Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Huff, huff!

Skullius unconsciously took breaths as the skill [HYPED] activated, his <HEART> beginning to beat ridiculously fast while the <RUSH BLOOD> in his burning body started to rapidly boil with the cells within it multiplying and banging against themselves!

This phenomenon alerted Skullius of the fact that he couldn't keep his body burning now, as he needed more of his flesh for this skill, and though he had wanted to maintain this look for convenience, he used a bit of his remaining mana to heal himself passively through [Great Saint's Invigoration].

Flesh reformed under the regenerating armour he wore, giving [HYPED] more to work with as Skullius' perception in all its forms grew more refined and intricately more... intricate!

His [Elevated Mana Manipulation] became more concise, picking up on even the most minute detail while his natural senses tingled at everything that inched anywhere in his Domains!

As for whatever he could SEE, it all became all the more clear!

Despite the effects of [Scramble Binding] persisting, those that scrambled his senses at least, making it difficult to perceive Bassbion, Skullius was holding on just fine with his newly developed way around it.

'Heh.... that was insane, and having [HYPED] activate now is just what I needed,' Skullius thought, his eyes never leaving Bassbion who slowly turned to him all the way. 'Unfortunately, I used IT all up. I don't know if it's possible to even build up some more so fast. Though, maybe with my blood rushing like this...'

Just maybe, it was possible!

Sila within was still gaping. Even while he was literally within Skullius, he didn't know what the flesh this little Null Lifeform had done just now!

He had taken off with a speed that far exceeded what he was supposed to be capable of!

'Tomato flinger...' he voiced but Skullius was in too deep. He ignored and kept his focus where it mattered most.

On the other side, Bassbion slotted her sword back into her sheath as her mind processed what had happened while she prepared for another attack.

There was no need to rush anymore and with how this was devolving in a way she didn't expect, perhaps she could treat it as a more thrilling detour while the Temple waited.

While she waited!

'From the moment I wielded my blade, I discovered he doesn't have any strings depicting his life energy, though those reaching into his soul are clear. On that subject, he also possesses peculiar soul. Are they supposed to be so ugly? Maybe leaving my duties back home has crippled my ability to perceive this better,' Bassbion said as she felt over the scratch on her armour. 'Still, that caught me by surprise. He seems different from before. Was it a fluke or some kind of awakening? Hmph. Vile filth, let's find out.'

Bassbion crouched again, her mana spiking with incredible refinement as it covered every direction around her once again!

[Hyperfocus Motion Counter] was activated!

Bassbion held onto her sword as she prepared another charge.

One where she wouldn't let shock slow her down again!

Skullius felt the intensity from the distance and grinned while his sockets hurled out darkness that rose in wisps.

He strengthened his grip on Demion's Dance and breathed out a burst of hot air. In his sight, a greyish figure, more like a detail less human shape, with small dots of darkness was crouching while holding onto a pristine white sword.

This was what he saw!

How?

Well...

Skullius had committed to something he had wanted to test out since the day he started to appreciate his new attuned body!

To expand his senses, he needed something more than his fleshly senses and mana sense.

And that was obviously through the sight provided by [Crude World Projection]!

While using it was dangerous for obvious reasons, Skullius had decided to attempt using it while withholding his Projected form, a feat he had managed to perfect just now, while gambling on his life, as he then retained the vision that was available to him as the dark floating figure but... without having to become a dark floating figure!

It was thrilling!

He had actually done it!

This one perception was untouched by [Scramble Binding]!

As for the speed he exhibited earlier...

Well.... funny story.

The Discount Human had all his emotion out as he analysed the grimness of the situation.

'This is still bad. I managed to scrape through one attack, but as I am now, it's impossible for me to even pick up on her figure when she starts moving. This could be my last chance. So...'

Skullius drew in on most of the mana he had left, conjuring [Evil Darkness] that covered a small range of almost ten meters, compounding itself as it formed a sphere around him!

This was a spherical variation of [Perfect Night Domain], a skill that had failed him earlier but he refused to lose faith in it!

With [HYPED] active, Skullius was experiencing everything around him at ten times how he usually perceived it. As a result, with everything he was thinking and planning, his body and mind demanded perfection and profoundly focus!

This included all the work he was doing in his core!

While encased in the darkness, Skullius breathed out and crouched, mimicking Bassbion's stance from he had seen it earlier. As she was out of his range due to both of them being at the far ends of the vast Ground of Communion, he could only sense her mana.

Since he didn't have a sheath, he simply performed the same drawing stance that the guardian was using but with his left hand an inch over it!

"I'm coming, vile filth!" Bassbion said from the distance.

BOOOOM!

The guardian once again launched herself towards Skullius, the air parting for her while it exploded with a thunderous noise, [Hyperfocus Motion Counter] countering friction, mana and any type of resistance before Bassbion at an astonishing level!

Skullius felt the massive surge in mana, but instead of despairing, he grinned while paying his full focus into the Domain.

A myriad of thoughts flashed through Skullius' mind, most of them being about how very close he was to DEATH but he didn't push them away!

He embraced them.

He was likely to fall, despite him currently weaving all the plans he could to survive!

Sila felt the imminent danger as well, and growled.

'You stubborn fool! Are you really going to let us die!!!'

Skullius didn't respond and only paid all his focus on what came next with a entranced grin.

'Not yet! Even if death comes! I won't lose!' Skullius said as he cast away his fears.

