Raymed wakes up once more in the hospital room inside Psytelier base.
Kourin was sleeping with her head on the bed.
Guess I got defeated again.
She is too strong for me.
But then again...
Sun and Moon...
"Ah, Raymed, you are awake. Good Afternoon. It's 12 o'clock!" Suiko said with a smile, holding a tray of lunch. "You passed out again after fighting her grace. It was quite an effort this time, though." She puts it on a movable table.
"Suiko, teach me the basics of Alterity."
Suiko slowly looked at Raymed with a surprised face. "Now?"
Raymed's eyes were filled with energy, saying, "Now!"
"Well, since you are eager to learn." Suiko smiled.
"Meet me at the simulation room again, okay?"
Raymed then readied himself, putting on his combat clothes, tying his hair, before entering the simulation once more.
I will definitely become stronger.
***
It's the second day of training camp.
Raymed is once again fighting against Morgwyn.
He finished his morning routine at 8:00 AM and meditated inside the simulation room, waiting for her arrival.
Exactly at 9:00 AM, a transparent figure then slowly emerged from thin air. "Meditating before a fight? You have been waiting for me, huh?" Morgwynevere said as her figure began to colorize.
"Let's start, Hero Raymed," Morgwynevere said, taking out her black spear, followed by a burst of blue mana.
"BLASTURRR!!!!!!" He called, and in a flash of light, Blastur appeared in his hands, along with the white armour suddenly enveloping his body.
The room began its simulation.
The alterity had shaped it into a grassland.
Morgwyn's spear becomes pitch black with blue and gold linings.
Raymed looked at her weapon and remembered what it indicated.
Moon. Absolute Defense.
As copies of Morgwyn began appearing on the battlefield. Raymed took out a shard of Avalon and broke it before putting up his hand sign.
Red magical energy sparks around him with fiery red eyes.
"Alterity: Cosmopolis"
Then the entire room began to shake.
Then energy spread like a shockwave across the grassland.
ZZWUNGGG!
As light flashed and disappeared.
Morgwyn's clones suddenly dissipate into thin air, leaving only the real one, which is floating in the sky.
"At the time you extend your mana roots, you make it so that the fragments of that Pseudo Artifact are entered into each and every one of my clones. Upon triggering your Alterity Cosmopolis, the sword fragment inside my clones is attacked by the regenerated weapons. However."
Suddenly, from Raymed's backside, a spear was swung at him.
Reacting at just the right time, he whipped out, "PERFECT GUARD!"
"My clones aren't just for show. On top of making clones to distract, I can very well make clones to go on the offensive."
The clone Morgwyn, attacking from behind, suddenly raised her spear, taking on a luminous form.
Sun? How can she use both at once?
Then, the clone summoned hundreds of Identical spears and launched them repeatedly at Raymed.
"RAGING WALL!" Raymed chanted.
This is not good.
This is so not good.
Even if I manage to take control of the situation.
How can I defeat this person?
Raymed raised Blastur as he began to think of another way.
Morgwyn flew and touched Raymed's barrier before destroying it quite easily, her hand slowly closing into Raymed's body.
That's when Raymed smiled.
He put up another hand sign.
Aiming to cast another Alterity right after casting it.
The concept of Alterity is that you make mana roots and add a rule. This rule will define how strong your Alterity is and how much mana you need to use. Altering the world at a cost of mana requires superb control of mana.
But my Alterity is simple.
Like how Morgwyn forces me to feed on mana.
It works by force-distributing mana all around me in a non-harmful way.
Thus, it requires less control.
On top of that, the need for control, I bypass using my sheer mana reserves.
However, by shortening the distance of effect, I can enhance the potency of the mana distributed.
Raymed casted, "Alterity: Cosmopolis". This time, a flash of light only sparked from a small area enveloping only Raymed and the Morgwyn's Sun Clone. As it subsided, it revealed that the clone was kneeling, its body pierced with blades from the inside out.
The raging wall I made. It contained fragments of Avalon.
The moment the clone touched it, Avalon had already entered her body. My Alterity then feeds those Avalons inside her body and makes it grow omnidirectionally, destroying her from the inside.
But it is so hard to do that.
Blood came from Raymed's nose as he swept it away.
As Raymed looked up, he saw the real Morgwyn still flying, this time with 10 clones with luminous spears. 10 of those clones are in Sun Style. The real Morgwyn lifts her hand before putting it down.
The clones began summoning hundreds of spears, each launching them towards Raymed, who hadn't recovered.
