Chapter 388 - 386:Attack vs Defense.
I often said I had yet to encounter anyone who could take a proper punch from me and stay standing, barring my old man, Valen, of course. With his use of negation, he had been the only one to shrug off my punches.
And that had remained largely true... until today.
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
The moment we clashed, a golden light engulfed the Celestial as my fist came into contact with something extremely solid.
CLANG!!!
The jarring sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the clearing as a shockwave blasted outward.
I raised an eyebrow as the light show died down and the Celestial reappeared.
"What? Playing dress-up now?" I smirked. Yet before the words could even settle...
SWOOSH!!
The air split apart as a massive golden sword connected with my body.
BANG!!
I was sent flying back from the unexpected attack. Stopping myself midair, my curiosity deepened.
"That attack... it felt familiar." I leveled an expressionless look at the now-transformed Celestial.
His entire body was encased in a bright golden armor, runic encryptions running along its surface. He held a golden circular shield bearing the image of a blindfolded goddess, alongside a sword more than twice his height. A helm covered his face, revealing nothing save for twin golden eyes burning like flames.
He looked, if only for this moment, like something divine. Pair that with five pairs of wings moving gently behind him, and you could well see why his kind considered themselves superior.
But that wasn’t my concern. All I cared about was why that attack had felt so familiar.
I pushed the thought aside, and then...
BOOM!!
I launched myself forward.
ROOOOOARRRRRR!!
Elira manifested in my grip as I swung down...
SWISH!
The air split as her axe blade descended upon the Celestial, who merely stood his ground, raised his shield, and then...
CLAAAAAAANGGGGG!!!!!!!
The sound of clashing metal rang out furiously. Yet before I could react—
SWISH!!
The Celestial’s sword came swinging back, its blade shining with a brilliant golden luster. I swerved, placing Elira in the path of the attack.
CLANG!!!
The strikes met, and I felt a tremendous force transmit through Elira’s blade, one I easily dispersed.
But...
BANG!!!
A shield bash to the head sent my body staggering back a single step.
"You..." Again. That sword attack...
"Ahh... it seems you’ve figured it out." The Celestial finally spoke, his tone smug, addressing me with pure disdain. "Absorption and Reflection. Those are the divine aspects I was born with."
His words dripped with superiority. "Do you know what that means, mortal? It means whatever you throw at me, I can throw back harder."
At his words, my curiosity deepened. So that’s what was happening.
Still, I couldn’t just take the Celestial’s word for it, so...
BOOOM!!!
I shot toward him again, Elira swinging down...
"Absolute Series..."
The world stilled. I could see the golden eyes behind the helmet blaze to life as Elira’s blade connected...
"...Heaven Rend!"
CRAAAAAACKKKKKKK!!!!!
A massive fissure spanning farther than even my perception could track, tore through the earth below. The attack was far more powerful than what I had used on Terra, but...
SHING!!!
A golden light erupted from the Celestial’s shield, and then...
SWIIISH!!!
His blade tore through the atmosphere, a horrifying amount of power gathered at its edge.
"DIE!!!"
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!
An explosion rocked the region as another massive fissure tore through the earth in the opposite direction, the ground collapsing inward from the damage.
WOOSH!!
The dust scattered as I appeared before the Celestial once more, this time trying something different...
"Pocket Dimension..."
Taking a page from Aunt V’s book, I trapped him in a separate space cut off from the world, but—
SHIIING!!
Following a blinding golden glow, the man reappeared, his blade turning a sinister dark purple as...
SWOOOSH!!!
A space-rending slash tore through the atmosphere, gouging out and vanishing swathes of land into the infinite void as it flew toward me.
I reached out, caught the attack, and then—
SHATTER!!
With a clenched fist, I shattered the blade into tiny spatial particles.
My eyebrows rose even higher. It seemed to be true...
"You really can return all forms of attack." I still couldn’t be entirely sure, there were plenty of things I hadn’t tried yet, but from what I could see...
