Everything had become dark as if a veil had been put over every source of light around. The God looked down at his feet and saw a strange and ominous black mist going up. He looked around and indeed confirmed that there was no source of light.
But there was still some light coming from above. At first, he thought that was stars, but when his attention drifted upward, he realized he was wrong. It was actually, a dazzling gathering of lightning. That black lightning was soundlessly existing in the sky as if it was replacing the stars.
The God remembered that they were in the Eternal Haven' and tried to leave this place for another. But it was for naught as the scenery never changed.
"This is Eternal Night," Arima spoke up. The God looked back at him silently. Ever since Arima had transformed into his 'Kind Demon' form, he was feeling a true feeling of unease for the first time.
"The element in itself… well, you can call it 'Aeterna' or, to be short, 'Aeter'. This place is made out of it. The particularity of this element is that it feeds on others," Arima smirked. "You can consider this place as being my Soul Manifestation."
The God listened quietly, in contrast to his usual attitude. "…Is this supposed to be my bane?"
Arima snickered. "Maybe yes, maybe not. Let's find out," he flapped his wings and charged at the God. As he was going toward him, his eyes glowed and the lightning in the sky suddenly made some noise. Just after, dozens of crescent-shaped waves fell from the sky and exploded when they hit the Original God.
Arima went through the black lightning and swung Karma with great momentum. His eyes had not lost sight of his opponent for even a second. In this place, he could see through anything affected by his Aeter. Nothing could escape his sight.
But when Karma was about to reach its target, the God's body changed shape so that the blade wouldn't touch anything. Arima's expression twitched. He summoned one of his twin guns, now named 'Arsu' and 'Azizos' after the Gods of the Evening Star and Morning Star.
Arima thought that since he had two of them now, he should give them two different specialized abilities. Arsu, which he had just called, had the power to silently chase its target indefinitely even if it was across space and time. This gun was made to strike accurately and without fail.
Under the influence of the Law of Continuity, Arima didn't need to waste any time with chanting and formation casting. He activated the Second Red Art, 'The Alchemist's Science', and fired with Arsu at a special magic circle.
In the next instant, hundreds of that same circle appeared around the God like a dome and the same number of dark bullets came out from them. Each hitting a different spot on the God's body. Then, Arima waved his hand, and from the dark mist below, lightning erupted and exploded again.
The God's body lost some of the matter composing it but Arima's expression darkened. He used the ability of the emerald star and teleported behind his enemy. But Karma was blocked by a bladed staff and the lightning around the blade was dispersed.
The shockwave got rid of darkness and lightning around them. Arima's eyes were glaring at the God who had twisted his arm around to block Karma coming from behind.
"Shit," Arima cursed under his breath and jumped away, he pulled out Azizos this time. Its appearance had changed a lot compared to its twin which had still a black and red frame. This one was golden and silver. A flashy appearance that was reflected by its power.
When Arima fired, a golden bullet exploded into a fiery sun of golden lightning that shrouded the Original God's figure. When he landed back, the illuminance of the golden lightning was already extinguished and the atmosphere of his 'Aeter Realm' returned to its peaceful state.
"Do you understand now?" The Original God's voice echoed.
"{This is bad,}" Night commented and both Karma and Krynox agreed.
"{Indeed. The Original God has a 360° peripheral vision and can bend his body at will. It means that physical attacks will be hard to land.}"
"{Yes, even if I were to cut him by some chance. I'm not sure it could even deal some real damage. Even with my three seals removed, I can't hope to injure him. But the biggest problem isn't that…}"
"{The biggest problem is that he doesn't have any vital points. We don't even know if he actually can die. Are we even sure that he has a soul?}"
While listening to the conversation between Night, Krynox, and Karma, Arima was silently assessing the situation.
"…Are you saying that I can't defeat you?"
"Correct. You can't hope to kill me. We have both the highest degree of immortality and limitless mana. The one with a superior body will win. And mine if far above yours."
Arima snorted and shouldered Karma. "I'll admit that you have a pretty handy body but as far as calling it superior, I'm not sure about that."
"Let's see if you can keep up that bravado of yours when I free your neck of your head and seal you for eternity."
The God used two Laws in a second. One of them was probably one of the most useful, Continuity, while the other was the Law of the World. That grand name meant that it could manipulate the fundamental rules making up this world. It could alter any kind of scientific rule or simply erase it out of existence.
The God erased what could possibly limit his speed and managed to land a blow on Arima at a staggering speed. He struck two times and both of Arima's hearts were pierced by his blade. But instead of flying away or collapsing, Arima grabbed the staff and slashed with Karma.
But it was akin to hacking a ghost. A hole opened on the God's body and followed the blade until it was out. Arima clicked his tongue and infused a large amount of mana into his sword. Karma got the message and became a giant hammer.
The God didn't expect that and tried to retreat but Arima also used the Law of the World at the cost of some of his life energy and the Aeter around exploded to assist him. The hammer connected with the God and smashed his entire body.
Arima then fired hundreds of bullets with Azizos along with countless lightning blades coming from the sky and the dark mist above the ground.
