The Final Desperation

What is an abyssal horror? Ask people that and they will all give different answers. It is despair. It is destruction. Some might call them inevitable, while others know them as destroyers of worlds. No matter what the answer is, it will always follow these themes. That is the general consensus among the inhabitants of the universe. 

Yet to a select few, these undying abominations take on a more grounded identity. "They are overwhelming monsters," they would say. Mind you, monsters, not calamities or tragedies. Disastrous yes, but not invincible. To the capable, these beings can be stopped before they wreak havoc in the universe. 

And Genji's situation was no different from these evaluations. Their chances were low, pitiful even, but not zero. As powerful as this abomination's regeneration was, it wasn't unkillable. After all, Genji's Deadly Severance prevents injuries from healing for 20 seconds. This includes health and physical disabilities. 

If he could deal enough damage in this time, the opponent wouldn't get a chance to heal. However, this was easier said than done, given the abomination's immense health and near-lethal attacks. Luckily, Genji wasn't alone in this endeavor, and Holster was even more capable than him. With the proper cooperation, Genji was confident they could inflict some lasting injuries, even if they died in the end.

"I hope you're ready to risk it all," Genji said to Holster, priming both his liberations.

"Do I have a choice?" Holster asked rhetorically from across the room before mirroring Genji's actions.

His gauntlets, which had been previously inconspicuous, emitted an orange hue and morphed into a draconic shape. The ends, which had protected his forearms, extended upwards to his shoulders, forming a scaly red armor. 'Tear everything asunder, my trusty claws!'

Genji's daggers took on a chilling sheen and his cloak hovered in the absence of gravity, becoming cloud-like and silent. Holster was taken aback by the double transformation, but didn't have time to dwell on it.

Both of them burst forward and unleashed their widest attacks. The abomination lashed out with its tentacles, breaking the incoming weapon intents. Suddenly, their instincts screamed danger as energy rapidly gathered in the eyeballs slotted across the abomination's body.

Genji accelerated, appearing beside the abomination and unleashing a flurry of strikes, blinding the eyes in his immediate vicinity. Then the room filled with purple rays of energy, disintegrating everything on contact. One of these rays nearly pierced Holster's arm, but he preemptively parried the light-speed attack.

Shadow flames of impeccable stillness manifested around Genji's daggers, seemingly harmless but containing a hidden edge. Upon digging into the abomination's flesh, these flames tore through its appendages like cotton candy meeting water. Rapid combos followed, creating almost a void zone within Genji's reach.

His arms waved back and forth like an out-of-control windmill, and his foot pivoted endlessly, denying any counterattack opportunities. The irises tried gathering energy again, but Genji slashed them with a wave trajectory. Numerous limbs dropped like rain, and the abomination roared in fury.

Bruce tried manipulating the abomination's black blood, but something within the fluid interfered with his control. The best he could manage was making ripples in the spewing liquid. Left with no choice, Bruce used his own energy pool and manifested numerous blood spikes at the head.

Shadow flames crossed over each other, forming a net of blades around the target. At this moment, Holster joined the fight and began tearing the tentacles like paper. Ferocious swipes and claws followed, splattering more blood around the vicinity.

Amidst these attacks, Genji noticed that the wounds inflicted by Holster were slow to heal. This was a welcomed change because it meant Holster had a similar healing denial ability to Genji's. Although it operated on a different principle and was less intense, the result was the same.

'At this rate, we might actually stand a chance,' Genji thought optimistically.

Suddenly, the abomination released a deafening roar, filled with wrath and destructive impulse. The ends of the severed tentacles writhed grotesquely and sprouted extra stalks from all sides. Within seconds, the number of tentacles multiplied several times, nearly burying them in its clutches.

This was possible because the abomination wasn't regenerating its limbs, but growing new ones. The health was still missing, but the creature had recovered its offensive capabilities.

Putrid tendrils surrounded them in all directions, forcing them to swing harder, faster, and more desperately. More limbs flooded the area, but the abomination regrew everything in new locations.