"Hahahahahaha!!! You dared doubt my words? Of what use would lying to you be, mortal?"
"Heh... you seem pretty confident in yourself." I smirked, deciding to test something else.
"Condense!"
I pulled out old faithful as I commanded the abyss’s atmosphere. My fingers slowly curled into a fist as the weight of the region’s environment converged around it...
RUMBLE!!!
The realm shook as a terrifying aura began leaking from my clenched fingers. The process was impossibly easier this time as even now, I felt no strain.
"Compress!"
I compressed the force, pushing it further down. I wasn’t just using the atmospheric weight—I was actively using my concept of Physicality to increase the density of my fist. Like I did for Sulvan’s test, I was making my fist...
"Let’s see what you do against a fist with the weight of a planet."
I grinned as spatial displacement instantly placed me right before the shocked Celestial, and then...
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!
My fist connected squarely with his shield.
The world around us imploded as the earth visibly caved inward. Fissures ran through the land like manic veins.
RUUUUUUUMBLEEEEE!!!!!
A deafening roar echoed into the distance as multiple structures collapsed from the aftermath, but...
SHIIIIIIINNGGGGGG!!!!!!
A blinding burst of golden light bathed the entire region as a heavy weight descended upon the battlefield.
"Marvelous..." My grin widened as a gigantic blade tore through both land and sky, rushing toward me, and then...
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!
It collided with a cataclysmic impact. The devastated landscape finally gave out completely. Spatial fractures appeared all around us, the structural stability of the environment no longer capable of withstanding the forces we were throwing out.
"DOUBLE STRIKE!!!"
Just when I thought it was over, an even heavier weight descended as the sword swung out once more. This time, the attack’s damage had been doubled.
CRAAAAACKKKKKKKKK!!!
Space fractured and shattered like fragile glass. Our forms reappearing in an empty void-like region as storms of chilling wind brushed against us.
SWOOSH!!
A figure retreated rapidly as the Celestial distanced himself from me.
"You... how do you still stand?" I could feel the sheer disbelief and shock in his voice.
And I could understand it. After all, the two attacks he had dished out, one bearing the force of a planet’s density, and the other doubling it, hadn’t budged me from my spot.
"How I do what I do isn’t your concern, Celestial," I replied offhandedly, curiously staring at the empty void around us.
Chaotic Comprehension was going crazy in my mind as notifications threatened to flood my vision, but I pushed them back as my focus returned to my opponent.
"You took that... Not only took it, but sent back something even more powerful." I was genuinely impressed. Such an ability was beyond broken.
"Do not lump the capabilities of Divine Aspects in with the lowly talents you mortals are so proud of!"
"Oh. So Divine Aspects are more powerful, huh? Good to know. Now, how do I break your turtle shell?" I grinned, suddenly far more excited for the fight.
My capacity for destruction was being challenged so thoroughly, it would be an insult not to answer back.
"Heh! Foolish mortal!" The man laughed. "My shield can withstand and absorb the force of multiple exploding stars. What can a puny mortal like you compare to that?"
"You know, someone once bragged about his runes being capable of enduring the force of multiple exploding stars," I answered, fist raised. "Do you know what happened after he said those words?"
I locked eyes with him, and then...
SHATTER...
"I broke them. And that’s how I’m going to break you."
"It is futile, mortal! All you throw my way, I shall return in kind, and more!" The man took a shield-and-sword stance, remaining undaunted.
There were multiple ways I could tackle this turtle. But what would be the fun in taking the easy route?
CRACK!
I cracked my neck as I got ready.
This might have been a troublesome scenario if the answer wasn’t as simple as the challenge. After all...
"All I have to do is punch harder than your shield can take, right?" My grin sharpened. "Well, that I can definitely do. Now tell me, Celestial... have you ever been punched at the speed of light?"
**********
A/N: Yo, The Ultimate Attack vs The Ultimate defense, who’s winning? Cast your votes, and I’ll see you in the next Chapter, and as always...
**********
Thanks for reading...