The Author's POV

"I,is that Ren?"

Overhearing Donna's shocked mutter, Amanda turned her head and stared at the fight that was happening above them.

BOOM—!

Dunes shattered, and the very air the two were in showed signs of cracking. It was clear as day that the two of them were on a completely different level than anybody else present.

"Since when did he become so strong?"

Amanda couldn't blame them for looking so shocked.

She, too, was shocked by Ren's power. She had originally thought she had a grasp of what his power was, but it seemed like she had underestimated him severely.

'…and here I thought I could catch up to him in the past five years.'

She had trained hard.

Extremely hard in the past few years.

It was all with the goal of getting closer to him in strength. She thought that she had somewhat bridged the gap that existed between the two of them, but she had grossly underestimated just how monstrous Ren was.

'But why does he look like that?'

There was something odd about Ren's appearance… he was completely black, and his expression was somewhat dull.

She couldn't quite understand what was going on with him, but seeing how he was handling that monster of a demon, she assumed that he was using some sort of skill.

One that she wasn't aware of.

Boom—!

"Ren!"

Amanda was startled by the sight of him crashing against a nearby dune. With sand spilling in the air, her vision of him became obscured.

She immediately became worried, and just as she was about to rush up to him, she stopped herself and bit her lips.

"No... I can't."

'If I go now, I'll only make things more difficult for him.'

Staring at Donna and Monica, who were about to stop her, she calmed herself down and lowered her head.

"I know; you don't have to stop me. I'm not going."

It quickly became apparent that this was the extent of her powers.

At the moment, she could only watch Ren getting beat up by that monstrous demon, who seemed to have suddenly gotten a lot stronger.

Boom—! Boom—!

The fight continued, and the situation started to deteriorate quickly.

If Amanda had to describe the fight in a few words, it'd be 'one-sided'. Ren… He was getting manhandled by the Prince, who seemed to be toying with him.

'He was just doing fine before... Why did things suddenly change?'

She had witnessed Ren have the upper hand in the beginning, but out of nowhere, things started to turn for the worst suddenly.

It soon became clear to her and everyone else that the Prince was becoming stronger with each moment the two of them fought.

"Hup."

Amanda had to cover her mouth with

witnessed his arms disappear

the battle was over after that, but to her

what in the world did he do during

attracted Amanda's attention,

Indeed…

happened during the time

"Hey, look!"

once more, but Amanda didn't

head, a sudden change

***

"Uhhhh."

me the moment my hand came into contact with the Prince's head. I felt the pores on my body

that moment as I absorbed all of that power, and slowly, I started to feel

my connections with the laws grew stronger, and a sensation that was all

to feel reinvigorated, and everything became clear once

"Argh!"

laws in his body, and his expression was filled with nothing but

"H.. how..."

as I continued to absorb

around the Prince's body started to

his body, my brows creased, but I endured

"Stay put."

injected the power of the laws into my own body, the space around the Prince warped and distorted, and

my grip on his head further

into me more easily than they ever had before, and within a few seconds

should just about

and the Prince's body disappeared from my vision, reappearing

"Ha…haa… You…"

Touching

you

"Nothing much."

answered, lowering my head to stare at my hands, which were covered in murky white light. As compared to before, the laws within my body were thicker, and I could control

strength was rapidly increasing at the same time, but not all was well. Staring at my hands,

a consequence of obtaining and

using the laws

continued to use them, there was a high chance the skill would deactivate, and all would end up

allow that

how are you able to control the same power as his

the demon's words, I raised my head and looked up at him. Seeing the confused look on his

I were to explain it to you, it would take too long,

brought my sword forward and

"Let's finish this."

Boom—!

sword projection, double the size of what it usually was, appeared from within the space itself, hurling

"Arkgh!"

in the past, was no longer able to cope

BANG—!

coming into contact with the sword, his entire

"Not bad."

staring at the

that the power of my attack had increased, and now I was no longer at

sword forward and pointed it once again in his direction. The space around him shattered, and several similar-sized swords appeared from the

"Crumble."

where the Prince was, and I heard a muffled cry in

"Uakh!"