Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for only $7 to get early access to upcoming chapters! Right now, there are already 90 chapters in my PATREON.
> > Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations <<
----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 27: Ace's Vision
"It's useless! Useless!"
The Abyss Mage's sharp laughter echoed across the cliff!
It floated in mid-air, its pale blue shield flashing with a hopeless, cold light, full of utter contempt for mortals.
"Hehehe... Do you see it? The pain of the Anemo Archon's famulus!"
The Abyss Mage raised its staff, pointing at the dragon that was roaring in pain.
"Dvalin! Your enemies are right there! Tear them apart!"
"ROAR!"
The ominous dark purple lines completely swallowed the last trace of clarity in Dvalin's eyes.
His massive body snapped around, his scarlet dragon pupils locking onto Ace and the others behind the rock!
A destructive, violent energy began to gather madly in his throat!
"Not good!"
Venti's expression changed dramatically. He tried to play his lyre again, but it was already too late!
"Get back!"
That wasn't just wind. It was a destructive storm mixed with the filth of the Abyss, powerful enough to tear anything apart!
"Waaaaah! I'm being blown away!"
Paimon spun wildly in the air, tossed about by the gales!
"Ace! Luffy!"
Sabo subconsciously tried to activate his Anemo power, but his faint breeze was like dust in the face of that world-ending storm!
It's over!
This was the only thought in everyone's mind!
Just then, Ace moved!
He didn't retreat. Instead, he took a step forward. His small body, like a mountain, stood firmly in front of Luffy and Sabo!
"Don't you dare touch my brothers!"
The boy's roar was filled with unyielding fury!
He hated it!
He hated this feeling of powerlessness!
He hated this despair of only being able to watch as his family was in danger!
He remembered the tall back of that man, Blake, who always had a lazy smile but could send enemies flying with one finger.
Power!
I need more power!
Power to protect everything!
"Give me... power! AAAAAH!"
Ace roared at the sky!
His ambition, his will, his rage that sought to burn everything away, at this moment, it pierced the clouds!
Voom!
An extremely brilliant crimson light suddenly flared at his waist!
It was a red, intricately patterned ornament. It had appeared from thin air, and the flaming totem on it was more dazzling than the midday sun!
Pyro!
A Vision!
"Ha?"
Ace felt the scorching, violent power pouring into his body, as if it would set his entire being on fire!
He didn't need anyone to teach him.
He was born to be the king of flames!
"Hey."
Ace turned his head, looking at the Abyss Mage that was still cackling "hehehe" in mid-air.
A wild arc formed on his lips.
"That turtle shell of yours... it's really ticking me off!"
Before his voice had even fallen, he punched forward!
"Burn... to ash!"
BOOM!
A thick, violent, indescribable pillar of fire erupted from his fist!
That flame wasn't Amber's kind of nimble Explosive Shot. It was pure, brutish, destructive flame, meant to incinerate all things!
"What?!"
The Abyss Mage's laughter stopped abruptly!
The eyes under its mask were instantly filled with endless terror!
The pillar of fire arrived instantly!
There was no struggle. There was no stalemate.
Hisss!
That indestructible Cryo shield, the instant it touched the tyrannical flame, was like summer ice meeting the sun. It didn't last a second before it was evaporated completely!
Melt!
"No...!"
The Abyss Mage shrieked!
Its body was swallowed by the pillar of fire, sent flying like a broken sack, and slammed hard into the distant mountain wall, trails of black smoke rising from it.
The entire scene.
Went quiet.
Dvalin's destructive storm, which he had been about to unleash, got stuck in his throat.
Even his scarlet dragon pupils showed a moment of stunned confusion.
Behind the rock.
Luffy's mouth formed an "O".
The next second, countless glittering stars exploded in his eyes!
"Waaaaah! Ace! So cool! You can breathe fire too!"
Sabo was frozen. He looked at the burning Pyro Vision on Ace's waist, then at the Anemo Vision on his own. His brain completely shut down.
