New World - A New Beginning

I gasped, feeling my soul being wrenched from my body as I stood once again in the neverending plain of water. I looked up, the dark starry sky coating the familiar dimension.

A seemingly innate reflex shifted my focus downward, my blurry vision starting to identify the holy outline of white that stood before me.

"Look at you, all banged up," joked the silhouette, her long silky hair falling to her upper-waist. My mind took a moment to process Asthia's new appearance, battle armor not something I was used to seeing her wear.

I suspected time to move at a different rate in this weird dimension that I always found myself in upon activating or ending Integrate. Or was this all just in my head?

I chuckled, ignoring my thoughts and directing my attention towards Asthia.

"Yea, I'm kind of dealing with a powerful opponent."

"Jean, right? I'm able to see through the link again now that you opened it," laughed the girl. I frowned, sensing the small hint of sadness present in her voice.

"Sorry."

Asthia lifted her head, surprised.

"No, no, I understand why you did it!" she added suddenly, attempting to hide her disappointment. "Anyways, even if time seems to move slower here, you should probably head back."

"Probably."

"You should feel honored that you have access to my power," teased Asthia, a smug expression covering her face.

I laughed, feeling a massive surge of bind flowing through me.

"I'll win," I said confidently, my eyes glowing with newfound power.

"I know you will."

The dimension shattered as Asthia's smile faded into nothingness, my mind returning to my physical body. I looked down at my left arm, the limb covered in scales that made it resemble a dry desert with fissures cracking the surface. Cyan lines spread across it, flowing with bind like pulsing veins as they sucked in the power emanating from the mark on my hand.

My hair became a crystal white color, the tone mimicking that of the Princess I had sworn to protect.

Jean launched herself at me, ignoring her shock at the sudden transformation of her opponent. The wind shrieked as the girl blasted through the sound barrier, a shockwave from her speed alone traversing the area.

I opened my palm, dark violet lightning beginning to crackle as it spread across my body. Jean roared, thrusting her rapier forward as it zipped right towards my head.

BOOM

Silence followed the colossal explosion of bind, everyone waiting to witness the results of one of the most historic duels to ever take place.

Jean's eyes slowly widened in horror as she realized what had happened, the dust finally allowing the spectators to join the girl in her shock as it parted.

Jean stood only a few centimels away from her opponent, her arm outstretched and her weapon behind the boy's head.

"Did she miss?" muttered one of the viewers, my senses picking up every bit of sound resonating around me for thousands of mels.

"No... it seems like she can't move her arm at all."

My hand gripped Jean's arm, the action that had just transpired finally beginning to make sense. The boy who had not moved a single muscle in retaliation to his opponent's attack had suddenly grabbed her arm, completely halting the attack.

BOOM

A burst of violet lightning blasted around us, my fist appearing in Jean's gut as reality processed the attack. The girl shot back, her body stiff from the surge of lightning that had introduced itself into her body.

By combining the power of two individuals who could easily keep up with S-ranks, yet never truly defeat them, a new kind of monster was created: a being who surpassed the most powerful group in all of Auroria.

A dragon's head made of crimson flames emerged behind me, a tail-like body coiling around me.

"I-infernal bind?" muttered Jean before the beast of bind smashed into her position, the impact booming in my eardrums.

The girl stood up one final time, channeling all her remaining energy as she condensed the bind around her. Small golden particles appeared, floating into Jean's body. She sighed, the healing effects regenerating her physical injuries.

Jean's eyes suddenly shot towards me, witnessing in dread as a technique similar to hers healed her opponent. It was the most basic of healing spells, but it allowed me to recover some of my body's strength.

"That's all eight elements..." she whispered in disbelief.

I clutched midnight in my hand, dashing forward as lightning crackled around me. I disappeared from my previous position, immediately materializing behind Jean. I channeled the electricity around me into my black dagger, the weapon buzzing with excitement from the current that surged through it.

Lightning sparked along the blade, consuming the black color as violet streaks of energy covered it entirely. A small smile appeared on my face as I brought the weapon down onto my staggered adversary.

Ox metal was one of the most conductive materials in Auroria, allowing me to supercharge my attacks given I had the opportunity.

And now the chance had presented itself to me. There was one enemy standing before me, one millisecond of an opening, and ridiculous power flowing through me.

"Electroblast," I muttered, a bright white light covering the area as the words escaped my mouth.

BOOOOOOOMM

The world fell silent as energy radiated across the continent, a signal echoing the beginning of a new era of power. Two individuals with the ability to become one had surpassed the strongest individual in all of Auroria, and with it marked the commencement of Imania's involvement in the war.

Even if it didn't mean the victory of the Allied forces in the war, it meant that the Dragons would be able to hold out a bit longer. The Dominion nations had been anticipating an Imanian attack, and all that had happened here today was simply confirming that fact.

I looked down at Jean, smoke arising from the girl's unconscious body. I funneled the remaining bind into the palm of my hand, closing my eyes and attempting to recreate Asthia's healing spell. Small particles appeared on the palm of my hand, sinking into Jean's skin as her breathing stabilized, the burn marks dissipating slowly.

I stood up, my eyes locked on the girl's face.

"It looks like I win today, One."

The only person to have killed me lay on the ground, defeated. I sighed, letting go of Asthia's power as I felt the weight of fatigue drag me down beside Jean.

Two had not been able to take down One, but I was no longer that person. The emotionless killer who fought for a living, slicing through souls as a means to see the next day in that cold and unforgiving world was gone, replaced by Jay Cadmium.

Jay Cadmium was now One.