Physics The Greatest Magic
Chapter 278 - Special - Post Dungeon-Arc Future John's Perspective.

*Ba dump* *Ba dump* *Ba dump* *Ba dump*

John's eyes grew darker and emptier as he stared at the sight in front of him. His arms trembling and tears flowing down his eyes as he panted. 

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't breathe. 

"What's the meaning of this…?" John asked

"I…Idiot… S…Sorry…"

From beyond his eyes, John saw a sight which had been engraved in his mind for years. A sight, which no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't forget.

In front of him, stood Ms Sylvia gripping tightly onto her dagger which had pierced through both Serena and Ariel.

'…? What…? What's going on…? Why am I seeing this again…? Let go…'

"Let go… Master…" John muttered as he clenched his fist. Just seeing the pained faces of his two companions as his master tilted her dagger, was enough to make him snap. "Let go."

John's hand moved precisely and swiftly as he leapt forward. His hand and grip positioned to grab master Sylvia's face and slam it down with all he had. 

He was in no position to think, his body acted before his mind had even realized it. His anger had taken control. However-

*Swoosh*

John's hand ended up going right through her. 

'!?'

John pulled his hand back and then forward again, before trembling.

It was an illusion, he couldn't feel them. He could see the emotionless face of Master Sylvia as she kept her grip on the dagger.

"DAMN IT!!!"  John shouted in rage as he swung at the ground.

His anger remained as his hand passed right through.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!? WHY ARE YOU SHOWING ME THIS!?" John shouted out

However, there was no reply. No reply except for a familiar voice which came behind him.

"S-Serena…?" Ariel…?" The familiar voice behind John muttered.

Wanting to divert his attention away from the sight, John turned around only to see himself standing there filled with despair.

The dark and white hair, with dark green eyes, sacred dagger, torn gloves and vast magic power. John could both see and feel it. There was no doubt he was looking at himself. A younger and shorter version of himself.

It was thanks to now that he could see himself from a different perspective that he was able to truly comprehend the horrible state which he was in.

Animosity, rage, hatred, despair. A mixture of every negative emotion was forced out. His eyes darkened, his body shaking, his gasps for air as steam was purged from his body. 

He was staring at himself and yet, it felt nothing like him.

"Why…?" John's mirror image asked as tears began streaming down his face. "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why!?" He repeated.

He raised both hands before slamming them down in rage, releasing a burst of dark energy in the process.

Following that, he raised his head and gritted his teeth as he let out a loud roar filled with anger and blood lust.

"WHYYY!? MASTER!!!!!!!!"

His mirror image stood up, the expression of rage and hatred quickly shifted into that of a blank one as he stared straight at Master Sylvia.

John's mirrored self's eyes clouded themselves in darkness is his hair turned pitch black and grew longer. His muscles began to slightly expand as he let out a wave of blood lust.

"I did everything you asked…? And yet… You of all people… Betrayed me…?" John asked with the same blank expression

*Thump*

Despite his anger however, The vast darkness which was being pushed out of him slowly began to contain itself. John's mirage was fighting the anger back.

It was then that it happened.

*BOOM!*

Dark flames erupted from behind John, he quickly turned his sight away from his mirror image only to see that a dark flame had engulfed Sylvia, Serena and Ariel's figure. 

John's heart throbbed in pain as he watched. He remembered this part clearly too, it was where his memory came to and end. Blood began flowing down his mouth as he dug his teeth into his lips in an attempt to control himself. 

This was where his memory ended. But the hallucination wasn't over.

*Crack* *Crack*

John turned back to the sound of cracking, only to see his mirrored self in a deplorable state. No, deplorable was an understatement. John couldn't even believe that he was looking at himself.

Tears of blood could be seen flowing down his eyes. Broken down wings began to expand out of his back and fix themselves. A strange mark began forming on his chest. Despite it's lack of shape, it could be perceived yet remained incomprehensible.

All of this happened with the unchanging blank expression on his face.

John could no longer call the being which was himself human, as he witnessed this. No, he couldn't even call it himself.

"God… It always fucking hearts…" John's mirrored self muttered.

The voice completely different, the magic flow different, the expression was different. John could tell it wasn't him. He recognized who it was, right away.

"So this happened and you kept it from me… Huh… demon…?" John muttered as he could do nothing but watch. "If that's the case… Why are you showing me all of this now?! What are you trying to gain!?"

