Chapter 655: Genius Strategist
Nameless lunged forward, reached for Zagreus’s head, and aimed to slam it into the ground.
But the instant his hand touched Zagreus, something ignited.
Violet flames erupted from Zagreus’s skin.
They burst out violently, forcing Nameless Death back with a burning shockwave.
He skidded across the ground, arms raised in defense as the flames danced around him.
’What the…?’
Nameless Death stared in in disbelief.
Zagreus hadn’t awakened his Ancient Dragon Blood yet.
Time had been reversed.
The Ancient Dragon Blood should’ve been dormant.
But the flames… they were real.
He could feel the heat, the raw power, the pressure.
’What is going on? When did he—’
That was when Nameless Death understood what had happened.
’Is the blood so strong that it ignores the laws of time?’
It didn’t make sense.
But the truth was in front of his eyes.
Zagreus opened his eyes slowly.
He glanced down at his own hands, watching the violet fire coiling across his fingers like it belonged there.
“You turned back time,” he said, as if confirming it for himself. Then he looked up. “I know what you are thinking, but don’t worry.
“The Ancient Dragon Blood isn’t capable of winning against time. It’s close, however. That’s actually how we planned to awaken it only temporarily.”
“’Planned it’?”
“We knew you had too many abilities. Controlling time was one of them. So we prepared for it. Thanks to you reversing time, my ancient dragon blood would return to a dormant state after it loses the fight against time.”
Nameless Death couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Time and the ancient dragon bloodline were fighting for hegemony.
If the blood won, Zagreus would awaken it permanently.
If Time won, the blood would return to dormant state.
While Time would eventually win, it wouldn’t happen instantly.
“And until then?” Nameless Death asked.
“Until then,” Zagreus said, stepping forward, “I get to use it freely.”
The pressure in the air rose.
It increased gradually, like the weight of a mountain going higher inch by inch.
“Nameless.”
Nameless Death didn’t move.
“I thought you were my brother. I still think that.”
Zagreus’s expression tightened slightly.
He took another step forward.
“I didn’t want to hurt my little brother. But I’ve got to be honest. You’re starting to piss me off.”
Nameless Death opened his mouth to respond, but didn’t.
“I get that you think you’re doing the right thing. But I’m really done letting you run around to do whatever you want.”
He raised his hand slowly, and the sky above them rippled.
Dozens of weapons appeared—swords, spears, hammers, chains, and cannons.
Hundreds more followed, forming an endless ring that hovered silently in the sky, all pointed at Nameless Death.
“If you’re not my brother, then you’ll die here today. And if you are my brother, then you’ll die and reincarnate.”
Nameless Death frowned.
“And don’t worry, when you reincarnate —if you reincarnate—I’m going to kill again.”
Alarms rang in Nameless Death’s head.
“I’m going to beat the shit out of you, fucking little shit. This is what you get by irritating your older brother.”
Nameless Death’s instincts screamed.
He activated All-Shadow.
But—
“No one shall move until I give permission,” Zagreus commanded.
The shadow under Nameless Death’s feet didn’t respond.
His Concept didn’t react.
He couldn’t move through time anymore.
Zagreus didn’t wait.
The sky opened, and a storm of weapons rained down.
Blades spun, bullets screeched, hammers fell like comets.
Nameless Death reacted quickly.
He slammed his hand into the ground and raised a wall of steel and earth, reinforced by every metal elemental Concept he had mastered to increase defense.
The first wave of weapons hit.
The explosion shook the ground, and Nameless Death staggered back.
’Those aren’t just ordinary projectiles.’
They were designed for something else entirely.
Pain.
That was Zagreus’s secret weapon.
He shouldn’t be able to kill gods since he was not a god.
But he had learned to do it through pain.
He inflicted mental pain through impact, and directly targeted one’s consciousness.
Nameless Death couldn’t believe someone could do that.
The condition was near impossible to achieve.
However, he had done it himself, once, against the Stage 6 God who tried to devour his Consciousness.
He had used a mental attack back then.
Zagreus was doing the same.
It was how he could kill Gods without being Gods.
The extreme mental pain would short-circuit one’s consciousness, and it would die by itself.
Another wave of attacks fell.
Nameless Death let the walls absorb the brunt and countered with a shadow blast from beneath.
Spears of darkness surged upward, aiming at Zagreus’s wings.
Zagreus shifted to the left, dodging them with minimal effort.
Nameless Death prepared for a follow-up, but a sudden hum buzzed in his skull.
Death was warning him of an incoming attack.
He crouched instinctively.
A scythe sliced above his head.
At the same moment, Berserker crashed into Zagreus with a loud yell.
“Hahaha! Let’s continue our fight!”
