Chapter 420
"You can't resist this rule either?" Yuki turned his head, knowing what this thing was for; it was practically a melee-focused player's ultimate skill.
"A blade can wound others, but it can also wound itself." Taiyi made no attempt to hide anything, then corrected, "Players from the Pantheon and Energy Light love to kite, but no one can escape my blade. Of course, if you think I lack ranged abilities, you're sorely mistaken. I used to be—"
"It's invincible."
Wow, invincible!
If others said this, Yuki would only laugh, but now he couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal. The blade that could cut through everything was so close, and he gripped the Dragon Spear tightly.
Epic Metamorphosis. Soul Mimicry.
Storm Dragon Transformation!
Yuki threw out the Dragon Spear, and the Storm Dragon reappeared, but Taiyi didn't even look at it, gripping his sword with both hands.
One strike.
Without a sound of air being torn apart, the Roar Storm Dragon was cleanly and decisively cleaved in two, then vanished from the spot. Its Immortal Body passed through the residual electricity and raised its blade once more.
Second cut.
Clang--
The vibration in his hand made him raise an eyebrow slightly. He saw that Yuki was holding a two-handed longsword covered with black stones, but this slash did not break it in two.
"Oh, I forgot you had this knife."
Bang!
Yuki held a sword in one hand and fired a gun in the other. The bullet still failed to shatter Taiyi's Immortal Body, but the impact sent him flying several meters away, before he was frozen in mid-air in a moment that defied the laws of physics.
Clang, clang, clang.
The relentless Yuki felt like a hammer was pounding into his hands, cracking his thumb and forefinger. He then realized that it wasn't just the rule of 'One Blade Cleaves All Things,' but also the person wielding the sword was incredibly powerful.
There was a difference in swordsmanship, and the Black Blade in his hand was not enough to block everything. He could only feel a constant stinging pain all over his body.
The blade pierced through, cutting open the arm and slashing into the body. Fortunately, the black armor's resistance kept increasing, and then the soul underwent a frenzied Regenerative Tail.
"I initially thought you were an item-based player, then I found out you were a pay-to-win player, and in the end, you turned out to be an immortal player?"
Taiyi's expression changed slightly. This person was clumsy and had no power to fight back, but he had to admit that he was really hard to kill. He was slashed hundreds of times in a few seconds, but he managed to hold his middle with his Black Blade and crouched down to defend himself.
They dodge with all their might, and if they can't dodge, they defend their vital points. They have keen observation skills and can tell which strike is deadly.
Gunshots rang out intermittently, each one a shock projectile, designed to blast Him toward the edge of the cage.
With unwavering will and rich experience, even at this point, he still thinks of counterattacking. Indeed, only the Annihilation of All Things can break through Immortal Body.
Taiyi shredded the bullet and looked at the purple flowers blooming in the distance. The area, with a diameter of two hundred meters, was already filled with soul energy. With each swing of his sword, he would cut off 'Petal', even though these Petal had been solidified by Reinforcement Magecraft.
After a hundred strikes, Taiyi paused briefly. This was a war of attrition, Yuki's defenses were getting stronger and stronger. Of course, Taiyi, with his unlimited endurance, was more than happy to engage in a war of attrition.
But time was running out; this version of myself couldn't sever the connection between the Reincarnation Game and the dungeon.
He was getting tired of it; an indestructible leech should be tiresome, but in his eyes...
"No one is immortal."
They've arrived.
Yuki's heart stopped, his Reinforcement Magecraft had cooled down, and his soul materials were almost used up. However, he knew that 'Taiyi' had no concept of consumption. He chose to stop simply because he was bored and wanted to end the test.
The space ahead was distorting, and another 'Yuki' had changed. He was dressed in white, with long black hair, and his appearance was obscured because he was too difficult to look at directly.
That was an Abyss Grade that buried countless dead.
Is this the Taiyi?
Yuki tried to dodge, but found herself unable to move an inch. This wasn't mind control, nor were there any binding techniques; her cold heart told her the truth.
Fear, nothing more than pure fear.
Countless beings wailed in agony, a consequence of the catastrophe inflicted by this demon king. A glance revealed countless epic, legendary, and even higher-level beings from the cycle of reincarnation. Who wouldn't be horrified? Who wouldn't fear the sight of so many dead together?
