If there's one thing that's been made painfully clear so far, it's that I simply cannot afford to leave him alone. I even had to put up with being all wet for the time being, which I'm sure most people can comfortably agree on as being a pretty disgusting feeling.
Regardless, before he even hit the ground I dashed downwards myself, and thankfully it seemed to have been too fast for him to react. One punch in his stomach, sending him into the ground even harder than he would've gone either way, but that was the end of my luck.
You have to be kidding me…?!
Even though he had just hit the ground, before I could even move a muscle from my position, I was hit with a bunch of rocks that came from my right. The only thing I could perceive was his hand movement that actually guided them towards me, before being sent flying.
This guys, just how many tricks does he have up his sleeve? Earlier that thing that made me lose orientation, it was a spell, wasn't it? Either Maia was spitting straight bullshit earlier when she said they were impractical during high paced combat, or this guy…
But that much was clear either way, wasn't it? I don't even know when he activated it, honestly. I managed to somehow straighten myself on the ground while sticking a mana blade in it, but it did take a few seconds before my momentum stopped, so my knee ended up slightly bruised.
He was already coming for me too, so I had almost no time to think at that moment, which meant…
Random bullshit, go!
I began making small mana blasts all around me that went straight for him, while I began running away. Whatever bought me at least enough time to think was more than welcomed.
I still have no idea what his ability is. No, it could be using spells efficiently? But that doesn't really scream global level threat ability…
And Maia has called him a magic prodigy before, outdoing even The Commander so clearly he can use that as well, but he still hasn't.
Is there a reason? Why has he only used a single spell so far? Does he need specific conditions to use magic? Then it wouldn't be magic, it would still be another spell…
Hmm, shit, I can't think of anything! He hasn't even used another spell yet…
He was still chasing me, either dodging or blocking my mini blasts with lighting balls. Was that even possible? Well, I guess so, since to be fair I wasn't even making them too dense either. But regardless, I was running out of time.
Coincidentally, the direction I was running towards happened to have a forest ahead in about 50 meters or so, however, which seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I have to go in there and think of something.
At that point, the only things I had in mind were that he most likely still hadn't even shown me half of what he could do, and that I had no real safe way to approach him until I found out more, even if just a little.
Now that I think about it… the conditions for that spell to activate…! That's right! I was so focused on escaping that I didn't even realize.
When did I become his "target?" Is it just talking generally about who he considered his opponent? That can't be it, spells are supposedly objective and really limited in flexibility. Which meant that during its casting, I "became" the target of it.
The only moment that can actually qualify as me becoming the target is… when he punched me earlier, after trapping my foot.
I see… this is really just a gamble for now but…
If I got this right, then one of the conditions for him to cast a spell on me is….
Physical touch!
And so I wrapped my arm around one of the trees next to me and rotated around it. I've been using mana to check my surroundings ever since I began using mini blasts, so my aim had been pretty good overall, but of course none of them did any real damage.
If I guessed the circumstances right, then right now he probably thinks I'm still trying to figure out what his ability is, so if I act like I'm charging a mana blast at the end of my hand like this…
"Have you run out of options or something?!"
"Is that what you think?"
But in reality, I actually create a real and denser one behind him, and fire them at the same time, then…
Now I can regain control over the fight.
I made a blade out of mana once again, then began slicing the tree ends that were falling towards us from both ends, then before he could properly get up again, I grabbed and tossed him in the air again.
Unsurprisingly, that small breather was more than enough for him to actually get back in action and make himself float again, but that didn't matter.
"You really are a sneaky bastard, you know? Is that how a swordsman fights?"
"My sword is useless if I get outsmarted and lose, isn't it?"
"You got a point…"
"Why aren't you using any magic, or other spells?"
"Why do you think I'd tell you?"
"Because that's the whole point of this fight. If you just show me what you can do with no explanation, then I'll be as lost as I was before it started."
"Even though you've already figured something out?"
"…?! You're creepy, you know?"
"It's as you're probably thinking. Though I can cast spells a lot faster than most people, if not anyone, I need a catalyst for my enemy to actually become the target of said spell."
"And that catalyst is physical touch, huh?"
"Hmmm… that's weird. I never said it has to be physical touch after all."
My eyes widened.
When did it…?
And how have I not realized sooner? As we were now just on a stand off with each other midair, I somehow missed on a crucial detail.
My arms… have gone limp?!
