Darkened Daylight

(10)

------rumble------

All the elements that were in the vicinity fluctuated under my control. Sharp-edged crystals of ice, metal, rock, sand and plant wines spawned out of the surroundings. I also made liquid matter manipulation like lava, poison, acid and chemicals with the assistance of sound, wind, and gravity. Raymen gave off a shocked expression. I said, "I will fight you with everything I've got, deity gramps!"

---flick---

He spawned behind my back once again. Luckily, I was able to notice his swiftness.

[Again with the surprise attacks. Sigh, sorry deity gramps. That's not gonna work on me anymore.]

He charged his right knee to smash my face.

---c***k---

Using ice crystals, I made a thick shield to block his attack. The top part of the thick ice shattered into pieces. Still, I succeeded in blocking his knee strike. He then raised his left fist and punched the ice crystals.

---boom---

The punch broke the whole shield into smithereens. Its impact led to an explosion. I got pushed back into the woods.

---flick---

Raymen appeared right in front of my face. He tried to grab my face using his left palm.

---flash---flick---flash---flick---flash---flick---

---crash---crash---crash---

Using three of my metal crystals, I launched a countermeasure to fight against him. However, he dodged all three of them one by one with his flick movements. The launched crystals ended up crashing on the ground. I then burst all of my element crystals that were under my authority to 'rule over everything' and used my other authority.

[Authority to 'understand'.]

---flash---flick---flash(x3)---flick---flash(x2)---flick---flash(x7)---flick---flash---flick---flash(x4)---flick---flash---flick---flash(x5)---flick---flash(x6)---flick---flash---flick---flash---flick---flash(x9)---flick---flash---flick---flash---flick---flash---flick---flash(x8)---flick---

All the sharp-edged crystals engaged against Raymen. But he continued to dodge them one after another. Even the simultaneous strikes where I engaged more than one crystal in a single strike were dodged and evaded without an ounce of sweat. When the whole arena was filled with crystals pierced into the ground and no space remained to dodge, he then shifted his footwork onto the trees and swapped his location from one tree branch to another. Using my 'understand' authority, I was reading his movements in order to comprehend the flow of his footwork and techniques.

[This ancient deity... His movements are flicked. I am being caught off-guard consecutively. I must suck as many benefits from this battle as possible.]

After sometime, there were no crystals left to shoot. I was standing on the ground in my battle stance. Raymen stood on top of a tree that was a few metres in front of me. He was looking down at me while I had to face upward. Raymen spoke, "Young man, you have no particular technique or any kind of martial prowess. The sorcery that you are using is similar to the way of those dark crevasses. Why not fight in your own style?!"

His words angered me. I began to think.

[Is he telling me that all the prowess I displayed until now was like a fake god's technique? Should I grind this deity maniac or cut him to pieces?]

I then said, "Deity gramps, I agree that your maneuverability is top-notch. But, you have made one wrong judgement!"

He attempted, "What? I don't get what you are trying to -!!"

---flick---smack---crush---

Suddenly, I appeared behind him with the same flick movement that he used and then launched a downward kick on his right shoulder. The tree on which he was standing got crushed due to the force of my attack. Later, he found himself on the crumbled pieces of wood on the ground whilst groaning. The scenario turned upside down. He was facing me upwards whereas I was looking down at him from mid-air. I channelled all the darkness with the fragments of my sovereignty within my throat and said,

""I AM SOMEONE WHO GAINS EXPERIENCE BY UNDERSTANDING. NOT SOMEONE WHO GAINS EXPERIENCE BY EXPERIENCING!!""

"!!!!", the expression displayed on Raymen's face defined the term fear. He began to pant. He yelled, "Earlier, I just had doubts about you. But now I am sure of it. You are a grand law, right?!!"

I said, "Where is that smirk on your face, deity gramps? Don't tell me this is all you've got. You have three innate traits, don't you?

You better stop looking down on me and take this fight seriously!!"

He responded, "Haah... Haah... Phew, got it. I will stop overestimating myself and give it my all. But I am curious about one thing!"

I attempted, "What is it?!"

He asked, "Earlier, you said you gain experience through understanding and not experiencing. I didn't get what you meant!"

