Ascenders Rift

Chapter 16: The Fallen Executor Aperehs, A Desperate Struggle!

The world shook as the air was tense, causing a grim atmosphere to roam about the area, the aura of blood growing even more intensely as the geysers from the blood pits spewed out continually. Yet, this scene didn't last long as after the trembling came to an end. The bloody fountains had seized their eruption, leaving only the mighty giant that stood at the center of a sea of fresh corpses now splattered about the stone-paved floor from the previous outburst.

This giant soon began to change as the brilliant scarlet lights that shone below it, lit up on various segments of his body. Not long after, after a succession of 'clanking' noises, the sturdy-looking shackles binding both of its arms and legs onto the towering set of pillars broke into pieces.

As this happened, the giant tensed its muscles, causing them to bulge as a series of loud cracking noises was heard from its body. It then promptly grabbed the handle of the sizeable executor blade with one arm, positioning it by its side.

If one were to look at this scene from a distance, they would see that this giant was no less than six meters in height. The giant carried a grim air, as he stood at the center of all the bloody corpses, giving one the impression that they might have arrived at the end of the world.

Evan was in awe at this sight, not because of the blood, corpses, or size of the being. But because of the details shown in his eyes.

[Aperehs - The Fallen Executor - Level 3 ]

[Race - Fallen Angel| State - Sealed(All Stats Severely Weakened)]

[Class - Divine Executor]

[Health - 550]

[Dark Angelic Force - ????? : Sealed]

[strength - 49]

[Vitality - 25]

[Agility - 34]

[Defense - 35]

[Skills:]

[Executioner Slash - A blade from the executor is certain to cut all lives, it can cleave away the void bringing any life to its fate.]

[Death... : Sealed]

[Judgement... : Sealed]

[?????? : Sealed]

[?????? : Sealed]

"How the hell am I supposed to beat this? Is this guy even meant to be defeated?" Evan exclaimed inwardly as his mind shook in terror, he knew that a Fallen would certainly be no easy task, but he didn't think it would have been a () one-star fallen.

As Evan was shocked at the sight, he couldn't help but recall the scenes of the past, when the monsters erupted from this Lesser Space, "It all makes sense now; it's no wonder that no one managed to clear this space back then. It's simply impossible, not with this Fallen guarding it. Yet, if his strength is like this now, what would it have been like after this Lesser Space evolved into a Higher Tier or Apex Tier Space?"

Evan's face soon turned to one of puzzlement as he narrowed his eyes, realizing something. He pondered, "There is something that strikes me as odd about this, for although the land around the Skyrise Mountain Range had transformed into a zone of certain death. Even during the appearance of the Final Ascenders Rift, only its unkillable Stage 7 Zombies wreaked havoc in the land; there was no sign of this Fallen leaving this space. Or could it be that there's something else I'm not remembering?"

Evan wanted to ponder this more, but he knew that this wasn't the time to do so, his arms firmly gripped the cutlass as he faced Aperehs who had only now finished stretching his muscles.

Aperehs looked at Evan and smiled as his glaring red eyes shone even more sinisterly, he then spoke with his resonant voice, "Human... you have truly done well to make it this far. But it's a pity, today, your life will be forfeit."

Evan gritted his teeth and replied, "That is not for you to decide! A battle doesn't end at the very beginning!"

"Hahaha!" Aperehs laughter resounded across the gloomy battlefield; he then looked at Evan as his body soon after began to erupt with a terrifying might. Although there weren't any towering auras, the ground beneath his feet began to crack as an invisible force scattered about the air, sending a shockwave that pushed away all the corpses on the ground.

"Well said, Human! Now come! Show me the result of your unyielding fate! Show me your power!" Aperehs said with a fierce expression on his face as he stomped the ground, the force of his foot created a giant spiderweb-like crack as he adopted a swordsman stance.

Evan's face was dark; he quickly pondered while readying himself for any attack, "He cannot use his Dark Angelic Force, and since it's like this I might be able to face him if I were to rely on my advantages with speed when I use my Battle Energy. If I were to get hit by that weapon, I would certainly die, and if I were to be hit by his arms, then based on his strength I would be critically injured. I must avoid getting hit at all costs..."

Bang! The slight amount of semi-transparent power quickly erupted from Evan's body in full as he prepared to challenge Aperehs, his eyes shining sharply.

As both faced each other, the winds blew across them, stirring their clothes and hair. There was no longer any sound between them as if this region had become a vacuum. Yet, this moment didn't last for long.

Swoosh! Following the sound of something tremendous rushing through the wind, the figure of Aperehs had vanished. In moments, his gigantic shadow was cast above Evan's body, causing his face to turn pale.

