Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 1542 Clash of Wills

Seeing Jack pick up his sword, Vahn’s momentum exploded outward as his figure vanished from view. At this point, something like a starting bell was completely pointless. The only thing that had any meaning was the clash of wills and the weight of their blows. It was either move forward or risk having his own willpower suppressed, something Jack seemed to understand well...

Not expecting the match to start so suddenly, the casters were still in the process of hyping up the crowd. They were completely caught off guard by the massive collision that occurred in the center of the Arena, forcing an oppressive silence over the crowd as Rakan and Vahn locked blades, gold and crimson violently colliding as a result of their tempestuous auras.

Despite his height advantage and the size of his sword, Rakan wasn’t able to secure any advantages in the first collision. Instead, he felt like a blade was being pressed to his throat just by staring at the katana in Vahn’s hands. He was barely even able to react when the relatively thin blade suddenly cut through his own like butter, forcing him to bend backward as his trunk-like right leg raised to strike Vahn’s flank.

Seeing Jack dodge his attack, almost as if he had a very high rank of [Instinct], Vahn couldn’t help squinting his eyes slightly. The angle of his sword changed in an instant, turning from an upward piercing motion to a downward arc as he attempted to cut into the man’s left thigh. Dodging the kick was impossible at this point, so, rather than evade, he aimed for an internecine outcome. His katana completely ignored the thick aura of magical energy surrounding Jack’s leg, slicing through the steel-like muscles and tendons with considerable ease as a momentous force slammed into his left side...

From the perspective of the audience, they only saw Jack evade Vahn’s slice before the latter was sent crashing like a meteor into the far wall. This caused them to cheer uproariously, but, before a chant could be started, many watched in horror as a shower of blood erupted from Rakan’s leg. He didn’t seem to be bothered by this in the slightest, but, in an instant, any illusions of his immortality had been shattered.

A stark contrast to Rakan, whose white trousers had now been stained red, Vahn emerged from the cloud of debris without a scratch on him. Then, with a simple sweep of his blade, all of the dust and debris were cleared in an instant. This was an impressive display on its own, but, seemingly to prove just how sharp his sword was, a 100m long cut had been left in the reinforced stone behind him...

Rather than display even a hint of fear, Rakan’s smile only became more prominent as he remarked, "That is quite the blade you have there..." before vanishing from view.

Caught in the moment when he was about to respond, Vahn’s lips had barely parted when a heavy pressure appeared right behind him. He had severely underestimated Jack’s speed, but, with several decades of experience, his body moved even without him willing it to. As a result, Jack’s fist swept through the area where his head had been moment’s prior, the wind pressure alone strong enough to rend flesh from bone...

Ignoring the pain from his eardrum rupturing, Vahn ’flowed’ around Jack’s fist like a slow-moving stream around a rock. His sword seemed to move in slow-motion as he swept it in a smooth arc across the man’s chest. To his surprise, there was very little feedback from this blow, causing Vahn’s brows to rise slightly as Jack’s figure became slightly illusory, much like an afterimage...

Before the image faded completely, a fist larger than his face tore through Jack’s chest, completely blocking Vahn’s vision. Vahn’s already raised brows attempted to rise higher, but, before the nerves could fire, it felt like the front of his skull had been smashed in as Jack’s fist slammed into him. This was only the beginning, as, the moment the fist came into contact with his face, Vahn felt his body shudder as a result of tearing through space. Jack had used a skill similar to [Shundo] to force even more momentum into his punch, smashing him into the Arena floor with purely physical strength...

As if a small-scale atomic bomb had been set off, a massive crimson explosion created a mushroom cloud that sent powerful shockwaves rippling across the Arena’s protective barrier. At this point, the crowd had all but fallen silent, each member of the audience captivated by the scene below. Only a few, those closest to the barrier, had the wherewithal to question whether or not they were actually safe from harm...

---

Vahn was trying not to reveal his trump cards, specifically [Magia Erebea], but, after being smashed into the ground by Jack, he realized his hubris. He was well-aware of the fact that Jack was stronger than him, but he hadn’t expected the man’s strength to be so ’drastic’. His original intentions were to just enjoy the fight for a while before ultimately forfeiting the match and preserving the morale of the Hellas people. They were on the verge of war, so, if he defeated their champion too easily, it would severely hurt their pride...

