Lord Shadow

The sound of the sabers and blade clashing produces sound wave that shake the very walls of the temples and each sound wave sounds like somebody hitting a gigantic gong.

Just the sound wave alone is enough to shatter a large looking rock. There is only dust around them.

Dust and ashes and sky high flames.

The area round Azief and Asura battlefield looks like somebody was waging a war with its cracked earth, dented ground, deep marks on the walls and the fire around them

Their weapon sparked of a fire around the temple.

All the while Sofia from behind providing supports. Each time the Asura uses its six arms to hack Azief apart, 4 out of six of its saber was deflected because of Sofia arrows, leaving Azief only two sabers attack he needs to worry about.

Azief also stop using his Shadow Clones because it consumes his orb to much.

But sometimes he was forced to use Shadow haste or other Shadow related skill which is very orb consuming but Azief is left with little choice.

The Asura is too powerful for him to not use all of his trump cards. And while this is going on, Sina was on the other side of the temple hiding behind a large altar.

Loki also hides behind the same altar.

His attack power won’t mean much fighting a Unique rank monster. His skills would mostly help him fighting with humans or stealth attack.

A head on collision is not his specialty.

Loki look toward the panting Sina and said.

‘You insist on not showing all your trump card?’ He said. And there is a trace of ridicule in Loki tone.

‘It’s not easy for me to do it. And it create mental strain and the pain…I don’t have to mention the pain.’

‘You will do it!’ and Loki said it with a forceful tone. Sina look at Loki and sighed.

‘Fine. You know what I need. Can you do it?’ Sina look at the battle between Azief and the Asura and she sighed.

Loki shows a complicated expression

‘He surely has other plans regarding that.’ Loki also looks towards Azief battle and said.

‘He would thank me.’

‘Or he would blame you’

‘At least he would be alive. That is all that matters.’ Sina look dumbfounded. Why did Loki attach so much importance of the wellbeing of Azief? She did not understand.

‘You…’and as she said this she was pushed again by Loki and she ended up crashing towards the wall and she could feel she dislocated her shoulders.

Loki also is not well off.

When they were talking Azief Slashing Wind skill was deflected by the Asura saber attack and end up slashing toward the big altar.

The altar was cleanly cut to two while the wind force generated by the attack blows Sina and Loki apart.

Any life nearby the slash force quickly wilted. The plants wilted. The metal rust. The stones turn to dust.

It was the aura of death. It was the aura of time. And shadows of darkness could be seen forming into mini vortex around the area of the slash.

It was minuscule but Loki did not miss the mini vortex. This is the combination of attributes. It was deadly, fatal and very dangerous.

It was fortunate they dodge it. It was fortunate that they were not inflicted by the attributes.

If not for the Asura deflecting the attack and weaken the power of the attributes inside Azief slash it would be them wilting and decaying

Loki quickly down recovery pills and Bone Mending pills. Sina on the other hand had to rely with the Health potion she buys in the shop and is also quickly gulping.

She looks toward Loki, now separated by a large crevice in front of them.

Of course they could jump and group together but both knew what needed to do right now

This is a gamble. This is a self-suicide plan that Loki and Sina come up upon during their rest at the fourth floor.

Loki is smart enough to know that whatever they would encounter in the fifth floor will not be easy.

And his danger senses was tingling the whole time he was coming down. And his senses never lie.

He would not call himself Loki if he does not have a plan for when everything goes wrong. He nodded from the distance and Sina nodded.

Their plan was simple.

Sina would hide and make sure she remains alive until Loki could have all the ingredients for the plans to work.

Sina felt if she does this, Azief would surely be mad at her…but she is sure that he would understand.

They all wanted to survive. Someone needs to be sacrificed no matter how you feel about it.

Sofia on the other hand was taking cover behind a large cut off part of the temple.

A few minutes ago, the Asura saber slash cut of a huge portion of the ground in the temple and the Asura hurled it towards her.

She managed to dodge it with her agility but she got hurt in her arms after she got sliced by the aftershock wave of the saber attack and her arms were cut very badly.

If not for the abundance of pills she got from Sina it would be hard for her to even use her arrows.

Using her Divine Precision her eyes could see even the most detailed movements and even fine dust is seen easily by her eyes.

The reason her arrows could deflect the Asura attack is not because her arrows are powerful but because she targeted the right angle.

She attacks the Asura without stopping, helping Azief as hard as she can.

Then when she was catching her breath she heard the sound of explosion.

She peek from the side of the block of ground and sees that Azief was coughing blood, leaning on the walls of the temple.

And then she looks at the Asura and she could see that the Asura was shocked.

The previous sound she heard before was the sound of its barrier being shattered. Azief has managed to break its barrier.

Now, Sofia could see in the eyes of the Asura, anger has replaced amusement.

This time suddenly a huge wave of bloodlust assault Sofia. Her pillars cracked and trembles and she could feel that if she did not endure this her pillars will be shattered.

She uses her lightning steps and like thunder in the sky, she distance herself from the battlefield, each of her steps only lightly touch the ground as she tries to make sure her pillars remain intact.

