Bro, I'm not an Undead!



Hun trembled with rage, but the rest didn't seem to be quite as insulted. Liura, who was to Hun's left, burst into laughter as she patted Hun's low shoulder.

"You really think you can get to fuckers like this with 'goodwill'?" she said, and her face turned dark with a wave of bloodlust rushing from it towards Skullius. "Only thing people like him understand is a brutal beating before an equally brutal death. He'll be begging for mercy real soon. Then... maybe I'll let you offer him your goodwill."

Hun calmed down a bit, scoffed and pushed Liura's hand off his shoulder.

"Fine. Who gets to kill him then?" he asked with a dampening scowl.

"I'll do it. I'll earn my Units myself," Mandon said, his bulk, which was equal to Liura's, radiating a fierce Aura that also contended against the muddy, humid environment, its metal grey hue fuming wildly.

The taller man looked at Skullius hanging his head as he kept still in his stance, and his hand made a claw gesture so firm, thick veins bobbed unrealistically through his skin.

Mandon then shot ahead, with the wind screaming as he advanced.

His large body blurred as he approached [Courting Death], finding to his surprise... that Skullius didn't move an inch.

A hint of unease nagged his heart, but he didn't stop. If he managed to make contact, it would be over!

Thus, Mandon penetrated the ring of flames.

...

The bulky man didn't know what happened.

First, he felt like he had been cut by a series of knives that jabbed in the thousands at his skin, making him bleed, and on instinct, he came to a halt, feeling that a continued advanced would only make his perilous situation worse.

But that didn't help, because in the next second...

A flash of light, like the edge of a sword reflecting light as it whipped through the air, was the last thing he saw before his head flew off his head!

...!

Mandon's group was left stunned.

Hun looked as if he had drunk a full mug of piss, and Liura looked horrified.

Grutus cursed as Mandon's head fell.

"Quick, save him!"

Hun spilled out of his stupor, and expelled something from his storage which he quickly dashed toward Mandon's head with.

It was a thick star, looking to have been made with both wood, and hard plastic, a burgundy glow at its centre!

Hun crushed the star in his hand, and something like glittering dust poured from it, landing on Mandon's severed head which had fallen out of Skullius' [Courting Death]!

Skullius watched.

He had just beheaded Mandon before he could get too close, as the man's rapid approach had confirmed for Skullius that unlike Baddan, the bulky man had Perfect Aura around his body, which could battle, to some degree, against his mana striding through the tens of thousands of taut streaks of Mortal Ruin that made up [Courting Death]!

Therefore...

A quick slash with Null Life Essence had done the trick though.

Now, it seemed this defeated foe...

When the dust from the shattered star fell, Mandon's unclear eyes gained a glow of life, and as if he hadn't been just a severed head a second ago, a new body appeared from the stump of his neck, adorned in the same clothing he had on his previous body which hung in [Courting Death] right now!

...!

Skullius frowned.

What?!

Mandon was alive!

The bulky man quivered, and dashed back along with Hun who kept a close eye on Skullius.

"What happened?" Hun asked with a shrill voice.

"You didn't... you didn't see it?" Mandon replied with a question of his own, shaken greatly.

"See what?"

"I don't know. Something cut at me, and then...my head..."

Liura walked towards the two, as did Grutus, both with hard faces.

"He must be a skilled Arma User. If his attacks are so fast we can't see them, we are going to have attack from a distance," Grutus said. "Liura, you're up."

The air among the enemies suddenly changed.

Skullius withdrew his [Courting Death].

'Looks like these guys weren't lying about having a lot of items. That star... if I take what Guissepo said, then it must be the Revival Star or whatever...' he thought. 'It really can revive the dead.'

As had been great topic before, outside supplements couldn't save the dead. The few who managed to realise that death within the white platform from the stadium couldn't be reserved by the Control Seal, would have realised that the Revival Star was different.

It was the only thing that could keep someone alive if they were to die in the Premium Age Royale.

'If they have several more Revival Stars... This won't be easy...' Skullius thought.

