Bro, I'm not an Undead!-Chapter 1620: The Masked Man’s Pace (3)

’The hell?!’ was the common reaction by all the captives. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Everyone had come crashing down into the scorching sand after some aspect of their powers suddenly failed. The gravity here cancelled out any form of flight, and thus the wings of the Cavern, the Void Clot of the Void Users, Kintar’s newfound ability to naturally stand on mana to keep afloat float, and Gerriey’s Magecraft were of no use.

’Did he create a new world with his ability?’ Kintar thought before she stopped herself from crashing face first into the sand. She had other means to fly unrelated to mana – her Agility, altered by Skullius’ [Unbound]. ’Damn it!’

She looked around. The Stark Troops were in trouble. With a glance, she knew that even the properties of their Granted Armament had been neutralised. None of the Starmations within their armour were usable now!

As it appeared, Aurolio, Elita and Uyuniya who were slowly rising from the dirt were in trouble as well. Their Void Clot was gone, and worse yet, something was threatening to dispel their Mastered Void Gate. They had to reinforce themselves to the limit to keep their powers from dispersing.

’Fuck! Is there anything this asshole can’t do?’ Aurolio thought and snapped to Elita.

He could sense the frustration under her mask as well.

How in the world was Rias capable of suppressing other Existential Parallel powers?

How indeed.

Pherdanta was also asking herself the same question.

Out of everyone who was dragged into the odd space, only she had landed gracefully on the ground – unhumbled. She simply cut down gravity with her slashes. She had a grave face on, though.

’The increments from my Stages are gone, as well as my mana and Class,’ she thought and looked at her sword. ’Hm. Fortunately for me, my technique is tied to my sword. I’ve somehow retained my techniques. Must be because of that strange power that changed [Great Sempiternal Vein] and [Universal Error] in the Under.’ She scanned everyone else. ’Not sure if the others were spared, though.’

She had just finished the thought when she felt a feverish burning inside her cells that pushed her strength up. Pherdanta ground her teeth. The temperature rose from around her and the sand gushed away, threatened by her strength. At once, she turned sharply to Kintar.

The former Realm Source Mage gave her a quaint nod. Indeed, it was her doing.

The House Heads and the Stark Troops were empowered further than before too. In terms of physical prowess, they were replenished. They hissed as their skin turned red.

Pherdanta was glad.

’I see. Somehow, she’s retained her magic. She’s replenishing our lost physical strength,’ she thought.

...But then her eyes bulged and she snapped to her left.

The sand groaned and burst open. A massive, poison green cactus rose up and up like a tree to a height of almost ten meters. It was vaguely shaped like a human, with the face of an old, bald man. It also spotted arms crossing over its chest, melted into its body. It was a work of art.

But no one could bring themselves to admire it. It was, after all, burning, devoured by vicious red flames – Undeath energy. Its shadow was cast over Pherdanta and everyone else.

"Urgh!"

The Stark Troops groaned in pain.

BZZZZTTT!

At once, the Stark Constellation on the Stark Troops and Unlimited Stars sparked, shielding them.

’That thing is trying to press us with Undeath!’ Pherdanta noted and she immediately unleashed three [Great Vein] slashes, violently cutting down the cactus.

...But seven more cacti exploded from the ground all around the desert, facing all the masked man’s enemies and casting shadows that would immediately turn the unprotected into Undead minions!

"ARRRGH!" Another one of the Generals of Boron was caught in the attack. Two seconds under the shadow of a cactus was enough. It was suddenly engulfed with red flames and it let out a shrill cry devoid of natural life.

Ashema and the other Generals shuddered. To avoid the same fate, they expelled Amras to shield themselves (Ashema was shielded by a fellow General). Amras, wasn’t, after all, something the masked man could cancel out casually, just as he couldn’t cancel the proceeds from Fundamental Barter. The natural abilities of the Cavern – part of the power system granted to them by Boron – on the other hand, were easy pickings.

It was a harsh predicament for everyone, indeed.

...But then Rias added himself to the mix. He leaped off his deer head immediately after it finished conjuring this dimension and dashed ahead.

Aurolio, Elita, Uyuniya, Kintar and Pherdanta all noted his target at once.

’Straight for me, huh?’ thought the Commander of the Stark Troops.

Elita was the first to streak in front of Pherdanta defensively. It was a product of her Mastered Void Gate Aspect. It responded by increasing her physical attributes when she was doing something noble – something selfless.

Kintar was the second to respond to the masked man’s dash.

...But it amounted to nothing.

Rias phased right through Kintar as though he were a mist... and flitted past Elita who was already swinging her Broodweiler. He reached Pherdanta before she could release a [Great Vein]!

...!!!

Pherdanta’s life flashed before her eyes. Death was invited her way, and it charged like a rolling boulder, intent on killing her.

CLAAAAANG!

A horrendous, blunt impact shuddered across the desert. The masked man was suddenly flung backwards, spinning. He landed on the sand a second later. His eyes narrowed in the direction he’d just come.

Something had swiped him away from an instant victory against Pherdanta and forced him back.

Pherdanta only allowed the feeling of cold, wet fear to dominate her for a second, and then she took in the view of the person who’d saved her.

It was Aurolio. The Void User was brandishing an unusual weapon in front of him, and it was ringing and vibrating shrilly. He was having trouble holding it. Blood dripped from the base of his Bare Guise.

’FUUUUUCK!’ he thought and then he turned behind him to Pherdanta.

"If you’re so damn special that you’re that fucking asshole’s priority, do something!" he cried.

...And Pherdanta did.

Her eyes honed in on Rias and she released several [Great Veins]. Each one drew on her stamina. She barely maintained a proper stance when swinging her sword.

...Unfortunately, that was not enough.

Suddenly, the desert rotated ninety degrees. Everyone was now facing another direction. Everyone except the masked man.

Pherdanta found that she had aimed her attacks against nothing by the open desert instead of the masked man.

’NO!’ she cried from within and hurried to turn around, as did everyone else who realised what had just happened.

Indeed, the masked man had immediately launched his assault after the desert had spun. He had just seized Pherdanta’s left shoulder when Kintar and Elita zipped in close, both desperately aiming for his head.

Both their attacks phased right through Rias. They were inconsequential.

...But Aurolio’s wasn’t.

He swung his strange weapon and barely missed the masked man, who retreated briskly... but not before ripping a chunk out of Pherdanta’s arm!

Everyone tensed even as Rias retreated and cast aside the flesh in his hand onto the dirt. It sizzled in the heat, issuing smoke into the air.

The desert was hungry. Starving, even.

"Keep it up. We’re almost there," he said coldly to his enemies, and his deer head in the distance... licked its lips with a giant grin. The masked man’s hazel eye zoomed in on Pherdanta’s bleeding arm.

"Boom." He gave the simple command, and...