Chapitre 168: True Self
Not expecting Roderman to be capable of erasing his presence so profoundly, Faceless Lord was taken by surprise, frantically searching for the king whilst simultaneously keeping an eye on Solitar.
He could try and warp away but the way the dark swordsman acted, not trying to attack him but simply keeping pressure by remaining as close as possible, the minister felt like they may be trying to bait him into warping away.
'Did they notice? Do they know that I can't chain warps instantly?' he hadn't shown them much, but it wasn't farfetched for them to have already noticed it.
The first few consecutive warps wouldn't be nearly as fast as the rest that came after, much like a machine needing some time to function at its maximum output.
If one managed to catch him right when he was appearing, he would either have to try and divert their attack away or just take it.
The monster knew that he could handle Solitar but Roderman had yet to even try to slash him and with the peculiarities about him, taking the risk seemed like a bad bet.
'I'll just wait for him to appear, divert his blow and when the other comes in, I'll show them what else I can do-!' right on cue, king Roderman popped out from behind a tree, already swinging at Faceless Lord.
Solitar dashed forward as well, pushing off the ground, his speed peaked as aimed straight for the head.
The minister didn't question this movement and instead went forward with his plan, warping reality around himself to deflect Roderman's attack, he focused intensely for what he was going to do next.
The greatsword entered the small area where space was distorted, Faceless Lord's concentration was shattered as he didn't the fact that the blade didn't distort.
'Ho-'
Infused with both silver and the foreign blue energy, the blade slashed right through the monster's distortion, cutting right through his left arm at the elbow section and embedding itself halfway through his chest.
The monster had stepped off to the side to mitigate some of the damage despite his shock, still, the attack had completely broken the distortion surrounding him.
He was completely open to attacks during the milisecond before he activated it again.
Faceless Lord prepared himself for his neck to be targeted and for his head to be pierced.
'I can survive a stab wound to the head! As long as I manage to put my head back, even if its completely severed, I'll be able to retreat, I just need to get a hold of it!' preparing himself for those eventualities, he felt confident that this wasn't going to be his curtain call.
He was going to warp as far as possible within his domain, then step out and leave them trapped inside, it would have been best to dispose of such formidable foes right there and then but the fight wasn't to his advantage.
'I'll regroup with the queen and we'll be able to fight back without problem, she'll know what to do...' certain of himself, he braced for impact.
Axiolypito had already known that Faceless Lord wouldn't fight to the death, even by making him believe that they had slayed a fellow minister and that they were large enough threat that they shouldn't be left alone, the minister wasn't foolish enough to fight a battle he had clearly lost.
Also knowing that under normal circumstances, even Roderman and Solitar wouldn't be able to stop him from running away, he had put all of his money on something else.
To prevent Faceless from leaving the fight, he needed to be put in a sort frenzied state.
Axio didn't even know whether this would actually work, ever since he had heard the lanky monster's origins, he had simply been convinced that it would function as he intended.
Just to be certain that he wouldn't retain his better judgement, Axio had The Scourge bury thee memories partaining to his origins, they would no doubt resurface at this instant.
Yes, he was certain of it.
Faceless Lord was neither beheaded or stabbed through the head, instead, Solitar slashed at the center of his featureless visage.
The instant he did so, both he and Roderman instinctively backed off from the monster and regrouped.
Faceless trembled and then fell to his knees, black, gooey blood cascading from the lower portion of his face.
Despite being vulnerable, none of the two swordsmen moved forward, instead, both offering each other the same advice:
"Don't move"
It was obvious to them that they shouldn't get involved with whatever was happening, the monster's aura and presence had grown completely chaotic, being molded into something entirely different to what it was before.
The flow of black blood grew weaker and with it, the monster raised his head up at the sky.
His mouth, once sealed by his own skin had been liberated and with this, came a cry.
A shriek that shook the two men's skeleton and forced their heartbeat to slow down for a moment.
Reaching up with his one good arm, it began to morph, the stump was no more as long, elongated fingers and a hand grew from it.
Using his newfound limb, he grasped at his face, peeling off the entirety of his own skin off of himself in a single movement.
What laid beneath was much darker and oozing the same black blood as before.
His mouth now fully freed, he ground his teeth.
From his back, part of his new skin detached partly and floated despite the lack of wind, forming two, thin membrane-like wings.
Standing up to his feet, the monster hadn't grown in size but he now seemed much more imposing.
Sir Solitar and King Roderman stood firm and unfearful, ready to clash against the reborn monster.
On the upper right side of his face, a single eye suddenly manifested, glowing with a brilliant and soft blue, in complete contradiction with his maddened expression.
Being the only one of the two that hadn't cut off his connection with the system, Roderman was able to hear its words as it acknowledged the reborn monster as a being deserving of being introduced:
*Mystery's Stillborn*
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone