Symmetry of life

'I've always wondered.'

'What if humans are actually incapable of thoughts?'

'Let me rephrase that in a way that it doesn't sound hypothetical but, rather theoretical.'

'What if we're merely reacting, rather than thinking?'

'Since young, we've learnt to adapt, our instincts involves getting the nutrients and needs that our bodily functions require. Hence, we would work to get food, sleep when we're tired, eat when we're hungry and, drink when we're thirsty.'

'But when we come across questions which to our understanding, involves the process of thoughts, is it really a thought? Or is it merely a reaction of how we came to form such questions.'

'Our lives goes on day by day, and we question ourselves, what do I have to do today?

Forming multiple choices. Is it not a reaction that allows you to form those decisions and its' corresponding answer?'

'So are we really capable of our own thoughts? Is the imagination that we think of, really not a reaction of what we desire or form from adaptation?'

'Even I'm not sure, myself.'

Every step that Avel took seemed slow to his eyes, it was as if he was walking on the moon however, the gravity on Fulirwe remained the same, even upon himself. The only difference was the time that he perceived, due to the time dilation spell.

'A few more steps and I'll reach the solid orange mana user.'

[I made about 5 steps and swung my practice sword in an upper horizontal manner, from right to left.]

Slice!

The head of the raider who had just been killed was falling off at such a slow rate, yet the last raider was able to react. He activated his Mana Pressure, looking towards Avel with Mana Vision.

'Solid red mana.. he's just a kid! And he took out Lenyl just like that?! No matter, even a knight can't go against my Mana Pressure. Especially since it's just a child.' The final raider believed, fully unleashing the extent of his Mana Pressure.

'Mana Pressure... it isn't as bad as the one that I had received when I was with mother.'

[Left with the final second of use that time dilation offered, I swung my sword again, beheading the raider, this time, from left to right.]

Crrrrang!

'I couldn't cut through the skin of his neck. It was layered, protected with mana. I should've expected it to be possible and used in such a way.

I'm fucked.'

Although time could be perceived at 10 seconds per second in reality, the movements within the perceived time isn't the same as reality.

Hence, even if Avel were to have as many as 50 seconds of perceived time, his speed of distance in which he moves in, is the same as in real-time. The most that he could do is increase his movements in real-time by half a second.

Which is why, he believed that his time dilation spell was still imperfect, since he couldn't move as freely as he wanted in the time that he would perceived as slow.

Avel took a step backwards, before deactivating his time dilation spell, leaving his mana capacity to remain at 12%. However, it seemed as if the decision that he made in doing so, proved to be a terrible mistake.

[Not only was I slightly affected by Mana Pressure, the raider rapidly created needles of dark magic and sent them flying towards me.]

[I was in a predicament. Not only was I unable to cast a full second worth of 10 seconds perceived time, the needles would approach faster than I'd be able to cast a time dilation spell that's been readjusted to the mana I have left.]

[Hence, I swung my sword in an 'L' shape manner, starting from the bottom right. I also attempted replicate the use of Mana Protection like he did to protect what I most believed were my vital spots. My heart and my head.]

In the next moment, multiple needles penetrated Avel, making him look like some human-figured porcupine. He couldn't fully protect his head as multiple needles grazed his cheeks and both sides of temples on his forehead. His arms and legs were filled with black needles and, unfortunately it drained about 5% of his mana as it dissipated.

"AHAHAH! Stupid kid! That's what you get for trying to stab me in the back! I'm gonna make sure you die slowly for killing Lenyl!!"

'Who the hell is Lenyl? Oh, the solid orange mana user.'

'Wait, fuuuck. What do I do now? I have about 7% of mana remaining within me. It doesn't seem like Tess is going to come out and save me either. Maybe this is the end of me in this world.'

'Can't say I won't miss it. It's been fun, I had a nice family who pampered me a lot and, played along with two kids who weren't that bad or snobbish.'

"Ready for the torture, brat? I'll make sure you suffer a gruesome death. I'll start off with your legs, making sure you can't run. Then, your baby teeth that you just grew out and, your nails which would hurt you like a proper bitch, you are.

No? Too bad. Off with your leg-"

"A-Avel!!!", a cry was made from a soft feminine voice, not so far off away. Turning his head to look, Avel was surprised and wondered why the girl was there.

'Lily? What the fuck is she doing here?!'

"AHAHAHAHA! Another one! Friend of yours? Don't worry, I won't torture her like I will to you.

Instead, I'll kill her right in front of you, making you watch as you won't be able to do anything!"

The man charged his mana and unleashed the same amount of dark needles as he had done to Avel, towards Lilium.

[I didn't think. I didn't care that my body was hurting all over. I just.. reacted.]

Voom, woong wong wong!

[By the time I had realised, I was now standing in front of Lily. Somehow I managed to not only reach here faster than the speed of the dark needles but, I deflected and broke through all of them that were directed towards her.]

"H-how?"

"T-that's Aura! But how? You're just a fucking kid!"

Looking at Avel, it seemed as if he had a mix of dark blue and maroon red glowing aura surrounding him. However, they weren't mixed at all, only his left was blue, and his right was red. A menacing aura shaped as if it were perfectly symmetrical was on him, giving shivers to both of the individuals viewing him.

[Thought process.. I couldn't think at all. I could merely react. And, react I did, as I made the next step towards the raider.]

[In a flash, I had reached him. In a single step, at that. And, I cleanly beheaded him in the next moment.]

The action of beheading traumatised Lilium but, she knew that if it had not been for Avel, she would've been severely injured or worse, dead. Yet, she couldn't take a single step towards him, fearing him and the menacing aura that was currently being manifested out of him.

It didn't take long, a couple seconds after the fall of the final raider, Avel's aura completely vanished, and he fell into a unconscious state. Prompting Lilium to call out his name, again.

Shortly after, the guards of the Winters' family were seen rescuing the residents and Pleres, was down on her knees, crying out for her little brother and was regretting her final moments of stupor towards him. Liz was using her best healing spells upon him while, Gareth was trying to calm them down as best as he could. The situation was something they didn't think would've happened, their son, was protecting another and, sacrificing himself.