Chapter 86: Dead End.

The Queen of Towers 

Her heart sank. She’d gotten her hopes up for a moment, but in the end, he hadn’t had the heart to do what needed to be done. Sacrificing victory for a pet? It was foolishness. Now his future was over. The fool had pledged not to lose a drop of blood, and now he was gutted like livestock. She turned to her attendant. “I want a meeting with all our mages, Lord-level and above, as soon as this is over. We need to discuss this new threat. Serpia’s avatar needs to be dealt with before he grows stronger.” 

“Yes, ma’am!” He ran off.

With a monster like this in the world, it was only a matter of time until Serpia was truly resurrected. She could not let that happen. 

Dean Crosp 

Crosp tightened a fist. His eyes squeezed shut. He was supposed to be unbiased. But…he’d just watched the future of one of Brightsail’s most promising students be extinguished. They wouldn’t be allowed to resurrect him. After everything he’d done for the school. After all the students he’d saved, could this really be how it ended? In a tragedy? 

Faira

She giggled loudly. “Did you see that Bloods?” She slapped her knees.

He chuckled beside her, now sitting on a throne of blood. He rested his head on his knuckles. “They’re in for a shock, aren’t they? Just wait until they realize what he did.”

Faira laughed even harder. “I like this guy. He deserves to win. His hair is cool, too. I mean, how many people that young have white hair?” She smiled. This Sen guy was really interesting. She wondered how the rest of the audience would react in just a moment. 

Faira turned her attention to the judges below. They were about to call the fight. “Not so fast,” she said. With a snap, they were silenced. 

“You can call it when it’s over.” 

Sen

Malleore turned back into a necklace in one hand. The mana sword he’d created in the other faded away. 

He stared down at the blade in his stomach and then looked back up at Snake.

Snake’s grin was especially malicious-looking with those fangs in his mouth. “I win,” he said. “How does it feel? Knowing you’re going to die now?” Snake asked.

Sen raised a brow. “If I recall correctly, you were a headless corpse not too long ago. I’m sure you don’t need me to describe death to you.” 

The blade pushed further inside along Snake’s sneer. 

Sen gritted his teeth and leaned forward, closer to Snake. 

Snake grinned at that. He didn’t move. That was good; Sen had him exactly where he wanted him now. “I won’t stop. You know that, right? I won’t stop with you. I’m going to kill your siblings. I’m going to kill your friends. Serpia wants them all dead. She’s going to make you suffer the way you made her suffer. Die knowing that. Die knowing you’re the one who’s losing everything this time,” Snake said.

Sen’s face hardened, and he looked up at Snake. “Can she hear me, I wonder? Can she see through your eyes?” 

Slitted eyes tightened on him. “I’m her avatar. Of course, she can. She’s been talking to me this whole time.” Snake squinted. His head tilted to the side, probably because he realized he hadn’t heard from her in a while. 

Sen released the block he’d placed to stop her voice from getting through to him. He imagined what she was saying right now. It would be a warning of some kind. She’d tell Snake what he’d done. Sen doubted anyone below the level of a god would have realized. 

Snake’s eyes lit up. He tried to pull away, to create distance between them.

It was too late. It was far too late. 

Sen reached forward and grabbed Snake’s shoulders with one hand. A massive aura of mana surrounded them. 

“But…I drew blood. You lost!” Snake shook his head. 

Snake tried to pull back again, to wrench Serpentsfang free of Sen’s body. But he found it firmly stuck, and his eyes widened. “What’s going on?” he demanded. 

Sen concentrated on his mana. His robe burned away, leaving him shirtless and his body covered only by the pants he’d worn underneath. The audience gasped along with Snake. Serpentsfang had cut through Sen’s clothing. It had plunged into flesh. Just not Sen’s flesh. The portal to Sen’s temporal world floated in the core of Sen’s body. One on the front, another behind his back. Before Snake’s avatar body had finished forming, he’d asked Tutor to redeem his final unselected elemental sphere. He’d chosen a flesh elemental sphere. That, alongside Flesh Sculpt, had allowed him to create a convincing experience for Snake. When he’d plunged his blade into what he thought was Sen, it had felt exactly as it should. The blade was covered in blood, exactly as it should have been. 

