The Villain's Story

?The same exact clothing he wore that day, the same armour, and the same weapon. Even the people, created with the glass like exact replicas, were the same.

Everything was the same, except for me.

There was no quest before me, only him. Holding the same spear, and standing in the same exact position. The same stance.

"Haha..."

A laugh escaped my lips, it was a quiet laugh.

[Defeat the Undefeated.]

The voice rang in my ears, it was the same disturbing voice but to me? It was like a symphony.

A symphony of the greatest music my ears could ever be blessed enough to hear. A symphony I yearned to hear.

'Thump!'

'Thump!'

"Haha..."

The beating of my heart is so...restless.

Usually, such a beat would be recognized as fear, but this is not fear. This is excitement. The pure rush of adrenaline in my veins, as I find out that I have the chance to do so again. The chance to defeat you.

But this time it is different.

Previously, I was watched by so many, that may still be the same but... I was also restricted.

The scene of the spell, that appeared in front of me that day, was so vivid I sometimes even had nightmares about it.

How haunting that experience was.

"Tower."

I called out, unaware it was already dead. Killed at the hands of another. But my call was not malicious in any way.

"Thank you."

It was grateful. It was fulfilling! Furthermore, it was nice!

For the first time, I thanked the tower, which gave me challenges and trolled me consistently. I had developed a hatred for this horrid construct, But now? All of it suddenly disappeared. Like it never existed. If the tower truly did provide me with this chance, and did not mess with it. I was thankful.

'Thump!'

'Thump!'

This beat is not of fear, but of excitement! Of pure fucking adrenaline in my veins! Everywhere in my body.

I stepped forward, and looked at him. The only thing different about him were his eyes, which were glass. He gripped his spear, and I put the Ame-No-Sakahoko away. I did not have this spear when I battled him.

But.

"You want to know what I had? But could not use?"

Cold mist escaped my mouth, as my mana ran fierce, like a blizzard in a tundra, covering the lands with an endless sea of snow once more.

"Yeah...this is it."

I muttered in pure exhilaration, as 'Ezra' began to be wary of me. My human skin changed to scales, and the body exuded power.

"I didn't have access to this then..."

Freezing the entire area, I looked towards the sky, my face no longer human, neither my body. As I rushed towards him.

"I do now. This is my full strength."

[Skill: Dragon Eyes has been activated.]

[Skill: Draconic Transformation (Frost) has been activated.]

[Skill: Dragon Breath (Frost) has been activated.]

"Tell me, Ezra, How will you copy a dragon?"

The stadium was destroyed in but a second.

**************

His crazed stare, his crazed state. His golden hair and his astral blue eyes as he muttered things they could not understand. As his body changed into that of a dragon, as he discarded his armour and his powerful spear.

The people in the Capitol had gathered in seconds, the ones asleep had been awoken, and the people dressed in lavish clothes, enjoying the parties scurried to get a seat to watch the spectacle unfold. But it was only minutes... It took only a few minutes for people to remember that someone was still inside there. Alan Peccator was still challenging

The streaming services failed to work, the items on Alan that did it had already been destroyed by a certain someone, who didn't like people peeping on him. Only the screen provided by the tower, that would continuously glitch, was available. But none complained.

They were just stuck to the scene, no one said anything, even the ones whose job it was to do so! To entertain and provide more clarity to the audience. But was it necessary?

The audience was filled with fervour, as they were as entertained as they could ever be! Few people had the chance to even see Ezra and Alan in action, so they would relish this chance!

Multiple cameras were focused on the screen, which made the streaming services go alive once again.

"Come on! Beat the damn thing!"

They all stared at the floor 100 on top of the screen, as in front of their very eyes, the tower started to fall.

Small pieces of that unbreakable rock, the pile which pierced the heavens themselves, higher than anything on Earth, fell. Even the Association building in Aisholt city could not compare to the tower.

And this construct, which had brought joy and sorrow to humanity, was starting to break and fall.

But would it?

*******

[Tower of Trials, Final floor.]

