Chapter 215: Back to Business and Sculk Arm
Chapter 215: Back to Business and Sculk Arm
[You have used 'Killing Spree' on 'Warden, the Prisoner Killer'!]
"…" Warden was sent flying toward the giant metal door of the Lucullus Prison, the crimson ball of energy sent by [Killing Spree] hitting his left shoulder, and essentially evaporating his left arm in the process, "You… prisoner…" The yellow vortex in the warden's eyes grew darker as he got up, holding his hammer tight in his right hand.
"You're just a false hero," Stark took a few steps forward and arrived in front of Sora, checking her out.
"…" she was still breathing, and her eyes were opened, just enough to be able to see what was happening, yet unable to move her body.
"Useless…" Stark mumbled, he knew she wouldn't be able to help, even though he had been sure she was the strongest one of the batch, "Just sit back and watch me send that asshole to hell…" Stark continued walking toward warden.
"SCULK INFUSION," but Warden cast his skill, and suddenly…
~FWISH~ His left arm reappeared, well… not really… but it was just entirely made out of sculk.
Basically… he artificially created another arm as he couldn't retrieve the last.
"+100000," he couldn't heal himself anymore, and this was the maximum his skill could do at this point.
Meaning… that both parties were in their final form.
A true 1 on 1.
Warden swung his hammer a few times to adjust to the feeling of his new arm, completely made out of sculk, then he stared at Stark.
"Do you believe that you have the right to fight back?" he tilted his head, cracks visible all over his armor, which protected him from dying of the [Killing Spree] energy ball.
"What are you talking about?" yet Stark wasn't bothered, his crimson aura taking over his entire body, his figure being replaced by that aura, except for his mouth and eyes which were white.
"Mere prisoners trying to escape and cause chaos in this world, I am the warden, I am JUSTICE," Warden grabbed his hammer with both his hands and smashed the ground with it, making the entirety of floor 0 tremble, and making cracks appear on the ground.
He was extremely close to reaching his second phase, or "Berserk" mode.
"ULTRASOUND AURA," Warden held his necklace with the "sculk arm" he created, unleashing a deafening wave of sound that echoed through the room.
Stark had seen that he used that to stun Sora before, and he wouldn't fall for that trick.
The blue rings of sound rushed in his direction, but he just swiftly avoided them by starting to run around the warden.
"You seem to be smarter than the other one," Warden smiled, "That's good, shattering all your hopes will be much more fun."
"Heh~ and you call use the evil ones," Stark smiled back, although his was so demonic that even Warden's eyes widened slightly.
"SCULK SURGE… CANNON!" Warden pointed his "sculk arm" toward Stark, but instead of immediately shooting… it started to morph.
The cannon-like structure on Warden's arm grew larger and larger, as if gathering energy from the very air around them.
And by the end of that transformation… his arm was like a giant cannon that could send giant balls of sculk toward his enemies.
~BOOM~
He immediately fired at Stark, who avoided the lightning-fast bullet by a hair's length.
"Is this… your justice?" Stark said as he avoided two more cannonballs.
"Shut up, prisoner."
"SCULK CHARGE… ULTIMATE CANNONBALL!" as if sucking in the air, Warden charged up his attack, the sculk all over his armor and body slowly disappearing and going inside the cannon.
And after a few seconds… ~BOOM~ He fired the ball, and it was so fast Stark would have no chance to avoid it, especially since Warden had [Horns Detection].
And yet… ~SNAP~ Stark snapped his fingers, and he immediately teleported behind Warden.
The reason was simple: while he was running around Warden, he had activated [Crimson Ball Transmission] and sent a ball right behind the beast.
"Watch out, false hero, your justice is wavering," Stark immediately aimed to slam his fist onto Warden's back.
But…
"Flickering Movements," Stark's vision became dark for a split second, almost as if the lights in his eyes had been turned off, and when his vision came back… Warden was…
"My justice will never lose," he was behind Stark.
"Sculk Handcuffs," before Stark could even react, sculk formed around Stark's arms and handcuffs appeared on them, joining them both together.
'Can't move…' he couldn't move his arms anymore, the sculk blocking his movements.
"HAMMER SLAM," he swung his hammer sideways and hit Stark straight on as he couldn't move.
"-23713!"
[Stark HP: 9787/33500]
Thankfully enough, the [Sculk Handcuffs] disappeared the moment he was hit.
But on the other hand… Stark was now only one attack away from dying, blood pouring out from his head, and his arm hurting like hell as he infused it with aura and blocked the attack with it to minimize the damage received.
"You're the only left," Warden pointed his [Sculk Hammer] at Stark, who got up from his kneeling position to continue fighting.
Stark lifted his gaze, and that's when he noticed something: the rib-like bones that were protecting the three [Dark Spheres] in the middle of the warden's torso were on the verge of breaking as well.
If these things were the warden's weakness, then he would need to use them to defeat him, otherwise he had no chance, especially now that Sora was useless and could only watch the fight as it happened.
Stark needed a plan…
And so… he began acting.
"Hahahahahahah!"
"…?" Warden was confused, after all… why was Stark suddenly laughing like a maniac, "Gone crazy?"
"I already figured out everything, WARDEN!" he smiled, "You think you're so righteous, protecting the people from us criminals, huh?"
"That is right, I am the good of this world," Warden actually agreed, he was full of himself and loved to be called a hero.
"And yet, here you are, violent, despicable, nothing but a mere tool used by those above for this pointless game!"
Stark continued, the smile on his face growing more sinister.
[Keep pushing…]
Warden's expression changed at that moment, his neutral look from before faltering.
"You are nothing at all, Warden, and when I end up killing you and getting out of this place, I'll make sure to cause the higher amount of chaos possible."
"You… little…" Warden was beginning to become angry.
Warden, as stated by his role and name, was the guardian of this prison, the one that stopped all evil from escaping, which is why he was fueled by justice and good, refusing to submit to the evil of this world and loving to be called a hero.
Anything that went against these beliefs would need to be wiped out.
And yet…
"You are just a monster, Warden," Stark went for the finishing blow.
[Push him to his limits… make him make a mistake…]
"Stop… talking…" he smashed his hammer against the ground again, debris falling from the ceiling and his body being taken over by sculk and aura.
"YOUR CORRUPT JUSTICE IS WRONG, AND YOU ARE NOTHING," Stark shouted as hard as he could, the atmosphere around both opponents so powerful that Sora couldn't understand how any of this was happening, "NOTHING BUT A FALSE HERO!"
And the moment Stark pronounced those last words…
"WARDEN'S DARKNESS," Warden used up his [Legendary] skill again, the same one he activated when Stark and Sora first entered this floor.
"I'LL SHOW YOU THAT I AM THE TRUE HERO, PRISONER," Warden hid in the darkness of the floor as everything turned dark around Stark.
"Come at me, false hero," Stark sneered as he wiped blood pouring out from his nose.