That sword truly seemed as if it had pierced straight through the skull and upward!
That sword had split Arceus's spine open.
And yet, the natural healing power it stole away—
At this moment, it had no effect at all.
Had he gone mad?!
In the barren sand where nothing could be eaten.
The air visible to the naked eye began to ripple layer after layer with white light.
It was actually a white-light dust storm.
Perhaps it was an enormous, untamable devouring power.
That power was currently trying to devour the healing power within the sandstorm.
It wanted to consume the flesh that had already been healed.
The flaming figure had no way to swallow it naturally!
This—
How was this possible?
Seeing this scene.
Arceus was utterly shaken.
A power that surpassed a cosmic sovereign.
He could no longer remember how long it had been since he had felt something like this.
Once before, he had believed.
That he could also use this innate, special power.
Even when it came to his own wounds.
But now!
The wound beneath his hand—
Had suddenly caught fire!
Moreover.
Under a certain symmetrical state.
It was being continuously devoured by the other party's power!
How could this be anything less terrifying than the sandstorm itself?
It had bitten back, yet he did not even know what had been used against him!
What step had he taken?
Arceus stared at everything with utter seriousness.
His torn sword wound.
A moment later.
Suddenly began to burn.
This time.
He truly felt the immense pressure Shiko brought upon him.
And he also truly felt.
That his position.
Was suffering an unprecedented challenge!
This!
Was a great opponent worthy of his full strength!
That was what Arceus told himself.
Those mythic, metallic angel-like beings.
At this moment, they had no intention of attacking again.
But—
Could this strange sword truly belong to him?
There really was fire burning.
Arceus thought this in his heart.
His anger suddenly burned even more fiercely.
However, this time.
He restrained all his emotions.
Then.
He rapidly retreated a short distance.
Immediately after that.
Forcing himself to endure the pain.
He began treating his wounds.
Relying on the passive effect of his own healing power.
He could not heal the force left in the wound Shiko had given him quickly enough.
So.
Arceus had no choice but to use his own moves to force his recovery.
Including Poison Fang, Ice Body, Synthesis, Moonlight...
Arceus directly released a large number of recovery moves.
These powers overlapped.
After layer upon layer of conversion.
They all entered Arceus's body.
This vitality.
Under his guidance.
Was very quickly drawn toward the wound.
At first, he believed.
That under the impact of such energy.
The injury would recover very quickly.
And the light remaining on the wound would be rapidly eliminated.
However.
He never imagined.
That even after using so many moves and drawing upon such a vast amount of energy.
The greatest difficulty was still healing the wound!
Even more strangely.
Under the effect of such majestic life force.
Arceus's wound.
Actually blossomed, trying to force open the energy that remained from that sword strike.
But!
The torrent of recovery.
For some unknown reason, became extremely slow.
According to past logic.
A torrent like this.
If allowed to work freely.
If such an enormous amount of life and healing power were used to accelerate recovery.
Then almost in an instant.
The healing should have been completed.
But now!
The sword wound healed at an unimaginably slow speed!
It was dozens of centimeters long!
Only after the life force had worked for a long time.
Did it finally show the slightest effect!
And that wound!
The sword wound had closed by less than a single centimeter!
This speed was simply absurd!
In Arceus's eyes, it was truly as slow as a snail!
Damn it!
When Arceus saw this scene.
His expression became extremely ugly.
Everything that had happened today.
Was growing further and further beyond his control.
As a cosmic sovereign.
The loathing and dissatisfaction of being slowed down by a wound.
Made him furious.
If this sword wound.
Had been inflicted upon anyone else.
They would still have worn an expression that made it seem like a trivial matter.
Coldly watching him.
It was infuriating.
As if he had no intention of being moved at all.
Truly.
Shiko had no intention of making another move at all.
From that first sword strike.
He had already understood the realm of complete communication.
His current strength.
Had already completely surpassed that calm cosmic sovereign.
Shiko knew.
That if he became serious.
Arceus would definitely not be his opponent.
In his heart, this was already incomparably clear.
That was why.
He had not revealed the ancient divine blade or his strongest sword.
Within the torrent of certainty.
Shiko hoped Arceus could become stronger.
