Could it be that he's been sealed for too long and his strength has weakened?
Or am I just seeing things again? No—he definitely hit me just now, so why am I still standing like nothing happened?
Maybe I really am getting old.
No matter how he tried to rationalize it, Dormammu couldn't believe that Blaine had actually managed to block his attack.
"Old monster, come on! Your attack isn't even enough to tickle me!"
Blaine deliberately taunted him, hoping to provoke another strike. What he needed most right now was for Dormammu to attack again.
"Hmph! I don't believe I can't crush you!"
This time, Dormammu didn't care about the insult. He knew perfectly well Blaine was trying to bait him, but he couldn't help himself—if this strange mortal really possessed some extraordinary ability, then perhaps there was a way out of his eternal prison after all.
"Boy, you'd better not disappoint me."
As he spoke, Dormammu opened his mouth wide and unleashed a ray of dark matter as thick as an arm, aimed straight at Blaine.
"Damn it, why can't you ever play fair…" Blaine cursed.
This beam was thicker than the last ten combined. Even brushing against it would be enough to disintegrate him completely.
"Come on then! Young people have to work hard!"
No more hesitation. The Copy Eye spun again, faster this time, reaching the same critical state as before. The ray was getting closer—twenty meters, ten meters, five.
At that moment, both of them were tense. Blaine's heart pounded in his chest, while even Dormammu seemed to hold his breath. If Blaine died, Dormammu would lose his only chance at freedom—but if Blaine survived, Dormammu would be forced to question his own might.
…
The beam finally struck.
Dark matter rippled outward like black smoke, twisting and distorting the surrounding space.
"Too weak," Dormammu muttered. "How could such a small creature ever possess the power to free me? It's true—the only ones capable of coming here with power are those like that old witch. This brat must've stumbled in by accident. What rotten luck."
He scanned the impact site mentally. All that remained was a swirling mass of dark matter—no sign of life. It seemed Blaine had been vaporized. Dormammu let out a low rumble, almost as if to comfort himself. He had been trapped for an eternity; he couldn't afford to place his hopes on a mere child.
Just as the massive face began to fade from the mirror-like surface of dark matter, a flicker of movement caught his eye. The smoke cleared—and there stood Blaine, completely unscathed.
"You—you—how did you do that?!"
Dormammu was utterly stunned. What in the abyss was happening? Could this boy truly possess the ability to traverse dimensions—to slip through the seal itself? Why hadn't he sensed his presence just now?
"Surprised? Shocked? You should be," Blaine said with a smirk.
At the very last second, he had slipped into the Hunter Space, nullifying the attack completely. Emerging now, he could hardly contain his exhilaration.
"As a proper Earthling—and a proper Bounty Hunter—I never attack the innocent," he declared, lifting his weapon. "But since you're my enemy… today, you'll be my test subject."
A dark-golden trident, nearly three meters long, materialized in his hand.
"Blade Technique—it's your time to shine."
With a powerful stomp, Blaine launched himself into the air. The dragon-headed halberd gleamed as he raised it high, then brought it slashing down toward Dormammu's enormous visage.
"Interesting," Dormammu rumbled.
Seeing Blaine's audacity, Dormammu refused to retreat. A being of cosmic stature had his pride to maintain.
His vast maw opened slightly, releasing two dark rays as thick as tree trunks that converged toward Blaine midair. Blaine, unable to change his trajectory, should have been obliterated instantly.
But common sense had never applied to Blaine.
His figure suddenly vanished—the two beams collided with each other, shattering the surrounding space—and in the next instant, Blaine reappeared, resuming his downward strike.
'Crack!'
A sharp, tearing sound echoed through the void. The mirror-like dark matter that formed Dormammu's face split cleanly in two. The dragon trident gleamed dark gold, completely untouched by corrosion.
"Not bad, not bad. Feels great in the hand," Blaine said with satisfaction.
He immediately leapt back, knowing full well that such an attack wouldn't truly harm Dormammu—maybe not even scratch him.
Sure enough, a low, guttural voice echoed behind him moments later.
"Grrrhhkk…"
Blaine couldn't make out the words; it was likely the native tongue of Dormammu's realm.
"So, you're from Earth?" Dormammu's voice boomed again. "That old witch is also from Earth. Did she send you? Even after being sealed, she still dares to meddle?"
Blaine blinked in surprise. "Old witch? You mean the Ancient One?"
It dawned on him that Dormammu had completely misunderstood the situation—he thought Blaine was some kind of spy sent by the Sorcerer Supreme.
Sure enough, before Blaine could even react, Dormammu let out another guttural roar. The entire dimension began to tremble, fissures spreading through the air itself.
"A sonic attack? Seriously? That's cheating!" Blaine cursed.
The vibrations intensified, warping space itself. If he didn't react fast, he might not even leave a corpse behind.
"I can't hide in the Hunter Space again… fine then. Since this is a test, I'll fight with real steel."
Blaine planted his feet, gripping the halberd with both hands. He began to spin it rapidly—faster and faster—until he became a blur of gold and motion.
If this had been Earth, the resulting wind alone could have blown an elephant off its feet. The three-meter trident moved in a perfect whirlwind, completely enveloping him in a shield of blazing energy. The sheer force was enough to pulverize solid iron.
Dormammu's sound waves intensified, each vibration fracturing layers of space as they surged toward Blaine.
'Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!'
The shattered fragments of space collided with the whirling dragon trident like bullets striking a shield.
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