The huge aura of bloodlust was like a physical attack on head on collision with her and trying to delay the aura from reaching her she uses her Wind Kick only to find out the moment her Wind Kick comes into contact with the aura ,it dissipated like trying to stop a tidal wave with a stick.

But she did not give up.

Using her Great Telekinesis she moved the stones, the large iron pod nearby, the rusted tripod behind the stones to stop the wave of the bloodlust but like her Wind Kick it does not work.

Then as she found out she could no longer run, she stop, takes a deep breath and then uses her Ninefold Waves Fist, and the force that was punched out equal to an Orb condensing stage force, so much so that the nine waves attack canceled out the bloodlust wave and Sofia kneeled down on the ground, coughing blood.

The pressure on her internal organs and the suffocating feeling she felt almost make her wanted to give up.

But looking in front of her, seeing from the distance how Azief is still keeping the Asura in check she knows she can’t slack of.

So she got up. She got up…..in spite of the pain. Pain in her ribs. Pain in her soul. Pain on every part of her body.

She was tired. She wanted to rest. She wanted to give up.

But looking in front of her, looking at that lonely back, she got up. In spite of everything, she could not be in pain.

She could not be tired. She could not rest. And she will never…..ever……give up.

Trembling in her knees, trembling on her hands, her fingers shakes violently, her blood boiling…but still she got up.

She got up, closes her eyes, takes a long deep breath, feeling the wind on her cheeks, finding that moment, that moment where only one thing matters, where her target is and slowly like she has all the time in the world, she slowly lift up her bow, and position her aim.

She opens her eyes. Release her breath. Huuu the sound came from her mouth. She let go of the pain and tiredness. And she looses the arrow again.

On the other hand in the middle of the battlefield Azief has used his Iron Flesh and using that he could barely keeping up with the Asura.

There were many times he should have died but using Iron Flesh he managed to get away with only injuries.

Deep internal injuries but was quickly heal by Sina pills and potions but his stockpile of potions is running low and Sina pill is also decreasing.

The Asura right now is enraged because of what happen to its shield but on Azief face there is a trace of a smirk.

He was smiling. Smirking. He managed to destroy the barrier. He found out that the barrier has a weak points and he also discovers that the barrier is not the Asura doing.

The Asura shield is the orb doing.

He notices that the Orb gives protection to the Asura as long as he sits on the throne but the moment the Asura get up from the throne, Azief could feel that the power of the barrier slowly dissipating.

His combined attack with Sofia serves to weaken the barrier faster. Azief also realize that the power of the Asura was restrained somewhat.

It must be the universe orb he mused.

He and the Asura have different heights so the Asura has the advantage in its height. They have been trading hundreds of attack but not as fierce as right now.

Before the barrier broke, the Asura is calm and looks at him with amusement but now the Asura looks at him with anger.

The Asura must not imagine that he would be able to destroy the barrier. The Asura might even think he would die before the barrier managed to dissipate but he held on.

For people looking at Azief and the Asura battling, it was like a giant battling a human. A 12 feet tall blue being attacking a six feet human.

This time their weapon meet again and the shockwave that erupted out combines the wind slice and the terrifying power of the Asura.

Not to mention the power of attributes between the two beings locked in a death match. One could only imagine if their attack hit anyone else.

The shockwaves slices the walls of the temple while the explosive power sunk the very surface Azief are standing on.

The tiles beneath his feet decayed and turns to dust, the few grass in the temple wilted and turns black and the nutrients of the ground dissipated like it was never there.

There is also a trace of angry emotions in that strikes one that could incite war. One that could incite a chaotic mind.

Azief fearsome aura did not work against the Asura as its mental energy is very strong.

Azief could feel the difference between him and the Asura.

The power that the Asura have is explosive, every strike could crumble a mountain, and every strike could shatter the stars.

And Azief also could feel a trace of power resembling attributes.

But it was repressed. By now, Azief has formed his own opinion. The power of this Asura is repressed.

The most logical conclusion is that this Asura is the guardian of this orb….but he did not guard it willingly instead it was forced to which would explain why its power is repressed.

Swoosh the sound could be heard on his eardrums as he barely dodges a saber slice aimed at his head.

Azief slashes with Slashing wind using his left hand and a slashing energy was slashed out which was deflected by one of the Asura other hand.

But Azief was not done.

His right hand punched out an Energy Fist, and a golden violet energy shot out from his hand and it hit one of the Asura hand.

The moment it made contact with the Asura hand, the energy emitted out an almost explosive vibrational energy and even a mental attack that renders the Asura dizzy for a moment.

Azief did not miss the chance. He yelled.

‘HYARGGGH.’

As he jumped and activated his unique skill he got from the imperator. His body was full of scales inside his robe as he slashes down with an aura resembling that of an overlord.

The slash was imbued with Death, Time, as black aura and it was like Time fluctuated differently around his slash and the sword was enveloped with a golden violet colour which combined with the black aura creating a very flashy spectacle as it slices through one of the Asura hands and blood spurted like a fountain from its amputated hand.

The Asura cried out in pain, a sound wave emanated out inside the temple, a hair raisng shrieks and the pillars of the temple cracked while the old shed inside the temple broke down and Azief was even thrown back by the force of the sound wave.

