Chapter 127: Everyone vs Everyone, Part II

Chapter 127: Everyone vs Everyone, Part II

The miasma poured down Basils throat and sapped away his lifeforce.

You have lost 194 Max HP and 85 Max SP!

Basil grunted. Deaths Banner

Brinas sword closed in on him in the blink of an eye.

Accelerated Hasten!

Were it not for his Chronomancers Perk allowing him to cast spells at an accelerated rate, Basil would have died on the spot. The speed burst provided by Hasten let him dive to the ground in the nick of time. Brinas claymore cut through a wall rather than severing his neck.

[Deaths Banner] protected you from [Death Miasma]

The Horseman of War immediately followed through with a new swing. Since her claymore burned with the anti-magical blue flames that had stripped him of his buffs in the first place, Basil could not afford to parry it.

Instead, he threw a Water Elemental Orb at the ground. The liquid turned to steam when it touched Brinas fiery blade, temporarily blinding her. Basil immediately followed through by opening his inventory.

Item Selected: [Mercedes-Benz Citaro].

A blue bus erupted from his hand and smashed into the distracted Brina.

The vehicle was propelled across the armory. Brina found herself trapped between a stone wall and the windshield as they clashed. She immediately threw her claymore through the latter; the weapon traveled across the vehicle like a harpoon, came out of its back, and nearly impaled Basil. The Dragonknight barely managed to dodge, and the blade ended its course halfway across the room.

Basil briefly glanced at the bus back as he formed an elemental orb of fire in his hand. The specially prepared vehicle was filled with explosives, steel shrapnel, and other joyful traps. The Dragonknight ran towards the nearest exit and threw the fire orb over his shoulder once he reached safety.

The resulting blast bathed the room in fire and steel projectiles. One bounced off Basils armor as he moved into the next corridor.

1450 [Metal] damage! [Fire] damage negated by [Laevatein]! You have taken a tenth of Brinas health!

A tenth. Basil cursed as he read. All of this effort for a tenth of her health and a minute of respite.

Basil tactically retreated rather than stand his ground. He knew Brina would catch up in a short time, so he began reapplying his buffs.

Flash of Prescience, Runestorm: Water Though Brinas strike didnt prevent him from renewing his buffs, doing so burned through his SP reserves at an accelerated rate. Savage Rune, Monster Cure.

His last spell was meant to heal his allies from Belphegors foul smog, but a red system screen immediately dashed his hopes.

[Monster Cure II] cannot heal [Death Miasma] damage!

Basil growled and summoned one of Rosemarines miraculous apples from his inventory. The fruit healed the wounds he had taken from Brina, but not the effects of Belphegors vile magic. It would likely stay that way so long as the Horseman of Death remained free.

Basil quickly figured out Brina's strategy. If she couldnt slay him outright, the valkyrie would settle on disrupting Deaths Banner until it killed his teammates. The best option was to avoid a direct confrontation, track down his allies, and regroup.

Everyone! Basil shouted as he entered a broad hallway. To his horror, he found half a dozen rotting corpses on the ground; soldiers whose flesh had been stripped away from their bones by Belphegors miasma. He couldnt even identify their factions. Twelve archways punctuated walls lined with marble statues of the Olympians. Where are you?!

Ghostly wails and spectral weapons answered his call.

Three translucent warriors emerged from the ground. None of them looked the same; one was an axe-wielding Viking warrior from an age long gone, another a knight in shining armor. The last was a hooded figure with a bow shooting a volley of purple arrows.

Basil deflected the projectiles with his halberd and then engaged the ghosts in melee. He cut through the Viking berserker with a lightning-quick swingMortifre immediately dispelled the ghost back into shapeless ectoplasmand swiftly predicted the knights flanking move with Flash of Prescience. Basil parried the sword with his halberd, and the mere contact destroyed the specter.

Mortifre disrupted Brinas connection to her Einherjar warriors!

Though these warriors were nothing to scoff at, they couldnt last long against a Deathknight of the Sepulchre. Basils build was optimized to destroy ghosts, and none of them possessed a shadow of their masters skills. They were slower, more fragile, less skilled, and a glancing blow from Mortifre was enough to exorcise them.

Or perhaps the Horseman of War was simply so dangerous that all warriors came up short compared to her.

