Novels2Search
Law/Verse: The Serial Anthology
Archversal Showdown, #45 - The Reproach Of The Hand

Archversal Showdown, #45 - The Reproach Of The Hand

> Is to err only human? To forgive only divine?

----------------------------------------

Couch stared in confusion, as the distance he had tried keeping had been closed in the blink of an eye. Bora reached for him, seemingly taking aeons to do so.

How? I knew he was fast, but I didn't expect that much of a gap–! Couch thought with a frustrated grit.

Finally his face was grabbed onto with force that Bora’s fingers dug through his mask, and onto his flesh.

Then he was immediately knocked back with an indefatigable blast.

And the Torrerian would have been airborne for long before eventually reaching a violent crash onto the ground.

He steadily began to stand up, doing his best not to overexert himself, as his number of injuries grew higher.

I activated molecular destabilisation at the last second, so at the very least…, thought Couch panting, beginning to look towards Bora's hand.

And then he saw it, the one that had been used to grab his head, and noticed it had in fact taken monumental damage.

He grinned pleasedly behind his mask. Just as I thought…

Molecular destabilisation is a vigorous process. It's a reaction that completely distorts the molecular structure of matter. Extensively, molecular bonds that have been destroyed have no chance of reforming, meaning the damage done is nigh-irreparable.

So there…, thought Couch, looking up at Bora for a swift moment,and then back onto that arm.

But in an instant, his eyes widened in an astounded shock.

The previously damaged right arm of Bora had begun to heal itself at an accelerated rate.

Couch looked at it and stuttered in disbelief.

Regeneration?, thought Probacon, David and Wok simultaneously. A high-level regenerative ability, hm? Interesting…, thought Noot.

"You did not think…that a being as myself may possess such capability?" Bora asked with a slight surprise.

Couch stepped back slowly as he reevaluated, steaming furiously in a sort of self-anger.

He then closed his eyes, ready to reply.

"Not that I didn't see it as possible. More or less…it looked you aimed not to use it.”

"Oh, is that true? Please, expand with a little more detail for me,” said Bora, seemingly curious.

Couch first looked down, taking a deep breath of air.

"You were serious about the whole villain shtick…” Couch answered, looking back up to his adversary.

"Hm? And that means?,” asked Bora, acting in complete unawareness.

Humouring him, Couch began his explanation of his view. "With what happened with Haipuban, your vision becomes clearer: The role of one who angers, taints and…disappoints all. Disappointing to prove much."

“The leniency and neutrality of the Masters.”

“The deific incompetence.”

“The mortal overreliance.”

“The truth of existence.”

Bora chuckled in amusement.

"To form counteracters of your vision, you ‘bolster’ your fellow contestants. To play the role of the ‘heroes’, myself included. That's what I think."

Bora began laughing at Couch's words, while the latter just stared at him indifferently in the midst of this.

The crowds were surprised, possessing a newfound greater mixture of feelings towards Bora.

Bora stopped laughing, and looked at Couch directly. "I commend you, young Torrerian. That was a viable analysis of my current ideal.” He stated gleefully.

"Hmph. No big deal. Even an idiot could piece two and two together.” Couch responded.

"No. Very few, if any at all, could put as it precisely and concisely like you have. In truth, we are alike in many ways, you and I. In histories, and in intellectual prowess.” Bora told Couch.

It caused the latter to freeze, and seemingly bite his lower lip aggressively.

He calmed himself, regaining composure.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Maybe. But there's quite a many differentiations between us.” Couch replied, gaining a chuckle from Bora.

"Now. For the quandary request …”

“Shall you hand aid to my act?"

It came as a surprise to the mutant, but he chuckled from its sheer oddity.

He placed his ring on his finger, transforming into a uniform as before. "I'm not one to care or know much about that,…"

"...you'd just better not kill me, Bora."

And from that answer a chuckle was gained from Bora. "Do not count on such.”

Their contest would take steam once again, as both swiftly darted at themselves.

It proceeded with clashes of fists, leaving Couch astounded by the fact that Bora could easily take a strike powered by his ring.

Huh…

The two then retracted themselves, catching a momentary breath.

