Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Baddan’s spears were not strictly meant for violence. In fact, they weren’t actually meant for violent actions at all.

The golden spear, Hefty Peace, cut off familiar sensations, and consciousness for those it touched, or vice versa – aside from Baddan – leaving them in the most perfect state for advanced meditation within the hallowed grounds, something that was done before the gleaming amber rock.

The dark spear, Hefty Rebuke, could sent those whom Baddan deemed to have broken the sacred rules of his society, within his own clan, past the clouds, and into what all his kin called the Benevolent Wrath – a place past the ordinary pitch darkness that the normal eye could see. Those who had been sent there, claimed that the only thing one could see that far up, was the tip of the mountain, and that everything else seemed to be lost in a ungodly nothingness.

There, they claimed Appairitoni would state their sins over, and over, and over again for what seemed like an eternity, before they were finally pulled down.

Only those who were among the worst of the worst would be sent to the Benevolent Wrath, and only that breed of sinners could reach that high into the sky.

But for the three currently trapped by the Hefty Rebuke’s hold, Baddan intended to do something worse than let them see their god.

…

For Skullius, being smashed into by the dark liquid was like being rammed into a bunch of Hobbu Bobbus running at full speed!

The sheer force alone was enough to shatter his flesh about, but the firm, almost solid mana pooling within the liquid pounded on Skullius even rougher, ripping his body into smaller bits regardless of how much he tried to keep them together!

The Supreme potion’s effect tried to collect the parts of him for reassembly, but they were split too far apart, and creating new ones didn’t work, as the waters still possessed enough of a punch to rip through Skullius again!

It seemed Tallo and Maxim had a better time.

The dark flood was strangely silent, barely making a noise with its movement, thus Skullius had heard Maxim shriek loudly, her mana exploding phenomenally within the onslaught, which helped the pink-haired woman bear the first, full assault.

Her body, with the tattered and torn armour already looked terrible, but as time went on, things got worse for her.

Tallo had suffered horrific damage too, his robes cruelly torn, and his flesh oozing blood as he teleported from place to place, sometimes over the pillars that were more or less left erect over the wave.

A large number of them had been torn down and swept away by the tide however, which was surprising, but none among the trio had the time to marvel, or think about it for long.

When the wave finally died down, seemingly sinking into the ground as quickly as it had fallen from the clouds, Skullius, Maxim and Tallo appeared.

Finally, Skullius could heal. As his flesh was restored, naked, his blood bellowed out of his veins, and turned into a blackish crimson fire that dressed him in the like coloured attire in an instant.

A few, ragged breaths came from Skullius’ mouth. He felt weak. So weak it was infuriating.

Was this the effect of that black tide?

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Then it hit Skullius.

His armour was made from his blood, a mutation caused by the [Swindling Death’s Dance] as it was a part of this physical body. He could manifest it through his blood, but it seemed, as he was, it was difficult to maintain, especially when he was just barely starting to understand Demion’s Dance and this sword art.

Too many pieces were missing, and one was experience.

Speaking of [Swindling Death’s Dance], Skullius spotted Demion’s Dance clutched in a severed hand of his hundreds of meters away beyond the….

…!

Skullius’ face turned hard.

Demion’s Dance was beyond a luminous outline.

Beyond the edge of the third circle!

“Damn it!” Skullius cursed.

“Looks like we’re back here…” Maxim who was closest to him said as her body slowly healed from the intense damage she had received. A watery veil of Perfect Aura was around her, as well as a flat centipede Incarnation.

Skullius aimed to use [Greatest Mana Crafter] to retrieve Demion’s Dance, but a thick-furred rider emerged from out of nowhere beyond the luminous outline, and stood close to the green sword.

“Do not extend your reach outside the bounds. Do that…. and you will be legible for slaughter, distant kin. As you can see… I’m willing to make sacrifices I normally wouldn’t just to get rid of you…” the voice of Baddan came, as did his full figure.

He rode his striped Retriever, and stood quite a distance away. He was still wary of Skullius even if he didn’t have his sword.