Basil swiftly cut down the archer, only to quickly realize his mistake. A fireball flew over him and blasted the other end of the hallway. A stone archway collapsed atop a statue of Zeus and buried the exit under debris.

You have banished my Einherjars from this plane. Brina blasted the doorway behind her with a second fireball upon entering the hallway. A pile of rocks swiftly cut off the last remaining escape route. I didnt think it was possible.

Basil adopted a fighting stance. Will I join them if you kill me?

If you are worthy of Valhalla, then yes. Brina shrugged as she summoned a claymore to her hand. You should look forward to it, brave soul. It is a great honor.

Ill pass. Though he remained defiant in the face of danger, Basils pulse quickened. His options were fast running dry. He could try to blow his way out of the trap by blasting the ceiling or walls, but that would leave him open to Brinas attacks. He didnt have a second booby-trapped bus to throw at her.

Shes more skilled than I am, but Im slightly faster too, Basil thought. If I cant afford to counter her strikes without endangering my team then I must play all offense. Wyrm Spirit could give me the edge.

He still had one card left to play.

Pth. Basil touched his fur cloak and called upon its power. Activate!

The artifacts magic activated. His muscles ripened and his skin turned into a thick layer of fur. Sharp fangs grew out of his elongated maw and his nails extended into claws that could rip through steel. His armors shape-shifted to accommodate his transformation until he became the picture of a fantasy war bear.

You have transformed into a [Werebear] (Humanoid/Beast). Your physical stats are buffed and your HP temporarily doubled (Max HP reduction increased to 388 HP).

Basil rarely used this transformation because his hands turned into paws, which prevented him from wielding weapons correctly. Yet to his surprise, his halberd easily stuck between his elongated thumb and other fingers. It should have slipped in between them, but it didnt.

Your [Soulbound Weapon] refused to fall from your hands!

Pluto was smiling at him today.

His transformation amused Brina. Are you a berserker?

I was once. I grew out of it. Basil raised his halberd with one hand. He hoped his new strength would make the difference. Lets dance, Horseman. You need a hug.

Then he charged with a roar.

It took a minute for Bugsy to dig his way out of the debris.

The Apolloworm emerged from under layers upon layers of rocks and steel. Only the sight of ruins welcomed him. The hall was a vision of devastation, with most of the neurotowers once supporting the ceiling now buried underground. The roof was gone, replaced with a cloud of purple miasma. Only the statues of the Trimurti remained more or less intact.

Is Mr. Kalki all right? Bugsy immediately checked up on his friend and let out a sigh of relief upon finding him and his girlfriend still unharmed inside their forcefield. We dodged a bullet on that one.

However, the absence of the rest of his team worried Bugsy greatly. Were they still buried under the debris? He closed his eyes and focused on his enhanced senses to better locate them.

He had no problem finding Rosemarine. The giant dragon was trapped deep under the rocks below, her breathing causing the rocks to shift. Bugsy detected the faint pulse of Plato near the statues, though he couldnt see him.

And then, there was the mechanical figure sneaking up on him from behind.

Bugsy flapped his wings and leaped into the air. A metal fist impacted the ground right where he had been a second ago. The sheer power of the blow sent stones flying in all directions.

Tremorsense? the false god Ashok muttered to himself. A layer of lightning coated his cracked metal body. No, something better.

Bugsy tried to find a clever retort, but came up short. He was too worried for his friends' safety. Where is the Boss?! he snarled at the false deity. Where are my friends?!

When Ashok answered with a lightning bolt, Bugsy realized he shouldnt ask his enemies questions. He should deal with them the Major Chicken way.

By roasting them to death!

Bugsy flew around the hall to dodge the lightning bolts and quickly countered with his Star Bomb. His maw opened to unleash spheres of molten plasma as hot as the suns surface. Ashok swiftly ran across the debris with inhuman speed.

Zeus-Ashoks [Vrontios] increased his Agility in his God-Field!

Ashok moved as fast as lightning, too quickly for the naked eye to follow. But Bugsy did not need to see his enemy to predict him. His unique Gravity Field let him detect all movements in the air and predict the false gods movement. A well-placed Star Bomb would blow him to kingdom com

Sin, he heard Ashok speak in between two lightning bolts. Envy.

