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

Aaaninja stood over Lucian Darkheart’s corpse and then let out a long, measured sigh. He had nearly lost. Yes, Lucian’s Law Imposition ability was overpowered and utterly ridiculous, yet Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos had still managed to survive somehow against all apparent odds and logic.

It had been stated earlier, from the very first battle between Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos and Lucian Darkheart during the Starborn Tournament, that Aaaninja was a man who constantly sought out his own weaknesses. Aaaninja understood that one could hardly ever be perfect; there would always be a flaw, a crack in the armor, a hidden vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

He had identified his own soul as one of his primary weaknesses, which was precisely why three years ago Lucian had nearly secured victory at the Starborn Tournament. But Aaaninja’s mind certainly did not stop there, for in a universe where ridiculous abilities always existed, just like the Law Imposition ability, complacency was equivalent to suicide.

Aaaninja knew that his soul was merely one of his many unidentified weaknesses, but he also recognized another glaring flaw, his Time Affinity. His greatest strength was simultaneously one of his greatest weaknesses. What if a day came when he was stripped of everything? Although the idea had once seemed absurd, as the Eyes Of Genesis appeared as though they could never be overridden or suppressed, absurdity was often the birthplace of catastrophe.

And with that thought, Aaaninja had prepared for the day something like this would inevitably occur. Although he possessed only the Time Affinity, his mind and powerful soul granted him a certain degree of talent regarding soul-based techniques. Through this, Aaaninja had managed to learn a few soul related techniques over the course of three long years of training and refinement.

The Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos Lucian had killed earlier was nothing more than a soul clone created by Aaaninja through the deliberate sacrifice of a fragment of his own soul. If he had created an ordinary soul clone, he knew Lucian would have immediately seen through it. Although the man did not possess any special ocular abilities like the Eyes Of Genesis, it did not mean his perception or instincts were dull or ineffective.

Hence, the reason Aaaninja had sacrificed a genuine piece of his own soul. Although it might seem like an enormous price to pay, to beings of their level, it was insignificant. Aaaninja could simply visit the River Of Time, and it would restore his soul back to its perfect and balanced state.

Even within the Celestial Solar System, there existed several rare treasures capable of healing his soul within mere seconds. He even possessed one of those treasures within his space ring, for one could never predict the precise day such an item would be needed.

Thus, the price had been entirely worth it, as there were no lasting drawbacks or negative consequences. Besides. Aaaninja had refrained from using any of his soul-based skills from the very moment Lucian activated Law Imposition. Doing so would have alerted Lucian to the hidden card concealed up his sleeve, and therefore he had maintained absolute restraint, allowing him to catch the man completely off guard.

A perfect checkmate.

As Law Imposition collapsed due to the death of Lucian Darkheart, Aaaninja felt his connection with the Time particles snap back into place with sudden clarity. They danced around him once more in happiness and glee, like a child finally reunited with their father after months of painful separation. Aaaninja closed his eyes as he basked in the familiar sensation. His eyes shifted from their previous white hue and returned to their mesmerizing rainbow-colored, clock-like state.

But the moment that transformation occurred, Aaaninja saw it, a katana screaming toward his neck at a devastating and lethal speed. Yet he had not perceived it of his own conscious accord; the Eyes Of Genesis had acted independently and activated the Omniscient View ability on its own.

And in that instant, Aaaninja saw everything. He saw countless parallel realities branching infinitely from one another. The number of parallel realities was beyond comprehension, but within what appeared to be roughly half of them, he had achieved victory, and within the other half, he had fallen.

Omniscient View allowed Aaaninja to peer through innumerable parallel realities, where events unfolded differently within each strand of existence, thus enabling him to perceive nearly every possible outcome.

Throughout his battle with Lucian, he had deliberately refrained from using this ability against him, as he had been saving it for Anthony. Although three years ago Anthony had somehow bypassed this ability through means unknown to him, Aaaninja was confident that Anthony would not be capable of bypassing it now.

Yet despite his resolve to keep the Eyes Of Genesis operating only in their passive state, they had ultimately activated in self-defense, for his death and inevitable loss would have been certain had they not intervened at that precise moment.

But Aaaninja was not angry. It was one thing to lose to Anthony once more, but it was an entirely different matter to lose to Lucian, whom he had already defeated three years prior. Those were two separate outcomes with two vastly different implications.

However, the Eyes Of Genesis could not remain active for long, as the Omniscient View ability consumed an absurd and almost unsustainable amount of mana while in use. With that thought, Aaaninja activated his skill, Temporal Deceleration. In the next instant, everything around him slowed with terrifying ease and authority, as though the very fabric of existence had been placed under his dominion.

Lucian didn’t delay, he abandoned his attack, as he simply teleported and vanished from his original position, evading the ability entirely. He reappeared midair, floating effortlessly with a faint smile upon his face as he gazed down at Aaaninja.

"Surprised, right?" Lucian Darkheart finally spoke for the first time since their renewed clash had begun. "We are both geniuses, Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos. You should know that using the same tactic against me is useless and futile," he stated with a confident grin.

Lucian had not actually seen through Aaaninja’s soul clone; rather, he had simply assumed that Aaaninja was playing possum again and had therefore hidden himself while leaving a clone in his place... just in case. If Aaaninja had truly died, then there would have been no issue.

"I’m sure you do not have enough mana to keep the Eyes Of Genesis active for long. If you did, this battle would have already tilted entirely in your favor by now. And I am certain you can see that across the endless possibilities you perceive, this battle is a perfect fifty-fifty," Lucian continued, staring down at Aaaninja with an unwavering grin.

"So let us end it all with one final attack. I am sure that after battling the Demon King’s clone, you gained a skill or an ability, something you were saving for Anthony, but I am sorry to burst your bubble. I too have gained such a skill, and therefore you will be using yours against me, just as I will use mine against you," he paused briefly before adding with deliberate emphasis, "after all, what is the point of training so fiercely, only to lose against me after you defeated me three years ago? That would be regression, not progression. Besides, whatever skill or ability you possess will not work against Anthony."

Aaaninja remained silent, uttering not a single word as he stared steadily at Lucian. Every word the human had spoken carried undeniable logic. He did not possess sufficient mana to sustain the Eyes Of Genesis any longer. And besides, he would rather lose to Anthony once more than lose to Lucian at all. With that thought, he gave a slight nod and deactivated the Eyes Of Genesis entirely.

And at this moment, Lucian Darkheart and Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos were about to end it once and for all with the mysterious ability they had both obtained from ???

_____ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Don’t even say it.