I launched myself at Guy, drawing my sword. Putting as much battle spirit on it as I could.
I will go all out from the start. After all, if I want him to get serious, I can't go at him half-heartedly.
So at the same time I go for his neck, I cast an illusion on him. It's not powered by my unique skill because I want to reserve that for when he is not prepared, but it's still a strong illusion.
Guy rests stunned as my blade is practically on his neck, but at the last moment he draws his blade, and I am stopped in my slash like I struck a wall.
I continue to attack him, but he parries all my attacks with ease, showing how superior he is in swordsmanship. But it's normal, as he is far older than me, even older than Valentine.
But I was still happy, even with my attack doing nothing to him. How could I not? The amount of pride he is feeling is directly funneled into me, the absorption being accelerated by the fight.
But it's not enough. I absorb emotion faster, but Guy doesn't feel pressured by our fight. So the emotions he feels are basic and not the ones a person in a fight to the death would feel, where each move could be the last. So I need to do something to make him take it seriously, and I just have the thing.
I fly away from Guy after one of my attack was stopped again and start to prepare two spells. The first is a basic nuclear cannon, and the second is a mental magic that shows what one desires the most.
I hid my preparation of the second spell while putting as much magic as I could into the nuclear cannon. Guy just rests in place without any sign of wanting to dodge. I can sense he put multiple barriers up, he must be confident they would suffice to stop my attack, and he would be right if it was a normal attack.
I launch my nuclear cannon, it instantly reaches Guy's barriers. His smirk vanished, replaced by confusion, as my attack pass right through his barrier, like they weren't even here.
He tries to parry my attack but stops as my mental magic takes effect. He is stunned for only a moment, but it's enough for the nuclear cannon to impact him, sending him hurtling a hundred meters away.
While I am content with my attack, it is still not enough. I put enough magic in that cannon to make a hole through Luminous and even added the effect of my skill to ignore his barrier and resistance.
But it didn't do him anything, as he was already flying at me, with only some burns on his torso that were already healing.
That means his body resistance was so high that even with his resistance lowered, a nuclear cannon charged to the max could be tanked.
Well, it wouldn't be fun if the fight was finished already. There was still good news, after my attack, he seemed to take the fight more seriously.
He didn't raise his strength, but he was far more excited than before, which means his emotions were more intense. But it's not enough, I need more. I could feel it. The void in my soul was being filled, in that abyss that was constantly asking for more food, something was filling it. Even if it was just a small part of it, it meant the world to me.
"You can be proud of yourself. You are the third person to manage to hurt me, even if it was just a small scratch. It's impressive how you managed to bypass my multilayer barrier and my immunity so easily."
He clapped his hand at my success, like I had done something incredible, and honestly, it might be the case.
"But you will need to do better than that if you want me to as a rival. So do you have anything better than that?"
My response came in the form of an attack to his chest, the same spot my spell landed. I pushed my aura and battle spirit to the max while imbuing my slash with False Happiness and Happiness induction. But he didn't make the same mistake twice, and sidestepped my attack.
The fight continued, this time he didn't counter my attack. He preferred to dodge them.
He also started to attack me, but he was surprised when his attack was stopped by a multilayer barrier, the same one he used, that I learned how to do by analyzing his. It normally wouldn't have held against one of his serious attacks, but he didn't expect the barrier, so is slash was blocked.
I didn't let that brief moment of surprise go and unleashed the most powerful slash I could. He tried to counter it, but with the effect of my skill, he paused his movement. As from his perspective, my attack wasn't one.
He may know the effect of my skill, but I have honed my abilities to a high level of mastery. There is no way just knowing the effect will make the technique ineffective. There would still be a small hesitation even for a primordial.
My attack continued and slashed his torso. Making a small line of blood on it. An achievement worthy of praise for many, but terribly far from my goal to make him go all out.
"You certainly don't disappoint. So much control over your ability, and being able to copy my technique in the middle of a fight is worthy of praise, but…" He looked at me with amusement, like a kid who found a new toy he wants to show off.