Only then!
Could he properly test his current combat power.
Because of that.
Arceus, facing the calm Shiko.
Read the reassurance in his eyes.
After understanding it.
He erupted with his ultimate power.
Gathering his life force.
He restored himself with an extremely tiny speed of light.
This time.
The sword wound.
Was completely healed.
However.
As a result.
Arceus had consumed quite a lot of the energy inside his body.
He panted heavily.
Beneath his body, power surged and exploded.
Seeing that the other side still had no intention of attacking.
Arceus gave a faint smile.
Close by.
The blade, glowing with a crimson-gold rainbow light, withdrew from the cosmic divine lord.
At this moment, he seemed to stand in the void.
Like an enormous divine temple.
His fingers moved slightly.
With a whoosh.
Arceus completely absorbed the power of this space.
His condition.
Returned once again to its peak.
White light enveloped his body.
Making him appear extraordinarily divine.
Arceus's expression turned solemn.
He spoke.
Even though his current self had returned to peak condition.
There was still a gap between him and Shiko.
Although he did not want to admit it.
If they fought for another thirty days.
The result would truly not be a dream.
For the first time in his life, Arceus had fallen into a deep, desperate situation.
For the first time, he felt anxiety and anger because his own strength was insufficient.
Was this his weakness?
The truth was terrifying.
Since that was the case, this battle should end here.
Shiko stood in the distance.
He looked at Arceus, who had recovered to his peak state, but made no movement.
His body began to change.
The current Arceus.
Was already enough to push his sword to its limit.
But he—
So-called cosmic sovereign or not, this was all he amounted to.
This desolate opponent could not even force him to use his full combat power for a little longer.
Shiko felt somewhat regretful.
Originally, he had wanted to see just how deep an opponent at the limit truly was.
But in the end.
He no longer had that chance.
Since that was the case.
Then let this be one battle!
In the next second.
Shiko moved.
His speed reached the extreme.
Like a white point of light stabbing forward.
In less than one-tenth of a breath.
He crossed dozens of meters.
And appeared before Arceus.
Then.
The Shark Sword swung.
After cutting out a dazzling rainbow light.
The sword light burst apart.
Like a beam of light carrying the sword, it blasted Arceus away.
Not only that.
The Shark Sword unexpectedly swept out again.
The surrounding air was compressed to the absolute limit.
Releasing an icy hurricane thunderstorm.
That terrifying might.
Even blew straight through the cosmic space filled with ancient cosmic energy!
Two heaven-shaking attacks flew toward Arceus.
At this moment.
Arceus's expression changed drastically.
From that storm of dust, he sensed a terrifying power that he could hardly resist.
It made flames surge violently across his body.
There was even a trace of fear in his expression.
He could not accept that within this cosmic space.
There was someone capable of releasing a greater power than his own!
Impossible!
But now, none of that mattered.
Because the current him had to receive these two attacks.
Arceus's expression became extremely serious.
Iron Defense, Protect, Detect...
Large-scale defensive moves.
Were released madly like pouring rain.
Arceus's body.
Even at the cost of dizziness after a full-power strike.
Still had no time to wait.
Arceus sensed the defensive shields he had set up.
They could not block even half of this attack.
Lightning!
He broke through the shield and faced that strike.
Not only that.
Arceus also released a great number of energy attacks.
Trying to offset the continuous power of Shiko's attack.
In the next instant.
Shiko's attack arrived!
Ah!!
The world shook!
A series of booming sounds rang out one after another.
The layers of barriers Arceus had released.
Were almost completely blocked for only an instant.
Like ice pierced by blazing fire.
They shattered in a flash.
Boom!
In the next instant.
Arceus's defenses were pierced through.
That white body.
Was swept over completely by energy.
And instantly scattered into ash.
Every obstruction blocking Shiko's attack.
Was shattered and blown apart in an instant.
When Arceus realized this.
Shock surged wildly through his heart.
One had to know.
Even though this was Shiko.
That attack had still cost him half of his stamina to create.
And yet, even so.
It had brought about such destructive power.
Who could possibly block it?
But!
He never expected.
That this would actually be the result.
(End of Chapter)
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