"I say, you... how far will you go to make a fool of me, you hopping-and-skipping insect!?" Having completely lost his composure, Regulus fu
"I say, you... how far will you go to make a fool of me, you hopping-and-skipping insect!?"
Having completely lost his composure, Regulus furiously charged toward Natsuki Subaru, his speed so great it left afterimages in the air.
Although his movements were chaotic and lacked any form, his speed, which defied common sense, was more than enough to compensate for his lack of technique.
"So fast!"
Even Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but be shocked by this instantaneous burst of power. It seemed that this time, Regulus was finally getting serious.
In that split second, Natsuki Subaru stomped hard on the ground, unleashing the power stored in his right leg in an instant. With a precise sidestep, he evaded the fatal blow.
Tch!
Regulus's attack grazed the corner of Natsuki Subaru's clothes, and the resulting gust of wind stung his cheek.
As he dodged, Natsuki Subaru's mind raced, and he finally understood the true nature of Regulus's ability. That superhuman speed was the result of applying the mechanism of time-stop to his own body. By stopping the time of his own physical form, he was able to escape the shackles of all physical laws—ignoring gravity, overcoming air resistance, and breaking the limits of inertia. This was the truly terrifying aspect of the Sin Archbishop of Greed's Authority.
"But why doesn't he use this move often?"
Natsuki Subaru keenly observed that in this state, Regulus could only attack in a straight line; he was completely unable to turn. It was likely that even he couldn't fully control this power, much like a sports car without a steering wheel—once accelerated, it could only charge straight ahead.
"Hah! I knew it, you were just bluffing!" A twisted smile reappeared on Regulus's face, his golden pupils flashing with a mad glint. "It's annoying, but it's also to be expected. Considering the gap between you and me, the outcome was decided from the start, wasn't it? This is for the best. I finally don't have to listen to your boring nonsense anymore. Ah~ How refreshing!"
Watching Natsuki Subaru continuously dodge, refusing to face him head-on, Regulus became even more convinced that the so-called "soul attack" from before was nothing but a bluff.
Regulus used his radical anger and irrational reasoning to correct others. It was precisely because he never doubted his own actions that the man known as Regulus Corneas existed. If he had ever noticed the slightest contradiction in his own words, things might have been much better.
As Natsuki Subaru thought this, he silently continued to evade Regulus's attacks.
Seriously, trying to have a coherent conversation with a lunatic like Regulus was mentally draining. That's why facing a Sin Archbishop made one worry if their own sanity was still intact.
"I say—do you have no self-awareness at all?" Regulus shouted as he attacked, his voice filled with a morbid glee. "Before you, I don't know how many arrogant fools who didn't know their place tried to defeat me! And the result? They couldn't even touch me! For a worthless transgressor who foolishly tries to exceed their own capacity, for someone who doesn't understand their own limits yet still craves for more, this is the end they deserve. Isn't that just the natural order of things?"
Ironically, the Sin Archbishop of Greed, who constantly proclaimed his desirelessness, was now hysterically asserting the childish logic that desire leads to ruin. In his twisted mind, desire would ignite pointless conflicts, desire would breed endless avarice, and desire would bring about infinite tragedy.
Therefore—he concluded—desirelessness was the noblest virtue, and a simple life was the proper way for humanity to exist.
Pathetically, however, the man spouting these grand principles had never practiced a single word of them himself. This Sin Archbishop of Greed, who claimed to be desireless, was nothing more than a selfish man who forced his twisted standards onto others, using the most brutal methods to uphold his absurd ideals, all while putting on the air of a compassionate saint.
"Regulus, you really are a complete and utter scumbag!" Natsuki Subaru coldly judged in his heart.
"Humans... you'd be fine if you were just satisfied with the status quo, yet you insist on coveting things that don't belong to you. That's the reason you bring about your own demise," Regulus said, gently stroking his silver-white hair, his voice laced with a feigned pity. "Why can't you ever learn your lesson? You hopeless fools are truly pathetic."
Regulus watched Natsuki Subaru with eyes full of delight, as if looking at a man on the verge of death.
"Alright, you have severely infringed upon my rights. I must execute you."