"You aren't the only one capable of copying the technique of others." I didn't have time to think of what he meant by that. He charged me while performing an overhead slash.
I raised my barrier, but he slashed right through it. My eyes widen as I recognize my own skill, and before I can process what is happening, I reflexively raise my sword to block the slash.
I stop in the middle of my movement, my own skill effect making me see the potentially lethal move as beneficial to me.
I only manage to move slightly out of the way. Making the blade strike my shoulder instead of my head. It ignored my physical attack nullification and stopped only when it reached my stomach.
I immediately retreated from him. Thankfully, my regeneration was still boosted, so it took only seconds for my body to regenerate.
"It will make a perfect addition to my capacity. The ability to bypass defense by tricking the opponent's perception. It can even manipulate people on a soul level."
I stopped fighting. I just stood a few meters away from him, shocked at what just happened. "Did you just copy my skill?"
He looked at me with a smug smile. "Indeed, your skill Happiness merits being added to my collection. Don't worry, I will make good use of it. Now I think it's time to finish this fight. While it was enjoyable, it's clear you don't have the ability to stand on my level. Goodbye, Lilith. It was fun knowing you."
Before I could respond to him, I was drowned in magical attacks, all capable of bypassing my defense thanks to my own skills.
I tried to create more barriers, but every attack just ignored them. So I launched spells all around myself to destroy his own before they could reach me. But I couldn't destroy them all, and my mana reserves were not infinite.
My regeneration also used my mana. Each time I didn't manage to defend against the barrage of never-ending spells, my body was left severely injured, and I needed to repair it.
I don't know how much time I resisted. seconds? Minutes? All I know is that I will not be able to hold on any longer. It seems that Guy has had enough. He didn't hold anything back anymore.
My life flashed in front of my eyes as death was a second away from me. I saw my first life when I was just a human bored of life, just going along with the flow of life, living just to live.
I saw the first time I felt emotion, the moment when I finally found something worth living for. I saw my death, followed by my reincarnation. The moment I tasted emotions for the first time, my first battle, my naming, and my encounter with Luminous.
'I lived a good life. I was happy, and even now I am happy. Getting killed by the person with the best emotions I ever tasted is a good ending.'
I closed my eyes, eating as many emotions as I could in my last moment, when I heard a voice in my head.
'Are you really satisfied? Is your determination to live so low?'
'Now that's strange. For all my insanity, I never heard a voice in my head. Death really messes your head up.' The voice spoke again. It sounded like an 8-year-old me. With hundreds of other voices repeating its word like an echo. Some of them were cheerful, others frightened, and many were angry.
'You want to give up now? After finding a world where you can be happy, you are abandoning your life so easily? just because someone decided your existence was a danger to other people?'
I hesitate to speak to the voice, but I am dying, so I might as well. 'What do you want me to do? He copied my skill. My attack only scratched him, and he is still holding back. There is nothing I can do.'
'You can still fight. You still have energy, so use all of it until you have nothing left, and then continue. Even if your arms are ripped apart, even if your leg is burned to a crisp, even if your body is destroyed, continue to fight until even your soul is dispersed in nothingness.'
'Why would I do that? I will die either way. There is no point in struggling anymore. Leave me alone now. I just want to enjoy one last meal in peace.'
I stopped listening to the voice, enjoying myself one last time before death came to me. In my last moment, when my body had been reduced to half my torso and my head, my regeneration no longer able to keep up with all the damage, I heard the voice again, this time with far more anger in it.
'So you really have given up!? Is one last meal all you want!? Come on, we both know it's not true. You haven't been satisfied yet. You still want more! You will never be truly happy until you have filled that void in our soul!'
My eyes, or what was left of them, widened. She was right! I still want more. How can I say that I am satisfied with my death when there is still so much I need to do, so much to experience, and so many things to eat?
I came into this world with the desire to experience emotion, to feel it in the hope I will finally be complete. I will not let anyone take my life before I accomplish my goal!
'You are right. No one will decide if I merit living, be they a primordial, a demon lord, a hero, an angel, or even God himself! They can all fuck off! I will kill them all if I need to! For the sake of my happiness, I will destroy anything that stands in my path!'