Just not Sen’s blood. 

Sen masked the true nature of his temporal world; from this distance, it would simply appear like any other portal. He hadn’t revealed his temporal magic, and by revealing the portals, the audience could see that Sen hadn’t actually lost blood.

“I was careful about my wording. I said I would lose if you shed a drop of my blood. You saw the fight with Dasai, didn’t you? The way he could control flesh itself. That gave me an idea. My conditions were only partly to mock you, Snake. They were also a trap.” 

Snake tried to pull his hands free of his blade, but they were firmly tethered to it. Sen used pure mana to exert control over his opponent. Now that he had Snake where he wanted him, he wouldn’t allow him to move. It was a massive effort. Especially against the avatar of Serpia. One he couldn’t hold for long, but Snake had threatened his friends. Serpia had gone too far. She needed to experience true defeat. She needed a reminder of her place in the hierarchy of gods. Again. 

“I might’ve forgiven you, Serpia. If you had handled our reunion differently, I might have had mercy on you. But this…no. A thousand years later and you still behave like a child,” Sen said. “This tantrum ends now.”

Snake’s eyes lit up as he felt the infusion of mana in the air. He was well and truly trapped. 

“Why?” Snake growled. “If you knew about her all along, if you were capable of this, why didn’t you kill me sooner?” he asked, frustration evident in his voice. 

“I’ve massacred many servants of Serpia. They all had one thing in common. The Maximizer they used, Venom, infected their minds. It turns you into a hateful, violent person. It’s extremely potent, and fills you with the power you need to conquer others, but the price is your sanity, Snake. You lose yourself.”

Snake’s eyes fell. He must have known on some level Venom affected him, but hearing it out loud was a different story. The pieces were falling into place now. 

Sen sighed. “The truth was, Snake, you were insufferable to be around. You’re selfish, narcissistic, and you push everyone around you away.” 

Snake glared at him, gritting his fangs in anger.

“But I saw how hard you fought to save Mary in the dungeon after your mistake, and Crosp…he showed me the memory of you risking your life to save Milim and my sister when they were taken by the Cult of Harpis. You had nothing to gain, but still you tried to help them. I let you be because I hoped you would be the one to overcome that power. If you had mastered Venom, if you had proved it could be done, then maybe—” Sen shook his head. There wasn’t any point. “I took a chance on you, and then you hurt Susanna, and I realized how much of a fool I’d been. I can’t take that risk anymore, Snake. This ends now.” The Venom had spread too far and the threats too encompassing. Snake would never hurt someone Sen cared about again. 

He stared at Snake. It seemed the boy had nothing left to say.  

“Are you ready?” Sen asked. 

Snake simply glared at him, defiant to the end. 

Sen nodded. “Tri-Infernal Hellscape Maxima.” 

Normally, the technique changed the environment. But that was because normally Sen channeled it into the environment. This time it poured through Snake’s body directly. 

Molten cracks appeared on his flesh. Snake’s eyes turned fearful. “What is this?” he asked. The lines spread, eating away not only at Snake but at Serpia inside him as well. Snake’s armor crackled, turning from a deep green to black. His scales melted off and fell to the earth below. His entire body smoked, and the air around took on an acrid, charred smell. 

Snake screamed in pain. 

Sen pushed Snake backward, and the boy plummeted through the air. 

He looked down at the blade still impaled within his portal. 

Sen grabbed the handle and carefully removed Serpentsfang to avoid actually harming himself. He had no need for it in its current form, but there was a chance he could repurpose it one day. He placed it inside his temporal world and closed the portals. Then he looked down and stared at Snake’s descent. 