I interpreted, "The people of this world gain powers from experience. They have no comprehension at all. And now, this fake system has made the people of zooviya into complete suckers. The demigods who fought me earlier were nothing more than toys that were just following the system's manual.

Did you even see their movements?

When someone learns something, they would adjust the knowledge as per their own comprehension. But those divine snake puppets executed martial techniques as if someone instructed them to.

What is the use of gaining experience when all you have comprehended is none?!"

Raymen got nothing to say. He remained silent while lowering his head. I then questioned him, "Raymen, what's your purpose as a god? Is it to teach martial arts to your lessers?!"

He replied, "Isn't that how it goes?!"

I yelled at him in anger, "Are you saying that a god should teach violence to his worshippers?!!!"

He said, "This is a world where martial arts define everything. What other purpose would I have?!"

I interpreted, "Are you saying life is all about martial arts? Then what about the term 'family'? Are martial arts more important than a beloved one?!"

"Without martial arts, you cannot protect your beloved ones!", said Raymen.

"Had you people not passed on any martial arts to your lessers and instead chose the ones who were fit to wield your powers, then your world would have been at peace long ago!", I said.

He remained silent. I emphasized, "Except for martial arts, you people are good for nothing. Was the king of gods also the same?!"

Raymen responded, "No, during his time we were under the domination of beings from the higher dimensions. He was someone who travelled on a harsh path to bring peace to the world. He only passed on his knowledge to us deities. But right after he passed away, we deities split ourselves and created our religions. We got carried away by greed and paid the price for it with our deaths fifty trillion years ago!"

[Fifty trillion years ago, huh?

That must be the time when they were killed by the crooks and mutant assymetrons.]

"Now that our chitchat is over, better get serious and start fighting me for real!", I exclaimed.

Raymen closed his eyes and opened them at once.

[Now his eyes are emanating darkened violet flames just like how I saw in that mind magic.]

---fwoosh---clang---

Darkened violet flames began to burst out of his hands and reshaped into two long whip swords. They weren't as long as the one I saw in the flashback. I came to an assumption.

[So he can manipulate the length of his whip sword depending upon the situation, huh? I like it.]

---flick---

He appeared in front of me and tried to unleash his whip sword technique. His flick movements were as impressive as before. But for some reason, it didn't catch me off-guard.

[Now that I understood the flow and flaw of all his movements, I can execute an even better maneuverability.]

---flick---smack---whoosh---

With my newly mastered swiftness, I appeared beside him and landed a knee strike on his spine.

"Kuarrgh!!!!", he spat out saliva due to my deadly strike. He flew towards the sky but failed to reach the clouds.

[I have to reduce the mass destruction of the battle. The best way is to take him to the outer atmosphere of this side planet and fight him on the rocks that are levitating there.]

---flick---smack---flick---smack---flick---smack---flick---smack---flick---smash---

I respawned in front of him with a smack on the chin. He flew further above. Then with a knee strike, elbow strike and an upward kick, I sent him further above. On the next strike, I enwrapped my right fist with darkened crimson flames, henceforth smashing his defence with a punch. His hands lost grip for defence due to which he flew backwards from my smash. My strike succeeded in sending him above the clouds. It resulted in a giant hole formation in between the surface of the clouds where I was able to see him.

---fwoosh---

[Now that he is above the clouds, I just need to push him a little more.]

---whoosh---

I created a couple of darkened crimson flame balls and unleashed them towards Raymen.

---boom---boom---boom---boom---boom---boom---boom---------crash---

It led to consecutive explosions but also pushed him towards the outer atmosphere. He crash-landed on a massive rock only to be left in an unconscious state of mind.

---tap---

I made a smooth landing by first tapping my left toe on the ground. I walked and stood a few inches from him. He was lying on the surface with his eyes focused elsewhere. I said, "I thank you for coming to the outer atmosphere but you should stop fooling around and come to your battle stance, deity gramps!"

Immediately, he got up and jumped meters away from me. He formed a grin on his face. I felt uncomfortable with his expression.

[Yuck... What's with his expression?]

He spoke, "You are so hard to fool around, young one!"

