Chapter 196

Not pierced through.

But something beyond all forms of attack—

A law that transcended them.

He couldn’t let her touch him.

Death Exchange Technique

With a thought—

Kanzaki Rei instantly swapped places with a corpse falling through the air!

Swish!

Then, in rapid succession—

He executed multiple consecutive exchanges!

In the next instant, he dropped back to the ground—

Landing within Sel City.

The woman looked down, her gaze slightly lowered.

"How boring..."

Kanzaki Rei landed—

His shields reformed instantly.

And almost at the same moment—

A seductive fragrance drifted softly from behind him.

He tried to swap again—

But suddenly felt something wrong.

Every corpse in the entire city—

Was beginning to shed its flesh.

And once stripped—

They could no longer be used.

A voice came from behind him.

"Little brother~"

"Have you ever heard... of divine authority?"

His danger sense exploded with unprecedented intensity!

Source: Spatial Reversal Shift

A slender jade-like hand reached out—

But grasped nothing.

Kanzaki Rei had already swapped away—

Turning instantly after reappearing.

Behind him—

A corpse stood up.

Its skeletal frame—

Fleshed out in an instant.

Blood. Muscle. Skin.

Smooth. Pale. Perfect.

A slender waist.

Full, snow-white breasts.

A body of irresistible temptation—

Manifested before him.

At the same time—

Kanzaki Rei felt his shields peeling away layer by layer.

And not just that—

The surrounding environment—

Walls collapsed.

Furniture disintegrated.

Wooden tables shed into curled shavings.

Petals peeled from flowers.

Stems stripped layer by layer.

This phenomenon—

Was beyond any known spell or technique.

It completely surpassed conventional magic.

The only thing it resembled—

Was Origin Magic.

"You must be... Aelthymia."

Kanzaki Rei didn’t immediately attempt to flee again.

Blindly escaping now...

Would only provoke her further.

Better to speak.

Buy time.

And at the same time—

Think.

Strategize.

How do you fight something like this?

His eyes locked onto her death timer.

Time of Death: 104 years, 9 months, 7 days

Three seconds—

Fifteen days gone.

Not a complete god.

The rate confirmed it—

She was equivalent to a Level 6 class user.

Level 5: one month per second.Level 6: five days per second.Level 7: one day per second.

That was the pattern he had deduced.

A Level 6 with 50 years left—

Would die in 50 minutes under his gaze.

In prolonged combat—

That might be too long.

But direct damage—

Also accelerated death.

She cupped her face slightly—

A faint, sickly blush appearing.

"Yes... and not quite."

She placed a finger lightly against her lips.

Kanzaki Rei’s danger sense surged again!

Skyflow Style — Fourth Form: Oblivion Void

Tap—

Like teleportation—

Aelthymia appeared exactly where Kanzaki Rei had been—

Hand already extended.

She should have touched him.

But—

A moment of confusion flickered in her mind.

Who... was she attacking?

Forgot?

But soon—

Memory returned like a flood.

"How interesting~"

To make her forget—

Even briefly.

Her gaze swept the city.

Every "skin" within it—

She could sense.

And just as she prepared to identify the one belonging to Kanzaki Rei—

A sudden tremor erupted!

RUMBLE—

The national formation of Ruijia—

Activated!

Brilliant multicolored light erupted across the sky!

A crushing pressure descended between heaven and earth!

Restriction Barrier — Nation Suppression

BOOM!

In an instant—

Aelthymia felt as though a mountain weighed upon her.

Though she remained standing—

Her brows furrowed.

This formation—

Should have been under her control.

Why—

Before she could finish the thought—

Swish!

Beams of light shot skyward from churches across the city!

Their barriers activated as well!

Her gaze shifted—

Toward the Church of Light.

There—

Kanzaki Rei’s "skin" stood within the forbidden hall.

He entered the restriction?

"You really are becoming more and more delightful~"

"Perhaps... you’re even more valuable than Kumironi."

She stepped forward.

At once—

Countless restrictions unleashed their power!

Light descended from the sky!

Darkness spread across the earth—

Engulfing her.

Freezing winds howled—

Temperature plummeting.

Yet—

She simply walked forward.

