Chapter 845 Useless
Then it happened.
A figure shot out from the underground with immense speed, trailing a glowing streak of blue and purple energy.
The shockwave from its emergence rippled through Sector 8, shaking buildings and sending tremors across the land.
The figure crashed into the Aegis Shield of Sector 7 with such force that the entire sector shuddered. Buildings swayed, cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, and people throughout the capital screamed in terror.
The paragons froze, staring in shock. So did Blackgate, blood dripping from his lips as he struggled to stabilize himself midair after ricocheting off the shield.
In the next instant, an icy voice reverberated through the entire sector.
"Godspeed Grace,"
It sounded like the rumble of thunder, its familiar tone causing the paragons' gazes to narrow.
In the blink of an eye, a streak of blue and purple tore through the air, blindingly fast. All eyes locked on Atticus's blitzing figure as he appeared in front of the reeling Blackgate, his katana slashing downward with a power that seemed to split the heavens.
Blackgate's eyes trembled as the attack closed in. His mind raced, disbelief washing over him. It was as though he were in the middle of an existential crisis.
His Blackgates were what defined him. To him, they were everything. And yet, a 17-year-old had just copied them.
This was the last straw. A surge of anger rippled through his body as Blackgate snapped.
His expression turned cold, and his voice boomed.
"You must die!"
A massive Blackgate enveloped him just as Atticus's attack descended.
The katana slashed through the space where Blackgate had stood. The missed attack tore through the sky, creating an explosion that lit up the entire sector.
The shockwave rocked the world, the destruction spreading like ripples in a pond.
Blackgate reappeared high above the battlefield, his aura flaring with rage. His voice thundered across the chaos as he pointed down at Atticus.
"You must die!"
Blackgate's roar reverberated through the battlefield as his energy surged, enveloping the entire sector in a suffocating aura. Above him, an army of Blackgates tore open in the sky, appearing from every direction.
From within them came an onslaught of attacks: raging torrents of fire and lightning, rabid magical beasts snarling and tearing through the air, and spatial blades shimmering with energy sharp enough to slice through mountains.
The sheer volume of the attacks made the heavens themselves tremble.
The destructive onslaught converged on Atticus from all sides, threatening to bury him beneath their endless power.
But Atticus remained unmoved.
His body radiated a divine calm, his swirling purple-and-blue eyes cold and unfeeling, as though everything around him was beneath him.
Through it all, Atticus and Blackgate moved like specters, weaving through the chaos at impossible speeds.
Their movements were unbothered, as if the storm of gates and attacks didn't exist. They clashed again and again, their strikes creating shockwaves that rippled through the sky.
But then, something changed.
Blackgate's mind faltered for a moment. A strange sensation crept over him, like a whisper at the edge of his consciousness.
'Something's wrong.'
The thought echoed as an intense feeling of danger surged through him. His blackgates were an extension of his body, allowing him to see everything on the battlefield.
Because of this, he could see, anticipate, and evade every one of Atticus's attacks. But now, something felt off.
It felt... redundant.
'I've been here before.'
His mind worked quickly, and then it clicked.
'It's a loop!'
His gaze snapped upward, locking onto a katana descending toward his head.
Blackgate's eyes widened. 'He got me.'
Even as he gazed at Atticus, Blackgate couldn't feel his presence. Somehow, Atticus had masked his aura and trapped him in an endless loop!
[Dimensional Loop]
[Aura Masking]
Atticus's gaze was cold as the katana descended. There was not a flicker of triumph or happiness in his eyes. He had used two arts in tandem, and to him, this outcome was inevitable.
Blackgate's eyes narrowed, and he focused instantly, a blackgate materializing just in time to catch the descending blade.
But Atticus's gaze flickered.
The gate collapsed.
Blackgate's eyes widened in shock.
'How???!!!'
Before he could process what had happened, the katana appeared mere inches from his head.
An overwhelming fear surged through him, and in an instant, he roared.
"Explode!"
In the next moment, the world erupted.