MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 958: Different
Previously on MIGHT AS WELL BE OP...
The split sections of Aura Nova's divided form slammed into the earth with a gruesome, resonant crash, tumbling apart toward the left and right. That collision rang out flatly but conclusively, the sort of echo that clung annoyingly to the senses well after it faded. Crimson rivers of blood surged outward in heavy flows, crawling over the shattered rocks like insidious tendrils, while her guts and entrails burst messily onto the dirt beneath, defiling the previously spotless arena with raw signs of demise. A thick, primal tang of metal choked the atmosphere, intense and unfiltered.
Amid the destruction's remnants, Lucian held his ground unmoving, his form loose and calm, breaths steady and controlled, refusing to glance back at the demise he'd unleashed, as if it amounted to nothing beyond the ordinary. He realized Klaus held the overwhelming strength to revive individuals without effort, but he relied on Aura Nova’s innate Omniedit ability to handle her own revival, a built-in defense woven into her core that denied any premature close to her journey.
Right then, mana throbbed in the atmosphere like the world's own pulse, starting subtle before intensifying, weighing down the air until it vibrated with tension. It swirled lazily around Aura Nova’s remains, strands of glowing power intertwining as if directed by unseen forces, steadily crafting a azure shell of distilled mana.
The shell gleamed and turned softly, its exterior waving like liquid beneath the moon's glow, beating in steady rhythms as if animated, as if inhaling and exhaling, shielding her from additional damage. Nobody could glimpse the process inside, the radiance too thick and hallowed to penetrate, yet no one fretted or stirred, since they'd already anticipated the event, their faces serene and expectant.
Her revival.
Before long, the azure shell dissolved into the breeze like fog at sunrise, bits of mana scattering and merging back into the surroundings as the force gradually withdrew and settled into quiet. The weight lifted, the vibration ceased, and quietness enveloped the arena once more. Aura Nova’s soles met the ground below with a soft, intentional poise, her bearing upright and leisurely.
Her lids lifted as her azure eyes reentered the world, pristine and radiant like unmarred midsummer heavens, and her aura felt wholly transformed, as if she'd evolved into a cleaner, keener, and boundlessly profound version of herself. The shift was faint but undeniable, akin to the gap between unrefined metal and a honed edge.
From her vantage overhead, Vega observed quietly for an extended beat before voicing her thoughts, her tone laced with slight doubt, "I don’t know why, but she seems... different."
"Your thoughts and intuition are correct," Anthony’s words emerged from nearby as he perched in total serenity, steady as ever, gazing at Aura Nova from his elevated spot, his stare firm and inscrutable. "Through Lucian’s help and advice, she had achieved true self actualisation. Without his help, who knows how long that would have taken," Anthony continued while scrutinizing Aura Nova intently, as if examining the nuanced alterations in her aura and being.
"While it doesn’t suddenly change her battle prowess or grant any new abilities and whatnot, after her rebirth and everything in the future, she will be stronger than anyone can imagine," Anthony went on, since he could plainly detect the latent power within Aura Nova that appeared newly freed, like invisible bonds quietly shattering.
"But if she didn’t want to change or disregarded Lucian’s advice, she would never have achieved true self actualisation." A subtle grin touched his mouth as he pressed on, soft but authentic. "I guess, like Lucian, I am looking forward to the monster she is going to become."
Vega and Altheria inclined their heads in agreement. Though disappointed by Aura Nova's defeat, they felt a quiet joy inside, for she emerged from the duel bearing far more than mere triumph. She had secured evolution, insight, and a road ahead brimming with boundless horizons. Her trajectory now shone brighter than any celestial body dotting the infinite cosmos.
"Maybe I should have participated," Vega whispered to herself as she recognized how each clash and fight yielded profound, unseen gains for all involved.
Kingsley fell to Aura Nova yet returned refined, more acute than prior. Lucian yielded to Anthony; though she remained unclear on his exact takeaways, she knew he'd touched upon insights beyond normal grasp.
And now, Aura Nova had fallen and attained true self actualisation.
"You should have partaken when everyone chose a number," Klaus’ voice sounded from beside with a weary exhale as he spoke to his daughter, Vega, his manner resolute but kind. "Battle and life and death situations are one of the fastest ways to improve. It’s the reason Michael is progressing faster than any other human of the older generation. Pressure either breaks you or forges you."
Vega paused in silence, taking in his wisdom. The validity of Klaus’ point rang true to her. She could merely exhale over the lost chance, her grip clenching a touch. ’Maybe next time,’ she assured herself inwardly, resolve gradually overtaking remorse.
"You know, it amazes me how much knowledge you seem to possess, despite coming from a lower planet," Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos’s voice drifted from nearby, sleek and intrigued. His watch-like, spectrum-shaded eyes turned toward Anthony as he regarded him, the spinning colors mirroring endless depths of strategy and chronology.
Anthony grinned with steady poise as he responded, utterly relaxed. "I know, I’m very mysterious. I love that about me." His azure eyes flicked to Aaaninja, serene and lighthearted. He held for a beat before adding, "Besides, it’s highly likely it’s our turn next. Ready to get your revenge?" Anthony remarked with a playful smirk curling his lips.
"It’s not revenge," Aaaninja declared, averting his gaze from Anthony as his tone softened. "It’s more like breaking past a wall I couldn’t overcome. That is all." Still, his pulse quickened with eagerness, a subtle rush of excitement stirring in his core despite his even demeanor.
Anthony's grin lingered as his azure eyes fixed on the figure a second more before he shook his head and held his tongue. His focus shifted to Lucian. He hadn't foreseen Lucian aiding Aura Nova in reaching true self actualisation; that had caught him off guard somewhat. For a guy so laid-back and snarky, Lucian sometimes revealed surprising layers of insight.
Aura Nova lingered quiet briefly, her thoughts revisiting the clash. She failed to comprehend how Lucian had sliced her straight through from crown to base with such casual accuracy. The recollection struck her as surreal, like a haze she couldn't fully seize. But after brief reflection, she breathed out lightly and let it go. Dwelling on bewilderment served no purpose. Only advancing mattered, not lingering on what passed.
Her weaknesses stood exposed now, revealed plainly like pages in a wide-open tome, and she resolved to conquer them. She'd arrived assuming she'd overpower them all with scant resistance, perhaps facing minor hurdles at most. Yet her assumptions proved hasty, bordering on hubris. This was the Galaxy, immense and merciless. It bore no resemblance to the Dusk Planet she'd ruled unchallenged until this point.
Her gaze drifted to Lucian, who lounged casually at a distance. As her azure eyes locked with his dark ones, a warm smile lit her features, not the bold grin she flashed pre-fight, but a simple, heartfelt expression brimming with honesty. Her mouth opened as she said, her voice tender and warm, "Thank you for this. This wouldn’t be possible without you."
Lucian held quiet a beat before answering, "You’re damn right it wouldn’t be possible without me." His words dripped with near-cocky flair, echoing his usual cheek, but instantly he mirrored the sincere smile while adding, gentler now, "But it wouldn’t be possible if you hadn’t accepted change. It was fated to happen. I simply brought the timeline forward." He halted briefly as his dark eyes rose to the wandering clouds overhead. "I guess that is what we anomalies do, challenge fate and order," he reflected conclusively while gradually shaking his head.