MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 465: Talisman [Ko-Fi Bonus - ]

The mind of the Hyperion demon was a tempest of turmoil, far from any semblance of peace.

He could scarcely trust his own eyes.

The reality unfolding before him defied belief.

He was being matched, no, he was being steadily outmatched.

And the one responsible?

A mere nineteen year old human.

An Ecliptic rank cultivator.

When they first received intel on Anthony, skepticism clouded their judgment.

After all, no one should be capable of reaching such a level at such a young age.

But with time, some began to rationalize it, he was, after all, the descendant of three Supreme Monarchs.

With access to virtually limitless resources, it was conceivable that they could forcibly elevate his mana rank.

Yet that line of reasoning led to a troubling conclusion: such a descendant would be little more than an empty vessel, one who possessed power, but lacked the refinement, control, and understanding required to wield it with purpose.

The Hyperion had believed this mission would be simple, sever the descendant's head and claim the reward.

But now, that same descendant, no, Anthony, stood before him, matching his every motion in swordplay with unnerving ease.

Only moments ago, the boy had outclassed him in hand to hand combat.

And then, he saw it.

Anthony's Intent.

Raw. Unmistakable. Impossible to counterfeit.

One could not feign such mastery, Intent could not be mimicked by someone ignorant of the sword's true path.

Even if Anthony was a prodigy, the gap between them remained vast.

The Hyperion demon was two full major cultivation ranks above him.

So why?

Why?

Why was he losing?

As his mind trembled beneath the weight of an unraveling reality, Anthony's katana descended in a precise vertical arc, a slash from above that threatened to split him cleanly in two.

Yet even as the demon's thoughts spiraled into chaos, his instincts did not falter.

His focus, honed through centuries of blood and battle, remained anchored to the fight before him.

He did not surrender to emotion.

Experience would not allow it.

In an instant, his body responded, feet shifting, waist twisting, muscles coiling, dodging the deadly stroke with practiced precision.

Anthony's katana, now infused with pure Intent, struck the earth with unrelenting force.

The impact was cataclysmic.

In an instant, the ground split apart, a massive trench ripping through the landscape, stretching for kilometers, its path wild and merciless, as though it sought to bisect the entire military base itself.

The Hyperion's gaze snapped to where Anthony had stood, his blade already beginning to rise, but Anthony was no longer there.

His mind stuttered into blankness.

Then came the scream of instinct.

Behind.

His shoulders dipped, footwork shifting with expert precision, center of gravity realigned as he moved to evade.

But it was too late.

In a flash, steel kissed flesh.

The cold bite of the blade cleaved through with merciless clarity.

Black blood burst into the air, painting it like an artist gone mad.

He had narrowly avoided decapitation, but not without consequence.

Anthony's blade had struck true, tearing deep into his shoulder.

'How?'

His thoughts surged back into focus the moment Anthony vanished from view again.

'Teleportation'

The conclusion struck him swiftly, Anthony wielded spatial affinity.

[Spatial Sense]

Without hesitation, he activated the skill.

A surge of awareness flooded him, attuning his senses to even the slightest spatial fluctuation.

'To the Right'

His mind registered the disturbance instantly.

There was no room for delay.

He didn't merely react, he seized the initiative.

His sword flashed through the air, a blur of lethal precision, aimed directly for Anthony's ribcage as Anthony appeared once more.

In an instant, his blade pierced what should have been flesh, cutting through Anthony as effortlessly as a knife through butter.

But something was wrong.

There was no resistance.

No spray of blood.

No sensation of cutting through bone or muscle.

Anthony had phased through the strike.

By the time the Hyperion processed this deception, it was already too late.

Anthony's katana tore through his abdomen like fire racing through dry grass, swift, ruthless, and all-consuming.

A fresh eruption of black blood surged into the air, staining the sky as it arced and spilled.

His innards lurched forward, threatening to spill free from the gaping wound now carved into him.

Anthony's blade shifted mid-motion, its trajectory adjusting with seamless precision as it surged upward, aimed straight for the demon's neck.

But the Hyperion wasn't caught unaware. With a sharp backward step, he narrowly evaded another fatal blow.

Yet he wasn't merely retreating, he was setting his own trap.

In that fleeting instant, a black talisman materialized in his hand, and with a swift, practiced motion, he slapped it onto Anthony's wrist.

The talisman latched on with a hiss, its dark energy flaring briefly.

Seizing the momentary reprieve, the demon retreated several meters in a blur of movement.

Without hesitation, he retrieved a healing potion, uncorking it swiftly as he began to mend his torn flesh.

Anthony watched calmly as the demon's wound knit itself shut before his eyes, while his own body suddenly froze, time itself seeming to pause around him.

'I've been sealed'

He realized.

His mana and Intent vanished in an instant, as if they had never existed.

But he did not panic.

His mind remained calm, his heart steady, even as ethereal chains coiled around him like living shadows, binding him with unbreakable grip.

"You've given a good fight, human. But sadly for you and thankfully for me, it ends here"

The Hyperion's voice was cold, devoid of needless flourish, as he surged forward like a shadow unleashed.

He wasted no words on empty monologues.

Anthony was the descendant of three Supreme Monarchs, who knew what life saving artifact he would pull out if given the chance.

His sword flashed with lethal intent, aimed straight at Anthony's waist, ready to cleave him cleanly in two.

A sickening, wet tearing sound filled the air as the blade met flesh and bone.

Anthony's body was severed perfectly, upper and lower halves falling to the ground with dull, heavy thuds.

His crimson blood spilled and oozed, staining the earth and dripping into the air like a macabre painting.

The Hyperion watched coldly as the light faded from Anthony's piercing blue eyes.

Without a second thought, he waved his hand, and the severed halves of Anthony's body were drawn into his space ring, disappearing from sight.

He shifted his form swiftly, preparing to retreat, but his instincts screamed a warning too late.

In a flash of steel and fury, Anthony's katana sliced through the air, cleaving the Hyperion's entire arm clean from the shoulder.

Pain exploded through the demon's mind, sharp and searing, but no scream escaped his lips.

In an instant, he vanished from sight, reappearing with his gaze locked onto the figure before him.

Anthony.

Or rather, the real Anthony.

'How? A clone?'

The Hyperion's thoughts raced.

"If you're wondering how, everything you saw was nothing but an illusion"

Anthony began, his voice calm as he stepped forward with measured calmness.

"The moment you drew your talisman from your space ring, I cast the illusion that I'd been caught. Everything else unfolded exactly as you imagined. Simple enough"

A faint smile curved his lips as he closed the distance between them slowly.

No matter how cunningly the Hyperion tried to activate the talisman, it was futile within Anthony's Sense Dome.

Normally, Infinity would neutralize such tricks, but Anthony rarely relied on Infinity during battle.

"You were pretty skilled… for a side character"

Anthony's voice echoed, but this time from behind the Hyperion.

The demon's eyes snapped toward the sound, only to be met by the sudden descent of a blade.

'How did he bypass my Spatial Sense?'

That was the last thought that crossed his mind before Anthony's katana severed his head clean from his body.

Blood erupted like a fountain, spraying upward, but it never reached Anthony, dissipating as if striking an invisible barrier. Infinity had finally been activated.

Blue flames erupted instantly, roaring to life as they engulfed the Hyperion's lifeless form, consuming every trace, ensuring no method of resurrection could ever succeed.