Fate

|Gary|

I observed the figure advancing towards me with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. As he drew nearer, the uncanny similarities between us became apparent: amethyst eyes, grey hair, and a lean build.

Despite the striking resemblance, I felt a deep-seated enmity stirring within me, unbidden. Memories of my greatest adversary flooded my mind, and my instincts bristled with warning.

The man approaching me bore an uncanny resemblance to him, their figures overlapping so closely that it was almost like looking at a reflection.

An ominous feeling crept up my spine, triggering my passive skills to activate subconsciously.

Despite my intense emotions, I managed to suppress them with the ignition of Monarch's Indifference. I locked eyes with him, my own cold amethyst gaze meeting his piercing stare. The air between us crackled with tension, and I awaited his approach with a sense of wary anticipation.

|Third POV|

The two figures drew closer, causing a palpable sense of suppression to ripple through the surrounding people. The first figure moved with the cadence of a sovereign, displaying complete indifference to his surroundings. Yet his powerful aura leaked out of him, causing almost everyone in the vicinity to fall to the ground in submission.

The second figure had the bearing of a conqueror, exuding an air of dominance and strength. His fierce, uncaring aura clashed against that of the sovereign, each refusing to give ground.

The space around the two figures cracked as they came to a sudden stop. Purple runes adorned Gary's skin, marking the release of his full power from his two cores. But his adversary remained unfazed, meeting Gary's intense gaze with a simple shake of the head. "You're not him," he said flatly, his expression unchanged.

Jezebeth muttered, his previously indifferent expression replaced with one of boredom. "Your eyes hold too much life," he said.

Gary met his gaze evenly, not showing any sign of fear. "Perhaps," he replied, "Then there's no reason for you to keep following me through the countless lives we've lived, Jezebeth."

Jezebeth laughed at Gary's words. "We are two sides of the same coin, Ren Dover," he retorted. "We've both reached the pinnacle of strength, we both harbor a deep-seated hatred for the Akashic Records, and in this life, we even bear a striking resemblance to one another. The only difference is the side we've chosen to stand on."

He mused, "One could argue that we're fated to fight each other. Two beings at the apex of our respective races, locked in an eternal struggle through countless cycles of reincarnation. It's almost poetic, don't you think?"

Gary's expression remained stoic as he put his thumb on the hilt of his sword. "Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me," he replied calmly. "You claim to be inevitable, yet you fail to see the truth. We are bound not by fate, but by choice. And I choose to end this cycle once and for all."

"I am inexorable, Ren," he laughed, "I am a being created to stand at the pinnacle of the world. You, on the other hand, are merely the pawn of the puppet of the Akashic Records. Though I will admit, you do give me a challenge."

Jezebeth's confident declaration only fuelled Gary's determination. He had already accomplished the impossible by destroying the Akashic Records in his past life as Ren, and he was willing to finish Jezebeth for one last time this life.

"You underestimate me, Jezebeth," Gary stated with conviction. "I may have been a puppet once, but I have broken free from those strings. I refuse to be controlled by fate or anyone else."

Jezebeth's expression remained stoic, but a hint of surprise flashed across his face. "You destroyed the Akashic Records?" he repeated in disbelief. "That is an act of blasphemy against the universe itself. How did you even—"

Gary cut him off, drawing his sword and illuminating the area with a brilliant purple light. "It's time to end this once and for all," he declared, fixing his eyes unwaveringly on Jezebeth. "I'll prove to you that I am not a pawn or a mere instrument of destiny. I am Gary Whiteborn, and I will be the master of my own fate."

|Bairon|

Shallow, haggard breaths escaped my lips as I dared not look up. I felt the ground shake beneath me as two powerful auras, far beyond mine, clashed viciously against each other.

'In what world are these two just twelve-years old?' I wondered internally as I peered at my shivering right hand.

I was a Lance, a being who stood at the pinnacle of the world, yet I felt powerless in the face of this battle. While I knew I was far behind Varay in terms of strength, it was only now that I realized my true place.

