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Thanks to Song's Domain, we managed to survive against the Demon King's onslaught, which was able to overpower my new technique even with all their special, added effects. His domain was mysterious; it was as if he converged both the Yin and Yang and created a force of absolute obliteration, and while doing so, the heavens themselves bended to his will, attacking our foe.
It was a miraculous showcase of his ever-growing potential. And I was left speechless. The best thing was that the areas that his attack reached could no longer regenerate, leaving the two arms of the Demon King with a gray color, withering, and falling to ashes.
However, the bastard still grew new limbs from the rest of his huge, mecha-like body, the massive robot immediately attempting to reach us once more.
But that's where they arrived.
"SONG!"
"ANNA!"
Right in that very moment, two figures, followed by many more, emerged from the layer of heavens above us.
A beautiful white crane woman wearing golden, silver, and white dresses and golden ornaments over her feathered head.
And an intimidating-looking black crow man, with sharp crimson eyes, wearing black and red clothes, his body decorated with silver-colored ornaments.
One represented the rising sun, and another the darkness of the night and the moon.
The Heavenly Empress, the Heavenly Demon!
Oh, and of course, my friends!
Zero One, Fang Shuan, Violet, Snow, Shiro, Wai Tian, Yin Sheng, and even Sara, who accidentally ended up joining us.
"You sure took your damn time!"
I couldn't help but smile.
There's still hope!
[The Cosmic Throne {Mechanical Librarian} is incapable of calculating a good outcome from this!]
[The Cosmic Throne {Mother of Artificial Life} is beginning to rapidly heat out due to the many erroneous calculations.]
[Both Constellations are shocked; they can no longer touch Song Weisheng!]
Yeah, get scared!
These two constellations—I knew what they did!
The reason why this incomplete Demon King can still retain its reason to an extent and obey orders, despite supposedly being mad was...
Because they chose him as their avatar, they had imbued a part of their cosmic souls within it, even as a simulation; that was a fact!
This meant that if we can slay this thing, we could altogether skip the next trial and end everything once and for all.
Of course, that's if things go well!
But is that even hard to accomplish anymore?
The Heavenly Empress and the Heavenly Demon are here, and my friends too.
And Song too; he was with me, hugging my back.
His Domain was still active, unleashing its powers as he suddenly began to drain the Ki from the environment, imitating my own Ki Breathing Technique.
"Song! Let's do this!"
"O-Okay!"
With a brave yet ferocious roar, the little boy condensed the clouds around us and rapidly formed two enormous hands, one of golden light and another of darkness.
"Is that… Song's powers?!" His mother gasped.
"It can't be! Where did he get such a power?! He hasn't even begun to cultivate yet, right?!" his father said.
"Well! He's just lucky enough to have such a nice big sis like me, heh!" I smiled proudly. "Your son is amazingly strong, masters! Please don't try to overprotect him like he's a delicate little thing! He wants to explore the world, and he wants to be recognized by it as well."
I rushed upwards, facing the Demon King's mechanical tentacles head on, as I swung my swords and my daggers, slashing through it. My Aura made of many hands, quickly began holding many more weapons. Mjolnir's Manifestation was summoned, and using the skill of the same name, a divine hammer replica had materialized, which I forcefully shaped into a thunderous sword. And also, I summoned the rest of the demons, turning them all into swords.
At this very moment, I was holding over ten different blades; I had become quite literally the embodiment of a sword-wielding Asura!
Yeah, I'm still weak and lack practice and talent, and my martial arts are barely enough.
I know that!
Therefore, Myriad Self Arts was born.
A Martial Arts that wasn't made for someone that is experienced; it was made for someone like me, who lacks experience yet has accumulated a large quantity of small powers.
By unifying them all together, I achieve a new power, which I can freely shape.
Therefore, it is the embodiment of quantity over quality!
I've already decided I don't have time to sit down for hundreds or thousands of years learning martial arts or cultivating.
Yeah, I rely on many outside powers such as Skills and Equipment.
So I'll just make my Martial Arts utilizing them correctly and squeezing every ounce of their potential by merging it all into one!
I am young; I am unexperienced.
Yet even then, I will put my life into this technique.
My whole life, my path towards the Ending I want to achieve!
My own power, born from countless others I've learned, stolen, or absorbed.
This is my all.
"{Myriad Self Arts}: {Heavenly Asura of One Million Blades}"
A ridiculous name for a ridiculous person like me.
That is the path I've chosen!
FLAAASH!
A domain was formed between me and the demon king.
Its countless eyes glared at me in disbelief.
