Chapter 1002 Flurry!
Ashema would have been the one to recognize the blinding light immediately and what it meant. Though what it represented had changed significantly since the Carven had saw it, the danger it symbolized had not diminished one bit, even if it manifested within the confines of a Territory.
The eyes on the disembodied head of the Ode were immediately blinded by the flash of light from the sub-skill, [OverLight].
The brilliance could have masked all the characteristics of the Territory if not for the mysteriously somber atmosphere that had already existed within the prairie, even when the bulging flames from the previous attack had yet to fade.
Even the remnants of this fiery attack were drowned, becoming part of the Hybrid Luman's magnificence. Skullius barely had a visible outline to denote where he was started and where he ended.
The only things that marked his position, were the bangles he wore.
They had changed, becoming broader and attaining a gem-like look, as though an assortment of precious, not-too-colorful minerals made them, a soft, moonlight-reminiscent glow oozing from them.
The bangles, rings rather, gathered around both his arms, stacking from his wrist to his elbow; ten in all.
They had attained the properties of the Heart of Revelation, which had vanished just when Skullius was sucked into the Territory. However, they were better in combat.
The Ode's blinded eyes continued to stare at the Luminant's light before he died, his body turning to ash.
Less than a second later though, the Ode emerged from the green fire between the giant men, a deep scowl on his face.
Fortunately, the towering beings around him, while having had their legs cut, did not seem to be harmed.
Their flesh simply bubbled and created new sets of legs, and the old folks continued tending to their weapons.
The Ode looked at the distant storm of brightness that wafted from Skullius, then at the huge section of his Territory that had been carved up by Skullius' latest attack.
'To think he can do it so easily… I suppose it's the same concept he applied earlier…' the Ode thought, recalling how Skullius had shredded space at the beginning of their fight. 'Or maybe he can't do it as casually as he made me believe. I just need to wait for my Secondary assault to charge, and I can end this…'
Right as he thought this, his senses crazily taking in every detail around him, the Ode… was beheaded.
His headless body soon collapsed to the ground, and another exploded out of the green flames behind it.
Yet… it too was suddenly split in half, then into five portions that turned to ash… right after another crimson-haired man bolted from the flames only to die to something unseen!
The seventh incarnation of the Ode chose not to leave the safety of the green flame entirely, anticipating that death would claim it immediately, but this tact proved ineffective as well.
The harrowing green flame was suddenly dyed golden-white as a jarringly bright figure invaded its enclosure!
The Ode gritted his teeth, but he barely had a chance to think when a fist exploded into his chest, sinking deep within it.
Right after, a gem-like ring around the arm that had assaulted him rocketed into the Ode, and when it hit his skin, it erased it from sight, leaving behind a grotesque collection of organs and bones that were immediately diced mercilessly by a shower of disembodied sword slashes!
The moment the next revival of the crimson-haired young man appeared, it received the same treatment, and so did the next, and the next and the next…
[OverLight] was a superior, revamped version of [Son of Luserus]. It maximized Skullius' use of [Just Light] while giving him the properties of light that [Son of Luserus] had.
In this form, the Hybrid Luman could repel attacks that reflected his light (as before); he was as intangible as light until he desired to strike an enemy – which happened passively; and he could move at speeds comparable to 70% the speed of light… on top of the speed he already had.
Against such a thing, the Ode couldn't keep up, even with the boost from his Territory.
What made things worse for him, was the fact that the abilities of the [Infinite Sword God] were simply stacked on top of all this; the passive defense and the active offense.
The Ode's only saving grace was…
"HALT!"
"HUMBLED!"
"HEFT!"
"HEED HIM!"
Right after Skullius killed the twenty fourth revived Ode of the First Horn, he was suddenly forced to stoop moving and his vague outline staggered as an immense weight crushed him!
The voices of the old folk again!
In that moment, the twenty fifth Ode emerged with a face scarred with dark contours born out of hideous rage. He was fuming, and with the fourth command just now having made Skullius even more vulnerable to him, he barked at the top of his lungs:
"LOSE ALL THAT FUCKING LIGHT!" And the Hybrid Luman did.
He involuntarily – or perhaps the opposite – deactivated his light skills, leaving him as the man with glowing auburn hair, gleaming skin and the robe with three pairs of wings imprinted on it!
The Ode looked mad.
His fury was yet to be loosened.
Despite knowing that it was unreasonable, he coated his arm with a vicious amount of Nitros and threw a straight punch with all his might right into Skullius' face!
Skullius' passive defense shredded the Ode's arm, but not before the sheer force of it minced the Hybrid Luman's skin and a portion of his skull!
By then, the Ode was already throwing another unreasonable flurry of punches… but the Hybrid Luman healed instantly, and his defense against attacks aimed at the soul finally managed to allow him to resist the commands from the voices!
Skullius' face turned fierce.
His swords had been hidden within his robe of darkness, which still existed even when he was a well of light; only overshadowed.
His aim since using [OverLight] had been to deplete the Ode's energy reserves by making him spam his revival over and over, which likely used a lot of Nitros – from mana.
And he kept it up for now as he prepared the next move.
Skullius threw his own punch, a jab that bashed the Ode's abs in!
In exchange, he received a fist force that tore off his jaw and his throat, and returned one that caused the Ode's chest pad to explode, showing off his lung!
The exchange continued. The Ode landed way more hits than Skullius did, but the Hybrid Luman healed right after. And while he landed fewer punches, the Ode's injuries didn't heal. Damaged piled on until the crimson-haired young man was just about as firm as a ripped tomato.
Then, both men grinned, the Ode with one of vicious, furious glee, and Skullius with the sly, triumphant kind.
At nearly the same time, both men cried out the names of devastating moves.
"TRIUMPH OF THE ARSENAL!"
"ABSOLUTE SEVER!"
As it just so happened, one of the two had been faster than the other.
The Secondary assault of the Territory… as dreadful as it would have been, was just a micro moment too slow.
The Hybrid Luman suddenly regained his brilliance from moments ago which disrupted the Ode's vision, and the Bashful Abomination appeared in his hand at the same time.
What then followed, were the swift, delicate and intricate slashes from an Infinite Sword God executed with a speed close to that of light!
Only when the Territory shattered into hundreds of thousands of solid white shards did the Ode realize what had happened, and his fury died, leaving room only for shock.
Had his Territory been…?
"I guess only one of us could back up their ego, huh?" Skullius said as Demion's Dance appeared in his hand, its effects now functional.
Before the Ode could reply, [Courting Death] was activated and an overwhelming field of Mortal Ruin he couldn't escape, especially with all his mana lost from projecting his Territory, appeared, rending his body.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l