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

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

From the outset of their initial confrontation in the Starborn Tournament between Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos and Lucian Darkheart, it was clear that Aaaninja pursued his personal flaws relentlessly. He grasped that true perfection eluded everyone; some imperfection, a breach in defenses, or a secret weak spot always lingered, poised for exposure.

Aaaninja had pinpointed his soul as a key vulnerability, which explained why Lucian almost triumphed three years back in the Starborn Tournament. Yet his thoughts didn't halt there, since in a realm filled with outlandish powers like Law Imposition, any sense of security spelled certain doom.

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

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

The version of Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos that Lucian slew before was merely a soul duplicate, forged by Aaaninja via the intentional offering of a soul shard. A standard soul duplicate would have been spotted instantly by Lucian. Even without unique sight like the Eyes Of Genesis, the man's senses and gut feelings remained sharp and reliable.

This led Aaaninja to offer a real portion of his soul. It appeared a steep cost, yet for entities at their tier, it meant little. Aaaninja could just dip into the River Of Time, restoring his soul to flawless equilibrium.

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

So the toll proved wholly justified, leaving no enduring harm or downsides. Moreover, Aaaninja avoided deploying any soul skills right from when Lucian triggered Law Imposition. That would have tipped off Lucian to the secret weapon hidden away, so he held back completely, enabling the total surprise on his foe.

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, akin to a kid joyfully embracing a parent after months of agonizing parting. Aaaninja shut his eyes, savoring the comforting feeling. His gaze shifted back from the prior stark white to its captivating rainbow, clock-patterned form.

Yet right as that shift happened, Aaaninja caught sight of it—a katana hurtling toward his throat with deadly, blistering velocity. He hadn't noticed it through his own awareness; the Eyes Of Genesis had triggered autonomously, engaging the Omniscient View power by itself.

And in that split second, Aaaninja beheld it all. Innumerable parallel worlds sprawled endlessly from each other. Their vast quantity defied understanding, but in about half, triumph was his, while in the rest, he perished.

Omniscient View let Aaaninja glimpse endless parallel worlds, each threading out unique events, allowing him to grasp almost all potential results.

During his fight with Lucian, Aaaninja had purposefully held back this power from use on him, reserving it for Anthony. Though three years prior Anthony had evaded it via some mystery method, Aaaninja believed Anthony couldn't dodge it anymore.

Still, despite his intent to limit the Eyes Of Genesis to passive mode, they ignited for protection, since without their timely action, death and defeat would have sealed his fate.

But Aaaninja felt no frustration. Falling to Anthony again was one scenario, yet dropping to Lucian—whom he'd bested three years ago—was a whole other disgrace. Those paths diverged sharply in consequence.

However, the Eyes Of Genesis couldn't stay on indefinitely, draining an outrageous, barely maintainable surge of mana. At that realization, Aaaninja invoked Temporal Deceleration. Instantly, his surroundings crawled to a halt with eerie command, as if reality itself bowed under his rule.

Lucian wasted no time; he dropped the strike, teleporting away to vanish from sight and fully sidestep the power. He materialized in the air, hovering with ease and a subtle smirk as he looked down on Aaaninja.

"Surprised, aren't you?" Lucian Darkheart uttered his first words since their fresh bout ignited. "We're both prodigies, Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos. You know repeating the same trick on me won't work," he declared with a smug smile.

Lucian hadn't truly pierced Aaaninja’s soul clone; he'd merely guessed Aaaninja might be feigning death once more, so he concealed himself while planting a clone as backup... for safety. Had Aaaninja actually perished, no problem arose.

"I'm positive you lack the mana to sustain the Eyes Of Genesis much longer. If you could, this fight would have swung fully your way already. And you can tell, amid the infinite paths you see, this duel sits dead even at fifty-fifty," Lucian pressed on, fixing Aaaninja with a steady smirk.

"So let's wrap it up with one last strike. I bet 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 snagged something similar myself, so you'll unleash yours on me while I hit you with mine," he halted for a beat, then stressed, "after all, what's the use of such intense training if you fall to me now, after beating me three years back? That'd be a step backward, not forward. Plus, any skill you have won't faze Anthony."

Aaaninja stayed quiet, not voicing a thing as he locked eyes with Lucian. Each phrase from the man rang with solid truth. He couldn't fuel the Eyes Of Genesis further. And truthfully, he'd prefer another loss to Anthony over any defeat by Lucian. Nodding faintly, he powered down the Eyes Of Genesis completely.

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

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