"'If the target uses a "sneaky" attack, then they'll lose their arms control for a minute, as a penalty.' We have to keep things fair, don't we?"
And of course, he left me no time to reply. I was spending a dash or something, any kind of physical advance for that matter, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.
I suddenly got wrapped in water. And I don't mean a thin layer, it was a whole bubble forming around my entire body.
"Don't worry, I've put enough air in it for you to still breathe… if you're fine with the uncomfortable feeling of your lungs breathing water, that is."
What is he planning?!
I had to hold my breath. Even if he was talking the truth about the oxygen, it would be useless if I actually had to waste mana to heal my lungs.
Next up, the water…froze. I was stuck in a block of ice.
"I don't have a lot of time after all. I don't mind explaining to you what my ability is later, but I'm trying to get this fight to end as quickly as possible."
"Don't take it to heart, alright? I'm sure you'll survive."
I thought about making a mana blast outside the ice and blasting this thing open, but I had no time.
From above me, a mix of fire and lighting appeared, spiraling in fusion and quickly piercing the ice. I was struggling to breathe. Although the ice wasn't troubling me anymore, I was now falling rapidly towards the ground.
I should've just breathed the water and heal my lungs… that would've taken way less mana than I was using within these few seconds to heal my entire body. I managed to heal myself fast enough to actually get a grab of my head, but that didn't help much.
I avoided a hard landing, but even though I got down safely, I was still catching my breath heavily. I was tired. So physically tired that I could barely stand, even though technically speaking I was completely healed. What's going on here?
Why are my muscles twitching so hard?!
I… I can't stand…!
I fell. I tried to hold my body up, now that the feeling in my arm has finally come back, but it was of no use.
"Cifer…"
He slowly came down in front of me.
"You're annoyingly tuff, you know? I thought that would either end the fight or at least have them interfere to end it…"
"What the hell did you do? I shouldn't be this tired!"
"Well, putting aside the fact that you've used a decent amount of mana, that shouldn't actually be a problem for you after all, huh?"
"…ugh…"
"'If the target somehow manages to get back to full health after this attack, their body will forcefully shut down most effort consuming acts, and require some resting.' I just gave you a great opportunity to finally rest. Your head may not feel your tiredness… but your body clearly is."
"Don't mess with me! And what about the time duration?? The other 2 spells had one, but you-"
"Because this one is indefinite."
"W-what?!"
"How about a little explanation? Since you've so desperately wished for one."
"…"
"I can't use any more spells. My limit as of right now, is around 3 spells daily. This is one half of my ability's 2nd phase. I can create or use already existing spells almost instantly, but they consume a lot of mana."
What? Did he say "create"?
"You heard that right. I can in fact create my own spells from scratch, pretty much bringing them into existence on my own. That's why it consumes so much mana. And in fact, I can't reuse the same spell twice."
"You see, creating and sustaining a new spell on your own… Although I'm able to do that, as I told you before, it comes with a pretty nasty limitation. Ah, and for the record, only the 3rd spell I've used is actually created by me."
"I can store up to 1 spell in myself, pre making them ahead of time. Maybe when I get older and stronger I'll be able to hold more premade spells, but as of now, I can only hold one. On top of that, I have pretty awful mana control to begin with, so using other spells even if they're already existing ones still consumes a vile amount."
"That's why, I ration my usages of both spells and magic. Right now, I can use 3 spells and I have 3 magic usages. But the spells are gone so…"
"Well, I guess it doesn't matter since the fight is over anyway, huh?"
"After all, the condition for this spell is for the target to… "physically hurt me, while in their current state." So even if you launched a mana blast in my face, it still wouldn't-"
"Haha… hahahaha…hahahaha!!!"
"…why are you laughing?"
"I-I…I-m sorry… it's just…"
"You realize you just lost, right? What could possibly be so funny here? You can't even stand. Your body should be so tired that even staying on your knees right now is hurting you."
"Y-you're right… my bad… it's just…"
"What?!"
"You should've told me the condition sooner. I wouldn't have wasted so much time on the ground if you did."
His eyes widened. But that much was expected. After all, even though he stood around 2 meters away from my kneeling self originally, through a rope made entirely out of my mana, he was dragged to me by force. And I just so happened to have enough grit in me to clench my jaw, and punch him in the face.
"It seems like you weren't lying… Cifer!"
No matter the strength, if you get hit in the face it's bound to hurt, huh? Clearly that's the case since I honestly barely managed to put any real strength in it. He is fairly scrawny to be fair, isn't he? But it doesn't matter.