It was strange seeing Snake devoid of his usual hatred and rage. When Sen looked down on him now, all he saw was fear. 

The serpents below moved to catch him before he smashed into the ground. Sen raised a hand. “La Obliteratia Maxima.” They turned to stone and crumbled. With their connection to Serpia and her avatar already weakened, destroying them was simple. 

Snake smashed into the stone below. His momentum cratered the arena where he landed. 

Sen slowly descended to the ground under the effects of Float and Encapsulation. He took hold of Snake’s soul, to ensure it didn’t slip away. His cloak reformed around his body and covered him. 

Sen landed gently and stood over Snake. He exerted the full pressure of his mana, and the bottoms of his robe slapped the air as wind rushed throughout the arena at his power. “Admit defeat,” Sen said.

Snake’s response was barely a hoarse whisper. “Ne…ver.” His breathing was strained. 

Sen nodded. He pushed past Snake’s soul and took a firm hold of the being entwined within. He pulled. 

Snake’s body contorted. 

“Release me!” Serpia shouted within Sen’s mind. 

“You threatened to take people from me. I’m returning the favor, Serpia. Be silent and watch.”

“Sen…” she said more quietly again. Her voice almost pleading.

“Adamantine Mind Maxima,” he said, shutting her out. He didn’t need to negotiate with her. Snake was the one who needed to admit defeat. 

“Silent Sphere Maxima,” he said, ensuring their privacy. “Snake, you know I killed Harpis. I can do the same to Serpia. Surrender, admit defeat, or I’ll wipe her from existence. If you refuse, I’ll die. But not before I erase your goddess from this world.” 

That seemed to restore some of Snake’s energy. “No!” He tried to sit up, but his body gave out. He was in no position to move. His eyes scanned the air above, as if searching for an answer. Then they stilled, and Sen saw the fight drain from him. Snake valued Serpia. He had something to lose, something he wanted to protect and lacked the power to. The only way to save her was to do the one thing he never imagined doing during their duel. 

Surrendering.

Snake nodded, at least as much as he could. 

Sen dropped the silent sphere. He infused Snake’s voice with his own mana so it would carry throughout the arena, despite his weakened state. “I surrender,” Snake said as though it pained him more than all the other wounds on his body. 

Sen looked up at the judges. He sensed some kind of spell working over them, and for a moment he felt concerned. But whatever it was, it dissipated as quickly as he noticed it. Crosp coughed and said something to the other judges. They frantically started talking among themselves. The match would be called officially soon, he was sure. But first, he had to clear his third condition. “Is there anyone who contests my victory? Is there even a single one among you who doubts I deserve victory here?” he shouted. 

A drop of rain the color of blood fell in front of his face. The world around him distorted. It was as if he’d been pulled into another dimension. He could see the audience, but their skin looked as if it had been dyed blood-red. He spun around at two new presences behind him.

The first was a man in a bright red hood. His face was covered by a mask made of blood, and Sen couldn’t identify his features. His robes were crimson as well, and though his mask had no holes for eyes, he clearly stared at Sen. Next to him was a blonde woman; she wore a tightly fitting black dress that was anything but modest. She had large, purple fairy wings on her back that expanded outward several feet in either direction. Her makeup was bright and attention-grabbing: bright red lipstick and purple eyeshadow around her eyes which matched her wings. She eyed Sen mischievously. 

The masked man beside her sighed. “Cover yourself.”

She looked at him as if he’d just spat on her. “How dare you tell me what to wear, Bloods!”

He sighed again, deeper this time. “Your face, Faira.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh!” She snapped, and a blue cloud appeared around her, obscuring her except for her wings. “Whoops!” She turned back toward Sen, and her wings flapped. “Sorry, I’m just a fairy. Hehe!” 

The man in red lifted a hand, and blood from all over the arena lifted into the air. “Blood of…” He paused. “Your name was Sen, correct?”

Sen nodded.