Tallo vomited a mouthful blood, and slumped to the ground while his right hand tightly gripped his bleeding side.

He looked deathly pale, and so miserable, it was almost out of place.

Baddan gave him a condescending look.

“I regarded you quite highly… when I first saw you, but it would seem….”

Tallo’s eyes showed a barely subdued glint of fury, but before he could retort, Baddan had placed his hands together, but this time, not for a technique.

“I hope you find some comfort in knowing… that you survived a little close to half the duration of the game. An impressive feat,” the Sky Watcher said, as a tremor struck, a dazzling light shooting all around the four… five, counting the striped Retriever.

….!!!!

“Shit!” Maxim cursed first with her downturned eyes bulging, and before Tallo and Skullius knew it, she had fiercely destroyed the ground she had stood on as she charged ahead at terrible speed.

Skullius and Tallo knew why.

Baddan… was using his Majestic Territory!

A glaring white rapidly surrounded the group, as if they were being encircled by a swarm of baby suns!

This was it.

When the glaring light fully covered them, trapping them in, Aura, Mana… every type of energy they had access to would be locked down, as well as the prospect of activating techniques!

This was the basic function of an active Majestic Territory!

Maxim had reached close to two meters from Baddan when the Retriever under him bellowed, its stripes glowing in an electric blue. A towering wall of lightning straightened into tens of straight bars that reached to the clouds appeared, protecting the two!

Yet Maxim didn’t stop.

She raised her leg, sucked in a deep breath, and stomped her foot on the ground so hard, a shockwave whistled and grumpled in every direction!

Then…

…!!!

Baddan was surprised to find himself falling backwards, as if the world had suddenly tilted on its backside!

But no. That wasn’t it.

The ground… the ground had been turned flat – a large, rectangular glossy slice over a large, wide distance, some of the pillars which were close included!

A dark void could be seen under, but a few large rocks seemed to be balance the plate, making a pivot like that reminiscent of a see-saw, and since Baddan and his Retriever had the larger weight, the massive plate swayed more in their direction, leaning into the darkness!

The Sky Watcher couldn’t believe it!

His focus was stalled when it came to the Territory, though only for a few moments.

His Retriever couldn’t climb on the tilting, slippery pane which was as thin as anything could get.

Maxim didn’t wait for Baddan to find a solution. She swept her hands forward, and sent her Incarnation soaring rapidly through the air, towards the Sky Watcher!

Since Baddan still had a line up of lightning rods around him, Maxim saw it unwise to attack by herself. Thus, she sent the centipede, which easily passed between the bars, and with a sharp focus of Aura…

The surprised Retriever had been turned flat, and Baddan awkwardly fell from it.

The protective cage disappeared around Baddan who growled in rage – a common sight now. Maxim charged, skilfully focusing her Aura under her feet to do what few else could do as effortlessly; moving freely on the thin, dirt themed pane towards Baddan without shifting its sway!

She dived at the Sky Watcher, intent on tackling him into the void that was close behind him, a darkness brought on by how much land had been dug up by Planate High!

However…

Baddan suddenly shot into the sky.

Maxim discovered belatedly, that his dark spear was floating where he had stood, its point facing against the flat, shiny pane!

‘Dammit!’ she cursed.

To make matters worse, the striped Retriever was released from her technique, and it bashed her away!

Baddan floated higher and higher, before coming to a stop, five meters into the air. He could not judge himself into the Benevolent Wrath, but he could use his own Hefty Rebuke to float up.

Skullius and Tallo watched as they sped up towards him, barely a second a half after Maxim had charged, and almost bested the Sky Watcher on her own.

“Tell me that attack earlier was enough for whatever it is you plan to use against Baddan!” Tallo growled, wincing in pain.

“I’ll have to try. I’m not very sure. If we can do it before he fully manifests his Territory…” Skullius said, much to Tallo’s displeasure.

“Fine. If I hold him place, don’t hesitate to strike. Even if… even if you have to get rid of me too,” he said with a determined face.