This situation only grew more perilous when pupils began forming around them. Frantic to disrupt this before they were turned into Swiss cheese, Genji and Holster ignored everything else and concentrated their attacks on these developing eyes. In the end, these constructs exploded in torrents of energy, hurling both of them backward.

When they finally came to a stop, their bodies bore numerous bruises and small cuts, all stained with abyssal energy. These wisps of energy drilled into their flesh and corroded their bodies at alarming speeds.

[You have been affected by Abysall Erosion: Lose 867 hp/sec for an indefinite amount of time.]

'12 seconds,' Genji estimated - that was how long his remaining health would last.

Without hesitation, Genji chugged several bottles of poison to combat this erosion. After tossing a set to Holster, he charged forward again, filling the room with poison bombs and green smoke. This would keep their injuries at bay, albeit at a high cost. Holster saw Genji's wounds stabilize and decisively followed. Now was not the time to delay. They could worry about the side effects if they survived.

The abomination was indifferent to this new atmosphere and swiped out with a hail of attacks. Small tentacles bounced off the floor and attacked from unpredictable angles. Genji twisted his body in minute ways and hacked with all his strength. However, it was difficult to make any progress within this entangled mess, even after Holster joined the offense.

"I need to get close to it," Holster said as they got pushed back again.

"Two seconds," Genji replied before halting his attacks altogether.

Holster understood his intentions and entered a full defense mode in front of Genji. Bruce also cooperated with him and formed a barrier of blood. Seconds later, Genji burst out with a massive streak of light, carving a narrow path toward the main body.

Holster dashed down this lane, and Genji followed, striking out to maintain this clearing whenever the surroundings tried regrowing. Massive crescents burst out one after the other, creating a blinding light show.

At this moment, Holster's claws emanated an oppressive aura, and the fingertips darkened like ash. Holster lunged at the abomination, seeking to grab the head and tear it apart.

However, Holster failed to make contact as the abomination transformed into black liquid. The edges of the fluid curled around Holster, almost encapsulating him. Realizing the danger of this situation, Holster transitioned his grip into a forceful swipe, clearing the landing zone of any fluid.

Then another streak of cutting intent came down, breaking the seal before the abomination could fully drown Holster. An enraged roar sounded before the abomination discharged pellets of itself at Genji. A cocoon of sharpness intercepted these shots, but the fluid lingered in the air. Suddenly, they changed directions and darted through the fading curtain.

Genji performed a backflip to shake off the fluid, but they pursued him like an unrelenting bloodhound. They were being controlled by the abomination and acted like homing missiles.

A pillar of crystallized energy formed beneath Genji's feet, allowing him to change his trajectory midair. Genji soared to the other side of the room and Holster broke out of his encasement with an intense explosion.

At the same time, Genji noticed the severed tentacles on the ground dissolve into the same fluid as the main body. This liquid gathered at the main agglomeration and merged with it, healing its injuries.

20 seconds had passed since the first injury was inflicted, meaning this battle had passed its one-third mark. For context, Deadly Severance only lasts 60 seconds. If they don't finish the battle within this time, they won't have enough firepower to overcome the abomination's regeneration.

The fluid swirled around and concentrated into a semi-solid form, and the abomination bared its crooked teeth. Then it twirled its body like a tornado, launching another shower of fluids at them.

Genji and Holster gave their best to dodge or parry these attacks, but this proved to be an impossible task considering the projectiles' erratic movements. Moments later, one of these blobs slipped through their defenses and burst on their skin. Genji immediately sensed the corrosion in his body doubling in potency and overpowering the defensive poison.

To restore the balance inside him, Genji chugged another severe poison and increased the toxicity in the air. Holster got the same treatment, but they were treading on thin ice now. A single mistake and they would die from either poison, corrosion, or the incoming attacks.

To make matters worse, the abomination had begun flooding the room with its fluids, cutting off all areas for dodging and forcing them on the passive. A constant cocoon of cutting intent wrapped around Genji, while Holster conjured a burning hot bubble. Within a matter of seconds, the water level reached their waists, further intensifying their stamina consumption.