Just as he asked that, a familiar voice came from behind him again. His eyes widened as he hadn't heard the voice in such a long time, a voice which he hated to his core.

"Finally… I can… Kill you…" She muttered with tears of happiness.

He grit his teeth  as he looked back and stared straight at the expression on the face of his master. He couldn't believe it.

'She's smiling…? Haha…'

"Hahaha…" 

John began laughing to himself. The bodies of his companions had disappeared, all he could see was Master Sylvia standing there. She burned their bodies to ash.

"So she really did kill them…" John muttered as he placed his palm on his face. "I was too afraid to look but I guess there's no need now… Hahaha…" John added.

Tears began to flow down his face.

"Alright… It's your win… We've already gone way over the contract deadline anyways… There's no more reason for me to live… I'll give you my body, demon…" John muttered

He then hung his head and with a blank expression, said.

"But before that, I'll have to track my Master down and kill her. I don't care how long it takes."

'After all… This hatred… Is the only thing I have left.'

Suddenly, just as John had lost all hope-

"WAKE UP JOHN!" The voice shouted

Another familiar voice, only this time, rather than bringing him anger, it brought him nostalgia. 

John turned to the left, away from both his mirrored self and Master Sylvia only to see the figure of his companions.

The one who had shouted was the one who had been with him since the beginning, it was Ariel.

John's eyes widened as he saw this. He stretched his hand out in disbelief.

"A-Ariel? H-How?" John asked

It was then that he noticed it, he found it strange how it was a hallucination and yet he could still feel it. The flow of darkness coming out of Ariel, her magic flow was the same and yet it felt different. Just like in John's case.

'Don't tell me…'

Ariel dropped to her knees, letting out heavy pants as she grasped her Armour around her chest and stomach. The wound was still there and in flames.

'What are you doing…? Ariel…?'

"R-Run away… RUN AWAY!!" John shouted

But his voice didn't reach her. Beside her on the ground laid Serena, who was unconscious.

Fortunately, Master Sylvia paid no attention to them and simply stared at John's mirrored self while grinning. She was obsessed with revenge. Nothing else mattered to her.

"Hm? They're still alive? Shame. I'll deal with them after." John's demon self muttered. He then turned to Master Sylvia who was already ready to commence her attack. "Ah, Sorry to keep you waiting. Don't worry, I've fully consumed him so I'll be able to kill you now." He added.

"Before I kill you I've got something to ask… Why'd you do it?" Master Sylvia asked.

"Why'd I do what?" Demon John asked, confused.

Master Sylvia grit her teeth before asking again.

"Why'd you kill them!?"

Confused, the demon tilted his head before saying.

"I don't know who you're referring to…? But do you need a reason to kill?" The demon asked. A bright smile then formed on his face as he added. "It's just fun."

"I see." Master Sylvia muttered before letting out a sigh.

She suddenly vanished leaving a trace of darkness behind as she appeared above the demon. A swing with her dagger already in motion, aiming right at the horn on his head.

However, without so much as moving from his spot. The demon stopped Master Sylvia's swing with simply two fingers. 

"Rak." Translation: Dark Burst. 

A dark wave suddenly burst out from the demon, sending Master Sylvia flying towards the ceiling. 

Right before Master Sylvia could complete her chant and shadow step again, the demon vanished before appearing above her with his arms raised up, locked inside of a dark Spiky sphere.

Master Sylvia quickly turned and rotated her body before placing both of her daggers in front of her in a cross to block his attack. 

But just as he swung his arms down, he vanished again, suddenly appearing beneath master Sylvia.

*Crack*

Before Master Sylvia could even react, she was hit by an overwhelming Impact on her back, sending her even higher, nearly crashing up into the ceiling. 

The caused her to weaken her grip over the dagger, and as she went further up, she was suddenly hit in the stomach by a kick, sending her straight back down.

It was one-sided.

John watched as his demon self levitated in the air and watched as dark magic circles began forming in the air beneath him, aiming towards Master Sylvia who was about to crash onto the ground.

It was one magic circle stacked upon the other, a big spell was coming.

He had no need to chant for he was a demon, dark magic came naturally to him. His mastery of dark magic was far greater than Johns. It was thanks to him that John could even use dark magic that efficiently in the first place.

The flow of darkness in the room could be seen gathering and condensing on the top of the magic circle stack. The instant Master Sylvia was about to land, the spell was executed.

