Chapter 741 - Pale Imitation
...
Outside Siren's main headquarters...
Izroth's Ninth Sword Form: World Quelling Ripple immediately extinguished all hostile energy sources within twenty meters. After doing so, the ripples continued to travel outward with every passing second.
As the ripples approached Enigma, a mystical aura encompassed his body. Then, just as the energy neutralizing wave from Izroth's ninth sword form washed over Enigma, it came to an abrupt halt.
'Hm?'
Izroth quickly discovered that there was something off about the quelling ripples after they made contact with Enigma. For some reason, he could no longer feel a connection to his ninth sword form. It was as if something interfered with his control over the sword skill.
"Resisting is futile." Enigma's voice sounded from right next to Izroth.
Izroth swept his sword in a full arc was as his Sword of the Storm sliced through the air!
Swoosh!
Izroth's blade cut effortlessly through Enigma, severing his body in two. However, Izroth inwardly frowned when his sword passed sliced into Enigma.
'There was no feedback.'
The Sword of the Storm was certainly a sharp blade, but there was always some feedback whenever he cut something.
Just now, Izroth did not experience any such feedback and instantly knew that something was off.
"I see... So you choose to resist until the end. Very well. Since you have no desire for a quick and painless death, I shall grant your wish. I am curious—how long will it take until you descend into madness?" Enigma spoke with his body still cut in two on the ground.
Right after he finished speaking, Enigma's body crumbled into countless pieces before being carried off by the wind. At the same time, Enigma reappeared a few meters in front of Izroth without a single scratch.
'He's not using illusions, but with what's happening, it's difficult to think of it as something else. There's also the possibility that I've been secretly poisoned and I'm seeing things, but it would have to be a poison close to the level of the Immortal Hydra's. Of course, there's always the third option... But, first, there is something I need to confirm.'
The ground returned to normal as the quelling ripples faded away. But, less than a couple of seconds later, a new wave of ripples formed and spread out in every direction.
Izroth used his Sixth Sword Form: Double Blooming Lotus to mimic his ninth sword form.
The overall power and effects were greatly reduced compared to the original skill. However, unlike last time when his gaze was locked onto Enigma, Izroth immediately followed up with Sword Arts: Four Steps of Death.
Swoosh!
Izroth gained a large burst of movement speed. But, instead of charging towards Enigma, he moved full speed in the opposite direction!
If someone was observing the fight from an outside perspective, it would seem as though Izroth was attempting to flee!
Of course, Izroth had zero intention of running away.
The moment he arrived roughly ten meters away from his previous position, Izroth slashed outward with his Sword of the Storm, acquiring the first stack to his Sword Arts: Four Steps of Death.
At the same time, the quelling ripples from his ninth sword form came to a halt just they had done previously. And, at first glance, nothing had changed from Izroth's last attempt. But, as Izroth's blade swept through the air, something unusual took place. The surrounding space fluctuated as he felt his Sword of the Storm crash into a solid surface.
However, there was nothing there—at least, that's how it appeared at first glance.
Without warning, the space near Izroth's Sword of the Storm began to fluctuate as a metallic object with three short and thin blades revealed itself. It was a claw-like weapon with sharpened edges that made one feel uneasy just from being near it.
Soon after the weapon was revealed, a second spatial fluctuation took place as Enigma emerged with a cold look in his eyes beneath his mask as his gaze met with Izroth's.
"He blocked my talon? My attack pattern must have been too predictable... I'll admit, I underestimated him. Nevertheless—I don't believe he is capable of seeing through my ability. After all, even those in the legendary realm would not necessarily be able to accomplish such a feat, let alone someone below that realm." Enigma internalized.
In the end, Enigma concluded that Izroth must have used a bit of skill and luck to stop his attack.
As Enigma swiftly organized his thoughts, a carefree smile formed on Izroth's face that caught him off guard.
Seeing that carefree smile on his target's face caused Enigma's expression to darken. They had only managed to intercept one of his attacks and now they dared to look down on him?!
Enigma maintained his composure; however, the killing intent he emitted grew increasingly fierce.
Enigma pushed his talon forward with a great burst of strength and used the momentum generated to aid his retreat a few meters back.
"You should have gone all out with your first attack. Because, from this moment forward—your attacks will no longer reach me." Izroth stated with a natural air of confidence.
After listening to Izroth's words, Enigma thought he must have gone crazy. Suddenly declaring that none of his attacks would reach—what a joke!
"There exists a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Allow me to show you just how far across the line of arrogance you've wandered." Enigma said indifferently.
The next moment, Enigma started to step slowly in Izroth's direction. It was the same technique he previously used to evade Izroth's perception!
In the blink of an eye, Enigma vanished without a trace and reappeared a couple of meters behind Izroth just as he did last time; however, he immediately noticed that something was wrong.
"Impossible...!" Enigma muttered to himself as his arm trembled along with the talon on his hand. It felt as if he had just struck something several times harder than steel and received a harsh backlash as a result.
But, more importantly, Enigma could have sworn that his strike was deflected by his opponent! And, this time, it could not be written off as sheer luck.
"Has he truly discovered a way to predict the outcome of my False Phenomenons?" Enigma thought to himself.
False Phenomenon—this was the name of the ability that made Enigma into one of the most feared assassins in all of Siren and gained him the title of Left Song.
This ability allowed Enigma to influence the phenomenons that occurred around him. For example, if something was moving slow, he could make it move fast. Or, if an attack such as Izroth's ninth sword form was headed his way, he could influence its energy signature to include his own, effectively giving him control over the skill.
Of course, this ability was not omnipotent. He could not do something like directly influence the life or death of another being. In addition, every time he used False Phenomenon, it consumed a portion of the divine power he was bestowed.
That's because False Phenomenon was not an ability Enigma taught himself or learned from Siren. It was a rare ability gifted only to certain worshippers of the God of Disharmony. In other words, it was a blessing from a divine being!
This was the reason why Izroth's Energy Vision Sense and the Quelling Ripples from his ninth sword form seemed to have no effect on Enigma. After all, divine power was not just some ordinary energy source.
"I have spent many years developing a connection to the God of Disharmony so that I could earn their blessing. It's due to their magnanimity that I can wield the power of the False Phenomenon. Against those below the legendary realm, I am invincible." Enigma internalized.
Enigma completely removed the distracting thoughts from his mind as a new wave of absolute confidence washed over him. The person before him was not someone in the legendary realm, so what was there for him to be concerned about?
Izroth sensed the sudden change in Enigma's demeanor and could not help but inwardly smile.
'Oh? It looks like he finally decided to start taking me seriously. But, I'm afraid his luck is quite poor.'
All of a sudden, Izroth's Sword of the Storm disappeared. Then, in a flash, the Scorched Inferno's Fang spear materialized in Izroth's hand.
"What you're using can only be described as a pale imitation of the real thing. Since that's the case—shall I show you how it's truly done?" Izroth stated as he shifted to an offensive stance!