Chapter 105: Ego

Chapter 105: Ego

"Am I just seeing things, or is that some sort of barrier in front of us?"

The Golden Six, or rather, the Golden Four, stood in an empty hallway before one of the many exits to the coliseum, only for a thin layer blocking them.

-TAP TAP TAP

"Nope, I see it too. What do you think it is?" Cain added, tapping the barrier a few times with his forefinger.

"I can't feel any P.S. from it, so it's most likely an Artifact and a strong one at that," Lucy added, placing her hand in the barrier.

Just from a touch, they knew that even their joint effort wouldn't be enough to break the barrier.

Not that they wanted to do it. They didn't know what it was. They might get in trouble with the Hales if this was part of the event.

"I wonder what's going on. It's too quiet..."

Before Ava could finish her words, she was cut short as she paused.

The others seemed to notice her abrupt halt in words as if something forced the air lungs to stop.

"Ava, what's..."

Amara was the first to say something, turning her head as if she were a worried mother, only for her and the others to join in the sudden silence upon noticing the figure standing in the same hallway.

The figure was tall and thin. If it had white skin and a suit, Lucy would think it was one of those mythical creatures she read about.

And although its long arms and legs did support that theory, its dark and deformed skin as if it had been burned, and the absence of eyes or their sockets.

Perhaps the most normal thing about it was the peculiar cane it carried.

Instantly, the four students put off their guard, unconsciously falling into a sort of formation with Cain and Lucy taking the lead as Amara kept Ava behind her.

[Terror: Blind Boogeyman]

[Inherited Character: Fugitora]

[Verse: One Piece]

"Is that..."

"A Terror, yes."

Lucy finished Cain's sentence. He was not sure whether it was, seeing as he'd never seen one.

"You were right, Ava. Something wrong. What's a Terror doing in the Coliseum?" Amara commented, the others nodding in agreement.

First the barrier and now the Terror. It was too many coincidences happening at once.

"We should find..."

Before Cain could finish, they witnessed the Terror raise its cane and point it at them.

-ZRMM

A slight hum buzzed in the air.

-BANG

Simultaneously, all four students dropped to the ground with a BANG, a sudden pressure falling onto them as it felt as though their weight was multiplied by a thousand.

Cain, being the only person who could slightly resist the pressure, dropped to a single knee rather than his stomach like the others.

The four students let out strained groans as Amara was the only person who seemed to be putting in an effort to get up.

All the while, Ava's innocent demeanour disappeared, replaced by a poorly resisted grin that slowly crept up on her face.

"A-Ava..."

This sudden hoarse voice snapped Ava back to her right mind as she turned her eyes to see Amara trying her best to crawl toward her.

"Hang...on..."

Amara had long activated her Ren, but it was proving to be insufficient as she was only barely able to move.

Meanwhile, a vein bulged on the side of Cain's head as he finally made it to his feet, placing both the back of his hands on his forehead.

"M-Mase..."

-ZRMMM

-BOOM

However, before he could finish, the pressure over them suddenly increased tenfold, smashing them all deeper into the ground as they all lay in their own craters.

Amara tried her best to increase her Ren output to get not only Ava but all of them out of this situation. However, she was having trouble simply breathing, let alone moving.

Meanwhile, Ava didn't need to put on a fake pained expression as she, too, was starting to have trouble breathing.

But this did nothing but increase her already high heartbeat.

Cain had trained in gravity rooms but this was far beyond anything he could manage at the moment.

Though he didn't seem to be struggling as much as the others, even pushing himself a few centimetres off the ground, he ultimately failed.

However, his eyes caught movement beside him as he turned his head, only to notice Lucy...standing on both feet, seeming as though the pressure wasn't affecting her.

"Lucy Vanheart..."

A faint hum could be heard as Lucy summoned her sleek white sword into her hand, unsheathing it and raising it in the air.

Cain barely knew what to think.

All he could see was Lucy mumbling a few words, raising her sword leisurely as her eyes stared at the Terror like a catch glaring at a mouse.

And breathing out, Lucy brought down her sword.