While the two clashed with a furious storm of blows, Nameless Death found himself face to face with Barbatos.
There was no time to think.
Barbatos swung his scythe, and the impact sent Nameless Death flying like a ragdoll.
Before he could even hit the ground, Barbatos’s shadow twisted and wrapped around him, forming thick chains that held him in midair.
Nameless Death’s first thought wasn’t about the attack, it was the realization.
’They can move?’
Barbatos and Berserker were both moving freely.
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
Zagreus had commanded everyone to not move.
Only those granted permission should be able to move.
He quickly reviewed what he remembered.
Maybe Zagreus had granted Barbatos permission to move.
But what about Berserker?
Then the realization came to him.
’There’s a limit to the Command.’
Maybe it didn’t work on those who were on the same level, or stronger.
That single thought dug into his mind like a dagger.
’Am I… the weakest one here?’
Among the four of them, Nameless Death—the man whose entire Path was to surpass all limits—was being overshadowed by people who were bound to the very limits he desired to break free off.
“Don’t joke with me.”
A surge of pressure exploded from him.
The battlefield trembled.
Both Barbatos and Zagreus were immediately alarmed.
“Barbatos, stop him! He is reaching an enlightenment!” Zagreus shouted, still occupied with Berserker.
Barbatos didn’t hesitate.
His shadows surged, encasing Nameless Death like a cocoon.
At the same time, the shadows connected to Nameless Death’s thoughts, trying to freeze his mind, and stop him from reaching enlightenment.
Nameless Death wasn’t just dangerous because of his abilities.
He was a Heavenbreaker.
If he completed his Path during the battle, it would tilt the entire fight. Possibly even end it.
Barbatos pushed harder.
He had to prevent Nameless Death from gaining any kind of enlightenment.
If Nameless Death realized something fundamental, it could be over.
But…
“What are you doing?”
Barbatos heard the voice echo inside his mind.
“Did you forget I’m a Heavenbreaker?”
His eyes widened.
He had forgotten.
Heavenbreakers minds were too powerful to be locked down.
Barbatos reacted quickly.
He used mimicked Time and turned it back, attempting to undo the moment before Nameless Death’s pressure had begun to rise.
He stumbled slightly afterward, panting.
Turning back time in such a dense battlefield wasn’t easy. The stronger the individuals affected, the more effort it required.
But something wasn’t right.
The pressure from Nameless Death continued to rise.
Not only had he not been stopped, it seemed like he’d gained more clarity.
Barbatos realized it instantly.
“He remembers the previous timeline.”
Nameless Death must have a technique that preserved his memories even through time reversal.
Meaning: time regression wouldn’t help against him. He could act based on knowledge others had forgotten.
Barbatos didn’t hesitate.
He rushed forward.
Zagreus, noticing what was happening, followed.
Berserker, still grinning, stepped back.
“I want to see if he can pull it off,” he said, watching the chaos unfold with a savage grin of a beast.
Nameless Death looked up as both Barbatos and Zagreus came at him from opposite directions.
They thought he would stay still, continue seeking enlightenment.
They were wrong.
[All Shadow]
Nameless Death vanished into the shadows.
After Barbatos turned back time, he had appeared in the moment where Zagreus had yet to use his ’command’ on him.
Using this opportunity, he returned to the farthest he could go back.
It was the moment Zagreus had just stepped onto the battlefield.
“Silence,” Nameless Death used Truth on Zagreus.
The moment the word left his lips, almost all his energy drained.
But the effect was immediate.
Zagreus’s throat seized.
His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
’The effect was much stronger since I targeted only Zagreus.’
Normally, Zagreus would’ve blocked the command.
He was strong enough to resist such effects.
But he couldn’t retain the memory of pre-altered timelines.
Since time had been turned back, he needed a moment to understand what was happening.
This was a ’delay.’
Nameless Death aimed for that delay and silenced Zagreus.
Zagreus’ Ancient Dragon Blood awakened on its own again, but since he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t exert the power to command anymore.
Barbatos lunged in with his scythe.
Nameless Death dodged it by using All-Shadow to appear far in the distance.
“Your pressure isn’t increasing anymore. But you don’t look worried. Why? Your enlightenment was just stopped by an obstruction,” Barbatos said.
“That was fake. I used a technique to boost my aura, and make it look like I was gaining an enlightenment.”
Barbatos paused for a split second.
So that was it.
Nameless Death had intentionally baited him into turning back time.
He used the feint to trick Barbatos, used it to break free of the Zagreus’ command, then used that to regress and silence Zagreus.
’What a terrifying strategy.’ Barbatos thought.
’He was being overwhelmed by superior opponents, and yet instead of being defeated, he instantly thought of a method to counterattack.’
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