Two minutes ago.
"What do you mean you saw all this in his mind?" Maxim asked with an uncertain expression on her face.
"I mean exactly that," Skullius replied, limiting how much he actually said out loud. "It was only for moment before he... you know... pierced my head."
"What did you see?" Tallo asked, disregarding the how. "This is the basis for your plan right?"
Skullius sighed, making a funny noise with his lips.
He had indeed seen into Baddan's mind when he used [Immoral Authority]. It was more of a touch that fed him a scoop of information, but it wouldn't have lasted even if his body wasn't violated during the process. He didn't have the means to invade Baddan's consciousness that easily because of the whole 'saint' revelation.
Unfortunately, most of what he got from the experience wasn't useless at all. It was only surface level information, except for one thing.
"Yeah. As I said, I know it seems obvious, but Baddan is very, very protective of this place. He REALLY cares for it. I'd even wager that it's the only reason why he's been keeping his cool – because it's still standing."
Maxim narrowed her eyes.
"So you want us to... wreck it more than we already have?"
"Precisely. Baddan is barely keeping his urges in – trust me – but even with that, with all his power, he skilfully prevents any of the pillars from being destroyed. If we start destroying them, it will throw him over the edge..."
"Why would we want that?" Tallo frowned.
"Because... unlike his held back attempts at taking us down, I need him to use his techniques more. Baddan is a beast. His skills use mana-based, and I... may be able to deal with him – stall him – if I feel and experience his abilities... his limits. Make him expose all his powers. Trust me on this."
"Hold on. The only way for him to use his techniques against us, is if he is in the second circle..."
"Exactly. That's the part you're not going to like. We need to go to the second circle, rile him up, and get him to use his techniques. Maxim, you already used something to keep you alive for more than ten minutes, right? Tallo, I'm sure you can do the same. Just hold out for as long as you can, and make him use his techniques as frequently as possible."
Maxim and Tallo of course did not like this idea. The pink-haired woman was especially not so confident because she tasted the Kiiyataka first hand. She wasn't sure she liked the prospect of potentially eating another Super skill. If Baddan had something stronger...
"You're withholding a lot from us. I'm not particularly trusting, you know," Tallo said with a sigh. "But fine. I can understand why. Answer me this first though."
Skullius nodded.
"How confident are you that you can pull whatever it is you are saying off. Can you guarantee that at the end, we'll be able to cruise through the remaining minutes of the game after you 'deal with' Baddan?"
Maxim was surprised that Tallo seemed almost be ready to dive into what Skullius was suggesting. She wasn't sure she was up for it. But then again, Baddan would be finished re-explaining the rules soon, meaning she didn't have the luxury to take her time.
Like Tallo, she stared at Skullius with reluctance, waiting for his response.
How confident was he?
The Hybrid Luman stared vacantly at the two, and gave a brief pause.
Alaris' words kept grinding down his Thought Cracker.
Committing wholly, and accepting both reward, and possible risk.
This left no room for doubt.
Not in his powers, not in himself.
That was what made one a master of a craft. One didn't need to believe for a year, or a month, or even a minute. It took one instance of belief, and Skullius decided that while he wasn't sure how everything would pan out, he had faith in this half of his soul that was struggling to reach the other.
He had faith in himself.
"I'm 100% confident..." he said with steely resolve, and a smile.
His two partners were surprised. He didn't waver like they thought.
"Before that time though, I have to find my sword. Without it, unlike you guys, I could die before we do the deed."
With an accusing glance at Tallo, Skullius had declared the end of his thoughts.
*
As Maxim and Tallo were facing hells of their own, Skullius had been the one facing the worst of it all. As proven with his battle against the short Swordsman, powerful Masters could out speed him when using their Incarnations, and Perfect Aura. He didn't have something like that, or at least something of that level, and he couldn't afford to squander what he had meaninglessly with how limited it was.
Baddan calling out his clones had been something the group had expected, but the beat down Skullius had experienced, was beyond logical.
It was all in roughly 50 seconds, but Skullius was barely alive.
The plan he had pitched to Maxim and Tallo didn't involve him riling up the Baddans like they were supposed to, because he knew that if he did so, it would take one Kiiyataka to end him, even with the Super potion still in effect.
What made it even harder for Skullius to bear the attacks, or fully manage to dodge the lesser abilities the clones used, mainly the wind bear attack, was that he was busy doing something else at the same time, dividing his attention.
The Hexer's Inheritance, which he had last used to distract the Mind Caster, and the Swordsman before, was still functional, and when he had gotten within its range – when was flung off by Baddan – it had turned responsive, and since then, he had been secretly moving it around.
Skullius could share his senses with it, though to an unimpressive degree. Still, it was enough for him to use to look for the serpent, his sword which had been transmuted by Tallo, who claimed he couldn't keep tabs on it.
With the high concentration of mana, moisture, and elements, it was difficult for even [Graceless Hunter] to find the elusive creature, but right when Skullius had had his body shredded by a wind bear for the forth time, narrowly escaping with [Inferno Burst], he had finally found it.
