Quarter Finalist (IV)

The half completed concept sigil floated with awe before the four's eyes. Each subconsciously wanted to reach out and snatch it for their own benefit. However, no one even moved as they were simultaneously observing the intricate runic carvings on it. They couldn't even properly count the rune amount as they stacked on top each to form an incomplete, unknown meaning.

"This concept sigil is currently leaning towards the major concepts of space, apocalypse, and death. Along side some more which are affecting it to a lesser degree. Life, darkness, vectors, and temperature, specifically cold temperatures." The Grand Distortion lectured, letting the bunch absorb that first. "My goal was to make an aspect which I'd dub the end. But… I realized it would directly clash with my current aspect. It simply isn't worth it to add this aspect to my arsenal as it has few benefits to me."

His vision swiped across the bunch, "So I, as a really old friend to your principal decided to start a tournament for one of his newest student batches to get an advancement for their future realm."

Everyone there, except the daoist who had great connections with school staff because of his progressions in the dao of shamelessness, was shocked that the Grand Distortion. A popular figure. Was friends with their principal. Another popular figure. It's like realizing two celebrities, who have never met in the eyes of the public, were best friends.

They quickly lost their shock as the two figures had origins from the same area, both have similar morals, and both were born about the same year. The only thing that was odd is how their peaceful principal was friends with this inhospitable man who hides his face.

Vin's neutral face slowly became a grin as he realized something, this man was the one would be completing his agreement with the principal. He opened his mouth to speak and his vision started blurring…

…

In the final arena that contained Vin and Alexander, a sword in Alexander's hand, wrapped by a golden spirit, clashed with the two swords in Vin's hands made from bone. An afterimage of Alexander's strike came down and applied the attack again, down against Vin who was on the defensive for this first interaction.

Alexander then quickly back stepped while swinging his sword a few times, launching blades of light towards his enemy that were meant to impair his enemy's vision. Vin responded almost as fast as Alexander by summoning floating swords that dispersed the crescents, causing sparks to fly off of the four floating blades.

A second spirit of golden luster had appeared next to Alexander, this time instead of enhancing him it was mimicking his appearance. Alexander's appearance included the blade in his hand.

The clone had already closed the distance between it and Vin while the crescents were still up and quickly put pressure on Vin with a downward slash.

Vin saw this and parried the attack with a quick forward thrust that went through the head of the clone and prevented the blade from reaching him at the same time. Alexander who was attempting to get closer to Vin before his clone died had now broken the four flying swords, leaving them unusable and de-summoning them.

Vin thought this fight was odd, as if had already done it before. With that thought, a flood of memories came back, up until the concept sigil being shown and explained to him after winning this very fight he was repeating. He dashed away from Alexander quickly with a confused expression sprawled across his face that slowly became helpless despair. "What. The. Actual. Fuck." He cursed, dropping his weapons to the ground helplessly. He looked down at his hands to see if they were his own, if they were real. No one else seemed to have noticed this repeat, he alone reacted to this.

Alexander paused the fight for a moment seeing as from his perspective, his opponent was having a surprise mental breakdown despite the cockiness he displayed. He disabled his skills for a moment and questioned Vin despite not really knowing what to ask, "Hey are you… okay?"

Vin jumped right back up and apologized for his actions, "Oh yeah sorry, I just realized something sad. I'm ready now though." Going straight back to his carefree expression and picking up the swords he dropped.

With a confused look, Alexander nodded and launched a glowing crescent of energy at Vin as a test, Vin defended against his opponent just as he did before. That gave Alexander reassurance Vin wasn't going to jump off a bridge if he lost. Little did he know Vin was thinking about why everything got thrown back in time a few minutes, like that time when he tried to warn everyone years ago. Not even his crush in the other arena seemed to react, but his mind and soul was left unaffected. He tested the soul by checking his system, it showed the skills he only used in the now deleted future.

Vin then did nigh the exact same thing that played out before, but once he won, instead of watching the fights he went to the wall they went to last time and spoke quietly, "Grand Distortion, could you bring me to the principal, your old friend, quickly. As soon as possible would be nice."

The Grand Distortion's body faded into existence, looking at the child from before speak with seriousness. "How did you know I was here, no one below the aspect realm could notice I was here even if they set up an array here?" He replied with a question, utterly ignoring Vin's request.

With more urgency in his voice, Vin voiced his plead again, "Please just do it, this is important if even you didn't notice it." His voice emphasized the word 'you' as he spoke.

He was scoffed at, "Why should I believe the words of a child." The Grand Distortion jested, as if he wasn't the one who was surprised about this child noticing their existence.

"Space, apocalypse, death. Lesser contributions, life, darkness, vectors, and temperature. Oh yeah, cold temperatures."

The next moment, Vin was in the principal's office realm with the man who brought him there standing next to him solemnly. Vin then greeted his principal, who was hammering a piece of metal in front of him, next he was explaining, "Sir, time has rewound by about 14 minutes. One moment your old pal was explaining how he arranged the tournament because the sigil clashed with the one he already had, the next moment I was fighting Alexander again."