What Vahn hadn’t accounted for was the fact that Jack was well-aware of the fact that he couldn’t afford to lose. He might not be going all out, but the force behind his blows was enough to end the fight in an instant, at least against normal opponents. His own enjoyment was a secondary concern when his people’s trust was on the line. If he fell here, everything he had been working for over the last few years would be undermined, irreversibly damaging his status as a symbol for the Hellasian people...

---

Though Vahn could understand Jack’s will, as it was being directly transmitted from the man’s fist to his face, his pride didn’t allow him to simply give up without a fight. If he lost the match too quickly, his own legacy would be irreversibly damaged. He wanted to become a deterrent force that caused any who would harm others to second-guess their actions. A single decisive defeat would make this virtually impossible to achieve as people would have ’proof’ that he wasn’t indomitable...

Unwilling to completely undermine his own goals just to elevate Jack’s status, Vahn’s aura exploded outward with even greater intensity than the previous explosion. He then buried both of his feet in the man’s seemingly indestructible abdomen, forcing him back and causing blood to spurt from the cut across his chest. He hadn’t been able to completely evade the previous slash, but, as if it didn’t matter in the slightest, Jack’s aura only surged with greater intensity as he shot forth a mass of pure magical energy from his palm.

No longer intending to simply trade blows, Vahn’s expression became serious as he cut swept aside the ball of magical energy before vanishing from sight. Jack might be fast, but his movement ability was nowhere near the SSS-Rank. His instincts might allow him to react to any kind of attack, but, in a contest of pure speed, Vahn was confident he could win. In fact, with his mastery over Space, even someone with the same degree of mastery would be hard-pressed to read his movements.

Seeing Vahn disappear, Rakan brought up his arms in a defensive stance, his senses strained to the absolute limit. He could tell that his opponent was serious now, so, if he dropped his guard for even a moment, it might spell his end. Vahn’s sword seemed to be able to cut through anything, and, no matter how much he tried to perceive its movements, all he saw was a flash of light and a feeling of being cut...

As that thought crossed his mind, Rakan felt as if a blade was tracing across his left shoulder. Even before his brain finished processing this, he had already dodged to the right, barely evading what seemed to be a completely invisible attack. Then, causing his eyes to widen in shock, he suddenly felt as though a prison of blades had formed around him, severing any path of retreat...

From the perspective of the audience, Vahn had appeared near the edge of the arena, his body slouched forward slightly with his katana sheathed at his side. At the same time, Rakan’s figure had become a blur as he seemed to ’glitch’ around the Arena. It was virtually impossible to follow his movements, but, everywhere the blue moved, move and more blood would mar the battlefield. It hadn’t been too noticeable at first, but, after a few seconds had passed, even the people furthest in the back could understand what was happening.

Like a tsunami sweeping over an island nation, a deathly silence overtook the Coliseum as a result of the oppressive atmosphere weighing down their hearts and minds. To them, Rakan was an ideal to aspire towards, an invincible figure that could freely roam even the Imperial Palace with impunity. He represented everything they could be, someone that had risen from nothing to the pinnacle like a meteor tearing through the sky. Now, however, that same figure was dyed red in his own blood, his speed gradually slowing down until he ultimately had to stop dodging entirely...

Despite more than a hundred cuts across his body, Jack never ceased smiling for even a moment. There was a dark shadow cast over his eyes, but, like two blazing suns that illuminated the darkness, his golden eyes shone with unceasing vitality as he stared back at Vahn and mused, "Not bad at all. You may have made a mistake, though..."

Remembering Jack’s previous attempt to bait him with words, Vahn’s figure simply vanished like a phantom. Immediately afterward, a flower of blood erupted from Jack’s shoulder, causing the smile on his face to become more prominent as he added, "After losing so much blood, there is nothing weighing me down...!!"

As if to prove his point, a thick crimson aura surrounded Jack’s body as he completely vanished from view. It wasn’t until nearly a second later that the area he was standing in erupted from the force of his movement. At nearly the exact same moment, another eruption occurred elsewhere, followed by a flickering golden light as Vahn’s figure smashed into the Arena’s barrier, sending a few massive cracks through its surface...

Feeling as though every bone in his body was broken, Vahn coughed up a large volume of blood as he stared in awe at the man posing like a statue that had just thrown someone. There was a swirl of blood creating a small vortex around his fingers, his movement so swift it had produced a vacuum that persisted even after he had become stationary. As for where the blood had come from, the ten holes in Vahn’s chest and abdomen were a fair assumption...