If they don't change the situation soon, they will be exhausted to death. In an attempt to disrupt the abomination, Genji manifested his flintlock and fired a big pellet. However, this was futile as the explosions hardly affected its liquid form.

Suddenly, Genji heard the whistling of air as something minuscule broke through his barrier and pierced at the back of his head. Out of instinct, Genji flung his head aside, narrowly avoiding a catastrophe with a small nick. The object had a bony texture and a small frame, but Genji didn't have time to examine the details as he leaped into the air to avoid the fluid invading his space.

A cacophony of whistles sounded again as numerous other similar projectiles shot at him. At this moment, Genji discerned these projectiles were actually worms with sharpened heads, fully capable of shifting their trajectories without outside assistance.

'Shit!' Genji twisted his body and conjured a cyclone of cutting intent to reposition himself.

This redirected most of the attacks, but his body still sustained two gaping holes, one through his stomach and one through his shoulder. However, these injuries were inconsequential compared to the attacks' true danger.

Due to its incitement, the corrosion within Genji flared up again, inducing a mouthful of blood and causing Genji to flop backward. Genji had lost control of his body, and he was dropping right into the water below.

Bruce immediately recognized the crisis and manifested multiple scalpels, hoping to speed up Genji's recovery by trimming away the eroded parts. Wings of blood also slowed Genji's descent, but time was running out. More bullet worms were gathering beneath him, and the abomination was preparing to end the hunt once and for all.

Suddenly, a ripple of fire swept over the surface of the water, shattering all the critters hiding beneath. The heat grew higher, and the liquid began boiling away. Holster had made his move and devastated the terrain advantage. With each strike, the resulting flames would chip away at the water level, bringing it closer to the ground.

By the time Genji was about to land, all the fluid had evaporated, leaving only a black, tar-like substance coating the room. Simultaneously, the abomination was forced out of its liquid form and congealed into a gel mass. This was a prime opportunity to strike, as the abomination was defenseless right now, but neither of them was in any condition to do so.

Holster had drained his stamina significantly with that feat and could barely move while Genji was still recovering from his relapse and struggling to bring the corrosion back under control.

'Fuck it. We're already gambling. Might as well double down.'

Sensing his resolve, Bruce pulled back the wings and allowed Genji to drop. As Genji neared the ground, he stomped down, twisting his ankle with an awkward landing and shooting toward the abomination.

Wisps of cutting intent swirled around him like the wind and gathered in his dagger, compressing inward with an inferno of shadow flames. Everything faded into the metal, and Genji pulled the weapon back.

Stealth Dagger - Concentrated Existence

Genji released all the gathered strength and slashed the conglomerating mass in half. However, this wasn't over, as he had another dagger. Swinging his leg, Genji pivoted in the air and struck down with a blaze of ferocious flames.

This wasn't him flaring up the power but because his control slipped from concentrating on the other hand. Nonetheless, the firestorm consumed the abomination, inflicting deeper wounds than anything they'd managed so far.

The abomination screeched in pain and whipped Genji with a tentacle, hurling him to the other side of the room. Bones snapped, and muscles tore as he bounced off the wall, revealing bits of broken crystals. His mind also went blank from this impact, having suffered a concussion.

Bruce circulated Genji's blood, bringing him back in record time. Genji grimaced in pain and added more potions to the blend of whatever unholy agglomeration was forming inside his body.

As he turned to face the abomination, heat seared his face, a result of Holster tearing the same tentacle apart.

Huffs of flames leaked from Holster's mouth as he breathed in, puffing his chest outward. Then he exhaled everything, discharging a stream of flames at the abomination point blank. A burnt smell wafted from both the abomination and Holster's charred throat, creating a repulsive combination.

Genji flashstepped opposite to Holster and chained the bombardment. The abomination, not one to take a passive beating, quickly conjured its strength to retaliate. As they stepped forward to maintain the pressure, a sudden bone lance pierced out from the ground, breaking their flow. They were almost impaled by this but leaped back just in time.