A tiny ray of darkness, shot down from the magic circles aimed precisely at Master Sylvia's heart. 

It moved faster than the eye could see, Master Sylvia would have been pierced in the instant if it hadn't been for- 

"That technique sure is impressive-"

*Clang*

The demon blocked another swing from Master Sylvia which came from behind. She shadow stepped again, in the very last moment.

"It's useless."

The two began to pair blows, over and over. It was completely one sided. Sylvia was being pushed back.

John quickly turned to Ariel, who remained knelled down on the floor grasping the Armour above her heart tightly. Now was her best chance to get away with Serena. That was the case but, something wrong was happening with Ariel.

"Not now… Get out of my head… I need to save him… So the three of us can escape together…" 

Ariel began mumbling words to herself as she placed both hands on her head.

From one glance John could tell what was happening. Something was trying to take possession over her. That thing was probably the reason why she was still conscious in the first place.

Her eyes and hair were turning even darker than it's usual black. It was if it was sucking the darkness and light away from the surroundings.

"What…? You promise You won't hurt them…? You'll really stop them…?" Ariel asked herself

'She's not planning to…'

"ARIEL DONT DO IT-" John shouted

John's voice didn't reach Ariel as she muttered with a smile.

"Okay… If that's what it takes. Please stop them… I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"ARIEL!!!!" John shouted.

Even if it was an illusion, he couldn't help it.

*Thump* *Thump*

The expression on Ariel's face changed into a blank one as the flow of darkness in the room suddenly froze.

John watched in disbelief, as Master Sylvia's attention and John's demon self turned to Ariel. They too noticed this change.

"Request confirmed. Payment complete." Ariel muttered as she slowly got up. 

She stretched out her hand to the side as the flow of darkness commenced once again and gather on her sacred treasure shaped as a rapier. The rapier seemed to slightly expand and grow as it was embedded with more and more darkness.

Ariel got into a sword stance with her rapier. Her knees bent, her right hand grasping tightly onto the rapier pulled back, her left hand stretched forward and pointed at her target. 

The target was demon John. 

"Initiating request." Ariel muttered.

Dark wings in the shape of crystals began to expand from her back.

"Hm…? So she's finally decided to show herself. I wonder what-"

Demon John was interrupted as Ariel suddenly appeared in front of him with a thrust already in motion.

It wasn't shadow step so he wasn't able to read the movement. It had caught him off guard.

In a single motion, Ariel kicked Master Sylvia away and pushed forth her right arm, thrusting her rapier forward.

Demon John barely avoided the thrust as he stepped back, it slightly pierced his forehead. But in that instant-

*Crackle* *VAAM!*

'Eh…? You're telling me… That was hiding inside of Ariel…?' John asked

Demon John was completely frozen inside of dark crystals which in an instant, had expanded all the way from the middle of the arena to the walls, creating a large trail of crystals leading all the way to the walls and up to the roof.

In that moment, Serena suddenly appeared beside Ariel, swinging her dagger as she did so. The flames which burst out of the dagger were redirected to the sides as Ariel parried it with her rapier.

Master Sylvia swung her other dagger to attack and Ariel thrust her rapier straight at Master Sylvia's neck.

Ariel was much faster, she stopped short of Master Sylvia's neck but the crystals burst forth before Master's Sylvia's swing had even reached half of the way.

Master Sylvia luckily avoided it again, by instinctively shadow stepping. She had been chanting during mid-swing.

She shadow stepped a few meters behind Ariel before shouting.

"Ariel don't get in the way… After all this time… I have to be the one to kill him!" Said Master Sylvia.

"Negative." Replied Ariel who suddenly thrust her rapier into the floor.

This time, Sylvia was not able to avoid it. A trace of dark crystals created at a speed faster than master Sylvia could react. Quickly freezing her inside, just as it had done to demon John.

Just like Demon John. Master Sylvia was frozen inside of the dark Crystals.

John couldn't believe it. He was barely able to see her movements, and how were mere crystals able to stop them?

Despite that having happened, it wasn't over.

*Crack*

The sounds of cracks could be heard forming around the crystals where Demon john was trapped.

