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."

to cover her

witnessed his arms disappear out

but to her surprise, he regrew his

what in the world did he do during the time we didn't see

words attracted Amanda's attention, and her head subconsciously

Indeed…

time when they hadn't

"Hey, look!"

once more, but Amanda didn't need to be told why she spoke; she understood shortly

hand against the demon's head, a sudden change

***

"Uhhhh."

moment my hand came into contact with the Prince's head. I felt the pores on my body open up as an

and slowly, I started to feel

stronger, and a sensation that was all too familiar

started to feel reinvigorated, and

"Argh!"

started to absorb the laws in his body, and his expression was filled

"H.. how..."

continue his sentence as I continued to absorb the laws within

Prince's body started to

body, my brows creased, but I endured the pain and continued to absorb the akashic

"Stay put."

power of the laws into my own body, the space around the Prince warped and distorted, and his body froze perfectly

on his head further

more easily than they ever had before, and

just

I couldn't contain his body anymore, I quickly let go, and the Prince's body disappeared from

"Ha…haa… You…"

startled and incensed. Touching his body all

have you

"Nothing much."

at my hands, which were covered in murky white light. As compared

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

was a consequence of obtaining

to refrain from using the laws as

chance the skill would deactivate, and all would end up

couldn't allow that to

how are you able to control the

raised my head and looked up at him. Seeing

it to you, it would

sword forward and

"Let's finish this."

Boom—!

double the size of what it usually

"Arkgh!"

able to cope with it and displayed a defensive

BANG—!

into contact with the sword, his

"Not bad."

mumbled, staring at

power of my attack had

body crashed against one of the distant dunes, I brought my sword forward and pointed it once again in his direction. The space around

"Crumble."

projections quickly impaled the area where the Prince was, and I heard

"Uakh!"