Shit, I can't move my body.
I used too much mana....
Unlike Day 1, Morgwyn never once forced feed Raymed her mana. This resulted in him using too much mana by casting Alterity twice and Raging Wall.
So he can only tank the remaining attack.
The countless weapons crashed onto Raymed's body as he desperately endured the attacks. It was like throwing missiles onto a person who can do nothing but curl up and endure the attack.
When it was over, Morgwyn said, "Your lesson today is never to feel safe. Your optimistic views had led you to believe that the battle in front of you is the only thing happening." Before slowly fading into thin air as the Alterity machine is finally turned off.
***
In the afternoon, Raymed was lectured by Suiko about Morgwyn's style.
"In total, there are three styles. Sun Style, Moon Phase, and Sea Form."
"I don't understand how to differentiate them."
"One is Absolute Offense, One is Absolute Defense, One is Non-Absolute"
"What does Non-Absolute mean?"
"Maybe think of it as fluid style where she balances her attacks and defenses, and alters it swiftly. You can also see indicators on her spear. If it's luminous, it's Sun Style. If it's black with blue lining, it's Moon Phase. If it's black with blue and gold lining, it's Sea Form."
Raymed nodded and asked, "Sensei! Isn't it cheating to know your training opponent's hand?"
A chalk was thrown into Raymed's head. "Ouch."
"Why do you need to think about unnecessary things? Knowing intel is never cheating!"
"Alright, sensei!"
"Med, I made you tea and cookies." Kourin, sitting beside him in the classroom, presented a tray with tea and cookies.
"Thank you, Kourin!"
Suiko smiled at the two before saying, "Alright, next up!"
***
On the third day, Raymed fought Morgwynevere with a different tactic.
The time was 8:59 AM.
1 more minute and she will arrive.
Raymed called Blastur and began to swing at the place where Morgwyn usually spawned.
CLANG!
The simulation room slowly turned into the usual grassland.
"A surprise attack. Unlike you, but good try." Morgwyn appeared with her spear as she pushed Raymed away from him. Due to recoiling, Morgwyn put her hands up and force-fed Raymed some of her mana.
"GHH!" Upon realizing her intent, however, Raymed cast Alterity. "Alterity: Cosmopolis" was followed by a flash of light, blinding the grassland.
SLASH!
Blastur managed to graze Morgwyn's shoulder.
Seeing this, Raymed smiled before finding out.
That it was just a clone.
Morgwyn was up in the air with her black spear covered with blue and gold lining. Signifying her Sea Form. Above her, Sun Style clones of her began launching their spears at her without mercy.
As the rain of spears came down, Raymed invoked his own shield, "Raging Wall." The barrage of spears was tanked by this wall. But the sheer number of the spears had made a dusty smoke around Raymed.
"Mana channel. I see you are using mana channels from Blastur's armor to interact with the spears I launched at you." Morgwyn analyzed as she prepared herself by lifting her spear.
"Light was the source of everything... It creates, it guides, it destroys."
The mana channels from Raymed's body moved like veins around the Raging Wall, gathering light energy residue from Morgwyn's spears. Slowly but surely, they formed orbs. These orbs swiftly morphed as they gathered more magical residue inside the barrier of the Raging Wall.
Soon, the orbs exited the barrier, floating around him.
The orbs around Raymed finally morphed again into swords, greatswords, javelins, and many more types of weapons.
Looking at it, Morgwyn responded in kind as her clones began summoning their spears.
With his hand pointed forward towards Morgwyn, he said. "Light was the origin and will be the end. Countless Armament."
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Countless Armament clashed with Morgwyn's barrage of spears as explosions happened as if fireworks crashed onto each other.
->"WOAH!" From the sidelines, Recca said in awe.
->"Avalon can't seem to be on par with her grace's attack. But, simple weapons created from light are able to be on par?" Suiko said in confusion.
->"You are forgetting something, the light energy. It all came from Morgwyn herself. Raymed didn't expand one bit of his own energy onto that attack. It's essentially using her grace's attack against herself." Kourin said, analyzing the fight with a serious look.
Raymed suddenly flew amidst the chaotic fireworks as he slashed his blade at Morgwyn.
Of course, the queen nonchalantly blocked it.
But since Raymed trespassed into her personal space.
A thought came to her mind.
Why not give him what he wants?
She pushed Raymed away with her spear, turning the offense, and began charging with it.
SHUWSH
SHUWSH
CLANG!
The two clashed mid-air in a sword vs. spear fight.
