Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1212: The One Left Standing (26)

Theurien kept his eyes on the Harmonic Ember.

Something deep within him, past his flesh and bones, was reflected on the face of the magical crystal which was hidden behind a clean, almost invisible glass panel a few paces in front of him.

Silrat, who walked into the room saw the mess within Theurien immediately. After peace started to settle within the estate, even with its growing number of people saved from various parts of the nation, the Bryne Family Head had had a lot more time to sink in despair. The unavailability of duties requiring his strict attention slowly made him more conscious of the weights in his heart.

He was more than a bit bitter.

While many others out there were saved - some even by him - his children had found no one to save them.

Setkh, Terese, Stylla...

Why couldn't they have been saved?

Why couldn't they be brought home?

This was their home before it was anyone else's.

"I don't recommend sitting alone in a dark room, brooding," Silrat said half-jokingly. Theurien didn't respond to his attempt at mirth. He looked pale, or rather paler than usual. It seemed he was even having a tough time grieving. After all, all he had was news. He didn't and couldn't see with his own eyes the fates of his children. He simply been told that they had either perished or were missing.

Theurien leaned against the backrest of his chair.

"I need something to do. Distract my mind for a bit," he said to Silrat with a tired voice.

"There's nothing to do. Nothing to fight. Ever since that 'glowing hero', as the people are starting to call him, returned stronger than ever, there's been hardly anything for us to do or worry about," Silrat said.

"Hmmm. Right," Theurien said. "I wonder if his master will come through with some kind of miracle."

Silrat's face hardened.

"Festos?"

Theurien nodded.

"I wouldn't blame him if he failed, but all my hopes lie with him now. I am sure he cared for Stylla. If he could somehow find her..." His voice broke.

Silrat had no words.

Indeed, Festos cared for Stylla and would indeed do everything he could to save her.

But could that be done?

Where even was Festos?

"Ah, to find you two in one spot," a voice was suddenly heard within the room, causing the two men to shoot up and raise their guard as they frantically searched for its source.

"It's an odd feeling, being so lucky."

Silrat and Theurien shuddered.

A terrifying presence assailed the room and paralysed them instantly. Both had managed to find the source of the voice before being stunned, however, and were looking at it with bulging eyes.

"F-Festos?" Silrat said feebly.

The Hybrid Luman grinned.

"In the flesh."

*

Replicus and Skullius had appeared above the Bryne Estate, just shy of its first Chieftain Screen - one of the two barriers that Skullius had erected long ago with the runes he learned from Hobbu Gogo to protect the Estate.

The two had had extremely different reactions to being warped here of all places. For Skullius, this was a fantastic turn of events and to Replicus, it was rather unfortunate. He knew exactly what this was going to entail.

And sure enough, not even a micro-second after they arrived, Skullius dismantled the Chieftain Screens he had created himself in a flash and warped down.

"Damn it!" Replicus cursed.

He had intended to follow after the Hybrid Luman, but a vast shadow suddenly smothered him, and great flaming runes encircled the two in shocking numbers.

Since Jiggorrhax was not bound by Skullius' Creed, he had followed after the two on his own a split micro-moment after they warped. Upon arriving, he used his powers to prevent Replicus from flashing away. The Rule Runes he made were locking down space, keeping the Warmoth trapped; teleportation was forbidden in this area. The dragon's eye then locked onto the Soul-Burdened Warmoth who glared back at him with an equal amount of ferocity despite being blind.

But suddenly, Replicus felt strangely vulnerable again. It was the effect of that Rule he had been struck by earlier.

'I see. So that's how it works,' he thought. 'As long as he is looking at me, I will become more vulnerable to attacks in some fashion.'

But he didn't have time to deal with the dragon right now. Skullius had been liberated. He was likely to use the Bryne Estate as leverage!

Replicus flicked his finger and Ju`wtte gathered at its tip.

He then drew a vast square shape in the air with the lightning, one that was about twenty times his size. An instant later, a second square of the same proportions was formed behind the last and shone with vibrant merigold.

Jiggorrhax turned wary. He had sensed Replicus' use of this move earlier when he was tangling with Beyrmir.