He watched as Taiyi's palm swept across the long sword, the space twisting as he watched, his eyes widening inch by inch.
With its red handle, gold guard, and black blade, this was a weapon in the shape of a Miao sword, which made Yuki look at it involuntarily.
"This sword is inscribed with 'Total Annihilation'."
Taiyi announced the result without further ado, simply raising his blade. All five senses, every cell in his body, were telling Yuki Mirai:
Death, annihilation.
Time, space, Destiny, cause and effect—everything will Total Annihilation. Even beings with maxed-out immortality skills, capable of Resurrection from a single cell, and able to live in the past, present, and future, will all be reduced to ashes.
Die.
With a single strike, there was no need to aim, because even if Yuki's Epic Metamorphosis was related to time, this would be the only result if he were to instantly vanish into the river of time.
Why didn't he have any murderous intent? Because the ability to sense murderous intent is extremely rare.
Finish.
He swung his sword, sheathed it, his movements fluid and graceful. Taiyi glanced into the distance with a regretful look, seeing the dark sword mark pierce through everything in front of him and disappear into the end of time and space.
Another chapter of the past has to be changed, but thankfully it's not 'me' who's doing it.
He lowered his eyes, his body turned into black mist and dissipated. A moment later, his long eyebrows rose.
Huh? He's not dead?
Having seen too many strange and wonderful survival skills, Taiyi had become desensitized to surprise, but for this moment, he was still stunned.
Impossible. Legend has it that all survival skills are destined for Total Annihilation; there's no way I could fail. Reversing cause and effect? No, even cause and effect can be severed, unless—
He raised his head and saw the Yuki, which had been split in two and was beginning to collapse, suddenly close up again. Without wasting a moment, He pounced on it.
Future Diary? You used that thing?
[The more specific, realistic, and historically relevant the content, the more directly it relates to the user, and the more likely it is to be realized. It is also influenced by factors such as the writer's ability and the writing materials used.]
This is Taiyi's work; Yuki is Taiyi, and their relationship is extremely close, like writing one's own story—it's a true diary.
'In that split second between life and death, Taiyi, or rather, I, will make a mistake—an inevitable and fatal one.'
This is Yuki's script. He didn't know what abilities Taiyi possessed, so he could only gamble on their relationship, and then, his gamble paid off.
Without those words, I would surely die. The Vitality Shift is completely useless; the number of people he killed is a thousand times, ten thousand times greater than the number he could have killed through Vitality Shift.
Yuki felt no lingering fear, only a relentless charge. This was different from the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception; it was a cause-and-effect relationship where the end was 'death,' rendering any number of items or skills useless. It was precisely because of this fantastical nature that the Future Diary took effect.
Only rules can deal with rules, and only time can obscure time.
That's why I dare to fight you to the death!
Yuki lunged forward, slamming his spear into Taiyi's chest. He then parried the sword strike with his Black Blade, ignoring Taiyi's twisting wrist that changed the slash into a thrust.
Puff.
Despite the insect's armor, which had seemingly increased in resistance, it was still Piercer. Undeterred by the pain, Yuki raised his shotgun and pressed it against the insect's jaws.
Bang!
The bullet blasted Taiyi's head back. His Immortal Body was practically an absolute defense, but it had already been tested and it couldn't turn him into a ghost without a physical form.
He drew the Black Blade and slashed at Yuki's neck, but he didn't care about anything else. The pervasive soul energy solidified, forming a hard ground, while the Blood-Burning Heart in its Wildfire state was operating at full power.
"I want your inheritance!"
Turn to the side, lean forward, and lean against the iron mountain.
The blade severed Yuki's right arm, while his shoulder slammed into Taiyi's chest, sending him flying several meters into the black line. This was the Annihilation Prison that severed the Furnace and bound all things.
Swish--
The black line Piercer his chest, just like the knife wound from before, cutting his body in two. Yuki lunged forward, his left hand gripping the pale neck tightly, and flew along the arc of his body.
Taiyi's 'sword' to kill Taiyi is like the strongest shield colliding with the sharpest spear; the only outcome can be the destruction of both.
"I have to admit, you're definitely better than me at planning ahead."
Taiyi did not struggle, nor did he take the opportunity to poke holes in Yuki's body. His body was being cut and obliterated by the Annihilation Prison Yuki, and a curve suddenly appeared on his unbearable face.
They actually used the Future Diary in advance; that's more than just clever.
