{The deterioration has already begun for this vessel.} Aedrox, who has taken the commander's body as its vessel mused while inspecting the body. {Pathetic.}

Well, nobody ask you to eat whatever's on the street.

In the place of where its vessel's left hand should be, a blade of dark energy has replaced it. It didn't mind the right hand which was burned to the bones. With that right hand, it picks up the lance or at least it tried to. The grip of the lance burns the skeletal hand.

{Hm? That human!} It grunts in anger at the sight of the grip searing away the bones. It howls and tosses the lance at me. The human? The one who put that lance there?

I see the single-edged blade of that lance flying towards to the between of my eyes in slow motion. I enhance [Magic Enhancement] further and batters the lance away. It's lighter than it looks.

{Gonna kill me?}

{I will make you submit to your destiny.}

I sigh and shake my head in dismay. Cringe words. Ugh.... {I suppose you are a hopeless case.}

Aedrox's face distorts. {Submit!} It then blurs from my view.

Perhaps it was my instinct, I kinda knew where it would reappear. I have [Abyssal Edge] in a reverse grip and swings it to my back.

There it is, looking at me with those uninterested and expressionless eyes. Just like that time, the blade of purplish black energy broke upon contact. Without waiting for even a second, I swing the [Abyssal Edge] in my other hand at its head. I received the same result.

{Hmph.} Aedrox exclaimed in a scornful way. Its fist strikes at my guts but I put up a concentrated [Plane Displacement] on that area. I discovered that [Plane Displacement]'s durability and strength is inversely proportional to its surface area and size. Making it smaller increase its defense capability. Nevertheless, even if it's just bare bones, the fist still broke through that space barrier and bury into my stomach.

I spat out blood from that punch. It sends me flying a few feet away but I grapple on what I can to prevent the gap from being widen further than necessary. Making sure I don't have any major internal injuries, I stand back up and launch multiple [Abyssal Javelin] at it. While doing that, I throw an [Energy Sphere] into the ensuing bombardment.

Aedrox didn't bother to avoid it. Instead, it phases through all those projectiles like it's very existence is intangible. It didn't run, sprint, nor dash, it simply moved without moving its legs. It arrived directly in front of me in a single breath. Before I can react, it has already got me in a choke hold.

{Why resist? You know you can't escape it. Even if the threads no longer bind you but every other entities and factors are still bound. It doesn't matter if one individual is free of from the binds.}

It then slams me into the ground after finishing its monologue, knocking the air out of my lungs. Ah.... A familiar sensation. It doesn't hurt but the lack of air in your body provides a very discomforting feeling. Its hold around my neck tightens more and more by the second.

{Submit, you ignorant.} It screamed at me.

{Fuck you!} I screamed back. I place my hands on its extended arm. I use [Overload] on it. Another thing I discovered, I don't need to use my own Mana to overload the target. I can disrupt the target's own structure of Mana flow, causing itself to overload from the disarray, like a jam in a traffic. The skin on its arm begins to bubble and black light glows from it. Its grip around my neck have loosened from that.

I use [Overload] on the part of [Magic Enhancement] that clad my right fist, overcharging it. With a cry, I send a hook at its face. Something exploded, perhaps the concentrated energy in my punch. From the looks of it, Aedrox clearly felt that hook.

Pouring energy into my legs, I kick off the ground and flip backwards. Since this may have been only my second time performing such acrobatic movements, my landing ends with me sitting on my posterior.

Its arm continues to bubble. Cursing at it, it grabs its own arm, ready to tore it away but it was too late. The arm explode from the overloaded Mana within. Bits and pieces of flesh scatter everywhere along with the blood splash.

It then glares at me. I can understand why.

Combining [Overload] and [Force Push], I created a compressed force that I launch it at Aedrox. It uses the same move of trying to phase through it but it failed this time. The theory I have in my mind turns out to be correct. I have theorize that its phasing ability falls into the category of [Spatial Magic] and using the concept of fighting fire with fire, I use a space-type magic against it. It can't phase through [Spatial Magic: Force Push]. The force hits him and it makes cracks on the force field enshrouding its vessel while sending it slamming into the far side of the room.

The attack left me in a breathless state. I am not use to such actions and exerting such an amount of Mana at a single moment. Battles with monsters were so much simpler and less complex on the techniques needed.

{I guess I should expect this much from the Harbinger.} It said while slowly getting up to his feet. From the complexion of its face, I doubt this vessel can last for even an hour. {You force my hands on this.}

Your right hand is gone and your left hand is a stake. So I can't force your hands when you don't even have hands now.

