Catastrophe 1

The staff hovered in the air—And then vanished.

William could only look around in confusion, eyes darting in every direction.But no matter where he looked, the staff was nowhere to be seen.

Dion, already aware of what was coming, instantly shifted into a defensive stance.He was ready to block the attack.

But the staff was far too fast.

Even with his years of experience, his reflexes couldn’t match the speed.A split second later—Boom!

Dion was hurled backward.A bitter taste filled his mouth.He wiped it, then stared at his trembling, blood-stained palm.

His own blood.Proof of how real this battle was.

He tried to stand, but his entire body trembled violently.Age had dulled his strength.

He bitterly thought—If only I had just killed William right away… none of this would’ve happened.

And the staff—knew what he was thinking.

“Go on, use me,” it whispered seductively.“This is your chance… before I’m sealed again.”

Dion’s negative emotions responded.

Suddenly, everything went dark.

“Delicious... such rich negative energy,” the staff's voice echoed from every corner of his mind.

Dion tried to fight back.He struggled—Until finally, his vision returned.

“Still resisting?” the staff mocked.“You can't win.”

Then everything disappeared again.Not just sight.But sound, touch, smell—Even pain.

All gone.

The staff had taken over Dion’s body.

Meanwhile, the others who had fainted in the chaos had begun to wake.They looked around—only to see their temple master possessed by an artifact of darkness.

His aging body… had been reversed.Time rewound his form back to a youthful prime.

They called out his name—“Dion! Dion!”

But no response came from him.Only the voice of the staff, now in control of his body.

“How pointless,” it sneered.“He belongs to me now. So this is what it feels like to control a Shadow Exister... delightful.”

“Dion! Snap out of it!” William yelled.

“Ugh, shut up already,” the staff scoffed.“Say… you're a Shadow Exister too, aren’t you?”

Dion's body vanished.

William's eyes widened.He knew he was in danger.

He braced himself—Took a defensive stance.

But the attack came too fast.

Far too fast.

He was struck hard, sent flying across the field.No blood, but the pain—intense.

Still, he endured.

Forced his body to rise.

“Use magic!”A voice echoed in his left ear.

He looked toward the voice—Dadang stood there, barely holding himself up.Not from fear, but pure willpower.

“I don’t want to cause another disaster!” William shouted.

“If the spell you use has never been created,” Dadang yelled, “then even if it’s random, there’s a high chance the result will match your intent!”

William hesitated.He didn’t want to trigger another catastrophe.

But he had no other choice.

If not him, then who?

So he raised his hand.

A blue magic circle appeared.One large triangle and one smaller one inside it, facing opposite directions.

Unknowingly, William had just created a branched spell circle—A type of advanced magic that contained two incantations in one circle.Each produced a different effect, depending on the words used.

He didn’t know how magic worked here.He simply used language as the incantation key.

“Hyperfade knowledge of motion,” he whispered.

Without knowing it—he had activated the first key.

Suddenly, his vision changed.He could see Dion’s every move—Each one displayed like 3D animation keyframes.

Not just one keyframe—But all possible futures.And each one appeared like an animation frame in his mind.

“There are... too many attack paths,” he muttered.

Then—One by one, all the frames disappeared—Until only one remained.

“I see,” William nodded.

From the lone keyframe, he knew where the staff would strike—Straight through the heart.

But knowing wasn't enough.

He needed speed to react.And he didn’t have it.

So he dismissed the magic circle—Unaware he still had one incantation left unused in the branch.

He replaced it with a new circle.

A downward-facing triangle with a crescent moon inside it.

“Hyperexpand of dimensional distance!” he shouted.

The moment Dion (controlled by the staff) charged at him—It looked like the strike would land.

But instead—

It missed.

As if something had distorted the space between them.

The staff realized it couldn’t hit William.

Dion’s body leapt backward.

“Not bad,” he grinned.“So why not attack me now?”

William could’ve.

But he knew—

It wouldn’t work.

Any offensive move would create an opening.So he chose defense.

“Tch. How annoying,” the staff grumbled.

The truth was—it had been afraid since William cast the first spell.It recognized the potential of branched spell circles.

It felt relieved when William changed it to a basic one.

“I’ll be honest,” William said, panting.“I can’t beat you… but I’ll survive.”

“Truth is, I can’t really hurt you either,” the staff admitted.“But they could be your weakness, right?”

Dion’s eyes glanced toward the villagers from Lindru Temple.

William understood the threat.

He raised his hand—

A massive blue magic circle formed, with the head of a tiger in its center.

But William didn’t know—

Casting magic required Manna.

And he thought he could just keep casting endlessly.

“Stop!” Dadang shouted from afar.“Whoever you are—STOP!”

“If I don’t, they’ll die!” William shouted back.

“To cast magic, you need Manna!” Dadang yelled.“To get it—you must copy someone’s chant and adjust it to your own spell circle!”

Only then did William grasp it.

Magic here was like crypto—a dangerous system of custom spellcraft.

But he had no time.

If he didn’t act—people would die.

“What if I force it?” William shouted.

“Then your existence will vanish!” Dadang warned.“I heard it from Dion before—your being will be erased across the entire multiverse!”

Still—

William prepared to cast the spell.

He knew the risk.

But he wasn’t selfish.

He wasn’t someone who would protect himselfAnd abandon others.

“I’m sorry…” he whispered.“I can’t do that.”

The circle formed.

But then—A voice rang out in his ears:

“Roro Pati anjer sukma!”

Water materialized beneath Dion’s feet.

“Sang peningon Doko Wira asmoko!”

A massive sword fell from the sky,Striking Dion’s position with crushing force.

He was thrown back—Though no one knew exactly how.

Then—Three figures appeared before William.

Two in silver armor.One wearing a crown.

And the crowned one—

Looked just like William.

“Keep him busy, Arjuna Wisangga,” said the crowned man.“Arga Bimajati, protect the others. I’ll prepare the sealing spell.”

“Yes, Lord Sudirja Aryapanggulu!” the two warriors replied.