The light parted before reaching her.

Darkness split around her.

Cold winds—

Had no effect.

Hundreds of spells cast by Kanzaki Rei—

Formed like a barrier around her—

Only to be peeled away and erased.

Another step—

And a body formed in the void—

Flesh filling out from nothing.

She placed her hand against the wall of the Light Forbidden Hall.

Swish—

The wall peeled.

Bricks fell away.

Kanzaki Rei felt it—

Layer after layer of restrictions—

Being stripped apart.

Dissolved at terrifying speed.

Now—

Only the restrictions separated them.

And at that moment—

Kanzaki Rei struck.

An ice-forged spear—

Pierced forward!

Through the barrier—

From within to without!

She couldn’t enter—

But he could attack!

Just one spear.

Aelthymia lifted a finger—

And touched its tip.

So confident?

Let’s see if you really are.

Skyflow Style — Sixth Form: ExtremeSource: Condensed Soul True Explosion (Fourth Tier)Soul Sacrifice: 100 billion

The instant her fingertip touched the spear—

CRACK!

The entire Piercing Frostbone Spear—

Disintegrated into ice fragments!

Chime—

At the same time—

A condensed vortex formed—

Centered on them.

The world—

Froze.

Heaven and earth—

Fell silent.

Then—

A spherical wave expanded—

Engulfing all of Sel City!

BOOM!!!

Everything—

Was annihilated.

Mountains.

Rivers.

Forests.

Beasts.

Monsters.

Where the soul explosion passed—

Nothing remained.

Time of Death: 99 years, 1 month, 21 days

"Hehe~"

"Did you think... that would kill me?"

A bell-like laugh echoed.

Danger surged again!

His movement skill was on cooldown!

Source: Spatial Reversal Shift

He evaded—

Switching instantly to another "Source" anchor!

But—

The danger sense gave no guidance.

No escape path.

The last time he felt this—

Was when Akagi struck him directly.

No instinct—

Meant unavoidable.

The moment he landed—

He layered countless defenses.

Yet—

Amid the annihilated void—

A hand—

Rested on his shoulder.

He hadn’t dodged.

Skin-peeling pain.

SHHK—

In that instant—

His flesh began to peel away.

But—

Absolute Battle Body restored it instantly!

BOOM!

Skyflow Style — Third Form: Phantom StrikeRefined Magic Combat — Fifth Form: Extreme ComboInvincible Style — Seventh Form: Phantom Multi-Slay

The moment he was hit—

His counterattack exploded!

Magic fused with martial arts—

Striking Aelthymia instantly!

"Come~"

Just as she reached again—

Source: Reflective Reversal

The Origin Magic—

Transformed—

Into the same four spears as before!

Aelthymia’s expression changed!

She tried to react—

But suddenly—

Forgot how she had countered it.

Swish—

BOOM!!!

Another condensed soul explosion detonated!

Kanzaki Rei reappeared—

Inside the Dark Church’s forbidden hall.

His brow furrowed.

His flesh—

Still peeling.

Bones—

Shedding.

His heart—

Splitting again and again.

If not for his regeneration—

He would already be dead.

Hiss—

He swallowed multiple pills at once.

Pain suppressants.

Regeneration enhancers.

Mental stabilizers.

The pain dulled.

Cold sweat receded slightly.

Even as a Level 4 warrior—

That pain was unbearable.

Some pain sharpened awareness—

Too much crippled combat.

But that brief contact—

Had revealed everything.

Creator: Aelthymia, Goddess of Skinning and ShapeshiftingLocation — Honeyblood Domain

Far away.

Unknown.

And the entity before him—

Was not the true Aelthymia.

But—

"Worn by Aelthymia’s Skin — Tias"

A human—

Wearing a god’s skin.

A chilling thought—

After a lifetime of peeling others...

You end up becoming someone else’s skin.

A fitting path to godhood.

Though it was Aelthymia’s skin—

It was the skin itself controlling everything.

The person inside—

Was merely filler.

But—

If the host died—

The skin would lose function.

The host—

Was the vessel.

Inside the Dark Church’s forbidden hall—

Kanzaki Rei gripped a rotating dark sphere.