"Is that so?" Natsuki Subaru responded calmly. "Are you sure you can kill me?"
In terms of physical ability alone, he was indeed very strong right now. But against an opponent like Regulus, who possessed a rule-bending Authority, pure strength was a joke. An Authority was a rule in itself. If he couldn't break that rule, Regulus was invincible, Natsuki Subaru thought.
He had already used his Status Recovery, and his trump cards were nearly exhausted. Right now, the only thing he could rely on... was that.
"A braggart who only knows how to run his mouth!" Regulus's face twisted again. "This is no longer a time to talk about rights! The way you pretend to have seen through me is infuriating! Go to hell!"
With Regulus's roar, the air around him seemed to explode. A violent shockwave tore fissures into the ground, but a prepared Natsuki Subaru had already predicted the attack's trajectory, dodging the fatal blow with a clean and decisive roll to the side.
Natsuki Subaru landed steadily on his feet, deliberately lowering his voice so that every word carried a heavy weight:
"This was supposed to be my forbidden art, one that requires the sacrifice of my own life force to perform..."
As he spoke, Natsuki Subaru slowly raised his right hand, which held the Kasaka's Dagger, pointing the blade directly at Regulus. His gaze was as sharp as a knife.
"But to put an end to a monster like you, I have no other choice."
In reality, Natsuki Subaru had no "soul attack." All he had was the active skill from his system: Bloodlust.
That's right, the Bloodlust skill had been remarkably effective against the White Whale. Natsuki Subaru wasn't sure if it would have any effect on Regulus. In the power system of this world, besides magic, there were two special abilities: Divine Protections and Authorities. Their priority was: Authority > Divine Protection > Bloodline.
A Divine Protection was a talent granted by the world's laws, often seen in powerful humans. Reinhard, for example, possessed hundreds of Divine Protections. These abilities tended to be physical enhancements or rule-based support, usually without side effects, but their effectiveness depended on the holder's aptitude.
An Authority, on the other hand, originated from a Witch Factor and was a supernatural ability capable of breaking the world's rules. For instance, the Witch of Envy's power devoured a part of the world, directly overriding its operating principles. In short, Authorities tended to interfere on a causal level, while Divine Protections focused on enhancing physical laws.
So, can my system's skills... surpass an Authority?
That was a question with no easy answer... but he was out of options. Natsuki Subaru thought to himself.
"Still bluffing about winning when you have no moves left, I see," Regulus said, stopping his attacks to look at Subaru. "Do you think that if you just keep attacking, I'll admit defeat? That I'll lose? I am a desireless being. For the record, expecting someone else to give up is, in itself, a sign that you look down on their spirit from the bottom of your heart."
"Then let's put it to the test," Natsuki Subaru said, looking Regulus straight in the eye with a serious expression. "Let's see if my 'soul attack' can pierce through that pathetic, invincible defense of yours."
"Nonsense!"
Regulus's brow furrowed, his face a mask of displeasure, but a flicker of imperceptible unease crossed the depths of his eyes.
What the hell is this guy talking about?! For over a hundred years, no one has ever been able to harm me. My ability, my strength, they are beyond question! I am the most perfect being in this world!
Regulus's internal monologue was filled with a distorted confidence, his face twisting slightly from the emotional turmoil. He just couldn't understand how Natsuki Subaru, cornered and desperate, could remain so composed.
Why? Why is that? Could it be... that there really is a way to defeat me? That's impossible...
Although Regulus vehemently denied it, a thorn named 'fear' was now stabbing mercilessly at his nerves from the depths of his soul.
"My only trump card now is my Bloodlust skill."
Natsuki Subaru's expression remained calm as he mentally calculated, pulling up the system interface and glancing at the skill.
Active Skill
[Skill: Bloodlust]
Cost: 100 Mana
Effect: Use a powerful aura to plunge a designated target into a state of 'Fear' for 1 minute. Can target multiple enemies.
Effect 'Fear': All stats are decreased by 50%.
Will the Bloodlust skill work against an Authority wielder?
This was Natsuki Subaru's only trump card, and his final gamble. After all, against an enemy of Regulus's caliber, even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success, he had to bet on it.
