193 Chapter 193: Rematch (2/2)

No…it was no longer a scythe.

The sickle had transformed from horizontal to vertical, resembling a gigantic spearhead rather than a scythe. The skull was still present, but this time a thick blade was protruding from its jaws in what seemed like a painful manner. The weapon was currently closer to a halberd or spear than a scythe. Scratch that, it was now a halberd with an oversized blade.

Refusing to be cowed by the sudden transformation of Hades' weapon, I gritted my teeth and launched another attack. However, Hades effortlessly blocked all of my attempts with his newly altered weapon. Fortunately, it seemed that I was at least succeeding in pressuring him with my barrage because before long, he forced me back with a single, massive strike that sent me flying across the air. I did a back-flip in midair before landing on my feet.

”What's with that new shape?” I growled, gnashing my teeth in frustration. My hands were still trembling from attempting to parry the powerful attack from earlier. ”His weapon has become much more powerful!”

Hades charged at me recklessly with an enraged roar, brandishing his new weapon.

”Not bad! Not bad at all!” Selina was chuckling, impressed, as she parried a dagger from Anastasia. She then spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick that Ana blocked before delivering a riposte with her sword. She then kicked at Ana's face, but the green-haired former Assassin did a cartwheel that brought her out of her opponent's range. A silver streak shot past Selina's own cheek, but the dark-haired Assassin merely twisted her head out of the trajectory of the projectile, avoiding even a tiny graze. Despite being under siege, she was still enjoying herself. ”You've actually gotten Hades to willingly transform his weapon from Pluto into Annihilation! That means he has personally recognized you! He only uses this weapon against opponents he deems as worthy!”

So the name of his newly transformed weapon is Annihilation, huh? My eyes narrowed. A fitting name for a monster like him.

Hades lunged at me and began bombarding me with a merciless hail of attacks that…er, annihilated the ground beneath us. I was forced to dodge all of them, occasionally deflecting one or two stray strikes that I couldn't evade.

Those blocks cost my Gemini twin swords dear, chipping the blade or outright obliterating them, but I managed to conjure up new ones to replace the broken ones every time. Fortunately, I was focusing on evading rather than parrying, or I would be pulverized long ago.

However, I couldn't evade forever.

Hades finally swung his Annihilation in a single, forceful and desperate swing that obliterated the ground I was standing on less than a second ago. However, I had managed to jump away in time, just narrowly avoiding a messy death.

The bottom of my black jacket was ripped just from being in such close proximity with the strike. I narrowed my eyes in frustration as a bead of perspiration dripped down my face.

I can't let this go on forever, I realized as a chill ran down my spine. I have to attack him as well, otherwise he'll overwhelm me with his extremely strong strikes.

I launched myself high into the air before diving toward Hades, wielding Gemini in an all or nothing attack. Black and white mana began to coalesce around them as I descended upon the wrathful spirit.

Hades, however, merely turned around and swung his Annihilation. My instincts screamed at me to evade the strike. I managed to alter my trajectory in midair, but his vicious counter knocked both Gemini twin swords out of my hands and completely shattered them.

I landed behind Hades and fell to a knee, winded from the impact. Blood spurted from my shoulder.

”Cheh!” I spat angrily. ”So this is what happens even after I completely dodged the attack?”

Hades turned around to face me, growling in anticipation. Some distance away, as Selina and Anastasia traded kicks, the former couldn't resist throwing out a taunt in my direction after springing apart from her own opponent.

”Damn…and I was so sure Hades could cleave you into two.”

I ignored her mocking tone and stood up to face Hades. Concentrating, I summoned Gemini again. The black and white twin swords materialized in my hands again.

”Hah!” Selina laughed, even as she parried Anastasia's dagger. ”It doesn't matter how many times you summon those pitiful weapons. My Hades will just crush them again!”

As if responding to his mistress's will, Hades lunged at me. I dodged his attacks, weaving in and out of his strikes and slashes.

I thrust my body backward to avoid a swing, only to jump away as another slash smashed the ground into debris. I jumped again to avoid another slash, hopping up and stepping back to avoid every single strike from the furious assault Hades was throwing at me. Unfortunately, I was unable to evade one final attack that was directed straight at my face. Not having enough time to dodge it, I was forced to block Annihilation by crossing Gemini in front of me.

The giant halberd struck both my swords. I managed to hold my ground for a while, resisting the immense pressure that Hades was putting into his blow.

Unfortunately, I didn't last very long.

In just a second, both Gemini shattered and I was flung back, hurtling across the city and into a building behind me. I smashed through the wall and continued going through the room behind it before finally crashing into abandoned furniture and vanishing in a cloud of debris and splinters.

”Argh…argh…” I groaned.

”How weak.”

On the other side, Selina kicked Anastasia back, causing the latter to double over. Anastasia managed to flip back and did a cartwheel to withdraw to a safe distance, grimacing as she placed a hand over her gut. Not placing her opponent in her eyes, Selina ignored the retreating Anastasia to turn a disdainful stare in my direction.

”Your weapons broke before you could show them off?”

Anastasia was giving me a perplexed stare as well. She was probably wondering why I hadn't summoned any of my Constellation spirits yet, despite facing such an overwhelming opponent.

The answer was simple. They wouldn't be of any use.

I mean, I could summon them, but what would be the point? My normal, weaker Constellation spirits would be obliterated instantly by Hades' Annihilation. Never mind his fearsome weapon, he was perfectly capable of tearing a Constellation spirit of Taurus's level with his bare hands in under a second. I would just be wasting mana and casting time throwing my Constellation spirits at him just for them to die. They were MY Constellation spirits. Like hell I would be comfortable with the idea of sending them out like lambs to the slaughter.

No. I would rather save the casting time for my big guns, my most powerful Constellation spirits. I was focusing on casting them as quickly as possible, but obviously the most powerful Constellation spirits required more casting time than my usual ones.

Until I could summon them into existence, I had no choice but to buy as much time as possible with what I had on hand.

”Trying to take on Hades with such pathetic spirit swords…Hades!”

At her command, the gigantic spirit stood before me, raising his Annihilation to deliver the finishing blow.

”You're an interesting person with curious spells,” Selina acknowledged, but she then shook her head and sighed in disappointment. ”But I guess it all ends here.”

Hades' scythe came whistling down to annihilate me from existence.