Vengeance of the Returner

Slowly Nix dismounted from the Sarabam. His eyes wavered as soon as he saw the man who was sitting atop of rock as though it was his throne.

He was in the center of the whole Warfield facing him as his surrounding was all cleaned up yet, there were remains of few dead soldiers. And around them were countless soldiers who were unconsciously lying on the sand.

Grendon looked at Nix with a welcoming smile.

Nix didn't know what was happening but, he was gaining some sort of buff from an unknown source.

"Ahh! Yes, the young man who swayed his sword in a brilliant way! But, why do I sense the Nova from you? Perhaps the rise of the pillar has a connection to you?"

Grendon asked without distorting his smile.

Firstly Nix noticed that Felishia, Uvend The Draconian chieftain, Bageran, and several others were standing in the sides. It clearly explained that they had the strength to withstand the shift in the mana that covers the atmosphere.

There were also some unknown faces. There was this man with a man bun, he was certainly expressionless but, he was sweating like a pig, holding onto his katana and two cute girls. Probably, twins. 

The atmosphere was too tense for sure.

It wasn't time for scanning his surrounding. It was clear to Nix that this was the same man that trampled in DarkNix. Sure his attitude changed but, he needed to avenge him for his past. 

He unsheathed his chains and lashed them on the ground.

"You lowly being dare draw your weapon!"

The knight that led him here said pushed his leg forward whilst clutching his sword.

"Stop I will take care of this young man."

Grendon said with a smirk and stood up from his Throne.

"My-My how amusing? I didn't expect a wild rabbit here."

Grendon's presence was comparable to that of a god. This was why none had chosen to offend him but, Nix was entirely different. After all even Felishia was just standing there like a statue. She couldn't literally move.  He had no idea who this man is. He didn't sense anything strange. Sure, he felt his physique intimidating.

The difference in weight class was sure a lot which could cause any man to question his ability to fight.

Apart from all such things he didn't understand why his hand moved on its' own.

The men around Grendon all fell on their knees. Nix didn't understand what was happening but, he took a stance.

[You cannot control your body.]

This message gave him a shock. Since the beginning, this wasn't his battle. This was Dark Nix's payback.

Those around him including Felishia who saw his foolery were baffled and their jaws dropped. Because Grendon had already got ignited by his fighting spirit. He never had a challenger but, this young man before him for some reason gave him a feeling that he could give a good taste.

The war has already been ended. With all the big shots present where they have complied with Grendon's command which was to retreat their armies.

"Do you bear the energy of Nova? How? How did you achieve it, young man?"

'What is he talking about?'

Nix thought since his lips were sealed.

"Ohh? Will not speak? I understand the competitiveness in your eyes. But, stay put, Youngman you are few centuries late"

Nix's eyes were glimmering in red and his presence was different from his usual self and this was evident to Felishia who used to observe him. The man standing in front of Grendon was someone who was had practically faced gods, unlike the original owner.

{Nix! Nix! What are you doing? You'll die!}

Astaroth tried to bring his consciousness back. The ironic thing was that Nix was able to hear all those yet, he couldn't do anything.

It was akin to synchronization. But, this time the anger had surpassed his own. The vengeance, a hollow that had manifested as his will was nothing comparable to what Nix had.

Grendon raised his one hell of huge sword and pointed towards Nix.

"Since you are so eager to fight me. I will do it. And if you even make a single injury to me I'll accept you are worthy of the scene you are cau..."

In a mere second, the edge of rusty dagger brushed past Grendon's cheek as it tore open the layer of his cheek bone.

"Haha! Attacking before I could finish my sentence? Truly a trick of scum but, I like it!"

Grendon said with a smile as though he liked Nix's style of approach.

'What in the world just happened?'

He muttered.

The Grendon's knights were dumbstruck by the sudden move he made. The mana surrounding their environment was continuously absorbed and manipulated by Nix.

"No talk only action I understand."

Grendon uttered looking at Nix.

Immediately a huge pillar of red energy shot directly towards him making him levitate on the air.

The Next moment his face contoured. 

"Who are you? Why is the Nova favoring you?"

Grendon asked and tried to slash off the pillar but, his blade couldn't even enter the pillar of energy in the slightest.

'Nova's favor?'

Nix questioned himself. 

Sure he saw the message appearing that he had temporarily gained the nova energy but, this surely explained why Heredia needed his participation. She had predicted his future and used him in order to fight this monstrous man.

[What's up man? This fight is mine. I won't win but, he is not the type to kill someone like you. This is something that changes your destiny. Ps: You got the plot armor man! We are the protagonist fam! How will we lose?]

'Dark Nix?'

Nix questioned.

He was sure that he had merged his experiences and sorts. In anycase, it was just a message and it's not like he just talked to him like when he first entered his mind. Dark Nix never ceases to amaze him with his lame jokes. For a man with a dark past. He sure did knew how to make people smile.

Soon the pillar subsided and a man whose body was wholly covered by the red waves of mana and energy stood like a demon.

A Grendon just took a step forward a made a straight swing and the next moment Nix was not there. His swing literally decimated countless unconscious men as pieces of flesh scattered by the sheer force. They were literally made into pieces by a single swing.

"HAh"

Grendon gasped holding his hand on his shoulder and looked at the man before him. 

The ability Grendon wielded was called thousand slash. A Single slash that possesses the same level of power as thousands of slashes. It was something Grendon attained through sheer training over years and years of honing his sword. A type of enlightenment, a path that was known as thousand blade. Swordsmanship that's in the same level of using a single ability over a thousand times. 

One of the deadly paths known in Empyrean. This was widely pursued by the most violent men who go on a path to achieve the way of the sword. It varies from person to person. 

Nagendra pursued a technique called bladeless heart something does not rely on a weapon but one's own heart. It was powerful but, it wasn't meant to kill but, defeat suiting his personality.

[Past Path: Mirror has been activated] 

In the opposite was a man holding chains. He didn't particularly pioneer any path that already existed. The man just literally attained it by nature. A soldier who literally created his own path which he named Mirror.

It was something he came up with after seeing men that had reached the pinnacle of their respected field. Nix was not a talented one. He knew it full well. However hard he tried he failed to get the power to be able to wield the weapons.

He did not have a teacher that's why he came with this technique. 

A mirror reflects the spitting image of the one who faces it. It does not copy nor it just merely shows itself. Dark Nix's mirror was the same. It merely reflects. It turns the opponent's ability on to them.

The ability had several defects and was not fully mastered but that was surely a technique deadly like all the other Paths out there. 

"I am honored to fight you, the bearer of Nova."

Grendon said with a smile.

That's when Nix noticed a cut on his armor akin to himself as blood sprayed out of his shoulder accompanied by immense pain. He wasn't even able to understand what had happened but, they both possessed injuries identical to each other.

The injury didn't heal in the slightest. But sure Dark Nix had gambled here which had literally created a slab on Grendon's shoulder. 

In Truth, the very moment Grendon used the thousand slash he used Mirror, the ability that will return the attack to his enemy. He received the blow and transferred it to him absorbing the impact.

It is similar to the law of conservation that stops the gods from descending at bay. He just transferred energy by absorbing. A suicidal move that could take the wielders life if he caused the slightest blunder.

The most shocking thing was Nix was still alive even though he received a deadly blow from a Transcendent. Soon he fell on his knees.

[Nova energy has been used]

[You have retained control over your body]

As soon as the message appeared Grendon fell on his knee exactly how Nix fell.

"Bearer of Nova, May I have the honor to know your name?"

Grendon asked with a smile.

"Nix"

"Nix of chaos mainland... I am ashamed that I underestimated a genius such as you."