Timeless Assassin

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

*SLASH*

Even with the [Intent Concealment Potion] burning through their veins, it still took the combined fury of Entrail and Streak to push Charles back step by step, for though their hidden intent robbed him of his usual advantage, neither of them could truly stand against the weight of his defence alone.

'Entrail fights with a surgeon's precision, his every attack is very technical and designed to disrupt my rhythm and stance, while the other one moves like a phantom, fast and relentless, slipping in those sharp strikes that threaten to pierce the gaps Entrail creates—' Charles calculated inwardly, his mind dissecting their flow even as his blade carved arcs of silver light to intercept the storm raining down upon him.

Yet for all his calm dissection, Charles could feel the rhythm beginning to shift, the relentless pace forcing his guard to move faster, as sparks leapt from each collision and shallow cuts began to decorate his skin.

*Slash*

*Slash*

*Block*

The two enemy Commanders seemed to be growing more and more confident with every exchange, seemingly emboldened by the faint streaks of blood that were now very distinctly visible on his body.

"You know, Commander… for a long time I couldn't break through Dupravel's defences either," Entrail said, his voice smooth yet brimming with anticipation as his blade began to pool an unnaturally high amount of mana.

"But in the end, there was one move that tore his guard apart. And it was this… [Infinite Slash]."

He declared before vanishing in a blur, his figure scattering into a dozen afterimages, where each one swung in perfect synchrony, as arcs of purple light erupted across the battlefield.

*THRUMMM*

*FLASHHHH*

The very sky above them seemed to fracture into ribbons as the slashes rained down without pause, each one a seamless extension of the last, flowing into eternity without beginning or end.

*SLASHHHH*

*SHHHK*

*TRICKLE*

Charles braced, his sword snapping up again and again in desperate parries, as his protective barrier skill hardened across his chest and neck to protect his vitals, but still the storm of strikes carved across his arms and legs, crimson lines splitting skin open as blood splattered onto the fractured concrete at his feet.

Thankfully, his guard held where it mattered most, his core unpierced, but his body now bore a collection of shallow wounds, each one a reminder that even the strongest wall could be chipped away, piece by piece.

"Hah! Look at him bleed!" Entrail barked, his grin feral, his afterimages collapsing back into his real form as he stood tall, blade raised, eyes gleaming with hunger.

But before Charles could even catch his breath, Streak's aura swelled, black and violet threads coiling around him like a poised serpent, as he unleashed his most powerful attack as well.

"[Cosmic Destroyer]."

He declared, as immediately—

*BOOOOOOM*

*FSSHHHHHH*

The space between them itself seemed to rupture, unleashing a colossal arc of condensed destruction that howled like a collapsing star, its sheer weight tearing apart everything in its path, stone, steel, and air itself shredding as it bore down on Charles.

*CRASHHHHH*

*ROAAAAAR*

The Monarch raised his sword to meet it, his aura flaring to full height, yet the force of the strike was too great, smashing through his guard and hitting hard against his chest.

*SLASHHHK*

*BLOOD SPLATTER*

A gash tore open across his torso, the wound deep and vicious, sending blood spraying in a violent arc as Charles staggered back, his boots dragging furrows into the ground, his breath ragged as he dropped to one knee.

"HAAA— HAAA—-"

The sight was shocking, Charles, the alleged Strongest Monarch, the immovable wall of the Cult, finally kneeling, his blade trembling in his grip as his blood pooled across the broken stone.

"Looks like your legendary defence is in shambles, Commander," Entrail mocked, his voice triumphant as he pointed his blade towards Charles's throat from afar.

"The next flurry will be your last. This time, I'll have your head."

He claimed, but even as he spoke, Charles's lips curled into a slow, knowing smile, his eyes gleaming with a confidence that cut deeper than any wound.

"No… it's not me who is out of time," he said, his voice steady despite the blood running down his chest, as he lifted a finger to point toward the heavens.

"It's you."

*WHUUUUMMM*

*BOOOOOOM*

The sky erupted in brilliant pink light, the lattice of runes bursting alive as the planetary mana shield of Juxta roared back into existence, sealing the skies, trapping the Universal Army inside with nowhere to run.

Charles rose once more, bloodied yet smiling, his aura swelling like an endless tide, for now it was his turn.

*Crack*

*Crack*

Cracking his neck, and then his shoulders, Charles began to laugh and almost maniacal laughter, which sent genuine chills down Entrail and Streak's spines.

"What nonsense is this? Why are you happy that your stupid planetary shield is up again?

How does that even matter? Our army has already entered your skies…." Entrail said, as Charles wagged the finger on his free hand.

"It's no longer to keep you out….. Now, it's to lock you in.

Since you displayed the AUDACITY of stepping on to Cult lands, you must now pay the price for it with your lives—" Charles said, as the wounds on his body began to evaporate rapidly, as he became covered in sizzling hot steam.

"What I don't understand is, who in the wider universe is praising my fighting style for my defence?

When have I ever endured a battle or left my enemy alive to tell the tale later?

My Defence is my weakest aspect.

What I'm truly good at….. is of-course unstoppable offence!" Charles declared, as his killing intent spread wide and hard, pressing down on both his enemies, who now quivered in his presence.

"I have toyed with the two of you for the past twenty five minutes, simply because I did not want to risk letting you run away if I showed my true powers.

However, now that running away is no longer an option..." Charles said, his voice dropping into a low growl as his blade began to emit small sparks of thunder, the ground beneath him fracturing under the sheer weight of it, "the real battle finally begins."