It uses its Phase Dash again but it didn't travel in a straight line.

Damn it.

With such arbitrary movements, it closed the distance between us. With its left arm, a blade, it swings at a speed imperceptible by normal humans. With the help of [Mana Perception], [Clarity Field], and my lizard senses, I can't believe I'm saying that, I barely avoided each of its slashes. It's faster than the centaur-scorpion but I have grown much since then. I'm much more seasoned than before.

It got tired of me being too agile for its taste, it heaves out a breath of frustration and it stomps the ground.

Eh?

The stomp unleashes a shock wave radially and pushes me back.

Ah.... A cliche ability. What else do I expect?

Before I can recover my bearings, it appears in front of me. It went low and dives at me, it's aiming for my legs this time.

I decided not to dodge.

I make [Plane Displacement] just the right size to block the blade. I then invoke [Overload] on both [Plane Displacement] and [Magic Enhancement]. The blade breaks through [Plane Displacement] but it stops at a thin vibrating piece of Mana layer, [Magic Enhancement]. It works.

When Aedrox realizes its plan failed, it looks up at me. Casting [Overload] on my knee's portion of [Magic Enhancement], its face met that section of my leg. That did the trick of sending it tumbling back away from me.

{How's that?} I taunt it.

It got up as it wipes away the blood on its face. {Insolent. This vessel, my powers are too much for it.}

Pfft... Excuses.

{You have exceeded my initial expectations. Perhaps neglecting the integrity of this vessel is the only option against you, Harbinger.}

Huh? Okay.... That don't sound good.

Dark energy that enshrouds the body becomes opaque. The sight of the body of Commander Maelock is swaying, rippling, like his whole body is comprise of water. The body then begins bleeding all over like I did when I absorbed the Red Crystal Spriggan's Mana.

With two fingers, it gestures at me to come at him. I thought it was taunting me but I was wrong. Instead, I feel myself being lifted into the air and something pull me towards it. When I arrived in front of him in a flash, with a wave of its hand, I am hurled into a wall.

O...okay. Shit just got real.

I groaned as I try to get back to my feet as fast as possible but I wasn't fast enough. Aedrox is already less than ten feet away from me. Without even the need to made physical contact, it is able to force me pinned on the wall.

{I would gladly take you as my vessel but I can't do that, not without risking the death of your destiny too. Such inconvenience.} It shook its head in disappointment. Glad to be disappointing you.

Shit. I can't move my body. Ah.... This sucks. What can I do now? Beg? Pfft. Yeah, right. Like that would work, would it?

{If I give it time, you will eventually fulfill your destiny but we have waited long enough.} It applies more force on to me. {No more waiting.}

Wait. There is something I can do.

[Hell Spikes]

My shadows expand and dart towards Aedrox. It tilts its head in wonderment at my shadow which are at his feet. Spikes forged of my shadows erupt from it. The spikes didn't penetrate its body but it did make it sub-consciously released its hold on me.

When it recovers from that sudden attack, it blinks at my last known location. {What? What is this? Where manner of Arcane Art is this?} It shouted as it looks around, looking for me. I'm just right in front of it but it can't see me.

It must be obvious by now. I have invoked [Presence Detachment] the moment I was released from the invisible force pinning me against the wall.

Hmm. You also called it Arcane Art, I see.

I can't hurt it. Well, I can but I'm not inflicting any major damage to it. I need something that can truly hurt it. A weapon, perhaps? A lance?

My eyes move to where the lance is, a few feet away from Aedrox to its left. If my memory serves me well, the lance scorched its hands down to bare bones. At that time, the force field was already deployed around its vessel but the lance was still burning its hands. It make sense if I assume that the lance can hurt it. Let's hope I'm right.

I take off in a full sprint and dashes for the lance. It must be perceiving me through the disturbance of the environment, Aedrox fires a cloud of dark energy at me. Instead of receiving it head on with [Plane Displacement], I position the barrier in a slanted manner, breaking the barrier but successfully throwing the trajectory off from me.

The cloud of dark energy did not explode like I thought it would. Instead, it corrodes everything it swallows.

Oh damn, I sure am glad that I didn't take it head on.

After dodging a few more projectiles of dark energy, I leap for the lance when I'm within distance. But the moment my skin even make the slightest contact with the grip of the lance, it burns.

I groaned with a loud voice from my hand getting scorched. It is even to made me feel pain. Must be some magic.

