I screamed out in anger as I used the White Needle to block the attack from both gargoyles. The moment the three of us clashed against each other I did a spin attack hoping to hit the monsters.

Ojorr managed to back away in time but Gnavu’s left wing was cut. The female gargoyle hissed as she felt her wing get sliced.

But two seconds later, Gnavu placed her hand on her ripped wing which released a light blue aura.

“Time Magic: Rewind of the Singularity…”

The blue light then covered the wound and a moment later when the light faded the wound was gone as if it never existed.

I clicked my teeth as my little proof of damage was undone.

Time magic was another hidden category that was within the air affinity. It is one of the most ancient and rare types of abilities that any mage from any race could wield. It is said that some of the members of the Council of Chronos also could use time magic and words that it so intense that they could possibly change the foundations of history itself.

Gnavu, being a mere gargoyle, is not that powerful but her time magic is still something to not be underestimated.

“Don’t lose focus my friend!”

Ojorr came from behind me while laughing.

“The fight isn’t even near finished!!”

“Gravity and time…these two are the worst combination.”

As me and Ojorr clashed, I tried to keep my other eye on Gnavu who was floating behind me.

“Gravity Magic: The Rebound of the Hecatoncheires!”

The gravity turned on itself and I no longer felt myself falling. As if I was in a pool I was beginning to float in the air aimlessly. While I was doing constant backflips against my will, Ojorr flew at me.

“Ha! Take this!”

The swing that Ojorr delivered was devastating. If I wasn’t quick enough to block with the White Needle I would have been cut in half. However, my luck wasn’t that good. Despite avoiding being turned into a two-piece the weight from Ojorr’s strike was as strong as a hurricane and blew me back.

“SSSSSHHHHIITTT!!!”

“Plant Magic: Spiniensis’s Children!”

“H-huh? Did I just hear plant magic?”

I turned around to see Gnavu who was strangely using plant magic to enchant her whip. Seconds later her weapon became linger and was covered with painful-looking thorns.

‘How the hell is she using plant magic!?’ I screamed inside my head. ‘Her affinity should be air! There is no way she could use earth-based spells—it’s impossible!’

The thorned whip rose and snapped towards me like a snake aiming to devour its prey. 

“This is gonna hurt—“

And it did. It really did.

As the whip wrapped itself around my body the thorns dug into my flesh. I released a high-pitched scream of agony as my body was torn from the inside.

“I-I’m sorry Baxter!”

Gnavu apologized while bowing her head.

“FUCK YOU BITCH!!!”

I shouted back with tears in my eyes. The female gargoyle cowered at me enraged yelling.

“Hmph! There is no need to apologize woman!” Ojorr stated aloud as he flew down towards us. “This is a battle! Someone is destined to get hurt, lose a limb, or best of all—DIE!”

Gnavu turned to Ojorr and huffed.

“You fool! All you have in that head of yours is blood and violence! That is exactly why we got divorced!”

After hearing those words my brain had forgotten the unbearable pain I was feeling and my eyes comically nearly popped out of my sockets.

“WHAT!? Y-you guys are a divorced couple!?”

Ojorr sighed while shrugging.

“Yes~, for some reason we fell in love many years back but we have since broken it off ten years ago—“

“It was eleven years ago!” Gnavu hissed. “It was on Christmas Eve right under the tree while Master Aeron was passing out clothes and food to the orphans! Geez! Can’t even remember the day when our relationship ended!”

“Honestly I’m surprised we married in the first place. As far as I can remember you never took the relationship seriously. Always focusing on prayers, doing the chores in the church, and cooking those awful—GOD AWFUL OMELLETES!!”

Gnavu’s face turned red with rage. As she opened her mouth to yell back I could fully see her scary-looking fangs.

“YOU ASSHOLE!! ALL THOSE TASKS I DID WERE FOR THE SOLE REASON OF MAKING OUR RELATIONSHIP WORK! I PRAYED FOR OUR MARRIAGE, I CLEANED THE CHURCH BECAUSE IT WAS OUR HOME, AND I TRIED TO MAKE YOUR FAVORITE MEAL FOR YEARS!!”

“Who on this planet told you omelets was my very dish? My favorite dish is waffles! Not to mention that I didn’t ask you to do any of that!”