With the Hexer's Inheritance, he had found the bugger slithering towards the third circle, and using his [Greatest Mana Crafter] through the jade orb, Skullius had lifted it off the ground, and drew it towards him.
It was a pity that the halo Skullius had erected with [Saint Lumis' Benign Arc] couldn't be moved, and thus had been wasted. It could have accelerated his healing, but his current restorative effects worked just as well, and his mood improved when the serpent vivaciously struggled in his grip.
And then, without wasting time, Skullius called to Tallo amidst the chaos, and the Mage had restored Demion's Dance to its original form.
The moment Skullius held it, he felt a rush of relief. Even if he had parted with the sword for no more than 10 minutes, it was good to have his rightful blade.
...
As his body healed though, Skullius' desperately grateful smile dimmed as something astonishing happened.
He hadn't expected it.
His different outlook on swords, his comprehension of their intent, and how they wished to be treated on a primal level, the reasoning that the interpretation of what a 'sword' was lied with its user...
All of it, which he started to understand by exploiting [Unmatched Sword Sense] correctly, changed his relationship with Demion's Dance as he held it.
Suuuu....
The sword felt the different cradling feeling from Skullius, that was both caring, and considerate, urging it to express itself instead of shutting away its profound, conscious intent, which was far greater than that of the sceptre sword.
The green blade quivered, and expressed an emotion Skullius had never known it to express.
Joy.
Then...a sensation Skullius had forgotten gripped his <CURSED HEART>.
He had last felt the grasp – last truly felt it – when he fought Bassbion, the spirit guardian from the Temple of Unlusted Tears, defeating her in her challenge.
This feeling... that if he did not strike with Demion's Dance perfectly, he would die, resurfaced.
But this time, it was different. The green blade wasn't threatening Skullius.
It was rewarding him.
It was expressing its fondness.
Expressing its will fully.
In the next moment, Skullius saw notifications pop up in the void of his non-existent sight.
[Swindling Death's Dance (Incomplete) has been released from its shackles. It is no longer incomplete]
[Demion's Dance has for so long remained degraded from its previous glory, worn to its steel, and lost its mythic power in the hands of incompetent users]
[Aside from Demion himself, all who have held it have turned out to be fools]
[But you are the exception...]
Skullius felt his blood boil.
Literally!
It wasn't painful, and he remembered with half delight, and half anxiety that the reason his blood and heart were <CURSED>, was because right before he attained his new body in the Temple of Unlusted Tears, the coil from the Swindling Death's Dance, which he had started to understand better, was becoming a part of him, tied to his <HEART>, as it was termed back then.
'I see...' Skullius thought.
The blade of Demion's Dance cracked.
Skullius wasn't fazed. The blade was sending him its sentiment on why.
In the next moment, his blood which had begun to boil turned into a dark crimson flame, seeping from his skin harmlessly.
It began to burn the VergeRider armour, and Skullius didn't stop it. The blade was sending its sentiment on why.
This dark red flame which had started to burn from him was what deterred the Baddans from rushing to kill him. They were not intimidated by the heat.
Not at all.
What intimidated them was the fresh smell of pure death which blew from it, flirting with them, calling them to its embrace.
The real Baddan, who stood with his spears at a distance turned a little pale, different from the rage he had felt moments ago when Maxim and Tallo had started desecrating the open temple all the more.
This was different.
This was the advent of impermanence, rising from a mere mortal!
How could he not stop and gaze, a little disgruntled at the sight?!
As Skullius' VergeRider armour was fully burnt away, with the Hybrid Luman feeling a little regretful that he didn't explore all its other forms which could be unlocked by inserting Null Life Essence of various amounts, something else began to cover his body, emerging from the deathly flame.
It looked like a studded leather armour, mixed with agile half plate armour, light, narrow pauldrons of a lighter shade of crimson resting on his shoulders, a high steel, semi-circular collar of pure darkness rising to his chin. Everything else was slender, fitted to accommodate speedy movements, the deathly blackish-red hue over it all inspiring horror.
The dark crimson flame persisted, cloaking the armour, and outlining its wearer's head.
Skullius felt safe in it.
Once again, he had yet to understand what death in itself was, and how it could be manifested by a sword, but he could care less right now.
Demion's Dance, in Skullius' grip finally shattered, but only its former appearance was shed.
The air around Demion's Dance changed as it took on a longer form, its beheld nature changing slightly to become more of a hanger, a hunting sword, than a saber.
Its green blade gleamed brightly, becoming darker, as did the golden blade.
Skullius held the sword with both hands and shared the sorrows it sent his way. All which he never considered or listened to.
'I really couldn't understand you at all before... Sorry,' he thought.
Demion's Dance wasn't Unique grade anymore.
It wasn't as lost anymore.
Neither was Skullius.
He held out the sword while Maxim and Tallo watched, his air commanding attention.
With a cold, but excited look on his face, he swung hard with the awakened Swindling Death's Dance, keen on seeing the difference with how it was now.
And there was one.
An unfathomable chasm worth of difference.
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