"This is where it actually starts. Don't you dare think you won, when I still only know a 3rd of your ability!"
So before he could do anything, as soon as I regained mobility, I instantly dashed forward. One punch to his jaw, one to his chest, one to each of his ribs, and lastly a kick on his hip! Following that sequence in less than a second, he was already sent towards the left. We were already out of the forest so there were no issues in my surroundings either.
"What's wrong, Cifer?? Why aren't you using magic?? Don't tell me you really thought you could win with those petty spells!!"
Before he'd even touch the ground, I already made a low density mana blast beneath him, he was now midair. But I had no intention of stopping. One more dash, one more punch straight in the stomach sending him flying even further ahead. I sped up, matching his speed and intercepting him for another attack.
"If you don't start taking this fight seriously, you will end up having to get saved by Maia!"
4 blasts. Of course, all of them have a density low enough to do minimal damage, although they'll still hurt nonetheless. One above his fast moving body, one beneath, and one on each of his sides.
If you don't plan on giving me all that you've got, then be ready to get crushed, my dear brother!
And fired them at the same time. Their density may have been low, but the range was nowhere near that, creating a cross in the sky at least 20 meters long on each side. The impact was also more than enough to stop his motion, so I took a few steps back for its whole duration of around 5 seconds.
I wasn't trying to win with any of these attacks honestly, even though I probably would've if I made them strong enough. Or would I? His base mana density is probably equal to mine from what I could tell, so I guess I'd actually need to put more effort than even my standard high end density, huh? If we're both around D rank, I'd need at least a mid C rank blast to cleanly end it.
But regardless, putting the logistics aside, as my mana dispersed I was actually a little nervous.
He didn't get fried, right…?
Their density was really low, so he's completely fine… right? Plus, Maia and the others haven't interfered yet, so I didn't actually hurt him, did I? Well, I guess I did, but you get what I mean. I didn't cause any serious injuries!… hopefully.
However…
…?! Where did he...—?!
The answer was delayed. After all, in the blink of an eye, where I was supposed to check if Cifer was still fine or not, there was nothing but air. I didn't get the benefit of checking around myself however, because before I could even turn my head in any direction, I was struck down by a lighting.
It wasn't strong enough to completely fry me, but definitely strong enough to stun me for the time being. I struggled to stand on air for a few seconds while healing myself.
"You're right, Cael."
Another one!
This time it came from behind me. But when I looked there was no one. This couldn't be a spell either since he finished them… no, but what if he was lying?
"Don't worry, this isn't a spell. Of course, I technically could use another one, but it's not worth it. I don't remember if I mentioned earlier either, but if I tried to use the 3rd spell again, I'd need to recreate it, which consumes even more mana than just using one… it's a whole thing."
Again!
This time it was from my left.
"I won't take you lightly anymore. This is the only moment of truce we'll have."
Again…!
From the right.
"I'm sure you probably have an idea as for what kind of magic I'm using, don't you? Although unfortunately for you, this magic only consumes mana at its activation, so unless I intentionally stop using it, its effects have no clear condition."
Shit…! Another one!
From ahead, hitting me straight in the stomach and sending me flying backwards this time.
This one was a lot stronger too… fuck, he's using invisibility magic, isn't he?!
And if there's no clearing condition for this one, aka a way to make him visible forcefully, then what the hell do I do now? To begin with, is it even possible for magic to not have a counter? …
I was getting hit with lightning and fire twirled together from left and right, but I managed to grab onto hardened air with my hand and jump above them. My mana surroundings check wasn't revealing his position either, so I could only rely on it for actually intercepting their formation and managing to dodge.
Continuously, I was now stuck in a stage of simply dodging anything that came towards me. Whether I was a physical dodge, flying around it or cutting them if it was more convenient.
I had to think. There's no way that a magic spell wouldn't have a counter. Even earlier… wait. Now that I think about it, why did Maia even show us that guy using smoke magic to begin with?! And not to mention the fact that it was coming towards us at an alarming rate; seemingly impossible to stop…
Was Maia trying to show me that magic can be stopped?!
If that's the case, then Cifer was definitely lying. But the only clearing or deactivation condition I could think of for invisibility magic out of all things is… pretty straightforward, but not looking possible. If I have to hit him to actually see him again, then my odds are looking terrible.
For once, he most likely doesn't even need to be anywhere near the direction that the elemental magic is coming from. The same way I can just blast someone with mana from behind them even if they're far away, he likely isn't anywhere near the points where the magic is being formed.