"Eh?! Eh?! Eh?!" Paimon shrieked, flying circles around Ace in disbelief. "What is today?! A Vision giveaway?!"
While everyone was still in shock, a golden figure moved!
It was Traveler!
He didn't hesitate. The moment the Abyss Mage was sent flying, he had already turned into a fierce gust of wind and charged!
"Now!"
The Abyss Mage had just slid down the cliff wall, charred black, unable to even stand.
It looked up in terror, only to see a flash of steel, growing rapidly in its vision!
Schlick!
The blade entered flesh!
Traveler's sword, cleanly and precisely, pierced the Abyss Mage's chest!
"Urk..."
The Abyss Mage's body twitched, then dissolved into motes of black ash, scattering in the wind.
"ROAR!"
Without the Abyss Mage's shriek, the evil power that had been twisting the dragon's will snapped, like a cut thread!
"ROAR!"
Dvalin let out a roar that was both pained and confused.
His massive body trembled on the cliff's edge. In his scarlet pupils, chaos and clarity warred, as the destructive storm in his throat gathered and then dispersed.
He was out of control.
But he was also free.
"Now is the time!"
An unprecedented light burst from Venti's eyes!
All the laziness and gentleness on his face vanished, replaced by the decisiveness and dignity of a god!
He didn't look at Ace, who had just thrown a world-shaking punch, nor did he pay any mind to Traveler, who had cleanly finished the job.
His eyes were only on his pained, struggling old friend!
"Traveler!"
Venti shouted.
The golden-haired boy understood. He didn't pause. The second the Abyss Mage turned to ash, he tapped his toes on the ground, turned into a streak of golden light, and leaped onto Dvalin's broad back!
"Listen to the sound of this wind, Dvalin!"
Venti hugged his lyre. His fingers plucked the string that held the power of wind!
TWANG!
An indescribable, utterly pure melody flowed from the string!
That wasn't ordinary music!
It was the wind of Mondstadt, the song of freedom. It was the blessing of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, a blessing that could wash away all filth!
A cyan halo exploded outwards from Venti!
The motes of light were no longer gentle dandelions. They had turned into a surging, pure cyan tide, crashing hard against Dvalin's corrupted body!
"ROAR!!!"
The great dragon let out an even more agonizing roar!
The ominous, dark purple lines on his neck seemed to come alive, writhing madly, resisting the scouring of that pure power!
Two completely different powers began the most primitive, savage tug-of-war inside his body!
Dvalin's massive body writhed in agony, his giant wings beating wildly, the airflow strong enough to send boulders flying!
"Hold on, Dvalin!"
Sweat beaded on Venti's brow. His fingers flew across the strings, every note turning into the sharpest of blades, cutting away the Abyssal poison that had taken root in his dear friend!
On the cliff.
Luffy and Sabo were almost suffocating under the pressure of this clash of powers.
"Whoa... so cool..." Luffy stared, unblinking, at the great dragon, which was enveloped in cyan light and dark purple malice, and muttered.
For the first time, he saw that power could be used for something other than just sending enemies flying.
Sabo's pupils reflected the world-ending scene, his mind racing.
That green guy... he's... purifying?
He's saving the dragon!
He snapped his head to look at Ace.
Ace was still in his punching stance, his chest heaving.
He felt the newborn, violent power inside him, a power that felt like it wanted to burn everything.
Then he looked up and saw that completely different scene.
His power was destruction.
And the bard's power was... salvation.
A complex emotion flashed in Ace's burning eyes.
He pouted and let out a disdainful "Tch."
But his gaze was glued to the dragon, which was struggling in agony.
"It's not over!"
Traveler, standing on the dragon's back, shouted!
He raised his plain, simple sword above his head. A pure power, one that didn't belong to any element of this world, surged from his palm and into the blade!
Voom!
The blade lit up!
"Go!"