Unique skill: Taboo has been acquired.
'Yes, that's more like you. Set the world on fire, kill everyone that stands in our path!' the voice distorted, becoming a
cacophony of hundreds of voices impossible to understand.
'̶̨̛̲̜̺̪̤̜͓̜̘̭̥̥̙̺̬̗͚̻̘͓͕̲̬̺́̿̉͘ͅF̶͍̲̮̮̦͓̮̲̗̪̪̺͉̘͔͌̃͑̓̈̏͆̉̿̐̽̀̉̕͝͝͝͝İ̴͇̱͍͎̰͗̉̽͆͜L̶̨̢̡̘̯̩̜͕̗̼̥̥̹͉̺̘̀͗̉̍̂͒̀̈́̓͌̌̀̿͒͛̊͐̓͘̕L̴̙̣̩̳̮̼͕͖̭̩̱̰̲̖̯̽͊̈́̓̐̈́̑̄̔̀͋̈́̓̅͑̾͘͜͜͝ͅͅ ̴̡̛̯͉͉͍͕̱͕̤͛͌̑͌͆͑̈̀̈́̒̈́́̋̍̀̓͘̚͝͠Ư̷̧̡̛̛̲͍͚̬̟͈̂̓͌̄́̓̇͛̓̑́̿̈́̑͋́̇͘̕̕͜S̵̨͉̳̰̥̪̯̟̫̥̻̘͖͙̰̜͎̲̩̞̒͛̑͊͠ͅ ̵̧̢͕̼̲͙̻͔̻͔̖̭̪̳̠̦̱̯̓̈́̆̄̊̅̈́̓̍͗̽̈́̄͜͠͝W̴̙̘͖͉͙̰̖̬̲̻̺̪̻̉̍͊̎̾̂̈́̌̄̿̍̒̑̽̐͂̿̀̽̑̾̽̽͐̕̚ͅI̴̧̛̠͇͈̔̓̽͊̓́̔̒͂́̓͒̃͘T̵̢͈̣̲̘̲͚̘̳͚̙͎͍͔͎̬̎̍͌̀̑̀́̑̂̉͋̅͗̂͋͜͜͠͝H̸̛̲͈͙͖̥̠̣͕͔͎̑̂̎͒̔͋͑̋̋ ̷̤̩̯̱̻͉̝̤͍̤̠̠̥̙͐̋͆̇͆̀͋̆̅̀͛́̿͐͌́̀̚͘͠͠͝Ǎ̶̡̛̟̮̺̠͖̮̇́͗̾͒͌̓̆̚L̷̝͍͕̮̦̥͇̽͊͒̏́̍́͒̈́̈́̂̋͘͠L̸̛̝̞̲̪͚̻͇̻͓̞̦̞̺͕̘̳̝̣͉̰͇̍͌̄̉̆͒͋̄̈̂̅͊̄͂̏͛̂̿͘ͅ ̶̧̡̮̱̫͉̳̰̗̲̫̥̯͈͔̞̮͎̤̱̖̙͇̦̑̃͂͜T̸̺͖̹̝̝̹̖̝͎̳̣̯̰̗̗̘͎̭͗̑̐͊̓̏̈́̄̊͑̊̎̒̅͋̾̐͝ͅḨ̴̧̠̱̘͓͍̞̰̝͇̗͖̈́͛̄͝E̷͖̫̥͖͚̮̐͋̄̉͋͌̿͑́̿͗̆̒̋̏̓͗̐̆͛͠͝͝͝ ̷̢̺̼͖̳̿͛̀̐̈́͂̀̎͌̎͑̐͋̍͂͝͝E̴̢̱̯̮̬̬̖̙̭̦̬̤̳̗̣͎͆̏͆ͅM̶͓͆̈́̐̃̑̆̎͝O̴̡̮̝̺̘̺͎͍͉͙͖̥̦̩̯̚͜͜T̵̡̛̘̲͎̺̩̗̦͖͕̯͚̩͔̺͉̺̗̪̤̙̥̮̺̏̐̽̔͋͑̏̓͛̄͆̊͒̀̌̾̉̓͐̓̓̇̕͘͠I̷̡͖̟̮̖̹̒̄̅͛̓̍̀̓̌̓̿̉̽̍̍̿̎̊̕͘͜ͅÒ̸͉͚̮̰̼̗̳͓̈́̇͒̈́̔̂̋͛N̸̡̳͎͔͎͉͔̏̈́̾̈́͗̽̽͜S̶̛̯̗͌̆̈́̈́̀̃̃̐̆̿̋͗̀͌͊̊͐̕̕͝͝ ̶̧̥̱̞̗̟̫͈̯̜͈̆͆͊̆̎̄͊͂̈́̑̉̿̎͊͛͋̉̎̊̇͘̕͝ͅͅY̶̡̛̬̘͕͓̣̝̹͓̘̳̥̳̦̠͂̿̂̽̏̆̌͛͌͌͛̊̐͂̎̈́͘Ő̴̪̄̐U̷̡̢̻̬̙͕͕̤̳̲͔͎̪̦̹͇̼͉̙͓͌̐͗̊̌̐͌̊̚ ̵̙̰̝̝̜̭̭̆̉́̈́͂̀̈́̀̇̇̒͐̽̀ͅĈ̴̡̬̤̹̰͆̂̈̑̃̽̍̑͒̍̿̏̐̕͠Ą̷̨̨͍͓̳̟͍̘̦͇͔̦̪̜̌̈́̐́̈́̒̉̋̓̏͆̊̆̏̊͑̉̀̄͜͝Ņ̸̢̢̧̡̝͖̪͈̬͔̘̙̲̫̙̰͚̼̙͆͊̄̾́͒̉͜ͅ ̵̧͈͎͕̻̫̝͎̪͐̈́̓̇̂͆͆̇̌̕U̵͕̳̜̙̐̆̑̏̅̊̐̄̑̾͌̾̄̅̚N̷̬̳̳̲̩͓̮͙̫̰̪̩̩̖̑̆̐̋̒̓̒́͒̎̊̿͋́̒̍͂̑͗̐̓͝Ţ̷̭͓̝͔̞̠̺͚̫͎̞͎̱̼͚̰͙̣̱̍̆̂͜ͅͅI̴̡̛̛̳͎̼͓̟̯̟̭̲̻̐̽̇̿̉̅̏̃͒͌̌̃͒̍̃̿̓̆͂́̆̈́͘L̸͎̒ ̴̡̨̛̗̬̗̲̻̮͇͓̹̭̘̩̗̖̻̜͇̪͆̌̀̒̌̓̀͗̊͌̓̄͋͒͌̒̍̅̆̇͋̓̐̅͘͝ͅW̴̛͙̥̳̞̩̺͓̳͉̭̞͎̥̘͇̺͓̜͒͛̐̋͑͌͂̕̕̕͠E̷̢̛͔̻̝̪̳̗͚̦̘̠͕̪̫̻̞̐̍͑̚ͅ ̴̢͔͖̱̱͍̰̰̠̮̥̺̭͇̦̘͂̈́̊͐͒͛̿͊̋̇̈́̅͋̓̇̈́͛̀͋̾̈́̓̚͝͝͝A̵̧̹̣͕̱̞̭̗͓̥͚̗͔͌̓̀̅̑̆̾͌͆̈́͊̀̿̋͋͜ͅR̶͔͉̰͎̞͔̬̥͓̪̞͍̣̜͚̝̀̄̓̽͒͊Ě̴̢̧͍͇̞͍̗͎̰͎̞̼̣̭̦̰̩̮͙̩͉̞̀͝ ̷̛̖̤̜̗͍̭̾̽̓̄̅̍͛̈́́͐́C̵̡̯͎͇̤͎̹̳͎̫̞̠̫͚̗̺̩͈͒̃͜O̴̧̨̨̨̡̰̫̜̭͚̻͇̲͙͉̭̤̘͎͌̽̅̾͊͆͜͝͝ͅM̸̮̭͈̜̘̠͚͈̬̼̒͌̓̓̓̂̋̆̓͂͌̽͊̑̃̈́̓̌̿͑̕͘͠͠ͅP̴̨̢̧̫̰̖̘̝̤̳̙͉̤̹̣͓̜͇̲̮̦̖͉̩͂͗̊͐̔̌͛̈́̒̆́̈̑̇̾̐͂͊̀̌̋̎̉͘͜͜͜͠͠L̶̢̢̢̨̠̠͔̯̻̠̥̣̤͕̖̟̘̳̮̣̰̙͊Ę̴̛͙̟͔͉̫̬͇͙̖͇̼͙̺̺͈̰͓̹̭̝͍͙͕̓̎͐̀̃̀̋̂̄̄̃͝T̶̡̡̳̝̗̳̘̫̯̼̯̖̝͔͙̝̬̱̲̈E̸͉̼̭̼̣̗̣͎͚͛.̷̡̛͕̪͍̦̝̟̫͑̈́̓͌̉̏̇̆̑̈͛
****
POV : Guy
I watched as one of the few people worthy of my respect died in front of me.
