Cronus' system: Against the gods

"Dammit! I really need to increase my Aether through leveling up" Rex clenched his fists as he saw his leftover Aether. Just 40.

Austine smirked, clearly sensing Rex's hesitation. "Running out of steam, are we? Guess the Council was right. You're just a kid playing with powers way out of your league."

Rex's hands clenching into a fist. "Yeah, well, at least I'm playing. You just keep running the same smug routine. Got anything original, or is that energy shield your only party trick?"

Austine's smirk vanished. "You've got jokes? Let's see if you're still laughing after I start using my abilities against you boy. It's amazing you could last long against my energy gadgets though" He flicked a tiny orb up in the air. The orb stopped midair and radiated a bright blue light.

Just as the light died down, a barrier had already formed around the duo like an electrified dome. "Just how many of those gadgets do these richies use during battles, poor lil me doesn't have any" Rex sobbed.

Rex squinted at the shimmering barrier, feeling the pressure in his chest increase. The feeling of confinement stirred something primal inside him, and his teeth ground together in frustration.

Austine chuckled darkly, his confidence unshaken. "Don't get too comfortable, boy. This is where your little tricks run out."

Rex's heart pounded as he realized the real danger now wasn't just Austine's telepathic powers, but the energy barrier, which would make dodging or outmaneuvering him all the more difficult. "Yeah, well... I don't plan on sticking around to be your punching bag," Rex shot back, his eyes narrowing as he sized up Austine.

The telepathic mage stretched his neck, rolling his shoulders with a casual ease, before his eyes glinted dangerously. "You should've learned your place when you were still in the academy, boy. Now, you'll see what happens to people who don't know their limits."

Without another word, Austine raised both hands, his fingers curling as if commanding the very air around him. Suddenly, Rex felt an invisible force grip his chest, squeezing the air out of his lungs. His body froze, the overwhelming pressure making his muscles lock up. He gasped for breath, his vision blurring.

Cronus's voice rang in Rex's head like a thunderclap. "Harbinger! Get back together!!

"How does he keep breaking out?" Austine mused.

"Not bad, kid," Austine mocked, as Rex staggered back, gasping for air. "But you're not fast enough to dodge me forever."

"Let's see about that!" Rex snarled, his resolve hardening. He activated Temporal Rift, freezing the world around him for three agonizing seconds. Austine's movements slowed to a crawl, and Rex, now with time on his side, charged forward, sending a punch infused with Aether towards Austine's face.

Before Rex's punch could connect, Austine's figure flickered and distorted. The strike passed through nothing but air, and Austine was suddenly behind him, his energy shield already charging for a counterattack.

"Illusions," Rex growled, eyes widening as Austine's form blurred again, vanishing into another mental trick.

Austine's mocking laughter echoed in the charged air. "I told you, boy, you're outclassed. How many more tricks do you have left?

"I'ma show you just how many more you son of a..." Rex activated a temporal rift, slowing time around Austine's location making Austine's movements slow to a crawl. He quickly formed an Aether spear in his hand and thrust it forward with all his might "Bitch!!!"

The spear flew towards Austine and pierced through his skull. Blood splattered out of his head as the spear nailed him toward the electrified walls of the barrier.

"Huff huff....." Rex panted, clenching his fists in triumph "Damn him!"

AETHER LEFT: 20/70

Suddenly, Austine's evil laughter came from behind Rex and before Rex could react, his body was sent hurtling toward the barrier walls by an invisible force.

"Grahhhhhhhhhhhh"

Rex gritted his teeth, his vision blurry as the electrical current from the barrier scorched through his body. The sizzling pain coursed through every nerve, but even as his muscles screamed in agony, he forced himself to stand. Smoke rose from his burned clothes, and his body trembled with the effort of holding himself together. His Aether count was dwindling, but his spirit, his will to win was as fiery as ever.

The sound of Austine's laughter echoed around the electrified dome, bouncing off the walls, and Rex's blood boiled. "Damn you!" he snarled, pushing himself to his feet with a violent growl. He could feel the remnants of his Aether coursing through him, but it was enough to give him one more shot.

"That's it, kid," Austine taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "Just keep struggling. The harder you fight, the worse it'll be for you."

Rex clenched his fists tighter, feeling his anger bubbling up to the surface. His body was a wreck, bloodied and scorched, but his eyes blazed with a fierce determination. He wasn't about to let this smug bastard win. Not like this.

