Chapter 41: Agin

Chapter 41: Agin 

Meanwhile, in Eldren and Agin's battle...
A sudden pulse of mana surged through the air—immense, cold, and absolute.
Both warriors halted for a brief moment, feeling the sheer power that had just erupted from afar. It wasn't just any mana—it was Icelyn's.
Agin's grip on his weapon tightened. 
"That presence… it's over."
Eldren exhaled sharply, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Tch. Looks like she finished first."
They exchanged a glance—no words were needed.
If she had ended her fight, then so would they.
The battlefield was a wasteland of shattered stone and crimson-stained earth. Two figures stood amidst the chaos—one a warrior bathed in divine light, the other a silent knight whose presence was an enigma.
Eldren exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he studied his opponent. Despite the brutal exchange they had already endured, the knight remained an enigma. His mana was unreadable, shifting like a mirage—impossible to gauge. Eldren knew power when he saw it, but this was different. This man was a void, an existence that defied comprehension.
No matter. He was chosen.
The moment their eyes met, the knight lunged. No wasted movement, no flourish—only pure, lethal efficiency. Eldren reacted instantly, meeting the strike with his own blade. The impact sent a thunderous crack through the air, dust and debris rising around them.
"Is that the best you can do?" Eldren taunted, smirking as their blades locked. His strength was overwhelming, but the knight remained unfazed, his unreadable mana flowing seamlessly with each strike.
"I don't need to be the best," the knight's deep voice rumbled. "I only need to survive."
Steel clashed against steel in a storm of relentless blows. Eldren weaved through his opponent's strikes, parrying and countering with precise, brutal efficiency. He was dominant—not just in technique, but in power. The divine blessing coursing through him made his every motion sharper, stronger.
And yet, his opponent did not falter.
The knight fought with an eerie stillness, every movement calculated, every strike near-perfect. His unreadable mana made it impossible to predict his next move, forcing Eldren to rely purely on instinct.
Then, in a moment of brutal clarity, the knight's blade found an opening. A single strike—sharp, devastating. Eldren's sword split apart, fragments glinting in the dim light before scattering across the ground.
Silence.
Eldren's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the hilt of his broken sword. "Well well, not bad... "
The knight's lips barely twitched, his expression unreadable. "It's over."
Eldren exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if the loss of his weapon was nothing. "Well then. I suppose I should stop holding back."
He reached out, fingers closing around the empty air—no, not empty.
A presence surged through him, raw and violent. The air trembled. A pulse of pure destruction erupted from his very being.
The goddess's voice whispered in his soul. You have no need for trials. You were chosen long before this battle began. "Hesitate, and ruin will claim you. Falter, and your fate is sealed." now wield it.
Light coalesced into form, and from the void, his axe emerged.
The ground beneath him cracked as the weight of its power settled in his grasp. Unlike the elegant blade he had wielded before, this weapon was meant for destruction—an embodiment of his goddess's will.
The knight's eyes flickered, an instinctual awareness of the shift in power. "You… think this will save you?"
Eldren smirked, swinging the axe through the air with ease. "No. This is the end."
The knight moved, but this time, it was Eldren who struck first.
A single swing.
A force like a collapsing mountain roared through the battlefield. The impact shattered the knight's balance, sending him skidding backward, his unreadable mana flickering violently. Eldren did not hesitate. He advanced, his axe cleaving through the air with brutal precision.
Blow after blow, the knight was forced on the defensive, his once-perfect rhythm disrupted. He could not read what could not be stopped.
The knight staggered, his expression darkening as he realized the shift in momentum. "You think you've won?" His voice was tinged with frustration. "This power—this destruction—it's meaningless."
Eldren's eyes narrowed. "You speak of meaning, but you've never understood it. This fight, this victory—it's not just about power. It's about fate."
One final strike.
The knight raised his blade in a desperate attempt to parry, but it was useless. The divine axe carved through his guard, sending him crashing to the ground.
As the knight staggered, Eldren raised his axe high, his mana erupting in an overwhelming surge. "Divine Annihilation!"
A blinding purple light engulfed him, the air crackling with raw destruction. The force of the attack reverberated across the battlefield as the earth itself seemed to recoil. The knight's defenses crumbled under the weight of the divine assault, his unreadable mana shredded by the raw force of Eldren's technique.
The knight screamed, his body crumbling under the pressure, but Eldren's expression remained cold.
When the light finally faded, the knight was kneeling, his form broken and bloodied. Eldren stood over him, his axe still raised but poised in the air.
"It ends now." Eldren's voice was a whisper, a final verdict.
The knight looked up at him, his gaze flickering with a mix of defiance and acceptance. "Fate… you think… you've won?"
Eldren's smirk widened. "Fate doesn't need to be won. It simply is."
With one final strike, Eldren's axe descended, ending the battle in a single, final blow. His attack completely destroyed a portion of the battlefield. 
The battlefield fell silent.