Not to mention, from the way they were rapidly coming for me from all directions, it made it even more unlikely. Was he just moving too quickly? Yeah, no shot. To begin with he wasn't this fast earlier, nor does he have any reason to actually waste energy like that.
But… as I cut a rock that was coming from my face in half, I suddenly realized something.
It's probably not like he'd gone too far either… he probably has a range from where he can activate his elemental magic to begin with.
Then why was I overthinking this so much?
While I continued to dodge to avoid giving my plan away, I began channeling mana into my blade. I switched to only cutting the attacks coming my way, regardless of their element.
If I can't find him normally…
Then I should just…
When I had enough mana in my blade, I began spinning. I made it seem like a completely harmless one, as I was just dodging an ice shard.
…Blast Everything in Sight!
But released large mana attacks from its tip, which I then manually helped them spread in all directions even further than their already circular radius, to an extent where I ended up making a sphere out of it.
And needless to say, as soon as the sphere was created… I made it explode both ways. If he was inside, he'd get caught in it, and if he was outside, he'd still likely get caught in due to the massive range I created it with.
I got you!
And luckily enough, as soon as it dispersed and I had a clear view around me… there he was. Falling from the sky, looking almost motionless. But I knew better than believing what my eyes were telling me.
As soon as I spotted him, I instantly charged another mana wave in my sword, positioning it behind me and holding it with both hands to channel strength.
You're probably going to get up at the last second and attack me, aren't you? But unfortunately I'm not gonna give you the time to act.
I then raised my sword above my head, and released it. I was really expecting it to not even hit, honestly. Hence, its density wasn't impressive, once again… but when I saw that it was about to hit, my heart sank in fear either way.
However, that didn't last long either. In the blink of an eye after all, that same attack I sent towards him… hit me.
I was sent flying, but I desperately managed to stop myself not too far away while sticking my blade into the air. I spat blood as soon as my movement stopped though.
What's going on? I didn't make it dense enough to actually damage him!
"I'll say this as many times as I have to… you're crazy, you know?"
I quickly healed my internal organs, and thankfully enough I did, because not even 2 seconds after I heard him speak, an ice blade directed itself towards my stomach at high speed. I only barely managed to cut it in half before contact.
Regaining composure, I began flying. I had to get moving for the time being, and luckily enough I actually ended up seeing him when I turned my head around.
"I was hoping I could've saved that one for later too… damn it! But I can't complain too much, this is actually fun!"
He was smirking, chasing after me. Of course, the barricade of stuff followed too, as I was now constantly avoiding either rocks, ice, fire or lighting while flying around them.
"You're curious about what that was, aren't you?! Let me tell you then!"
"Aren't you supposed to stop while explaining your actions, Oi?!"
"We have no reason to stop!"
Yes, we really do, actually! This is getting out of hand!
Was it just me or did his pace increase significantly too? It got so bad that I had to start creating mini blasts around me for external defense, on top of already avoiding most of them on my own.
"Illusion magic + reflecting magic. I made it look as if I was still there, but in reality after getting hit by your blasts, I quickly got out of the way and left the reflecting mirror there! Of course, I'm sure you felt it so there's probably no need to explain it, but the reflected damage is increased by 5x the initial one!"
"5 times?? Isn't that a little overkill??"
"You think so?!"
"Yeah… I do!"
I abruptly stopped. He was slightly beneath me thankfully, so I had plenty of options. The one he'd expect the least however was definitely me letting out 2 mana blasts from my feet, straight into him.
It hit?!
Shit, I actually wasn't expecting that myself… but oh well? Why the hell not, I'll take it! Quickly turning around, I went straight downwards towards him.
He has used magic 3 times as well now, so this is my chance to win.
Though my opening did come unexpectedly, it didn't matter. I saw it clearly now. He was struggling to balance both straightening himself and actually preventing me from counterattacking.
My lips curled upwards, my heartbeat accelerating as I prepared a blast in my sword…
"He…hehehe…!"
But his… did the same.
"Gotcha!"
Large rock plates enclosed around us, forming a large sphere. I was trapped. The instant it was closed he had also effortlessly stopped his motion and stood up mid air, while I stopped for a different reason.
It's dark.
If it wasn't for my mana surroundings check, I wouldn't even "see" him.
That's how I knew he had stopped moving to begin with, and how I could still see. But this was bad.
I have to get out of here!