With this breathing room, the abomination returned their barrage with equal relentlessness, in calcium form. Neither of them had any time to readjust themselves, as lances burst forth without pause. These were the remnants of the destroyed bullet worms, repurposed by the abomination to continue its assault.

After a few moments of this, the blitz overwhelmed Genji and left a wound. Shortly after, a raging headache assaulted him, breaking his attention and causing more wounds. The headache worsened, nausea manifested, and Genji began seeing double.

Experiencing all these in short succession, Genji understood the lances were inflicting these effects. Fortunately, due to being purified by Holster, these strikes lacked the abyssal energy to retrigger his corrosion.

However, these status effects were not any better, as Genji's vision blurred, his muscles fatigued, a second abomination appeared, and his reasoning began waning. After a few more seconds, everything became indistinguishable, leaving him to fight with only his instincts.

Amidst this blur, Genji felt a spike pierce his chest, inflicting enough pain to rouse him from his grogginess in time to hear a loud neigh. At first, Genji assumed this attack was from the abomination and this was his end, but he quickly discovered the weapon was red. Red, as in made of his own blood. Bruce was the one who attacked him.

But the next instant, Genji understood why Bruce had done so, as his daggers were about to slash Holster's throat. In their haze, the abomination had manipulated Genji and Holster to fight against each other and nearly succeeded.

His dagger immediately disappeared from his hand, allowing his fist to brush across Holster's neck. The price for this act was a dragon claw through his chest, as Holster's attack landed shortly after.

Genji punched Holster in the face with his other hand, knocking him into a wall. Then he brought out more potions, as Bruce regulated his bleeding wound.

The contract didn't trigger due to this internal conflict because the realms considered the circumstances beyond their control. That was the benefit of having them monitor the situation. In any other scenario, the contract would have definitely triggered, leading to a much greater loss of resources. This prevention alone meant the privilege tokens were not spent in vain.

As Genji dodged another bone spike, Holster readjusted his stance and pounced at Genji. Despite the solid hit, this champion was still under the enemy's influence.

However, dodging his teammate's and the opponent's attacks was impossible, especially given the previous barrage. It didn't help that the abomination would attack indiscriminately, ensuring Holster remained under its influence for as long as possible.

Genji endured more wounds, and his drowsiness returned in full force. But due to his previous experience, he refused to slip back into that state, as it would mean death.

His willpower reached its limits and his movements grew sloppy, forcing Bruce to interfere constantly. This was bad because Bruce couldn't monitor the surroundings any more. If something unexpected happens, no one will be able to react in time, possibly resulting in a worse situation.

'We can't go on like this,' Genji managed to piece together this thought. 'Then let us both go crazy.'

With the last of his focus, Genji retrieved a tightly sealed vial and threw it at Holster’s claws. This vial was unlike the others, as it sent the consumer into a berserk frenzy.

In this state, one would lose all reason and become a savage beast, driven solely by an overwhelming urge for destruction, attacking anything within their perception.

There were only two outcomes after consuming this: one either wakes up to devastation or dies in the process. Genji originally created this poison for enemies, but now it had become a last-ditch gamble. But what other choice did he have?

He couldn't keep dodging like this. Otherwise, they would have no chance of winning. At least by going berserk, there was a small chance that Holster might attack the correct enemy.

The vial broke and the contents buried Holster's face. His eyes turned pink-red, and his muscles swelled with strength exceeding his limits. Yet before Holster could lose control, his necklace glowed a pure white, dispelling all mental influences. The berserk vial had triggered Holster's legendary status removal item, turning the tides in another stroke of luck.

'Huh? What's going on?' Holster wondered, battling his immense headache.

Regardless, he didn't have time to understand as a bone lance was stabbing at Genji's back. Out of instinct, Holster shoved Genji aside and snapped the bone. Then all his memories rushed back to him, reminding him of their current crisis.

"Glad. To. Have. You. Back," Genji hissed between clenched teeth and heaves of breaths. Genji was using everything and more to maintain control right now. Yet this state won't last, as he could feel his consciousness slipping. "Get away!" He shouted, right as his eyes glossed over.