"Not good!" Evan exclaimed as he prepared to dodge, but Aperehs attack had already arrived.

"Death!" The executioner sword cut through the air as it descended like a lightning bolt, quickly it cut through Evan from his forehead, continuing towards the earth below his feet.

Bang! With a loud boom, the earth exploded as a reasonably deep crater had formed for roughly the size of 15 or so meters.

Aperehs showed a faint smile as he saw this; he couldn't help but mock, "Haha! Human, you think I'd have waited for your offensive simply because I invited you. Truly naive, but also a pity, you couldn't even respond to my attack."

Aperehs was a bit disappointed that the battle ended so quickly, he hasn't had a chance to stretch in many eons. However, it was at this time a he felt a tinge of killing intent behind his neck.

"You...!" Aperehs was shocked, as he prepared to turn around, but it was already too late.

Shing! The sound of the peerlessly fast cutlass piercing through the wind resounded in his ears as he heard Evan's cold voice, "You spoke of victory too soon now die!"

Not long after Evan's shout, the cutlass had arrived at the back of Aperehs neck. Evan's eyes show a hint of expectation when he saw this, but soon, he was forced to grit his teeth in anger as his face sunk.

Puff! Evan's cutlass had unknowingly sliced into Aperehs shoulder, as he had promptly acted by shifting his neck from the tip of the blade in the last second. Although Evan's cutlass stabbed his body, it was as if he had cut through something hard. The blade was firmly rooted in the muscles of Aperehs skin, unable to fully work its way through his body.

"Human, good job on injuring me, although this wound is nothing to my frame, you will at least be able to die with a bit of pride..." Aperehs said as his eyes glowed even more sinisterly, he then tensed his muscles, allowing them to hold the sword within his shoulder firmly.

As Evan saw this, his face grew grave as his mind exploded with alarm, "Shit! He was aiming for this from the start, I can't let him take this sword, or I'll have no way to fight him!"

Evan tried his best to pull the sword out from Aperehs shoulder, but it was a pity, no matter how hard he pulled, the cutlass seemed to have been meld into hardened cement.

Aperehs smirked as he spoke once more, "Off you goooo!" With his should, he reached his other arm to swat Evan away like a fly causing a terrifying gust of air to sweep towards him.

As Evan saw this, he knew that he couldn't try to take his sword. He gritted his teeth and let go as his body vanished, not long after appearing a distance away.

Aperehs arm, which was previously about to swat Evan came to a halt as he looked at him and laughed while he spoke, "Hahaha! Human, I rather enjoy seeing your effort, tell you what, I'll give you back the sword. Here, catch..."

As Aperehs said this, his arm grabbed the cutlass before he tossed it into the air, causing it to spin uncontrollably. Evan frowned as he saw this as he thought, "This bastard, he's treating me like a fool. What's he trying to pull now?"

Aperehs seeing Evan's pondering expression smirked as he looked at the sword, which was now a few dozen meters above Evan's head. He made a sly smile and gripped the handle of his executioner sword with both arms as he spoke, "What? Don't you want it? Fine, then I'll get rid of it for you..."

Evan seeing this, became solemn as he contemplated, "This son of a bitch, he's baiting me to take the sword so he can finish me in one slash... dammit! But I have no choice without it I cannot fight him..."

Bang! A mighty ripple formed around Aperehs as the black cloth on his head began to shake. As this happened, the floor below his feet began to crack once again.

"Hahaha! Human, you have no choice in the matter, it all ends the same..." Aperehs resonant voice said as he felt joy watching his foes in turmoil.

Evan gritted his teeth as his eyes turned firm, he looked at the height of the cutlass as he spoke in his thoughts, "I must risk it yet again! One chance, there's only one chance which will result in either narrow success or death..."

Soon, only the sound of the spinning cutlass was heard, as both Evan and Aperehs stared at the weapon intently. In moments, the cutlass which was spinning had now arrived at roughly 12 meters above Evan's head.

The moment Aperehs and Evan saw this, their eyes flashed at the same time as they both shouted in their minds, "It's now!"

Instantly, Evan's body vanished like a blurry shade as he appeared in the air nearby the cutlass. However, while he moved, Aperehs had also acted.

"Die! Executioner Slash!" Aperehs shouted as his eyes gleamed in a dark light while he swung the executioner sword in his arms.

In moments, the beam was upon Evan, whose arm was only one inch away from the cutlass. Evan's eyes were now fixed on the sword beam, as the reflection had completely enveloped his pupils. Soon, the world faded as it was enveloped by pure whiteness.