Chapter 336 Impervious, Unstoppable

They stood shoulder-to-shoulder amidst the false realm resembling their original homeworld, facing the enigmatic Faceless One that ominously stood there with the disguise of the Devilheart.

"What do you want?!" Emilio shouted to the Faceless One, "Are you mad I figured out you were a slimy, scheming manipulator?!"

The Faceless being stood there, peering without eyes and speaking with absent lips, only glistening teeth, "Ethan Bellrose; Emilio Dragonheart. Asher Morrows...Asher Devilheart. It's nice to see you two getting along so well. To answer your question...I mean not to slay you, Ethan; no, no, no. I mean to take away the gift that Adam gave you, and take Asher's body as my own."

"What?..." Emilio responded.

"This is only a small fraction of my true self; worry not," The Faceless One spoke, "The Primordials that govern the After would never let more than an ounce of my being enter this land. But...that's enough. Help me obtain the Devilheart's body and I will help you achieve your goals, Emilio Dragonheart. You'll find my wisdom as sufficient as Adam's. How about it?"

–The answer came swiftly as both the Dragonheart and Devilheart responded in unison with the activation of their systems, side-by-side, spurring on their transformations.

The black, demonic flesh wrapped itself around Asher's body in sturdy armor before the skull helm clasped around his head; draconic scales stretched over Emilio's body, snapping on and hardening.

[Devilheart System Activated] [Dragonheart System Activated]

[Current Stage: 3/10 | Hell Walker] [Current Stage: 3/10 | Dragon Warrior]

"To hell with you and your schemes," Asher said.

"I'll burn you away–once and for all," Emilio claimed.

The Faceless One's ever-present, unsettling grin only widened as he seemed prepared for combat, waving the sword he held around, "Don't mistake yourselves into thinking this is the end. This is just the beginning–perhaps you'll stop me now; perhaps not...but I'm always watching, always planning, always weaving history, always moving pieces. I hoped we could play a bit longer as friends, Ethan, but it seems now is your time for graduation."

Relinquishing the disguise of the Devilheart, the Faceless One instead took the shape of a creature of a blinding complexion; skin that glistened like snow yet with the spark of stars, taking the physique of a lanky humanoid, devoid of any features beyond cosmic eyes that opened and closed all around its body.

Emilio and Asher both already knew it well; what they faced wasn't the "true" form of the Faceless One, yet, it was an unbelievable enemy nonetheless. Even more important, it was an important proclamation–a declaration of war and separation from the whims of the conniving god.

It felt nostalgic, even if not too long ago, the wall between life and death made them seem long apart; standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a kindred spirit in the face of an otherworldly horror.

"Go!"

As they both burst forward with unrestrained speed that shattered the concrete at their feet, rippling shockwaves that burst the hollow windows around them, the Faceless One waved his hand forward, revealing an opened eye on its palm.

"Do you comprehend what it is you stand against?" The Faceless One asked in a silvery, but skin-crawling voice.

"Well, we can discuss it once we wipe out its parasite here," Asher said, wearing his helmet again, "--Focus on overwhelming it with wide-ranging attacks. It's hard to hit, but I imagine it can't take much of a beating."

"Right. Let's do this," he agreed, readying himself as his draconic armor glowed between its cracks with an azure shine.

There was no more time to chat as the building they hid on began rumbling before suddenly snapping in half, being flung through the air by a simple gesture of the Faceless One.

Though they both leapt towards the same target, jumping from the shattered buildings, a "glitch" in reality flickered like static as the faceless entity vanished.

"What were you two discussing?"

–Between both reincarnators, it reappeared, whispering into their ears and forcing them both to flip around and respond with attacks in that same moment.

The power wielded by the Faceless One could hardly be described as the same "power" wielded by others; it existed on a different plane entirely, unpredictable and imperceivable.

Twisting both of its arms so that its eye-bearing palms looked at both Asher and Emilio, the eyes blinked, causing both of them to be stunned immediately.

'Can't move!' Emilio thought.

'I'm stuck...!' Asher thought.

​ It wasn't just as though movement of their own muscles were stunned, but they were suspended in the air completely as the pale-skinned being, layered in primordial eyes stood on the space between them.

"I did not wish for things to become so violent between us," the Faceless One spoke while the two were suspended, "Alas, I'll make sure you won't remember this encounter–after I take that curse from your eye, Ethan. On the other hand, Asher...You won't be with us long enough for a grudge to matter."

It was a horrific, unstoppable sight; from the eyelids present on the snow-white palm of the enigmatic figure, abyssal tendrils extended, possessing a monstrously large size that would be impossible to fit within the entity's body. These tendrils crawled in the air towards the unmoving Devilheart, seeking Asher's body.

"I will begin the assimilation of your soul; with your body, reincarnated child, great things will begin," the Faceless One spoke quietly with a grin.

Though he couldn't move his lips or emit a single breath, he instead called upon one resource of his own, calling upon it in a way he never thought to–drilling the intent through his mind:

'...Help me, Soulbound Spirit!' He urged.

–Before the abyssal limbs could reach Asher, the inner call was heard from Emilio as a spirit manifested right then and there, one of the six he was contracted to but didn't recognize: a tall, broad-built knight in violet armor, wielding a massive, studded hammer.

"Hyraaaah!" The unknown spirit leapt through the air itself before smashing its hammer down against the Faceless One.

While the attempt to assimilate Asher was halted, the bludgeoning weapon did not crush the entity as the snow-skinned, malignant figure stood there, holding its palm out as if completely solidifying the space between its hand and the hammer like an impervious barrier.

"Begone."