A Million Beginnings, One Quiet Ending
Chapter 32: Deathstorm

Chapter 32: Deathstorm

RADKIEL

I watched the battle from the highest point of existence within this 12 dimensional space.

Asher and Anna stood opposite each other, preparing to spar.

"Go easy on me okay." Anna said to Asher and in an instant moved like a lightning bolt.

She enhanced her strength and speed with Essence and continued to attack Asher who casually dodged and blocked each and every one of her attacks.

"Flaming Sword." A blade made of fire appeared on Anna’s hands and she swung at Asher who was able to dodge it easily.

"This is nothing compared to what I went through against Gabriel." Asher laughed as he weaved his way from every of Anna’s attacks.

Anna closed her fingers around in a fist and then raised mountains that were behind her.

Asher’s eyes were widened in shock and surprise. "That’s new." He said to her and she dropped both mountains on top of him.

But given the strength that he currently had, tanking hits from mountains of that size was child’s play.

Anna swung her flaming sword once again but Asher caught it with his essence infused palm.

"This is pathetic. At this rate, I’ll win by a landslide." He laughed and then pushed her far back with relative ease.

"Are they still at it?" Gabriel was standing at my side with his arms crossed and his face frowned in his usual fashion.

"Yes they are." I replied.

"It’s disgraceful. Asher has been my best student in fifty thousand years and here he is struggling to defeat a hatchling." Gabriel spat out in absolute disgust.

"He’s not struggling though. As you can see he’s toying with her."

"If you do not end your enemies the moment you have the chance, they may come back to haunt you." Gabriel said.

I kept silent as Gabriel’s words made a lot of sense. In my mind I hoped Anna won and showed Asher what it meant to be a warrior.

The fight went on uninterrupted. Asher continued to toy with Anna who was throwing everything she had at him.

"You’re literally the weakest person I have everyl fought. And when I say person I mean humanoid." Asher laughed, belittling her and her abilities.

"I’ll make sure you eat your words." Anna replied and then I saw Asher start to sweat.

His robe was burning away, his skin became dry and I felt him increase his essence output to protect his body.

"Supernova." Anna said and dropped a giant star on Asher, the impact was so much that 2 whole dimensions were destroyed.

"It’s over." Anna sighed.

"Did you think so?" Asher asked with a loud laugh. You’re literally just wasting my time.

This had been over since the very beginning. Asher had other abilities to use in winning this sparring match but he didn’t use it but now he would.

"Deathstorm." A giant black whole appeared that continually expanded and destroyed up to the tenth dimension in it’s entirety.

Anna was shocked and dropped down to her knees in surprise.

Tears flowed from her eyes as she saw what Asher was capable of. "Th-that should be impossible. No human should be capable of such a feat."

She cried like a child whose favorite toy was taken away, but I just watched from where I sat deciding not to interfere.

"I’ve been training here for over a year and I’ve learned a lot of skills from Master Gabriel so it shouldn’t matter." Asher replied cheekily to her.

"It does matter. How can a human use such godly abilities? It doesn’t even make sense." She retorted.

"I have basically been an anomaly, I’ve been able to use such techniques for a very long time. The only reason I can use them on a small scale such as this is because I died once before." Asher explained to her.

"Okay. That’s enough." Gabriel said as he walked up from behind Anna.

He raised her up to her feet and put his hand on her shoulder. "You did well for your first time against him, I’m sure overtime you’ll win." He encouraged her and then walked away smiling.

Anna wiped the tears away from her eyes and her sobbing stopped.

Asher walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Sorry I hid this from you."

She hugged him back. "I’m sorry I overreacted."

ASHERBLACKWOOD

I disengaged from my hug with Anna and then looked up. "We’re done now! Tell us what to do next!" I screamed at the top of my voice.

The person I was talking to knew what to do next. Radkiel arrived in front of us the moment I finished speaking.

"Now, what is it you want me to do?" Radkiel asked us with his usual smirk on his face.

"What’s next after this? You know very well that I didn’t finish the mission and I didn’t eliminate Solaris." I explained to him.

"Yes, that is very true. But I do not think that either of you is ready to face him just yet." Radkiel replied.

"It doesn’t matter now does it? As a team we would be able to eliminate him." I implied.

"I am very sure the both of you as a team would still lose." Radkiel said trying to dim our hopes but I didn’t back down.

"And I’m pretty sure that the both of us are going to win." Anna chipped in.

She smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Very well. I’ll transport the both of you to an island that is uninhabitable by the Phoenix race." Radkiel said and with a wave of his hand, the both of us were sent through the void and landed in Fragment 23.

The world where the Phoenix race had dominated in every timeline completely wiping out every other intelligent race.

"Radkiel said this island is uninhabited by the Phoenix race but what are those?" Anna asked. I traced the line which her finger pointed and saw a flaming monster walking around the island.

"It looks like it’s guarding something. Since it’s the only one here, I believe that there’s something of value here." I replied.

I made a shushing gesture at her and walked stealthily towards the creature. I completely erased my existence at that point so that I could not be sensed.

But even with all that, the flaming beast noticed me. It slapped me with the back of it’s hand sending me flying through trees.

It roared at the top of it’s animalistic voice.

"Are you alright?" Anna asked as she raised me from the ground.

"Yeah, I’m perfectly fine." I replied and moved at blinding speed.

I attacked with numerous punches coated in essence but it still wasn’t enough to harm the beast.

I heard a raging inferno start up behind and I looked back. Anna was building up a solar flare the size of half of the island.

"Stop! You’ll destroy everything else here!" I shouted at her trying to get her to stop.

But she didn’t stop, instead she kept on adding to it’s energy. "There’s nothing here at all. Except for that thing." She replied and let the attack go.

When she did, I heard screams. Screams of other humans, other intelligent races that were about to be eliminated by Anna’s attack.

"Oblivion." I directed the dark energy at Anna’s solar flare. The star was eradicated in a heartbeat.

"What did you do that for?!" Anna screamed as she walked up to me.

"Look out!" The flaming beast picked her up from behind and threw her upwards.

I ran at it and punched it straight in the midsection which caused a giant hole to appear there and which also sent it flying backwards with immense force.

I caught Anna as she fell back downwards. "Why did you stop my attack?" She asked again.

"Listen." I said to her and I was sure she could hear the screams of the othes as I saw her expression change.

"I-I’m a monster." She started sobbing.

"Don’t worry. Let’s focus on the fight." I assured her. I didn’t want to use Oblivion just yet. I wanted to see her grow as a fighter and as a person.

I dropped her down just as giant fireballs were hurled at the both of us. We dodged them easily. The beast was in front of us almost immediately and I dodged it’s punch at point blank range.

The shockwave from it’s punch sounding like a sonic boom, breaking the sound barrier.

I kept on attacking it with Essence infused punches and kicks, trying to damage it as much as I could to let Anna deal the final blow.

"Spectral Void Slash." I cut through the giant beast with the attack that can cut through space and dimensions, but it was still able to regenerate from that.

It’s flames crackled, joining together to reform it’s separated body.

"I have an idea." Anna said to me. "Use that skill again."

"Which one?" I asked her, trying to be completely oblivious to what she was trying to say.

"Use Deathstorm."