Chapter 1359: Neron Vs Kissel [Pt 3]
Neron was weaker than Kissel.
He knew that very well.
The man had three Blood Stones, and his knowledge in Magic was most definitely higher than a mere twelve-year-old.
However, the reason Neron had chosen not to escape wasn't merely due to blind rage or an irrational desire to fight.
'It's because I know I can win.' He flashed a fearless smile as a brilliant glint appeared in his eyes.
"I don't know what you're up to, but you're going to regret not escaping when you had the chance.
~VWUUUUUSSSHHH!~
A powerful vortex swirled around Kissel, and brilliant red energy began to get mixed in with the win.
They felt like tiny gems—raindrops of blood—suspended in the air all around him.
"There's not much time left, so I'll have to get a lot tougher.
~PSHU!~
Several of the crimson drops charged at Neron at that very instant, like bullets that could rip through anything they touched.
Neron wasn't nearly fast enough to dodge them, so he opted for a shield instead.
However, the moment he erected his shield, Kissel lunged at him with a trail of darkness behind him.
In no time at all, the old man appeared in front of him, and then did the unbelievable.
"Useless!" In a single breath, he passed through Neron's barrier and appeared behind him.
"W-wha—?!"
Before Neron could even recoil in shock, sharp spikes from the ground rose and pierced him in multiple areas of his body.
"Gahh!" He yelled, fueled by both pain and rage.
As Kissel drew closer to cast a Restraining Spell on Neron, a sudden burst of pure Mana rushed through the boy.
An explosion erupted instantly.
~BOOOOOM!~
The spikes that had pierced Neron were destroyed by the blast, allowing the boy a chance to rush away from his position.
He darted towards the open field, away from the mansion's building, and Kissel noticed it almost instantly.
"Tch!" The old man clicked his tongue and charged straight towards Neron—both in midair.
The boy sent volleys of flames charging at the man, but he easily got rid of them with a his barrier.
"I told you... it's useless!" Kissel sent a wave of dark flames charging at Neron as a counterattack, but the boy instantly twisted his body and boosted himself away from the area of impact very quickly.
~BOOOOOM!~
As the explosion made a large crater on the ground, Neron landed on the ground not too far from it, while Kissel stood at the other side of the hole in the ground.
"You're annoying." Kissel growled, preparing yet another Spell to use as an attack.
The numerous crimson bullets began appearing once again.
"[Flame Pillar]!" Neron yelled, placing both his hands on the ground as a torrent of blue fire rose from underneath Kissel.
At that instant, the man became a swirling distortion of darkness, completely intangible.
Neron used this chance to create even more attacks and sent it flying towards Kissel, but it was of no use.
In his current state, he was impervious to pretty much all kinds of damage.
Neron quickly observed this and stopped.
"Haaa... Haaa..." Leaking out heavy breaths, he noticed the distortion nearing him.
'I can't see anything, but I can sense him.'
Neron huffed even more as he narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
He ignored the pain he received from the spikes, using Magic to ensure his wounds remained closed.
'Thankfully he didn't go for any of my vitals...'
So far, Neron hadn't been able to land a solid hit on the old man. Kissel seemed invincible, with offensive abilities and defensive abilities outclassing his own.
However... he wasn't invincible!
'I've been observing him, and I've noticed two things.' Neron smiled as he sensed the man drawing even closer to him.
'One... he won't kill me no matter what.'
They needed Neron as bait to draw in Mordred, but he could as well be dead bait.
The reason he wasn't being killed despite that being a much easier solution was something Neron was her to figure out.
But he was sure they needed him.
'Secondly, he can't cast a Spell while he's in that form. If he does, he'll become visible.'
Neron also noticed that if he was in the process of casting and Spell, the entire thing would deactivate the moment he turned visible.
'That must be his Original Magic. It's weak and limited, but it's pretty effective.'
By turning intangible, Kissel could go through whatever defense Neron could conjure up, essentially making him unavoidable.
He was also too fast for Neron to catch unawares by surprise attack.
'He's a slippery opponent for sure. That's why...' Neron smirked as soon as he felt Kissel right behind him.
The moment the man turned visible and reached for him, Neron sent a wave of Mana flying from his body.
"Guh!" As expected, Kissel was thrust back by the attack.
'It takes time for Magic to be activated, and he's faster than me in that regard.'
To solve the problem, Neron got rid of the Spellcasting process and simply decided to rely on his intuitive utilization of Mana.
'I can see all the Mana everywhere. I can sense it as well.'
As a result, he could see Kissel wherever he went.
'All I have to do now is to use the Mana within me and attack his Mana wherever I sense it.'
Sure, he would be intangible and invisible, but he was still operating with Mana as the principle.
'That means he can be affected by Mana!'
Kissel groaned as he brushed aside the wave of Mana that Neron sent towards him.
Veins appeared all over his face as a clear sign that he was upset.
No... beyond upset.
"I've had enough, kid!"
Kissel raised his staff, and a massive wave of dark flames began to gather to form an orb of flames.
"[Grand FireBall]!" He yelled while grinning like a madman.
"Let's see how you survive that!" Kissel grinned wildly.
Rather than appear worried, however, Neron only smiled.
"I'd be more concerned with myself if I were you."
As his azure eyes became much brighter, a phenomenal amount of Mana surged from Neron's body as he shot it throughout the area.
"The one who won't survive will be you!"