• Chapter #26: [POWER DIFFERENCE]

[Soul Exchange – in Process: 15 Minutes Left]

I looked at my phone, now displaying the time required for the Ticket Pass to complete the process. It seems that it isn’t instantaneous as I expected.

I looked at Miyanase.

“We still need to wait 15 Minutes.”, As soon as I said those words, gone were her attention on my phone. Her eyes were instead replaced with excitement and her body trembled, joyful at the prospect of being able to live again.

I sat at the ground, looking upwards the thundering skies. I sat motionless, in a trance as I wait for the process time to finish. Sometime, I felt Miyanase also sit besides me.

Giving out a sigh, I look at my phone once more.

[13: 15]

[13: 13]

Only over 1 and a half minutes?!

Alright, this is taking too long. I know that I’m getting impatient but… Something just tells me that I need to finish this much more faster.

“… I didn’t expect for you to be here already.”, A familiar voice echoed behind us, making me and Miyanase turn around. Looking about, it appears that it was the old man whom I had talked before at LightWays Media.

Something about him feels quite off though…

“It appears that you’re also here for ‘that’.”, He said.

“Yes, but not that ‘thing’ you have in your mind.”, I replied to him, good thing that I was able to equip my mask before turning around.

“Enemies and friends always meet in some ways. Which one are you?”, He asked, his gaze never leaving my figure.

“I do what I want to do. I don’t put any fucks about any of your squabbles.”, I let out, scoffing at his question.

Well, this is one way to pass the time. I know that he has something in mind, so I gotta distract him enough for the Soul Exchange to finish.

“You don’t give any shits? Then why did you heal the Union earlier?”, He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I looked at my side for a moment, before answering him.

“If I didn’t, would they survive and would I be here?”

In response, he grinned and then chuckled.

“Ahhh… So it’s just a matter of convenience for you then.”, He said.

“Exactly.”

He chuckled once more.

“Very well then, you’re neither our ally or truly our enemy. However, since you’re standing in the way right now, I’ll consider you as an opponent.”, He said, before summoning in his Signaling Magic.

Three magic circles immediately appeared in the ground in front of him.

“Oh my, my, it looks like someone already got here before us. And here we thought we’re quite early too, what a shame.”

“A masked man? Boo! That’s no fun! Take it out and let me see!”

“Hmph… Another fool who dares to stand in our way.”

Calmness, idiocy, and arrogance. Their opening speeches immediately gave away their personalities.

The three were quite short, about 5’4” and wore similar faces and similar black hair color, which matched their all black tuxedo outfit. However, I could still tell the difference from their eyes. The calm one has blue eyes, the idiot has yellow, and the arrogant has red.

Looks like they’re triplets, Supreme Rank triplets.

“Is that the ‘thing’ behind him?”

“Oooh! I’m both scared and excited if that wakes up!”

“We need to take our the trash first though.”

Their gazes were fixed on Miyanase, who was now sleeping peacefully as the Soul Exchange took it’s hold on her, which kinda look cute.

[Plotter’s Discernment: Active]

*Drop*

Hmmm?!

[Barrier]

On reflex, I immediately casted [Barrier] to cover Miyanase. I looked at what had hit it. It appeared to be a black mass. However, the black liquid gave me shivers as soon as I placed my gaze on it. And to my surprise, it suddenly spread, as if it was attempting to consume the barrier.

Shit, [Tear Of The Corrupted] huh…

Wasting no time, I attempted to cast a stronger Barrier Spell, however…

The old-man smiles cracked like his whole plan he did before was turn into ashen, he looked at the struggling liquid trying to invade the barrier. He felt a little ashamed how he had confidence to let this drop hit something, he instantly snap and called out.

“Don’t let him!”

“Hiyaaaa!!!”

“Die! Scum!”

“Tch...”, I scowled, jumping away from them.

[Feather Flight]

[Bloodlust]

[Thunderclap]

I immediately activated two skills, as well as my Lightning Enchantment Magic. Despite their third-rate villain cries, they’re still at Supreme Rank. I need to be careful.

I looked at them calculatingly, looking for any movements. However, they put on a sadistic grin.

“Do you even know us?”, The blue eyed asked.

“No, why? Are you some kind of celebrity?”, I mockingly asked, rolling my eyes in the process.

“Tch… We’re the Trio of Acceleration you dumb brat! The more the fight goes on, the more we speed up!”, The red eyed one scowled at me, before he spoke their alias with pride.

However…

“W-What…? T-Trio of…”, I stuttered out.

And no, it’s not out of fear… Rather, those names sound too dumb to me! Seriously! Who names themselves out of some science topic?!

Even Crimson Armor Knight, Dress-break skill is more appealing than Trio of Acceleration.

… Alright, and I’m the hero who was named out of some video feed. But hey! On my defense, it wasn’t me who chose that one!

