Rock Bottom

That throw–its none other than Gil!

And there’s Lala, bringing over more furniture to throw.

“KING!!! –Quite the reunion huh! Lala calls out to me. I’m amazed he can tell it's me with this sick armor on.

“We came to help out! We’ll beat the bad guy together!” Lala drags another table to Gil, who’s now waving over to me.

“Thanks guys, I could definitely use it! But make sure to keep away from it, I’m not sure what strength it still wields.”

The two give me a thumbs up; my body shakes as I return their gesture.

I’m happy they’re here to help, but still I feel like I can barely stand. With every ounce of strength still within me, I’ll fight further.

Using the shovel I exert everything I have to arise from my knelt position, stumbling to my feet. My balance is still wobbly, luckily the shovel grants me an extra leg of stability. Every step forward I feel sharp pains coursing through me. I’ve probably broken a bunch of bones getting hit by all those attacks. I’ve also never had to fight this hard before.

But now I’m not fighting alone, I have Gil’s strength, and Lala’s… well he’s not the strongest but he’s got the moral support. Those two together can handle any normal adversary. Of course though this isn’t a normal battle.

The shadow of Almza arises, stumbling its way out of the rocky bed. It’s severely weakened, I know it. Its body is crumbling before our eyes. I just need to make one more critical hit, and end this fight once and for all.

One.

Last.

Attack.

I force my body into a sprint, a last dash to end it all.

Jumping over to the lumbering wither ready to smite it down.

“[THUNDER SURGE]!”

KRAK–

The shovel launches from my throwing arm as it crashes downward at the monster. However to my surprise the withering magician dodges out of the way.

My body falls back to the ground upon missing my attack, my hands digging into the dirt trying desperately to climb to my feet again.

I hear the slow footsteps of the monster approaching.

And then the clattering of more metal objects landing beside me.

But those footsteps continue closer, uninterrupted.

I feel a chill down my spine as its hand of decay reaches down to me.

I’m done for…

BONK–

POW–

As my body rolls over to view the victor of the battle–Lala and Gil charge forth wielding metal chairs and bashing the withering monster, sending it backward.

Laying there, body in defeat, I look to my saviors.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay back!”

In a mocking tone, “Didn’t I tell you to stay back–looks like you should be the one taking a break unc. Me and Gil will handle it from here!”

The monstrosity builds back to its feet, its darkness converging on a new object.

Oh no! That’s his grimoire?!

I had forgotten all about it–it might use it to turn back time on its body. Completely reversing everything that I’ve fought for.

But wait he needs time to cast that, but at his skill level I doubt time is much of a problem.

But it isn’t him, it's an undead withering monstrosity!

“Guys! Don’t let it use that grimoire! Get it out of its hand pronto!”

“RIGHT!” They shout responding in unison.

BONK–

The chorus of metal chairs hitting the barely formed monster echoes across the walls of the pit’s deepest floor. All while I attempt to pull myself up.

I can’t lay here and be useless, I need to stand up and fight!

BONK–

Although they seem to be managing quite well on their own. Without even using magic. Perhaps I’ve grown too reliant on the powers of this world. But that’s not really such a bad thing, it’ll be the norm when we’re finally free from this battle.

BONK–

Off to the side I watch the shadow get knocked around like a ragdoll. This fight’ll be over once I pierce it with the shovel.

“Get him up. Let him get up, let him get up, let him get up.” Lala taunts.

The magician pulls itself up again.

BONK–

“Stupid monster!” Gil slams the metal chair down on it.

BONK–

BONK–

BONK–

BONK–

BONK–

BONK–

“Fight back monster–fight back!”

The monster clatters to the ground–its grimoire being ripped from its grasp and thrown in my direction.

The shadow of Almza lays there, twitching. I can’t believe it can still move.

I also didn’t think Gil and Lala would throw down so hard. I guess some time away in this deadly world brought them through a gauntlet of tough battles. I wish I got to see this change in person.

But alas here we all are today.

It is time I end this.

Pulling myself up one last time, I hobble over to the shovel, picking up the temporal grimoire along the way. This path I take, it’ll be the last time I let things turn out so close and down to the wire.

Shovel and magic book in hand I approach the prone demon.

“Almza, are you still shaking in that mess? For one I never in a million years would have expected to defeat you nor did I expect anyone could. And yet you’ve lost twice. The withering consumed you, and now I’m here to finish the job.”

The monster stares me down, as if listening to its eulogy.

Does it understand what’s going to happen to it? Does it know what it's done to people like me? Does it know it's a threat to everything and my search for a peaceful life?

“You don’t really know what I’m saying, do you?”

It stares unmoving.

“Goodbye Almza, let your next life be full of light…”

With my two hands gripping the rod of the shovel, I thrust downward into the monster.

“[VOLTAIC ARC]!”

FZZZZ–

Using the electricity armor as the magical catalyst, I feel the last amount of energy vanish from my body.

And with the flashy finisher, the shadow of Almza is finally no more. Its body slowly crumbling now, withering away to completion. Its broken crown of flowers drifting away, like a memory on the wind.

Lala and Gil come to my aid, sitting me down.

“Thanks for the save… Also give me a moment guys, I have to try something before its body completely disappears…”

The boys step back as I open up the withering grimoire, already partially crumbling away.

I need to turn back time on my body, just as Almza did to me before.

Focus–I need to focus… I must imagine it, turning back time, reversing the damage done.

…

I can feel bits of the book coming undone, the pages feel as if they could disintegrate at the slightest touch.

But I’ve cast magic with a staff before, it can’t be much different from a grimoire.

I must do as I did before, channel my Soul through the book.

Visualize the time turning back.

Granting me a future without a broken body.

…

…

…

Holding my hand above the turning pages of the crumbling tome, I summon all the magic leftover within me.

“I CAST [REWRITE]!”

A sudden power cloaks my entire body and in that instant my wounds, bones, and magical supply have been rewritten to have never have been damaged or used up.

All I had to do was visualize how I thought Almza’s time control magic worked. I chose to believe that it was like revising a story, changing the words of history. Finalizing my spell on the name Rewrite, as I rewrote my battle against him. Saying it was a total victory and evolution of strength on my side.

“Well, that should do it.” I look up towards Lala and Gil who now look upon me with tears of joy.

Finally we’re together again.

…

The wither’s body has nearly fully disintegrated now. It’s taken longer than I thought it would. Maybe it's holding on, to whatever life it still holds.

Or maybe it still needs one more even fatal-er blow.

Standing up I hover over the fading monster. Shovel already pinned in its dissolving body, I lift it again. And prepare the true final descent–

“NO STOP! DON’T HURT HIM!”

END CHAPTER 21