Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System
Chapter 154: Divine Combat

'I can do it–right now, right here–I have to,' he convinced himself, drawing in one more breath.

["Abyssal Agent: Hades"] [Mana: -2000] [1500/4000]

A mass of hollow shadows ran across his body, stretching and shaping into a uniform that clad itself around his body. Once it enveloped him, it constricted and emerged with a phantasmal,

teal blaze.

It shrouded his face beneath the hood made of mystical fire, extending down to his daggers that were engulfed in the blueish-green heat.

Armoring his body in the abyssal infusion, a rush of strength filled his body as his muscles were rejuvenated by higher power. As soon as he donned the fleeting transformation, he set forth with a dash.

He crossed the distance between himself and the God of Heroes in an instant, leaving a trail of heat in his path as he immediately wrapped around to the back of his opponent. In that moment, he seemed to even overtake the lightning-wielding figure by surprise as he slashed his daggers at the Storm King's back–

From his blades, a burst of hellish flames slashed at the God of Heroes from behind, though passing through nothing but the glass structure as the agile figure vanished. Just from the single movement, the torrent of fire slashed across the length of the sky-born arena before exploding against the other end.

"Now, this is getting interesting. Caught me off guard there for a moment," the voice of Sirius met his ears from behind.

That sensation of electricity sparking against his body brought the hell-clad assassin to duck down nimbly just as a blade of lightning carved above his head. He used the discolored fire to surf upon, sliding himself back with fiery finesse.

Ahead, the God of Heroes brought his hands together before parting them with a grandeur of coiling power. As the assassin slid upon his hell-born flames, he witnessed Sirius swipe his hand down before a magenta shine overwhelmed the transparent arena.

From above, an array of lightning bolts descended towards him, bringing him to sprint past them while bringing himself closer to his enemy. With frightening speed and precision, the downfalls of lightning curved around to target him, forcing him to reflexively move his body to avoid being struck.

"Hfff–" Finn exhaled while moving.

It brought his senses to the limit, contorting his body with no more than a millisecond to react as the serpentine bolts chased him. As the proximity of the assassin drew near, Sirius brought his arms out, extending blades of lightning that formed with a far reach before slashing them rapidly.

Finn jumped up, spinning around to avoid the initial movements of the electric-forged swords before landing on his feet. He immediately was forced to bring his daggers up by his shoulders as the lightning blades slashed in, clashing against his fire-engulfed weapons.

"Ngh!--"

Against the vast strength of the magnificent element, he rejected the bolts, kicking himself forward with a dast that cast a gust of fire in his wake. He brought himself face-to-face with the God of Heroes, bringing both of his daggers back–

["Ripper"] [Mana: -100] [1400/4000]

He tore both blades forth with ferocity, causing the wind to hiss as the ice-cold flames crossed into an "X" shape. The fire was narrowly avoided by the nimble god, who slipped right between the slashes before retaliating with a thrust of his hand aimed right for the assassin's chest.

Finn watched the man's fingers close in before spinning himself around, countering with a quick slash, though it was evaded again. He didn't let up, flipping himself around as he weaved the blaze into a burning wheel sent right for the heroic foe.

It was swiftly intercepted by a blade of lightning extending from Sirius' fingers before the electric figure slipped back and wove his element into a new form. A bow made of fickle electricity was made as the ethereal string was pulled back by the God of Heroes.

Finn immediately began to move, dashing to the right, then to the left, zigzagging before the divine bow was released–THWOOM.

Multiple projectiles released, as the arrows shot as thunderbolts, causing the wind to roar before electric impacts exploded against the unbreakable glass. Finn flipped himself around as one of the lightning-made arrows struck near him, producing a shock wave that nearly knocked him off balance.

The neutral clash brought them once more to square one as he stood his ground, exhaling a breath of frost. He tried his best to control it, though his hands trembled as he clutched his blades.

'Not yet…I can't release it yet,' he convinced himself.

"Abyssal Agent: Hades"--a remarkable ability that not only armored the user in the bitter flames of the underworld, but bestowed an incredible boost to one's physical capabilities, from their strength to their senses. However, it comes at a price.

With every breath, the assassin's body temperature drops; hypothermia sets in, turning one's blood to frost and their flesh succumbing to frostbite.

"I'm turning up the voltage, so try and keep up–!" Sirius shouted.

As the assassin focused himself, he found that the God of Heroes had strands of electricity tracing from his shining irises, causing the man's hair to stand. Though he laid his eyes on Sirius for a moment, he found the divine figure vanishing, dancing from place-to-place, crossing dozens of spots on the glass structure, zapping across the sky–

Everywhere, all at once; Sirius' presence was felt everywhere. Traces of the magenta lightning trailed behind each movement of the lightning, producing an erratic constellation in the sky.

Finn's eyes darted rapidly, attempting to track the figure, though it was like trying to keep track of a single flake of snow amidst a blizzard.

"Right here!" Find more to read at m_v l|-NovelFire.net

–Just as he looked to the right, the voice flew by from the left, followed immediately by an impact that struck him in the ribcage. Just as one strike was felt, another came, then another–

Ten? Twenty? Maybe, even forty? He lost count, only knowing dozens of impacts struck against his body in what felt like unison.

Each strike thundered against his body, though he remained on his feet, attempting to track the man who moved as lightning itself.

'--How do I deal with this sort of speed? It's like asking a turtle to catch a fly…This guy–he's way too damn fast,' Finn thought, observing the flickers of magenta lightning that bounced off of the glass and sky alike.

There was only one choice he could replace in his mind when it came to confronting an opponent that vastly outclassed him in speed.

["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

Extending the wind that swirled around him, he spun himself around, raising his daggers as he directed the roaring tempest to amplify the flames that engulfed his blades. Feeding the air into the frosted blaze, using the unruly element to churn it, what was created from the movement was a fiery tornado.

'--This is something I could never do with the others around! I have to target everything around me–without prejudice!' He thought.

It took some effort not to be blown away himself, standing in the center of the storm of his own creation as he guided it with his own daggers. All of that force, the chaotic swirl of the ice-cold fire that swirled with destructive grandeur, he pivoted around, bringing his daggers to his side.

["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

With every ounce of strength in his body, he honed it, concentrating the rampant element to his daggers as the storming fire extended from his blades like the length of greatswords. A newborn skill, not one granted by the system, but by his own ingenuity.

As he wielded the flaming tornadoes, standing amidst winds of frosty fire, he found himself facing a calamity of thunder. A sea of gloomy clouds consolidated between the hands of Sirius, condensing into a singularity of lightning.

"I'm still breathing, still fighting, for the sake of this world and the memories of those who lived within it!" Sirius' voice boomed with thunderous might. "--Without believing in something, there's no meaning! None at all!"

Purpose; belief–those words rang through the skull of the assassin, resonating with memories of those dear to him. What surfaced to him was the very last guidance he received from his lost friend, the very thing that kept him moving forward.

"Alone, I don't amount to anything–" Finn admitted, staring down the vortex of clouds and sparks ahead of the glass landscape amidst the sky. "But, I believe in what he believed. That humanity still has a chance, that my world isn't finished yet–that's why I absolutely need to defeat you."

The proclamation from the soul of the assassin was heard through the raging storm, meeting the ears of the God of Heroes as a genuine smile found itself on Sirius' lips.

"If your resolve is as you say, then make it reality with those blades of yours–because I'm not moving out of your way!" Sirius challenged with a million-volt smile.