Chapter 13. Limit (2)

Zero flew up to Conrad, who was lying exhausted. The warrior could no longer move as his muscles were cut by the internal wind energy raging within him, the amount of which he forcibly increased by using [Transformation].

Because Conrad had gone beyond his natural limitations, the degree of internal destruction of his body had reached a critical point. Now, he had come out of the [Transformation] state and could no longer use the power of the wind to pump his blood and saturate it with oxygen.

However, having learned to use wind energy in this way, Conrad used the last of his strength and enveloped his heart and lungs with energy flows that forced these organs to work. But this was only enough to delay the inevitable. In his current state, the warrior is not capable of more.

In his thoughts he tried to find a solution to the problem, but due to the fact that his consciousness was fading, no sensible ideas came to mind.

- This time you survived again, which means that there is still a chance.

Zero looked condescendingly at Conrad and continued speaking:

- You know, it's quite difficult to train you. I tried in different ways, tried again and again, until I realized that your best teacher is despair. Previously, I did not understand why humanity had to face this disaster, to be on the verge of destruction, but now I know that this is the only option.

The warrior heard the monster's words in fragments.

Footsteps were heard nearby.

- And here you are.

Zero looked at the First walking towards him with indifference.

Her coat and mask were completely destroyed. Now she didn't look human. The First's skin was completely covered with dark scales that emitted a white glow. There was no hair on her head, only six winding horns. There are four eyes on the face, and numerous fangs in the mouth.

- I don't believe I'm saying this, but I underestimated one bug. If it weren't for [Transformation], he really could have killed me.

The First's voice was submissive, she was holding something in her right hand:

- He died trying to take me with him. Not even a trace remained of his body. Except for the fire left in my body after his attack, which continued to burn me. I had to concentrate all my feelings on internal energy and remove foreign impurities from it. At that moment, another tenacious cockroach attacked me.

- And why are you telling me all this?

- I thought you might be interested.

The First threw the object she was carrying right next to Conrad.

When the warrior looked at him, his eyes widened in shock. It was Patrick's head. He died with an arrogant smile on his face.

- This guy stabbed me with a trident when I was too focused on myself. Tell me, Arias Conrad, did you teach the boy such dirty tricks?

The warrior's gaze became even fiercer. He tried to get up, but he couldn't. And not a single thought about how to correct the current situation came to mind.

- Dirty trash!

The First looked at Conrad contemptuously.

- A?

She fell. Her legs were cut off by the blade of the wind.

- Don't you dare talk to him like that!

An incredible thirst for murder emanated from Zero.

- P-please, forgive me, my lord!

In fear, the First rested her forehead on the ground, and her voice became pitiful.

- Although your vulgar actions have borne some fruit.

Zero looked thoughtfully at the warrior.

- But this is still not enough. It's unfortunate. Are those people who remained at the entrance to the city still alive?

- Yes, sir! I didn't dare touch them, as you ordered.

- What a sad role they played. I even feel sorry for them again, although so much time has passed.

Zero flew up and lifted Conrad with currents of air, flying in the direction from where the warriors entered the city. Having recovered her legs, the First followed him.

---

- Samira, please, you need to calm down.

Aisha looked at the girl with a compassionate gaze.

Samira sat opposite her, legs crossed and biting the nails on her left hand. Some time ago, Keoni and Mizuki were able to stop the girl's hysterics, she even began to behave calmly, slowly regaining consciousness.

But then, all the people remaining near the pickup trucks witnessed a huge column of dark scarlet flame that arose in the place where the fighters went. After this, Samira retreated into herself again.

- Don't worry, we will survive... We will definitely live, do you hear?

Despite the fact that Aisha tried to calm her friend, she herself could hardly contain her fear.

But realizing that now is not the time to give in, otherwise the soul of the girl sitting opposite her will be broken forever, Aisha applied all her strength.

- I hope you are all still alive?

An unfamiliar, pretty voice was heard from the air.

Aisha and Mizuki suddenly looked out the window to see the owner of that voice. They were afraid that Zero had come for them, but until the last they hoped that this was not the case. Keoni and Alucard, who were standing outside the car, fell to their knees. Their looks were full of despair.

At that moment, the people inside the pickup realized that their end was much closer than they thought. They went outside to try to fight back the enemy, but were shocked by what they saw.

Zero landed in front of them and lowered Conrad's exhausted body to the ground. 

