I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Faced with impending death, he let go of his sparkling mana blade. His spectral legs bent, cracking the old wooden floor as they launched him forward in a terrified tackle. The wind howled past his ears, his soul trembled, and his face contorted into a grimace as a chilling song of oblivion played out in the air.

The dark scythe's sharp edges glinted the promise of death as they cut through the billowing mist surrounding his frame, cutting it as if it were tangible.

Fortunately, he had reduced the distance just enough for his head not to roll on the ground. His soul shook as the horrifying realisation slammed in; the scythe had missed by a hair's breadth. But he had no time to feel relief.

Carried by his momentum, he lowered his hands, aiming at the man's knees to bring him to the ground. However, he caught the disdainful smirk plastered on the copy's face mid-movement, causing a spark of doubt to ignite in his mind.

"What do you think you're doing? Are you a mage or an amateur brawler?"

The man's voice dripped with venomous sarcasm in his ears as his eyes enlarged. The world spun the next moment as a stinging pain exploded on his chin. The impact knocked his head upwards as a veil of confusion covered his eyes.

Reality snapped back in place with a shake of his head, revealing the copy's raised knee. Instantaneously, he understood. Once again, the man had reacted with swift lethality, striking like a hammer at his exposed jaw. In only two lightning-fast exchanges, the copy asserted dominance in melee with unquestionable ease.

Adam stumbled back a few steps before restoring his balance. His eyes locked on the mysterious man's soul-chilling, yet mocking, smile. He had to find a solution, or he would lose. A deep furrow deepened between his brows as his thoughts swirled in every direction.

Projectiles? Useless. The memory of the man's impenetrable barrier flashed before his eyes. Melee combat... a suicidal option at best. Then, a spark flickered in his eyes amidst the desperation.

The mocking echo of his opponent's words crashed against his mind: 'Mage or brawler?' A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 'What if I became neither... and both at once?'

Until now, he had used each skill set separately, occasionally using mana to enhance some aspects during his battles. But what if there was a way to weave them together?

Ideas flourished in his mind as the man strangely waited. Not that he minded. Icy sweat rolled down his brows as he spent every passing second refining his budding technique. His fingers clenched and unclenched as he visualised the flow of magic and how it could improve his movement.

A tense minute crawled by before his lips curled into a confidant smirk. He outstretched his glowing palms. Multi-colored mana danced in them, weaving intricate constructs in quick succession until something grand... yet terrifying met the copy's eyes.

Golden and silver lights flashed around Adam's silhouette as a three-meter-tall armor encased his frame. Horrifying mana nails, each the length of a short sword, pulsed with elemental energies. Its large torso glinted with a metallic hue under the obsidian rocks covering it, contrasted by a milky white network of veins that fueled the massive frame with energy.

Finally, Pipes protruded from essential joints, like the shoulders, elbows, and legs.

Upon seeing the aberration, the mysterious man remained silent for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. Then he burst into boisterous laughter, slapping his leg in amusement.

"Hahaha. You can never predict what idiots will do. That's what's fun with them!" Yet, his expression shifted as the cracks running on his face expanded the next second. "Time to turn serious. Ebon's Bastion!"

Julius' soul sea rumbled. Tall walls rose on the horizon, shining sinister shadows on Adam's squinting eyes. A towering bastion rose before him, its peak veiled in a mysterious mist. Then, dark silhouettes in the hundreds manifested on the citadel's large plaza, each in the fifth tier.

Meanwhile, transparent steps materialised before the copy's widening smirk, and with casual steps reeking of overconfidence, he ascended them. Suspended in mid-air, he sat on a mana throne.

"Kill him!"

As his words echoed in the dreary dark bastion, the dark knights' eyes came to life with a mysterious yet beautiful purple light and their limbs twitched.

Adam raised his arms inside his construct, his movement mimicked by the armor without delay as the grating noise of metal echoed. With a crackle of raw power, his sharp nails buzzed as fire, earth, ice, water, darkness, light, wind, and magma brightened the place with mystical lights.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Eager to test his new technique, he sent a surge of solar energy into his right leg. The rumble of metal in movement filled his ears again. Yet, he felt nothing but smoothness coming from his improvised suit, causing his smile to broaden.

Instead of taking a step forward, the armor blurred in the startled copy's eyes as the wind split and raging howls engulfed their ears.

BOOM

A crack engulfed the place as Adam reappeared on the battlefield's edge. Dust billowed in a chaotic dance as a shockwave spread around his suit. Three knights, caught in his path, dangled powerlessly at his nail's tips, pinned against the sturdy wall. Wisps of dying flames licked the overheated pipes around his joints, showcasing the incredible energy released during his acceleration.

A shudder of excitement coursed through his spectral frame as his eyes glinted with glee. "Bahaha! I knew I could be the best scientist! I invented a mechanical suit powered by mana!" He laughed, his eyes taking a crescent shape as he shook his hand.

With dull thuds, the crushed, frozen, and melted knights fell to the dark stone slabs as blue flames shot from the pipes once more.

A chaotic scene ensued as his momentary burst of speed rendered his adversaries powerless. Like a thunder strike, he reaped the knights one after another. Nothing resisted his nails, condensed from perfect mana affinities.