MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 981: Once And For All

Aaaninja positioned himself above the lifeless form of Lucian Darkheart, exhaling a deep, deliberate breath. Defeat had come perilously close. Lucian's Law Imposition power proved ridiculously dominant and absurd, but Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos had somehow endured, defying every visible chance and rational expectation.

From that initial confrontation at the Starborn Tournament between Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos and Lucian Darkheart, it was clear that Aaaninja relentlessly pursued his personal flaws. He realized true perfection remained elusive; some imperfection, a fissure in protection, or a secret weak spot always lingered, poised for exploitation.

Aaaninja had pinpointed his soul as a key vulnerability, which explained why Lucian almost claimed triumph three years back during the Starborn Tournament. Yet his thoughts didn't end there, since in a realm filled with outlandish powers like Law Imposition, any sense of security amounted to self-destruction.

Aaaninja viewed his soul as just one among numerous undiscovered flaws, but he also spotted another obvious shortcoming: his Time Affinity. This supreme asset doubled as his most profound liability. Imagine a scenario where all was taken away from him? The notion once appeared laughable, given the Eyes Of Genesis seemed impossible to counter or mute, but such nonsense often sparked disaster.

With this in mind, Aaaninja readied himself for the inevitable arrival of such a crisis. Though limited to Time Affinity, his sharp intellect and robust soul provided him with notable aptitude in soul techniques. Over those three arduous years of practice and honing, Aaaninja acquired several soul-focused methods.

The version of Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos that Lucian had slain before was merely a soul duplicate formed by Aaaninja via the intentional offering of a soul fragment. An standard soul duplicate would have been spotted right away by Lucian. Even without unique vision powers like the Eyes Of Genesis, the man's senses and gut feelings stayed sharp and reliable.

This is why Aaaninja offered up a real portion of his soul. It might look like a steep cost, but for entities at their tier, it meant little. Aaaninja could just head to the River Of Time, where his soul would swiftly return to flawless equilibrium.

Even in the Celestial Solar System, various scarce artifacts existed that could mend his soul in seconds. One such item sat inside his space ring, since no one could foresee exactly when such a tool might prove essential.

Therefore, the cost proved fully justified, leaving no enduring harm or downsides. Moreover, Aaaninja avoided deploying any soul skills right from when Lucian triggered Law Imposition. Such actions would have tipped off Lucian to the secret weapon he held back, so he exercised total control, enabling him to surprise the opponent completely.

A flawless trap sprung.

As Law Imposition crumbled with Lucian Darkheart's demise, Aaaninja sensed his bond to the Time particles reconnect sharply and vividly. They swirled around him in joyful delight, reminiscent of a child joyfully rejoining their parent after months of heartbreaking absence. Aaaninja shut his eyes, savoring the comforting feeling. His gaze shifted back from the prior pale shade to its captivating rainbow, clock-patterned form.

Yet right as this shift happened, Aaaninja noticed it—a katana hurtling toward his throat with deadly, blistering velocity. He hadn't detected it through his own awareness; the Eyes Of Genesis had triggered autonomously, engaging the Omniscient View power without command.

In that split second, Aaaninja beheld it all. Innumerable parallel worlds diverged endlessly from each other. Their sheer count defied understanding, yet in about half, triumph was his, while in the remaining half, he met defeat.

Omniscient View let Aaaninja glimpse endless parallel worlds, each threading out unique events, allowing him to grasp almost every conceivable result.

During the fight with Lucian, Aaaninja had intentionally held back this power against him, reserving it for Anthony. Though three years earlier, Anthony had evaded it via some mysterious method, Aaaninja believed Anthony couldn't dodge it anymore.

Still, despite his intent to keep the Eyes Of Genesis in passive mode, they activated for protection, since without that timely action, his end and sure defeat would have followed.

But Aaaninja held no resentment. Falling to Anthony again was one scenario, yet losing to Lucian—whom he'd beaten three years ago—carried entirely separate weight and consequences.

However, the Eyes Of Genesis couldn't stay engaged long, as Omniscient View drained an outrageous, nearly impossible quantity of mana. On that note, Aaaninja invoked his Temporal Deceleration skill. Instantly, his surroundings decelerated with eerie simplicity and command, as if reality itself bowed to his rule.

Lucian wasted no time; he dropped the strike, teleporting away from his spot to fully avoid the power. He rematerialized in the air, hovering with ease and a subtle smirk as he looked down upon Aaaninja.

"Surprised, aren't you?" Lucian Darkheart uttered his first words since their rematch ignited. "We're both prodigies, Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos. You know repeating that trick on me won't work and serves no purpose," he declared with a smug smile.

Lucian hadn't truly pierced Aaaninja's soul clone deception; he had merely suspected Aaaninja was faking death once more and thus concealed himself while planting a duplicate... as a precaution. Had Aaaninja actually perished, no problem would arise.

"I'm positive you lack the mana to maintain the Eyes Of Genesis much longer. Otherwise, this fight would have swung completely your way already. And you're aware that in the vast outcomes you see, this clash sits at a dead even split," Lucian pressed on, fixing Aaaninja with a steady, triumphant smile.

"So let's settle it with one last strike. I'm certain that after facing the Demon King’s clone, you picked up a skill or power, one held back for Anthony, but sorry to disappoint. I've acquired something similar, so you'll unleash yours on me, just as I'll deploy mine on you," he halted for a moment, then stressed, "after all, what's the use of such intense preparation if you fall to me now, after beating me three years back? That'd be a step backward, not forward. Plus, any skill or power you have won't faze Anthony."

Aaaninja stayed quiet, not speaking a word while locking eyes firmly on Lucian. Each phrase from the man rang with solid reasoning. He indeed couldn't fuel the Eyes Of Genesis further. And truthfully, he'd prefer another loss to Anthony over any defeat by Lucian. With that, he offered a small nod and fully powered down the Eyes Of Genesis.

And now, Lucian Darkheart and Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos stood ready to conclude everything with the enigmatic power both had gained from ???

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