Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Perfect Night Domain.

A skill forged by Skullius during his time in captivity in Inhone City. It was a skill primarily for capturing a target and RESTRICTING their abilities while bolstering Skullius' own for what could be called, a genuinely unfair advantage.

This is what had been used just now.

The Hybrid Luman had sent a wave of darkness that blasted forward and caught up to the speeding culprits. Even if he couldn't sense them, they would be trapped within the enclosure. Of this, Skullius was sure.

Behind him, the figures of Ed, the other guards and Stylla looked at him, baffled at the tremendous power behind the cascade of darkness that voraciously ate everything up!

What manner of strength was this?

What nature did it hail from?!

Stylla especially was pretty rattled.

She had been under the impression that Skullius had lost his first match in the Royale because he was simply outmatched and outclassed, with no further deliberation on other factors. Now, a possibility spawned in her head.

Was Skullius actually holding back some of his powers?

"Keep up!" the Hybrid Luman called to everyone following behind him as he shot forward.

The [Perfect Night Domain] he had conjured had been erected from ahead of his position to the entrance that lead to this hidden space – the direction most likely to be where Setkh and Karrun were escaping to – thus Skullius wasn't actually in the domain itself.

He dashed towards the massive wall of darkness.

'Karrun's technique is pretty strong. Does he have an Advanced Class? Even with [Perfect Night Domain], I still can't sense his or Setkh's presence! Did I catch them on not?' Skullius wondered while sinking within the dark enclosure.

In this dark space, the floating bodies of Karrun and Setkh completely submerged in darkness were barely conscious, yet the former's technique was still active. Setkh was drowning in drowsiness as his will was crushed, regret pounding on him like a hammer. It seemed all he had persevered through, was about to turn meaningless all because he had failed to commit to one choice.

That seemed like the case.

However, his maroon ring flashed, a radiant light suffusing from it as in the next moment, three streams of what looked like dark red mist shot from it, charting their way through the thick darkness in different directions!

One knocked soundlessly against a stairway masked by the darkness while another swirled in the pitch aimlessly, as did the last.

The streams coagulated, their fumed masses dispersing to outline three human figures.

This elaborate view was only for Skullius who watched on in surprise as the only one capable of seeing through the [Evil Darkness], even while blind.

He frowned.

One of these newly arrived figures spoke, but his voice was muted by the effects of the [Perfect Night Domain], once again, its only audience being the master of this domain.

...!

"What a stifling night..." it said.

Following those words, the darkness disappeared as if it were never there in the first place.

...!!!

Skullius reeled in genuine shock!

No way!

What surprised him wasn't that his darkness was dispersed. That could be done by sufficiently strong combatants as his affinity with [Evil Darkness] was still only at the B rank.

What took the breath out of his false body was the fact that his darkness... hadn't been dispersed at all!

It was...

"Queer..." the same voice that had spoke within the darkness sounded again.

It came from a man adorned in a black and blue coloured robe that reeked of mana, a glittery beauty over its tough exterior advertising its quality. A grey scarf was wound around his neck, somehow matching well with his long, draped grey hair and handle bar moustache.

In his right hand, as he stood on one of the many stairways, was a wooden sceptre housing a black gem atop it, as well as a peculiar little creature.

A lizard?

No.

It was a small salamander the size of a man's palm!

Its scaly body was darker than the night and around it, reality seemed to deconstruct itself into tangling lines, the very origin of the world!

The little salamander's large, yellow eyes looked unblinkingly at Skullius who still wore a flabbergasted visage because he was certain that...

That was his darkness...!

The darkness making up [Perfect Night Domain], had been transformed into that little salamander!

This was...

"Transmutation..." Skullius said as his guard peaked in an instant.

This meant... his opponent was a Mage!

"Indeed..." the man with the robe and sceptre confirmed Skullius' words with an unamused wink. "I thought that darkness was merely some kind of... basic elemental application but I confess myself sorely mistaken."

