743. No Skill

“Yes, I cannot use my Skills. Or at least, I cannot use any of my active Skills. So that’s why I can’t just end this battle with the wave of a hand even if I wanted to.”

The Archangel snorted as Edithe’s head spun in confusion. She opened her jaw, but a blast of iridescent light shot out from the regenerating form of the Matriarch Centinel.

But the attack bounced off the sphere of protection protecting Iudex.

“What does that mean? How does that make any sense? I thought everything went fine with the vesselization process!”

“Everything went as fine as it could’ve gone— but that doesn’t mean the vesselization process never came with any downsides, you damn fool!”

The Archangel rolled its eyes back at Edithe. All she saw was the sky for a moment, before its gaze focused back down at the Matriarch Centinel rising from the ground.

Iudex continued.

“Did you not see what happened to Soli during our brief battle? That is the reason why I cannot use my Skills.”

“What happened to the Spirit Lord…?”

Edithe repeated after the Archangel for a moment, trying to recall the events that transpired not too long ago. It was a brief battle. Iudex had been completely overwhelmed by Soli’s power. But when it was over…

Edithe’s eyes grew wide when she realized what the Archangel meant.

“You’re saying my body is too weak— that it’ll be destroyed if you use your Skills.”

“Yes.”

The Archangel closed its eyes, and darkness engulfed the sky of this inner world which contained the redhead’s soul. She stared up there for a moment as she processed this. Then she opened her mouth.

“Wait, but you didn’t tell me anything about this—”

Edithe protested, only for the Archangel to snap as its eyes opened once again.

“I didn’t even want this, you damn Human! Stop complaining! It was me who spoke with you, not me!”

“I…”

Edithe didn’t even know how to respond at this point. She just looked on as the Matriarch Centinel flew back towards a mountain in the distance.

“Then how are we going to win?”

Edithe finally asked after gathering her thoughts. She was confused— uncertain about this entire ordeal— so she focused only on solving the problem at hand.

“Because I don’t think we’re defeating the Matriarch Centinel this way.”

After all, the Matriarch Centinel was going to continue regenerating from Iudex’s attacks. And while Edithe wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen if this kept up, she could safely assume that her body wasn’t capable of the same type of regeneration, considering what the Archangel had just mentioned.

And if Iudex faltered just once…

We’re going to lose, Edithe thought as she gritted her teeth.

The Archangel waved a hand dismissively as it stepped forward, facing the Matriarch Centinel in the distance.

“Look, I’ve got this handled. Now shut up and let me fulfill my end of our deal.”

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As Iudex spoke, the Matriarch Centinel’s entire body began to misshapen. Edithe’s eyes grew widen, seeing the way the mountain in the distance distort and collapse. Even though the redhead wasn’t capable of using a Grand Skill, she was more than certain that had to be one.

“Iudex, I think—”

Edithe started, trying to warn the Archangel. But it just snarled back at her.

“I told you to shut up, Human!”

“But we should—”

“Be quiet! I’ve got this handled! I don’t need to hear your incessant inane commentary when I am the one doing the fighting!”

The Archangel shook a fist at Edithe, ignoring the Matriarch Centinel as its body almost seemed to spread out like that of a cicada with its wings opened wide. Space distorted more and more around it, with tiny rifts opening up by the dozens all around the crumbling mountain.

Edithe pursed her lower lip.

“Iudex, please just focus—”

“And how am I supposed to focus when I have this annoying little Human stuck in my head, constantly telling me what to do, huh? I already told you, I’ve got this handled, so be quiet!”

The Archangel panted as it spoke, and Edithe closed her mouth. She remained silent, even as the Matriarch Centinel’s form expanded. It was almost like staring at the wings of a moth— the rifts that opened in space like the eyespots on those leathery appendages.

Edithe waited for Iudex to take notice of what was happening. She did not utter a single word, even as the Archangel caught its breath. And finally, it straightened.

“Alright, now I can focus. Now—”

The Archangel looked up, before pausing as the rifts that surrounded the Matriarch Centinel shone brightly.

“Huh. Is that a Grand Skill…?”

Iudex asked, before the rifts flashed brightly, unleashing giant corrupted chunks of the mountain. They shot out quickly, and they left behind a trail of corruption in their path. The Archangel raised its scythe and slashed the first projectile out of the air.

But then hundreds more rained down a moment later— more than Edithe could comprehend. Even still, Iudex flew up into the sky, slashing through the hail of projectiles.

“Do you think this will be enough to stop me?! I AM INVINCIBLE!”

The Archangel screamed as it sliced through a giant corrupted chunk of the mountain like it was nothing— only to come face to face with a flying rift. Both Edithe and Iudex stared at a moment as the rift began to engulf them both.

“...what?”

Iudex blinked a few times, looking down at Edithe’s body as it began to twist and turn from the rift’s gravitational force. The Archangel cursed and raised a hand, quickly creating a barrier. Instantly, the pulling forces that threatened to rip apart Edithe’s body dissipated as the rift practically flew past them.

“Watch out!”

Edithe shouted as she looked at what was coming ahead. Iudex didn’t even snap back at her, casting its gaze up towards the deluge of rifts that was flying their way.

“This is an annoying Grand Skill. Not dangerous. Just annoying.”

Iudex muttered under its breath as it flew through the oncoming barrage of rifts.

“Just a lot of attacks. Nothing of any real substance.”

Edithe felt a bead of sweat sliding down her neck as she watched the Archangel navigate around the rifts— which made no sense, because wasn’t she a soul or something like that right now?

It didn’t matter. Edithe’s worries were directed towards what was plastered ahead of Iudex.

Even if the spherical iridescent protected Edithe’s body, she had seen the way the rifts nearly tore her body apart just earlier. Despite the physical changes that her body had undergone through this process, it was still not nearly durable enough to survive this battle against an enemy this powerful.

“Shut up, stop doubting me! I will win!”

The Archangel screamed as it sliced through another rift. Edithe blinked a few times in surprise.

“But I didn’t say anything.”

“I can feel your fear, you damn Human! And it’s annoying!”

Iudex screamed as it shot up into the sky, escaping the inundating attacks. Edithe bit back any retort she had. Because what could she even say at this point? Maybe she could apologize? But that would only piss the Archangel off, because it wanted her to be silent.

So the redhead just looked on as Iudex grinned, looking down at the barrage of rifts and corrupted rocks passing below them.

“Alright, now where is that insect—”

Iudex paused as a shadow loomed over it. Looking up, both the Archangel and Edithe stared at the Matriarch Centinel’s figure. The same cicada-like figure as before, with wings spread wide. But this time, the wings were buzzing wildly— quickly.

And the entire figure of the Matriarch Centinel was vibrating violently, a soft chittering growing louder with each passing moment. The Matriarch Centinel didn’t move. It just hovered there as both Edithe and Iudex took a moment to process what was going on.

The Archangel frowned.

“What is—”

But before Iudex could utter another word, the Matriarch Centinel’s body shone brightly— before exploding. Edithe recoiled as the barrier protecting the Archangel shattered. And her vision— the sky in this mindscape that surrounded her— was engulfed in a white light.