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With their hands in his fist, he released an Art, igniting an explosion. Using the distraction, he spun and kicked Atlas away.
Elaine's roots were onto him, but he effortlessly dodged them, appearing before her, his knee connecting with her abdomen. The impact struck with such force that it lifted her.
Midair, Asteri's feet cloaked in razor-sharp dark aura, arcing toward her neck with lethal precision, aiming to decapitate her in a single, merciless kick.
A hand caught his leg mid-strike. From their free hand, a jet-black mist surged and sliced clean through Asteri's knees.
"That is no way to treat a lady."
Atlas stepped in, his aura of death swirling around his body without making contact.
Asteri flipped before landing. He took a Mystic Class weapon in his hand.
"I won't let you, Holy Demonic Deactivation."
His sword vanished at Elaine's command, and a small opening appeared, which Atlas took advantage of.
"Death Scourge."
The death around him was channelled into a beam that was heading towards Asteri. He raised his hand and cast.
<
He attacked but quickly realised his error and barely avoided the beam. But it was too late for his Sub-Art.
"Temporal Twist: Temporal Stop has died. Be careful because it affects all those who've learnt that Sub-Art."
Atlas declared with a smile.
'If he's capable of killing Sub-Arts, it's likely he'll be able to affect Mega Arts themselves. That's really bad.'
He thought, and his grey aura began to coalesce around his palm.
"That's new."
Asteri stated, cutting just above his knees, but his leg did not regenerate.
"Conceptual eradication. Your 'right leg' is gone."
"You think so?"
Bone materialised from thin air and flesh followed, threading itself into place before a fresh layer of skin sealed it all in a smooth, seamless cover. His leg regenerated.
Atlas flinched at this unexpected event.
'Impossible...'
There's an opening, and he utilises it. Asteri grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground. The attacker coughed up blood, and he immediately distanced himself from Atlas.
With a smile on his face, Atlas's head lifted off the ground, and his body automatically straightened out like a puppet yanked by invisible strings.
Death spikes were jabbed into Asteri's body. Elaine launched an attack from behind with numerous chains. He raised his hand to respond but was unable to. A chain negated the distance, ripping off his arm.
'This chain. This is-'
The next chain was on him, so he grabbed it before it grabbed him.
'I knew it. First come wins.'
With a violent hunger, he absorbed its magical energy, using it to regenerate his arm.
"No way-dispel"
Elaine dispelled the chains, but it was too late. Asteri's grip had already locked in, allowing no escape.
In a flash, he drained their energy, his wounds stitching themselves shut as fresh power surged through him.
Shadows coiled around the chains like serpents, cloaking them in thick, devouring darkness. He raised them high and then slammed the tonnage of condensed darkness down on Elaine.
Normally, this would have been enough to destroy the island, but Elaine came up with something to save it.
As he turned, death arrows were launched at him. Asteri narrowed the gap between them, but Atlas was unfazed by his increased speed.
"Not impressive."
He countered with a punch that sent Asteri hurtling backwards. Without pause, he surged forward, summoning his arsenal.
Two scythes of death materialized from his back, his hands shrouded in the same dark energy. With a blur of motion, he clashed violently with Asteri, steel, and aura colliding in a storm of power.
The scythes moved in perfect order, attacking while defending their owner. Asteri, on the other hand, was not losing; thanks to his unrivalled speed, he was able to dodge and counter Atlas's attack while failing to land a hit.
'He's keeping up with 77%. You're this strong, Atlas? Show me more.'
He passed 77%, and Atlas, who was losing, quickly adapted by summoning additional weapons, restoring the lost equilibrium.
"Don't you have Mega Arts?"
"Death is all I need. Why aren't you using your Arts and Skills?"
"They were simply created to deceive the weak into believing they can compete with Gods."
(Facts.)
"Are you sure?"
"Speaking from experience."
The two converse while exchanging blows. What was more surprising was that the terrain had not been affected in the least. Was this growth, or are they holding back? Perhaps both?
'At this point, I don't have what it takes to counter his death. Two options exist, but I'll always stick to the latter.'
"Artificial World."
Asteri paused, calling upon the world which he had complete control over. He had few minutes before it deactivates. But it should be enough to win.
"Death isn't welcome."
He began with a law.
A ripple escaped his body as the law activated. But surprisingly, nothing happened.
"Surprised?"
Atlas asked nonchalantly.
