Chapter 1577 I Know What I Must Do Author's Note: Unedited Chapter --------------------- "I am not risking the safety of Earth on the hope that this thing will stay captured. It is even more powerful than I remember," Jack waved Gustav off with a gentle yet firm shove. "I can't let you kill her," Gustav stated with a strong tone. "Kid if you know what is good for you, leave now," Jack already had enough of Gustav's interference. "I will consider you an enemy if you disrupt one more time," He added with a stern look. "I can't do that," Gustav eyes twinkled with a crimson glow as he slowly began to unleash his energy. Jack was immediately taken aback as he felt the steaming presence ripple through the surroundings. "I see. You're no ordinary person, are you?" Jack felt it made sense since Gustav had appeared before him so suddenly and was even flying. "I don't want her dead..." Fwwhoommsshhh~ Heavy winds began spreading about the surroundings as both their energies clashed just like that of Jack and Angy's at the time. Jack discovered that this unknown person was a Mixedblood and they were not in anyway weak. His eyes squinted as he twirls his fingers, prepared to use a very powerful ability. 'Even though the space seal costruct only lasts for two seconds... Not a single lifeform on earth will be capable of movement. I will use that brief time to end both their lives,' Jack decided internally. ("Careful... He is going for the kill,") 'It will be fine. I am not so helpless that a single attack will be able to end my life even though he is the strongest Mixedblood,' Gustav responded internally as he prepared to use a powerful ability as well. ("Uhm about that...") The system seemed like it was going to inform him about something when an unexpected situation suddenly occured. Angy whose figure was a mangled mess within the space construct Jack created, suddenly glared at Gustav's direction and then back at Jack. Her eyes turned bloodshot as she exploded forth with a wave of dark energy. Boom! Both Jack and Gustav were shocked as the wave swept across hundreds of miles, causing great destruction. Jack had surrounded himself and a few other structures around in his constructs to avoid accidents but while Gustav seemed to have been consumed by the destruction. Jack couldn't confirm since he suddenly had his plate full again. He didn't even have the time to lament as Angy came at him with unbridled ferocity. Boom! Boom! Sounds akin to thunderclaps rang out as they clashed repeatedly. As the visibility of a particular area returned to nomal, Gustav's figure could be spotted unscathed from the previous encounter. 'Hmm...' Gustav watched from a distance with a look of skepticism. As Angy and Jack exchanged blows, the ground beneath them shattered, sending shockwaves across the icy region. Angy's inverted horn emitted beams of dark energy that Jack narrowly dodged, while Jack's fists glowed with a radiant light that seemed to pierce through the darkness. "I should have ended this when I had the chance," Jack growled in frustration. Angy remained silent with an unchanging expression. Another blade materialised in her hand at this moment causing the surroundings to twist and turn. It seemed even more powerful than the previous one. Angy proceeded to swing her dark blade, and a rift opened in the air, tearing through the very fabric of reality. Jack narrowly avoided the attack as the rift closed behind him with a violent snap. Gustav knew he couldn't wait any longer. Summoning all his strength, he propelled himself forward, his form blurring as he moved at lightning speed. He appeared between Angy and Jack with his arms outstretched to block their attacks. "Stop!" Gustav shouted, his voice echoing through the frozen landscape. Both Angy and Jack paused, their eyes widening in surprise at the sudden appearance of Gustav. For a brief moment, there was silence as the three of them stood in a tense standoff. 'He managed to stop my hand? Who is this kid?' Jack wondered internally. Angy on the other hand... One couldn't tell what she was thinking or if she was even thinking at all. "Angy, it's me," Gustav said, his voice softening. "You can stop this now. It doesn't have to get any worse." Jack's eyes narrowed as he looked at Gustav. "How do you know her? You are clearly a Mixedblood" he asked with a cautious tone. "She's my friend. But something has happened to her. She needs help," Still wanting to hide his identity, Gustav could only say this much. Angy's expression hardened. She remained silent, but her grip on the dark blade tightened. "Angy, please. Don't give him more reasons to end you. Whatever this is.. we can fix it," Gustav pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. For a moment, it seemed like Angy hesitated as her eyes flickered with uncertainty. But then her expression hardened again, and she lashed out with a powerful strike aimed at Gustav. Gustav barely managed to dodge as his eyes widened in shock. "Angy, no!" Jack took advantage of the momentary distraction and charged at Angy as his fists glowed with radiant energy. "She is a threat. I need to neutralize her," he said, his voice cold and determined. "No!" Gustav shouted and moved to intercept Jack. The three of them clashed, their powers creating a blinding display of light and darkness. Gustav found himself torn between trying to protect Angy and stopping Jack from harming her while also trying to stop her as well. While in their midst, both Angy and Jack lunged at him simultaneously. Their combined assault was overwhelming, and despite using multiple abilities to defend himself, Gustav found himself struggling to keep up. His eyes darted like an arrow, following but barely deflecting their attacks that were continuously being sent out at a speed that a Beta Ranked Mixedblood would be unable to handle. Gustav's perception followed through as two powerful fists drove forward from both sides. He had no choice but to parry both attacks as his body got covered completely in iron silk upon collision. "Urgh!" Gustav grunted as he was sent flying across the entire region, crashing through buildings and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The force of the impact rattled his bones as blood trailed from the side of his lips, but he quickly recovered. Meanwhile, Angy and Jack had focused on battling each other again since Gustav was momentarily out of the picture. Jack used his construct abilities to teleport massive asteroids from space, hurling them at Angy with deadly precision. Angy, with her incredible speed and agility, effortlessly deflected the asteroids with her dark blade, slicing through them as if they were made of paper. The ground trembled with each collision, and the sky lit up with bursts of energy as their attacks clashed. Gustav watched from a distance, his mind racing. He knew he had to do something to stop this madness, but he was hesitant to use the one ability that could undoubtedly put a pause to the ongoing situation.... Cosmic Superiority. Unfortunately, Gustav knew that using Cosmic Superiority would mean revealing his true identity. Jack and the rest of the world would no doubt identify him since there was only a single Earthing who had achieved Cosmic Superiority. Gustav clenched his fists as his eyes narrowed with resolve. "I have no choice," he muttered to himself. Connecting to the base of his core, Gustav activated his Cosmic Superiority. A glowing cross appeared in his pupils as red-pinkish energy spread from him, cascading across the world. The sheer force of his power caused all living things to pause their actions and drop to their knees in reverence. Jack felt the overwhelming pressure and tried to fight against it. "...Is this?" he gasped, struggling to stay in the air as his body trembled. His mind clicked as he recalled the only person on Earth capable of such power. "Gustav... it has to be you," Jack realized, gritting his teeth. Gustav didn't say a word in response, instead he stared at Jack with an apologetic expression. Despite his best efforts, Jack eventually succumbed to the power and fell to his knees. The realization that Gustav was behind this filled him with an indescribable tension. However, Gustav's plan hit a major snag. Angy was completely unaffected by the power of Cosmic Superiority. She moved with an unchanging expression. "How are you able to move?" Gustav eyes widened in disbelief. Although Gustav knew his cosmic superiority had been resisted by beings far above his level of strength, this was years back. He was way more stronger now and even Jack was unable to to withstand it... So how? How was Angy unaffected? Gustav couldn't wrap his head around this. Angy didn't respond. Instead, she raised her dark blade and lunged at Gustav with blinding speed. Gustav barely had time to react, his cosmic energy flaring as he deflected the attack with a powerful cross shaped barrier. "Angy, stop!" Gustav shouted as his voice echoed through the chaos.