There was a certain property of [King of Severing Twilight: AfterDark], Skullius' [Evil Darkness] Andori, which allowed him to create a prison sowhere within the great void. This was where he had stowed away the WILLS of Fulgardt before they inevitably escaped. The fact that an Andori like this existed, suggested that Fulgardt would have gotten access to a similar property in one of his own Andori. After all, this feature of a prison in the great void didn't have anything to do with Skullius' own ingenuity when crafting both his Default and War bodies.
This was why Skullius had suspected that Fulgardt had so relationship with Void, and now, his theory was proven true.
Even though Fulgardt could easily be lying or overstating the truth, Skullius was sure the Immoral had an ally in Void, and of course, this was extrely bad.
The Hybrid Warmoth was stumped.
Fulgardt chuckled.
"I'll take your sorry-looking face as a yes. You, no doubt, are seeing first-hand how dealing with Prival Deities is even more gruelling than you thought when you tried to use it as a chip against him," he said. "Void stands on higher ground than them, and she is equally capable of giving gifts as part of LIMITED CONTRACTS, or even UNLIMITED ones. Did you know? Probably not."
This indeed ca as a surprise to Skullius, and inflicted another blow of apprehension within him.
If Void could offer contracts like the Prival Deities...
'Are you also able to, Serenity?' Skullius asked secretly.
"No. I have heavier restrictions than Void," was her succinct explanation. Skullius believed it. If it were him from before he had been attacked by Void earlier, he might have doubted even a little, but with what he knew, and wanted Serenity to answer for if he made it out of this alive...
"Good for you, I guess," Skullius said to Fulgardt, putting on a very poor calm front. Right then, the ground shook and the skies seed to echo their vibration. Again, unfathomable power flared from behind the teeth of the huge deer head.
Fulgardt glanced at it, pleased. His attention returned to Skullius. Uyuniya looked dangerously close to taking her chances against him, but Fulgardt didn't have her in his sights, not with the Corrupted Deity behind him watching them closely and ready to attack faster than Uyuniya could.
"You almost seem composed. Of course, I suppose the bulk of your confidence lies in the fact that I don't know much about your current prowess. Fair. That wouldn't give much value if I were to deal with Void. A great sha, indeed," Fulgardt said.
He was being honest. He wouldn't tell Skullius this, but his guidance field wouldn't show him Skullius' abilities. The Immoral imagined it was because - as he had guessed in Maqi - Skullius possessed powers that exceeded his own in so way; powers he was hiding for so reason. He found that especially interesting above all. Fulgardt knew for sure that Skullius had an inferior quality of Broader Existence than him yet still...
"That is a sha. What do you intend to do then, seeing as this is a major profit opportunity?" Skullius said, almost too boldly. Inwardly, he thought:
'You wouldn't risk killing Uyuniya and Elita, not if you want to remain in Void's good graces.'
Fulgardt gave him an appraising look.
"I've considered handing you over to her," he said.
...!!!
"...but that would kill my goal of growing through another Insurgent Magnus. It's a predicant, really. Oh, how tempting both options are. One is costlier and riskier, and has assured long-term benefits, while the other is relatively safe with potential for both short and long-term rits, especially if I carry it out right away. Hmm..."
Skullius' indignation and apprehension grew once more, as did Elita and Uyuniya's. Fulgardt gave the two exasperated looks.
"I thought the prospect of serving Void's whims would excite both of you. Are you that ungrateful to your benefactor? Well, I need not ask I suppose, given the brat you're getting all churned up for," he said.
Elita had no response. Her conflict over this matter was far from over.
Uyuniya, on the other hand, having not understood what Fulgardt had said, assud it wasn't friendly. She so desperately wanted to attack, but as the Immoral guessed, she was privy to the danger a Corrupted Deity posed, especially when in the hands of a shrewd enemy.
At that mont, the great deer head vanished.
In its place remained only the figure of Rias, sitting on the ground with his legs crossed and his eyes shut... along with the large body of the Doom Knight laying sprawled on the ground. The many victims that had been seated within the deer's mouth were gone.