---flash---

He then brought out his two whip swords and charged towards me head-on. I decided to dodge his slashes so that I can gain a better understanding of martial arts. I used the numerous surrounding rocks as a means of offence and defence by reshaping them into swords.

| Innate trait: whip sword deity

Executing: Raymen's war god chronicles verse-1

Technique 12: 2nd twisting arena |

...

| Innate trait: whip sword deity

Executing: Raymen's war god chronicles verse-1

Technique 49: rising s***h-9 |

...

| Innate trait: whip sword deity

Executing: Raymen's war god chronicles verse-1

Technique 67: 7th hellish blossoms |

...

| Innate trait: whip sword deity

Executing: Raymen's war god chronicles verse-1

Technique 84: 4th whirling wind |

...

| Innate trait: whip sword deity

Executing: Raymen's war god chronicles verse-1

Technique 96: 6th whiplash |

...

The techniques he was executing were displayed on the system tab of his forehead. I read all those techniques vice-versa.

[Sigh, the way he is using his whip sword is nowhere near enough to match his old self. And why are there so many damn techniques in a single martial art?]

---clang---

He pushed me back with his technique. He continued to reign even more attacks. After five minutes, he jumped back.

"You took all 99 whip sword techniques head-on and are still standing without a drop of sweat. I will give you credit for that!", He said. I replied, "I don't need your useless credit. Besides, the fact that you are weak compared to your fifty trillion years past self is what you have to keep in mind. Maybe depending too much on the system made you quite sloppy!"

He responded, "I have three innate traits. The reason why I only used my first innate trait is that my other two innate traits are just for showcases!"

I attempted, "Showcase?!"

"Yes, even though I had potential to comprehend even more, I never learnt any martial arts befitting them. The king of gods told me to always follow the heart and not the mind!", Raymen said.

I interrupted, "Mind? Are you telling me that many people suggested you learn other martial arts but you remained only in your whip sword martial arts?!"

He replied, "Yes, they said my techniques were sloppy just like you earlier!"

---rumble---

Suddenly, the whole rocky surface where we were standing began to shake. Raymen was emitting his aura vividly. The whole terrain was rumbling with his power omission. He spoke, "So, I had to sacrifice all my potential for a single and sloppy martial art!"

| Executing: fusion of innate traits

Innate traits: whip sword deity

telekinetic god of weapons

multiple wielding war god |

__________

[Huh? What is happening? Fusion of innate traits?]

---boom—

A huge outburst of darkened violet flames exuded from Raymen. Soon, he came to vision. His eyes began to emanate darkened violet flames fiercely. His two whip swords were tilting in the air. Their length was somehow greater than earlier.

| Innate trait: hellish battle god |

__________

[He fused all the three innate traits into one?]

"When I put all my heart and soul into a single martial art, I became a unique singularity that walked alongside the other gods!", Raymen said.

---flick---clang---crash---

He appeared in front of me with his flick movement and launched a simple s***h. It clashed with my rock swords. His attack was so powerful that it sent me flying towards the edges where I crashed onto a rock wall.

He exclaimed, "When I got this system, I got to know that I had three innate traits but not three martial arts. After sometime, I also figured out that when I use my full strength the three innate traits would fuse into one and named it the 'Hellish battle god'.

Therefore, my other two innate traits are just showcases and they only function when they are fused with my main trait!"

I stood firm and patted the dust off my shoulders.

[He became a hundred times stronger than before. I have to use all the abilities that I comprehended from the beasts including my authority to 'rule over everything'.

!!!!

The abilities that I accumulated can be combined into my authority to 'rule over everything'. Why didn't I think of this before?

In that way I can rule over abilities and also execute darkened daylight instead of my own power.]

I remembered the albiyons I fought earlier. Their animal instincts were just like that of a martial artist. I got into a battle stance and channelled all my flames into my fingernails. Raymen said, "Are you trying to imitate the king of gods?!"

I said, "I am just implementing my own battle prowess!"

---flick---whoosh---fwoosh---

I summoned all the elements under my authority and reshaped my darkened crimson flames into claws. I made my strategy.

[I will use my elemental magic when he is in long-range, abilities when he is in mid-range and martial techniques when he is in close-range.]

---flash---flash---

Raymen charged forward with his two whip swords. I bared my claws along with all my elements and charged vice-versa.