Back to the Training Session with Lastnine and Jasmine
As both readied themselves for combat, Jasmine charged forward, unleashing a slash from Infernus. The flames tore through everything, reshaping an entire world. However, Lastnine used his reality manipulation to restore everything to its original state. Simultaneously, he fired a white beam straight at Jasmine, negating her durability. Jasmine quickly regenerated her durability and swung Yamamura, but it had no effect on Lastnine, who continuously shifted between a physical and abstract form. Lastnine said:
"The lesson here is, when facing an enemy too strong, don't panic. Stay calm and call for help, like Jacob, if I'm not around."
Jasmine, blocking the beam, asked:
"So, when facing someone like you, I should just call Jacob?"
Lastnine, still firing beams, replied:
"Exactly. But if you encounter an Emperor, your best bet is to run."
Jasmine asked:
"Why, old man?"
Lastnine responded:
"Because Emperors are gods who've lost the worlds they once ruled and manipulated. They're like gods, but they far surpass ordinary gods and even beings above gods. Lately, I've noticed their generals are searching for someone. It's best not to pick a fight with them."
Jasmine fell silent, then asked:
"Why can't we fight them? Because there are only five of us? Or are they too numerous? Or are we too weak?"
Lastnine laughed and said:
"No, it's because I don't feel like it. Why bother getting entangled with them? Besides, we have no reason to. Got it?"
Jasmine nodded. Then Lastnine tossed her a glass vial containing a liquid swirling with blue and white hues. He explained:
"This vial contains a liquid I extracted from the corpse of some general in a palace, hehe."
Meanwhile
The Void Emperor surveyed the wreckage caused by his battle with Jam. Suddenly, he recalled something and searched the area, finding the body of one of his subordinates, its energy completely drained. The Void Emperor said nothing, but his energy surged as he declared:
"I'll find whoever dared to do this."
Back to the Training Area
Jasmine downed the contents of the vial, and a sudden surge of energy flooded her body. A searing pain overwhelmed her, causing her to scream in agony. Her eyes turned completely white, and the mind of an angel fully possessed her. The angel smirked and swung both swords, unleashing a massive slash capable of harming Lastnine. But Lastnine remained unfazed. Before the slash could land, he raised his right hand, grabbing the attack, and said:
"That slash of yours…"
Lastnine extended his right hand forward, a black energy enveloping him.
"…is not part of this world."
As he spoke, his left eye glowed black and white. The slash was compressed into his hands, and Lastnine crushed it. Simultaneously, he switched his weapon's mechanism to a scythe and delivered a strike meant to instantly kill. Yet Jasmine remained standing, having transcended life and death, rendering an instant-kill attack ineffective against someone who had escaped death. Lastnine realized something and said:
"So, you're the one who took over Jasmine's body?"
The angel, within Jasmine's body, grinned and said:
"Exactly. Because an angel's authority surpasses life and death, your scythe can never affect me or this body."
Lastnine replied:
"You'd better return that body to the kid before I make you."
The angel, smiling confidently, said:
"Oh? I dare you."
Lastnine slowly approached, and the angel in Jasmine's body did the same. Their energies began radiating and clashing. Lastnine snapped his fingers, and thousands of miles away, Jacob heard Lastnine's command, grabbed Mary, and fled. Mary resisted, but Jacob was far stronger. Once Lastnine confirmed no one else was around, he unleashed a barrage of white beams at the angel, who dodged effortlessly. The angel countered with a flurry of slashes, but Lastnine hardened his blood to block and retaliated with countless blood spikes that grazed the angel's cheek, wounding him and forcing him to retreat. The angel looked at Lastnine, grinned, and said:
"Your power's weakened significantly, hasn't it, Judge?"
Lastnine, surprised, asked:
"How do you know?"
The angel in Jasmine's body continued:
"Because I've been watching you since the day you were born. After nearly a billion years, you vanished because of that event, and now I've found you."
Lastnine glared at him, switching from his weapon to his gun, and asked:
"So why are you here?"
