter than a feather, but he had the power of a lion. With a deep breath, he began.
Within a second, they cleared the distance and were right at Voyzez.
"If mana attacks don't work, we just have to beat you in melee combat!"
Dane threw a punch at Voyzez's gut, but he avoided it by taking a step back. However, there Alvis already awaited him with a kick to his face. He couldn't avoid that and took the hit.
The man stumbled, almost falling to his knees, but this was only the start. Dane rushed at him with a combo of punches and kicks, beating him to a pulp. Simultaneously, Alvis attacked him from the other side, adding his fair share to the beat-up.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
Explosive dark shadows came from Voyzez and Dane and Alvis took a huge step back, saving their lives. They looked at the man, who was bleeding and had injuries all over his body. Alvis couldn't suppress the smile that was forming on his face.
It's working!
However, he wouldn't stop there. He couldn't let him attack.
"Lia, Priest Zaini, keep attacking!"
Voyzez's eyebrows twitched as he gritted his teeth.
"This is insane, insane, insane, insane! Embrace insan—"
"Earth Cannon!"
Another earth cannon flew at Voyzez, interrupting his planned attack. The man guarded himself with his mana-absorbing shadows, but Alvis didn't even intend to damage him with this attack.
Whilst he is guarding himself with shadows, he can't use them to turn others insane.
It was a crucial downside to his overpowered abilities.
"Alvis? Dane? Lia?" a new voice said, arriving at the scene. Alvis already smirked at hearing her voice. "W-What is happening here? What is going on?"
About damn time!
Her voice had Alvis turn his head in excitement. His eyes immediately found the source.
She is here!
The woman was wearing regular clothing, however; it didn't subtract from her powerful aura. With an estimated power level of 3000+ and her title as master rank mage, she was a force to be reckoned with. It was their homeroom teacher, Ms. Myth, who had entered the battle.
"I don't have time to explain," Alvis shouted, seeing how Voyzez's shadows stopped coating him. "Just attack this man with all you got!"
Wind blades coming from Lia's direction cut everything in their path, their target being Voyzez. He clicked his tongue and instead of absorbing them like he used to do every time; he evaded them. But another mana beam flew straight at him, Priest Zaini having foreseen his movements. This time Voyzez couldn't dodge and relied on his shadows again.
However, the moment he did that, Dane came from behind him, his punches raining down on him. Every hit of his created a loud boom showcasing just how absurdly powerful giants were. Even Voyzez grimaced as his back became a punching bag.
"E-E-Enough!"
Through gritted teeth, Voyzez let out a desperate cry. It felt as if darkness had gripped Alvis' heart as he looked at the wounded man's burning eyes. It was his primal instincts that warned him of what was about to come.
"DANE! Dodge!"
Just like an explosion, darkness spread from Voyzez, devouring everything in his area. It took up the form of fearsome dragons and they went on a rampage. It was the same thing he did last time. And last time they all ended up dying of it. However, in this fierce life-or-death situation, Alvis smirked.
Checkmate!
"Priest Zaini, use it now!"
Confronted with a seemingly all-powerful attack, Alvis kept his calm, relying on his trump card. Priest Zaini raised his magical staff, the concentration displayed in his eyes being at an all-time high. He started.
"My blessing, give me your everything! Mana magnet!"
A force disobeying the laws of nature pulled on Alvis' mana, trying to force it out of his mana core. Alvis just gripped his solar plexus, using all his might to keep it. But not everyone was as strong as him. Voyzez's insane shadow dragons flew straight at Zaini's staff. However, they were not attacking him; they were pulled towards it. Like a magnet, it pulled mana to it. They dissipated into mana particles, flowing right into his staff. It was Zaini's blessing, which caused this otherworldly phenomenon. The army of black shadow dragons vanished, and Voyzez was completely unguarded.
"Now, attack him with everything you got! This is the only chance we have!"
Voyzez had used too much mana at once, so there would be a tiny cool-down phase. Judging by how vast his mana core seemed, this time frame couldn't be longer than five seconds. Yet this was more than enough.
"Divine tree, Yggdrasil!"
Lia's voice resounded throughout the battlefield. An enormous tree, topping every single one Alvis had seen in the Mana Forest, rose high into the sky, trapping Voyzez in its gigantic trunk. No human could survive being squeezed together within this tree.
Yet this was only the start of their combo attack.
"Greatest of flames grant me your strength. Pillar of hell!"
All-consuming blue flames ate up the tree the second Ms. Myth had uttered her spell. The heat had Alvis coughing for air, and his sweat vaporized the moment it formed.
I-Incredible!
Using Lia's gigantic tree as fuel, the flames became a natural disaster, burning down everything they touched. There was no way Voyzez was alive at this point, yet Alvis would fire his attack, too.
He gathered all his mana, his MP points ticking down to single digits. His brain worked overtime, even his last cell being used. Then, with the image of his creation already visualized, he just had to pour mana into it.
This is your end!
"Black hole!"
A marble-sized black ball flew to the tree. It had no destructive power on its own and flew at a slow pace. However, the moment it touched the tree, it got pulled into it. This tiny black ball compressed the enormous tree, eating it up like a glutton for its meal. The Yggdrasil Tree Voyzez had been trapped in vanished, together with all the flames.
This was Alvis' strongest attack. An accumulation of all his studies and efforts. The creation of a black hole that would erase everything it touched.
"It's over."
His brain was burning, and his eyes bleeding and not even the dopamine rushing through his body could keep him on his feet.
Shit, I overdid it.
The complexity of the spell alone would have been enough to turn a world-class scientist insane. Not Elise, of course. Then it also took up all of his mana. Of course, it wasn't a real black hole. Alvis could never create one. However, a pseudo-one with even one percent of a real one's power was good enough. Normally he would have never used it, but with an opponent who couldn't move as a target, it was a good choice.
