Chapter 1587: The... Amalgam (2)
The attack – a whipping slash – struck true, and it was as violent as ever.
Though it was lacking compared to the Inverted False Ticklers Skullius had managed to devise through the impromptu Territory, Demesne of Maximums, it was still enough to leave a wide gash that spanned from Fulgardt's neck to his side!
…!!!
Somanda grunted in agony as blood splashed from his torso.
"Oh, Skullius…!" he feigned keeping his composure, but his eyes bled with fury. It wasn't just the fact that he had been struck by that damned former Moronic Undead he had in his sights that irked him.
It was also the fact that he couldn't muster Undeath energy or control of Fulgardt's body to do anything about it.
And indeed, that was the real reason Somanda would immediately dismiss himself if he was forced into the Immoral.
The High Lich barely mustered a hiss before he finally vanished from Fulgardt's body.
…And then it was Fulgardt's turn to frown at the damage he had taken.
"Brat!" he meant to say, but Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn had already prompted a follow-up attack on the Immoral right as his [False Tickler] just now met Fulgardt's flesh!
Before Fulgardt recovered all his senses from Somanda's control, Red Rage had snuck a personal uppercut on his chin using all his might. The blow shouldn't have done damage because of the wide disparity between the Immoral and Red Rage…but it did.
A combination of raw Null EXP and one of his new Divine-level abilities [Premium Rising] allowed him to make Fulgardt feel the hit. The Immoral's teeth shuddered.
But Red Rage wasn't the only one devising ways to hurt the Immoral. At the same time that he struck, the Authority of Dimensions brandished what looked like a long, hazy cloth with a vermillion hue. It was the Empyrean Ribbon, his Fond Calamity.
The cloth-like throng spun and forged the shape of a double-edged sword before Red Rage successfully plunged it into Fulgardt's chest.
…!!!
The Immoral was quite stunned.
Araeyn grinned and pushed the Fond Calamity further into him.
It was impressive that he'd managed this feat, but not unreasonable. The Empyrean Ribbon could freely embody Araeyn's powers and thus, Araeyn had made it so that it embodied his unique ability to travel the Null Remnants – a particularly complex spatial manipulation power. Fulgardt's defences while he was not on guard couldn't stop the Fond Calamity with such perks.
A fully conscious Fulgardt was another matter, though.
This was all Red Rage and Araeyn managed to accomplish before he countered.
They would have both died instantly, but Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn was steps ahead.
The two Apostles were coated with a pale blue kind of Null Life Essence that unleashed a frightening cold. The swift strikes Fulgardt had used in an attempt to strike both Apostles dead bounced off the Null Life Essence layers. Red Rage and Araeyn were sent flying back, though.
Fulgardt scowled and glared at the amalgam. But as he did, the amalgam himself was giving more instructions to the Apostles.
'Araeyn, carry off SoSei back to Aigas!'
The Authority of Dimensions took on the command at once. He had his Empyrean Ribbon swim through the great void and snatch the limp SoSei. In the next instant, he was straining to do what he had done to get the other Apostles here again. It was an immensely difficult and risky process, but he managed.
No one was focusing on him by then, though.
Fulgardt had shuttled towards Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn and sent him flying with a cruel blow to the face. He was not holding back anymore.
However…
'I can take it!' the new amalgam thought.
The sustained layer of Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz shielded him enough to where a meaningful punch from Fulgardt didn't faze him.
'If he uses whatever kind of firepower he needed to blast through that world's Rules, though…' thought the Bringer of All.
In that case, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it unless he unleashed more of the Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz. But if he did that, he risked ripping himself again.
But was that dreadful power something Fulgardt could use casually? How much energy did he need to pull off feats like that? Was there a limit?
Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn considered this, how to bring forth Focused Null Life Ota himself, and battled Fulgardt at the same time.
The Undead monsters Beyrmir had been holding back with his body had finally managed to push through. They came raining down on everyone, and then concentrated on the amalgam. One of them split Fulgardt and the Bringer of All from each other and threw its inconceivable limbs at him.
'Damn these things!' cursed Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn.
The bodies of these creatures had such dense pressures of Undeath that the Bringer of All lost track of which one was what, and what was where. It didn't help that all of them had perfect coordination.
…Fulgardt used that to his advantage.
Crude World Projection X Exorbitance X Crude World Injection!
Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn couldn't have predicted how he was forced open like a cavity in a rotten fruit. In one moment, a gargantuan limb made of a shattered sky and dull, ebony hunks of matter was flying at him, and then before it could strike him… his chest had burst open!
The amalgam hadn't seen it, but Fulgardt had sent a Projection of himself flying through the colossal limb and then through him (the amalgam). Only he (the amalgam) was the target, however.
Fulgardt's body, piloted through Crude World Injection had transmitted a physical blow empowered by Exorbitance through the Projection that swept through Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn like a ghost – hence how the amalgam had taken damage!
Indeed, this was Fulgardt's means to bypass the amalgam's durability!
"You thought I didn't notice when you used this power earlier? It's boring. It only makes me want to hit you harder." Fulgardt said once his Projection returned to his body. "You thought things had changed because you had a bit of help? Even this skill, [Bringer of All] won't save you. Unless you use that strange power of yours, your fate is still the same." He laughed. "And as it happens, you're already going back on your word. What happened to fighting me and Somanda at once?"
Skullius had yet to finish healing. Fulgardt grabbed his almost split halves and sped through the great void again. They drew away from the monstrosities Beyrmir and Red Rage were trying to push back.
'Dammit!' the amalgam roared within. 'Still…?'
Soon, they were upon another world.
Fulgardt's intent was clear.
He meant to break Skullius, and perhaps he would succeed, but he had already failed to factor in something about the merged Null Lifeform.
---
[Author's Note]
~~~
[Empyrean Ribbon]
<Mythical>
Four thousand enslaved Sages of the Musing Embroider were tasked to carefully create this beautiful piece over seven years, by an ambitious fiend that sought authority. Soon after it was finished, tales of its profound abilities, as well as its exploits in the hands of the ambitious fiend called upon powers that coveted it so much, that they killed the fiend and each other for it.
-Special Effects-
Responds to the user's will Can find anything that the user desires Can heal itself with Null Life Essence Embodies traits of the user to make itself stronger Extremely resistant to physical and elemental attacks Can stretch as far as is needed
---
[Skill: Suffocate]
Whoever this Empyrean Ribbon wraps around will be flooded with Null Life Essence from the body to the core until all their active abilities are shut down.
---
[Skill: Crossition]
By expending the user's Null Life Essence, the Empyrean Ribbon can create alternate versions of received attacks and send them back to their source.
---
[Skill: Gluttonous Bringing]
Once a certain number of substantial sacrifices are fed to the Empyrean Ribbon, it gains the ability to draw restricted essences, their bodies, essences, and weapons are mutated and fed directly to the user. This skill works in combination with [Imbued Fester Blights].
~~~
Replicus laughed.
'Red Rage could never,' he thought.