From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Chapter 168: Bleeding Skeleton

Todd, driven by a fierce loyalty to his friends, confronted Erebos with unwavering determination. "I won't allow you to continue to hurt my friends!" he declared, his voice ringing out with conviction. He charged towards Erebos, his staff spinning overhead in a display of skilled combat.

In a swift and strategic move, Todd brought the staff down in a powerful slamming motion towards Erebos. However, Erebos, demonstrating his reflexes and combat prowess, managed to catch the tip of the staff. This action momentarily disoriented him as a sonic blast emitted from the staff's tip, a testament to its latent power and Todd's skill in wielding it.

Seizing the momentary advantage, Todd dropped the staff, directing it towards Erebos's chest. He then pushed his palm against the weapon, amplifying its force. Erebos, caught off guard by the unexpected maneuver, could only react as his soft green hands repelled the staff.

The sound barrier around them cracked and broke under the immense pressure, causing the staff to shoot Erebos an incredible 60 feet into the distance. Erebos's body hurtled through the air before crashing into a nearby cliffside, a stark illustration of the intense power struggle unfolding.

In the midst of the chaotic battlefield, Todd, gasping for breath from the exertion of his recent attack, quickly turned his attention to Nana. She was bleeding heavily, and without hesitation, he moved to her aid.

Gently lifting her, he said, "You okay?" His concern was evident as he took out a jar of white ointment and began to apply it meticulously to her chest wound, followed by placing a band-aid over it.

Their moment of respite was short-lived as Erebos's voice, laced with a mix of surprise and begrudging respect, sounded behind them. "Out of everyone, I do have to say you have surprised me the most, a weak hybrid creature having any combat proficiency. Your use in the future is still up in the air, but do color me impressed," he remarked, acknowledging Todd's unexpected effectiveness in combat.

As Erebos raised his hand towards Todd, signaling another impending attack, Ty intervened with a fierce determination. Shoulder-checking Erebos, he declared, "I won't sit by while you hurt people I care about," his actions backed by a surge of lightning energy.

At that moment, another ally, Tyrod, joined the fray, sliding in to assist. "I think you all could use the help," he stated, ready to join the battle.

However, Erebos, unfazed by the combined efforts, responded with a devastating counterattack. He speed-blitzed Tyrod, impaling him with an open hand, his actions ruthless and decisive. "I have no use for weak people. Please don't butt your head in places you don't belong," Erebos coldly stated before grabbing Tyrod's face and crushing him into the ground with brutal force.

In a moment of sheer desperation and anger, Ty lunged at Erebos with a powerful scream, his eyes bleeding orange - a sign of his intense emotional and physical strain.

He swung his fist with all his might, but Erebos, with his superior agility and combat skills, easily dodged the attack. In a swift counter, Erebos plunged his fist into Ty's chest.

However, Ty's armor prevented the blow from being fatal, stopping the fist from penetrating completely, though Ty was still sent skidding across the ground from the impact.

Erebos then turned his menacing focus towards Todd and Nana. From his pockets, he pulled out five coins and declared cryptically, "May my luck ever be in your fortune." With a slight blow of air, the coins rocketed towards Todd. In a defensive reaction, Todd swung his hand to bat the coins away, but they unexpectedly curved around, bypassing his defenses.

The coins pierced the flesh around his open palm, severing the connection and causing him to lose control of his hand.

In a brutal follow-up, Erebos delivered a powerful kick to Todd's stomach, sending him flying an astonishing 100 feet back towards their original fighting location. The force of the kick was a testament to Erebos's overwhelming strength and his ruthless approach to the battle.

Erebos, with a sense of urgency, advanced towards Nana. She tried to retaliate by snapping her fingers with her red hand, but Erebos was quicker, using his power to summon blood and slice off her hand in a swift, merciless action. He then placed his foot on her chest, demonstrating his control over the situation.

Ready to deliver a potentially fatal blow, he summoned his coins around his fist, coldly remarking, "Nothing personal."

As Erebos launched the coins towards Nana, Ty acted with instinctive courage. He pushed her out of the way, sacrificing himself to absorb the full impact of the attack. The coins shattered his armor and drilled painfully into his bones, a brutal testament to Erebos's lethal power.

In the midst of Ty's valiant effort to save Nana, Erebos, with a smirk of satisfaction, amplified his attack. He surrounded himself with orange energy and, in a cruel follow-up, plunged his hand into Ty's back. Ty's skeletal frame reacted with a scream of agony, highlighting the intensity of the injury inflicted by Erebos.

In the midst of his confrontation with Erebos, Ty experienced a sudden shift in his surroundings. He found himself in a realm of pitch black darkness, standing before a fearsome black creature with horns and an elongated tail. Its eyes burned with a deep red glare, full of resentment.

The creature, confronting Ty, made a startling move by ripping out its own eye, speaking with a tone of regret. "You should have just given yourself up to me, but I suppose things will be more difficult from here," it said, suggesting a complex and unexplored connection with Ty. However, before it could elaborate, the creature screamed in pain and vanished, leaving only the eye it had removed.

This encounter, mysterious and fleeting, ended abruptly, and Ty reappeared on the battlefield. Erebos's hand was still embedded in his back, and, in a bizarre turn of events, drops of blood began to form at the site of the wound. This occurrence was peculiar, considering Ty's skeletal nature, and hinted at unknown aspects of his being.