The scaled fist and the tip of the spear collided with one another, the sharp tip could not penetrate the scales, but it was able to keep it still.

The fearsome, draconic maw opened, and a flashing light appeared, 'Ezra' conjured up a shield of wind around himself and jumped back. The wind dispersed the breath, and Ezra fell to the destroyed floor. The constructs of glass that had been constructed had long since been destroyed by Alan, with his fearsome bursts of power.

The room, their ground of battle, was a pure white space one more.

Ezra, calmly, took a stance, unfazed by the monster in front of him, that defied his expectations. His stance radiated power, surely it was the stance required to perform a deadly technique.

A thousand spears appeared behind the monster.

"Copy this."

They all flew towards him with such speed, and he performed his technique. A gust of wind so sharp like the scythe of the grim reaper burst forth and laid waste to the spears, but that was not enough.

The monster was still there, and it rushed towards him once again, like an unstoppable force.

He slammed his spear towards the ground, creating a shockwave that managed to deter Alan, he took the initiative and rushed towards Alan, kicking jaw from the bottom, driving his head towards the skies, as well as the dragon breath contained within.

He immediately attacked again, intending to pierce Alan's throat, but he failed. A tail pushed the spear away and his hand felt numb. The sheer force behind that was immense.

"Good."

Alan said, his eyes meeting with the glass eyes of 'Ezra'. He laughed as he looked straight into those eyes, which reflected his own crazed self. Which he took pride in.

"You..."

He flicked Ezra away, and pointed his scaly finger at him.

"Are not restricting yourself! This is you! The peak at that time!"

It was an experience he was familiar with...of how Ezra restrained himself to his rank during their bout, But this trial version was not doing the same! He was not doing it at all.

"Thank you tower!"

He said, as he enjoyed the feeling, to fight him at his full strength.

For some reason, it brought him joy, and an escape, an escape that he yearned for. The fact that he did not feel guilty about this! And never would! Ezra was not restricting himself, and Alan was no longer restricted! This is them, at their full power!

Of course this was the Ezra at that time, the current one was probably an S rank, maybe even higher but to Alan? This did not matter. He just wanted to defeat this version.

It was just...that if this version could use Ezra's domain, The Mirror World, he would feel complete. He knew how to defeat that domain of his then. He knew of it! He just needed to be able to do it!

Furthermore, he needed that domain to come again! To consume him once more and let him fight in it. He did not need his Jade Palace for this, he could do it himself!

Besides, the Jade Palace has different uses.

"Come on Ezra!"

He pushed the glass man back, treating him like he was nothing, littering his body with wounds that resembled crack glass.

The fight seemed to just go on, for hours and hours, as the physical abilities of a human and the mana of a young dragon were brought to full. Ezra was like a cracked mirror now, and Alan's body was not in the best condition as well.

A part of the scales on his face were falling, revealing the tender flesh. The state of his body wasn't far off as well.

But he had done damage, and he enjoyed it. He relished it! Loving it like it was not wounds but rather remedies!

He was using the greatest gift his master had given him, his own instincts. Who had blatantly told him that there was nothing he could teach Alan but to be himself.

For these instincts of his, this beastly might, this power and senses within his genes belonged to the strongest species in the universe! The species that were at the apex!

The instincts of a dragon were unmatched, and the Sword Saint only taught him how to use them, or let them use him.

He was not fighting like a human, but like a dragon!

And this monster like dragon soon forced the cracked image of a man before him to reveal his domain. Consuming the monster, intending to end it. But would it be able to so? To relinquish the throne of such a species with a domain filled with lies and illusions? Would those lies end the history engraved into his flesh? The strength of his body, of his instincts and his senses honed through who knows how many millennia? The advancements made through, with their divine and supreme might?

Would the domain of a human really be able to defeat such?

The domain was activated in full force, as the audience felt as they watched a battle between a monster and a man, not man against man.

The monster, despite being devoured by the domain, only yelled in exhilaration, like he was not afraid, but rather expectant of it! Waiting for it to come!

"Yes! That's it!"