Transcendence?

***Sphere of Sous***

***Ascathon***

How exactly did I end up in this situation? Ah, yeah that's right, Lidith registered me to this stupid tournament. Though I am not interested in such events at all. But Celestial said that she would forgive me if I beat that douchebag.

I had to sleep on the floor for the entire night. And guess what, the nightmares returned. I didn't have nightmares for years. After such a long time I forgot how horrible they are.

Well, it's lucky that the douchebag who tried to touch my wife is really my first opponent. They didn't lie when they said that they checked the fighting order.

So no more nightmares today! Ah, I wished they would summon my opponent faster. What takes them so long?

I am standing down here in the arena for several minutes now. The ranks of gods above me are cheering loudly. No wonder that Lidith insisted on renting a lounge. At the walls of the arena are small pedestals for the judges. There are at least fifty of them. Seems like creating a small fake world takes a lot of concentration and effort.

Ah, finally! A small magic circle appeared in front of me. The magic circle grows larger and finally the white haired guy appears.

He is clad in a black plate armour. Just the helmet is missing. In his right hand is a spear, a little larger than him. It has a plain dagger-like point and looks like it's mainly intended for thrusting. Does he really intend to attack me with that thing?

White-hair grins and points his spear at me. “You'll regret that you showed up!”

I frown, but I don't answer him. What point is there in talking? We'll have enough time to talk once I have his soul.

“And finally! Please excuse the technical difficulties. But now we'll proceed with the next match!”

A voice booms through the stadium. So they even have a commentator? The lounge blocked his voice completely. It would have been interesting to know what others had to say about the matches.

“In the left corner we have Nidhog the Devourer! Many of you know him. A veteran who has done a good job during the previous tournaments! He and his party have the potential to reach the finals! He prefers to rely on his battle aura. But he has some real bad-ass magic spells added to his abilities! So don't underestimate him! A real magical knight!”

Great! Thank you Lidith! So I have to fight against someone who isn't exactly weak right off the bat!

“And to the right we have Ascathon the Bright One! Wow, that's a really shiny title he got from his divine assessment! Let's see if he can live up to it. He also joined the ranks of gods just recently with two others! Imagine that! We have all three newcomers in this event! And they are on the same team! It'll be funny if they manage to reach the finals. Lidith the Red is on their team! But I miss the point. According to Ascathon he is heavily relying on magic, while specializing in soul magic! That's a rare one ladies and gentleman! Let's see if he can hold his own against Nidhog...”

This voice is annoying. Shut up and start the match. And when did I tell them what I can do? It was Lidith for sure!

“... So I won't babble any further. Get ready participants! And remember! Anything goes! The match starts as soon as you appear on the battlefield!”

A huge magical barrier encases me and Nidhog. Then the world around us turns white and silent. I release my battle aura and cast a barrier spell to be on the safe side.

Nidhog is just standing there with his spear on his shoulder and a smug grin on his face. “You really sure you want to do this?”

I reply with a smile of my own. This guys is very talkative. I wonder if he is still willing to talk when I am done with him.

*OK. Warden? Are you ready? I'll leave it to you to assist me in casting spells. It was lucky that Celestial gave you back.*

-We came to an agreement. I am ready.-

*You still won't tell me about this agreement? Your personality seems different since she confiscated you. You sound less emotional.*

-...-

*And you don't talk much since then...*

Well. I have no time to investigate it right now. Maybe later.

The barrier shatters and I find myself on a beach. An ocean is to my left and a forest to my right. In the distance behind Nidhog are snow covered mountains.

But all that is noted down as unimportant as Nidhog points his spear in my direction. The tip of the spear starts glowing and a thin blue ray of searing energy shoots out at me, missing me at first. Then Nidhog takes better aim.

My barrier flickers as the ray of blue mana wanders over it. But that's enough to tune my barrier to the mana's wavelength. A small adjustment in my barrier is enough to bend the ray of energy around me and send it back to Nidhog.