The Mage ran his finger over the little creature on the sceptre before turning his gaze turned to two individuals.

Karrun and Setkh.

The latter was breathing heavily... anxiously as he also looked at the Mage. Karrun merely kept his eyes wide open, his feet arranged for action any time.

"Don't even think about slipping away," a voice crept from beyond Karrun's shoulder and he felt himself get bound tightly from behind in the blink of an eye.

A freakishly muscular man was standing behind him, his one hand binding both of his wrists.

Setkh turned to this man as his anxiety grew, along with his regret at using the maroon ring to summon this bunch.

"It was ingenious on your part to hire such a valuable asset. I still can't believe this little runt can escape even leader's eyes with his technique."

The human shaped muscle mass clutching Karrun chuckled. His drooping red eyes and abnormally large grin were unsettling, contrasting adversely with his pale blonde hair in a mullet-like style.

"Because of that, I'LL hang onto them..." a third voice said, followed by the emergence of neon, yellow coloured nooses that gripped Setkh and Karrun's necks tightly!

The two grunted.

The man responsible for this stood a distance from them, in his hand a yellow coloured Genuine Incarnation in the shape of a short rope, its end tied into a noose.

This man looked ordinary – stern face with sunken cheeks, chapped lips, bored ocean blue eyes and short, glossy brown hair.

He raised his hand with the Incarnation of a noose and the replicas of it around Setkh and Karrun rose too, lifting them off the ground!

"Take them. It's about time we get this over with. Have them show you where IT is quickly," the Mage said as he swiped the air with his hand.

A distortion popped through the space, large and small black particles forcefully emerging to cause sparks that stretched the firm air in order to open a portal!

The process wasn't easy though.

'There is some interesting runic infrastructure here. It's obstructing my control. Hmmm, the absence of mana is also makes this difficult. Queer... This is only enough to stop mere Master Mages though,' the Mage thought as a flood of refined mana bubbled from him, causing a ferocious blast wave to creep from his body and knock back everyone except his partners!

Even Skullius was sent tumbling down the steps but he quickly recovered, his senses showing him the man with the noose pulling Karrun and Setkh through a bright portal that had been successfully created! 𝒇𝘳𝐞𝚎𝓌𝑒𝑏𝒏𝑜𝙫ℯl.c𝚘𝒎

'SHIT!' Skullius cursed as he forged a [Bead of Malevolence] and sent it hurtling towards Setkh's body!

Sadly, the robed Mage noticed its shockingly fast approach and opened a mini portal right when it was about to knock against the oblivious Setkh!

...!

PCH!

One of the guards grouped up on the steps suddenly had their head blown off, their body falling to the ground as a quick dark object darted across him!

The Hybrid Luman sensed this and wore a dark face.

'He teleported my attack that easily?'

Things had gotten really bad.

Ed stood before Stylla who was still reeling in shock and fury, his long sword steady in his hand. He called to the other guards to keep formation and not to get distracted as they keenly looked to the threat while also guarding Arisa the Head maid.

Skullius clicked his tongue.

Setkh, Karrun and that other man swiftly vanished through the portal.

"Setkh, you coward!" Stylla roared madly as she watched this traitor disappear.

'Damn it!' Skullius cursed again.

Well, there goes his promise. But it wasn't too late.

"What's the point of this? There's so few people to fight here," the muscular man said with disappointment, his eyes scanning over everyone before zooming in on none other than Ed.

Aha!

A Master Stage expert!

At least a high level one!

His interest was peeked somewhat!

Skullius' body burned with thickets of mana subconsciously.

As he saw the half naked hulk readying his large limbs for a high speed pounce, he reflexively raised his guard even further.

'He's no pushover," he thought with caution, many plans racing through his mind.

His mind worked on overdrive but even while preoccupied, it registered something.

...!!!

A strong breeze fettered against his skin before a heavy fist nearly as large as his head pounded into his face and sank in!