"Not so quickly."
"S-smoke?!"
It was the same smoke we saw that guy use earlier. Thick, white and surprisingly efficient in an enclosed space. But the thing that actually terrified me the most, was how as soon as the whole thing filled up… I couldn't perceive him anymore.
"Have you realized yet? I guess that's the case."
"I thought you could only use magic 3 times."
"That's right. And I have only used it 3 times… now."
"Bullshit! You used 2 types earlier!"
"Said who?"
"…it can't be?!"
"I told you I can create my own spells, as part of my ability's 2nd half, no? So it only makes sense for the main characteristic of my ability's 2nd nature to be…"
"Creating your own magic…"
"Of course, the spockpiling thing from earlier applies to this too. I can only hold one magic type created by myself into existence, or it's simply too draining. Usage is also limited to only one, on top of having to recreate it if I want to reuse it. It takes me around a whole day on average to create a magic type, you know?"
"You mixed illusion and reflection magic together, didn't you?"
"Bingo. Which is why, in terms of actual mana consumption, it still only counted as one usage."
"That's great and all… but would you mind turning the lights on, or airing out this room? All this smoke is slightly concerning."
"Worry not, it's not toxic. You can breathe just fine, no?"
"I can't deny that. Although not seeing or perceiving you is definitely one annoying quirk."
"That's what this smoke really is all about. It completely nullifies the presence of its user. Of course, it's thick enough to be used even in open air, but definitely more effective in an enclosed space."
"Let me guess… this isn't part of your ability's main nature either, and you're just so skilled that you can also learn magic at first sight?"
"Hm? Is it that obvious?"
"I was hoping you'd deny that one, honestly."
"Well, sorry about that, but it is true."
"So Maia didn't just call you a prodigy because of your ability, huh?"
"Of course not. I'd be a cheater instead of a prodigy if all I had was my ability, no?"
"Fair point."
"But I'd say we chatted enough. This time, it's really over."
"What makes you say that?"
"This smoke isn't just flammable through heat. Mana also makes it combust. And last time I checked, you don't have any physical weapons on you. If you try to make a mana blade or use a blast…"
"We'll both blow up, huh?"
"This smoke can be useful in offense, but it drastically limits both the caster and the one trapped in it. It's more of a last ditch move."
"I can see that pretty clearly. Well, not literally but you get the point."
"How about we consider this a draw? I needed to use this to end the fight, and you couldn't stop it. It doesn't sound like a victory on either side to me. A draw is fair."
"Mhh.. I guess that'd be fair."
"Right, so-"
"If I planned on accepting it, that is."
I raised my hand, and opened my palm.
"W-wait, what are you-"
"So you can see me, huh? Good to know. Then you must actually know what I'm about to do."
"It's a bluff. I know it is, so stop-"
"Do you really think so? You said it yourself didn't you? I'm crazy."
"Do you see how much smoke there is in here?? The explosion won't leave either one of us unharmed!"
"I can heal myself. And this entire dimension has something with defense going on in it, no? We'll be fine."
"Seriously, this isn't funny. Stop joking around."
"Who said that I'm joking?"
"You saw what happened earlier when the other guy used this smoke, didn't you?? This magic is hard to control as is!"
"Then we'll be counting on mister prodigy over here to save us somehow."
I began channeling the mana inside of my palm.
"Wait, seriously!"
"Wait!!"
Then created a sword with it…
It was a pretty reckless gamble once again. But it seems like I won, after all.
And the smoke dispersed within a fraction of a second, entirely. Instead of talking, or even trying to hear him out then, I instantly began reusing mana to check my surroundings, and dashed towards him as soon as I found him.
Taken aback by it, he extended his arm towards me, with his palm open as if to signal me to stop. But I had no intention of falling for any more tricks. I had no idea what his real main ability was after all, I couldn't take any risks.
This much should be fine, right? It's not lethal after all.
I slid my blade in the middle of his palm, and dragged it across his entire arm, cutting it in half lengthwise, exiting just across his shoulder. He began falling downwards, the earth sphere also crumbling alongside him. I allowed him to fall though, keeping some amount of distance in between us.
When he did actually reach the ground, that is when I actually began getting worried.
"Why aren't you healing yourself? Just regenerate your arm and show me your actual ability's main side."
"…"
"The fight isn't over, you know? Come on."
The outer side of his arm had fallen off earlier, and wasn't anywhere near us at the moment. A knot was beginning to form in my throat. Why wasn't he healing yet? Why is he so silent? And why was he looking like he was genuinely in so much pain…?
