"Go on."
Souran and Kenno ca face to face in that instant. It might have been a jump scare. But the Unlimited Star was not fazed. In his perception, the Arch-Lich had slowly slinked into view. A whole second had passed by before her sockets were staring deep into his eyes.
Unlimited Conception was the na Kenno had given to this ability. The trillions of Territories throbbing within him ground down the essence of ti he had received from the Mages, channeling it between them and then expelling the comprehension derived from the process towards his brain. His neurons drank the resulting effects greedily, however scant they were. Unlike the essence of space, which Kenno had been able to grasp even before the Mages helped him, ti was more elusive – slippery.
The only thing he managed to do with it was quicken his perception and how he conceived each and every thought he had. Even against beings that could move many tis faster than him, he wouldn’t be completely helpless now.
It seed Souran could tell, though. She grew imnsely excited upon scanning him. In less than a blink, she had gotten past Red Rage and all the other Apostles, and only now did they react.
Kenno dashed back as the four Apostles surrounded Souran.
"Don’t get in the way! I’m about to see sothing phenonal!" cried the Lich, and she used the Quasi Immors Soul Art, Form 11. Suddenly, her torso spawned eight bodies that lurched and reached for the Apostles and Kenno at the sa ti.
Weaver, Red Rage, and Ferex were imdiately immobilized and hamred onto the ground.
It was different for Araeyn, though. He had a particularly foul ability that ensured that he couldn’t be touched carelessly. Two barriers existed around him, making physical contact lethal; one shredded oncoming physical targets, and the other – the one beneath it – warped them to an obscure Null Remnant he could control. Funny enough, regular Divines could overpower this ability of Araeyn’s, but Undead creatures, even Liches, had to find a workaround because of the second barrier.
...That was why Souran blasted Araeyn away with a violent jet of Undeath energy instead.
When her other physical body was reaching for Kenno, the Unlimited Star responded just as she had expected he would.
Kenno, saved by his quickened perception (Unlimited Conception), had forced his hand forward before the Lich’s eight bodies had finished erupting from Souran. He enacted another one of his new abilities: Impel!
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Souran laughed raucously... as her body was violently forced back, space building upon space to send her figure away.
...But she wouldn’t bested just like that.
She perford two outrageous feats in rapid succession. Using the Quasi Immors Soul Art 19, she summoned one of the Doom Knights and warped it right where she had been standing before being expelled. Possessing it (while her own body was leagues away and still flying), she had the Doom Knight pinpoint her Undeath signature, reel her physical body in, and pull her back to her previous position.
"Good, little one, good!" she cried jubilantly, looking at Kenno.
The Apostles, who had been freed, backed away. In their minds, they strung together a plan. When dealing with an enemy like this, there was but one surefire way to win, or at least increase the chances of victory.
...But it wasn’t only they who had a plan.
Suzate was not participating in the fighting, but she had a stake in it. She channeled bits of the strength she could spare for Aingor and his faceless companion – Genuine Divine energy.
The Herald had been waiting for this: the signal.
As it appeared, Souran had deep, hidden intentions beyond conquering Aigas. They must have begun brewing as soon as Kenno blossod. But Suzate had the sa mind. The one who actualized their desire first between the two would win, Aingor knew. Thus...
"NOW!" he cried.
...And Eaniss, Em-Sul and the Mad Bishop sprung into action along with him.
Aingor soared high into the sky, cocked back his arm, and flung a jet of Divine energy at the Doom Knight!
The attack did nothing against the creature, but it did steal its attention long enough for it to not notice the pool of darkness frothing under its feet. By the ti the creature looked down (its own consciousness had been restored to it by Souran), Eaniss was there, her eyes gleaming darkly. She was exerting all the strength she could, generating Chaos!
"Majestic Territory Expulsion...!" the Mad Bishop cried happily, and her Nitros flew out to trap the Doom Knight.
The creature swatted the dense energy away before it could encompass it, killing the Territory’s activation in its tracks. At this level, no Majestic Territory conceived by a re Incandescent Stager would do any harm.
...But it did have a purpose.
Souran, noticing how the Deitess and the little mortals were targeting her Doom Knight, had the last one fall from the sky and land right beside her. She thought the enemies were trying to separate her from her forces.
She was right. However...
"[Micro-dinsioning]!" Araeyn ford a small portal between his palms that began to pull in the Arch-Lich and the Doom Knight by her side despite the distance.
"Cheap," said the Arch-Lich, and she grounded herself using her overwhelming reserves of Undeath essence. The output of his ability was not enough to draw in a prepared Master of Undeath.
It had taken a number of factors, including Kenno’s Territory and Skullius’ intervention, to pull in a single Doom Knight into a Null Remnant using [Micro-Dinsioning] earlier. For Araeyn alone, this would be a challenge, if not impossible.
...But Kenno had awakened.
...!!!
Souran was surprised when the Unlimited Star suddenly warped behind her. No, he didn’t warp. She could tell. His nose and eyes were bleeding more profusely. He had done sothing even more ridiculous than that.
"Impel!" cried Kenno, pushing his palm against the Lich.
It happened seamlessly. Kenno generated such a violent push of force between him and the Lich that she seed to warp and fall headfirst into Araeyn’s portal!
...But not before she pulled her Doom Knight along!
"That’s our cue!" said Red Rage to the Apostles, and then he looked at Kenno. The Unlimited Star was gritting his teeth, a look of agony painted on his face. "Can you still keep up? No, rather, you wouldn’t miss the chance to discipline one of your master’s enemies, would you?"
Kenno managed a weak smile and sighed. "When you put it that way..."
Nothing more needed to be said. Kenno drew a deep breath, wiped off the blood leaking from him, and joined the Apostles as they all jumped into the Null Remnant Araeyn had prepared!
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