Time itself had stopped.
The cicada in my head willingly granted me its powers.
Thank you, Goldie.
And then my Aura erupted.
It resembled a titanic demonic asura, absorbing the domain of Song that he granted to me.
There were only like twelve blades, but they all multiplied, almost endlessly.
Blades came from every single angle, from every single place, from everywhere.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
The next step of the Thousand Blade.
A ridiculous power that only I can achieve now.
One Million Blades!
"GRAAAAAAGGGHHH!"
The Demon King screamed in agony as hundreds of thousands of gigantic swords cut through its endless tentacles. The asura of red, gold, green, and azure color from my aura continued attacking, as I noticed that its three heads resembled… me.
The Asura itself was made by the combination of my own Egos, therefore, Myriad Self Arts is a Martial Arts formed from all the Egos I've accumulated, fragments of my own identities split apart by the power of my countless, different abilities.
"Anna… this is amazing!"
The Heavenly Empress glanced at my technique and gasped; the heavens above shook and trembled; the world seemed to be cut apart endlessly.
"EXTERMINATEEEEE!"
Yet the Demon King, with its overwhelming power and cosmic energies, continued fighting back.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
For this moment, we were almost even!
Yet, at any point, I would eventually get overwhelmed.
Dammit, I still need practice.
My techniques, as much as I hate to admit, are far from perfect!
"Leave the rest to us!"
The Heavenly Empress and the Heavenly Demo roared in unison, descending against the Demon King as my friends opened the way for them by fighting thousands of machines at once.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As millions of mechanical pieces exploded and flew everywhere, the two Heavenly Venerables reached the Demon King, their fists overflowing with their divine powers.
"{Heavenly Heart of Hope Arts}: {Sanctifying Sword of the Six Paths of Life: Eternal Mandala}!"
A gigantic golden sword materialized, concentrating the Hope of billions of people at once, overflowing with the eternal divinity of the almighty venerable of light, my master!
"{Heavenly Cursed Seal Arts}: {Diabolical Incarnation of the Seven Hells: King Yanma}!"
At the same time, the heavenly demon fused all cursed seals into their ultimate form: a titanic demon of black and red color, a monstrous crow that governs all hells, King Yanma!
"RAAAHHHH!!"
"HAAAHHHH!!"
With furious roars, their attacks reached the Demon King. The titanic sword of my master swung down, cutting, burning, and disintegrating half of the demon king.
SLAAASSHH!!!
"ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. GREAT DAMAGE DETECTED."
The Demon King, in its struggle to survive, quickly attempted to attack the Heavenly Empress within that split second she was cutting through him.
However, I didn't let that happen, as my Asura moved by my commands alongside Song's powers, its giant, muscular arms swung down, crushing through the Demon King's many eyes and tentacles, stopping it entirely.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
"GRRHHH?!"
As the Demon King screamed in pain, the Heavenly Demon attacked! His manifestation of King Yanma unleashed a devastating barrage of explosive, world-shattering blows.
A mere punch from this manifestation of everything in his life could easily split a planet in half; this was the power of the Heavenly Demon!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"ERROR…! ERROR…! E-E-E-E-ERRRRRRRRROOORRRRR…"
The Demon King was agonizing as its entire body was being cleaved apart by a titanic sword and pierced by massive fists, leaving countless holes through its body.
"GRRRHHHH!"
FLUOSH!
However, in the very last moments of the Demon King's life, suddenly, a large amount of cosmic energy was donated to it, giving it a second wind out of nowhere!
[The Cosmic Throne {Mechanical Librarian} will not lose.]
[The Cosmic Throne {Mother of Artificial Life} will sacrifice as much cosmic energy if possible.]
[Both Constellations unify their Authorities, reinforcing the Dying Demon King!]
Those bastards!
"GRAAAAHHHHH!!!"
RUMBLE!
With a furious roar, the Demon King unleashed a tremendous shockwave of power, pushing everyone away from him. Every single machine coming from his portal began fusing with him, trying to repair his dying body.
"Anna! It's getting too strong! What can we do?!"
Song was rapidly losing his composure; his confidence was fading away as his eyes showed despair as he saw his parents flying away.
"Papa and mama! A-Are they going to lose?!"
"No… The Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Empress are this world's strongest!" I smiled at the boy. "They saved this world, even when it was in an even worse situation… And they can do it a second time, no problem!"
And in that very moment, two figures emerged again amidst the heavens, bleeding, covered in bruises, and furious!
It was them, of course.
"Don't underestimate me!"
"You piece of junk!"
