Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga - Chapter 228: Babylon Descends

Amidst my musings, a formidable and imposing presence materialized on the distant horizon. This aura of intimidation manifested surprisingly quickly, defying the usual warning signals that precede such encounters. It appeared as though this enigmatic force had instantaneously emerged, shrouding the surroundings in an eerie aura of mystery.

What concerned me wasn’t its power, as it seemed to be of a low class. However, I had doubts about that assessment due to how tightly wrapped the Ord was, with no leakage at all. It seemed almost impossible unless someone was using something as potent as my Perfect Me. Even then, maintaining such control would be extremely challenging.

The real worry, though, was that this presence had appeared amidst Anika, Sei, and the Strength Exorcist. The fact that they were still alive suggested that this newcomer didn’t necessarily want to harm them.

The ground shook, and pipes burst as I summoned water from the city and directed it towards the two-headed demon. However, a wind barrier formed, effectively blocking the attack and preventing significant damage.

My aim wasn’t to hurt the demon, merely to distract it. So, I turned my attention toward where the group was and bet that the new presence could see me from that distance. I winked at them, and immediately, I felt Ord draining from me, despite the minor interaction.

It was apparent that this was someone from the future, someone I didn’t recognize.

The idea of someone from the future interfering to stop my friends from helping me was amusing. “Dumb bastard.”

It was foolish, though, as this place didn’t offer time travel to change the future. It operated more like a time-looping mechanism, like a snake devouring its own tail for eternity, with limitations on how far into the past and future one could encounter. Yet no matter what happened the same future would play out, that was a fact that couldn’t be changed.

As I pondered how to deal with the Clairvoyance user, there was a crash, and someone smashed through a building, landing beside me. It was Agon, with a bleeding head, looking bewildered. “Where am I?!”

Spotting me, he broke into a tearful smile and reached out to hug me, but I cautioned him, “You can hug me later.”

He nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that none of my Ord had disappeared, indicating that Agon was from the present.

“I haven’t seen anyone for days,” he whined. Despite my warnings, he took a step closer.

Was this even the same Agon I knew, or some creature disguised as him? Well, if it came down to it I was going to attack him and if he survived somehow then he was the real Agon. Though with such a troublesome enemy already in front of me, I didn’t want to waste any effort or create an opening.

There was no time to think about something like that, so instead, I stated firmly, “Get any closer, and I will kill you.”

Reluctantly, he nodded again, refraining from moving any closer. Seeing him look a bit sad, I decided to cheer him up and added, “Go and take care of that two-headed demon. Prove to me that you aren’t an imposter.”

However, even if he managed to defeat the two-headed creature, I wouldn’t fully trust him unless he used Agon’s special ability. That particular skill couldn’t be copied by the creatures living in this place, as doing so was a real challenge.

“Sure!” Agon responded enthusiastically, launching an immediate attack on the two-headed creature without hesitation.

Agon never questioned things much; he was as careless as they come. As he leaped into action, a blast of wind sent him crashing back to the ground. A water blade, one of the many I had attacking him, slipped through his wind barrier and sliced off one of the twin’s arms with ease. Though the arm regenerated quickly.

Wait… How did my attack land now when it had never done so before?

My mind worked a thousand thoughts a second, as attacks rained down on Agon. Attacks that he had a hard time dodging.

Did it have a Clairvoyance that could only focus on one target? That would leave it blind to my attacks! Then the fused twin’s second special ability was to see the short-term future of only one person at a time, excluding its own future.

“Ah! Damn it! I couldn’t even charge up my Super Impact!” Agon complained as he got back on his feet, seemingly unharmed.

Sometimes, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy towards warriors and their strong bodies, especially when combined with monster-like regeneration—a potent combination indeed.

“Attack it again,” I commanded, and Agon obeyed without question.

I knew I had to end things in the next second with a single attack. Otherwise, the demon could learn and adapt to fighting both of us at once. Right now it was like a child learning to walk, and its fighting tactics were amateurish at best and the Clairvoyance was the only reason I hadn’t killed it until now. But also its inexperience was why it couldn’t make use of two abilities that were overpowered when combined.

I have to kill that baby… metaphorically of course.

Taking a deep breath, I let my worries be washed away. There was no use in fretting about the new presence or the well-being of the others who had come with me.

Manipulating the water around me, I formed a bubble the size of my body, gradually shrinking it down to the size of my fist, turning it into a water arrow aimed at the demon slashing at Agon. Thankfully, Agon’s tough skin and warrior physique could handle the damage.

As the water arrow approached my opponent, my heart raced. This was it—failure was not an option.

The attack pierced through the wind sphere, catching the attention of the two-headed creature at last. However, it was too late as the arrow found its mark, and the water arrow reacted to the taste of blood, rapidly expanding. The pressure built upon it caused the two-headed creature to burst apart and pop.

Even in that instant, I didn’t drop my guard. Swiftly, I used water blades to cut up all the pieces of flesh in sight, leaving no room for error. With utmost caution, I gathered all the chunks of flesh in a water bubble and tore them apart until nothing remained larger than a strand of hair. Only then, could I finally exhale a sigh of relief and collapse on the ground.

As I gazed up at the clouds, I couldn’t help but wonder if there would ever be a time when I wouldn’t have to strategize against my enemies. Part of me yearned for that day to come, while another part reveled in the exhilaration of outsmarting opponents.

“Another victory!” I pumped my fist into the air, though my elation waned when a shadow appeared amidst the clouds.

The Gardens of Babylon—a place I longed to be, yet dreaded at the same time. This two-headed creature was merely a gate guard, despite its formidable power.

The ‘cloud’ with the shadow began descending, and the Gardens of Babylon came into view. However, I remained cautious and kept my distance, realizing that this was not a favorable position to be in.

Yet, I wasn’t overly concerned. Babylon was not part of the natural island; it housed creatures abandoned in failed experiments and cast onto the island. These creatures had become part of the island’s enigmatic nature.

As Babylon came into view, I moved closer to get a better look. Each streak of leaves was mesmerizing. Yet, amidst this surreal beauty, my eyes were drawn to the presence of peculiar beings – creatures unlike any I had encountered before. With their haunting and grotesque features, they appeared almost ethereal, emerging cautiously from behind the verdant veil of trees. But as soon as our eyes met, a sense of timidity overcame them, causing them to retreat with an air of shyness, concealing their mysteries once more.

Unlike the island, Babylon had a consistent timeline, resisting the island’s strange temporal shenanigans. I couldn’t fathom how they managed to hide from the island’s presence. I sometimes wondered if Avalon Island itself was alive, given its peculiar behavior.

As the Babylon Garden gracefully descended towards the earth, anticipation filled the air, creating an aura of mystique. But to my surprise, it abruptly halted its descent, defying gravity as it ascended back into the clouds, vanishing from sight. The atmosphere tingled with an enigmatic aura, leaving me puzzled.

Frowning, I looked around for the rest of my team, but couldn’t find the silver-haired man anywhere close. Whatever had just happened, one thing was clear—I needed to regroup the team for our last expedition on this island. The artificial God had to be stopped; the thought of dealing with such a formidable entity sent shudders down my spine.

Admitting that I needed help from others left a bitter taste in my mouth, given all the effort I had already invested into growing stronger.

But that was just my ego speaking, and I didn’t listen to it too much.