“So when we made that vow many years ago what did you expect from me!?”

“I expected you to fight alongside me in bloody battles until the end of our lives!”

“There you go again! You know not everyone has that awful murderous mindset! Argh! You are a barbarian!!”

“Excuse you! I am no barbarian! I am a Warrior of God!”

“WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?! LITERALLY, WHAT IS THE—“

“THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT I DO IT FOR GOD!!”

“I AM CERTAIN GOD DOES NOT STAND FOR MINDLESS MURDER YOU PATHETHIC EXCUSE OF A—“

“Ojorr…Gnavu…”

The calm voice of Aeron echoed throughout the room. The two gargoyle silenced themselves as their master spoke.

“Please save your relationship issues after the battle. It’s time for the two of you to activate…Eden.”

Both Gnavu and Ojorr faced Aeron with different shocked expressions. While Gnavu seemed horrified Ojorr was overjoyed.

“A-are you serious, master?” Gnavu asked while stuttering. “Don’t you think that is a little too much for Baxter?”

Aeron answered, “This must be done. I will not repeat myself, activate Eden.”

Ojorr cackled.

“Hurrah! It is time for the Grand Finale! Be ready my friend!”

“This isn’t funny Ojorr!” Gnavu shouted. “Don’t you get it!? Master is basically telling us to kill Baxter!”

“And as lowly familiars, we must obey! Start Eden Gnavu!”

“Argh! You’re the worst! I-I’m so very sorry Baxter!”

Gnavu released me and I fell to the floor bleeding profusely from the holes given to me by the thorns. As I forced myself to stand I witnessed the female gargoyle start to spin around in a ballerina-type dance while her whip flew her like her and released a snow of red sparkles all over the room.

“Plant Magic: Gaia’s Love…”

“Plant Magic again?” I said aloud. “How is she…?”

“Didn’t you know my friend?”

I turned to see Ojorr with folded arms staring at the dancing Gnavu while grinning excitedly.

“The whip that Gnavu uses is the spine of an old Dryad, the nymphs of the forest. Within it is the remaining magical power of the earth.”

“Even so—there is no way Gnavu would be able to use the full capabilities of the weapon unless she was an earth affinity!”

“That is true in normal cases, but Gnavu is able to…cheat the system by using her time magic.”

“C-cheat the system?”

“The Dryad’s spine is like a garden full of my seeds waiting to be planted and grown. Gnavu’s ability to use time is similar to how God raises the sun and sets the moon and vice versa! In truth, Gnavu is using constant time magic to make the plants grow and manipulate the time within it!”

“T-that’s insane! Gnavu’s time magic is that powerful!? I thought she only could rewind or fast forward to certain moments in time!”

“And that is exactly what you are seeing, my friend. Gnavu is about to create the Garden of the Beginning by speeding up the process. From what would usually take years it will take Gnavu a single minute…”

“Time Magic: Origin!!”

Springing from the ground the floor was thousands of grand trees and gorgeous bushes. The wooden floors were also covered in a blanket of grass and dirt that soaked my shoes. 

A minute later, the once dark room was now a boundless garden that was brightened up a morning light. The smell of fresh air softened the senses in my nostrils and my muscles relaxed. I could hear the endless sounds of insects and other small critters moving around in the trees and grass.

“W-what is this?”

“Are you not a believer?” 

The voice of Ojorr echoed throughout the forest, the male gargoyle no longer standing beside me.

“This place is the Garden of Eden! The first grand form of nature that became the home of the elves and the home to the First Great Spell! This is the Birth Place of All Life!”

“Don’t be so dramatic Ojorr!”

The voice of Gnavu replied.

“This is not the real Eden. Just a cheap imitation.”

“Regardless, it is the perfect battleground for our powers to be fully realized!”

I looked up to the bright morning sky to see Ojorr descending from it like an angel. His arms were open as if looking for an embrace and his one eye was writhing around.

“It is time!”

The bright sky then turned dark and the very stars of space hovered around him.

“While Gnavu creates the earth I will make the heavens! Can you handle the power of the beginning my dear friend—BAXTER!?”

I spat out the blood that was in my mouth onto the clean grass and looked up at Ojorr with a confident grin.

“If you two are bringing down the power of the beginning then I will bring the end! I will destroy this garden and everything in it!”