The angel smirked and said:
"Come back and be our dog again, and I'll spare your two kids. If not, I'll kill them."
Lastnine sighed and said:
"Go find that Judge yourself. I'm no longer the Judge you can order around."
The angel laughed again, but his smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression. He said:
"I'm not here to ask. I'm ordering you, got it?"
Lastnine replied:
"How many times do I have to say it? I don't feel like it."
The angel laughed and danced around, drawing a circle of blood, stretching it, and firing a blood beam. Lastnine dodged, charging at incredible speed and landing a punch that destroyed the eyes of Jasmine's body. The angel laughed louder, stood up, and said amidst his laughter:
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! You fool! Now it's time to take your head!"
As he spoke, multiple eyes on two rings spun across his head in opposite directions. Laughing louder, he unleashed countless blood spikes at Lastnine, who neutralized them all with his energy. The angel charged, swinging a blood scythe, but Lastnine dodged. His gunfire struck the angel, exploding and destroying Jasmine's body, which quickly regenerated. The angel's smile and laughter persisted as he fired relentless blood beams at Lastnine, only to have them swallowed by Lastnine's white beams. Undeterred, the angel amplified his speed and strength with energy, enhancing his blood attacks. A single shot pierced Lastnine's erasing energy but couldn't bypass his nullification, frustrating the angel slightly. He charged, landing a kick followed by a barrage of blood beams. Lastnine blocked them all and teleported away. The angel, irritated, shouted:
"Keep running, you dog? COME HERE AND FIGHT ME!"
Lastnine, hearing clearly from afar, remained unmoved. As the angel saw Lastnine charge in less than a second, he threw a blood-coated punch, but Lastnine dodged effortlessly. The punch shattered a large portion of the world, cracking the plane and causing tremors. The angel laughed louder, both thrilled and frustrated that Lastnine kept dodging without countering. He taunted:
"Why do you keep dodging? Fight back! Or are you still as weak as before, betrayed by your old lover who ran off with another god and became a Judge?"
Lastnine replied:
"Simple. I don't care about her. And after observing your fighting style, I'm certain—you're going to die."
The angel burst into laughter, then charged, unleashing kicks and blood spikes. Lastnine shielded himself, blocking everything, and fired a shot that blew open the angel's stomach, exposing his insides. Despite this, the angel laughed and healed instantly, saying:
"You'll never kill me, Lastnine. NEVER! BECAUSE I AM IMMORTAL!"
Lastnine responded:
"No matter how immortal you are, everything has a weakness. Don't get too cocky, Azurel."
The angel, shocked and enraged, roared:
"A MERE MORTAL LIKE YOU DARES TO SPEAK MY NAME? I, AZUREL, WILL TAKE YOUR WORTHLESS HEAD AND OFFER IT, ALONG WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW, TO THE VOID EMPEROR!"
Hearing this, Lastnine lost his restraint, drew his red dagger, and with a single slash negated Azurel's immortality, severing his connection to his energy. The two rings slowly fell to the ground, and Jasmine's body collapsed.
Meanwhile, in Jasmine's Subconscious During the Fight Between the Angel and Lastnine
Jasmine slowly opened her eyes and saw the angel staring at her—a figure with a grin, white hair, multiple eyes on two rings spinning across his head in opposite directions, long white wings, and a tight-fitting outfit that revealed his muscular frame. The angel said:
"Well, well, looks like you're awake. I'm Azurel, an angel and general under the Void Emperor."
Jasmine asked:
"So, you're the liquid I drank, right?"
Azurel clapped and laughed, saying:
"Exactly! Lastnine took my energy and gave it to you to boost your power, but he didn't know that every angel can fully seize the body and mind of their host. Haha, whatever. I've finally been freed. After dying a second time, I've completed my duty to protect my Emperor."
Meanwhile, Outside Jasmine's Subconscious
Lastnine looked at the motionless body, knowing Azurel was still inside and that Jasmine was there too, but he did nothing and waited. He said:
"Looks like the kid's talking to him. Hope he doesn't try anything funny."