I was nothing.

My power wasn't anywhere near the top, and it was useless in the face of these two beings. But then I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Varay trying to help me.

"Don't worry, Bairon," she said, her voice steady and reassuring. "We may not be able to match their power, but we can still be useful. Stay alert and be ready to act when the opportunity arises."

Her words gave me a glimmer of hope, and I took a deep breath to steady myself. I may not be as strong as Gary and Jezebeth, but I could still do my part.

|Gary|

Those eyes.

They were different from what I had expected.

Glistening with a shade of amethyst instead of the usual scarlet, but the sense of oppression and power emanating from them only affirmed my suspicion.

In front of me stood the King of Demons, Jezebeth, a being who stood at the pinnacle of the entire universe.

He was my greatest enemy, the one I had fought through countless lives. He was the one who cursed and killed Amanda, and caused the death of my family.

Despite the gravity of the situation, a strange feeling of calmness washed over me, a sense of complete indifference.

Dusk's Shadowfang glinted in my hand, the ethereal purple glow from the aetheric coating casting an otherworldly hue over the battlefield.

Jezebeth's piercing gaze bored into me, his mana pulsating with a menacing energy.

I couldn't help but notice the two towering obsidian antlers jutting from his head, dwarfing Uto's horns.

Silence fell between us, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. We both waited for the other to make the first move.

[First movement of the Keiki Style: Quick Slash]

My blade sliced through the air with deadly accuracy, hurtling towards Jezebeth with a fierce determination.

He sidestepped my sword with incredible speed, leaving only a small cut on his cheek as a mark. I could see the golden ichor oozing from the wound, evidence of his heritage.

But he didn't waste any time in counterattacking. He shifted his weight and threw a left hook towards my abdomen. I quickly stepped back, narrowly dodging his attack. Jezebeth immediately followed up with a right punch that came at me with lightning-fast speed.

I knew I had to act fast. With a quick activation of my spatium ability, I connected the motes of aether around me and formed an aetheric pathway to teleport out of harm's way. I reappeared a few feet away, ready to continue the fight.

Jezebeth's expression remained stoic as our auras clashed, his soulfire against my lightning. I could feel the immense pressure emanating from his body as we both launched ourselves forward.

I executed the third movement of the Keiki Style, Void Step, and we closed the distance between us in an instant. Aevum pulsed around me, amplifying my speed.

His fist collided with my blade, sending me staggering backward. I quickly regained my footing and spun my body, using the Gravar Style and increasing the weight of my sword with gravity magic.

With a powerful strike, I aimed for Jezebeth's exposed flank. But he was quick to react, turning his body to meet my attack head-on with his left fist.

Our clash sent shockwaves rippling out in all directions, the ground beneath us cracking and splintering.

"Are you going to rely on that swordsmanship again?" Jezebeth taunted me, his black spikes emerging around us.

I could feel the temperature drop as I unleashed my ice magic, trying to suppress his soulfire and gain the upper hand.

The white flames on my curved blade grew brighter as I infused it with vivum's power, turning them into a stunning shade of purple that caught Jezebeth's attention.

He knew what was coming next.

As I switched to the Levisha Style, my sword danced through the air in a beautiful display of swordsmanship. I felt the satisfaction of each successful strike, yet Jezebeth was unfazed.

He condensed his soulfire, darkening it and pushing back against my purple flames.

I gritted my teeth, knowing that this battle was far from over.

"Let us ascend to greater heights," Jezebeth declared, his power surging to new heights as soulfire enveloped his entire body. I drew upon the depths of my being, summoning the full might of my ice magic.

A deep breath filled my lungs as my silver locks underwent a stunning transformation, shimmering into a resplendent white. My piercing amethyst eyes radiated with an intense sapphire blue. With a forceful exhale, a frigid chill cascaded through the Academy, causing the very air to crystallize and the temperature to plummet.

The clash of titans ensued as Jezebeth and I hurtled towards each other once more, the collision of our powers echoing through the halls with a thunderous roar.