Then... The battle shifted to Agin, where his battle was about to begin. 
The air was thick with the scent of blood, sweat, and the crackle of mana. Agin's grip on his spear tightens, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. The enemy before him was relentless—swift, brutal, and unyielding.
Every strike he delivered was met with counterattacks, every feint outmaneuvered, and every opening quickly closed. His opponent was no ordinary warrior, his power was far beyond what Agin had expected.
"Tch!" Agin growled, wiping the blood from his lips. His arm trembled with the weight of his spear, and the pain in his side from a well-placed strike gnawed at him. Despite everything, he wouldn't back down. Not now. Not when the battle was still in his grasp.
Eldren stood off to the side, watching his comrade struggle. He could sense Agin's fatigue—his determination, too. But the longer this fight dragged on, the clearer it became that Agin was outmatched.
"I should step in," Eldren muttered under his breath, his fingers itching for the axe at his side. But just as he made a step toward the fray, Agin's voice cut through the air.
"No," Agin grunted, his voice strained but firm. "This is my fight. I don't need your help."
Eldren paused, watching Agin with narrowed eyes. "You're about to lose. Let me finish it."
Agin's eyes, usually steady and composed, flashed with an intensity that could rival a storm. "I'm not done yet."
His grip tightened around his spear, and he squared off against his opponent once more. "I'm a master-class fighter. I don't lose."
Eldren's lips twitched into a brief smirk. He knew Agin's pride better than anyone. But this battle—this enemy—was something else entirely.
Yet Agin would not be swayed. "I won't fall here."
The battle raged on. Agin's movements were becoming slower, more strained. His strikes were less fluid, his defenses more porous. But still, he fought—his pride, his sense of honor, pushing him forward despite the damage.
But the moment came when the inevitable caught up with him.
His spear collided with his opponent's sword, the shockwave reverberating through his arm. He staggered back, breathless, blood trickling from a deep gash on his side. His enemy grinned, sensing the victory at hand.
"You're finished," the enemy said coldly.
Agin's head was spinning, the edges of his vision blurring. But still, his hand didn't drop his spear. Instead, he planted his feet into the ground, staring down the opponent through narrowed eyes.
And then, something inside Agin snapped.
His mana flared to life, an intense surge of power that warped the air around him. His form began to shift, his very essence distorting as his true nature revealed itself—his divine aura awakened, like the surge of a tempest breaking free from its confines.
The opponent took a step back, momentarily taken aback by the sudden change "What's this?"but Agin was far from finished. His aura pulsed with the force of a storm, his mana flooding the battlefield in waves. The power he'd kept contained, the form he had hidden, was now unleashed in its full glory.
"This is me!" Agin roared, his voice echoing like thunder.
The battle took a drastic turn. His opponent, though formidable, now found himself struggling to keep up with Agin's newfound strength. Blows were exchanged faster than the eye could follow, and the once-certain victory for the enemy began to fade.
For a time, it seemed as though Agin had regained the upper hand. His strikes were decisive, each swing of his sword infused with his unleashed mana, each step propelled by sheer force of will. But the fight was far from over.
The opponent, though thrown off balance, was not so easily defeated. With a roar, he retaliated, summoning all his remaining strength to deliver a final, crushing blow. The attack landed, and Agin staggered, blood pouring from new wounds.
Yet, Agin didn't fall. His pride, his will, and the burning desire to prove himself kept him standing.
Eldren, watching from the sidelines, stepped forward again. But this time, he hesitated. He could see the look in Agin's eyes—the same determination that had guided him through countless battles. To intervene now would be a slight against that pride.
"I'll leave this to you," Eldren murmured, his voice heavy with understanding.
The final moments of the battle arrived. Both warriors were battered, exhausted, and barely able to stand. They exchanged one last, final strike. The air seemed to tremble as the impact echoed across the battlefield.
When the dust settled, neither man had fallen—but neither had emerged victorious. They both stood, breathing heavily, bloodied and battered, each leaning on their respective weapons. Neither was willing to claim defeat, but neither could continue the fight.
A draw.
Agin's form flickered with the last remnants of his divine aura, and his opponent staggered back, realizing that even with all his strength, Agin had matched him blow for blow.
The battlefield fell silent as both warriors stood in the center, their bodies broken but their pride intact. Agin let out a slow breath, wiping the sweat and blood from his brow.
"...You've earned this draw," Agin said, his voice heavy but respectful. "I can't deny your strength."
The opponent, breathing heavily, nodded once. He recognized the truth in Agin's words.
Eldren approached, his gaze still focused on Agin. He offered a rare smile, acknowledging the victory of his friend's will, even if the battle had ended without a clear winner.
"Pride truly is a powerful thing," Eldren remarked, stepping beside him.
Agin gave a small, exhausted grin. "I told you I could win, didn't I?"
Eldren's eyes softened with understanding. "You did, Agin. You did."
The scene then shifts back, where Mira, has started to undo, the seal.