Nothing was left of Voyzez. No matter how one saw it, he was dead.
Alvis won.
"I-Is he dead?" Lia asked, walking over to Alvis.
Her face was pale and her breathing shallow, yet she still picked up Alvis, who couldn't stand on his own.
"Yes, it's over. There is nothing left of him."
Alvis was by no means an optimistic person, but the facts talked on their own. Voyzez got crushed within a gigantic tree. He got burnt by Ms. Myth's blue flames. And his body got torn into a black hole.
He is dead.
"We did it!" Priest Zaini said, dropping his staff. "We defeated a Priest of the Devil Cult!"
"This is all thanks to you, Priest Zaini."
"Don't act cool now, Alvis," he said, slapping him on his shoulder. Alvis grimaced, having lost one of his valuable HP. "You are the hero. You can be proud of yourself."
Alvis smiled lightly.
I guess he is right.
"Alvis, tell me what the hell was going on."
Shit, what do I do?
Ms. Myth's question had Alvis sweating, not sure how much he could reveal.
"Ehm, I'm not sure if—"
"Insanity!"
Alvis' heart grew heavy as a sudden feeling of icy darkness expanded from his mana core. Fear of an impossible reality stopped Alvis' breathing, turning him into a statue. He couldn't turn his head, no he didn't want to. His brain refused to accept what was happening. Yet Alvis couldn't stop himself from searching for the source of his uneasiness. His eyes followed the familiar voice and arrived at the one causing the ominous atmosphere. However, Alvis couldn't trust his eyes. He shook his head, heat rising behind his eyelids. A lump formed in his throat and he didn't dare to talk to him.
"D-Dane?"
Somehow, Alvis' lips moved on their one, not able to hold in the question any longer. It was his voice. The voice of his best friend. But why did it remind him of Voyzez?
And why does he look this way?
Dane had a grin on his face that could only have been from the Devil himself. His eyes were wide open, piercing at Alvis with an overwhelming intensity. However, it was his aura that had Alvis shaking.
It's just like Voyzez!
"Hey, Dane, what is wrong?!"
Don't tell me..?! Did he get hit by a shadow?
Alvis clicked his tongue, his reality starting to shatter right in front of his eyes.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
"Dane? So that was his name. Fuhahaha, so you haven't realized it yet. Or have you? You know who I am! You know! Embrace it! Embrace insanity!"
His unique way of speech left Alvis with the feeling of tearing his ears out. He was the only one who talked like that. It was unmistakable insanity. Slowly, reality caught up to Alvis.
"N-N..No! This can't be. Dane, wake up!"
However, the guy just shook his head.
"Fuhahahaha! He isn't there anymore! The Dane, you know, vanished! Say it. Say my name!"
Alvis' brain had connected all the hints, arriving at the only plausible answer. His heart refused to believe it, rather wanting to turn into dust than to live in such a reality. Yet, he couldn't deny the undeniable any longer.
"W-What did you do?! What did you do to Dane, VOYZEZ!"
"Yes, finally you said it. I'm Voyzez Knaxius, the Devil Cult's Priest of Insanity!"
These words crushed Alvis' heart and all his efforts at once. The little strength he had still in him vanished, together with all his hope. Exhaustion he had never felt before overcame him, making just breathing a futile effort.
I've failed. Again.
"I must say, you got me pretty good. I wouldn't have thought that you would manage to kill me. Yet this isn't enough to defeat me. I had hit this guy with my insanity shadows."
Alvis' eyes were hollow, as his subconscious was the only thing listening.
"Everyone who gets hit by my insanity becomes a potential host for my soul. So if I die, I can take over their bodies. This I did with your friend right here. I never had a giant body before, so this is an exciting first time for me. But I like this strength I feel."
He clenched his fist several times, the smile on his face only getting wider.
"So," he said, taking his palm over his clenched fist, eerily similar to Dane. "Who is ready for round two?"
Lia, Ms. Myth, and Priest Zaini took on a fighting stance. However, Alvis was the only one who didn't respond. His body wouldn't move anymore, his brain having lost all its power and function. It was his intelligence Alvis was most proud of, yet every single time, he failed miserably.
"Alvis, stand up!" Lia said, tears forming in her eyes. "It's not over y—"
Before she could even finish her sentence, Voyzez had his hand on her head, shadows coating his palm. Within a second, these shadows devoured Lia's head, leaving the rest of her body stumbling to the ground. Blood spread from her torn open neck, raining down on Alvis' body. Alvis couldn't even close his eyes and his vision turned red, resulting from Lia's blood spilling into his eyes.
He had just witnessed his best friend killing his wife.
"Hahaha, this body is incredible!"
"Lia? Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia, Lia.."
"Yes, yes, yes! Wonderful! Brilliant! Your best friend just killed your girlfriend. How insane is that? Ahhhh~ embrace insanity!"
Alvis shook his head like a madman, resulting from a primal desire to reject reality. His brain already stopped functioning, his heart and soul having shattered to dust. He felt sick, sick of despair, the urge to vomit his very existence growing unbearable.
"You take the boy and leave!" Priest Zaini shouted. "I will keep him occ-"
Within a second, his head was ripped away, his blood now also raining down on Alvis. And before Ms. Myth could even process what was happening, the same happened to her.
"Now it's only us two."
Alvis couldn't react. His body only an empty vessel.
"This is insanity!"
Voyzez put his hand on Alvis' head and the last thing he saw was dark shadows robbing him of his life.
Alvis had died at the hands of his best friend.
[YOU DIED!]