But sticking his blade into the ground he managed to keep his ground.

The pain that the Asura felt was indescribable as blue blood dripped from the Asura wounds. Azief did not yet desire to stop.

Since he has already activated the Scale Body technique he only has half an hour to be in this mode

This is the first time he use this technique and he could finally understand why it is called a unique technique.

His healing rate was tripled. His orb rotates like a wild hurricane inside his consciousness, energy welled up inside him, like a volcano that is about to erupt.

One could see that dust near him is floating. Like the very law of gravity is being challenged, invisible vortexes pulsates all around his body.

Dust floats and energy is rushing towards his body like a flood, trying to heal him and lessen any injuries received.

This is the power of attributes combined with unique skills.

It was not called a unique skill just for show.

With all this, he braves himself from danger as he slides under the Asura foot like a slippery loach and managed to position himself behind the Asura.

He grins as another opportunity presents itself.

He slashed with all his might and nicked the Asura foot artery. The Asura kneeled down because of the pain and the tile shattered while the ground sunken like something pressuring them down, as its knees slammed into the ground.

The sound shakes the temple and a few pillars cracked.

The Asura realizing what Azief is trying to do slash towards his position but Azief once again slides under the Asura and managed to be in front of the Asura.

He then jumped onto the Asura knees and with upward slashing motions he cut the Asura another hand.

Death and Time was released like a raging inferno and the hand quickly wilted and rotted making the hard tough skin useless and blood once again gushed out from the Asura.

Azief was drenched with blue blood. He could not help but smirk. Another hand for the win.

This time, the Asura gritted its teeth, and look at Azief with fiery eyes, forcefully enduring the pain and with his other hand slashed towards him.

The slash connected and Azief smiles halted as the saber force hit him and it was like a huge explosion happens as the saber strike in the center of Azief chest.

Azief was thrown 50 meter back and crashed into the walls of the temple as one of the pillars of the temple broke and debris begins falling.

When Azief crashed to the wall, it was like someone thrown a dough into a wall.

His internal organ was in chaos, his orb pales but barely hanging on. The skills quickly revitalize him and forcefully increase his regenerative abilities

Slowly he falls to the ground like a meteor.

And he is not slowing down.

He could see himself hurtling down onto the ground, and he could imagine how many broken bones he will get.

He could even imagine himself falling to his death.

But then as he contemplate this grim but possible realities, he was grabbed by someone, as that certain someone jump towards another direction and landed onto one of the ledges on the high top of the temple.

‘You’re ok?’

‘Loki?’ Azief dumbly said. Loki only nodded

‘It’s me. Quick, replenish your strength. Sofia will not be able to handle that monster.’ On the ground, Sofia is attacking the monster from a distance after the Asura losing its arms.

The Asura is now looking to be very unstable and is in frenzy.

On the ledge, Azief could feel the pain in his body, the physical and mental drain is very tiring.

He feel his heart beating….more alive than before.

Adrenaline coursing through his veins, pumping his heart and screaming to him to survive.

Swallowing a few recovery pills, his external injuries are slowly recovering. Combine that with the Scale Body Technique recovery rate, he is slowly recovering.

He once again realizes how powerful the Asura really is.

Even with the recovery power of the scale body technique he still is recovering very slowly. If he did not have this skill, he might have been turned into a smashed meat when he met that attack before.

The scale body technique is a unique technique.

Activating it, the user will have a scale body that is almost impervious to any weapon or attack under the user level.

It increases endurance, defense and healing rate. It also strengthens user internal organs when activating this skill.

It also grows powerful with the user. Even with all this, the saber attack nearly sends him to an early death.

Azief then nodded and he orders Loki.

‘You know my plan with Badge. Go and execute that plans. And protect Sina’

‘You don’t have to tell me twice’ Loki said.

Then Azief could hear Loki footsteps going away, executing his order. Azief look at the bottom and sees how Sofia is running around and behind her the Asura keep chasing her.

‘Another point’ he said to himself as he began realizing another point of weakness about the Asura.

He then looks at the Universe Orb on the altar with the golden droplets of water on top of it and he smirks.

‘I guess, this is not enough. I hope my plan will work.’ Saying this, he smiles and jumped to the ground from the high ledge, and his figure is like a bat swooping down from a dark cave.

All the while this is happening; Sina is preparing something behind a large rock inside the temple.

She hides nearby the debris of the broken pillars and is preparing a vest.

Looking at the battle in the distance she only prays that after this Azief will not kill her because of what she planned.

Her plans….needs a sacrifice.

It is the only thing that would work. She might not be able to eat pills and eat her own miracle concoction….but she discovered to her own surprise a loophole.

She, like Lord Shadow has a very unique skills.

A unique skill that have saved her life countless times. As she waits, she look on the basket she brought out form her bag of holdings.

Inside the basket was forbidden medicines…..hundreds of them.

If anyone consume them….even if that man is Azief, they would surely combust after a minutes…and the combustion would be as large as an explosion created by 20 mortar shots.

Then as she looked at the battlefield she once again said.

‘You can’t blame me after this.’ Saying this she waited.

***