Rank 5 Tiberius

“Damn you Lobos!” Tiberius the gargoyle yelled as he had just lost his wings… again. “You Great Spirits and Gods need to learn their place.”

“You Demons all claim to be the author of this worlds story when you forget the timing of your origins.” Lobos then brought their hands together and energy speed hitting everyone in the open theater. Leo began to feel control come back to his body. Lupa also gained control and didn’t hesitate. She went forward to strike Tiberius. Not expecting, he didn’t move away in time and got clawed in the face. “That means you are not the authors of this story.”

“Damn it!” He then couldn’t ignore Lupa and began to fight her. However, since she switched to hand to hand combat, that meant he couldn’t access his system book.

Zen who had seen what Leo was trying to accomplish joined the fray and began to use her speed and quick strikes whenever Tiberius broke away. Again they had to stop him from looking at his skills.

Leo was about to join them when Lobos put their hand on his shoulder, “Is that what you should be doing now?”

“Lobos?” Leo turned, “yeah I got to help.”

“Focus Leo. What does this chapter require of you?”

Chapter? Required? What did that mean here. They needed to stop Tiberius. No… that’s the goal. What is Leo himself required to do now? “Think back.” He told himself. His history that needed to call on, but not focus too deeply. What is required of him to be helpful? Then it came to him. “My mana… I need to unlock my mana…” Not bothering to look at Lobos, who Leo assumed was grinning, he focused on the battle. Lupa and Zen were keeping him occupied while Sophia hid and Selena only providing support when it was safe. They needed time. He was low on MP so he couldn’t do many big spells. Wait! “System assist.” He whispered to not let Tiberius learn that the medium is a crutch.

[Rebecca’s Bind suggested]

[Warning! MP will be depleted on use!]

“That’s what I’m going for.” He then ran forward and called to the two. “Look out!” Zen nodded and Lupa followed. He was extremely glad they trusted him. “Tiberius!”

REBECCA’S BIND

Golden chains then shot down from the sky. One knocked into Tiberius allowing the others to wrap along him and chain him down. They seem to burn his flesh through the holy magic pulsing through it.

“Why you! You were a priest!?” Tiberius roared in confusion.

“Lupa! Please! Wake my mana core up!” Leo called barely keeping it together. Mentally he should be out, but the hellish training made him somewhat able to stand.

“Wait Leo…” She called looking a little shocked, “Now?”

“Yes!”

“Are you sure? Last time…”
“Please Lupa, you’re the only one who can do it!” Leo then dropped to the ground and turned his back to her. It had to be Lupa. Leo knew that right now.

Lupa gulped and rushed towards him. She then tenteivley placed her hand on his back and tried to send her mana into him.

It was hotter than last time. It burned more, but Leo still found himself back in the mind space of the chains and gates. He realized that he shouted her out last time. Something that he never apologized for already assuming she would hate him for it. But she didn’t, she treated him the same. She didn’t care about his mistakes, especially during training. Every step of the way she helped him and she never got mad. She had expectations sure, but when he didn’t meet them she never turned him away.

Was everyone like that? Or was that just how Lupa was? That didn’t matter to Leo right now. He walked to the gate where Lupa’s mana was banging on to be allowed in. “I might not be ready to undo all of my chains, but for you Lupa, I can let you in.” Because that was it. He respected her. Her strength, her drive, and her ambition. Everything he lacked, but she was still willing to treat him like a friend. And his friend needed help to save her village from a mess he started.

Erupting with power Leo stood up. He looked at himself and notice a change. It was like a fog had cleared in his head. He looked around and truly saw this world for the first time. Yeah reality hit him plenty of times, but that nagging feeling of him in a delusion never fully went away until now. That he really could do this.
“Leo… your mana is overflowing, you got to contain that!” Lupa said worryingly

He shook his head, “Not yet.” He turned to Tiberius, “We’ll worry about me later. We’ll use this to overwhelm him. You with me Lupa?”

Lupa’s face shifted back to her wild smile, “And they call me the Lunatic heheh.”

Then once again they both charged. It seems that it took a while for Leo’s mana to awaken as the chains started to break. Tiberius was now enraged as he forgot about his book and began to thrash at them.

ALIEISTER’S THRUST

Lupa had been right! The added use of Leo’s personal mana had effectively boosted the skill’s potency as his blade sunk into the Demon’s shoulder. They were his skills now, just given a name by his teachers.

ALIEISTER’S TRIPLE SLASH

His three hit combo was faster and more accurate. Less wasted movements and more direct hits. Lupa also continued her unarm barrage of slashes. Zen came in riding on Selena and managed to slice off the distracted Tiberius’ other wing.

[Party Strike Available]

“You lose Tiberius.” Leo said as he let the party strike take control. It seemed they system then fed the necessary information to the five of them. Sophia commanded Selena to go pick up Lula’s discarded greatsword. Leo held the line keeping Tiberius busy. Lupa then got her weapon delivered and quickly smashed Tiberius into the ground. Leo then used his leap skill to get in the air. Lupa then precisely tossed her greattsword to him which he caught. Tiberius was fast and got up to dodge out of the way, but was ambushed by a flurry of slashes as Zentella aimed for his joints. Now with his falling momentum, Leo cried out, “You’ll never be king!”

ALIEISTER’S WEAPON MASTERY

Then his body adjusting to the greatsword, delivered the final blow. Tiberius cried out in pain before he was turn to inky black mana. Leo knew it wasn’t a disappearing act as right where the Demon died the catalyst shard remained. Leo reached down for it and was soon greeted by it shooting straight into his chest.

[Purification in progress]

“Another… one… down.” Leo said as the fatigue hit him like a truck. He didn’t even realize that he was that tired, was it his lack of mana?

“Leo!”

“Hey stay with us!”

“Dad!”

“I’m not… that old.” Leo thought with his last shred of consciousness.