Transmigrated as the Villain: I Will Destroy Fate

Chapter 173: Duality [5]

The moment Jason crushed the stone, the air completely changed.

Ronan could feel the change in pressure instantly. A wave of suffocating mana swelled from him, pushing the dust and loose leaves away in a perfect circle. His veins glowed a furious red beneath his skin, and the whites of his eyes flooded with the same bloody light.

Ronan did not show surprise, but he felt a familiar annoyance settle into place inside his mind.

Now what.

"You do not show surprise," Jason said, his voice a low growl, deeper and more distorted than before. "Interesting. Did the princess tell you beforehand from her battle?"

Ronan ignored him, his mind racing.

The power seeping off Jason was immense, easily beyond Lilith’s level, who himself and Elara at full power barely managed to fend off.

Jason was already a top-tier student, Rank 2 peak stage. With this enhancement... was he Rank 3 initial? Peak? Hard to tell. The side effects of a stone like that were drastic, a temporary surge bought with long-term damage to one’s core. The fact that Jason used it meant this was not just a fight to him. This was a finality, that was the message he was trying to convey.

Despite his earlier words that he didn’t particularly care for revenge...

This was personal.

If Ronan were a hero, he would have shouted for the others to run, to save themselves while he held the line. He would have sacrificed himself so only he had to die.

He had no intention of doing such a thing.

His eyes flickered to Elara and Seraphina. They were little more than glorified meat shields now. Could he use them? Create an opening to escape?

No. Jason’s gaze was locked on him. Even if they injured Jason, he would still give chase. Unless they crippled him, and that seemed impossible. Worse, Ronan’s own mana was a small puddle next to an expansive lake.

The seconds it took him to think were seconds Jason did not waste.

He charged, a blur due to how fast he was going, his sword gripped in his arm, ready to kill.

Ronan burned the last dregs of his useful mana.

Flame Mirage.

A clone of fire flickered into existence as Ronan sidestepped, the heat of Jason’s passing scorching his cheek.

Jason’s sword tore through the afterimage, and it exploded into a shower of embers. However, Jason did not seem surprised. He did not slow down, instantly looking to where Ronan had gone.

From behind, Elara threw a desperate punch at the back of his head. Jason ducked under it without turning, the movement fluid and predictive. He slammed the hilt of his sword into her stomach. The movement caused Elara to double over and take a few paces back. At the same instant, Seraphina lunged forward, her own blade dancing through the air as she tried to find an opening.

Jason was forced onto the defensive, but only for a moment. He parried Seraphina’s strikes while keeping Elara at bay with a kick. He was not struggling.

But he was occupied.

This was his chance to escape.

Ronan did not hesitate. Survival over pride.

What was the shame in being pathetic if you could live to see another day? He activated Stealth, his presence dissolving into the chaotic battlefield. He turned to flee into the forest.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Shit. An invisible force, a concussive blast of pure mana, erupted from Jason. It threw Elara and Seraphina away like dolls, their bodies crashing hard against the trees. He had seen him.

Jason charged.

Fuck.

Ronan abandoned Stealth and gathered the last of his focus.

Soul Attack.

He pushed the formless energy forward. It struck Jason, and for a fraction of a second, Jason’s entire body went rigid. His eyes lost focus.

He staggered.

It was not enough.

His momentum carried him forward, and his hand closed around Ronan’s throat.

The grip was iron, and Ronan found himself unable to move or breathe. Ronan’s feet left the ground. His breath caught, vision swimming with black spots. With Jason’s superior strength, Ronan could not move.

Seraphina struggled to her feet, her sword held in a shaking hand.

"Let him go!"

Jason did not even look at her. With his free arm, he drove his sword forward.

The blade entered Seraphina’s chest, piercing through the other side. Her eyes went wide, a gasp catching in her throat before she collapsed.

Ronan tried to use Soul Attack again, but Jason’s grip was a vice, and this time, his focus wouldn’t waver. Jason’s soul was strong, that much was clear. It did nothing.

He looked for Elara.

She was a crumpled heap against a tree, unconscious. The last attack, whatever skill Jason had used, got her.

Jason’s cold eyes returned to him. He loosened his grip only to grab Ronan by the neck and throw him across the clearing.

Ronan’s body hit the ground hard, his already damaged arms screaming in pain and agony.

As Ronan tried to push himself up, Jason walked over to the fallen princess.

Seraphina reached out a hand, whispering a word Ronan could not hear.

Jason brought his sword down, pinning her hand to the earth.

Her scream was pure agony.

Jason walked closer to Ronan. The dread in Ronan’s stomach was as cold as ice.

I lost. He was going to die here. Was this it? All his planning, all his knowledge, all his ideas for the future... overturned by a single grieving brother with a power-up?

Was this truly it?

Almost ironically, a flicker of blue text appeared in the corner of his vision.

[Mandatory Quest: Save Luca – Complete!]

Ronan felt a black, hollow amusement at the timing.

Even now, the world revolved around Luca. He had lost. Not to a grand scheme, not to a rival mastermind, but to his own weakness. His own lack of foresight. He was dying, and he would surely die today.

Seeing this message, Ronan felt a sense of hatred for this system.

As Jason raised his sword for the final blow, Ronan felt a dreadful moment of realization, a quiet acceptance of the end.

Then, his vision swam, the forest dissolving into blackness.

He found himself floating in his own soulspace.

The familiar, endless darkness stretched out around him.

Drifting through the void, was an ethereal red ribbon.