As time passed fast, the world around Arthur started to look quite empty. Much of the forces here were now passing the portal, and Arthur had to stay behind to make sure that all the forces were safely departing this world.
He also had to wait until his system would return with an answer. From the tone of the world's will from before he felt she was already knowing something he didn't.
'Ding! She refused to say a thing,' the system finally returned with the bad news, 'Ding! And she asks you to leave now as she will start destroying the array.'
"She is… stubborn," Arthur glanced around before sighing, "no choice then but move."
What remained behind were only monsters. All the mages already passed through the portal.
'Don't bother with this,' the golden dragon said, 'one day you'll meet up again with her, or your godfather might know the answer.'
"I hope so," Arthur then entered the portal, leaving behind that world he was forced to come to.
The moment he entered the portal he felt like throwing himself into a frozen lake. The air around was so thick and extremely cold.
"I wasn't expecting that," yet that didn't affect his sturdy dragonair body. He kept moving forward with a slightly slower speed than he used to have.
The deeper he went, the thicker the air around became until he was quite sure he was now breaking through layers of ice and not air. With each move of his wings he could hear a cracking sound like something solid being smashed by his wings and body.
That made his advancement speed slow down gradually, while the end of that tunnel he was flying into was still far.
'I think we might have a problem,' Gege suddenly said, 'that bastard is heading towards here.'
Arthur's eyes narrowed while turning to check his rear. The portal beginning could be spotted from his place like a small shiny circle at the end of the path.
"I can't see him," Arthur returned to focus on flying forward, "and how did you manage to see him?"
'The tree is still connected with the world,' Gege said, 'and he just left the array he was doing and is now heading fast towards the portal.'
"What about that beauty we left behind? Can't she stop him?"
'She is doing her best in that,' Gege said, 'but I believe she will fail.'
'Her control over the world is just recent and incomplete,' the golden dragon further explained, 'she can do a little to stop him.'
"Then let her detonate the array," Arthur didn't hesitate to say.
'But…'
"No time for that," Arthur pushed his body to the front with all his might, "it's either we succeed and kill that bastard or lose and let him ruin our plans. I won't let him set a single foot inside that world no matter what."
'Ding! The distance to the other end of the portal isn't that far away.'
'But the speed of the array collapsing will be fast as well,' the golden dragon warned, 'you need to move fast enough to avoid getting entangled with the portal collapse.'
"I'm doing my best," Arthur said while gritting his teeth, "just let her destroy the array now."
'Ding! alright,' the system then went into silence before a loud bang came from the rear giving Arthur the response he wanted.
'Now keep flying forward and never look back,' the golden dragon spoke first, 'there is no time to waste checking the rear.'
"He got in?" Arthur realized what that meant, and the silence that came from the three beings in his mind told him he was right in his guessing.
"Damn that bastard," he kept pushing his body further to the front, "let him die here with the portal collapse."
Time seemed to run very slow at this point. The end of the portal was getting so near, but he also was aware that his enemy was getting closer to him as well.
'Ding! Only less than a hundred meters left,' the system said before adding, 'Ding! and that bastard is getting closer as well.'
"What about the collapse?"
'The portal is also racing after his ass,' the golden dragon laughed, 'he will be trapped here no matter what he tries to do.'
Arthur managed to cross the final distance fast, however he didn't pass instantly through the portal opening.
Instead he turned around and slowly took out his sword.
'What are you doing?' Gege seemed a bit distressed with his actions.
"I'll make sure he won't be able to cross the portal," Arthur slowly said before moving with difficulty to activate his technique.
'What's the point in doing that?' the golden dragon asked while Arthur totally ignored him. He was only focusing on the grand scene he was seeing in front of him.
Marcos was racing against time while the entire portal behind was like a giant and terrifying looking beast opening its mouth trying to engulf him.
Even Arthur who stood far from this felt a little intimidated by this scene. Yet he didn't hesitate or think for a second to turn around and run.
He stood in his place while Marcos kept running as fast as he could towards him. The distance between the two wasn't short from the start, however his enemy was moving so fast to even outrun the collapse of the portal.
'I advise you to retreat now,' the golden dragon warned.
"He is moving so fast," Arthur rejected his advice, "I can't let him get inside that world no matter what."
'You can use the help of others,' Gege said, 'I'm sure Amera and Doaf are both waiting for you at the other end.'
Arthur didn't need to turn around to make sure of this. However he wasn't sure of that bastard and his schemes. He was worried that he was already prepared to be assaulted the moment he sat foot inside the world.
And then they would face great trouble dealing with whatever he would cause in the few seconds before his death.
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