Remembering Jack appear before him immediately after he completed his [Shundo], Vahn couldn’t help but agree with the assessment that the man was a living cheat. He had enough blood to easily incapacitate someone twice his size, but, as if injuries meant nothing to him, Jack just kept going. It was truly amazing, as, not only did he use his magical energy to stitch together his severed tendons and muscles, but his heart had slowed to less than six beats per minute. He prioritized blood flow to the brain, cycling the bare minimum to keep his organs from shutting down as he manipulated his own body like a marionette...

With a smile spreading across his own face, Vahn wiped away the blood from his lips as he said, "It might not mean anything to you, but know that you have earned my respect. If you can survive this next blow, you will have earned a new title..."

Though he had yet to unlock his Bankai, Vahn could communicate his intent to Laev-tan without actually ’releasing’ her. As a result, she happily transformed into her Shikai form, causing ripples to spread across the barrier as he jumped down to the Arena below.

Since moving too much might break his concentration, Rakan continued to hold his pose, never losing his smile as he asked, "Oh? I’m quite fond of collecting titles. If you’ve got a good one, I’m willing to accept it..."

Pleased by the fact that Jack seemed to have understood his intentions, Vahn smiled even wider as he answered, "It might sound silly, but, henceforth, you shall be known as Jack Rakan, the God of Perseverance...the person acknowledged by the Sage Dragon Emperor as an equal..."

Finished with his words, Vahn’s aura surged immensely as body instantly transformed into his half-dragon state. The release of his Zanpakuto had already caused his aura to multiply by ten times, so, with the increased pressure from his Huanglong transformation, the Coliseum, the barrier, and even Space itself began to tremble as brackish-crimson flames erupted to cover the sky. Visibility within the Arena decreased until the only thing visible was a swirling vortex that promised death...

---

Immediately after releasing what seemed to be an ultimate attack, Vahn’s transformation shattered due to the strain he had placed on his mind and spirit. He would normally struggle to produce even a small amount of Laev-tan’s flames, but, after consolidating energy over the last few weeks, energy he had intended to use for Fenrir’s summoning, Vahn was able to fake it well. He hadn’t been lying when he said Jack had won his respect, so, after apologizing to Fenrir in his heart, he decided to go ’all-out’, at least from the perspective of the audience...

With an uncommon amount of intelligence, Rakan had seen through Vahn’s intentions the moment the latter’s killing intent faded away. Others might not be able to sense it, but, as the person it had been directed toward, Rakan was extremely sensitive to such changes. As a result, he stopped trying to press the attack, waiting to see what Vahn had planned. After clashing with the man a few times, a certain degree of trust had been built between them, something that could only be achieved after two powerful wills had clashed against one another...

After taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Vahn smiled wryly toward Rakan before saying, "Your love for this country is awe-inspiring. I’m not entirely sure what you have planned, but I can tell you are doing your best. Now that I’ve seen your power for myself, I’ll leave this nation in your capable hands. When the Emperor asks, you can just tell him I went off to test some other people...when the time comes, we will undoubtedly meet again. I look forward to seeing how much you’ve grown by then..."

Having said everything he intended to say, Vahn prepared to teleport away when Jack surprised him by asking, "What is your connection to the Dark Evangel? Are you a Dragonfolk or a descendent of the Ancient Dragons?"

Finding it humorous that Jack was attempting to gather information even when his body was on the verge of breaking down completely, Vahn returned a smile as he said, "Just know you are most likely making a mistake in your assumptions. As for the latter part...well, let’s just say there will come a time when that fellow bows his head to me. Now, no more questions. If you don’t focus, there is a very real chance you will lose your life..."

Just as he had throughout the entire battle, Jack merely smiled in response to Vahn’s words, stating in a genial tone, "Until I have completed my objectives, I will continue pushing this body beyond its limits. You don’t need to worry about me, bratty lizard..."

Hearing Jack’s method of addressing him, Vahn’s expression froze for several seconds before his laughter began to echo in the surroundings. His figure then vanished from view, his laughter still echoing as the flames began to converge on Jack’s location. It was an attack that, by all rights, had the potential to kill the man. Despite this, Vahn had no doubt in his mind that he would be seeing the rather brazen hero in the future...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Such speed, such power, such skill...is what I might be saying if I could see what was going on!’,’United States of Smash!’,’He ded, lol’)

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