Liura zoomed towards Skullius with a start, and when she had crossed half the distance, she came to a stop, and extended her hand to the side. Numerous triangular shapes fell from her palm, their numbers growing by the millisecond!

Then, a familiar creature spawned from them. A large creature, black furred, and with a jaguar like shape. It had five tails behind its back, and a deep malevolence showed on its face, directed towards Skullius!

A Beckoned Retriever!

...!

[Primal Caution] gave a warning towards Skullius while he shuddered at the thought of what was happening here!

Before he knew it, an array made of a lightning ripped the ground under his feet, emerging faster than he could think to flee!

It shone bright, its glow rising from Skullius' feet to tower up into the clouds!

The Hybrid Luman would have escaped as he did when a Retriever tried something similar hours ago, but then... something burned his flesh, branding a bright, golden mark onto his chest beneath the armour.

The array below Skullius' feet then vanished without a trace.

"Huh?" Skullius wandered, placing his hand on his chest.

"Confusing isn't it? Don't worry. I promise you're going to love it!" Liura said while standing behind the growling Retriever which then pounced at Skullius with blinding speed.

The Hybrid Luman hurried to gather his thoughts.

This woman... she must be a Tamer!

And she had tamed a Beckoned Retriever!

'Great! That was impossible to guess!' Skullius thought with grumble.

That aside, what was the brand on his chest?

Skullius took a step to dodge the incoming Retriever, but then...

There was crisp shattering noise, like that of thunder in the skies, and his entire side was violently burnt off by something he couldn't see!

Skullius took a step forward, staggering from the suddenness of the attack, thick black smoke fuming from his body, and once again, another sharp noise sounded, and his leg was burnt off with a vigorous explosion of heat so quickly that his [Graceless Hunter] couldn't spot what had caused it!

'Shit!'

Almost at the same time, the Retriever reached Skullius, and bit his shoulder, tearing it off easily as it streaked past!

Skullius grew furious.

The part of his body to get chunked off first, healed, then his leg and shoulder.

He saw Liura in the distance smile coyly at him, and he moved his hand to unsheathe Demion's Dance, firmly intent on killing her mercilessly.

However, his move to retrieve the green sword...

...!

Once again, a blaring noise sounded, and Skullius' right hand exploded off him with a stunning scorch, a fuming stump being left behind!

...!

Liura guffawed at how pathetic she thought he looked, clearly struggling to understand what was happening.

Another mass of triangular shapes poured from her palm, revealing yet another Retriever, this one with a ring of light over its head, and six tails trailing at its rear end.

"You don't get it, do you? Good. That makes it all the more fun," she said as she climbed onto the Retriever, and rode it towards Skullius!

As she did, a Genuine Incarnation quickly formed over her head. It was a beautiful, turquoise female gladiator, dressed in a corinthian armour, a like-styled helmet fitted on her head. She had a large bow, and a long arrow already nocked to it, which she released!

The arrow soared fast, aiming at Skullius' head without a sliver of compromise, and without giving the Hybrid Luman much time to think of a solution.

Every movement caused a limb of his to ignite violently, exploding into nothing but smoke!

And...

Another fiery show occurred as Skullius' chest was ripped open with a spit smoke!

Even when trying to use one of his skills... it only caused his body to get wrecked!

What kind of power was this?!

...And then the arrow of Perfect Aura arrived.

A forceful shockwave occurred on impact.

Liura frowned.

That wasn't what she expected. That wasn't supposed to happen.

An arrow going through a feeble head not even protected by Aura shouldn't have caused such a vibrant vibration.

Skullius... was also caught in the same spirit of surprise.

He had been prepared to do something drastic, and wasteful, but it looked like he didn't need to.

Someone was standing in front him.

It was a feminine figure, holding her hand out without a shred of mana, or Aura around it.

She had a long French braid to her navy blue hair, and a black, revealing dress over her curvy body, a long, happy smile on her face.

Her palm, with the scratches, and patches of burnt skin, looked to have been what had received the arrow of Perfect Aura, dispelling it.

"Finally found you, and in the nick of time." Skullius' saviour said.