Chapter 171 : Coming to the rescue ( Final )

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 : Coming to the rescue ( Final ) Alex’s eyes locked on the Wraith twins. They were holding something small, glimmering faintly in the dim light. His blood boiled instantly. ’Not again... I’m not making the same mistake twice.’ Even in his battered condition—when every muscle in his body screamed for rest and his vision threatened to black out—he forced himself upright. The System’s voice rang sharply in his head. [ Host, you are in no condition to fight. What the hell are you thinking? ] ’For how many days will I be out if I use that?’ Alex shot back without hesitation. ’Tell me, right now. I still have time—I’m not letting those sons of bitches escape. They’ve seen too much.’ The System hesitated, its voice tight. [ Host— ] ’Just tell me.’ A pause, then finally— [ At max, at least ten days. Normally it wouldn’t have affected you much... but your body is already in a broken state. ] Alex smirked faintly. ’That’ll do.’ To everyone’s surprise, he straightened fully, each step forward radiating stubborn determination. His movements were pained but unwavering as he started toward the Wraith twins. Serena made to rush forward, but Elric’s hand caught her arm. "Let’s see what he can do." Serena halted, though her eyes stayed locked on Alex. Slowly, Alex began weaving strange symbols in the air, the lines glowing faintly with power. He stopped after a few strides, planting his feet. The black blade in his hand pulsed with violent energy, white light spilling from the steel as glowing runes started carving onto the blade and danced along its length. The ground trembled, reacting to the force gathering in his form. White energy surged, coating his entire body until his silhouette blazed like a figure cut from the stars. His voice, cold and absolute, cut through the air. "Astral Void Rend..." He raised the sword, every motion deliberate, the air twisting around the edge. "Sixth Form: Temporal Echo." Reality itself seemed to warp as he swung. The blade’s arc split the air in two, releasing a strike that didn’t just move forward—it existed in two points in time simultaneously. The first wave tore toward the Wraith twins, impossibly fast. Before they could even process it, the second wave—a delayed echo of the same attack— disappeared somewhere, as if it had vanished out of existence. The ground in its path exploded into dust, buildings shuddered as if struck by a quake, and the air cracked like breaking glass. This wasn’t just an attack—it was the inevitability of time made manifest by a mortal. --- A few moments earlier—right as Aaron had lunged at Alex and Selena—the twins had taken out a small object from their storage rings. The artifact was no larger than a palm-sized disc, carved from a translucent black crystal that shimmered with faint, shifting light. Around its edges, intricate golden lines pulsed like veins, converging on a single blood-red gem at its center. It hummed faintly, the air warping around it. They were about to activate it when the world shifted. A pressure unlike anything they had ever felt crushed down on them, suffocating and absolute. They couldn’t even breathe properly, let alone move. Slowly, their eyes turned toward the source. An old man stood there, his posture relaxed yet radiating a killing intent so sharp it could have cut steel. His gaze locked on them, cold and unyielding, carrying a simple message—’you are not going anywhere.’ The realization struck like a thunderclap. This wasn’t some ordinary old man. Their souls felt as if they were being pulled from their bodies. Then, suddenly, their paralysis shattered. The oppressive pressure vanished as if it had never been there. When they looked towards the old man, he just smiled faintly at them. Relief barely had time to form before they saw him. Alex. Walking toward them. Veyron’s breath hitched, panic surging in his veins. "Sis... do something, I don’t wanna die!" They both tried to activate the artifact immediately—only for chains of blinding white light to erupt from the ground, coiling around their bodies in an instant. The bindings were cold, heavy, and absolute, refusing to let them move even an inch. Their heads snapped down. Glowing runes were etched into the ground around them—the source of the chains. Alex had used Aero scripting. Panic clawed at their throats. They strained against the bindings, muscles burning. A few chains even cracked under their combined strength, but the runes flared brighter, repairing the bindings faster than they could break them. ’Now what...?’ they thought in unison, their eyes darting wildly for any hope of escape—only to find none. --- The Wraith twins froze when they heard the faint whisper—Alex’s voice, low but resonating like a death knell. ’Astral Void Rend... Sixth Form: Temporal Echo.’ A blinding slash of white light erupted from Alex’s blade, tearing through the air with impossible speed. It wasn’t just light—it carried weight, inevitability, the sense that nothing could stand in its path. They were both still bound. Veyron’s eyes widened in horror, his breath shattering into short, panicked gasps. "N-No... no, no, no—!" He could feel it in his bones—death was coming, and it had his name on it. Veyra, however, forced herself to stay calm. ’These chains... they’re coming from the runes. Destroy the runes, destroy the bindings.’ Her eyes sharpened. Then she roared, unleashing a tidal wave of darkness from her body. The ground beneath her trembled violently as the surge tore through the street, cracking stone and shattering several of the glowing runes that anchored the chains. One by one, the bindings snapped. The slash of white light was almost upon them. With a final burst of strength, Veyra shattered the last few links holding her, then lunged forward, grabbing Veyron’s arm and yanking him with her. The two rolled hard across the ground, narrowly dodging the initial arc of the attack. But the danger wasn’t over. Veyra froze mid-movement, her eyes tracking the slash as it twisted unnaturally in midair. The blade of white light folded through space itself, curving in an impossible trajectory—coming for them again. Her mind went cold. ’It’s not going to stop... not until it hits at least one of us.’ A chill slithered down her spine. This wasn’t a sword technique—it was a hunter, relentless and merciless. She turned to Veyron, forcing a faint smile to her lips despite the dread clawing at her chest. "Brother... take care of yourself." Before he could react, she stepped directly into the slash’s path. The impact was instant. Her limbs disintegrated in a blinding flash, her body tearing apart under the overwhelming force. The blast ripped through flesh, bone, and even the darkness she commanded, leaving her form barely recognizable. She hit the ground with a thud, the street beneath her scorched white. Veyron stared, frozen, as his sister’s body crumpled. His mind couldn’t process it—the one person he thought would never fall, the one who had always been with him, was gone. He couldn’t comprehend what had just happened before the realization dawned. Then rage, raw and venomous, swallowed the fear in his chest. He turned toward the silver-haired boy, his voice breaking into a roar. "I promise... I’ll take everyone important to you, just as you’ve taken from me! I’ll make you watch as I strip them from your life—one by one in front of you as you beg me to spare them! And then I’ll tear you apart... limb from limb!" Alex was on his knees now, his sword buried in the ground to keep himself upright. Every muscle screamed for rest, every nerve felt frayed and raw, yet his eyes stayed locked on Veyron. "Don’t act like you’re the victim when you’re the one who came here to kill me," he said, voice low but steady. "And remember this—those who dare to take a life should be ready to offer their own... the reaper always collects his debts." Veyron’s teeth ground together, his knuckles white as he lifted his sister’s mangled body into his arms. He pulled the artifact from his sleeve. "Then I’ll come back... to clear my debt." Alex’s grin was hollow, the kind that chilled the air between them. "No... you can’t. You’re already dead—you just don’t realize it yet. So you won’t even get that chance." Confusion flickered in Veyron’s eyes—but before he could demand an explanation, the artifact activated. His body, and that of his sister, dissolved into motes of light, scattering into the air until nothing remained. Alex exhaled slowly, his head tilting back to the sky as relief washed over him. The adrenaline left his body like water draining from a broken dam, and his knees buckled. But he didn’t hit the ground. A pair of strong arms caught him. "You’re one heck of a kid, you know that?" Serena’s voice was soft but edged with pride, a faint smile curving her lips. Alex, despite the exhaustion dragging at his consciousness, smirked. "I know. After all, there’s no one in this world who can match me... in looks and talent." Serena chuckled, shaking her head. "That’s a bold statement for a sixteen-year-old." "Bold... but true," he murmured. Selena appeared moments later, her steps quick, eyes scanning every inch of him. "Alex! Are you okay?" His vision was dimming, the world blurring at the edges, but he looked at both women and managed a faint grin. "I have a favor to ask... the both of you. Please. It’s nothing much, so don’t say no." Serena and Selena exchanged a brief glance, then both nodded. Then Alex revealed what he wanted. After hearing it, they were left in stunned silence. But then they nodded in agreement. "It’s nothing much," Serena said. "I’ll handle it all. Don’t worry," Selena added. A soft smile touched Alex’s lips. His eyelids grew heavier with each passing second. ’Partner... take care and don’t slack off. It’s time for me to have a much-needed sleep.’ [ Didn’t you already slept a lot before your dramatic enterance in the forest ] ’Shut up... let me have my moment you useless system.’ And with that thought, darkness claimed him. --------- A/N: So how was the Chapter? Tell me in the comments! 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