Huh?

“What?” Skullius turned to him with a shocked face. “What are you talking about?”

“Make sure he is out for the count. No matter what happens to me! This is exactly what I have been looking for! An opportunity to break past my limits… and to do some good with that!”

Skullius grimaced.

Double what?!

Had Tallo lost his mind. Do some good?

“It’s not like—”

Skullius was interrupted by a heavy bellow.

The mass of light around them grew too bright, and rapidly continued to close in on itself from where it had left off!

Tallo and Skullius cursed at the same time.

It was too late.

Before Skullius knew it, he was completely trapped… and all his mana was quickly trapped within his core, the remnants he had been using outside his body being burnt away by an unrelenting force!

Skullius this too well.

It was Nitros, the energy that derived creation!

Now, he was helpless.

Even Maxim who had been struggling against the striped Retriever looked to become an infant as it quickly stamped her to the ground, now that she wasn’t as powerful as before.

‘Dammit it! We wasted too much time!’ Skullius thought, almost turning to blame Tallo

He spilled the sceptre sword into his hand from the Temporary Storage, but he could feel that using any sword intent would be worthless. It wouldn’t work.

Now that they were enclosed, a splash of colour began to worm its way, decorating the interior while Baddan stood in mid-air, fully expressing his Majestic Territory.

Was this really the end?

Skullius couldn’t believe it.

Being caught without anything he could use like this…

He would surely be done for!

“Hey! Like a said! Don’t waste the opportunity I make!”

Skullius turned to Tallo who had a desperate, almost maniacal look on his face. He almost seemed to be asking Skullius to swear on it!

But… swear on what?

Couldn’t they all not use their abilities now?

As a weird image sprang forth, seeming to solidify into something Skullius assumed a fully projected Territory would look like – as far as his experience told – he couldn’t see what Tallo was banking on.

But then…

The Mage screamed as he pushed his arms forth violently towards Baddan who had his arms spread wide.

The Sky Watcher was in his element, basking in his power when a glaring light battled against his closed eyelids.

What was that?

He was just beginning to project his Imaginary GeoScape within the enclosed Territory, but it didn’t have this kind of bright radiance to it.

So what was emerging overhead?

As he looked, he found a massive magical array stacked six times against itself with shimmering, terribly skewed runes at the edges of its six, spinning wheels!

What?!

Mana was livid within it, terribly desperate to unleash a kind of calamity he had never seen!

But how?

How could this…?

Baddan looked down, and saw Tallo spitting blood as he extended his hands, his eyes wide open.

It was him?!

How was he doing it?!

How was he not affected?!

Skullius who was at the side was puzzled beyond belief.

‘How… what?’ he thought with a low ‘uhm’ escaping his mouth.

“ARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH!” Tallo screamed, and as he did, the array above came crashing down on Baddan who once again turned ghostly pale. He was smashed by a heavy force that broke his skull, much to his horror, and forced him to the ground as he roared in pain!

All he had seen was a flash of light, and then a world of agony had rocked his bones!

This had happened within his Territory, where he was supposed to be a master of a mini world he created?!

Skullius was awe struck as Baddan plummeted so suddenly.

He was speechless.

Around them, the colour was stripped from the world, and the radiant white returned, which also peeled itself from the surroundings, restoring the images of the pillars and dirt.

“Do it now! You wanted him immobile, right?! Now’s your chance!” Tallo screamed at the Hybrid Luman. “Don’t let… don’t let my sacrifice be in vain!”

Skullius didn’t know what to say.

Indeed, his mana wasn’t locked within him anymore as the Territory was collapsing.

He sensed the feverish emotion from Tallo, and felt a little… heartfelt, tiny bits of inspiration coursing through him. Despite the uncharacteristic fire in Tallo right now, he couldn’t help but respect him, even without knowing what he had done to Baddan.

Thus, Skullius shot towards the downed enemy.

He quickly reached Baddan who looked to be foaming from the mouth, and without wasting time, he touched his abdomen and…

“[Greatest Mana Crafter]!”