’That attack now, it was pure mana, yet it carried such destruction,’ Ken thought for a moment as he looked at the abomination, his grip on his sword refused to loosen, as though a moment of breath would cause their deaths. He shifted his weight to his back foot, preparing to launch, his gaze steady.

"This abomination, how does it power the core in its chest?" Ken asked.

Ross glanced at him. He saw Ken was ready to attack again. A soft smile escaped him. He turned his head back and held his sword tight as well. "Abominations are loved by mana, they are what this world believes is the truth of existence. All beings that accept mana should become one of these and listen to the voice of mana," Ross explained.

"Oh, so in summary, it recharges with the mana in the air around it," Ken said.

"That’s it," Ross replied. He took a sharp breath and steadied himself. "I’m reaching exhaustion, we have to take this abomination down. I’ll create the chance for you. When you see it, strike the final blow right through the core."

Ken nodded. That was as good as a plan could be now. He had firsthand seen the strength of this monster, so he was going to ensure he used true state to its max.

Ross charged in first, sword at his side, his gaze steady as an undisturbed pond. Every breath he took was deep, sending the needed oxygen to each muscle and telling them to keep moving. The abomination saw him come. It pulled back its arms and then unleashed both like it was trying to kill an insect. Ross watched those hands come. The world slowed down for him as he took one more breath and then leaped into the air at the very right moment. The hands missed him as he was in the air.

"Move now!" he yelled as he started creating platforms of ice and leaping from them.

Ken listened. He dashed forward fast, his heart racing with the eagerness to take down this monster, eyes darting while still managing to keep focus on Ross, who was now in the air. He ran at the flank with the sword at his side.

One opportunity. That was all that he needed.

Ross looked down and saw Ken moving into position fast. He smiled. He was beyond impressed at the kid. He showed skill that someone his age would not normally have.

’He has done his path, now mine.’ Ross leaped off the ice platform, coming down at the abomination. The abomination attacked with one slash and Ross blocked it while spinning around it. He landed behind the abomination, who turned immediately and swung down to hit Ross. Ross leaped into the air, pressed one foot against the hand that was used to attack and proceeded to use it as a ramp to jump higher.

He swung his leg like it was made of rubber, a clean arc through the air as it slammed into the face of the abomination.

BAM!

The head of the abomination twisted to the side, but it still managed to swing its hand at Ross.

"Shit!" Ross let out a curse before the hand hit him. He coughed up blood but managed to stab his sword into the hand and use it as an anchor to not get thrown back. That caused a great deal of pain to the abomination. It let out a thunderous roar of pain.

Ross managed to pull his sword out and land on the ground. He backed up fast because he knew that abomination would do something next. What he did not expect was that it would use a less lethal blast from its chest immediately.

BOOM!

Ross did not even have time to conjure a spell. He raised his blade and the blast slammed into it. He was thrown back and slammed into the ground like a ragdoll, but even then he stabbed the sword into the ground and forced himself to a stop. He propped himself to his feet almost immediately and just in time to block the next attack, slip under, and then use an ice pillar to shoot him high up fast, slamming his knee into the head of the abomination and knocking it back.

He gritted his teeth as he looked down at the abomination. He gripped his sword tight, pulled his body back, and immediately went in for the swing at the head. The abomination used its arms to block the attack. Ross smiled.

"Stupid," he muttered.

At that very moment, Ken appeared in front of the abomination, but due to it focusing on Ross above, it failed to see the threat below. Ken had a clear line of sight to the core. He had a few seconds worth of his true state. It was all out right now.

He pressed his feet against the ground, sword already tilted at the right angle for a clean stab, hands wrapped around the sword in a steady manner. In that moment, Ken made a decision that would change the course of his life in this world. He ran forward.

The distance closed fast. He got to the right point, planted his feet into the ground, and then he thrust the sword, stabbing right into the core of the abomination.

’I did it.’

Those were his last thoughts before he felt his mind ripped from his body and plunged into a darkness unlike any other. He saw his body get farther and farther away, like his soul was getting snatched, yet he could somehow still feel himself stabbing the core, but he was not there.

It kept going until all that he could see was darkness, pure darkness.

"What is happening?" he asked, a bit of fear finding its way into his normally calm heart. When he had died, he had not felt fear in any way, but now he did, and he could not understand what it was.