Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1202  The One Left Standing (16)

"Are they even mortals anymore…?" Dellan managed to say through his gnashed teeth.

He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed Skullius and Replicus do in the last few minutes. Hell, he couldn't even describe some of the things they had done. They went beyond the scope of his understanding of what was possible.

Quite to his surprise, Erlton wore a similar look of shock on his face, a bit of sweat dripping from his temples.

He couldn't believe that time, one of the concepts ensnared into the Rules that made Aigas a habitable world, was casually being manipulated by these two monsters. They did it with staggering ease as well, and he wasn't sure what he and the other remaining Herald could even do if these two started doing things wilder than they were already doing on a wider scale, as that would certainly bring Aigas to an end.

Karima had on a deep frown. Part of him now understood why Erlton had stopped him from engaging in battle with Skullius earlier. That bout wouldn't have ended the way he had thought it would.

Yuyui had perhaps the least tense look out of everyone here. In fact, the only reason behind the slightly strained look on her face was the surge of excitement she felt at seeing the powerhouses in the Dormant Territory recognizing her master's strength!

Replicus had told her and the rest of the Unlimited about how the Empyrean Bosom and the Warmoth's Progeny had items and places that he was deemed unworthy of obtaining and reaching. In the last two months Replicus had worked furiously to debunk the glib, arrogant declaration of the gigantic Strawler he had met in the Third Layer of the Empyrean Hatcher – the one that had called him unworthy.

'You haven't seen anything yet! You can't even begin to imagine what my master can really do when he is going for the kill!' Yuyui thought excitedly just as Replicus – on the mirror everyone was using to spectate the battle – caught Skullius with [Maximum Reach].

Her enthusiasm burned up to her forehead, where a strange symbol was embossed. It looked like a tiny tree made of Ju`wtte, four branches reaching out from its trunk. A star was perched on the end of each branch.

At the moment, the symbol was sparking, spitting out copious bits of lightning. It become distracting at some point. Even when the battle on the screen reached a high climax, Yuyui yelping as Skullius was turned back into the Penetrator, Soidon turned to look at her forehead curiously.

He couldn't help but wonder…

What was that symbol on it, and what was its purpose?

***

Replicus gripped Skullius firmly and manifested strings of Ju`wtte to bind every bit of him. The Levin that shot out of the Penetrator was no match for the might of Ju`wtte. It simply crumpled when it attempted to wrestle against the Warmoth's powers!

Replicus would have bound Skullius with even better means, but this was it. He had to find a way to make the Penetrator use [Brisk Storm Avatar], and that required some means to compel him forcefully to activate the skill.

Despite what he had just growled to Skullius just now, Replicus was only one step towards his goal.

The best way to compel Skullius in any way, was to appeal to his soul.

Unfortunately, however, Skullius' soul was not in his body, or the Stolen Angel or anywhere else his eyes could see.

The great vision the Progeny had granted himself with a Rule couldn't tell him where his counterpart's soul was. This was especially terrifying because this would have to mean that Skullius' soul was not on Aigas at all!

"Just what did you do?!" Replicus barked. Skullius' four sockets blazed with vibrant, blinding flames defiantly.

He didn't speak.

Replicus scoffed.

His eyes scanned everything around him. Though he had gotten the better of Skullius now, he couldn't relax.

Even if Skullius didn't have access to his Hybrid Luman skills through this body, the Stolen Angel did. Replicus was well aware that the Attegoth had become its own separate entity that would continue to exist even if Skullius was not in his Luman form. This was the grand boon offered by his blessing: Graceful Monolith of the Eminent.

But the Stolen Angel alone wasn't enough to defeat Replicus.

It just now regenerated in Genhuis City, and was assessing the situation, likely sharing thoughts with Skullius, Replicus imagined.

'I better seal him in the prison within the Empyrean Bosom before deciding how to move forward,' the Progeny thought.

But then, he realised something.

…!!!

It seemed that Skullius, through the way Replicus' curved blue eyes twitched, noticed that the Progeny had caught on to his plan just now.

'Dammit!' Replicus cursed as he set to activate [Impartial Mirror] once again.

But it was too late!

Skullius had been wielding his two swords just before he was caught by Replicus' [Selective Time Rewind].

Replicus only now realised that the swords were gone.

They were now in the Stolen Angel's possession in Genhuis City!

Of course, the fact that the mobile Attegoth was now the one open to use [Infinite Sword God] in tandem with the powerful swords couldn't have scared Replicus as much as it did in this moment.

