ENDLESS MYTH : Surpassing The Gods.

LITTLE PARADISE

The next few minutes who followed were full of twists and turns. The two greatly exploited the zone in which they could fight.

Sometimes Artemis would create enough distance to launch a powerful attack. Sometimes, Emilio would be fast enough to come close and engage in close combat. She would shot him and he would cut it.

The fight entered a stalemate, the two were getting tired. This was even more so for Emilio since he only had a few minutes left on his timer. Once this ended, he wouldn't even be able to move.

Thanks to his [INSTINCT] and [DIAMOND SKIN], he could easily avoid, tank or cut most of the attacks coming towards him. His concept allowed to greatly reduce the maneuverability of Artemis.

Artemis was no slouch either. She fired as fast as possible and was always in the move. She didn't fear close combat, but it wasn't her specialty either. Still even though it was powerful, suppression wasn't invincible. She just had to change the way she fought a little and be even more slippery.

As the fight was going on, her respect for Emilio continued to grow. She didn't think that assimilation was some sort of cheating. He bet his life and he won the bet. Nothing more nothing less. Searching for excuses would only be pitiful.

Of course, she had a way to end this fight. But that what would be really cheating. She wouldn't hesitate to use them in a fight of life and death since any notion such as cheating was naivety during such a fight. But here right now was a fight for honor. She might but a hunter or an assassin, but she would never look down on an honorable fight.

Sol looked at all this with excitement. Right now, his two minds were working at full power. He could already feel the world. He could touch a myriad of concepts with his minds. All he had to do was to make a choice. Right now he needed one. The first one he learned before becoming a legend will be the most important.

Should he choose... this?... This was a really good idea. A grin settled on his face. Emilio was really his lucky star. To think he would have such a great idea thanks to him. He planned to have many concepts, and this first concept would be what will give him an edge.

After having made his decision, he began to plan for his breakthrough toward legend. Frankly, this wasn't something hard. He already had the level in ability necessary and he knew what concepts to choose.

Once the fight between Emilio and Artemis ended, he would go somewhere with his teammates and breakthrough in calm. He wanted no accidents.

Emilio, on the other hand, wasn't happy. In fact, he was becoming extremely frustrated. If he knew that he gave such a big gift to his most direct enemy, Sol, he would surely spit blood out of anger and wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Why was he so frustrated? Time was greatly lacking. He looked at the corner of his eyes as he cut another salve of bullets coming from Artemis.

[TIME REMAINING: 2mn:20s]

How could it be possible? He risked his life, again and again, in order to get everything he had right now, and despite all that he was style inferior to those pampered brat? How could he accept that? The assimilation with Nemean should have made him greatly superior to most legend.

What Emilio in his arrogance had forgotten, was that fight between two people of an equal level was something that could be decided either in few seconds or only after a long time. What more, Artemis wasn't an inexperienced brat, she had to go through even more dangerous situations than him.

Purely in terms of fighting experience, few of the heir or other young generation members from the family could hold a candle to her.

He also didn't know that she wasn't entirely human. The Nemean lion was a mythical beast, but the same went for the dryad. One could even say that Artemis was born in a state of partial assimilation.

Thanks to her heritage, she didn't even need to train as a constellationist in order to obtain the ability to control aether. She was naturally born with this ability.

(Poor guy) thought Natalie as she looked at Emilio with pity. She didn't know how much longer he had, but as she saw his transformation slowly fading away, it was clear that he didn't have much.

Still, she didn't look down on him for his failure. The very fact that he managed to fight against her for so long was already worthy of respect. Sadly this wasn't enough.

If he had enough time remaining. If he had already been a legend when trying the assimilation. If she wasn't so powerful. If she wasn't so careful. If, if, if

So many if. So many ways the situation could have been better. Sadly "if" wasn't enough. The reality was crushing. Aspirations and dreams were good. But dreaming without taking reality into account would only end in tragedy.

[TIME REMAINING: 1mn15s]

Emilio redoubled his efforts as he tried to come close once again.

[TIME REMAINING: 30s]

He stopped caring about defense and simply took all the shots head-on. His skin wasn't diamond for nothing.

[TIME REMAINING: 10s]

He was so close, just a little bit, just a little more. But, just a he was about to get her, she disappeared. He didn't know how she did it. His [SUPRESSION] should have made it impossible.

[TIME REMAINING: 3s]

He let a roar of fury and despair. He had failed. This was the end, his consciousness was already getting blurry. He couldn't maintain this form.

[TIME REMAINING: 0s]

[STATUS RESET TO IT'S ORIGINAL ONE]

He fainted. He lost.

(AN: I tried to show something about Emilio in this fight. I don't know if I succeeded. But I really hope I did. Those characters are like my babies. I'm really happy to write about them even if it eats my time. At the end of this volume, I may write some short interlude to show the lives of some of my main cast. )