Of course, it's not like I don't know that getting your arm cut in half lengthwise hurts, but…
shouldn't he have a way to lower his pain? I'm pretty sure you can do that with mana, no? And I know healing magic doesn't work on yourself, but once again, with mana-…
Then the realization finally hit me.
"Cifer, you…"
"I.. I have terrible mana control…"
My eyes widened in terror. I began shaking, but I couldn't allow myself to fall. Why hasn't anyone interfered?? They said they'd come in and stop us if things would escalate too far, so why is it just me and him here?
What should I do?! Think Cael, Think!
"S-so you're telling me…"
"I.. I don't know how to regenerate."
"T-then, what if-"
But I stopped myself midway. There was no need, no. There was no time to even think about it. I had an idea, so I had to go with it.
Without hesitation, I then cut my own arm, in the same way I cut his. The pain was agonizing. But instead of demoralizing me, it made me angrier at myself for actually making him go through it.
"If I show you how I regenerate, you'll be able to copy me, right? You said you can copy physical movements after seeing them, and you can even learn magic at first sight. I'm sure you'll be able to do it! You're a prodigy!"
But to my surprise… his eyes not only widened, but tears began rolling down his face from them.
"Cael, you… w-why! Why did you do that!"
"So you can-"
"You idiot! Do you not have a brain?!"
"W-what?? I'm just trying to help-"
"You've only known me for a day more or less, and you're cutting your arm off just to show me how you regenerate, with me being a prodigy as your only hope that it'll work?!"
"Wait, why are you so mad? I'm confused…"
He sighed, then wiped his tears with his other arm, and began glowing. The glow was blue, with white mixed in it. The duration was only around 5 seconds or so total, but when it did in fact end, his arm- no, not just that. His entire body had healed from any kind of injuries, whether it was scratches or bruises… or his half missing arm.
"I- I though-"
"I can't. I really do have terrible mana control. Learning how to regenerate after seeing you do it? Of course that's not possible. I'm never going to learn how to do it, regardless of time. I can't."
"But then…"
"Before questioning me, heal yourself. I know you can do it."
"Ah… right, yeah. Wait a second…"
I was astonished. So shocked in fact, that I genuinely just did as I was told. After regenerating my arm which took around 10 seconds or so, we both sat down in front of each other.
"This time, the fight really is over. For that matter, I'm also out of mana either way."
"Y-yeah, okay…"
"You're not even trying to hide your confusion, you know?"
"I mean, can you blame me?! I really thought your arm would be gone because of me…"
"It's the first half of my ability. Its true main effect."
"So healing yourself is your ability?"
"No, not at all. I guess I'll just tell you out flat by now, since you've seen the second side of it pretty much entirely."
"That would be great…"
"The main thing my ability does is allow me to create any ability for myself. Not magic, not spells. An ability. I can only use it once a day however, because of how much mana it takes, once again. Even putting aside my ability's effects, since I have terrible mana control to begin with, my magic usages are limited, as I said before."
"Wait, so does that mean that you can just give yourself an ability?!"
"Although nothing passive, since that would drain my mana to death…"
"That's still insane though?! So if you wanted to uhm… make yourself immune to all attacks or something like that?!"
"Though it would take a while to create the ability, and just like magic and spells I can't reuse them without recreating it, yes. I could give myself that ability, but it would only be stored in me until it's used, consume a lot of mana, then disappear from me."
I sighed, as I allowed myself to fall on my back, and spread my arms and legs once I was on the ground.
"Yeah, we're definitely in the same boat then… you're a walking cheat code at this point."
"Did you even hear me? Creating them takes so much mana that I have to give it my whole mana flow 24/7, you know? Not to mention the efficiency and duration scale off my mana density and amount… this thing is really limited."
"You idiot, of course it is. You'd be too overpowered otherwise. Take this as fate being merciful on us and not allowing a monster like you to roam unrestricted!"
"Who are you calling a monster, you crazy bastard…"
"That was a great fight, Cifer. I had a lot of fun overall. Thanks. And I'm sorry for actually cutting you like that too."
"… you don't have to worry about it. Everything's solved either way, plus I also had fun. It was a great fight, Cael."
"Then…"
"Yeah. This was definitely…"
""A Draw'""
We said at the same time, followed by the training dimension beginning to rapidly disperse around us, until we found ourselves back in the stadium's center.