Master's sword suddenly multiplied into billions of smaller swords, while the heavenly demon's King Yanma divided and transformed into a flying crow of six wings and three heads.
"{Divine Echo: One Billion Blades of Heavenly Providence}!"
Master's billions of blades pierced through the Demon King's cosmic barriers, destroying them one after another and grinding them into smithereens.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
"{Divine Echo: Six-Winged Three-Headed Crow King of Naraka}!"
At the same time, the giant crow descended using its six wings to unleash a rain of explosive feathers, kits three beaks to pierce through its foe's body, and its four talons to slash through.
SLASH! BOOM! CRASH! RUMBLE! CLASH!
The Demon King continued growing stronger, its cosmic energy ever-growing! This was getting out of control; even as it took so much damage, it kept growing and growing.
"UUUGGHH…! ERROR…! DAMN… DAMMIT!"
We have to finish it off with a single strike, now or never!
And I got an idea.
"Song, can you unleash all your power, but directly into my body?"
"All of it?! But you'll explode!"
"Don't worry! Do it!"
"But…"
"Trust me!"
He looked into my eyes as he nodded, even as he was about to cry.
This boy is strong and brave.
He would make an excellent protagonist, without a doubt.
"Okay!" he tapped my back as I readied myself to attack.
I quickly brought back my entire aura inside of my body, and then my swords melted, turning into armor surrounding my body.
Only Gram and the Axe-Sword could not be manipulated; I put them in front of my body.
FLUOSH!
The power flowing through my body continued growing stronger and stronger.
I called upon Sepa's powers, and as her cosmic energies fused with mine, a nebula of stars appeared within me and around me.
I activated several Skills at the same time, and my body began transforming into an aberrant being. As I let loose of [Unborn Demonic Cocoon], based on my low HP, I turned into the latest form.
Then, as I started to turn into a gaseous being, all the energy fused back into my body, and then I activated [Mechanical Body Transformation]!
Lastly…
"{Anubis' Judgement}"
FLASH!
[Player Anna has begun the [Weighing of Hearts Ceremony]!]
[While the Ceremony is in effect, both members cannot move or use any of their abilities.]
[Player Anna has decided to balance the target's powers and sins in comparison to her own, which are reflected in the Feather of Truth.]
[Due to the Feather of Truth being assimilated by Player Anna's body, her heart will be taken instead.]
The world seemed to come to a stop, as the Demon King's mechanical heart was weighted against mine.
The result was obvious.
CLANK!
The mechanical heart reached the continent below; it was so heavy and full of sins!
A demon king is the embodiment of sins after all.
"INCOMPREHENSIBLE POWER DETECTED… INCAPABLE OF… UNDERSTANDING!"
"It doesn't matter. I just want you to get a bit squishier!"
[The [Weighing of Hearts Ceremony] has finished.]
[However, because the power of Constellations cannot be exerted here, the judgment ceremony has been greatly weakened!]
[The {Fifth Demon King, The Weapon of Destruction} has been judged by his terrible sins.]
[The difference in power between both users is incredibly high.]
[Due to the difference in power exceeding 50%, proper compensation and debuff will be applied to both parties, respectively. However, it has been greatly weakened because Anubis' powers cannot be summoned completely.]
Yeah, I know, I'm well aware!
[Player Anna's Total Power has increased by +300% for the duration of this battle.]
[The target's Total Power has been lowered by -30% for the duration of this battle.]
[Because of a lack of Divine Power, a {Guardian of the Balance} cannot be summoned.]
[Cooldown until next Skill Usage: 12 Hours]
That's fine.
I'm done.
FLUOSH!
My body transformed completely; I was no longer humanoid nor gaseous, and Song was within me, piloting me.
Yes, he was piloting me.
"W-What is this?! Anna! What did you become?!"
"I've become the weapon that will end him, Song!"
I quite literally became a gigantic, golden, and black spear.
FLASH!
And fueled by Song's powers, I moved at lightning speed.
As everyone attacked the Demon King desperately, and as the Constellations did not give up.
I appeared behind the Demon King.
He desperately tried to destroy me.
But it was futile!
All of his attacks were blown away, pierced through! The cosmic beams, mechanical tentacles, anything.
CRAAASH!
And I pierced through his chest, shattering his hundreds of cores at once and its very soul into countless pieces!
"E-ERROR…! ERROR…! ERROR…!"
As it screamed in pain, the gigantic machine was covered by countless cracks, light and darkness emerging from within it.
I noticed the screams and wailings of the constellations who had imbued their souls into it.
Until finally…
BOOOMMM!!!
It was finally over.
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