As we stood in the field, I looked over at Nasumi.
"Ready?" I asked.
She nodded and stepped back.
As she did, I undid the scrambling of our presence. I allowed Nasumi to be detected again.
It took a moment, but eventually, a portal opened a few meters away. Everyone but Mori stepped out of it.
I could only assume she arrived far away. It made no difference.
They would all die today, anyway.
"Well well...decided you're ready to die, Mizik?" Kronos said.
"I would like to speak before we begin. May I?" I asked.
"Oddly civilized for a heartless killing machine...but sure. Go ahead."
"That's what I want to know about, actually. I'm a type-3 exo-human? I was made to be a perfect weapon? Is that true? It would certainly explain why killing never bothered me that much. Or why my only real concern with it was inconveniencing people who aren't involved."
"What is this...? I already said it. You are one of us. You were made to kill and destroy. That's it. You were made to be a last resort against the Corruption. You were a failure because you stubbornly-"
"I think I've had enough of that nonsense. If I was made to kill, why am I being punished for doing as expected?" I asked.
"BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T MADE TO SLAUGHTER TRILLIONS OF INNOCENTS AND LAY WASTE TO HALF OF CREATION!!! THERE!! IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH FOR YOU!?!?" Kronos screamed.
"Certainly. But how many times do I have to tell you people? I didn't kill them for no reason. I saved them from falling into the Abyss. It's a hellhole down there, you know? Their worlds were lost. And by the way, creation is a lot bigger than you think-"
"I've had enough. This isn't going anywhere. You will die right here and right now. We are resolved unto death to end your life. We, the Hero Party are the saviors of Creation. And we will not allow a failed experimental abomination to take that away from us."
"So it's like that then? Sounds good. I guess I'll do what I do best... My 'primary function' as it were."
"Killing innocents?"
"No. I'm a last resort. If I die here, you idiots will just screw everything up. You'll doom all of Creation. So obviously...I have to kill you."
"GO AHEAD AND TRY IT!!!" Kronos roared.
He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. I was certain that Mori would begin her attack now.
Four targets at my front. One in the back. Obviously, the one in the back is the most troublesome...but I can't get to her right now. Focus on Kronos. Cut the head off the snake and the body does limp.
Kronos shot forward and reached my front almost instantly. I awoke the Eye of Destruction and caught the blade of Vengeance in my claw.
Kesia and Garen tried to flank me as several beams of magic shot at me from overhead.
I smiled.
And this time, my head was clear.
I unleashed an explosion of magic that sent all of them flying back...destroying the land in the process. The same way Valtheim would, of course.
The others stood up slowly. Their bodies had been wounded from my attack.
"Progenitor OS: Command ability: Group Primeval Regeneration," Kronos said.
"Stealing Nasumi's power, are we? That's fine... I can steal powers too, you know?" I said.
All I had to do...was get ahold of Vengeance. I wasn't sure what I could do, but it was worth a shot...
"Command ability: OVERPOWER!!!" Garen roared.
"Command ability: Rune Infinity!" Kesia said.
"Command ability: Immortal!" Mako said.
"Command ability: GODSLAYER!!! HYPER-SIPHON!!!" Kronos shouted.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!! COMMAND ABILITY: EXO-ADAPTABILITY!!!" I roared.
I felt my vision expand as an infinite number of threads scoured the surrounding area for power to steal. Nasumi was hit immediately...and was willing. I absorbed her healing power into my body and activated Primeval Regeneration.
My body's natural healing factor sped up by 100%. Doubling my already potent regeneration.
The rest of them charged forward. Mako was the first the reach me, he slashed at me, but I dodged it with ease.
As Garen and Kesia reached me, I saw several shadows form into Mori's shape.
"Command ability: exo-sniper! My world!" She said with a smile and a cheer.
Thousands of portals opened in the surrounding area and began firing at me.
I wondered for a split second how she planned to avoid her allies...
And then I felt a tremendous pressure fall upon me. I became heavier as my strength was drawn from me.
Mori's attacks...began passing through her allies bodies.
As Kesia and Garen arrived, they began assaulting me with everything they had.
I couldn't keep up with such power right now...
Kesia created runes in the air that acted like turrets. Firing elemental missiles at me of every type while using the fourth form of Willpower and wielding a flaming sword at the same time.
Garen's strength was enough to annihilate mountains...even continents with ease.
His strikes seemed to ignore my defense as well...
All I could do was back away and put some distance between us.
But as soon as I did, I was pelted by numerous blasts of energy from Mori.
Kronos just stood there watching.
"Come on... Isn't that power of yours supposed to be the best?" He said.
But what he didn't realize, was that even a split second away from taking damage caused my health to rapidly regenerate. I was back to full health in under a second.
I smiled as I accessed the light magic tree using The Archmage and began cloaking myself in reflective barriers.
Mori's attacks began to bounce off of me as I bolted straight for Kronos.
And Mako appeared in front of me just before I managed to hit him. My claw slammed into his shield with a heavy impact.
But this was fine...I wanted this.
I smiled.