It was fortunate that the realm Arima had created could absorb every damage and redirect it somewhere else. At the moment, every single bit of leaking energy was being redirected to the same location somewhere in the universe. That place would definitely become a hazardous zone that would kill even transcendentals in seconds, but it was worth it if it saved countless other planets.
The God growled and conjured a massive light explosion. The light element was soon consumed by the Aeter but Arima nonetheless suffered because of it and the God was freed from the relentless assault.
"I told you, you can't beat me!" He shouted and left an afterimage. Instantly after, he was already exchanging blow for blow with Arima.
Both of them were displaying swordplay that surpassed the mortal standards by far. The God had learned to counter Aeter with light magic even if it was for just a millisecond. With each clash of weapons, black lightning would thunder and some light magic would appear here and there before being eaten by the dominative nature of Arima's element.
They didn't know how long they had been doing this. In this place, they could have maybe spent seconds or maybe hours, perhaps even days and weeks fighting.
At some point, Arima's lips curved and formed a wicked smile. "Are you sure I can't beat you?" He uttered and slashed with Azizos before firing. Arima had already developed a style where he could dual-wield his bladed gun and Karma.
"As if that weapon could do anything to me," the God scorned but to his surprise, Azizos' bullet exploded and pushed him back a by a few meters. "What…?" He was shocked until Arima transformed Karma into a hammer again and sent him flying for thousands of miles.
Arima laughed and slowly walked toward the God. Although he was only walking, every step of his amounted to a hundred miles. In the first place, the measure of distance for them was completely different. A thousand miles for those two amounted to basically a few meters for a normal human.
The God was, of course, unscathed but he was panicking for another reason. "What did you do?"
Arima grinned. "Look around you."
"What?" The God was irritated. There was no need to look around. He didn't have eyes and he was constantly looking at every direction possible. But at Arima's words, he unconsciously focused and finally noticed seven flickering phantoms revolving around him.
Arima took another step forward and the God hurriedly tried to chase the Spirits away.
"Too late. Akoman already ate your rationality. Saurva reduced your mana control. Indra Vayu gave you the fear of death. Aeshma took control of your aura. Az and Mithandruj made your emotions go berserk. And Taurvi & Zairicha weakened your body."
The God's anger reached the top. That shouldn't be possible. He shouldn't possess emotions like those. But he couldn't resist the influence of Angra Mainyu's Evil Spirits which evolved thanks to the Kind Demon.
The original mission of these seven demonic beings was to bring evil and weakness to humans. Since the beginning, they were weakening the God. And now that the Original God, who was full of 'light', was feeling dark emotions, he was starting to break apart.
"Now, Layla! Ahura!" Arima shouted while retreating. He called back his phantoms and summoned the Kind Demon's Cross which carried the strength of his Godhood and used it to pin down the God as much as he could. The chains coming out of the skull restricted him like a prisoner.
Then, both Layla and Ahura appeared out of nowhere. The latter drank Arima's blood and gritted her teeth as a pair of magnificent angel wings were deployed on her back. There was also a sword in her hand that could even put Karma to shame.
"{I'm better than that!}" Arima heard this shout in his head and snickered.
Layla, on the other hand, had drawn the formation for her Soul Manifestation but also added on top of it the circle for the Lawless Tome.
"{Ahura Mazda has the power to 'Vanquish'. She can banish and purify pretty much everything. Layla has now the ability to attack through the primordial theory of time. She can make it so that every attack of her erases what it touches as if it never existed. A good plan,}" Krynox commented.
"[Resurrection, Sword of the Vanquishing Myriad]," Ahura chanted and the sword in her hand became even bigger than the God who was a hundred meters tall. She struggled to not faint because of the toll and stabbed the God's torso with it.
The runes on the sword spread across the God's body and shined. It was then Layla's turn. She wagged her wings and threw her rapier like a javelin. It pierced the God's head and got lodged inside.
Layla used it as a catalyst and cast her Soul Manifestation fused with the Lawless Tome.
"[Resurrection, Maiden Ostara]," the God was immediately locked inside the familiar 'canvas' world of Layla. But she wasn't finished.
"[Auribus percipite verba mea] (Heed my words)."
"[Voluntatem meam] (Manifest my will)."
"[Summone gloriam meam] (Summon my ambition)."
"[Et meam impleat votum] (And fulfill my wish)."
"[Secundum iudicium tuum] (According to your judgment)."
"[Et implerem] (Accomplish it)."
"[Third Destruction Art, Pars Impios] (Lawless Tome)."
Inside the blank canvas which was slowly being painted by the aura produced through the Original God's rage, a black and white book appeared in mid-air and glowed. Ahura's sword planted in the God's body started cracking. The Tome, the sword, and the Cross resonated together and dispersed into particles.
After a few seconds, everything was bathed in a purifying and destructive light that even leaked out of Layla's Soul Manifestation.
Arima covered his eyes with his arm while Krynox made his unwanted remark. "{Now, it's time for the boss to enter its second phase.}"
"…Your knowledge is uselessly boundless."