Back in Jasmine's Subconscious
Azurel danced and laughed around Jasmine, who was still lying down. Jasmine asked:
"So, you follow the Emperor. But don't the generals who follow Emperors oppose the things you angels once swore to serve?"
Azurel replied:
"Of course. We don't align with the angels—we kill them."
Jasmine proposed:
"Then, would you like to lend me your power and stay in this body? I could let you borrow it sometimes until my master makes you a new one."
Azurel, surprised, stopped and asked:
"Oh? You're not afraid I'll completely take over your body?"
Jasmine answered:
"You know I have people beside me strong enough to stop you, and I'm not that easy to possess. Besides, why not join us to explore the higher realms?"
Azurel thought for a moment, then a wide grin spread across his face. He said:
"Not bad, kid."
Azurel extended his hand to help Jasmine up, and a chain of blood wrapped around their hands. Azurel said:
"Don't ever go back on your word, kid."
Jasmine smiled and said:
"Don't worry."
Azurel's energy merged with Jasmine's, amplifying her power exponentially to the infinity of infinities, as an angel's energy is already infinite. Jasmine said:
"I'm going out to tell my master."
Jasmine returned to her body, opening her eyes to excruciating pain throughout her body. She saw Lastnine waiting and said excitedly:
"Old man! Guess who's joining our adventure?"
Lastnine, curious, asked:
"Who?"
Jasmine summoned Azurel, but in a smaller form. Seeing him, Lastnine drew his gun, ready to shoot Azurel dead. Jasmine panicked, stopping him, while Azurel giggled and said:
"Come on, don't be like that, Lastnine."
Lastnine said:
"You're lucky, you bastard Azurel."
Azurel replied:
"Alright, alright. I know. I remember there were two other kids—where are they?"
Lastnine said:
"You mean Jacob and Mary?"
Azurel nodded, saying:
"Yup, where are those two? Come out and greet your elder."
Lastnine sighed and snapped his fingers, opening a portal. Mary and Jacob stepped through. When Mary saw Azurel, she hid behind Jacob, overwhelmed by the energy Azurel radiated. Azurel laughed and said:
"Oh, sorry, I can only suppress my energy so much—I can't turn it off completely."
Lastnine said:
"No big deal, it's not that bad."
Azurel asked Lastnine:
"So, any plans to return to your old world?"
Lastnine replied:
"Nope. Why the hell would I go back?"
Azurel laughed and said:
"No reason, just asking."
Lastnine sighed and said:
"Whatever."
Jasmine noticed one of Azurel's rings spinning across her head. Azurel explained:
"Oh, that's just showing our symbiotic relationship now."
Jasmine asked:
"So, I can use your abilities, right?"
Azurel nodded, saying:
"Yup."
After the confirmation, Jasmine tested it, firing a blood beam at Lastnine, which he nullified. Jasmine laughed and said:
"So that's how it works! Time to bully the old man!"
Lastnine grinned and said:
"That confident, huh?"
Jasmine and Azurel said in unison:
"You bet!"
Lastnine raised his gun as Jasmine and Azurel summoned a blood arrow. On the other side, Mary and Jacob watched the fight. Mary sighed and said:
"Always like this."
Jacob nodded. Mary looked at him and said:
"So, we should join in, right?"
Jacob nodded. Mary smiled, and both summoned wide-range spells and charged in. Mary froze time, but Jacob easily resisted and fired a flame beam at her. Mary turned the flame to ice and countered. Jacob flew up, unleashing countless black holes from his hands at Mary, who dodged and crushed them, then fired a barrage of light swords at Jacob, forcing him to evade. Seizing the moment, Mary unleashed a Zaltrol beam that tore through Jacob's body and soul, freezing him and draining his blood and energy. Though Jacob died and transferred to a new body, the attack still siphoned his energy and blood, frustrating him. He boosted his energy to resist and returned to the other world. For the first time, Jacob spoke:
"It's annoying when that attack hits my infinite manifestations."
Mary smiled and said:
"Exactly. Now, are you ready to get serious?"
Jacob replied:
"More than ready."
The two charged at each other again.