THE FALLEN ONE (TFO)

LUCIUS

"My—my backkk..." I don't know how to describe this sensation I was feeling. It was like a mixture—a sort of combination between being numb while also being reminded that I'd been smashed through a dozen pillars. My weapons were nowhere to be found... I let go of Crimson Ultima when the beast picked me up. Using my free hand, I did manage to push Rare Death deep into its chest before I was punched around like a fucking ragdoll.

I had two choices—one, to use Rare Death to defend from that punch, or two, to use it offensively, since the beast had again let down its guard when it punched me, allowing me to slip the weapon into its chest, barely positioning it as I pushed the crimson blade deeper into the wound using telekinesis. Now, the price for tossing my ability around like there aren't consequences waiting for me... yeah, they were severe, to say the least.

I was close to passing out. My right hand—which wasn't even properly healed to begin with—took the direct blunt force during my crash against the last pillar. My weapons were nowhere to be found. I was bleeding from my chest, mouth, nose, and back... I think. My entire armor was shattered beyond anything as well.

Great. I'm so done with this bullshit.

Using the last ounce of strength I had left, my mana flared in the surroundings. I condensed it to the best of my current abilities and pushed it away as much as I could. I did this three times before I couldn't anymore. My core still had mana in it—plenty of it—since I didn't really use any of my regular abilities. But the pain and severe strain my mind went through wouldn't allow me to use it properly, plus my injuries were bad to say the least.

BADUM BADUM BADUM

At first, I thought that was the sound of my own heartbeat—but no, that was the new sound of the footsteps of that Valgura approaching me.

"You fuckin—cough! cough!" I couldn't even curse properly. How pathetic.

As the beast slowly approached me—probably because it thought I had more tricks up my sleeve—I noticed Rare Death still stuck inside its chest...

'Maybe because removing the sword right now will do more harm than good…' I wondered.

My vision had holes in it. Blind spots—which I've heard are temporary.

Slowly and surely, the beast came closer and closer, stopping right before me. I was down on my legs, my back barely supporting myself against the smashed pillars, some of their bits still falling onto my crushed headgear.

The beast carefully placed its feet on me—it could easily crush me to death, but it gradually kept increasing its weight. Its sole was easily big enough to cover my entire body except my foot region, I guess. I've heard these beasts love torturing their victims after a grand fight of sorts... how fucked up that is.

The weight kept increasing, and I was beginning to realize it. It had its only eye entirely focused on me, its breath still leaving gaps of huffs and puffs. I placed my arms in such a position that allowed me to breathe a bit easier, which was just delaying the inevitable for a few extra moments…

"You want to hear my last words or what, huh?" I asked. It certain felt that way. The beast exhaled sharply—like that bullshit breath they take before charging at you.

"Unfortunately, you won't be the one who gets to hear those words. No sentient being gets that honour, you son of a bitch..."

The beast probably understood that insult and tried to crush me in one go.

"Too late… asshole."

"MANA ZONE: PRAISE ODACIOUS!"

"…About damn time… Captain," 

BOOOM!

There he was—the Knight of Varis, clad in the goddess's armor under her unwavering gaze. His greyish shield was massive enough to cover his entire upper body, his weapon—a massive double-edged sword known as Silvermoon—rested in his grasp, ready to unleash a devastating strike. And the sound of his cape whipping against the gusts of wind? Music to my ears now.

I'm glad you followed me all the way, Mercy...

MERCY 

"MANA ZONE: PRAISE, ODACIOUS!"

Mana heeded my command instantly, forming a transparent sphere that quickly morphed into a glowing ball of bright blue energy on the tip of my finger. I launched it at the Valgura standing over Lucius.

The beast reacted fast—absurdly fast. It sensed my incoming attack and raised its massive arms, choosing to take the full brunt of the blast with them rather than its core.

I followed the attack with my body—pushing forward with such force that the ground beneath me cracked and gave out. The spellcaster wasn't the only thing arriving; I smashed into it with my shield, driving it into the beast's battered body with my entire weight behind the blow. It had already been pushed back from the collision with my spell, but now, slammed by my charge, it staggered several more meters and barely held its footing.

'Does it have another injury near the foot?' I wondered. But it didn't matter anymore.

Lucius was on the ground. His chest—smashed. Probably shattered on some level. Without hesitation, I pulled a standard-issue high potion from my belt—the kind given to every knight—and fed it to him.

I'd deal with the consequences later. Right now, Lucius was the priority.

The beast would probably flee. I'd let it. Hunting it wouldn't even be hard in its current state. It was younger, immature, and weakened—Lucius had done a number on it, making this the perfect opportunity for it to retreat. Around us lay shards of shattered pillars, and mixed among them were small pieces of something dark—black and enriched with mana. I barely had time to focus on the odd material before three mana arcs shot toward us with terrifying speed.

'Dumb creature…'

"MANA ZONE: AQUATOS!"