{There you are.}

Shit. [Presence Detachment] is down because of the lance.

The hell? Its hand.... It can do that?

I utter in my mind from my amazement as I saw its right hand. It had regrew a new hand but it's black and doesn't look like it's made of human cells.

Dark energy begin gathering in its right hand, forming into a cloud.

Oh shit, not that again.

"Hyx?"

Oh..... fuck.... Not now.

I glance over to the source of the voice. Sure enough, at the entrance to this place, it's Muo Li and with her is Clammis. Tom and the four goblins aren't there with them. I deduce Tom and the four must have stayed back to look after the looney alchemist.

"What the fuck is that thing?" Clammis asked when she saw the atrocity named Aedrox. "Is that the commander?" Hah? You're still able to recognize it is him?

But I shouldn't be focusing on that right now. "Not anymore and not important! Just get out of here!" I shouted at them.

When my eyes went back to Aedrox, only it wasn't there anymore. Shit. Without even looking, I know where it went.

{Unneeded obstacles in the Harbinger's path.} It said when it blurred to the girls.

With [Spatial Leap], I placed myself between the two party. {Don't you dare.} I said to Aedrox while resisting the strain to my head that always comes with it after using that ability.

{These mortals are the reason for straying off the path?}

{Funny, look into a mirror and tell me, have you never wonder if you're the reason instead.}

{Petty words that induces mind tricks. Only mortals are affected by such jest.}

"What is it saying?" Muo Li asked.

Bruh! Not important. "Doesn't matter what it's saying. Just get out of here now."

"And leave our savior to its death?" Clammis said and drew her sword. "Not likely."

Fucking hell, don't be stupid. "Clammis this isn't another common magic beast. This is something else entirely. Don't - be - stupid."

"She's right. Whatever it is, we can't just leave you here to fight by yourself. We're not just mere damsels."

Ugh.... Prides.... Fucking prides....

{Done?} Aedrox asked.

{Not by a long .....] I stuttered. I couldn't find the word for "mile" in Helix. Damn it, this is embarrassing. {Not by a long shot.} There.

It chuckles. Not sure which part it finds amusing but I doubt it's the part where I messed up. {Emotions. Fleeting. But forgotten in the eventuality.}

I beg to differ, you shithead.

I immediately put an overloaded [Plane Displacement] as it threw a cloud of dark energy at us, at point blank. Fucking hell, this guy is really insane.

The barrier can't stop the cloud but it did its job of slowing it down.

It slowed the cloud down enough for me to use [Spatial Leap] with Muo Li and Clammis as the passengers.

Fuck! I drop my head down and clutch at it as I endure the strain. The headache this time is way worse than ever before. Damn it. Taking passengers only worsens the drawback.

"What the?" I heard Muo Li uttered.

"How did it.... When did it...." Clammis is in the same state of disbelief.

I was curious and I look up. There Aedrox is, standing right in front of us.

How.... I should have teleported us a few distance away from it but now, it's just a few feet right in front of us again, like I never teleported. We are back at where we three confronted Aedrox at the entrance.

I was lost for a moment as to what happen but Aedrox, or rather its vessel begin experiencing something like a seizure. Its eyes then popped like balloons, blood came out like a loose pipe. I heard the loud gasp of Muo Li and Clammis but I have expected this when I figured out what happened. It has used its reality warping powers again and this is the cost for it. This explains why it had not been using it constantly.

Aedrox stumbles a few steps back as its vessel suffers the penalty. {Fragile. Too fragile.} It said.

"Is there truly nothing I can persuade you two to back off from here?" I asked them.

The two step forward and go into their battle stance.

""No."" They both said in unison.

I sighed. "Well then, don't expect me to save you like last time." I'm pretty sure I'll do just that regardless of what I said.

"Got it."

"Of course."

Now, what's the plan? I asked myself.

{Foolish, insolent mortals!} It barked at us. It must be annoyed by us taking our battle stance.

Ah! There's an idea.

Let's hope this sudden idea of mine works.

"When I gave the signal, you two attack." Without even looking back for confirmation, I rush at Aedrox.

Cloud of dark energy amassing in his right hand.

Blue fire ignited in my right hand.

It throws the cloud at me and I raise my right hand, engulfed with blue fire to meet it.

Please work. It will suck so bad otherwise.

The dark energy and the blue fire collide. Both force compete for supremacy as sparks blazes from the confrontation.

And the result?

The blue fire came out victorious. It swallows the dark energy and burn out with dark energy as one.

