Chapter 591 Refuse to Break

Chapter 591 Refuse to Break　　Sier did not seek the guardian's help or the legacy because he knew how it deteriorated his soul and left him vulnerable. His ailment was a parasite seeking to poison his mind with thoughts whenever Sier lets his guard down.

However, perhaps ironically, the process was slowed down by the insight ability given to him by his bloodline and the guardian. Nevertheless, Sier was able to see the true essence of his legacy, and this was enough for him to seek a method to reclaim his body. Who would be a better candidate for that goal other than the enemy of the Seer Guardian, the outsider himself?

His alliance with Arthur made things more difficult for him, and the fear he felt from the Seer Guardian was the greatest progress he had had in years. This made the ancient god all more focused on claiming his body.

Therefore, when Sier reached out toward the void and tried to steal a hint of power to fight Grandmaster Casca, he was caught. A pair of violet eyes stared at him from within the void, and Sier found himself between reality and nothingness.

"We meet again, Sier," a voice as penetrating as air boomed in his mind while Sier stared at the pair of violet eyes. "It has been a long time since you asked for power."

"That is what the legacy is for, right?" said Sier with a forceful smile. "This is one of the few times that you have awakened. What is the reason for that?"

"The merge was completed a few days ago," said the Seer Guardian. "All of the dormant gods will be awakened by their desire to survive."

"Their desire to survive what?"

"You know the answer, Sier," teased the Seer. "You chose to help the man who seeks our deaths, did you not?"

"Arthur would never do such a thing," said Sier with a frown. "Is this the reason that you brought me here? You want to know his current identity and communicate it to the other vessels?"

"Indeed," admitted the guardian. "I am here to talk sense into you. I know what sleeps in your heart and what doubts you have about the outsider. Everything you have done was wiped clean, and the friendship you once had was erased. Does it not anger you?"

"It makes me less angry to see you trying to trick me," smiled Sier as he raised his hand. "Then? What do you want to whisper in my ears this time?"

"Kill him."

"That is not happening. I will never do what you ask of me, even if that means losing the legacy."

"You know that we are cursed to be together, Sier. The guardians cannot incarnate into those without divine blood. Furthermore, I chose you for a reason."

"What a conceited name!" laughed Sier. "You are a bunch of ancient beings who think of themselves as gods but who cannot even affect the world without vessels and petty tricks. Pathetic, how pathetic!"

The Seer Guardian stared at him with a reply before the violet eyes shone brighter in the darkness of the void. Sier could sense the guardian's anger over his words, proving how pathetic this ancient being was.

"Tell me, how does it feel to live in the shadows for eternity? Are you comfortable in the comfy little prison you've been thrown into?"

"The outsider will seek your head when the time arrives," said the Seer Guardian in a warning. "We are the only two people in this world who will fend for each other. I am you, Sier, and you are me."

"Even if he seeks to kill me, I would choose death over becoming a puppet. I refuse to break."

"This is why I chose you," said the Seer Guardian as the violet eyes began to close. "I will allow you to borrow some of my strength for now. Do not die, Sier."

Sier could feel an unknown restriction lifted off his body as the eyes faded, and a new land emerged before him. This was the feeling of reaching out to grab the powers of the Seer Guardian.

Despite the brave front that he showed, Sier needed the guardian's powers to defeat Casca. The guardian was too weakened to take over his soul, allowing Sier to persist for long. However, as he reached to snatch the fragment of divinity, something clenched his soul.

"Did you believe that things will be the same, or did you fool yourself?" said the voice of the Seer Guardian as Sier could feel his consciousness fade. "Let me take part in this show, again."

***

Julia stared at Grandmaster Casca, and her heart was full of hope that he would stop Mistletoe from robbing the ruins. However, as she watched their leader take slow steps toward the grandmaster, she knew something had changed.

Mistletoe's members were all power awakeners, and their unique abilities made them untouchable to the nations who tried to apprehend them many times. However, most of that achievement belonged to their leader, whose ability was a mystery but could never be caught.

A codename for their leader was Scire, the one who knows. It was coined after the last incident years ago when Mistletoe stole an artifact from underneath every nation's nose. The incident brought the group to the spotlight and made the man who led them be feared for his cunningness.

However, that was as far as it went. In every incident Mistletoe appears, their leader would act as nothing but a figurehead. His volunteering to fight Grandmaster Casca made Julia confused until the change arrived.

"There is something wrong," said the Phoenix carrying Julia. "Boss is not himself."

"We will follow orders regardless," said the Crow before pointing at one of the paths. "Let's leave before the fight begins."

A groan escaped Scire's mouth as they were indeed about to leave. His followers halted in place as the ill presence Julia felt earlier got stronger. An unprecedented amount of energy surrounded their leader as he arched his back while his body shook.

"Are you alright, boss?" asked the Serpent, but Scire had no answer. "There is a change of plans. We are leaving this place."

His judgment was swift, and Julia had to admit that he was insightful enough to know that this was going wrong for them. However, as he was about to rush to Scire, an influx of energy exploded from the man.

The destructive energy pushed everyone back, tearing apart the hall's floor and walls. Then, like a hurricane with Scire in the center, the energy swirled to lacerate the hall as if it was sand.

Phoenix waved her hand, and the four of them began to levitate and fly away from the energy into one of the paths. As they fell to the ground, the energy struck the entrance and almost destroyed it.

"Ah, finally," a voice escaped Scire's mouth as the energy began to disappear. "I have returned, world. Let me take part in this game."

Julia stared at the man while barely supporting her body. His aura shifted from the earlier calm into a monstrous one that tried to devour the world. His energy penetrated, making her feel stripped naked in front of it.

"...who are you?" asked Grandmaster Casca as he felt the change. The area around him was clear of destruction, as it seemed his ability protected him. "You are not the same person as earlier, it seems."

"I am the one who knows everything," said Scire with a laugh. "And you are the one who will die in a few minutes."

"That is a bold statement, and I would like to see you try to accomplish that," said Grandmaster Casca as he took out a short wand from his storage artifact. "Let me show you what my Reverse can do."

The battle began without a warning as Scire raised his hand, making spears of violet energy appear out of thin air. The spear launched themselves toward Grandmaster Casca, who waved his wand, and the spears disintegrated.

Then, with a mighty stomp, Grandmaster Casca rushed toward Scire. His wand made a circle before pushing forward, reversing everything in its path into its original form.

Scire did not move until the last second when he raised a finger and pushed it into the grandmaster's shoulder. The attack was harmless, but the wand fell to the ground for some reason.

The move was elegant and clean, and the path it followed allowed Scire to escape the attack of the wand. Furthermore, Grandmaster Casca's arm fell to the side helplessly as it stopped moving.

Grandmaster Casca tried to attack with his other arm, but Scire dodged a few seconds early as if he read him. Then, Scire pushed another finger into Casca's chest, paralyzing him fully.

Grandmaster

"You... can see my mana paths?" the grandmaster coughed, and blood spilled from his mouth. "How is that... possible..."

"I was never the strongest," said Scire as a spear appeared in his hand, "but I never lost against anyone."