His weapon—

Now a black blade.

The frost spear—

Had been destroyed upon contact.

"Little brother~"

"You keep surprising me."

Through the fading ruins—

He saw her.

Walking toward him—

Unaffected by the explosions.

Source: Reflective Reversal ×4Source: Reflective Reversal ×4

Eight spears manifested around her!

BOOM! BOOM!

The moment he detected her—

He unleashed Origin Magic again!

At the same time—

Future prediction guided his targeting.

Every appearance—

Met with full bombardment.

Lesser spells—

Were useless.

Only the soul-sacrificing spears—

Could truly hurt her.

After being predicted several times—

She stopped teleporting.

Instead—

She simply peeled away attacks.

Now—

Kanzaki Rei remained in the Dark Forbidden Hall—

The strongest, most layered barrier.

Even Aelthymia—

Needed time to strip it.

And in that time—

BOOM!

Soul explosions detonated again and again!

Meanwhile—

Mist-like ants appeared—

Dying instantly.

Kanzaki Rei replenished souls—

While attacking.

Through the explosions—

Her voice echoed faintly.

"How long will you keep this up?"

"Don’t you understand?"

Swish—

She emerged again—

Unharmed.

Perfect.

Flawless.

"This kind of mortal attack..."

"Is meaningless against me."

"Even this vessel—"

"Is beyond your reach."

She arrived—

At the trembling Dark Forbidden Hall.

Sel City—

Was gone.

Only a few churches remained—

Intentionally spared.

Floating—

Untouched.

Symbols of authority.

"Oh..."

Maybe she was right.

Her body—

Restored endlessly.

Like his own.

At this rate—

He couldn’t kill her.

She reached the barrier—

Touching it.

Layer by layer—

It dissolved.

"I really want to peel your skin..."

"And see what you’re made of."

CRACK!

The barrier broke.

Her hand reached toward him again.

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze passed.

She froze.

Who... was she peeling?

Forgot again.

That moment—

Sixteen spears pierced her body.

Ah.

Right.

He had that power.

BOOM!!!

They detonated—

Annihilating her again.

Kanzaki Rei appeared—

Inside the Ice Church’s forbidden hall.

She reformed—

Excitement in her voice.

"You truly are... full of surprises."

"How many secrets do you have?"

Continental undead.

Reaction speed.

Control over national barriers.

Weaponizing church restrictions.

Surviving her touch.

Regeneration faster than peeling.

Pure, noble souls.

Origin Magic.

And—

The power of Forgetting.

That belonged to January’s lunar authority.

Why—

Did a human possess it?

Fascinating.

Even Level 7s—

Would die to such methods.

Kanzaki Rei stared at her.

This—

Was the last forbidden hall.

Who would have thought—

This forbidden place—

Would become his safe zone?

Fate was strange.

He watched—

As her body reformed again.

Only the Extreme-point strikes—

Had truly annihilated her.

She approached.

Eyes glowing.

"This skin... is immortal."

"As long as Aelthymia lives—"

"The skin lives."

"As long as the skin lives—"

"I live."

Who was speaking?

Tias?

Or the skin itself?

"Immortal..."

"That’s... terrifying."

He looked at her timer.

Time of Death: 55 years, 9 months, 11 days

Didn’t look immortal.

It was decreasing—

Slowly.

Too slowly.

That "health bar"—

Would take forever.

The explosion waves—

Also reduced it.

But not like direct hits.

"Fear... is good."

She stepped forward—

Effortlessly enduring eight spears—

And dissolving them instantly.

Ice—

Was chosen deliberately.

No "skin" to peel.

And—

To avoid losing his real weapon.

Swish—

The spears dissolved.

Three seconds—

The barrier was gone.

And—

The moment it broke—

He vanished again.

She froze—

Then—

Sixteen spears pierced her once more.

Every time—

The same result.

Impossible to avoid.

Because forgetting—

Erased even the memory of what to avoid.

Once again—

BOOM!!!

She was annihilated.

Kanzaki Rei stood—

Amid the raging aftermath.

Three forbidden halls—

Gone.

No safe place left.

Now—

Only the open sky remained.

And before him—

Aelthymia—

Reforming once more.