A strange light covered Tyr’s sword.
Neo tried to block, but Tyr’s blade snaked around his sword as if it would reach him no matter what.
The sight of a gigantic blade twisting like a snake, changing size unpredictably, was disorienting.
Neo’s reaction was a beat late. That moment was enough.
The blade carved into his shoulder.
Tyr frowned as the blade came to a stop before it could cleave Neo in half.
He tried to pull it back, but Neo’s hand clamped down like a vice.
Neo increased the strength behind his grip, and with a single motion, he shattered Tyr’s sword.
The fragmented blade erupted into energy particles.
The sudden release of energy distorted space, bending light and reducing visibility.
Neo used the smokescreen without hesitation and dashed forward.
“I’m stronger and faster than you.”
The strange light around Tyr flared again.
His body blurred, and in an instant, he reappeared above Neo, bringing down a human-sized sword.
Neo activated Null Hour—only to find Tyr was now resistant to its effects.
He wasn’t surprised and reacted quickly, learning from his earlier mistake.
He called upon True Darkness to devour the force of Tyr’s swing and slow him.
Yet Tyr’s momentum never slowed.
The strange light wrapped around him seemed to empower him.
“Sink.”
The space between Neo’s feet and the ground crumbled. His balance broke.
He reacted instantly, shifting his weight and blocking Tyr’s sword just before impact.
Before Tyr could press his advantage, Neo used Eternal Sleep through his True Domain of Death.
True Domains strengthened their element’s elemental manipulation and elemental abilities. Moreover, it allowed him to launch his attacks from anywhere inside the True Domain.
Tyr’s eyes and mouth were forced into slumber.
His movements faltered for the first time.
Neo struck.
His knee slammed into Tyr’s abdomen, sending the young Dragon crashing into the distant wall.
Repair.
The injuries Tyr sustained disappeared as if they never existed. However, his eyes and mouth couldn’t be healed.
Blindness didn’t obstruct him. His powerful senses covered his lack of sight. As for his silenced mouth…
Did you forget my Concept, Father?
I can use the Truth of Mind.
Neo wasn’t surprised Tyr could speak telepathically.
While he could have used Intent, his Concept allowed him to imbue Weapon Affinity into words spoken from the mind, something normally impossible. The fusion of [Truth] and Weapon Affinity only worked with spoken words, not with Intent words.
I don’t know how you learned so many Concepts and so many True Domains, but isn’t it time you stopped pretending?
Using all of that must be draining your energy reserves.
I can see the weakness you are trying to hide.
You only put my eyes and mouth to sleep, not my whole body. It shows you can barely sustain your abilities at once, he taunted.
“Does everyone with [Truth] never shut up, or is it just you?”
Neo’s taunt was stupid.
Tyr could see he was trying to agitate him.
But…
I can defeat you in a single move.
The light surrounding Tyr exploded outward.
A storm of energy surged through his limbs.
Neo prepared himself to clash with Tyr.
Just as Tyr saw his weaknesses, their earlier exchanges showed him the weakness of [Truth].
‘Truth can manipulate reality.’
‘But it costs a lot of energy. That’s why Tyr is restricting himself to basic reality alterations.’
‘And affecting me directly is impossible.’
‘The energy within me is too condensed, and it’s acting like a shield. It is the reason Tyr is using indirect attacks and buffs to fight.’
Everyone had energy within them, and as they ascended, that energy increased in size and became increasingly compressed.
It was like sitting in an empty seat. While one sat there, no one else could sit on it.
Similarly, having condensed energy within oneself prevented others from using their abilities directly within their opponent.
If not for it, Neo and other Darkness users could devour their opponents from within. Or he could manipulate their Death or Life and kill them easily.
The only time when a person could deploy their attacks within their opponents would be when the attacker was far stronger than their enemy.
True Aim
Tyr’s punch accelerated and distorted the space.
It was as if the blow had already landed before it even reached Neo.
He twisted his body, attempting to evade, but the strike still connected.
His skull shattered. Half his face was obliterated.
Neo didn’t even flinch.
The missing portions of his face began regenerating instantly.
Tyr frowned. He closed in and slashed with his sword, which was reinforced by [Truth].
The attack was meant to land no matter what Neo did.
After seeing the same attack multiple times, Neo had learned the way to counter it.
If it was meant to land no matter what, then he would return it with another attack.
Divine Swordsmanship Eight Form: Kami no Shinpan
Tyr’s arm was sliced apart from his body.
His sword and the hand holding it fell, never reaching Neo.
For any other warrior, this would have been the end.
Tyr was surprised, but that was all.
Repair.
His body was returned to its peak condition.
This wasn’t healing or turning back time. It was plain and direct reality manipulation.
Nonetheless, Tyr was no longer confident.
He was breathing heavily, having blown through half of his energy pool already.
There was no time to waste. Tyr lunged forward, his blade poised to carve Neo apart again.
Neo narrowed his eyes. His energy generation was immense, but even he wasn’t limitless. Tyr was right—sustaining True Domains, Null Hour, and Eternal Sleep simultaneously had drained him more than he’d let on.
This had to end. Now.
Neo made no move to dodge.
Tyr’s blade cut through him. Neo didn’t resist.
Instead, his arm, now infused with condensed Death, latched onto Tyr’s own limb.
True Darkness surged forth. He tried to devour Tyr’s Weapon Affinity. It showed no signs of working.
Neo changed his approach swiftly and devoured the light—the buff—surrounding Tyr.
Tyr’s expression flickered with surprise.
That was the opening Neo needed.
His other hand clenched into a fist. He released the power of the Concept he had been gathering for this moment—[Null Hour].
Time warped.
Tyr’s form was engulfed in chaotic time elementals.
His existence struggled against the force.