The Doom Knight stirred.
...!
It was as Skullius had feared. The effect of had ended, and the creature was regaining its consciousness.
Whatever thod Fulgardt or Rias had used to force the Doom Knight to create Undead Blessings likely had nothing to do with the creature's Broader Existence, since Undeath essence wasn't likely to be stored there like Amras. Skullius rendering the powerful creature immobile and unresponsive must have even helped make the process of Undead Blessing creation easier!
The Hybrid Warmoth cursed.
He didn't know what would happen now. He was unsure of the progress of Cold Oblivion in the Doom Knight's Broader Existence, but it likely hadn't spread as well as it could have, given how careful Sila had been when releasing the vapour into the enemy.
Yet, the Doom Knight seed like the lesser threat now.
Fulgardt was still very much threatening, even if he couldn't kill him, and now, his (Fulgardt's) ally had reached Divinity.
Rias opened his eyes and a wave of Amras whipped out of his body like a gust. He took a deep breath. Greenish-black flas then raged all over his body, towering and potent. They almost seed to replace the crimson hue over Aigas, cast when the Doom Knight marked it.
He rose and felt for his fingers. He could tell the difference in his body - in his flesh and soul. He could sense the fresh Broader Existence which had blood within him; a special existence that could be nowhere and everywhere at the sa ti.
"It's almost a miracle that I didn't reach this state in my... previous life," he said. His voice sounded a little deeper, devoid of the boyish charm it had once carried; it had appropriately matched his young, smaller fra.
Fulgardt turned to him, beaming. He walked over and placed a hand on Rias' shoulder.
"Well?" he asked.
Skullius knew what he ant. He had no choice but to prick his ears for the EverSword boy's
answer.
Rias continued to look a bit too fascinated with his fingers.
"You were right. It was going to take a little more effort than I thought to change a skill I already had into an Andori," he said, and finally looked straight into Fulgardt's eager eyes.
"It's done."
Fulgardt patted his shoulder.
"Perfect," he said, grinning malevolently. "Yet, our work is only just beginning."
Without warning, Fulgardt's Corrupted Deity grabbed Skullius with its massive hand.
...!!!
Skullius was not able to react at all. He was in the giant grip before he even knew what was
happening.
But... what was happening?
'He's taking to her?!' Skullius thought, horrified. Fulgardt was going to take him to Void
after all.
Fulgardt flashed over to the Deity's wrist and gazed at Skullius' head, which - along with one of Skullius' hands - was poking out of its closed palm. He pulled out so kind of bracelet from a spatial storage, and locked it around Skullius' wrist. The bracelet suddenly turned into a ring of light that sank into Skullius' skin and ford a thin little black tattoo on it.
Fulgardt, all of a sudden uncharacteristically stern and serious, declared:
"This bracelet will restrict you from ddling with what you found out about in the Labyrinth of the Yoke. It is to restrict you and you alone, and will only remain active for an
hour."
"What?" Skullius was so dumbfounded that he repeated the exclamation of confusion.
"What?"
Fulgardt sighed and had the Corrupted Deity drop Skullius back on the ground. He then turned
away and gazed at the Doom Knight, which was rising to its feet. Its eyes were starting to
reawaken the blaze of Undeath.
Fulgardt pointed at it... and his Corrupted Deity pounced.
By the ti Skullius fell to the ground, it was already over. The Doom Knight was no more.
Its body was split open five ways like a banana peel, as was its soul. The Corrupted Deity lood over it like a giant grim reaper.
Skullius could only gape. More terrifying than the prospect of how the Doom Knight had been killed with barely any sound - was the look in Fulgardt's eyes... and the sharp [Evil Darkness] billowing from his hand. It was barbed, clear and alive. It seed to have had a hand in killing the Doom Knight too.
Fulgardt sucked his teeth. He looked to the Hybrid Warmoth, eyes like cold moons. "You'll live until you're no longer of use to ." His words were like swords, cutting and
fearso. The mirth was gone from him. "Maybe you'll have the pleasure of seeing again after I have slaughtered the Deities left in this place."
And with that, he and Rias were gone.
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