The warrior tried to say something, but could only move his lips.

«Run.»

Conrad repeated again and again, but no sound came from his mouth.

- First, kill the rest. I only need a girl with white hair, other people are useless.

Despite the cruel words, Zero's voice was soft, as was the smile on his face.

Hearing these words, Samira jumped out of the car with screams of horror and ran away, but in an instant she was crushed by the pressure on the ground. This fate befell all the people except Aisha and Conrad.

The warrior bit his lips until they bled, so that the remaining adrenaline rushed into the blood. This allowed him to move, but his movements were extremely weak.

- I told you, forget everything you know about energy techniques... Why do you think so narrowly?

Zero looked at the man with disappointment.

Aisha froze in horror. 

Conrad glared at Zero.

«Get up!»

Only this thought was in his head.

The last remaining comrades were killed in less than a second. The warrior understood that Aisha was next.

- If you go beyond the limit within three seconds, then I will spare her.

Zero said condescendingly.

 - I'm starting the countdown.

«Get up!»

Conrad dissipated the energy that was helping his lungs and heart and wrapped it around his hand.

- Once.

Aisha, shocked by the death of her comrades and observing the terrible state Conrad was in, collapsed.

- Two.

Zero continued to count emotionlessly.

«Get up!!»

On the verge of death, Conrad used the last remnants of wind energy to move his arm. He slowly crawled towards Zero.

- Three!

Zero released a sphere of air energy. The girl's body was cut into pieces.

«Get...»

Conrad's gaze became completely blank. All the people he had fought alongside to save the world, and who were very dear to him, were dead.

«What was all this for?»

He wondered this question again and again, remembering all the deadly battles they had gone through together.

«For it to end this way?»

The warrior looked at the flying parts of Aisha's body. On her lifeless face.

«I'm tired. From everything. From battles. From deaths. From losses.»

Conrad's gaze was blank.

«But what can I change? The only thing I've been capable of my whole life is kill monsters... That's right. Kill.»

- First.

- Yes my Lord.

- I don't know if he can kill me this time, but it's time to say goodbye to you.

Zero had a smile on his face.

- Forgive my question, but what do you mean?

The First looked questioningly at the gentleman.

Streams of wind began to converge towards Conrad's body. A hurricane appeared around him, pushing the monsters away.

Everything in this world consists of four basic elements: Water, Wind, Earth and Fire. Including the human body. They permeate all levels of existence, forming energy flows.

It is by intertwining with each other that these flows create everything that exists. People are able to sense them all, but control only those that belong to one element. If there are more currents with the wind element in a person's body, then he can learn to use wind energy. And the same, by analogy, with other elements.

By changing the waves of energy surrounding them in space, warriors embody various techniques. Their strength is directly related to the amount of internal energy of a person's basic element, because the more there is, the deeper a person's understanding of energy itself and the better its management.

But the amount of energy in the human body is limited from birth. Moreover, its essence is woven from the energy flows of various elements, so warriors are not destined to achieve perfect control of the energy of the element.

To do this, it would be necessary to remove all other elements from the body, but this would entail instant death, since each element is necessary to perform special functions determined by its specificity.

But this man, Arias Conrad, seemed to go against the very rules of the universe. Over all the twenty years during which he has been fighting monsters, this warrior has been on the verge of life and death more than once during battle.

He was constantly in extremely dangerous conditions, often acting almost unconsciously. Therefore, his body developed a new reflex. It is this that is the main secret that allows Conrad to use [Transformation].

Thanks to all the difficult moments he experienced, Conrad's body learned to reflexively control the unconscious, one might say that it filled it with meaning. Not limited by the framework of the conceivable, it was the unconscious that was able to grasp what a person was not destined to comprehend.

Decompose an element into pure energy at such a level that you can change its properties and then turn it back into an element.

- Ahahaha!

Zero's eyes filled with tears of happiness.

- Is he still a man?

The first looked in horror at the warrior soaring in the center of the hurricane.

Now Conrad acted instinctively. He removed all flows of other elements from his body, and then, absorbing the energy of the wind from space, filled everything in his body with a single element.

By changing the properties of the wind element, he was able to use it for functions that other elements performed. Compressing and accelerating the wind energy, he heated it, thereby forming a kind of flame. By condensing the wind and making it flowing, it replaced water. Increasing the wind density to ultra-high values, it replaced the earth.

Now Conrad seemed to be one with the wind.

Chapter end