She fought admirably. To be so strong at such a young age and with so much control was impressive. Her ability was also interesting. She may not realize it herself, but her unique skill is truly terrifying.
Resisting pain, physical harm, magic or finding a counter to a technique that bypasses defense can be done easily if one is experienced enough. But no one is immune to its desires for happiness. It's for that reason her attack managed to touch me. Even with total control over one soul, one cannot just ignore the promise of happiness her attack gives.
There are also the other abilities. Imbuing one attack with a feeling of joy to stun someone and make him more vulnerable to mental attack is a good ability that synergizes perfectly with the previous one.
Finally, the boost to strength and regeneration is nothing to scoff at, but I would be unable to use it myself. The amount of happiness one must feel to activate it is monstrous. So much so that for a normal person to feel that kind of happiness would normally only be possible under a powerful mental magic and render them incapable of fighting.
I truly want to keep her alive, but I made a promise that I will only let her live if she can be my rival. Even with all her abilities, she lacks the abilities for me to consider her as such. Maybe after some millennia she could be a worthy adversary. But I can't let her go so easily after she killed so many humans. I am the mediator, after all.
"Let's finish quickly. I don't want to make you suffer for too long."
I raise the power of my spell to the maximum I can in my current form. In a few seconds she will die.
I wait for ten seconds for her inevitable demise, but contrary to my expectations, she is still alive. No, she is not just alive. She is regaining strength. My attacks that passed right through her barriers are totally stopped by them now. The effect of her skill being nullified when it touches them.
I can sense that she gained a new skill, so I start to analyze it, but after only a few moments, my skill is stopped. It's like all skills are instantly negated once they come in contact with her new skill. My spell also seems to be negated, not on the same level as my skill but enough for her barrier to hold up against my barrage of spells.
Suddenly she disappeared from my senses. I look for her and find her an instant later behind me, her sword approaching my torso, menacing to cut me in half.
My instincts are screaming at me to block, that this attack is dangerous. I try to block her sword, but I am assaulted by mental magics, delaying my reaction.
Her sword makes contact with my torso. All my defenses are disabled by her Happiness skill and her new skill working together to negate all my defenses.
Her battle aura reached my soul easily with my spiritual attack immunity disabled. The damage to my soul will be repaired with time, but in the meantime, my body regeneration will be impaired. Stopping me from regenerating my lower body, she just cut off.
"Is that enough to pass your test, or do you want to continue?"
I look at myself. I haven't taken so much damage since my fight with Veldanava. I could probably still win if I go all out. But with my current strength, the result of the fight will be uncertain.
"Hahahaha, fine! From now on I, demon lord Guy, recognize you, Lilith, as a worthy rival!"
She smiled at me, dissipating her aura. I did the same. We rested here just looking at each other for a few minutes until she broke the silence.
"So can you regenerate yourself now? It's kind of awkward to talk to a flying torso, you know."