Holster followed his advice and rushed at the abomination while Bruce carried Genji away. Lots of stray attacks were launched at the walls, as Genji fully gave in to his impulse. Daggers manifested in his hands again, and he slashed with all his strength, nearly destroying Bruce's energy a few times. It was a struggle for Bruce, but he managed to restrain Genji as the bone lances died down. Meanwhile, Holster used his newfound clarity to endure some effects and pressure the abomination.

While this was happening, Genji fought the poison's influence within his mental space, doing everything to regain consciousness a moment faster.

"I can't let it end like this! I refuse!" He roared, fighting tooth and nail for every bit of control. And this showed in the outside world, as his rampage settled slightly, making Bruce's task that much easier.

"Suppress everything! I need to continue fighting!"

As if sensing his tenacity, his legacy spirits suddenly manifested beside him. They gave him sad looks, unwilling to see his pain, but supported him in their own ways. With the wave of a hand, the silhouette grew dimmer and Genji found himself back in his body.

[Shroud of Terror had lost a large amount of energy. The duration of Terror Unleashed has decreased by 2 minutes.]

Genji roughly understood what had happened, but didn't have time to think about it. Instead, he stopped his attacks and familiarized himself with the ongoing battle and all its changes since.

As of this moment, the abomination had taken on a new form: an orb that stabs out with hard needles. It resembled a combination of a pufferfish and a turtle shell, rendering it impervious to external attacks.

Holster struggled against this form, as his attacks barely tickled the enemy while the abomination effortlessly pattered him with strikes. Due to this, his body was riddled with small wounds, all oozing black. Although the toxins in the air provided some relief, it didn't change how battered Holster was.

Genji threw some splash potions to announce his return and slashed apart the needles, giving Holster some breathing room. The abomination replenished the lost needles and conjured a wall of projectiles in response. Genji and Holster easily destroyed this barrage, but they were losing precious time.

With only a few seconds left before the one-minute mark, they couldn't afford to be entangled by these long-ranged attacks; they needed to get close and break its defenses.

'Can't block anymore. We need to dodge and preserve our momentum.'

Unfortunately, this was harder than expected since each of these needles contained overwhelming force due to their stat differences and had almost no gaps in between. If they weren't careful, a single direct strike would send them flying and reset all the distance they covered.

But like all decisions made in this battle, they didn't have a choice and were forced to confront these impossible odds. Genji reactivated Untraceable Movement and made a final charge at the abomination. As his feet pushed off the ground, his perception of time slowed down, allowing him to perceive every needle flying at him.

His muscles and limbs folded erratically like paper origami, narrowly slipping through the openings with minimal grazes. His body twitched in unimaginable ways as his concentration reached its peak. In a matter of moments, Genji had crossed most of the distance and was upon the abomination.

His daggers slashed down at the head when suddenly, time ground to a halt. In the corner of his eyes, Genji noticed a massive needle protruding out at him. The next instant, the needle left the abomination's body while his dagger barely moved an inch.

There was a huge speed discrepancy and Genji was the slower one. His dagger was only one-fifth of the way there when the needle reached the halfway point.

'I can't dodge this,' he determined. 'It's too fast.'

The needle reached the 75% mark and unwilling defiance surged inside him. Was this how everything would end? After overcoming so many difficulties, he would be shot down, right when his goal was within arm's reach?

No! The very idea itself repulsed him. Genji was never one to make things easy for his opponent if he was going to die. Instead, he would do everything in his power to make them regret it, even at the cost of his own life. Genji would pursue this goal with reckless abandon, readily risking permanent damage for even the slightest increase in his chances.

"Move! I just need to dodge this! Force it if I have to!"

His willpower made unrealistic demands on his body, and his body responded by squeezing out every ounce of potential and more to meet these expectations.

Miraculously, this worked, generating a strong pulse that accelerated his body to the side. His dagger followed this trajectory and dug into the abomination. Genji instinctively chained his slashes when he sensed the strike connect, disrupting the spike storm.

'He broke through his technique's limit!' Holster thought, astonished by the scene.

