An apex predator's Individuality.
Garos instinctively felt that Eren had cultivated a kind of Individuality for himself within merely 30 years which he was unable to do even after living for around 2000 years.
The more he fought Eren, the more he needed to assure himself that he was still better. This feeling creeped up on him sneakily, making him want to dominate Eren at any cost.
The King's Hand subconsciously felt that only by showing off his strength as a Sage could he feel better about himself.
"Enough. No matter how many tricks you have up your sleeves, you are still weak!"
Garos exclaimed as he deployed his water-element spell. In the next moment, a huge mass of water appeared from thin air and surrounded Eren from all angles.
It trapped him inside and lifted him up in the air before shrinking in size all of a sudden, locking Eren within it. Through the use of his spell, Garos made the inner surface of the Water Sphere have sharp spikes made of dense water-element mana.
Blink.
Quick as a blink, Eren skillfully employed a space-element spell to evade the impending Water Sphere, leaving Garos astonished once more.
'He even has space-element Attainments? This… this is absurd,' Garos couldn't help but think with some trepidation building inside his heart the more he fought with Eren.
The exchange lasted for about a minute before the two were separated.
"If you want to call me weak," Eren reappeared unscathed in front of Garos, his tone now aged and unfeeling, "at the very least, make you kill me with one hit. Otherwise, stop spewing bullshit," he spoke with unwavering certainty.
Fueled by repressed anger, the Sage opted for more formidable spells, ones that posed a heightened risk to the nearby spectators.
Up until this point, both Eren and Garos had instinctively tried to limit collateral damage for their own reasons. However, Garos abandoned this cautious approach after realizing that Eren was a far more formidable opponent than he had initially assumed.
Harbour Wave!
Garos raised his sole hand and called forth a vast, sky-enveloping water mass. Its looming presence cast a colossal shadow over a significant portion of the battlefield.
The water held within this mass was infused with such dense and potent water-element mana that its weight defied nature, making it much heavier than normal. Even a small fraction of this water pressing down on or enveloping the Master and Grandmaster Rankers could prove fatal to them.
This was how powerful a Sage was. They could handle multiple Grandmaster Rankers without breaking a sweat.
Garos' Elemental Attainments were a reflection of his Aspect, focusing on the sheer density and weight of water. His signature ability, Harbour Wave, granted him the power to summon and manipulate immense water masses solely through his gestures. This ability provided him with the flexibility to deploy it as and when he saw fit.
At this point, Garos could potentially eliminate half of the total Rankers on the battlefield just by letting the water fall on them. But fortunately for these Rankers, Garos' target was singularly set on Eren. His mastery over the ability allowed him to precisely strike Eren while minimizing collateral damage.
The sight of Garos activating his ability sent shockwaves through the ordinary Rankers on both sides, sparking panic. However, fear kept them rooted in place, avoiding any actions that might draw attention.
Eren gazed up at the colossal water mass, making him appear minuscule in comparison. Before he could employ his magic, several Aqua Vines extended from the mammoth water blob, snaking towards him, eager to ensnare and transport him away. Eren had a sense that if he were captured, he wouldn't be able to employ Blink.
Nevertheless, Eren made a surprising decision to not resist the Aqua Vines and let them apprehend him. He was swiftly carried into the air before vanishing into the towering water mass, which had shrouded the sun.
Garos was left bewildered as he observed Eren's compliance with his capture. An uneasiness nagged at him, but he didn't halt his ability.
In the next moment, an unusual event unfolded. As Eren vanished into the colossal water mass, it began emitting peculiar mana pulses. The water both within and above the battlefield started to tremble and agitate, creating an intense, swirling motion, as if a whirlpool had formed inside the massive water mass.
'What… what's his plan??'
Garos muttered to himself, bewildered by this development. His ability had covered a substantial part of the battlefield, and he believed he had captured Eren securely.
However, he found himself at a loss when Eren willingly submitted to capture. To make matters worse, Eren not only survived within the influence of his ability but also began unraveling it from within.
"This… this can't be!"
Garos looked carefully to see a certain horned fish was swimming around Eren in circles. Despite the overwhelming weight and density of the water, this horned fish looked fine.
Garos' eyes widened with surprise when Garos finally comprehended the situation inside the vast water mass generated by his ability. It seemed that his own Elemental Attainment was being gradually drained by someone or something, and that a certain entity had shielded Eren, rendering him immune to the ability's elemental effects. Garos recognized only one explanation for this perplexing occurrence.
"Aaaaaaaah! YOU STOLE MY SPIRIT BEAST. I… I'LL KILL YOU."
His shock swiftly transformed into fury as Garos realized that Eren was in possession of the Spirit Beast he had carefully nurtured for nearly three centuries. For so long, he had relentlessly pursued the culprit behind the theft of his Spirit Beast.
This pursuit had led to numerous persecutions and even escalated the conflict between the two kingdoms, as he had believed that the Layos kingdom was responsible for the spirit beast's disappearance.
Little did he suspect that the very man he was searching for in the enemy's territory was residing within his own domain.
Sage Garos increased the density of the water as he flew towards Eren. He was going to make sure Eren died the cruelest way possible.