"Out of the way, weakling!" a boisterous voice called at the same time as Skullius flew with a series of after-images, his body smashing against the ground forty meters away, bounced up violently and crashed into three other stairways a hundred meters away!

The sound of the impacts as well as the shockwaves of the incredible force and debris only showed themselves moments later as the one of the receiving end disappeared into the darkness!

The hulking pile of excitement guffawed as he darted towards Ed whose stance changed, a daring look as cold as snow and as sharp as the edge of a blade sparkling in his eyes.

A menacing, precise energy surged from him, exciting his opponent who didn't stop his charge!

This was good!

This was very good!

Being summoned like this was worthwhile when an equally dangerous opponent was the prize!

The muscular beast of a man cocked back a tight fist and hurled it with all his might while Ed's sword moved, leaving a pristine trail of reflective light!

Both attacks met in the middle... but only one prevailed!

It was a fist forcing its way into the hulk's thick face with a terrible force.... and weight!

The delivery was so fast that Ed, his opponent and the onlookers had missed it, the previously awaited clash of brawn and sword rendered meaningless!

However, what everyone didn't miss was the shrieking of the air as tens of thousands of tonnes worth of weight hammered cruelly into the enemy and sent them flying rapidly, their appearance shrinking in everyone's sights!

BOOOOOM!

The reinforced walls of this place received the man who had just eaten this attack within them, their solid stretch crackling as bits of themselves fell!

The Mage smiled in amusement as he glanced at his partner and then at Skullius who healed himself while wiping away the blood from his face, licking some of it with his tongue.

"Who the flesh are you calling a weakling?" he said with an annoyed visage.

Ed was dumbfounded.

As were the others.

That was speed was unreal!

Even if they were distracted, that kind of movement was on another level!

They didn't see Skullius until just now!

The Hybrid Luman began to address while keeping his focus on the enemies.

"Stylla, I don't think Setkh is escaping yet. He and that other man who took him are looking for something. Something precious that's like in this... I see. They are looking that thing you told me before, right?" Skullius said, coming to a realisation mid sentence.

Of course!

This had been Stylla's conclusion when she told him, hadn't it?

Stylla was about to respond after pushing away her tumultuous thoughts and emotions but Skullius cut her off. She just needed to listen and act.

"You can leave this place the same way you came in, right? Go now. Take everyone with you. I'll keep these guys busy. I trust that you and Ed can handle that rest outside."

Ed paused and smirked.

"We can," he said as he grasped Stylla's shoulder.

"Then go."

Stylla had much to say but she didn't argue.

She had sealed the entrance to her father's resting room which had all the most powerful runes around it so her concerns about that were lessened.

She could hardly believe these unexpected guests cared for her father anyway.

She bit her palm and touched the floor, a door made of runes appearing on the ragged surface with a spatial qualities.

"Don't die, you hear?" Stylla said to Skullius with an emotional huff to which Skullius responded with a thumbs up with his back turned still.

The group vanished into the door quickly while Skullius kept his attention on the movements of the unresponsive villains.

When everyone was gone, he finally spoke, directing his voice to the Mage.

"You don't mind them leaving?"

The Mage shrugged as he caressed the salamander on his sceptre.

"Whether they are in here or out there, I could care less. They will die anyway. Seddrik always kills. Innocent or guilty. What's more surprising is you remaining here to fight us on your own. Are you that confident?"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A heavy noise shook the space.

It was the beefcake.

His face was bleeding profusely and his nose was broken but a fever was burning on his visage, bleeding into his reddened eyes as he gazed at Skullius with eagerness!

"I was so wrong! You! You're the one I want!" he yelled as his body just now produced a radiant neon light.

Skullius breathed out exasperatedly.

'I knew it. This man took a full force punch from me without defending with his Perfect Aura and he's barely harmed...' he thought.

If that didn't scream danger, he didn't know what did.