Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 177: Now
The water cascaded, and the moonlight shone through. Even Sevrix looked up in shock at the silver light that suddenly illuminated their surroundings.
But then he frowned because the water didn’t just fall, the wave gathered together and went to the other side. "She’s not dead? What’s she playing at?"
The next moment, a jet of streaming water shot over, but with an easy sidestep, the shot missed him.
His mouth curled. "You stupid bitch, you think you can help him with...!!"
The water didn’t just splash to the ground. Instead, it rolled into a ball, dumping a figure that was wet and dripping. Black, thick hair plastered to his eyes, but his gaze burned with an intense green.
Sevrix was shocked, and then he smiled. "He didn’t kill you? Good. Then I will...!!"
Vale sputtered and coughed blood several times before wiping his face with his wet hand. He groaned and was about to curse Pomora when his eyes landed on Takoda, who seemed to be carrying an extremely big shadow on his back while being thrown into a black pool.
He ran towards him immediately, only to pause at the edge. From the dark pool, he could feel eyes watching him. "Takoda? Takoda!"
Sevrix smiled. "What do you think of my masterpiece? Getting sucked dry of essence while slowly being...!!"
Immediately, Vale spread his hands, and his tower floated above him, spinning. Before Sevrix could say or do anything, he shouted, "No parasite is allowed here!"
A pulse spread through the air, and instantly, the shadow on Takoda’s back faded away. The reason it disappeared so fast was that it was a technique with no will of its own behind it.
Takoda’s eyes opened wide immediately, regaining their luster. He raised his hand and made a complicated gesture.
Sevrix didn’t wait for him to regain his strength. He sharply jerked his hand down. The skeletal hands around Takoda pulled harder, the black pool shuddered and churned as the Chief thrashed.
But he was pulled into the pool, and it swallowed him.
Vale froze, his eyes wide as he stared at the still pool. "Takoda?"
"He’s dead," Sevrix said flatly. "And you will join him soon enough."
The pool began to expand, rapidly spreading and eating into the surrounding ground before it slowed and stopped. Sevrix frowned. He wasn’t the one who had stopped the movement of the dark pool he conjured.
Then his eyes widened, and he drifted backward. Just then, the pool exploded. Black liquid splashed out, spilling onto the ground and hissing.
Something huge jutted out of the pool—a boulder covered in the same liquid. Takoda! He was encased in stones and rocks that formed around him like armor. He took one step forward, his body groaning and cracking, his eyes fixed on Sevrix.
He spread his right hand and then clapped.
The ground answered. Hands made of stone erupted from the earth in a rumbling clap, slamming Sevrix between them. Then the hands moved and formed a fist, trapping him.
"That..." Takoda coughed. The armor of stones around him shook and fell away, revealing his face—pale, bloodshot eyes, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
He shook his head and forced himself to straighten, only to break into a coughing fit. His body shivered slightly, as if from cold.
Vale walked closer to him and then created a burning fire by his side. He surveyed the area and shuddered. ’...See how the ground is... It’s all torn up... I’d be dead in an instant if I faced any of them head-on...’ 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
The sound of water crashing and monsters roaring reached them from where Pomora and Dienro were still going at it.
The fire seemed to dispel most of the cold from Takoda, and he was able to talk again without shaking. "That won’t hold him for long, and I’m weakened. I have very little essence left. If the two of us join strength with your tower, then we should be able to take care of him."
"He can’t have that many high-level techniques he’s stolen, right? And he shouldn’t be able to seal your technique once you’re in the tower. We hit him hard and fast. No holding back or waiting," Takoda said. Then he sat down in a lotus position, his hands resting on his knees.
Vale nodded. Without saying anything, he sent himself into his tower, quickly getting absorbed by it. Immediately, he felt his senses spread outward, seeing everything around him.
He heard Takoda’s voice. "I’ll remove the shield in a bit. That will save me strength. He’s breaking through it already anyway."
Vale didn’t reply. Instead, he activated the tower’s ability. "Fire power is enhanced here!"
A pulse spread, and the fire burning beside Takoda snapped, flaring higher and burning brightly.
"Now!" Takoda shouted.
The two stone hands unclasped, revealing Sevrix, now a bundle of darkness that had been digging into the stone hands. He was surprised by the sudden freedom, but then the two hands clasped into a fist and slammed into him, crashing him into the ground.
The ground shook, and the hands lifted again, ready to punch him, but curtains of darkness expanded. This time, each small curtain was like a blade, tearing into the stone hands. Right on the heels of that, a spear of condensed fire blasted through and exploded.
But Sevrix wasn’t there! He had disappeared the moment he created the dark curtain.
Vale realized too late. He used his senses to check, but Sevrix wasn’t near. Suddenly, he felt a pressure above him—on the tower. Sevrix was floating near the battlements, looking down at the tower with a sour expression.
Vale was already activating a technique when Sevrix did something he wasn’t expecting. He raised his hand and punched the tower!
Bam!
The punch hit like thunder to the gut. Vale heard a low cracking sound, and then the tower whirled through the air, falling toward Takoda.
Vale tried his best to remain calm and made the tower disappear before it reached the Chief.
’...Master Knights are indeed strong... A punch is enough to send my tower flying...’
Vale appeared on the ground and immediately took to the air, but he discovered a problem. Sevrix had disappeared again!