The dark energy is no exception to [Mana Burn] after all.

{Not possible!}

I smirked. "Now!" I shouted the signal.

Now, Muo Li, Clammis, show me what you two can do.

Aedrox's right hand reshapes into a blade like its left arm. With both blade as its arms, it attacks Muo Li and Clammis.

Muo Li dodges the left arm while Clammis skillfully parries the blow from the right arm.

Oh? Clammis is good. Well, of course she would be this good. She may not have the power strength like mine, she does have at least a decade worth of time to hone her techniques.

As if she has already knew, she just lightly chip at the vessel's skin. "As expected, my sword won't be able to cut through it." She analytically remarked.

Just like my punch from before, her sword is able to hurt the vessel unlike magic which just evaporated as it gets close. Is it going to phase anytime soon? Unlikely, with this much ego, it won't use something like that against "mere mortals". It will hurt its own valued pride.

Cloud of dark energy converge in the center of its body but I nullify the dark energy with [Mana Burn] again. It switches its attack to stomping the ground but I use [Force Push] at its leg to prevent it.

Ohohoho~ It looks mad from almost performing a split.

Even without my instructions, the two go on the offence. They traded blows with Aedrox by using parries. They managed to avoid their sword being broken with this technique. Every time it begins gathering dark energy I use [Mana Burn] as the means to counter it. Even Muo Li is better than me in terms of pure skill.

It got fed up and uses its Phase Dash. Oh, now you use it. Its speed has increased but its vessel is leaving blood in its trail and I invoke [Clarity Field], with these two factor, I can easily pinpoint its location. It's aiming for Muo Li.

I shove Muo Li to my six and block its left arm with my own arm. Of course, my arm is coated with [Magic Enhancement] and further augmented by [Overload]. Although, I still can't fully block it. It managed a wound on my defending arm.

With magic coating her blade, Clammis swings it at Aedrox.

Aedrox intends to receive the attack with its right arm but I break its guard with [Force Push]. Although it didn't pierced into its face, it is still a powerful attack. Just like using a bamboo sword, it still hurts went being struck by the blunt tip.

It screams when its face was hit by such a technique. I make use of its distracted state by using [Energy Sphere] at point blank. I didn't forget to use [Overload] in conjecture with it. If it isn't distracted, I think it would have phase through my magic attack.

But those aside, I think [Overload] might become my favorite ability.

The sphere exploded the moment it made contact with the target's skin. It goes without saying that my hand was not exempted from the casualty list. On the bright side, I sent Aedrox crashing into a wall.

{You not so tough after all.} Not gonna lie, this battle is intense but it feels good, it's like I'm venting out all my stress on Aedrox.

{Resist all you want, you insolents. It is still inevitable!} It screamed. It's real mad now.

Ah. Crap. It ain't even hurt aside from the injuries it gave itself from overusing its power. Guess I have to use that lance in the end.

The deterioration of its vessel accelerated, blood spurting out from it like a fountain.

Oh shit. This can't be good.

The space between the three of us close in like an elastic. When it bend back to shape, we were each launch into a wall.

All three of us made a crack on the walls.

Okay. This time, I felt it. I felt one of my internal organs damaged by the impact. Not good. Really not good.

Oh no. If it was even able to injure me to this extend, what about the two? I look for the two in a hurry and found them laying unconscious on the ground. From the flow of their Mana, they are in a dire situation.

No.

No.

No.

I cant waste time groaning on the floor here. They're dying. Come on.... Get up.....

{See? Inevitable} I heard its words from above me. When I looked up, it raises me up with a choke hold. Its vessel is maimed beyond recognition of its former identity, Commander Maelock. {The things I have witnessed, experienced, encountered, they are numerous, countless, myriad but one thing I will never get tired off, is the pointless struggles of mortals.}

This sick and sadistic fuck.

{I have forgotten how amusing I find their pointless struggles.} It then follows up with an evil laugh. There's a template to be followed, after all.

Shit. I gotta save Muo Li and Clammis now. If I wait any longer, things will be bad for them.

{Now, submit.}

And then out of nowhere, right in the side of its ugly face, a fireball crashes into it.

We both look towards where the fireball came from.

Ah... Of course, it would be them. Who else could it be?

"Looks I arrived at the best of times." Lord Lubac said with a proud tone.

Tom and the goblins just right behind him.

Oh no. Things just got more complicated for me and harder too.

To be honest, this situation smells of death flag for all of us.

God fucking damn it.