*Shatter*

"Such strong magic draining crystals can only belong to the Queen of crystals in the underworld. I didn't expect to be facing you so soon after my awakening. Although I must say, you're holding back quite a lot, is it due to the owner of that body's request? You were always a soft-"

Demon John was interrupted as Ariel, suddenly appeared in front of him again. This time it didn't catch him by surprise and he was ready for it.

Countless thrusts were directed at him, all in an instant but he was able to most of them by a hair's margin. The more he avoided the faster he got. Simultaneously, the faster Ariel would make her thrusts.

Whatever was trying to control her was trying to stop herself from hurting demon John, but John knew at that rate, she wouldn't be able to stop him.

Despite that, the fight remained one sided towards Ariel. She threw barrage after barrage, all John could do was avoid, he had no room for a counter.

"brāk."

Ariel suddenly pulled back her arm and rapier before thrusting it forward at an insanely high speed. 

Demon john instinctively Shadow stepped to avoid it, but despite that, half of his body had been frozen.

"Tsk, STOP HOLDING ME BACK! I THOUGHT I CONSUMED YOU!" Demon john suddenly shouted to himself in rage as he became unable to move.

'I'm still fighting back even in that situation…?' John wondered

Ariel used that as an opportunity and quickly thrust her rapier one more time, this time, Demon john was distracted and unable to react in time.

*Pierce*

Ariel pierced John right through his heart with the rapier.

"So you'll kill this vessel, even though it means that much to you, huh…?" The demon asked 

In that moment, for just a moment, john felt Ariel's presence return.

"John… I can't hold her or master Sylvia back for much longer… Use this as an opportunity to get away… Master Sylvia still hasn't let herself be possessed… She too has a demon who's powers are grand… She'll kill you…" Ariel muttered with tears running down her eyes.

"You'll let me escape? You realize John can't hear you anymore right? The lives of countless people will be in your hands if I escape from here." Said demon john.

With the tears still flowing down her eyes and a smile on her face. Ariel muttered. "I don't care… If you die, John dies… Even if I had to choose between John or the world, I'd choose John…"

"As expected, greedy and selfish just like every other human. You're all the same."

"That's fine with me… If it's about John I'll be as greedy and selfish as I want… After all I… I love him…" Ariel muttered with a blushing smile. 

John's and demon John's eyes widened as he heard this. Demon John then hung his head before placing his hand on his forehead.

*Tssss*

A strange sound could be heard as steam began to form around the crystal which had trapped master Sylvia. The Crystal was melting.

"Give it a rest already! Your body is already mine! STOP FIGHTING BACK!" The demon shouted

Ariel's presence slowly began to fade as her expression began to return to it's blank one. Demon John who saw this and noticed that he wasn't in the position to fight, quickly vanished before appearing in front of the arena's exit. The door had opened and had been glowing for a long while now, since they had cleared the dungeon. 

Had they not been fighting, they would have been able to exit a while ago. 

Demon John glanced back and for a moment, John's presence seemed to return as tears fell down his face and he muttered. "I love you too.". Before returning to his demon self and crossing through the glowing doors.

Following that, everything froze in place before the hallucination disappeared. Leaving behind John.

"Who are you… Why did you show me all of this? Are they still alive…? SHOW ME THE REST WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM!? WHERE ARE THEY!?" John shouted as he wiped away his tears.

Tears wouldn't stop flowing down John's face, as his lid of emotions was filled with different feelings. He felt sadness, happiness, joy, anger and a throbbing pain on his heart and most of all shame.

He felt as if he had betrayed both Serena and Ariel, he had been too afraid to go looking for them due to fear of discovering that they weren't alive. He was ashamed of himself.

Suddenly, An unfamiliar hand was placed on his shoulder. Confused, John turned around to see who it was and when he did, he couldn't believe his eyes.

The figure of a person. He couldn't see the person's face but he had a familiar air to him.  dark hair like John which was covered by a dark cloak's hoodie and a figure similar to that of him. 

The only difference that John could note between them was that they was significantly taller.

For some reason. No matter how hard John tried to think against it. He couldn't scratch the idea that he was staring at himself. 

What was it? Was it just the demon inside of him playing tricks again? What was happening? Why did it feel so different? And most importantly, why couldn't he stop the pain in his heart? John wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted and his eyes opened wide as the hooded person spoke.

"You want to save them… Don't you?" 

Did he hear that right? The voice was nothing like the demon's. Just who was this person?

"Who… Who are you…?" John asked, his voice trembling as he did so.

"…"

The person didn't reply.

