"COME ON, BASTARD!" The person who just made an explosion yelled, his voice echoed through the corridor of the abandoned building. "WHEREVER YOU ARE, YOU CANNOT ESCAPE! JUST FACE YOUR FATE LIKE A MAN AND STOP BEING A COWARD!"
Of course, Levin wouldn't get provoked by that childish banter. However, behind the broken wall where he was hiding right now, he was curious about what kind of man was so bold to bulldoze his way forcefully without caring about his safety.
There, he saw a tall man with wild red hair, wearing a flowing red robe. The person was surrounded by flames, his hands crackling with fire magic. With a wave of his arms, he set the dry grass and old wooden crates ablaze. If before, he was still doubting the crow man when he talked about the different dimensions and different powers, now that he saw magic was used with his own eyes, Levin believed instantly whatever that crow man said before getting transported here. He had never seen anything like this before, not in all his years living in his world. The fire seemed to have its own soul, moving so seamlessly on top of the person's palm.
It was incredible and terrifying all at once.
But Levin didn't have time to admire the show. The heat began to rise around him, making it difficult to breathe. Smoke filled the air, stinging his eyes and making it hard to see. The person – Gistar III laughed loudly, almost crazy, as he shouted for Levin to come out and surrender.
"COME ON! THE HIDE-AND-SEEK GAME IS OVER!" The lunatic mage shouted once again, tossing another fireball as it exploded against the wall, sending shards of debris flying and flames licking at the ceiling. "JUST COME OUT AND SURRENDER YOURSELF!"
Levin furrowed his brows, not liking how this went for him. The smoke blocked his view and made the air heavy, and coupled with so many flammable things around him, the laser gun in his hand would make his situation worse. After all, unlike the lunatic mage in front of him he couldn't control fire, so he was affected more by his surroundings right now, which put him at a disadvantage.
After pondering for a moment, Levin took off the military vest he wore, using it to cover the little girl's face from the smoke. "Use this and try your best to not breathe the smoke, okay? It will be dangerous for you. Also, wait here for a moment. Let me deal with this lunatic, don't go anywhere." Just right after that, he dashed off, leaving the little girl in the hiding spot.
He tried to move quietly through the ruins of the building, taking advantage of the mage's blind spot. While doing that, he also needed to keep his breath steady, calming his nerves as he needed to subdue the mage with one strike. If he failed to do so, not only he would reveal his position, but he would also expose himself to his enemy, making it easy for him to get targeted next.
However, as Levin was just two steps away, the mage suddenly let out a triumphant roar as another fireball burst forth, lighting up the entire room and revealing Levin's position.
BAM!
"Oh, shit!" Levin couldn't help but curse. When he noticed that the man was also staring at him, he took a quick decision, rushing forward with the spirit of the best defense was offense and started striking at the mage in front of him. "I need to make it quick!"
However, to his surprise, the mage was way more prepared than he initially thought. Instead of being afraid, the mage spun around, his fists blazing with fire.
"HAHAHA! YOU FINALLY SHOW YOURSELF! COME ON! LET ME SHOW YOU THE POWER OF THE MAGE FROM THE ARONIA KINGDOM!"
Levin gritted his teeth as he was facing such a difficult fight. He tried his best to aim at the mage's vital spots like the back of the neck, eyes, groin, torso, kidney, lung, and every spot that could give him an edge in this fight. He made sure every strike he threw was deadly. However, he also had to put his attention to the mage's attack, as even though the mage was a sloppy close combat fighter, the mage made it up with his terrifying fire fists that could give Levin a two-degree burn if it touched his skin.
As the fight went by, it was clear who had the advantage in the long run. Even though Levin managed to land a good hit here and there, the impact was not that much. However, even if the mage's punch didn't hit him, the heat radiated from it was enough to make his skin blister from the flames. The amount of damage the two received was not the same, putting Levin in a disadvantageous position.
'Shit! I cannot afford to get burnt again! I need to end this quickly!"
In a rush of adrenaline, Levin feinted to the left and then struck hard to the right, sending an uppercut straight to the mage's throat. This time, surprise worked in his favor as the mage didn't see it coming. The impact connected, and the mage gasped, momentarily stunned.
"This is my chance!"
"BASTARD!"
Seizing this moment, Levin sent a swift kick aimed at the mage's knee, hoping to unbalance him. Seeing that it worked, adrenaline rushed once again as Levin tried to aim for another vital spot. However, in a desperate moment, the mage suddenly gathered probably the most heated fire he could muster on his palm and sent it to Levin, throwing him back against the wall violently.
BAM!
"ARGH!" Levin coughed blood, feeling like he had just been attacked from behind by Alex during his last time in his world. However, the difference was that this time, the pain from the burn on his skin made it a hundred times worse physically.
"HA! NOT BAD, BASTARD!" The mage laughed, also coughed a lot of blood. He walked staggeringly, showing that the damage Levin sent was also effective. Now that those two were on the edge of their life – or second life – the outcome of this fight would probably be determined by the final strike next. In this situation, of course, the mage who could send more damage would be an advantage. "HAHA! GOOD FIGHT! IT IS A PITY THAT YOU WILL DIE RIGHT AFTER YOU HAVE A SECOND LIFE IN THIS WORLD! SEND MY GREETING TO THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD!"
However, as the mage was about to deliver his final attack, Levin's body suddenly glowed brightly, startling them both instantly. For Levin himself, he was so confused because not only did the light manage to distract his enemy, but it also restored a little bit of his energy and healed some of the small scars on his body. He didn't know what happened, but in the next second, he saw the laser gun that he put in the hiding spot was thrown at him, and before he could realize what happened, he heard the little girl – Mira – shout from there.
"Uncle! My magic will only work for three minutes! Quick! Finish it!"
Even though he was still a little bit confused, when Levin saw the gun in front of him, the instinct honed by the harsh training in the military forced his body to pick it up instantly. In the next second, before the mage himself knew what was going on, the laser gun had already been pointed at him, and with a small grin on his face, Levin said, "Well, it seems you are going to be the first one to meet the lord of the underworld. Give my greeting to him, okay?"
Then, the laser was shot, piercing straight to the mage's head mercilessly.
BAM!