Soizar was immensely intrigued. A lesser, younger Lich might have been caught by the trick, but he got used to it rather quickly. While fighting Sila, all he had to do was make sure the Adamantine Beetle didn’t touch him. Sila possessed the uncanny ability to affect all Undeathly powers, after all. Even Soizar, an Arch-Lich, was not exempt from it.

But avoiding Sila was easy for the formally dressed master of Undeath. What gave him a bit of a harder time, while still being a treat for the socket flames, was how the other Silas had ’changed.’

One, now fully grown, had metamorphosed into a creature that resembled a collection of broken crystals and glass glued together into a humanoid shape. Without trying, it could counter all manner of slashing abilities, visible or not.

Another had suddenly become an apparition with a matted hue. It was intangible to most things and sensitive to abilities that affected immaterial constructs. Indeed, it was immune to soul-manipulation abilities.

There was another, which now took on a form that made it lighter than any known substance in the wider reality, and another with a body that looked as though it was put together by stripping other species of their qualities. The former was immune to densities, and the other was immune to poisons.

’They immediately became impervious to every ability that struck them,’ thought Soizar, ’But they can only do it once. Anything else after that will hurt them.’

Every attack he and Rias had thrown at the Beetles (and the Unlimited Stars) made them stronger – well, at least the first to make contact.

It was exceedingly interesting what Serenity’s Treasure was capable of. Now, Soizar began musing about how to exploit—

"It’s time to leave."

The voice took the Arch-Lich by surprise.

"Souran?"

A bone protrusion half the size of his skull suddenly appeared on his cranium, taking the shape of Souran’s face. She hummed gravely.

"Fuck this world, and its inhabitants. We should have known the abundance of anomalies would just make things spiral out of control. Somanda knew what he was doing. We might as well have been his guinea pigs. Let’s book it. Now!"

"What are you talking about? What’s happening, damn you?" Soizar was displeased.

Seriously? What had scared Souran to the point where she’d suggest retreating? Wait. Where even was her body? She was using the Quasi Immors Soul Art, Number 19 to manifest her consciousness onto his body, like she’d done with the Doom Knight before.

’I can’t just leave! The Eminence is counting on me!’ thought Soizar, keeping the sentiment private.

Souran sensed his strange, immense desire to remain, but she didn’t get the chance to answer him with reason enough to make him want to flee as well.

She sensed them outside the Egg, and as it happened, they sensed the Liches too.

Outside the Egg...

"I’ll draw the target for you. Don’t miss." Weaver pointed at the giant, sealed Egg, and a vibrant blue star marked the target. His sensitivity to Undeath and other forms of energy was the deepest among the Apostles. When Souran’s body had suddenly collapsed while they were in Araeyn’s Null Remnant, he’d surmised that the Arch-Lich may have had more than one means to escape the whole time.

...And it was true. Souran had kept the Immors Soul Art, Number 19 as a means of escape hidden. She was reluctant to use it because it would force her to leave her body behind her; only her consciousness would escape. Weaver had immediately advised that they all return to Aigas. Well, all except Red Rage, of course. Ferex remained to keep him company.

And now, he, Araeyn, and Kenno were locked onto the task. They ignored the glowing supermass of energy encircled with unending tendrils of mercury, and the cathedral close to it. There was no time to dwell on that.

"I got it," Kenno said, his voice so sharp it seemed hollow.

The Bishop sensed the difference, as did Eaniss, Em-Sul, the Mages, and the Herald. Suzamete noticed as well. She was... stunned, but she said nothing more. Even she was looking forward to what would happen despite not knowing what had transpired in the Stone Hub of Taboos.

What had forced an Arch-Lich to retreat from mortals?

Was it the fact that Kenno, who blew himself to bits after overestimating his limit, had suddenly been restored as though the world had rewound itself? It might have been. Souran had burst out laughing when the Unlimited Star had exploded.

Was it because Souran had sensed the presence of a Primeval Deity – indeed, deep within a Null Remnant – right when Kenno was suddenly restored? Definitely. The fact that Kenno had emerged anew, now in possession of an Immortal Realm Physique, only made the Arch-Lich even more wary. Her laughter had turned into grave humming. Since when were mortals able to equip an Immortal Physique?

No. It didn’t make sense.

Kenno himself knew it. Even now, he didn’t know where that Primeval Deity had come from or why he’d helped him, but he’d heard the voice and had been offered a Contract that gifted him an Immortal Physique, which made him leagues more durable and powerful. However...

[Error! Error! You are in possession of the Immortal Realm Physique, ’Endurance of Avassad!]

[Error! Error! The Immortal Realm Physique, ’Endurance of Avassad’ shall now be stripped from you in 10...9...]

Kenno smiled. ’He did say it was only possible because we were inside Serenity’s Treasure, away from the staunch rules of Reality. And now, everything will return to normal.’ Indeed, the Contract and its proceeds were revoked. Kenno stopped, readied a stance, pulled back his arm, and felt the trillions of cells in his body churn. ’I survived because of it, though. That should be plenty to be grateful for. But I also get one chance at this without risking my life again.’

He unleashed the attack immediately, aiming for Weaver’s marker. He could survive using it now.

Negative Margin Buster.

It was the attack that had scared Souran before Kenno exploded – an attack that generated an insignificant dollop of physical strength in his body and then passed it through his trillions of cells (Majestic Territories) one by one, with the power increasing exponentially each time until it was projected outside the body using space itself as an outlet rather than Kenno’s flesh.

This made the attack nearly impossible to dodge... because space was everywhere.

...And the power it carried, invisible and hard to perceive, was too much for the combined might of Souran and Soizar. The Egg couldn’t and didn’t shield them at all. It might as well not have been there.

"...Huh?"

Soizar’s body was one thing. It didn’t matter even if it was reduced to something finer than photons by a dramatic, overwhelming force. But his soul...

Why was it pulled apart as well, its many contradictory chunks flying off every which way impossibly fast – faster than Soizar could draw them back together?

Was it because even the space it resided in was not safe from Kenno’s move?