"Of course I do… They're everything to me… My reason for living…!"

The raised his finger pointing at John however he did not stop and instead pointed at what was behind John.

John turned around only to see the corpses still laying there. The more he stared at it, the less he could control himself.

John quickly turned back around to where the person was, only to see that they were no longer standing where they were. Instead, they were right beside John.

"Everyone is in danger. Can the you of now, keep them safe?" The person asked

A masculine voice. John assumed it to be a man.

The man in the hood, took a step forward, moving away from John's line of sight. When john turned his head to see where the man was going, he was surprised to see that the man had disappeared.

"Your arsenal of magic is wide. That imagination is limitless, out of this world. The amount of power you possess is like no other. Yet it's not enough. You lack mastery. You lack ambition. That small objective which you call ambition is nowhere near enough. That is the reason why you are cursed to lose. Again and again and again." 

What was this person talking about? Losing? Losing what? More and more questions began popping up in John's head as he turned around, looking for the source of the voice. Despite all, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see it.

"Isn't it frustrating? You were brought to this world by their hand and now they're out to kill you and your loved ones. Where is your hatred? Where is your rage? Maybe If I killed them in front of you it would change something?" 

"J…John…" 

A trembling voice suddenly called out to John from behind. 

John turned back only to see Serena laying down on the ground, a few meters away from him with her hand stretched out towards him. There was blood flowing down her mouth along with a scared and saddened look on her face. 

"R…Run…" She muttered with her remaining strength.

Next to her stood the hooded man. He held onto a sword and had it's edge pointed down at Serena's heart.

John's eyes widened as he saw this. He couldn't think straight, and in desperation tried using his words to stop him.

"Stop… STO-"

*Pierce*

Life left Serena's eyes as her hands dropped. 

*Ba dump* *Ba dump*

*Ba dump* *Ba dump*

"See? It's easy isn't it?"

*Ba dump*

"That's all it takes… To lose everything you care for. Ah… Right. There's one more."

Following that, another figure suddenly appeared, chained up in a cage. This time, it was Ariel.

"J-John…? W-What's happening…"

*Crack!*

"Oi…" John muttered.

A crack suddenly formed on the dark, hollow floor beneath John.

"Who do you think you are…?" John asked

*Crack* *Crack*

Cracks began running down the ceiling before eventually making it's way all the way down as far as the eye could see.

Magic power began leaking out from John.

A dark crimson flow of magic. 

*Snap*

With a single snap of the hooded man's fingers. The flow disappeared. Completely. Once again, John was powerless.

"Without your magic. You're nothing. An empty vessel…" Muttered the man

John's heart skipped a beat as he heard this.

"You're wrong…" Mumbled John as he clenched his hand into a fist.

"You can't save anything… You won't save anything… No matter how hard you try." 

"Shut up…"

"In the end you're simply a pawn in their little game. Being used all for their own satisfaction." 

"Shut up."

"Just like how your master used you."

*Crack*

"SHUT UP!!!!!"  John shouted out with all of his strength.

*CRACK!* *CRACK!*

The cracks grew larger and larger, slowly growing closer and closer to shattering.

John's magic power which had been canceled, released itself once again in a much larger magnitude. Anger and hatred could be seen in John's eyes as he glared at the man in the cloak.

*CRACK* *SHATTER!*

Eventually, it all shattered. Leaving nothing but light behind.

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

"Not bad… Emotions truly do make a difference…" Said the man as he finished clapping.

With the anger still lingering inside of him, John listened to the words of the man as he tried to replace his figure within the vast light.

"It's time I take a leave… But before I go I have some advice."

"Show yourself? Running away now? Coward." Said John with hateful eyes.

"Coward? I could deal with you in less than a second, boy. Besides, you'll need this advice. You're being targeted by gods, are you not?"

"!?"

John's ears twitched as he heard those last words.

"Master space magic and create your own dimension like the one I've done now. Without it, not only will you not be able to damage an immortal god, but you can forget about killing them."

"What are you talking about? Just tell me where I can replace them…!"

"That's your choice. My time is up. Wake up."

"What? Wai-"

John was interrupted as felt a sudden pull in his consciousness, everything went black. 

———————————————————-

Before he even realized it, the Bright sunlight shone down on his eyes once they opened.

John placed his hands on his forehead before letting out a deep sign and muttering.

"Fuck…"