Nidhog sidesteps my counter attack without effort and stops his spell. The he charges at me at high speed. I react instinctively and reach for a pathway to teleport upwards, high above the beach. From my new position I sense Nidhog at my former location.

A burning trail of fire marks the path of Nidhog's spell before I took control over it. It reaches to the horizon and for a second I marvel what would happen if I poured all my power into my most destructive spells.

“Do you really think that you have time to enjoy the view?”

I hear Nidhog's voice behind me and twitch around to slap his spear out of it's path to my heart. Increasing my physical abilities with a short outburst of mana helps in doing so.

Nidhog is pushed away while we fall down to the ground. “You are more experienced at fighting in close combat than I thought.”

I smirk at him. “I have a training partner who is faster and stronger than you. You should probably start to take this fight seriously. It'll be boring otherwise.”

He frowns. “What makes you think that I'm not taking it seriously?”

I bare my teeth at him. “Then I take it that you are simply an idiot for announcing an attack from behind.”

His face distorts in anger and he whirls his spear in my direction. I am pushed away by the created shockwave and tumble to the ground.

But my barrier is still holding. While I fall I mumble the words for my preferred spell when I seek mass destruction. I feel Warden assisting me in silence, weaving a hex curse of the fifth order into my spell.

A small orb of red mana gathers between my hands and starts to pulse. A short distance above the ground, I stop myself with a levitation spell and look upwards at Nidhog who was following me.

His face is still a mask of fury while I spread my hands, smiling to welcome him. A second before his spear tears through me I use another pathway. This time I travel far away. To the snowy mountain's peak I saw at the horizon.

As I turn to the beach, a red flower starts to bloom at my previous position. Consuming the beach, it continues to grow, evaporating the ocean and turning the forest to ash. Changing the landscape completely. A tsunami rises from the water and a visible shockwave travels outwards. Seconds later it arrives at my position and I hear the growl of an apocalytic event while the red flower still grows, consuming everything in its path.

I chuckle. “It's really different if you don't have to give a shit about your environment.”

Nidhog appears in front of me and sets his feet onto the snowy peak of the mountain I am standing on. “You like running.” He sneers. One of his arms is charred and smoke rises from it. But it doesn't seem like he is hindered by it in any way.

Then he moves, much faster this time. My barrier shatters as his spear impacts and tears right through it. The spear is stopped long enough to move my leg out of the way to avoid it getting impaled.

Instead of retreating I step forward and grab his spear, pulling myself closer in while summoning my sword from my extra dimensional storage space. The weapon slashes down, but Nidhog twists the metal shaft of his spear to divert my blow.

Sparks fly left and right as our weapons connect and I feel the shock of the weapon contact numbing my arm. Another shockwave clears the peak of the mountain from snow and loose rocks.

Nidhog retreats with a single large jump while eyeing my weapon with confusion. His eyes twitch to the large scratch in the metallic shaft of his spear. “This weapon was made by a master weapon smith and enchanter.”

Again I reach for the extra-dimensional storage space and summon my new armour directly onto my body. “Then I congratulate him on creating something which can trade a few blows with my creation.”

I kept it in the colours of black and gold. It's not a full plate version, but a lighter one. What's important are the enchantments after all. With our powers a weapon wouldn't last a single blow, be it steel or something else.

This time I charge Nidhog and start trading blows with him while the mountain is torn to pieces under our feet. I find out the hard way that it's quite annoying to have the ground under your feet coming apart as you fight.

Nidhog has without a doubt the superior skill with his weapon. He is still pushed into a corner because he is trying to avoid full contact with my weapon. Each of my blows cuts sizeable chinks into his weapon and his expression grows more concerned with each exchange.

But a single short opening is enough for him. He closes my line of attack with his spear and his foot connects perfectly with my chest. The air is pressed out of my lungs while I am flung away. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth.

Ah... what am I trying to prove by fighting him on his terms. I am no close combat fighter.

I impact the ground far away from the mountain and scramble to my feet, concentrating at Warden and the ones whom I stored within it. I construct my next spell, creating a huge magical circle under my feet.