No.

What scared him was…

"DO IT NOW! ANGEEEEL!!!" Skullius screamed with a passion, but the Stolen Angel was already acting swiftly.

Replicus couldn't see it, but the monstrosity suddenly sprouted two extra arms below its original pair, and its body bulked up a little bit more.

In its top arms, it raised Demion's Dance and the Bashful Abomination, but only the latter was immediately brought down with astonishing speed!

Replicus felt what he had been dreading from this distance: an attack that didn't need fuel.

The slash that hurtled his and Skullius' way had freakish power that transcended the power of Supreme Skills!

Skullius had concocted a method to get rid of the cost required to power attacks, and Replicus had recognised that the chipped zhanmadao – the Bashful Abomination – was one of the components required for this 'trick'.

Aigas rumbled as something terribly unusual, something never seen before, occurred.

In the path of the Bashful Abomination's elegant stroke of a downward slash, the world was ripped in two!

Suddenly, it was as though Aigas had been nothing more than a gigantic drape that could be sliced apart all along. The world split while printed on the two pieces of this drape which flew upward casually, leaving below them… another Aigas?

Replicus gnashed his teeth.

The Aigas sky he knew from a second ago was cut in two and it flew up, leaving behind a long-passed predecessor.

The ground and the state of the town he was in just a moment ago, rose as a giant drape.

The degree of mana he was accustomed to from Feinheath changed.

Instead, a richer, denser sort of mana blasted out from all around him. It was almost a hundred times richer than that he knew from the current Aigas!

"This is…!" Replicus cried, astounded.

Only he remained as he watched time get cut down on Aigas.

The present time had been sliced in two and raised upward like a curtain!

Now, all around him, he saw great structures, and great men and women who had died a long time ago.

He saw great temples, great faceless statues erected in what had been a small, dingy town just now!

He felt the presence of powerful men the likes of which Pelian had never known since… since…

Replicus was flabbergasted.

Aigas had been wound back 4,000 years, to before the Ashing of Time… to before the departure of Listafelle and Quintess!

"That old man wasn't the only one who knew how to mess with time!" Replicus heard Skullius, who was in his grip cry out ecstatically. His socket flames burned bright.

Shockingly, a soft, clean stroke of light split the Penetrator in two, like Aigas!

The Stolen Angel had struck him too with its slash!

"I inherited those two Mages' memories, and when I saw you wield time so easily, I was inspired! Nothing is over yet you damned, arrogant FAKE!"

And right then, the skeletal form of the Penetrator slid off in two from Replicus, revealing his handsome Hybrid Luman form once again!

The reversal of time Replicus had imposed on him was undone by Stolen Angel's slash!

Replicus hurried to activate [Cold Time] on Skullius to suspend him. The form of the Luman was blasted into a shape of dark ice, but it was too late.

Skullius had slipped away, replacing his real self with a ghost!

"Even Time isn't good enough to subdue us! It's not worthy! Don't you see?! It's all meaningless! Past, present, future!" he cried jubilantly.

Replicus readied [Maximum Reach] but Skullius was a step ahead.

He had gotten used to that bit of preparation required to use Maximum Catalyst outside of Replicus' body.

Shockingly, he leaped up and dived into the gigantic drape above, in the skies, which was the present Aigas!

Replicus hurtled after him, but he was forced to make a quick pause when a deadly slash came between him and the Hybrid Luman, which gave Skullius a great lead.

The Stolen Angel had rushed appeared close.

The Warmoth's Progeny got his first glance at its current state.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment before continuing to shoot after Skullius.

'What's with the extra arms? Is it copying me? Has this got anything to do with those strange eyes?' he questioned himself before sinking seamlessly into the present Aigas.

…

Skullius appeared in the town where he and Replicus had been fighting, and then he teleported away.

He appeared in a great estate with a shocking number of combatants waiting along its pathways and fields, battle-ready. They were all stunned by Replicus' [Static Limbo], (which was still active) standing stiff, hands on their weapons.

Skullius rushed towards two women standing on the balcony of one of the mansions in the estate, and immediately expanded his [Null Life Aura] towards them. The two women were quickly able to move, though almost as if stuck in slow-motion.

Skullius gazed intensely at Vali.

"Is it ready?" he demanded.

The voluptuous woman wore a sweet smile – surprising Skullius – before handing him the key to 'certain victory'.