"I'm not done yet, Austine!" Rex roared, his voice full of defiance. He wasn't going to let Austine's mind games break him. Not this time. not until I wipe that goofy grin off your face"

Rex's muscles ached as he summoned every last ounce of strength he had. He gritted his teeth, his body shaking from the strain, and swung his fist toward Austine, who was still a few feet away. Rex infused his punch with Aether and shot it forward. The force of the punch cracked the air as it collided with the barrier, the flames erupting on impact.

Austine's eyes widened for just a split second. For the first time, there was a flicker of uncertainty in his expression. But only for a moment. With a sharp gesture, he pushed his hands outward, and Rex felt his body freeze in place once more, as if the very air around him was made of chains.

"You're still trying?" Austine sneered. "Pathetic."

Rex fought the mental pressure again, struggling to move, his Aether draining quickly as he resisted Austine's telepathic hold. His body screamed in protest, but he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. His fingers twitched as he desperately tried to summon his sword, Damocles, but the weight of the telepathic force was crushing him.

"Get up Rex!!!" Cronus' voice boomed in Rex's head and Rex instantly broke free from the telepathic control. "I see... Your voice, anytime you speak, I get free from his control!"

"Thou hast well said" Cronus replied

Austine couldn't accept it anymore. No one below the advanced level should be able to break through his control yet this kid had done it not once but five good times! How could he, a proud telepathic user of the Valenbrook family accept this?

"You're so damn stubborn," Austine spat, his face twisted in a mix of frustration and rage. "But it's too late for you, Rex. You can't keep this up."

Suddenly, Rex drew a circle and summoned Damocles. This brought his Aether down to 15. He had formulated a strategy in his mind and this better worked out.

Austine had already prepared himself. With a wave of his hand, an invisible force seemed to suck Rex backward. It was like there was a wormhole behind him but this was just what Rex had anticipated. Rex let himself get pulled by the force but just as his body was about to slam, he pulled out his sword and stabbed it into the the barrier.

Black flames erupted from the blades, also devouring the barrier in the process but Rex wasn't done yet.

Rex gritted his teeth as the barrier crackled and groaned under the pressure of the black flames devouring it. The energy shield was resistant, but with the sheer power of Damocles' Aether-infused flames, it couldn't hold for long. Rex's heart raced as the flames tore through the barrier, and the air itself seemed to warp from the intensity.

"Not bad, boy," Austine said, his voice tinged with disbelief. He wasn't prepared for this level of tenacity from someone he thought was merely a nuisance. "But you're still outclassed."

Rex didn't respond. He couldn't afford to waste energy on words now. His vision was blurry from the drain on his Aether, but he could see the outline of Austine, standing just beyond the weakened barrier. He had one chance. One moment where everything depended on the success of this next move.

The black flames swirled around Damocles, and Rex's hands tightened around the hilt. He wasn't just attacking the barrier anymore—he was channeling everything he had into the sword itself, focusing every bit of his remaining Aether on the weapon's edge. He could feel the energy coursing through him, but his body screamed for release. Every fiber of his being was strained.

With a swift motion, Rex thrust Damocles through the barrier, its blade glowing brighter as the flames surged and began to eat away at the shield's core. As the last remnants of the barrier crackled, Rex's eyes locked on Austine, whose smugness had faltered just enough for Rex to see a flicker of doubt.

"Time to end this," Rex muttered under his breath.

The blade struck with an ear-splitting crack, splitting the barrier wide open. For the briefest moment, the world felt still. Austine's eyes widened, and for the first time, he truly understood the danger Rex posed as the barrier fell.

But Rex wasn't finished. In the same motion, he activated his last Temporal Rift, freezing time for just long enough to make his final attack. His sword, glowing with dark flames and Aether, shot forward in an instant.

Austine was caught off-guard but he quickly used his energy shield to block the sword surprisingly, the sheer speed at which the sword moved caused the shield to fall apart as the sword pierced through Austine's chest. Before he could utter any word. Black flames consumed his body, searing his skin.

The telepathic mage's eyes went wide with shock. He stumbled back, his hands grasping at the wound, but it was too late. The darkness of Rex's Aether spread through him like wildfire, consuming everything it touched. Austine's energy shield shattered into nothing, and the air around him seemed to crackle with the aftershocks of the forceful blow.

Rex stood there, panting heavily, his body trembling with exhaustion. He could feel the last of his Aether slipping away, but the victory was palpable. Austine crumpled to the ground, his body collapsing as the fire of Rex's attack burned through his defenses.

Rex watched the telepathic mage fall, his heart pounding in his chest. "I told you," he muttered, barely able to stand. "I'm not done yet."