My sword is still a valuable asset. So I stab it into the ground in front of me and let go, kneeling down in front of it.

“You had me worried. But in the end a weapon is only as good as its wielder.” Nidhog followed me, this time sure of his victory.

My pose probably looks like I am about to give up. “I just thought that if the weapon is useless on me, then I might give it to someone who is proficient at it!”

Finally a worthy soul answers my call and I pour my mana into the spell. A figure, formed from shadows, rises from the magic circle under my feet and grabs the sword. It weighs the blade in its hand and nods.

Nidhog charges at me, but the shadow steps in and blocks his path. Sword and spear connect, but the shadow isn't forced back. Fed by my own mana, it has more than enough power to trade blows with Nidhog.

The difference is that the soul who is controlling the shadow is a top grade assassin and a sword master.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

A laugh escapes my lips as other souls answer my call and more shadows start to rise while I feel my mana being drained away.

“I'll add you to my collection!”

“Hear me!”

“Whoever kills him.”

“I'll set that one free!”

The army of shadows starts to move as one while some of them howl in anticipation and hope for freedom. Some attack by using magic, some use weapons which were created from shadows. Everyone is using the skills at which they were proficient in life. Whenever Nidhog gets cut or stabbed he heals himself immediately.

Nidhog is still pushed back as the shadows swarm him, eager for the kill and with a mind of their own. Slowly some attacks are getting through because a few shadows fight without care for their own existence. The wounds start to add up and Nidhog's healing magic can't keep up with the damage.

“Damn you! Bastard! Fight fair!” Nidhog screams and a sphere of light erupts from him, dispelling the shadows all at once. But I feel that his mana reserves reached their limit. The hex curse finally did its job of sealing his access to mana.

With his last reserves of power he charges at me with his spear, the tip glowing with another magic spell. My own mana reserves are dwindling too. But it was necessary to weaken him. Otherwise I wouldn't have the chance to get his soul!

He stabs at me, but I do the unthinkable and jump right into his spear while activating healing magic to keep myself going. The weapon impales me while I grab his head with both hands.

My thumbs dig into his eye-sockets as he screams. I reach out and rip and pull while using my raw emotions as a leverage.

Something snaps.

Probably his spine.

Suddenly the world around us comes apart and we both fall into nothingness.

***

I am back in the arena? Blinking, I look around. Everything is back to normal. Nidhog is standing in front of me? How strange. Didn't I just gauge out his eyeballs?

“Whoohoo! What a gruesome fight! Too bad that it looks like it became a tie. An impaled heart on one side and a snapped spinal cord on the other! Though I think that the spells shown by Ascathon should give him a lead in points. It's up to the judges to...”

*THUMP*

“What happened? Nidhog fell forward like a sack of potatoes! Did some of the damage transfer over to his reality? He's lying on his belly and doesn't move. Let's see what the judge who is checking on him has to say.”

“WAIT A MOMENT! What's that between Ascathon's hands? That orange sphere... that looks like a soul sphere! Did Ascathon pull out Nidhog's soul during the final moments of the fight!? If that's true then the win should definitely go to him! The judge is taking him to task now!”

“He shakes his head! Looks like he doesn't want to give the soul back! Wha! He pushed the judge away! Now he is running while the other judges close in on him! Whoa! That guy can be fast if he wants to! Dodging to the left! Wow! He teleported a short distance! I thought we had an inhibition field against that! To the right! He tackled a judge! Ow, that looks painful! He is lucky that there are no rules against attacking judges! But then again, I don't remember when one of the participants had his soul stolen!”

“He is almost at the exit! NOOOO! One of the judges is clinging to his foot! Now another one is on him! He went down! Three! Five judges on top of him! Damn! The judges are piling up! Too bad. Looks like he'll have to give the soul back. The judges have a reputation to maintain after all. If someone died during the tournament, it would fall back on them. At least that was something new. I hope we'll see more good fights from these newcomers...”

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