Screech!
Tride''s monstrous screech tore through the air, creating violent ripples that temporarily deafened everyone within range. The shockwave alone forced some students to collapse to their knees, clutching their heads in agony.
Stranger sighed, glancing at Edith. “We’ll talk later. For now… let’s deal with this thing.”
With that, he turned toward me and Kaltain. Without hesitation, Kaltain flashed a grin, seemingly amused by Stranger’s presence. Then, as if synchronized, both of them launched toward Tride—shattering the sound barrier.
Kaltain propelled himself with gravity manipulation, his form gliding swiftly through the air. Stranger, however, used his miniature black holes to propel his body, as though gravity itself bent to his will.
I stayed behind, gritting my teeth. I’m the slowest of the three… what kind of regressor am I?
I cast a glance toward Edith, who hadn’t moved. She was staring at Stranger from afar, an unfamiliar vulnerability clouding her usual frosty demeanor. The other students, likely intimidated by Stranger''s earlier display, wisely kept their distance from her. That was a relief.
But my mind couldn’t shake the one question pounding in my head.
Why the hell is she listening to him so easily? Who is this guy?
For now, I pushed the thought aside and focused on the colossal creature.
……
Stranger and Kaltain reached Tride first. The towering titan''s massive, decayed head observed them momentarily before its mouth unhinged unnaturally. Blinding light began to condense inside its maw, pure energy convulsing in one deadly burst.
Light-speed beam.
“Shit!” I cursed, reaching out instinctively.
Deceleration!
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I slowed the beam’s velocity just enough for Stranger and Kaltain to evade. Without hesitation, Kaltain retaliated by unleashing a barrage of wind slashes and debris, hurling them at near-light speed toward Tride’s legs. The impact tore chunks of flesh from its limbs but did little to the pristine shell.
Stranger, on the other hand, was already adapting. He hurled clusters of miniature black holes at Tride’s exposed limbs. The hungry voids devoured flesh and armor alike before extinguishing themselves.
Tride roared in pain, its shell remaining nearly untouched but its legs visibly damaged.
“Nice teamwork,” I muttered bitterly. And I’m still just playing support.
But my bitterness was short-lived. Without warning, the space around us warped unnaturally—like a canvas being folded and twisted. Tride screeched once more, and suddenly…
We were no longer on Earth.
A void. Pure and absolute. The ground beneath us vanished. There was no sky, no light—only an endless dark expanse filled with nothingness. A battlefield built solely for our demise.
“Damn… space manipulation,” I muttered.
Kaltain floated beside Stranger. “This is bad. There’s no debris or air. I’m practically useless.”
Stranger didn’t respond. His sharp gaze remained locked onto Tride, now emboldened by the void. “If we fight a battle of attrition here, we’re screwed. We’ll tire out long before it does.”
Kaltain clicked his tongue. “Got a plan, oh mighty stranger?”
“Azrael. Call me Azrael,” he muttered, still glaring at Tride. “And yes, I have a plan.”
I raised a brow. “Let’s hear it.”
Azrael exhaled sharply. “Its spatial control is rudimentary at best. But its true forte is energy manipulation. That’s why its body density is so unnaturally high. Right now, it’s manipulating gravity to keep itself stable on Earth. If we force it into a rage and it loses that control… the planet’s crust will collapse beneath its weight.”
Kaltain frowned. “So, what’s the plan?”
Azrael turned to us. “We accumulate damage. Slowly, deliberately. Once we reach a critical point, I’ll merge all my black holes into a singularity. Kaltain—you’ll use your gravity control to amplify its force exponentially. ‘girly’—”
I scowled. “It’s Vesna, not ‘girly’.’”
“Fine, Vesna,” he rolled his eyes. “You’ll accelerate the process with time manipulation. We’ll collapse this entire dimension into that singularity—along with Tride.”
Kaltain scoffed. “That’s insane. I like it.”
I exhaled through gritted teeth. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Azrael smiled faintly. “Alright then… let’s commence the carnage.”
……
The battle resumed.
Azrael moved like a phantom, propelling himself with void bursts. His black holes devoured chunks of Tride’s body, forcing it to stagger. I strained my ability to slow Tride’s devastating strikes while Kaltain rained debris and gravity bursts upon it.
The creature fought back viciously. Sapphire mirages of its face emerged from the void, attacking us from every angle. I barely managed to slow them down while Azrael conjured thousands of smaller black holes to shred them.
But the cost was heavy. Kaltain sustained deep wounds from several missed attacks. Azrael was battered, his hoodie torn and body partially burned. My energy reserves were running dangerously low.
And yet, Azrael never stopped moving. Never hesitated.
Finally, the turning point came.
Azrael''s voice thundered. “NOW!”
He thrust his hand forward, merging hundreds of his miniature black holes into a single apocalyptic void. The force was suffocating—an instinctual dread that made even my bones rattle.
Kaltain immediately amplified its gravity, causing the black hole to swell into a monstrous devourer of matter. Even the void dimension trembled under its pull.
Tride panicked. It screeched violently, pouring torrents of energy to destroy the singularity—but it was futile. The energy only nourished the black hole further.
“Vesna!” Azrael barked.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my time ability to its maximum. Accelerate!
The black hole convulsed unnaturally, its devouring capacity reaching catastrophic levels. The void itself began to collapse.
Tride roared in defiance. Its body convulsed, armor shattering as it desperately tried to escape. Azrael’s gaze, however, was deathly cold.
“Die.”