With that thought, Natsuki Subaru suddenly adopted a combat stance, lowered his center of gravity, and pointed the Kasaka's Venom Fang Dagger at Regulus, roaring fiercely:
"Die—Regulus!!!"
In that instant, the Bloodlust skill was unleashed with its full power. A formless black energy erupted from Natsuki Subaru, surging towards Regulus like a tidal wave.
Regulus's golden pupils instantly constricted to the size of pinpricks. The mocking sneer on his face from a second ago twisted into a mask of horror, his lips trembling uncontrollably. A sense of dread, originating from the deepest corners of his soul, suddenly seized his heart, nearly suffocating him. This fear was unlike any physical threat; it was a terror that acted directly upon his spirit, as if someone had reached out with icy fingers and gripped the very core of his life.
This was the first time in the hundreds of years since becoming the Sin Archbishop of Greed that Regulus truly understood the meaning of the word 'fear'. He had always been the one to inflict terror upon others; now, it was his turn to experience it.
"Wh-What is this!?" Regulus's voice became high-pitched and distorted, his teeth chattering uncontrollably, unable to form a complete sentence.
"My body... it won't listen to me..."
Regulus stood frozen in place, his expression one of utter panic, because he could clearly feel that his entire body's condition was completely different from before.
"Could it be... this is what he called a 'soul attack'?"
At that thought, Regulus's heart hammered wildly in his chest. This spiritual terror was a hundred times more horrifying than the most frightening nightmare he could imagine.
I'm going to die... If I stay here, I'm really going to die! I'll definitely be killed by this guy in front of me! I... I can't die... I'm perfect... I'm Greed...
An unprecedented thought suddenly consumed Regulus's entire mind.
I have to get out of here, now!
Dignity, image—none of it mattered more than staying alive. The strongest Sin Archbishop, who had faced even the Witch of Vainglory without batting an eye, the perfectionist who prided himself on his elegant composure, was now completely dominated by the most primitive survival instinct. The meticulously maintained elegant image, the perfect persona—in this moment, it all became worthless.
"Aaaaaah—!"
With an inhuman shriek filled with unprecedented terror and panic, Regulus turned to flee like a startled animal. His movements had lost all of their former grace and composure; he looked just like a common man who had been scared out of his wits.
In the blink of an eye, the white figure had vanished at the edge of the plain, leaving only a cloud of dust in its wake.
The entire battlefield fell into a bizarre silence. Everyone seemed to be frozen in place, staring in disbelief in the direction the Sin Archbishop of Greed had fled.
"He... ran away?" Crusch's voice was barely a whisper, her emerald-like eyes wide with disbelief. As a commander who had personally experienced Regulus's terrifying power, she knew better than anyone how strong that man was—he was an existence that defied all reason. And now, that invincible monster had actually fled?
"The Sin Archbishop of Greed... was actually wounded by Lord Subaru's 'soul attack' and fled without a fight."
Even on the weathered face of Wilhelm, the battle-hardened old Sword Demon, an expression of unprecedented shock was written. The feeling of helplessness he'd experienced when he had previously clashed with Regulus, the despair of all his attacks being nullified as if sinking into mud, made the scene before him all the more unbelievable.
"Subaru-kyun..." Felix's cat ears twitched slightly, his golden eyes filled with astonishment. "To think he would go to such lengths..."
"That kid..." A look of reverence appeared on Ricardo's rugged face as he marveled in a gruff voice, "Just how many tricks does he have up his sleeve?"
In the eyes of the crowd, the scene that had just transpired was simply incredible. Natsuki Subaru had merely shouted "soul-killing move," and the seemingly invincible Sin Archbishop of Greed's face had paled in terror before he fled as if he had seen a ghost.
The soldiers of the subjugation team looked at each other in stunned silence. Some even pinched themselves hard, wondering if they were dreaming. Many of them had witnessed firsthand how Regulus had nonchalantly nullified every attack. The feeling of despair from that moment was still fresh in their minds.
And now, that nightmarish enemy had been defeated by their comrade—Knight Natsuki Subaru!
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