A sharp pain caused Bugsys mind to stop at a screeching halt.

The noxious pestilence permeating the air suddenly started corroding his chitinous carapace. The miasma seeped into his lava veins, ignoring the heat and the magical defenses. Fuming holes appeared in Bugsys wings and caused him to lose control of his flight. His strength and speed waned.

Zeus-Ashok has stripped you of all your buffs! Belphegors [Death Miasma] is sapping your Max HP/SP!

Bugsy crash-landed near a crumbling neurotower and bounced off its forcefield. His enhanced senses became a curse rather than a boon: it only sharpened the pain and made Bugsy acutely aware of the poison consuming each part of his body.

I have I have to fight on! Bugsy hardened his resolve and faced the approaching Ashok. It would take far more than that to put him down! You wont hear me scream!

Far from it, Ashok replied. He closed the gap between them in a flash of light, his fists raised for the kill. I mean to save you.

Save yourself from this! Bugsy thought as he unleashed a stream of plasma from his mouth. A sea of flames covered the world, yet Ashok simply leaped over it. Bugsy immediately opened his jaws and attempted to bite him mid-flight.

His mandibles snapped around Ashok, only to be blocked by strong metal hands. The false gods weight forced Bugsy to the ground and the two of them began wrestling among rocks.

However, Bugsy immediately felt something unnatural swelling within him. A warmth hotter than his own lava.

Your godly essences are resonating!

Huh? Bugsy thought in confusion.

As I guessed. Though Ashoks mask remained expressionless, the glee in his voice betrayed his true feelings. Apollo calls out to his father.

Light swallowed both fighters.

Bugsy opened his jaws to breathe flames, but no plasma came out of his gullet. Lightning traveled through his exoskeleton and numbed his muscles. His nerves no longer answered his brains commands.

Ashoks metal hands were starting to fuse with Bugsys mandibles.

What The words formed in Bugsys mind, but his mouth wouldnt bring them to life. What is this?

This is polymorphosis, Ashok explained calmly. Ive been fascinated by this phenomenon since I discovered it the fusion of souls into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Like Ronald? Bugsy tried to focus, but his very thoughts slipped away from him. Pictures of burning battlefields, of summary executions, and the torture of poor humans flashed into his mind. Things he had never seen; memories that werent his own.

Hypathia attempted to gain this power by combining two essences, but she made a foolish mistake. Ashoks voice became a distant echo with each passing second. She refused to surrender her individuality, and thus failed to achieve Nirvana. But though you are my enemy, creature

Bugsys eyes darted at his legs in panic. His chitinous exoskeleton started to take on the texture of metal. The lava coursing through his veins ionized into lightning.

I accept you, Ashok whispered serenely.

Basil Bohens [Deaths Banner] reactivated! You are now protected from [Death Miasma]! [Monster Cure] failed to heal your max HP reduction!804 [Physical] damage! Zeus-Ashoks [Turbo: Physical] pierced through Resistance!Zeus-Ashok gained the [Invincibility] status for one minute! He cannot take damage until then.1164 [Lightning] damage! Critical Health! Critical Health!Zeus-Ashok gained [Fire Vulnerability] (x3 damage when targeted by [Fire]) for ten minutes!Zeus-Ashok killed Plato again! Third times the charm!The [Fire] healed you back to full health (minus max HP reduction)! Basil Bohens [Deaths Banner] protected you from [Death Miasma]!Belphegor cannot use teleportation effects for ten minutes!Vitality check successful! Belphegor avoided [Petrification]!

Reset, he said while snapping his fingers.

Belphegors body turned black and white for a second. The black aura surrounding him collapsed into nothingness, turning the Horseman back to normal.

[Reset Mine] activated! Belphegor has reverted back in time!

Ugh? Belphegor looked around in confusion. My Life For You!

Branio snapped his finger once again and the sequence repeated itself. A sinister aura shrouded Belphegor in darkness, only for time to rewind him back to his previous state. The Horsemans clear panic filled Vasis heart with joy.

What have you done to me? Belphegor shivered, his voice breaking in his throat. What have you done to me?!

Ive cast an advanced Chronomancy spell on you, her father replied with a smug grin. Reset Mine forces you back to the same state you were in a few seconds ago. Your mind will remember what happened, but your body will rewind.