But Holster wasted no time and dashed in, adding his combo to the flurry of attacks. Together, they completely suppressed the abomination, giving it no opportunity to counterattack. This was their last chance to end the fight, and they couldn't afford to lose it.

After a short while, the abomination stopped attacking and focused solely on defense, hardening its outer shell. It had sensed their desperation and realized that stalling was the best strategy.

The duo's hearts sank at this change, but they persisted in their assault. With each passing second, their strikes grew more frantic and fierce as they forced out every bit of strength. The ends of Holster's claws chipped from the barrage, revealing bloodied fingertips, while, the webbing between Genji's thumb and index finger split open, making his grip slippery with blood.

But despite these injuries, they continued striking at full force. They were at their wits' end and had no other options. This sense of hopelessness peaked when Genji's daggers suddenly dimmed in intensity. One minute had passed, and Deadly Severance had reached its end. From this point onward, the battle was on a downward slope, as the abomination would soon recover its health.

'Shit. I lost track of time,' Genji inwardly cursed and made another decisive move.

One of his daggers disappeared, and Genji thumped his chest three times. These hits were harder than usual, breaking his ribs and greatly stimulating his heart. His blood vessels ached from the pressure, but he disregarded the damage and brought his remaining dagger above his head. Both of his bloodied hands grasped it tightly, and he slammed it down with his body weight.

Dagger Arts: Impact Strike

A vortex formed on the downward stroke, utilizing all his built-up foundation. His dense shadow core cracked and released a torrent of energy, right into an open wound in the abomination. In an instant, all his energy drained from his heart, giving him a sensation resembling heartburn.

Genji gave the dagger one last shove, stabbing it even deeper before an explosion ensued, hurling him backward. A great roar of agony sounded, indicating severe injuries, but not death. Even after everything, the abomination's remaining health was simply too high for Genji's last assault to finish it.

However, not all hope was lost, as Holster charged through the explosion at this moment and grabbed the abomination. The creature had lost its shell during the explosion, revealing delicate flesh to Holster's claws.

Holster emitted an oppressive aura and the scales glowed a soft, golden sheen. It was the same attack Holster tried to use before the abomination liquefied and nullified it. Only this time, it was fueled with Holster's life force and contained unprecedented strength.

Holster's arms bulged outward, and his skin tore from the force, but he kept pushing through. Then in one mighty exertion, Holster tore the creature in half, revealing a black core that oozed with black liquid. Seeing this, Holster forced himself to inhale violently, nearly bursting his lungs. Then he unleashed everything, sanitizing the core with fire.

When he ran out of breath, the once black core had turned white and dropped onto the ground lifelessly.

[You have slain Trivial Remains of Abomination (Weakened Immensely)]

[You have obtained: 1,800,000 coins.]

[Since this kill was made in cooperation with another realm, the loot will be placed on the ground.]

The moment Holster received the kill confirmation, he brought out a legendary vial of holy water and chugged its contents. His destroyed throat and tattered body rapidly repaired itself, allowing him to meet Genji, who'd limped out of the wall.

"We did it," Genji said, sipping from a bottle.

"Yes," Holster hoarsely replied, still recovering from the last attack.

Genji examined his state and threw over a bottle of blue liquid. Holster accepted the gesture and chugged its contents. Yet as he was halfway through its contents, he aggressively flung it aside in pain. In an unexpected twist of events, the potion had detonated all the accumulated poison inside him, bringing him to the verge of death. And it didn't take long for Holster to realize what had happened.

"YOU DARE BREAK THE CONTRACT!?!?!" Holster roared in fury, lunging at Genji.

As if expecting this, a blood spring manifested and pushed Genji aside. A deadpan Genji met Holster's gaze and denied his accusation. "No, you're the one who broke it."

The moment Genji finished those words, a waterfall of ominous prompts entered Holster's sight.

[Detected that Enigma has unintentionally caused you harm. 1 coin has been deducted.]

[Warning: You have violated the contract. A legendary item will now be transferred to Enigma.]

[Warning: The contract is now void. Enigma can now retaliate without repercussions.]

[Warning:...Warning:...Warning:...]