Re: Timeless Apocalypse

But the Wolf was nowhere near powerful enough to be able to sunder him in half with such an attack.

All it could do was dig its teeth deep into his body, then violently pull back, ripping flesh and skin from him and letting his blood soak his frame.

Deep trench lines of torn flesh were carved along Samael’s waist. The pain was so intense he felt like he’d been flash-banged, unable to think or see anything properly.

What truly woke him up, though, was a mighty force slamming into his chest, followed by a series of claws tearing across it, more blood and pain consuming him.

His body shook so violently that he let go of his blade and fell onto his backside. But in such a position, his head was nothing but a fresh meal for the Wolf.

It bridged the distance, unhinging its jaw wide, intending this time to end the battle by snatching his neck away from him.

’...’

Samael couldn’t react in time, and all he saw was death.

But just as he was about to be torn apart, he felt a stream of energy flood into his body.

For some reason, in that moment, his connection to the world became unmatched, and he could sense every flow of elemental aether in the air.

More importantly, he felt his own element—his Unique Element—clearer than ever.

Just like when he’d blocked earlier, he reacted on pure instinct.

Strange ashen aether coiled around him, twisting into a flowing sea of wolves. A potent and powerful will erupted around him, blanketing the world like a decree.

BOOOM!

The wolf was violently blown back, and Samael rose to his feet, guided by something larger than himself. He threw the wolf a single glance, then instantly managed to copy the patterns of its flowing aether.

His body was augmented, and he exploded toward the thrashing beast, picking his sword up along the way and swinging the moment he reached it.

Behind him, the looming phantom of an ashen wolf stood guard, its will streaming into him and granting him a form of authority no G-Ranker had the right to wield.

SHI!

The wolf was cut in two.

...

Uriel sat high up in a tree, his back leaning against the trunk, one arm resting on a propped-up knee. He observed the flow of battle with rapt attention.

’Mirror affinity... well, that’s new.’

He smiled. ’Mirror affinity that’s able to reflect and spiritualise Wills. That is ridiculous.’

Having access to Wills was, as Uriel had found out, a primordial component of true aether mastery. He himself wasn’t very clear on the matter yet, but he knew it was pivotal.

He already had four Wills.

If it were to be distilled down into its barest form, being able to wield the Will of something was like having access to the truest kernel of control and power over the subject.

It was like a form of Authority.

With something as simple as Wolf Will, Samael had been able to learn the beast’s circulatory patterns in a second and almost instantly turn his shoddy strike into something more than passable, powerful enough to behead the creature.

When someone like Uriel wielded such a thing, the difference would be... noticeable.

’He somehow skipped over the Elemental part entirely, though. That’s troublesome.’ His eyes narrowed.

As Uriel understood it, there were two very important Will types in aether mastery: Elemental Wills and Living Wills.

Just like he’d noticed with Enoch, the latter had a fire element, but it somehow only ever manifested in seas of lions or weapons.

That was a perfect fusion and use of Elemental and Living Will; at the highest level, the two were inseparable.

Even Uriel had only been able to grasp Elemental Wills, while Living Wills still eluded him. But Samael had skipped the easiest step and directly leapt to the complex.

’With his Mirror Element, I really don’t know how that’ll pan out... I’m curious.’

His eyes glimmered. ’By observing him, maybe I can complete my understanding of Will.’

If he could do that, then...

...

"Huff... huff... huff..."

What did it mean for Samael to wield Wolf Will?

He didn’t know. He didn’t even know what the coating aura of energy and spectral wolves hanging on his blade was, nor did he fully understand what he was feeling.

But what he did know was that he could feel his wounds closing at a rapid pace. He could also feel his stamina returning.

’...’

The moment he regained his breath, the ground shook once more, and from thin air, a panther shrouded in deep darkness appeared, its beady golden eyes filled with violence.

’Focus.’ Samael clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on his blade. He focused on the flowing aura of ash and wolf imprints coating it.

It came to him naturally, and from his blade, the aura extended to his body. Suddenly, all fear tore from his heart, and he felt power surge through his veins.

He almost let out a growl.

"..."

The panther didn’t immediately attack. Sensing a strange aura from the boy, it instead began to circle him, its bestial core trembling as more and more dark aether flooded the surroundings.

Samael had only just blinked when he found that there was nothing but darkness around him.

He tried to tighten his hold on his blade, but his eyes widened when he felt nothing.

’I can’t feel anything.’ The realization made him frown, but the will burning around him didn’t let him succumb to fear.

No, instead, he felt it guiding him. He let the will take control, or rather, he chose to meld into it, his will and its own no longer separate.

His aether flowed with the cadence of a beast, but not just any beast. It carried the predatory patience of a wolf, the slow methodology of a hound, and the vicious intent of a pack.

And by extension, those traits infused his entire being.

’Hunter.’ The word echoed across Samael’s mind.

SHOO!

Suddenly, he ducked, weaving beneath a swiping paw that nearly tore his throat open. But following the Will of the Wolf—the Will of a Hunter—he spun and pounced on the beast.

WHOOSH!

The panther slipped seamlessly out of his grasp, as elusive as shadows and as distant as darkness.

But it immediately reappeared behind him, a hiss escaping its jaws as both its paws descended like death sentences onto Samael’s nape.

SHING!

A blade covered in ash tore into the beast’s core, and the gold in its gaze faded, the only memento of its existence being its crystallized shock.

The domain of darkness dissolved, and Samael regained his senses.

"..."

He stood to his feet.

’My element is...’

Somehow, through the Will of the Wolf, he had known exactly where to strike to kill the beast in the most efficient way. But more importantly, the Will had affected the panther’s mind.

It had made the panther attack with killing intent far too early, abandoning its usual slow and methodical approach. It had acted as a form of mental pressure, or perhaps a subtle suggestion.

’...’

Samael was speechless.