CHAPTER 1605: THE DEATH KNIGHT AND THE MARAUDER (4)

Indeed, Sila had missed having a body of his own. Fighting the masked man earlier had not tickled his battle spirit, even though that had technically been his first fight since obtaining a new body. Well, battles where you had to share the spotlight tended to be less likely to get the blood boiling.

Things had changed now, though. Even though he was missing a huge chunk of his torso, Sila couldn’t help but grin.

The pain was frustrating, but it also reminded him that he was alive – in an Existential Parallel kind of way.

’I suppose I can say we are even now, tomato flinger...’ he thought as the first of the Runes drenched in Undeath fell on him. It struck him in the arm and spilled ethereal red tendrils that began crawling along his skin to reach the rest of him. The effect inspired an ungodly amount of agony.

Sila’s arm turned to ash, the Null Life Essence coursing through it overwhelmed.

In a contest of raw energy, the Null Life Essence Serenity’s Free Marauder possessed was no match for the Death Knight’s Undeath.

...But this didn’t deter Sila’s determination.

"Don’t underestimate me!"

With the call, the former Tower General severed his decaying arm and expelled more furious jets of vermillion quality mana from his feet to dodge the other incoming Runes.

He swerved, twisted and turned in the turbulent air only to be met by the army of Mirrors.

They were fearless. They could never truly die even if you somehow managed to dispel them. They fought with their all, mindlessly screeching and throwing their hands.

But Sila was their match. He too didn’t fear death. As far as he was concerned, he had already died before. He had sacrificed his life for Pelian in the Second Grand War, his freedom to Fulgardt for thousands of years, and his soul to his friend – his close friend – Skullius.

...Thus, he smiled.

’My Null Life Essence is no match. I’m hard countered. However, Genuine Divine energy should have some effect on these bastards.’

Vermillion quality mana exploded from his core to all of his remaining appendages and also the singular skill he had in this body, [Tamed Knuckle: Charged Frenzy].

The former Tower General went on a rampage. The first few Mirrors to fall on him from the sky met the worst of it. Several blows struck them each. The output from Sila’s skill was impressive, but even greater than that was the shuttle of Genuine Divine energy that exploded out upon each impact. Such was the effect of vermillion quality mana.

Sila sent one Mirror flying upward with a kick to the midriff. The jolt of Divine energy that sputtered on contact increased the force of his blow exponentially, and using the momentum from the kick, Sila caused himself to spun wildly in place while firing more mana from under his feet to accelerate his speed more and more. The forty Mirrors that had been rushing him were blown away upon making contact with his whirling figure. This didn’t deter the others, though.

"Now you are making this worth my while!" the Death Knight declared from above as its minions flew away from Sila at supersonic speed all over the sky. Swiftly, the creature made even more Mirrors and used ten of them to craft a deadly great bow and nine arrows.

One after the other, the arrows were nocked and loosened at many times the speed of light. They bent space and air as they aimed for the spinning Sila, approaching from different angles.

Sila sensed them coming and accepted the challenge. He stopped spinning at once, and as though he’d already rehearsed this move countless times, he turned his back to the arrows, cocked back his arm, and punched the air with all his might!

For an instant, Sila’s fist touched the very foundation of Aigas. He didn’t make contact with the air, space or time, but rather the very Rules and solid base upon which Aigas was structured.

...And then nearly half of his vermillion quality mana was emptied out along with the usage of [Tamed Knuckle: Charged Frenzy]. The skill challenged the upper limits of the physical strength a veteran hand to hand combatant could unleash with a perfect form blow. In this case, the crazy physical power unleashed, coupled with the Divine energy struck against Aigas... and rebounded against Sila.

And that was what he wanted.

He took a ton of damage, but in return, he was propelled high into the air at a fatal speed the likes of which no being on Aigas currently would be able to follow concisely.

And indeed, this meant that even the Death Knight didn’t see Sila at all. It barely noticed the flash of Divine energy that blasted against its face when Sila, laced with his remaining vermillion quality mana, smashed into it like a cannonball!

It was an atrocious impact, and waves upon waves of shockwaves exploded across the world.

The Death Knight went flying, its face and chest smashed in, its armour dented and smoking.

"Splendid!" it cried when its mind settled.

This was a thrill, however serious the damage it received looked.

Undead minions of higher orders did not feel pain, after all.

That said, all Undead creatures could experience bursts of confusion.

The Death Knight fell victim to this as soon as it finally managed to stall its atrocious momentum. When it looked ahead, it couldn’t help but wonder...

"Is that...?"

Sila was streaking towards it at top speed, kicking off the air as though it were natural. He no longer looked like a six-limbed creature with a single eye socket in the middle of its face, however.

What met the Death Knight, was a foe that looked remarkably... like a Death Knight!

It was a large, pale skeletal monstrosity with flames firing from its sockets and strong arms and legs. The only difference between Sila and the Death Knight now – besides the degree of damage they had suffered – was their armour.

Over Sila, Null life Essence was cycling rapidly, causing the air to visibly tussle wherever he passed.

"COPYCAT!" the Death Knight cried gleefully.

"THAT I AM, YOU BLASTED SOCKETHOLE!"

The two Death Knights crashed into each other, both their energies revolving around their bodies wildly.