"Nah, I've figured it out."
Asteri dismissed it.
'This isn't archetypal death.'
"You took Magos's word to heart? What a fool. There was more than enough time for me to transcend beyond the conceptual form of death. Currently, I am death, the severer of existence. Your laws are worthless."
'If he's the severer of existence, then he's unpinned by it. Present in all planes of Existence yet above them. He should be using 80 to 95% of his vessel to be able to surpass me.
If his vessel is this strong, he'll be able to compete, perhaps surpass the real me. Such potential and growth is so—unreal. I wonder if this has something to do with Entares's interference.'
"Unbound by existence, you say?"
Asteri smirked and released all his aura. The grey particles transformed into something familiar, yet something dark.
The dark mist fizzled uncontrollably, and the Artificial World collapsed inwards into Asteri, leaving behind a sharp star-like white halo over his head.
His arm slipped into the dark mist and clung to his skin like a symbiote, its end shaping into a shapeless sword. Almost as if it were infected by something.
"Taste non-existence."
He said, bringing it down on Atlas. The latter responded by directing death to kill whatever it was, but.... The dark mist passed through death, ignoring its presence and heading towards Atlas.
"D-dark Art?"
Atlas recoiled before the mist crashed down on him, ejecting him from the field.
Asteri turned triumphantly and asked.
"Who's next?"
The silence answered him. Elaine was nowhere to be seen and Atlas, is gone?
A flash of light erupted around his arm, surgically severing it, transporting it to another realm.
Almost instantly, the very fabric of space quivered violently as the infected limb sliced through the space and distance, reformed seamlessly to Asteri's body.
"So, you're next."
He murmured, swinging in a wide arc to hurl her toward the other side.
"Necrotic Grasp, snatch."
At the last second, Atlas pulled up, his Necrotic Grasp claiming Asteri's upper shoulder, knowing that his death was no match for what he had just witnessed.
Asteri's limb fell numb, and the arc lost its way, now heading for the Star Palace.
"The palace!"
Elaine exclaimed but none of them had the power to stop the arc.
Few feet form the palace, something strange happened. The arc compressed on itself until it disappeared, leaving the palace untouched.
This wasn't Atlas or Elaine. Something intervened.
"You're wielding Dark Art, void?"
Atlas asked curiously.
"Yap. Not me, though. The vessel is. I can't stand such chaotic force."
He answered casually.
"That halo, it's the same as the Artificial World. Don't tell me?"
"Exactly. I converted it into this halo, and the effect is what keeps me alive."
"So if we destroyed it—"
"Don't even think about it. We can not handle the void after it has been destroyed. We'll be left with a lot to deal with."
"Elaine is always calculative. I have less than three minutes. So I will wrap this up quickly."
He spoke, and the void enveloped his entire body.
"You can't touch me, but I can destroy you. That's how broken Dark Art is."
He accelerated until he was on top of Elaine, his sword pointed at her head.
"I'll take you out first!"
She was unable to act because it was too late. She was too slow to react.
Abruptly, there was a strange noise, like something moving through dimensions very quickly. After two reverberations, a massive black claw materialised behind Asteri.
"Heh?"
His reaction is top notch so he turned just in time to see what it was.
With one swipe, he is knocked off, destroying the island's defences. Asteri found him passing through the atmosphere, his gears turning to figure out what just happened.
'Ummmmm—above!'
He was able to predict the next attack, but it was all for nought because he was unable to protect himself.
In contrast to the first, the attacker's scales and claws were pure white, and they both possessed the same attack power with extra effects. The attack knocked him down, and he was forcibly teleported to an unfamiliar space yet a familiar environment.
When Atlas and Elaine found themselves in this familiar setting, their eyes widened as they took in the atmosphere they had been missing.
"Impossible."
"It's the same, almost perfect as the Star Realm."
Asteri rose, two massive claw marks streaking across his body, gashes wide enough to mutilate him
Without the void shielding him, he would have been torn apart. Even so, the claws left their trace, cutting into him despite the protective shroud enveloping his form.
"You dam-"
This time, the strike came head-on, hurling him into the infinite space. A pure white claw, streaked with blood, pressed against a jagged rock as the beast unleashed a deafening roar.
Behold the majesty of a dragon draped in shimmering white scales, its wings vast and imposing. Jagged spikes jutted from every inch of its body, some rivalling the length of its horns.
To be continued...