A chain that could stretch a great distance, constantly breaking and restoring itself, was his lifeline at that moment. The swirling patterns on his demon body trembled violently as he poured out everything he had accumulated, combining it with his opponent's surging malice to accomplish this feat of overcoming the greater with the lesser.
Someone who had become a High-Rank Wizard, and a Black Wizard at that, could hardly be mediocre. Even if his thinking and temperament were somewhat skewed, somewhat unlike those of ordinary people, that could not erase his exceptional qualities.
His decisiveness now was one such quality. Breaking free of the Boundless Cage involved a decisive expenditure, a sacrifice of his own reserves. In an instant, he had recognized that this spell acted on the soul. Ruger's rank was lower than his, so the strength of the spells he wielded should naturally have been weaker. Trapped in these unusual restraints and facing an unknown, uncanny little Wizard, the best choice was naturally to be simple and direct. He readily abandoned his initial fantasy of casually disposing of Ruger without a sound.
That included the eruption and collision of mental power. Elegance was gone. The more simply and directly he displayed the undeniable advantage of his higher rank, the less the little Wizard could do to counter it.
Yet this troublesome spell had clearly exceeded his expectations, though that also indirectly proved that choosing the simple, direct approach had been right.
Ruger staggered. He felt as though he was bleeding; his long mouth was filled with a salty taste. His nose, or perhaps more than that, was bleeding. He barely managed to open a spatial fissure and took out the Demon Dice.
If he cast this die and the result favored him, he could live. He could choose