Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Skullius had deactivated the defensive properties of his nimbus. It had an automated system where it targeted enemies with Maximum Frost and Melding Stitches, but Skullius knew that wasn't going to work on Fulgardt and would only waste his Amras. Even the [Entropy's Harmonising Nimbus]'s ability to perceive, deconstruct and replicate concepts it was introduced to was likely not to work on Fulgardt whose entire arsenal revolved around [Evil Darkness] and [Just Light].

Skullius already had those abilities. Fulgardt was just much better at using them; he didn't rely on creating compound elements that applied darkness and light for his growth.

If he simply used the original Insurgent Magnus elements, there was not a lot the nimbus could do about that.

'Or maybe I'm wrong. Let's see,' the Hybrid Warmoth thought and got ready for the real brawl. The taste test had told him to be especially wary of the Immoral. His hand-to-hand technique was lethal. 'To increase my attack power…'

Skullius had his mana thread through his body – bones and flesh. He grew extremely heavy with a total weight of 44 billion tonnes. By cycling Amras through himself simultaneously, Skullius removed the adverse – obvious – side effects of carrying such a tremendous of weight. His speed remained the same, but his durability and attack potency drastically increased.

Fulgardt seemed to notice the change and he gave the Hybrid a little smile.

Carrying spite, Skullius charged at the Immoral at once, but this time, he didn't rush in for a swift attack. His two upper arms rose in a guard before his face as he approached. Fulgardt rushed in to meet him as well.

When the two met, Fulgardt suddenly shot downward, used the ground as leverage with both hands as he pivoted his torso, and fired three kicks into Skullius' upper right arm. Three canons might have loosened their rounds.

…!!!

Skullius was momentarily shocked to find his arm exploding from the successive hits, but he was aware of Fulgardt's movements still. After the kicks, the Immoral flashed behind him and attempted to kick in his leg, but the Warmoth's lower left arm reached behind him and grabbed Fulgardt's cloak of darkness, pulled at it - drawing him close - and…

BAM!

Skullius had done a sharp pivot to face the Immoral and sent down a knife hand into the his face. Fulgardt was swift in guarding. In fact, he did more than guard. His hands were dark serpents that somehow tied Skullius oncoming arm into a ghastly knot and then delivered a sharp palm strike to his ribs. Skullius spat blood, but he wasn't bested.

Maximum Catalyst ran through his veins while he grabbed Fulgardt's cloak with his healed upper hand. His two remaining hands glowed with the purple gold lustre of Maximum Catalyst, and snapped like light into the Immoral's chestplate nonstop, landing punches and palm strikes that could level a small world in a blink!

Even as he received the attacks, however, Fulgardt's chopped at Skullius' neck denting it, then he balled his hand into a fist and smashed it into the Hybrid's head almost simultaneously. Skullius saw stars for a moment, and when his flurry of attacks ceased as a result, the Immoral leaped off the ground, spun and decked him with a cruel back leg roundhouse kick to the face. Skullius' bore a hole through four mountains before he finally managed to stop himself from flying off.

…But Fulgardt was already there, waiting. Skullius didn't perceive his presence until it was too late. The Immoral forced his elbow into Skullius' back, and struck the base of his neck with another hand. Each blow caused Edagon to topple over like a chessboard.

Skullius caught the next blow Fulgardt had planned - a brush with the knee - using his lower right palm, turned, did a cartwheel and backflip to avoid the attacks that came next. He then advanced sharply towards the Immoral again once he'd touched the ground. Lowering his centre of gravity, he balled all four hands into fists and sent jabs at Fulgardt's side and face at the same time. They connected, but Fulgardt – unbothered – sent a full power straight punch to smash into Skullius' face only for the Hybrid Warmoth to dodge, catch his arm, turn over and hurl Fulgardt to slam him into the ground at full force.

The Immoral laughed.

His back didn't hit the dirt, however.

His legs stomped on the ground, and supported him. When Skullius aimed to unleash a barrage of blows while Fulgardt was in the compromising position, the Immoral heaved him and slammed him into the ground instead.

Both combatants recovered quickly and warped away from each other.

Skullius had a minimal frown.

So far, he'd landed no damage on Fulgardt at all. That thin layer of darkness around him absorbed everything he could dish out physically.

"Don't feel discouraged now. You wanted this. Let's go, brat!" Fulgardt cried from the distance, and then he was in Skullius' face. He raised his arms in that lethal stance again and Skullius reforged his own.

A harsh backhand blow landed in Skullius' ribs before rising to smash into his jaw almost simultaneously. Skullius reeled from the force, but retaliated in full, this time to great effect. His two right hands landed six jabs on Fulgardt's chest just as he (Skullius) then pushed forth to hammer his knee into Fulgardt's ribs, successfully staggering him. He then grabbed the Immoral's face and gave him the sweetest headbutt of all time.

This…drew a lick of blood from Fulgardt's nose.

Edagon rumbled.

Fulgardt merely chuckled. In a blink, he had used Skullius' pivoted knee as a foothold, leaped and hammered his elbow down onto the Hybrid's head several times. Skullius sank into Edagon like a comet, but warped back up in a blink, his skull already healing. Fulgardt was on him again.

The Immoral sweeped with his feet so rapidly that several hurricanes blasted about. Skullius avoided all of the sweeping kicks by shooting backwards, but failed to avoid the switch kicks Fulgardt sent to shatter his knee and hip near simultaneously.

Fulgardt was freakishly quick!

Skullius managed to catch the Immoral's vicious knee which came to take advantage of his momentary immobility with a jab punch, and dragged the Immoral closer to him after a clinch. He wanted to give the man another sweet headbutt, but Fulgardt laughed. He punted Skullius' shin backwards with a quick front kick, disturbing his balance.

That little dose of imbalance cost Skullius a lot. Fulgardt locked both of Skullius' right arms under his armpit, pulled the Hybrid close and then delivered the meanest uppercut Aigas had ever seen while donning the widest grin Aigas had ever seen. Skullius' jaw shattered entirely, but that didn't stop him from swiftly turning the tables. In a flash, he had severed the arms Fulgardt had sealed, freeing himself, and locked the Immoral in a vice.

The original Insurgent Magnus laughed.

"You know, I have the slightest bit of faith in you now. Just a little. I really meant to kill you just now. A part of me just wanted to welcome the punishment for slaying you while savouring a swift victory. Bitter sweet, they call it. But no. Keep struggling, brat. You haven't made an earnest attempt at killing me yet. I want to see what that looks like," he said, chortling.

"Well, I'm glad you're having fun," said Skullius and he summoned the Malefic Gold Hand onto his fist.