Steven inspected the injuries on Decumia's figure. He had managed to hurt her world, but the damage was far from significant. Yet, it was enough to dethrone her from the very peak of the cultivation journey.
A privileged cultivator at the peak of the solid stage was a formidable opponent, but many inside Noah's organization could face such a threat. The leaders were the issue, and Steven had removed one of them from that position.
Of course, the damage wasn't permanent. Steven had gone overboard and burnt everything he had to accomplish that incredible feat, but Decumia would regain her original power as long as she had some time to heal.
The healing process would also be faster once Steven died. The dispersion of his power would remove the barriers hindering Decumia's recovery. His death could render his efforts pointless.
"Don't look so disappointed," Decumia chuckled as she patted the sky behind her. "You have almost cornered me. Take pride in your power."
Steven was using the faint remains of his power to keep his figure in one piece. He was in no condition to reply. Talking could break his concentration and shatter what was left of his world.
"You never fail to surprise me," Decumia praised, "And I'm talking about all of you. Your organization is incredible. I couldn't have asked for a better opponent."
Steven wanted to breathe roughly, but he suppressed that urge. He was on the verge of falling apart. He had to remain as still as possible to prevent the expansion of his injuries.
"You were nothing more than a liquid stage expert," Decumia continued. "Average cultivators would have never managed to achieve so much even if they sacrificed the entirety of their existence. Only a monster could have inflicted so much damage to me."
The praises couldn't snap Steven out of his condition. He was exhausted. Anyone could see that death was looming over him.
"That being said," Decumia sighed, "Your fight is over. You have accomplished your task. You can die now."
Decumia didn't launch any final attack. She limited herself to watching Steven struggling to remain alive. She didn't see any reason to waste her energy on destroying a floating corpse.
'Prolonging my life in this condition will only give her time to recover,' Steven thought as helplessness took control of his mind. 'It's time.'
"Pig," Steven whispered, and the efforts made cracks expand from the holes that filled his body.
The whisper was so faint that many would fail to hear it on that messy battlefield. However, the Foolery had never diverted its attention from Steven. The order reached its senses and made it shoot forward to help its companion.
"My time has come!" The Foolery squealed when it reached Steven's side, but the pressure radiated by its voice ended up expanding its companion's injuries.
"Sorry!" The Foolery promptly said in a quieter tone, but Steven's injuries expanded anyway. It seemed that the softest gale could make his body shatter and disappear.
The Foolery shut its mouth, but its cheeks inflated since it tried to speak. The pig knew that it couldn't control its instincts, so it forced itself to remain silent.
Steven ended up smiling at that sight. His companion was really an idiot, but he had to put his hopes on it anyway. There was no other option to defeat Decumia.
The smile created cracks at the corners of Steven's mouth. Small shards of his flesh also separated from his body and fell into the void, where they turned into powerless dust.
The Foolery wanted to ask Steven to remain still, but its sealed mouth helped keep it silent. Yet, its efforts didn't change the nature of the situation.
"Your potential is above mine," Steven whispered to the Foolery. "Maybe your idiocy makes your approach to the cultivation journey purer. I don't really know, but that's not important."
Decumia's gaze flickered with interest. She had already guessed that Steven's plan stretched past his death, but she didn't know what it involved. Still, the answers were about to arrive.
"Neither of us can defeat her in our current state," Steven continued. "You might even end up switching sides if I leave you like this. I can't let our organization lose two major experts against the same opponent."
The Foolery remained confused. It couldn't understand where Steven was going, but it agreed with the core of his speech. They had to kill Decumia no matter what.
"My current power is the result of a sacrifice," Steven explained. "It can't last forever. It's already fading even, but its core is authentic. It expresses the peak of my existence."
Steven turned toward the Foolery, and his neck almost shattered during the gesture. Steven had turned into a mere shadow of his former self after speaking so much. He had more holes and cracks than flesh now.
"Take it," Steven ordered. "Seize the core of my world and turn into something that Heaven and Earth can't corrupt."
A chilling and deep meaning accompanied Steven's lines. The Foolery's cheeks deflated as it finally opened its mouth to speak. Yet, no words came out of its throat. The pig was speechless.
"I told you already," Steven reminded. "Don't hesitate. Eat me and seize my power. I've already prepared it for the fusion."
The Foolery wasn't stupid. It liked to act like an idiot since that behavior was in line with its nature, but it was capable of intelligent and deep thoughts.
Still, that idiocy added a troublesome feature to the Foolery's personality. The pig was a bit naïve, especially when it came to its allies. It didn't want to see its close friends sacrificing themselves or dying.
"I get it!" Decumia spoke before the Foolery could find its resolve. "You never had any intention of leaving me injured. You were only testing your new power to prepare it for your companion."
Steven revealed a weak smile while keeping his attention on the Foolery. Acknowledging his weakness had allowed him to come up with that ploy. He only needed his companion to complete that plan.
"That's quite boring," Decumia declared. "I've already defeated your power. I don't want to fight it again. Besides, I like the pig."
Decumia spread her arms, and an array of purple tendrils came out of her back. Her influence expanded in the area, which forced Steven to speak again. "Quick. Eat me before she creates a flaw in my plan."
The Foolery didn't like what was happening. It hesitated for a mere second before summoning the resolve to follow Steven's plan. However, that delay allowed Decumia to affect its actions and restrain its body.
The pig felt unable to move as the purple halo expanded past its figure. Desperation took control of its mind when it saw the feeling of defeat filling Steven's expression. The Foolery suddenly understood that it had failed to fulfill Steven's dying wish.
Nevertheless, darkness abruptly expanded between the Foolery and Decumia. Violent anger destroyed every trace of the purple halo and removed Decumia's influence. Black lines also appeared in the area and enveloped that chunk of the void.
"Noah," Steven sighed as dark matter covered his body and prevented it from crumbling even further.
Noah materialized between his companion and Decumia. His reptilian eyes expressed nothing but killing intent as he stared at the privileged cultivator, but the latter showed no fear. She even smiled when sensing such intense destruction.
"I might have to ignore Caesar's orders," Decumia uttered. "I can't ignore such an interesting opponent."
"Noah," Steven called again, and Noah turned to face his companion. The scene turned Noah's killing intent into sadness, but he tried his best not to show those feelings.
"Noah," Steven said a third time, "I'm useless in this condition. Let me do this."
Countless ideas ran through Noah's mind. He came up with many ways to keep Steven alive and even restore part of his power. Yet, he knew that his role in the battle was over.
"Are you sure?" Noah eventually asked. "We can manage even if you don't do this."
"My existence wants me to fight Heaven and Earth," Steven stated. "Stopping me is worse than letting me die."
Noah already knew that, but he had still felt the need to ask. Yet, the situation was undeniable, so he voiced a simple order. "Pig, you heard him."
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