This motivation.

This drive.

It seemed to have bloomed from nowhere and even Skullius was not sure why he suddenly became emboldened to this degree, but none of that mattered!

WIIING!!

None of it mattered.

WIIIIING!!

Demion's Dance rang lightly in the Discount Human's hand but Skullius didn't pay it any mind.

But even if that was the case...

VWOOOOOOM!

Bassbion with her ridiculous speed blasted through Skullius' [Perfect Night Domain], her technique, [Hyperfocus Motion Counter] ripping through the condensed darkness as it also went on to rip through Skullius' body which was stuck in a stance!

Half of Skullius' torso, part of his head, his left hand and thigh were blitzed into mince by the technique even before Bassbion unsheathed her sword for a quick draw!

CHIIIING!

And when she slid her sword out of its sheath for a final strike against the Discount Human who still remained in stance with the curved green sword in his right hand....

"Not yet..." Skullius said as...

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING....

...!!!

With a mad, thick aura, one akin to the darkest form of blood that almost looked black, a thin line traced by the sword in the Discount Human's hands was produced when Skullius unexpectedly responded to the 1.85 meter sword that was on its way to slice his head in two, with an incredible parry!

CLANG!

Bassbion found her move countered, her sword losing most of its momentum from being struck away, but the strength carried in the parry was nowhere near hers!

This time she didn't let her surprise cloud her battle intent as with an experienced move of her hands and arms, she turned the sword and slashed from another angle!

Fuuuu....

Skullius' body twitched, the cracks over it sparking as the Discount Human seemed lost in the moment, Demion's Dance in his hand showing a light bloodlike aura over it that funnelled into Skullius and activated the skill [Epic Memory] in a more grandiose manner!

A portion of the strength and skill depicted by this sword when it was used in a legendary tale, an epic battle, blasted into Skullius allowing him to understand the technique that he hadn't been able to utilise even vaguely efficiently until now!

The Swindling Death Dance sword technique buried in Demion's Dance!

Demion's Dance was responding firmly to Skullius who in this moment had left the fear of DEATH behind, solely embracing the fact that some victories transcended TIME and SPACE!

He COULD die but he WOULDN'T lose!

That's what he believed!

CLANG!

Skullius' hands throbbed with veins as he swung the sword in an elegant arc at an attack speed that matched Bassbion's!

And this time, HE didn't stop!

Like watching a seasoned butcher swing his cleaver under the limited light from a window, the edges of Demion's Dance produced sparks and reflections of what seemed like excess movement, a sword technique that brought Bassbion to take Skullius seriously as the first swing came after a set of moves that seemed more like a juggler's routine than anything else!

CLANG!

Bassbion parried by wielding her sword laterally, Demion's Dance hammering twice over hers in a split second before its wielder flashed out of sight for another fraction of second, a series of reflected lights from the sword appearing soon after as Skullius burst forth with a series of quick moves that Bassbion couldn't quite read!

'What kind of sword technique is this? Every movement seems so excessive but... No! Not only is each swing meant to create a variety of possibilities in handling options, it's also creating openings purposefully... creating the risk of being killed in a single hit!' Bassbion analysed as she found herself clashing madly against Skullius who continued to get faster and stronger with each strike!

A series of leaps, twirls in footwork and handwork were produced from Skullius using the Swindling Death's Dance, Bassbion parrying all of them as she briefly indulged her curiosity of this technique.

Yet... after tens of clashes, she found Skullius repeating the same swings without being able to match her physicality, if it could even be called that!

'This is going nowhere. I thought there was something impressive here but...' Bassbion suddenly drew back and....

SNAP!

Her fingers snapped, Skullius being subjected to paralysis once again as his body fell to its knees, his arms colliding as they stuck together!

"It's over. You were not so disgraceful in the end, vile filth, I'll give you that," Bassbion said as she slashed down with such a quick strike that blood didn't show on Skullius' body, depicting that he had been split in half diagonally until a breath later!

Promptly after, the blast of mana knocked him a distance away, as he then hurtled over the distance and rolled over with his two chunks going separate ways!

Bassbion looked at the pathetic sight, scoffing as she saw that Skullius' upper half still had the right hand holding firmly to Demion's Dance.

"Perhaps I should cut his soul also, so tha—"

...!

Bassbion paused midway through her sentence, her lips frowning as shockingly....

The man who had just been hacked in two just now... was whole once again!

It was as if she had been watching a full sequence which then abruptly cut away to when everything was fine from tragedy!

Skullius was standing, his body reattached cleanly and his mysterious armour reforming over him again.

The Discount Human had used his once a day lifesaver, [Irisa You Whore], repairing his body as he saved the bits of mana he had left.

He raised his head, the dark red aura from Demion's Dance still coursing through his body as it actually went on to grip his <HEART>!

"You know..." Skullius said with a subtly hollow and yet jovial tone in his voice. "I just remembered that I died once..."

Bassbion held her sword once again as she prepared to take care of Skullius once and for all, ignoring his ramblings which she couldn't hear anyway.

Yet...

"But now, it looks like I'll be dying every time I wield this sword..."

The dark red aura around Skullius suddenly flared and with all his might, he slashed at Bassbion, this time in a vertical arc from top to bottom, his left hand following the sword from the side as if to protect it!

A different result from any other was produced in this moment, allowing a suffocating pressure that bellowed towards Skullius' enemy!

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!