“Blood of Sen,” he said. The droplets all fell. He scanned the arena and then nodded. “None of your blood was spilt. Then I have no problem with your victory. But I am curious,” he said, stepping towards him. “Are you a god, boy?” 

Sen raised a brow. “A god?” 

The fairy giggled. “Do the thing! Come on, Bloods!” 

Bloods turned to her and held up a finger. He turned back to Sen. “Speak Truth and Truth Alone or I shall see Lies.” 

The spell was unnecessarily long. Sen could lie, but the man would detect it. It was obvious their levels were so far beyond his own that Tutor wouldn’t be able to appraise them. “Ask your question,” Sen said.

Blood laughed. “Are you a god? If you lie, I’ll know. And then I’ll kill you.” 

Sen stared at him. “No. I’m not.”

“Are you the avatar of the God of Magic?” 

“No.” 

Blood leaned back. “Huh, I really thought…well, that’s interesting.” He turned and shook his head at Faira. 

“Awh man! That would’ve made for some juicy gossip. Well, I guess we keep looking then.” She shrugged. 

Blood nodded. “That was a good match, Sen. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you among our ranks before long. If you’re careful, that is.” He laughed and disappeared, his body turning into a pile of blood in the air that evaporated. 

Faira giggled. The cloud disappeared around her eye, and she winked. “I like you. Get strong so I can have someone pretty to look at during those boring meetings of ours, mkay?” The smoke surrounded her and then disappeared just as quickly. She was gone as well. 

“Meetings?” Sen asked aloud.

The world around him blinked back into action. Professor Crosp was hurrying toward the stage. The audience was in a state of uproar. People shouted his name. They clapped. They cheered. No one could refute his victory. 

[Master, what was that?] Even Tutor was confused.

Sen scowled. “That was our first interaction with the gods from this time.” By today’s standards, he wasn’t technically a god-class mage. The thing about truth spells was that their effectiveness relied on the question itself. If the man had been more thorough in his questions, well…that interaction could’ve become dangerous. It was better not to start a fight with two god-class mages while so many people he cared about were nearby. 

Sen’s face hardened. 

[Are you alright, Master?]

Their presence was a reminder that new gods had risen from the ashes of those he had killed before. That man had just threatened to kill him if he lied. Sen would be sure to remember that when their paths crossed again. 

“I will humble that man the next time we meet.” 

He pushed it from his mind and turned to look at Snake. “Total Restoration Maxima,” he said. Snake had fallen unconscious at some point and remained that way after being healed, but was otherwise in good health. 

Dean Crosp reached them and ran his eyes over Snake. He frowned. But only for a moment. He grabbed Sen’s hand and lifted it. “Then there are no objections! Sen Locke, first-year student of Bright Sail Academy, is the victor in this graduation duel! With this victory, he is the top-ranked student not only at Brightsail Academy, but in all the Isle of Magic! Further, per the terms of his duel, Sen is officially a graduate of Bright Sail Academy!” 

The crowd went wild. Sen looked around. This audience, these cheers, they were all for him. But his attention turned toward the people who mattered most. Mori, who nodded with a bright grin on his face. Ilm, who waved fervently for his attention, beaming at him the whole time. Samara, who cupped her hands and yelled at the top of her lungs so loud he was sure she’d lose her voice. And Milim, whose smile was like a dream in a world of nightmares. A smile aimed directly at him. 

He’d won. He’d announced himself to the world. Sen set impossible conditions, fought an avatar, and won. This was an overwhelming victory. This wasn’t the end of his journey in this new world; it was just the start. He had so much more to accomplish, so much further to grow. The God of Magic a thousand years ago wouldn’t be a match for the God of Magic he would one day become. 

But for now, he was Sen Locke, a graduate of Brightsail Academy, the top-ranked student in the Isle of Magic, and he just wanted to celebrate with his friends.

[Quest Complete: Reach the Number One Rank at Brightsail Academy.]

[Bonus: Reach the Number One Rank in the Isle of Magic.] 

[Rewards imminent.]