And Mako's expression turned grim.
I used psychokinesis to move his shield to the side...a move I vaguely remembered seeing Kazuma use back on Ignitus.
Then I slammed my fist into Mako's chest, sending him flying and stealing his power.
"Command ability: IMMORTAL!!!" I shouted with a maniacal expression.
My skin became as hard as metal. I took the opportunity to buff my speed and strength to account for lost power in Mori's environment.
"You're a gods damned monster... You know that!?" Krono said in surprise. His eye twitched.
"Ha...I try!"
I opened portals in the surrounding area to call my Withered Army. I wanted some backup for dealing with these bastards.
But as I called them forth, Kesia and Garen arrived again.
I deflected their attacks with several barriers before grabbing their throats.
I stole their powers and threw them into a crowd of my soldiers.
"Command ability: Rune Infinity, Overpower!" I said.
I gained the ability to summon runes with my attacks capable of causing all sorts of havoc. My strength and endurance increased a thousand fold. Mori's environment stopped having an effect on me.
"...I suppose I should stop this before things get too impossible. You really are an abominaton, you know that!?"
"You haven't seen anything yet!" I said.
The power to grow infinitely...to become stronger without limits.
I finally knew...I was a last resort to save Creation.
Only I could accomplish this.
Mori continued to attack me from a distance, but I ignored her attacks.
"Big brother! It's not working! How do I hurt him!?!?" Mori's clone cried.
"KEEP TRYING!!! EVERYONE SUPPORT ME! I'LL TAKE HIM DOWN!!!" Kronos roared.
"Finally... I thought we'd never get here. Let's end this, you bastard," I said.
"I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!"
Kronos closed the distance between us and slashed wildly at me, I dodged and weaved between his attacks.
At the same time, I felt a rising power in him.
Oh shit...I recognize that energy anywhere!
I leaped back as a swirling vortex of malicious energy enveloped his body.
The Mori clone activated Cloak of the Mastermind as the others tried to deal with my soldiers.
Kronos emerged from the vortex wearing the black armor, crown, and cloak that was standard...for the base of Vengeance's fourth form.
And near the ground two swords appeared in mid-air. A figure manifested and grabbed them both.
The black-haired man with red and blue eyes. Vengeance himself had entered the battlefield.
"I never wanted to be on the receiving end of this..." I said sadly.
[You were a fine wielder. But today, you will meet your end.] Vengeance said.
"So much for loyalty... You bastard."
Without a word, Vengeance and Kronos arrived at my front and began slashing wildly.
I made efforts to block and deflect their attacks, but it was becoming increasingly hard to do so...
After all, the fourth form of Vengeance was made to destroy targets with unending, extreme ferocity. Their swords burst into flames and I leaped back.
Kronos threw his swords like spinning blades at me. He controlled their trajectory to attack my throat.
I teleported to his front and threw a punch, it was blocked by a manifested shield.
Vengeance wrapped me in wires and chains as Mori's clone surrounded the area in floating daggers. She fired magic everywhere to destroy my soldiers and used her sniping to clear any stragglers.
Meanwhile Kronos drew his swords back to himself from behind me as Vengeance switched to using a pair of axes.
I simply teleported behind him from the chains and slashed his back with one of my claws.
{ERROR! DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF [PROGENITOR OS: USER], [COMMAND ABILITY: GODSLAYER] CANNOT BE COPIED!}
"Perfect..." I said angrily.
I put some distance between us as Kronos summoned several floating weapons. He created numerous turrets that opened fire on me, but I flew through the battlefield, deflecting them with my barriers.
Mori tried to stop me with her wires as Kesia fired rune blasts at me as well. But it was all in vain.
Kronos and I clashed once again and Vengeance prepared to attack.
[EXTERMINATUS!!!]
My eyes went wide as a barrage of hundreds of weapons slammed into me while Vengeance ferociously tried to pulverize my nigh-invincible body.
I managed to get away, but...not before losing most of my health.
Thanks to Willpower, he could ignore my defense.
"I see. If we burst him down and destroy his heart crystal, the battle is ours. Vengeance, get ready for another round," Kronos said.
Vengeance simply nodded and took a step forward.
"I suppose it's about time to wrap this up then?" I said.
"Just die for me. That's all you have to do..." Kronos said.
I closed the distance between the two of them and slashed Kronos in the chest before throwing an explosive punch at Vengeance. He blocked it with a shield as Kronos changed his swords into two massive claymores.
Dual-wielding two-handed weapons was something I found impressive. Even if I could also do this myself.
He used Dragon's Ferocity, one of Honor's skills on me, strengthened by Arms of Asura. Strength's fourth form.
The intense power of the attack caused severe damage to my body. I teleported behind Kronos for another quick strike, but Vengeance had predicted this.
My eyes went wide in surprise.
I was impressed...
[EXTERMINATUS!!!]
The hail of extreme attacks was nearly enough to destroy me. I backed away as Kronos charged forward. His swords had changed back into scimitars.
I managed to knock one from his hands by severing part of his arm...but the other pierced my heart.
...was this the end?