But it did not take long for them to go at it again. As with years of experience and combat under his belt, Bora showcased his multi-martial mastery, akin to the likes of Kai on a far higher level. His focus however was on brawling-type combat, throwing mostly effective strikes to attempt downing his opponent. Couch on the other hand used fast and precise "fistfighting", relying primarily on strikes with his hands and barely anything else. All displayed in an exchange of blocked and parried strikes that ensued between the two.

Bora would take another approach, aiming for Couch's legs with a sweeping kick.

Couch noticed this, bending down to defend and then attempt a counter-strike from that position.

But it was a false tactic, as Bora instead readjusted himself to rattle Couch with a kick to his temple.

He then kicked Couch away, creating some space between them.

But he would immediately head in his direction once again.

This time however, the latter had no such intention for himself, propagating a yellow barrier between him and Bora using his ring.

Bora swiftly pulled out on a ring of his own, a bluish-purple one.

"An Emotion Ring?!,” exclaimed Couch.

Bora wore the ring, transforming into a uniform of his own, and using a giant spear to bore through Couch's barrier.

Couch was still terribly bemused, only to be returned to reality with a quick punch.

He quickly transformed into a rawer version of his Ōyōkai mode, a phantasmic feline form completely enveloped in red.

From there he began firing away blasts of concentrated energy from his mouth at Bora. The demigod was privy to the assault, and subsequently slithered past these blasts.

He would look to bring about some severe damage with a multicomplex laser weapon.

But a now detransformed Couch created a greater version of his railgun construct in retaliation.

And both men fired off at each other, amidst the platform extending in size to a full-length system of globes.

The clash of both attacks caused devastation that swept across many lightyears.

But both would not relent in their endeavours, with Bora jabbing at Couch with his electric sting many times, all of which were swiftly avoided.

He changed approach, directing more light beams and plant roots at the latter, which were counteracted via evasion and molecular destabilisation respectively.

He attempted to strike Bora with a vibrating hand so as to phase into his biology, but the latter simply became light, dispersing and gathering again elsewhere, much to the former's surprise.

From there, he activated many portals, all which through many weapons of reverence began flying out at Couch's head.

He avoided them all and took chase towards the demigod’s stead again.

But Bora quickly fired a large beam of ki at Couch, which was defended against through another barrier formed by the ring.

Both came to a momentary halt, taking rest for a while.

Rejuvenated, they prepared for one final charge.

"I…will win!!!" Both declared.

~THE LORD'S…PRAYER!!!~ The two summoned their similar Nimbus, which resembled a two-headed, bipedal combination between a clock, a centaur and a cross.

With it, both began controlling the gravitational forces, and by extension, accelerating the time with the now singular universe the Field had become.

Time continued to accelerate faster and faster at a stellar rate the longer both Nimbuses were left active, making all non-living things around them be accelerated as well. And now it was clear it had shaped into a contest of the mind. And whose talent was greater refined.

The two struggled, and strained, and stressed themselves, knowing only the potential taste of success.

Until under the sound of his voice, Bora uttered words.

And in a sudden instant, his Nimbus's ability grew astronomically stronger than and eventually overpowered that of Couch.

This knocked down Couch for a short period, leaving him panting and bowing his head.

And when he looked up once again, the sight right before him was that of Bora, with his katana to the side of Couch's neck.

Couch then posed an inaudible question to the demigod.

And he would receive his answer.

But it was one unexpected, leaving him astutely stunned.

But then he would smile peacefully, and in the end concede the joust.

"You have done wel, childl,” said Bora with a relatively soft smile..

"BEINGS OF THE OMNIVERSE. THIS BATTLE'S VICTOR IS….BORA!!!" Dgiag announced.

In contrast to before, there were far more cheers for Bora.

《They appraise him…》 《He who has chosen to represent malice.》

The demigod basked in his glory, seeming to be jovial and accepting of his very role.

《For who despises…》 《A well-crafted villain.》

“Ever the enigma, huh?” David joked with a loose smirk.

He then said something, something that drew the nearing Probacon's sudden attention to himself.

Many other alliance members nodded in agreement, bar Wok and Hether, still left fazed by his words…

《But how does that conviction remains present…?》

----------------------------------------