Yuki stopped as well. He felt the 'nothingness' dissipate, and he also felt the fear that had been troubling him dissipate. Taiyi died by his sword.
He looked at the other person without much emotion. "You are you, and I am me. You said it yourself."
"Yes, now you can rest assured."
You can rest assured, at least no one would actually go to such lengths to kill themselves. Even emotionally, such a person wouldn't bother with any schemes or tricks.
In the blink of an eye, the Furnace collapsed, and a bright light illuminated Yuki's eyes. The endless Eternal Night vanished, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face as he looked around.
Mona and the others who should have been behind him were nowhere to be seen. They weren't moved to another dimension, but rather returned to the earth.
The earth was bathed in daylight, Yuki seemed like a god overlooking the world.
Within the tide, the remaining refugees, the densely packed population Night Capital City, and the bewildered players and Robertson atop the tower, among them a blue-haired girl wearing an ill-fitting white coat.
Everyone was looking up at the sky, their faces filled with confusion. Even someone as deep as Mebius, who had ventured into the Eternal Night, couldn't figure out what was going on.
In an instant, a look of ecstasy appeared on everyone's faces, countless people embraced each other, and countless people wept with joy.
"Look, you've ended the Eternal Night with your own hands. Do you know why I added the 'Epic' achievement requirement?"
Damn it, so it was you who did this, adding those settings without permission.
Yuki shook his head blankly.
"Because there's no sense of accomplishment in mere killing. Whether it's being a savior or a destroyer, it's too boring if it's just a selection game."
"Players deserve to be cheered, and from that cheers, they should find their way forward and contemplate the true meaning of power."
Yuki seemed to be listening to a wise Tetsuto telling a story. Golden light came from afar. He looked over, the players looked over, the Night Watchers represented by Funina looked over, and the tens of millions of lives that survived the catastrophe also looked over.
The Eternal Night breaks into dawn, and the sun rises in the east.
Yuki disdained being a savior, nor did he crave the support of millions. He gazed at the sun, listening to the countdown reach zero. Taiyi had vanished without a trace, leaving only a sharp, knife-like voice:
"I have merely offered you a possibility, an opportunity. Do as you wish, because—"
"You are Taiyi."
Volume 1: Regression
Chapter 1 Strengthening and Enhancement
[Player Yuki, you have defeated the King of the Night, participation rate 67%, reward 3 Specialization Points, obtained the Alienated Grade: Spirit of Eternal Night]
[Player Yuki, you have obtained the epic achievement 'The Night Watchers' and gained one of the abilities of the Eternal Night King. Please select.]
[Player Yuki has completed the main quest "Nighttime Murder" with 100% participation. Quest rating: SSS+]
[Reward: 8 Specialization Points, 6 Enhancement Points.]
The murmurs reached my ears, even longer than those in the Wizard's Tower, unfolding a long list of names such as the Sloth Bishop, Ashura Rhinoceros Beetle, Zabuza Momochi, and the Nameless King, each representing a harvest.
But this time Yuki a little distracted, or rather, the true meaning of 'Nighttime Murder' lay in Taiyi's legacy, so even if he didn't get a single enhancement point, it didn't matter.
We got it! We really got it! Besides the intelligence, there should also be Taiyi's true legacy, but why isn't it marked on the panel?
Yuki was stunned for a moment, then he understood. 'Taiyi' had been completely erased, so his legacy shouldn't appear on the panel, just like the Black Blade in his hand.
"Total Annihilation?"
He glanced at the Black Blade, closed his eyes, and instead of thinking about how powerful the knife was, he let out a long sigh.
You can rest assured, I will not be possessed, nor will I become another person. Every bit of my strength is earned by myself. Taiyi most covered for me and gave me a choice.
He recalled the options following 'Bloodthirsty Red Moon', and the option to 'untrace' was the biggest help, giving him the choice.
What would have happened if I hadn't removed the tracking information because I was worried about losing points?
The exact outcome is unclear, but it's certain that I won't be acting together with the senior students. Recalling those brief few minutes of conversation, I quickly summarized:
First, I am not simply reborn; I am something far more complex, as can be seen from 'inheritance' and 'seed'. But why do I say 'I am Taiyi'?
Secondly, that upheaval was caused by Taiyi, and this powerful figure disregarded space and time, even the Reincarnation Game could not completely erase it.