What What the hell are you? None of Belphegors former bravado remained; only fear and confusion. None of the time mages Ive fought could pull that off!

You dare compare me, the greatest Chronomancer since Akhenapep, to some offworld trash? The demon lord of Outremonde locked eyes with the terrified Belphegor. I have no equal and there is no escape.

For once, Vasi was glad to call him father.

Shellgirl glanced at her stone arrows. If his body resets, will he get a new Vitality check?

Yes, Branio confirmed. The result should be different each time you stab him.

Thats a gacha game I can get behind! Shellgirl raised her weapon. Can you please keep resetting him until I hit the jackpot?!

The demon lord snorted. I do not take commands from the likes

Dad, please, Vasi pleaded. Indulge us.

Of course I will help you, her father told Shellgirl, his malice instantly replaced with sugary friendliness. Go on, enjoy yourself.

Shellgirl stabbed Belphegor again with a happy heart, though luck was not on her side.

Vitality check successful! Belphegor avoided [Petrification]!

Belphegor did the only thing a coward could do in his situation: he called for help. Brina! he shouted as loudly as his waxen lungs would let him. Ashok! Help!

It is useless, Vasi warned the Horseman. No one is coming, and death will no longer be your salvation.

Shellgirl punctuated her friends words with another stabbing attempt.

Vitality check successful! Belphegor avoided [Petrification]!

Damn it, hes tough! Shellgirl complained.

How many attempts will it take? Simeon asked.

Depends on his Vitality score, Shellgirl grunted. She duplicated another stone arrow and prepared to stab Belphegor again. Ill just have to keep going.

The miasma will kill more with each minute wasted. Simeon faced the Horseman and looked into his eyes. Remove the weather effect now, fiend. You have my word as a Paladin that we shall take you prisoner rather than slay you if you cooperate.

For a brief moment, Belphegor appeared to grimly consider the offer. He had finally realized there would be no way out of this bind.

Everything you can do to me the Boss will do double. Belphegors desperate expression turned into one of resignation. And I I aint a fink.

Belphegors fiery eyes turned pitch black.

I trust my teammate! he snarled in defiance as the miasma thickened. Shell kill you all!

Belphegor renewed [Death Miasma]s duration.

Brina will kill you, and then the Maleking will destroy your shitstain of a world! Belphegors words turned more high-pitched the more he shrieked. It seemed he had gained an ounce of courage while on deaths door. The trumpets of Hell will announce his coming! Your skies will rain fire and a tide of blood shall wash your corpses away! You will see death on a scale the multiverse has never seen! You will all die, die, die, d

Shellgirl stabbed him in the head for the fourth time.

The arrow did not crumble to dust. Instead, its rocky substance merged with Belphegors body. Wax and molten steel alike took on a brown coloration, and then a mineral texture. The Horsemans flames were smothered out like those of a candle that had run beyond its time. The malevolent undead, who had cheated death time and time again, suffered the same fate as the Unitys countless victims.

Belphegor turned to stone in the blink of an eye.

Vitality check failed! Belphegor has been [Petrified]!

They danced alright.

They struck and dodged and circled each other. His halberd left craters wherever it hit; her thrown knives stained his fur with blood.

You lost half your HP! [Wyrm Spirit] activated! You will inflict 50% more damage!

Brina no longer attempted to parry him anymore, although it would have allowed her to dispel his buffs. She had guessed Basil would cut through her weapon in a direct contest of strength. Instead, she switched to throwing summoned knives from a distance, and then tried to close in with her claymore whenever he left himself open. She had yet to land a hit with her main weapon, but she steadily chipped at Basils health nonetheless.

Basils werebear transformation let him resist hits more easily, though he wouldnt be able to keep it up forever.

He attempted to strike Brina with all his might once again. His halberd smashed a statue of Poseidon, gutted it like a fish, and sent marble shards flying everywhere. Yet Brina dodged nonetheless. Flash of Prescience allowed Basil to predict her movements, but even his heightened bear reflexes struggled to adjust quickly enough.

It wasnt just a question of speed. Brinas reaction time was simply inhuman. Her reflexes were not the result of the Systems guidance, but of decadesperhaps centuriesof constant practice. She knew how to evade each of Basils moves because she had seen them before.

Basil couldnt beat her by fighting like a warrior.