As they focused on each other, Raymed made a slip, and Morgwyn decided to take the opportunity by grabbing him by the head.
"Game Over." Morgwyn force-fed her mana into him, which is enough to knock him out cold.
"GHAA!!!" Raymed screamed as overflowing mana began to flow inside him. But he gritted his teeth and clenched his right fist. Energy began charging around his body, and he showed no signs of becoming unconscious.
Morgwyn was confused but quickly understood. "I see, this time you never dismissed your Alterity. You are expelling your excess mana automatically by coursing it through your Mana Roots back to the environment."
With a powerful swing, Raymed threw a punch at Morgwyn's jaw.
BAM!
Only for it to be held by her.
Then Morgwyn released her grasp on Raymed's forehead as she pointed her spear once more, point-blank at his face. Swiftly, an energy wave charged and blasted Raymed's forehead, sending his body away from Morgwyn, crashing to the ground.
Raymed lay on the ground, his eyes white. The torso part of Raymed's armor was hit by the energy wave from Morgwyn's spear. Therefore, it was obliterated, revealing his bare torso.
Morgwyn dropped down from the sky as she examined him.
"Not enough." She said before turning away from him.
"Not yet." Raymed's voice sounded.
In an instant, Morgwyn turned to look at him.
He slowly rose from the ground, covered in scars and dirt. "That kind of attack..." His body was flailing back and forth. Raymed raised his fist and manifested Blastur once again. "I have taken worse."
His eyes were still blank and white, breathing abnormally.
"It's quite enough. You will never surpass me today. Just like yesterday."
"Who decided that?" Raymed said, stopping, holding hard onto his sword. Blood spilled from his nose. "Yesterday is Yesterday. Today is today. Tomorrow is Tomorrow. I will definitely get stronger and surpass you!" He pointed at Morgwyn.
The gesture of pointing still feels so informal.
Yet it was...
Nostalgic to Morgwyn.
No, perhaps it wasn't the gesture.
It was the 'willpower'.
It reminded him of a hero she had once known.
The King of Men, Gaelus.
She shook her head and denied. "You are all talk. Yet no proof. You are not like the previous heroes."
"I see... So you want proof. Here's my proof."
Suddenly, the mana in the environment fluctuates as the grassland begins to shake.
->"Argh! Suiko, what was that!" Recca said, panicking.
->"It can't be... all this time Alterity wasn't canceled. Raymed is still casting it, even half-conscious. He is cancelling it all right now, but all of those mana roots contained condensed magical energy. Raymed is drawing it all into his body as we speak!"
"You are right. I am not like my predecessors."
"BUT! I NEVER ONCE THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE LIKE THEM!
"BECAUSE I KNOW I AM ME!"
Raymed charged his magical energy as he lifted Blastur to the sky.
"All this mana, you didn't just throw them away to the environment, but you kept it inside the mana roots of your Alterity?" Morgwyn asked for an analysis of what is happening simultaneously.
Raymed made a T-pose with Blastur on his right hand. The red gem on Blastur glows, charging and imbuing Blastur with mana.
"I AM RAYMED THE HUMAN! AND THIS IS MY PROOF."
He slowly moved his arms over to his head. Grasping Blastur with both of his hands as it shines with light energy.
"MY HOPE, DETERMINATION, AND DREAMS!"
Then Raymed hangs Blastur overhead as a tail of light begins to form.
"BRIGHTEST STAR OF HOPE: PHOTON----RAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!"
From the red gem of Blastur, light energy charged as it shot out a beam. A beam of destruction made from light energy.
The destructive ray of magical energy began wreaking havoc as it made its way, targeting Morgwynevere. She stands tall, looking at the pinnacle of Raymed's power. Without anyone noticing, a smile formed at her lips. Before she puts up a finger sign.
"Still but a blue fruit. Not ripe enough. But, you've nailed the willpower part."
Morgwyn's eyes glowed blue as she said, "Alterity: Water Mirror."
***
"WAAA!!! Where am I?" Raymed was once again woken up in the Psytelier's hospital room.
"Hmm.. Why are you so loud, Med?" Kourin said, scratching her head. She had been woken by Raymed being noisy.
"Guess I lost again, huh?" Raymed said in confusion.
Kourin slowly moved as she hugged him. "Hey, you did enough today, okay? Let's have another nap."
"No way I need to-" He tried to speak. Before seeing Kourin's eyes and looking away for a split second. "Alright, let's take a nap for a few hours." Raymed then reluctantly agreed while Kourin smiled happily.