-SHING

-BOOM

At first, a single cut traced across the roof and seemed as though it cut the entire coliseum in half, soon coming down as it bore down on the Terror, cutting through it as if it were butter.

After that, it was as if a meteor...no, the very air collapsed in on itself, destroying everything before the group as an explosion rang out, everything crumbling.

At least, that was what Cain understood from the scene.

He, Amara and Ava watched in awe as they hadn't even realised the pressure had returned to normal and everything would soon come down on them.

"Grab onto each other!"

Lucy yelled in an urgent tone, snapping the others out of their trance as they stood to their feet, watching Lucy grab Ava's hand and do the same despite their confusion.

Once again, Lucy mumbled, and as she did, the scenery changed.

-VUAM

-BOOM

A massive beam of void shot toward the figure, the beam pulling in everything around it and swallowing them.

Even the very ground saw itself disappearing without being able to put up a fight.

Despite this, the figure didn't move.

[You've unlocked the Perk "Complete Gravitational Control" Lvl. MAX]

[Gauge: 100% -> 50%]

The figure said no words, the contents on how to use his new Perk flooding into his mind.

By simply raising his arm, he spread out his fingers as the beam reached closer.

-VUAM

In an instant, the beam's course changed as the Figure's arm shot backwards as if he was experiencing recoil from a gun.

The beam instantly switched its angle as it shot up into the sky, travelling at rapid speeds.

-BOOM

Soon, a deafening BOOM rang out throughout the forest...no, throughout all of Ashton as the beam seemingly collapsed in on itself.

"Interesting..."

For once, the figure spoke while staring at his hand, his voice hoarse yet hushed, like a ghost whispering in your ear.

Looking back, he took one step forward.

-VUAM

-BANG

Another beam shot toward him. Only this time, he waved his arm and the beam completely snapped away, a small CLAP being heard as the beam seemed as though it was twisted out of existence.

Despite this, the voidman didn't stop. He rapidly swung his arms as countless beams shot toward the figure, the very landscape being changed, and the trees for miles were sucked in, creating a vast clearing where the battle ensued.

-SNAP

-SNAP

-SNAP

Yet not a single beam touched the figure as he continued to walk forward, waving his arm and each being twisting like the last.

One minute had passed.

[Gauge: 50% -> 49%]

It wasn't long until the figure made it toward the voidman.

The voidman had long since paused in its assault. Perhaps it had tired itself out, or perhaps it realised it was no match for its opponent.

Nevertheless, the former was immediately proven true as the voidman raised both hands in the air, a void appearing and rapidly growing in size.

-SNAP

However, with another snap, this time, the very coating of the void man disappeared as it revealed a naked bald man with his eyes rolled back into his skull, still standing in the same stance with his arms raised.

One of the figure's tails wrapped around the man as he brought it closer.

And for a second, he stared.

"Better..."

The figure, or rather Isaac, muttered in his ghostly voice as he continued to stare.

Something about this sight...pleased him.

The sight of someone who was thought to be an elite of both Aurelius and Onyx, pathetically defeated before him.

Though he felt this when beating the Juggernaut and winning against Katlynn, it was stronger now.

And unlike then, he had a better idea of what it was. What he was feeling.

"I am superior."

Xavier seemed to slowly be coming back to his senses as his eyes showed some colour, his pupils rolling to the figure before him.

Despite the mask, he knew who this was.

And the words Isaac spoke irked him to no end.

"I am stronger."

He didn't care.

Isaac didn't care that he'd alerted all of Ashton with his explosion.

He didn't care that he might be seen as the "villain" responsible for all this.

He didn't care that he had a mission to stay focused on.

Because for once...

For once, Isaac's dream of peace, his dream to be strong enough so that no one would bother him again, didn't seem so...unrealistic.

With every sentence, Isaac brought Xavier closer, squeezing tighter as he did, finally pausing for a second before his cold and ghostly voice spoke one more time.

"I am better."

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Next chapter title: Superiority

NNext chapter title: Come after me

NNNext chapter title: Unlikely Encounter

Alright, gimme dem powerstones. You seem to think you have a choice in the matter. I want it, now.

Sorry, I meant I want the...

POWERSTONESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

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