One of the two shapes zoomed his way with incredible speed and before he knew it, it had struck his shoulder with a thunderous impact. The portion of the Noboboyama covering Jiggorrhax's shoulder... suddenly turned into black ink that spilled all over the Bryne Estate below!

...!!!

What?

While the dragon was still reeling from the strangeness of this, the second shape zoomed towards the same place the last had struck, where his scales were now exposed, and crashed

into it!

ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!

The dragon roared in pain.

Shockingly, great hills of green rock were falling from his shoulder, along with what might have been red wine!

A portion of Jiggorrhax's shoulder was missing, and the sky behind him could be seen through the square-ish hole. Apparently, the wine and rock falling from it... had been part of his body?

Jiggorrhax grasped his shoulder as he grunted.

Replicus used the chance to try and escape, but...

"STOP THERE. YOU STILL HAVE NOT ANSWERED ME. ARE YOU AN ANOMALY?" Jiggorrhax

asked.

Replicus turned. He had expected more malice and rage from the dragon, but the look in his eyes was strangely... tame. He seemed more curious now than blood lusted.

Even still, he didn't have time for this, however. And thankfully enough...

A great golden beam of light suddenly blasted up from below, penetrated the net of Rule Runes and shot into the Herald's gut.

...!!!

Quite comically, the vast dragon was sent flying upward, though with less staggering speed than when he had been blasted by the Warmoth's Peal. Owning the great golden beam pushing the dragon, was a certain Apostle with a heroic looking stature!

'Thanks, Red Rage,' Replicus thought, gathered Ju`wtte and escaped the enclosure of Runes,

storming down to where thousands of souls were trembling, shrieking and screaming at what

had suddenly visited them.

Though Replicus had been blinded by Skullius' sword, he didn't need eyes to sense the

presence of the Hybrid Luman. It took no time at all for him to find it. In fact, he hadn't

needed to expand his senses in search of the Luman.

The great mansion past the inviting line of trees in the estate suddenly exploded as fine, invisible slashes broke down its walls and roof!

People closest to the mansion bolted away, colliding with those who were running away from

Replicus' figure.

Skullius appeared in the building which had erupted, his image a bit unclear because of the

copious amounts of dust and falling rubble. Theurien and Silrat were standing before him, looking absolutely mortified. Skullius had his hands around both their necks.

Replicus scowled.

"What, you're resorting to tricks now? You're pitifully outmatched so you're going put my

friends... our friends, between our conflict?" he hissed.

Skullius cackled.

"Tricks? No. This isn't a trick. You claimed the past, and all its sentiments, is the point; that fighting for it is what brings fulfilment. I loathe that idea - obviously. You were whimpering over the useless lives I took minutes ago. But... it's only fair that we pit our ideals against more than just our strengths, don't you think? We should test them practically," he said. Replicus felt the terror in Theurien and Silrat. They must have been incredibly confused and

horrified.

"And I suppose you mean to test mine because there's really no way for me to challenge

yours?" he said.

"Exactly!" Skullius said with a loud, jubilant voice and shook Silrat. His smile then dimmed.

"It's only right. After all, you're the fake."

Replicus' scowl turned deeper.

To think he would become such a coward resorting to such foul tricks!

Skullius was deeply pleased by the look on Replicus' face.

"I know you're immensely fast. Perhaps you could disable me fast enough right now..."

And it was true. Replicus was already taking action. With a miraculous level of precision, he could stop whatever Skullius intended to do with Theurien and Silrat. However...

"...I made sure to craft ONE capable of allowing dear friends to watch and be part of the

fireworks."

Huh?

One what?

Replicus felt uneasy.

Then, he heard it behind him.

"Majestic Territory Expulsion..."

Replicus sensed the Stolen Angel appear in the Bryne Estate, its hands forming a sacred

gesture, and Skullius' voice leaving its lips!

At once, he attacked it, forcing it to stop what it intended, but...

"Majestic Territory Expulsion..."

Skullius himself chanted with a wide, nasty grin.

"...Aphotic Catacomb of the Daemon!"

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