Bro, I'm not an Undead!-Chapter 1548: Keep Those Hands Coming

Skullius almost didn’t believe what he’d just heard.

How did Fulgardt know the name of his Andori?

Had he (Skullius) been right, after all? Had Fulgardt, through means that he (Skullius) couldn’t begin to guess, acquired a guidance field for himself? That was the only plausible explanation. It was a frightening thought. For all he knew, Fulgardt had already assessed all his abilities from the beginning and was toying with him; well, more than he let on.

It was not a pleasant thought, but it sparked many heavy questions in Skullius’ head.

Bearers of Null Life and Voided Death all had guidance fields and the acknowledgment of the Voice of Worlds, as far as he knew. But what about others who had the guidance field? What qualified them to gain both these things? Why were people like Fulgardt not acknowledged by the Voice of Worlds and granted the guidance field in the first place?

What even was the acknowledgment of the Voice of Worlds to begin with?

The answer was nebulous.

Fulgardt slowly began to approach Skullius.

"Come on. Keep those hands coming. Those slashes too. Kill me. Bring me to my knees, brat!"

’Dammit!’

Skullius hated every bit of the next second... because he had to obey. He had to try.

His Amras churned, was inverted, and sent forth as thousands of hands against the Immoral once again. And just like last time, Skullius snuck in Inverted [False Ticklers]. They were potent, so potent in fact that he couldn’t produce many of them, not while his Amras well was being used to maintain [Forbidden Monastery of Black’s Scion], Maximum Catalyst, and Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz simultaneously.

But Skullius would make it count.

The hands reached Fulgardt in a span that hardly seemed like a count of time at all.

Fulgardt didn’t resist.

He didn’t expel his circle of [Just Light]. As his Projection sank back into him, he spread his arms wide and allowed the hands to ravage him. And ravage him they did, and not in the pleasing way.

A series of the hands violently gouged out half his head before an Inverted [False Tickler] cleaved him laterally from the chest.

...But then another Fulgardt emerged from right behind the lower half of the previous him, and spread his arms.

Another series of hands mangled those arms, ripped through his gut to disembowel him, tore off his face, and pulled out his jaw.

...But yet another Fulgardt emerged from behind that one.

This one weaved between a few of the hands with graceful, frighteningly quick movements and then stared at Skullius in the back with a cool smile before allowing itself to be burrowed through by the projectile hands. It seemed to get easier and easier to harm the Immoral. He was dropping all his defences by the second - and by the body.

...And again he returned, calm and collected.

Skullius scowled deeper with each one of the Fulgardts he saw. He couldn’t understand what was going on?

What principle of [Just Light] and [Evil Darkness] was he missing now? How could Fulgardt simply revive himself without any repercussions?

Was it an Andori? Unlikely.

Was it a Treasure Fulgardt was using? Doubtful. Fulgardt wasn’t the sort to rely on those.

So.... What?!

The Inverted [False Tickler] was a lethal move. If Skullius could mass produce it, even Fulgardt would have to be wary since he (Skullius) could simply cut down the body, and then the soul, and then victory would be his.

Skullius had seen hope in this strategy. He had hoped it would help him make Fulgardt nervous and hesitant, but no.

The Immoral had crushed Skullius’ best plan.

’This is meaningless. Before I run out of Amras, I better think about using the War Body even if it’s risky!’ he thought, backing away slowly.

"My liege..." Weaver said to Skullius through their mental connection. "I see it. How he’s doing this."

Skullius felt hope.

As his hands continued to dismantle Fulgardt, who drew closer and closer by the second, he asked, "You do? How?"

The reason Skullius had merged Weaver with the statue of the bird in the monastery – as it represented the ability, Black the Observer – was so that the Apostle could exercise one of his greatest strengths.

Black the Observer was an ability that granted its user formidable sight that exposed weaknesses and drew their attention to intricate details in all targets, living or non-living. Coupling this with Weaver’s expertise, as he was a Null Life creature that helped create the Null Verse, seemed like the best move for Skullius if he wanted to key in on everything Fulgardt was doing without his knowledge. Weaver was likely to understand all those manoeuvres, regardless of how small.

As it so happened, the Nulliergrapher picked up on what Fulgardt was doing.

"It is remarkably complicated, my liege."

"Less praising the bastard and more explaining, Weaver!" Skullius barked.

But then the Immoral was right in front of him.

...!!!

"Why do you keep backing away, brat? Have you gotten shy?" the Immoral roared before grabbing Skullius by the wrist and flinging him upwards!

Skullius gritted his teeth and stopped himself before he crashed into the wall. The monastery was still his domain, after all.

Fulgardt was soaring towards him, the look on his face projecting a stunning amount of glee.

"Weaver!" Skullius cried while forcing all the Inverted Amras hands to fly up and catch up to Fulgardt.

At the same time, he activated Black the Prayer.

Unlike the previous abilities of the monastery he had used, Black the Prayer, Black the Grace, and Black the Penance could be used in rapid succession to cleanse the enemy.

NDONG! NDONG! NDONG!

A massive, unseen bell was ringing above. The noise it made was visible, and perhaps even tangible. The monastery blurred with each toll, wobbling and pulsating.

Countless decibels rang, their purpose to immobilise the enemy by crushing every functioning concept within their body.

This worked on Fulgardt. The first pulse of noise had already disrupted his heart’s rhythm, blown apart his brain, and shattered his mind. Thus, he slowed in his ascent and was butchered by the Inverted Amras hands flying from below.

...But of course, he returned and was debilitated again.

And returned and was debilitated again.

And returned and was...

"It’s inevitable, my liege," Weaver was saying with a voice livid with interest and intrigue.

Skullius scowled and activated Black the Grace. The earrings that had appeared on him earlier, shaped like the Stark Constellation, were suffused with a purple glow. Skullius pointed at the latest Fulgardt, who met his eyes with creepy enthusiasm.

Four great linen cloths attempted to garb the Immoral in a pretty, glossy black gown. It was a gown for those marked for a righteous death within the monastery.

The Stark Constellation flashed on Fulgardt’s forehead, beaming bright. The Immoral’s expression brightened exaggeratedly. It was the kind you’d see on a serial killer who was delighted at having his final meal.

This didn’t deter Skullius, however.

"Black the Penance!" he cried.

...And nothing happened.

...!

But why? Why?

"My liege," Weaver said right then, as Fulgardt allowed a chuckle to leave his lips. The gown of death shuddered away from his body, "it is a paradox. Even if you kill Fulgardt, you will not kill him. That is what he has decided."

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