However, it seems like they took my stutter differently, as their grins turned more savage.

“Heh… Quaking in your boots now eh?”, The red eyed one said.

“We ain’t scared just because you’re a LightSeeker!”, The dumb one added.

I stood there for a few moments, before I let out a sigh and sagged my shoulders.

“You’re completely misunderstanding it.”, I blankly said to them, as they now took on a confused expression.

“It’s just… Your name… They’re kind of, you know?”, I said, as I tried to explain, making the atmosphere somehow awkward.

“What about our name?”, The blue one raised his eyebrows at me.

*Sigh*

“Your name sounds like it’s just taken from a science textbook. It’s so dumb really.”, I said to them with a straight voice.

"Did you just fail science class because you don't have brain to think a better name similar to acceleration?" I also added in plain and straight voice.

Immediately, tick marks started appearing all over the faces, and their grins turned to massive frowns.

“… So dumb…?”, The red eyed one muttered darkly.

"Science...class...fail?" The calm one muttered, seemingly having his own flashback.

“Hey! Our name’s super cool! If you want to hear a really dumb name, then we have one!”, The idiot cried out, raising his fists at me indignantly.

“Oh really? Then please tell me what is it?”, I asked them in a bored voice, rolling my eyes.

“There’s this guy… He’s called the LiveStream Hero! Honestly, who names themselves after some video platform!”, The yellow eyed one mockingly said.

Now it’s my turn. My eyebrows furrowed and a frown forming on my face. It was the people who named that, you moron! Do I look like I want to bear that shitty title?!

I closed my eyes in frustration and annoyance. Opening them a few moments later, I looked at them with a cold and piercing look.

“Enough of this farce.”, I stated, before activating a spell and skill.

[Photon Accentuation]

[Fusion: Thunderclap – Photon Accentuation]

Power flooded within me, as I combined my Light Attribute and Lightning Enchantment Magic. My speed is raised beyond what they could comprehend.

My body was now glowing white, with blue lightning sparking around it. I looked at the twins and the old man, who now wore serious expressions upon seeing me.

The three circle around me, as the old man tried to fasten up the liquid in seeping to the barrier. There was only 10 minutes left.

I paid the three no mind, as I cast my skills to my twin daggers.

[Restoration]

[Augmentation]

After restoring and enhancing my daggers, I once again casted a new skill.

[Multiplier: ×4]

My aura and power shot up, it’s shockwave hitting and surprising the triplets. Wasting no time, I immediately dashed and sent out multiple slashes at the blue eyed one, before I palmed his face and sent out a wave of lightning.

“ARGHHH!!!”

Still channeling my electricity, I immediately threw him to the old man, so hard that he blurred. The old man turned to us, but couldn’t dodge the living projectile, sending the two tumbling several meters away and cratering the ground that they landed.

I turned to the two remaining, who was in shock of what happened. They tried to orient themselves, however, I was already in front of the red eyed triplet.

He widened his eyes, but I had none of it. I hit him with an uppercut, before positioning myself and kicking his head hard towards the yellow eyed triplet. The fool tried to block his incoming sibling, but failed as my kick proved to be much stronger and also sent the two crashing on the ground.

[Electro Lasso]

I grabbed the disoriented old man and the blue eyed one with a lasso made of lightning. Tightening it, the two let out gasps of shock and pain as the spell squeezed them and sent great amounts of electricity to their bodies.

I lifted them up, making them fly overhead. I looked at the eyes of the old man briefly. It was full of anger, shock, confusion, and fear. Before I had slammed them on the crater where the other two were.

[Spark Beat]

The lasso went wild, as I channeled more electricity to it. As it traveled down to the smoky area where I has lumped them up, screams of pain along with a blue explosion was soon heard.

I let my spell fade. However, for secure measures…

[Light Spears – Rapid Detonation]

Dozens of light spears appeared behind me. With a snap of my finger, the light spears immediately bombarded the area where the 4 stood, each hitting a random area and exploding upon hit. This might sound like overkill, but the 4 were all Supreme Ranks. If they cannot take such beating, they do not deserve their ranks.

That, and I honestly just want this to end quickly. That [Tear Of The Corrupted] pose much more threat than these 4 after all, especially if it touches Miyanase.

After a while, the light spears finally ran out and what was left was a large area full of dust and smoke. Crap, I can’t see Miyanase at all.

[Gale Blast]

Firing a low level Wind Magic to clear the area, soot immediately stepped aside, revealing the battered battlefield full of craters, with no traces of the beautiful flowers.

I set my gaze to my enemies. There they lay on the largest crater, smoking. Most of their clothes were torn, and what adorned their bodies where bruises, burns, and large cuts. Their bloods mixed with the dust beneath them, creating some sort of disgusting mud created from blood.

I sneered at them one last time, before finding where Miyanase is.

[•END•]

Revised by BaNaeNae.