MTLNOVEL Chapter 26: Barter's Ruler
Null couldn't even process the ongoing circumstances he was in before a slip of paper flew before him.
The way it fumbled around erratically gave Null a distraction from the gruesome results of his reckless behavior.
That was when he heard a vicious roar, "YOU HORRID MONSTER, PREPARE TO MEET YOUR END!"
The dainty slip of paper shimmered and exploded into a series of coins that flew towards Null like grenade shells.
In a bid to resist the speeding coins, Null generated a large purple pulse that slowed them until they were no longer a threat.
The clinking sound of coins showered the market for a few moments.
"Wait! Please let me explain!" Null realized he was up against a real threat for the first time in his life.
The worst part about it was that he was feeling immense guilt from the depraved actions of his previous self.
"I'll let you plead your case in the afterlife. The moment you made such a disgrace of my market, you already cashed in for a one-way ticket to the underworld."
Barter's Ruler was no push-over; those of the immortal class stood above everything that wasn't at their level with little to no exceptions.
The reason behind the difference in between the common populace and immortals lie in the latter's comprehension of a certain universal rule.
"Now time to pay in full with your life!" He brought his hand out and swiped at the air in a downward motion.
"Golden Shower!"
As he spoke the words a torrent of golden antiques fell from the sky out of the blue.
Null sought to use another purple pulse to deflect the oncoming attack but came to realize that the antiques weighed tons more than they let on.
'Gotta do something quick!'
Null created a dense red explosive that launched him away as the falling vases, clocks, accessories and more forced their way through the repulsion of the blast.
Seeing as Null was going to make it out of the range of the shower, Barter's Ruler created a single coin in his hand.
"I'M SORRY! It was my fault, but I can't stop here! Sophina, she needs me!" Null screamed out to no one in particular.
It was like he was talking to himself.
Barter's Ruler curled his lips in disgust, "I'll cease this insanity once and for all."
He brought the coin up on the top of his thumb and flicked it.
"Payback."
The coin spun rapidly towards Null as he was just reaching the outer range of the rain of hefty valuables.
With each rotation, the coin grew larger in size until it was large enough to smush Null into the ground.
'I'm not going to make it out of the range before the coin will crush me.'
He looked upwards to the edge of the attack and where the coin would soon be before settling on a plan; as soon as he reached a certain distance, he made a move.
There was no time to waste as Null made more violent red energy to boost him directly upwards into the path of the incoming coin.
With another boost, he made use of the propulsive energy to control his flight path just in between the coin and the rain of valuables.
He stayed in the air as the gigantic coin boomed on the ground, throwing up a cloud of dirt.
"I don't want to fight! Please just let me go!"
"You should have thought about that before you killed the innocent people in cold blood," Barter's Ruler glanced to a corner of the street.
His left hand clenched into a fist as he brought his right arm up to perform the same swiping action as before.
'Fuck me. This isn't going to end unless I stop him.'
Null was initially torn up inside at the thought of what he had done to the wanderers and others that ended up brutalized at his hands.
But in the end, Null wouldn't beat himself up too hard for it. He had his goal set in stone; the path he made for himself was right before him and all he had to do was mind the cracks and stones along the way.
'No... I won't apologize for Sophina's sake. This is about what I can do for her before she gets erased from existence. Everybody else is going to have to bear with me until then.'
Null wouldn't make up excuses for his problems; his will was greater than ever as he was now fighting to complete an objective he did not know if he could complete.
"AHHHHHH FUCK IT!"
The moment Barter's Ruler's hand fell, Null stopped holding back as he let the full extent of his powers loose.
He rocketed towards the immortal opponent before another rain of gold could try to pelt him to bits.
In response to the sudden switch in Null's attitude, Barter's Ruler halted his move and began to coat his body in an armor of gold.
"Skin of Midas!"
Null flew at him with his black and white fist, aiming to knock him out before he could protect his face.
He tore through the air and in a matter of seconds was before his oppenent who guarded his face with his golden arms.
DONG!
The dull impact rang out like a bell, but neither opponent hand moved from their spot.
"You might have some neat tricks up your sleeve, but you will never compare to my Universal Rule," Barter's Ruler said from the helmet now protecting his head fully.
"I don't care about your rules and whatnot, what happened here was my fault, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from moving forwards."
"There is no way forwards for you now," Barter's Ruler made a thin rapier out of gold the same as his armor, "The lives you have taken were too much debt for you to repay."
Then he stabbed at Null multiple times in rapid succession.
Null dodged as best he could, but that only allowed him to dodge the first few strikes; his shoulder and leg suffered two puncture wounds.
"For all the people I've helped find a place to make a living just for you to end it like that...," Barter's Ruler was still livid inside, "... Even that Benji runt wasn't spared from such a fate."
'Even... Benji?' Null grimaced at the thought.
"How could I call myself the Ruler of Barter if I didn't pay you back a thousandfold for what you have done!"
His next anger-fueled strike aimed directly at Null's left eye, mere inches from piercing straight through.