He needed to fight like a madman.

Brina backflipped across the hallway and summoned her rain of swords. Blades materialized below the ceiling and swiftly fell upon Basil. The wisest thing would have been to dodge.

Instead, Basil Bohen jumped across the hallway.

Trusting Flash of Prescience to predict the course of the falling swords, the werebear positioned himself in a way that minimized damage. In a move straight from an action movie, he opened his mouth and caught a sword by the pommel. Immediately he sensed the Systems knowledge flowing into him.

[Holy War Apotheosis] activated!

Brinas sword was his. Its sisters sliced through his flesh in half a dozen other places, but he powered through it all the same.

647 [Metal] damage!

Even Brina looked shocked as he closed the gap between them. She raised her claymore as if expecting a direct clash with his halberd. He instead threw Mortifre straight at her face in a surprise move. The valkyrie instinctively threw her claymore back at the projectile with both weapons bouncing off the other.

And Brina found herself wide open.

Still carrying his stolen sword between his fangs, Basil swirled midjump and sliced through the valkyries waist. Her own weapon cut a body path across her pristine skin. So strong was the blow that it flung the mighty Horseman backward and sent her crashing into a stone archway. The sword remained embedded in her flesh.

Critical hit! 7865 [Physical] damage! You have brought Brina below half health.

Then falling swords impaled him from behind and nailed him to the ground.

647 [Metal] damage! You have fallen below a third of your health!

When all of ones body hurt so much, pain started to lose all meaning. Dozens of blades pierced Basils flesh all the way to the bone, severing his nerves. Some would have hit vital organs without the enhanced muscle mass of his werebear transformation.

Agh Basils breath left his throat sore. The very air tasted of his blood. Agh

He struggled to even move, and Brina quickly went back to her feet after removing the borrowed sword from her body. Though bleeding profusely from her wounds, she summoned a spear to her hands and charged back into the fray without skipping a beat.

The worst part was that Basil saw her coming. He predicted her movement with Flash of Prescience. He just didnt have the strength left to move out of her way.

The spear pierced through his chest and came out of his back. Neither his armor nor muscles stopped it. Basils scream of agony turned into a beastly roar, and he coughed enough blood to fill a Japanese pond.

Supereffective damage! 1220 [Physical] damage, [Fire] damage negated by Bugsys [Alexicacus].

If the werebear transformation hadnt doubled Basils HP, he would have perished here and there. As Brina twisted the spear inside his flesh, he had to face the obvious conclusion.

Defeat

Defeat was inevitable.

No matter what he tried, no matter the legendary equipment he had accumulated, no matter the skills he had sharpened across his journey, Basil Bohen simply couldnt defeat Brina on his own. Perhaps he would have had a chance if he had been allowed to fight her as a Tamer, picked a better battlefield, or invested in stronger classes.

But though one could remake the world with ifs, it did not change the ultimate result.

Need eject party Basil opened his System screen. Words appeared on it. Need eject

The dungeons boss has been slain! Zeus-Ashoks [God-Field] has been canceled! [Xenia] will no longer prevent communications nor teleportation for non-Faction members!

Basils eyes lit up with hope.

You fought well. There was a hint of respect in Brinas voice, and ruthlessness too. But this is the end.

I Basil grit his teeth. I agree

He grabbed her wrist with the last of his strength and teleported them away.

Brina could have refused to follow him across dimensions, but that would have meant letting him escape to fight another day. She did not release him and thus signed her death warrant.

They crashed into a shelf full of potions.

If I may, chief, I would suggest adding more refreshers to your army. Its what made the dwarf catapult combo so effec A voice in the background stopped talking as they noticed the catastrophic crash. Mmm?

At this point, Basils vision blurred from the pain and his sense of hearing had dulled considerably. He struggled to recognize the speaker, though it sounded familiar.

Is this a shop? Brina glanced at rows upon rows of magical wares, from scrolls to artifacts. What is the meaning of

The valkyrie froze upon catching sight of the counter.

Though his other senses failed him, Basils bear nose immediately identified the dreadful smell of death and fresh corpses coming from behind the counter. His blurring vision noticed two red eyes glaring at him from behind a board of miniatures. They were filled with cold anger and frustration.

Walter Tye did not like uninvited guests.