Mana burst from my core and shaped itself into a towering, translucent shield in front of us. The incoming arcs struck with remarkable force—but not one of them pierced through. They fizzled on contact.

The beast clearly needed to be shown just how wide the gulf between us truly was.

Mana surged again, roaring to life all around me.

"MANA FORCE!" I chanted, and my aura erupted, descending upon the creature like a divine decree.

Mana Force could not damage. But it could make one realize their own insignificance. Their own weakness. It was like casting a reflection of their futility onto their soul.

Yet the beast emerged from the debris, shrugging it off—ignoring the pressure.

It wanted to fight.

Fine. I'd honor its last wish.

Before it could close the gap, I charged. Fast. Furious. Pulling the battlefield away from Lucius. The Valgura matched me instantly, and when our weapons collided for the first time, Silvermoon ignited, channeling my mana flawlessly.

Its claws struck against my shield—no damage. Not even a scratch.

It realized immediately: a head-on battle wouldn't work. It tried to back off, but I didn't let it.

Despite its retreat, the beast hadn't lost its will to fight. It was still calculating—firing another volley of mana arcs the moment Lucius was far behind me.

'Smart,' I thought. Very smart.

But it had made one fatal mistake.

Rare Death—Sia's weapon—was still lodged deep in its chest.

Remove that, and this beast was done for.

As the incoming arcs approached, I summoned mana to my fingertips. It responded swiftly, forming a tightly compressed orb—water-infused, dense, pure.

"MANA ZONE: PRAISE, ARTICOUS!"

The sphere—round and perfect—grew bit by bit as I fed it more mana until it was larger than a chalkball. Then I hurled it at the approaching attacks.

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion tore the air apart. Smoke and pressure rippled outward.

Through the chaos, my senses locked onto the beast's location with surgical precision.

This was the moment.

I dropped my shield.

I needed speed—all of it.

Dashing forward like a spear unleashed, I moved through the smoke, closing the distance between us with one goal in mind: finish this fight.

"GOT YA!"

*** 

Through the haze of smoke, Mercy emerged—just a few meters from the Valgura.

He expected resistance. An immediate lunge. But… nothing came.

The beast stood still, unnervingly so. Its back was hunched, curved like an old crone's spine, and its elongated arms dangled just inches above the ground. Something about the posture gnawed at Mercy's instincts, and so he halted, choosing caution over recklessness.

Then he saw it.

A faint flicker. Mana.

It was pooling above the Valgura's head, coiling around its horns like molten light gathering in a storm.

Mercy's eyes widened.

"Shit… A Manaroid," he muttered under his breath, dread blooming in his chest—not for himself, but for the unconscious boy lying behind him.

Lucius.

Mercy reacted without thought. His sword left his hand in an instant, spinning like a javelin toward the beast. But the Valgura deflected it easily with a sharp sweep of its arm—and in the same breath, released the spell.

A searing ball of condensed energy hurtled into the sky.

BOOM!

The Manaroid burst apart midair—fracturing into dozens of smaller, razor-fast projectiles that rained down like a lethal storm of mana meteors.

Several shards veered toward Lucius's prone form.

Mercy sprinted. His shield lay discarded, but he caught it mid-dash, diving between the boy and the falling barrage. Mana flared around his arms as he intercepted each shard with tight, arcing barriers—blades of energy bouncing off his defenses with metallic shrieks.

He gritted his teeth.

This wasn't just a distraction.

The Valgura was already closing in.

It landed just meters away, body heaving, Rare Death no longer embedded in its chest. The wound had deepened—but something else had taken root there. Thick, black scale-like formations were spreading across the injury, not healing it, but reinforcing it with some strange, unnatural armor.

Mercy's eyes narrowed.

What the hell is that? It wasn't regeneration. It was defense—rapid, unnatural evolution.

He tossed the shield beside Lucius.

No more holding back.

"MANA ZONE: BURST OF THE WATER DRAGON!"

From his open palm, water erupted—twisting into the form of a serpent with gleaming eyes and fangs carved from liquid force. The summoned dragon roared to life, immediately launching after the Valgura.

The beast evaded with unnatural agility, leaping into the air as the water dragon gave chase. Mercy tried to redirect its path with hand motions, feeding mana to steer it, but the spell had limits. As its speed waned, the Valgura suddenly twisted mid-air and aimed its horns directly at him.

Mercy didn't need to guess.

A familiar pressure built around the creature.

Another spell. No… not just any spell.

It was building a beam.

Mercy threw both hands out, shifting the path of the slowing dragon to interpose between them—just in time.

The Valgura unleashed its attack.

A brilliant, translucent beam of compressed energy blasted from its horns. It tore through the air, colliding with the water dragon in a cataclysmic clash.

The water beast shattered in an instant, exploding into mist.

Mercy rolled out of the way as the beam roared past, carving through the forest behind him. Trees exploded into splinters. Craters bloomed in the terrain.

And still, the Valgura stood. Breathing. Watching. 

"Alright monster, if I die here, so does he; therefore… no more distractions. Let's finish this."