Garos found himself caught off guard.
An unusual quality in his opponent's mana disrupted Garos's ability to instantly heal his injuries. This perplexing effect persisted despite the fact that the mana wielded by the opponent was of a lower rank than his own.
For the very first time since his ascent to S-Rank, Garos experienced a profound sense of helplessness and fear of life. Garos felt that his Sage-level body was useless. Beelzebubs had already devoured his missing arm.
And there was no way for him to fix it even if we were to use a healing spell. It was as if being with one arm was his new reality and the concept of having two arms for a human did not exist for him anymore.
With his lone functioning hand, Garos desperately applied pressure to the wound on his neck, endeavoring to stem the profuse bleeding. He conceded that he'd never encountered such a life-threatening situation, not even during his early days as a Novice Ranker.
Nevertheless, he momentarily set aside the agony and concentrated on identifying the assailant who had abruptly appeared. However, as he did so, he became profoundly bewildered.
"You... Wha... Haa...?"
Garos stammered, his speech hindered by the neck injury. For an instant, he refused to accept the sight before him. He blinked repeatedly and extended his Soul Sense to dispel any illusion. But these actions only confirmed that what he was witnessing was indeed reality.
Garos harbored a strong conviction that the Eren he had previously slain was no mere clone. Even a clone conjured by a skilled Elementalist couldn't have deceived him into believing it was the original.
What Eren had executed defied the very boundaries Garos had established in his mind.
"How indeed," Eren replied, his voice devoid of emotion.
His eyes remained fixed on Garos with a cold, unfeeling determination. In this critical moment, Eren decided to employ yet another ace up his sleeve. He produced a vial containing a mysterious potion and, before anyone could react, uncorked it and consumed its contents.
Borrowed Might!
***
Eren immediately felt the effects of the potion given to him by Sage Minerva. It granted him access to S-Rank mana, essentially transforming him into a pseudo-Sage. This miraculous elixir was known as the Type Two Borrowed Might potion. Prior to confronting Garos, Eren had already applied the Type One Borrowed Might potion to his labrys. This was the reason he could hurt Garos in the first place.
Eren inhaled deeply as the presence of S-Rank Mana coursed through him, a sensation he had never experienced before. It made him believe that his Elemental Attainments would heed his every whim, responding keenly to his thoughts and emotions. He felt that he could change the very geography of this region if he wanted to.
'I… I get it now. I can now understand why the Rankers become so prideful once they attain Sage status.'
Eren reflected, gearing up for the impending battle with Garos. Meanwhile, Garos stood there, bewildered by the astounding transformation Eren had undergone after drinking the Borrowed Might potions.
'Just how many aces does this wretched cockroach have up his sleeve?'
Garos pondered as he harnessed his own S-Rank Mana. He had prudently maintained a safe distance from Eren, closely observing his opponent's actions.
Now that he was certain of Eren's survival, Garos decided to unleash his full might, determined to end Eren's life once again. He wanted to see how many times Eren could employ the same tactic before meeting his final demise.
'Even if he has nine lives today, I'll fucking kill this rat.'
***
In the audience. Right after Eren showed himself once again.
"How... How can this be? He is not dead?"
Sage Hansen Lehan and the other Sages accompanying him were utterly astounded as they witnessed Eren's sudden reappearance on the battlefield.
They had recently witnessed Garos ruthlessly ending Eren's life, and the kill had been unequivocal; it couldn't be mistaken for a mere illusion. They were all Sages after all. There was no clone or illusion potent enough to fool them. The Rankers weren't used to employing the clones in the first place.
The clones were only used primarily in the Calamity Era, mainly by the Elementalists to reduce the casualties.
"Hm? Hold on a moment," Marcus Moretti interjected, his eyes fixed on Eren with a mix of uncertainty and bewilderment as he voiced a theory that had crossed his mind.
"Remember, the City of Lancelot suffered a theft, right? House Lancelot never disclosed what was stolen. Is it possible..." Marcus's voice trailed off as he observed the intense confrontation between Eren and Garos, both locked in a silent, unyielding standoff.
"Shallot's Mirror!"
Ursula exclaimed in shock, providing the missing piece of Marcus's thought. She was well aware of Shallot Lancelot of House Lancelot, a prominent figure during the Calamity Era known for her ability to create clones.
The Sages quickly drew the connection and deduced how Eren had accomplished the seemingly impossible.
Sage Hansen Lehan was flabbergasted by the theory put forth by the Sage couple. He urgently contacted Avalon Lancelot, who was present on the battlefield, to verify the accuracy of this speculation.
"Brat Avalon, what exactly did the thieves steal from House Lancelot?"
He questioned Avalon bluntly, his stern tone leaving no room for ambiguity. Avalon hesitated initially but, under Hansen's insistence, provided a truthful response.
"Yes, Sage Hansen Lehan. Shallot's Mirror, our most prized heirloom and the relic of our ancestor, was indeed stolen. We are still trying to figure out the exact details of the event, including how the thieves managed to evade our robust security measures.
What I can affirm is that it was a meticulously crafted plan. Someone dedicated years to its execution."
Avalon disclosed to Sage Hansen Lehan, sharing what he knew while carefully omitting certain details. He was still hesitant to reveal that the thieves had also made off with the Titan's remains in their possession during the heist.
After all, Avalon and his clan didn't really trust Edinburgh's central administration.
AN: Borrowed Might potions were explained in chapter 1457.
