MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 432: Scheming Mind

The Executioner emerged within Anthonyʼs soul space, his presence manifesting like a shadow carved from malice itself.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

He had arrived in a tranquil realm, a vast, ethereal plane adorned with colossal pillars that extended endlessly into the horizon.

His gaze sharpened, flickering with intent as he began his search for Anthonyʼs soul, eager to extinguish it and consume its essence.

By devouring Anthonyʼs soul, he hoped to unearth the secrets buried within and perhaps even inherit fragments of Anthonyʼs abilities.

Then his eyes halted, frozen by the presence that now held his undivided attention.

His gaze had settled upon a figure seated in quiet dominion, exuding an authority so absolute it felt capable of commanding the very fabric of the universe.

Romulus.

With the slow grace of a sovereign unbothered by time, Romulus lifted an eyelid and regarded the Executioner with a faint, knowing smile.

”Well now… Another visitor, and so soon after that insolent bratʼs departure. It seems today holds more promise than I expected”

He said, his voice rich with amusement and veiled menace.

The Executionerʼs gaze lingered on Romulus, studying him intently from head to toe, as if trying to decipher the weight of the presence before him.

Then, at last, he spoke, his voice low and edged with suspicion.

”Who are you?”

Romulus offered a calm, almost indulgent smile, as though the question amused him more than it surprised him.

”I am known by many names”

He replied smoothly.

”Some call me the Eternal, the One, the Keeper... even the Executioner. As for my origin, I hail from a far higher plane, one veiled in power beyond your comprehension”

At those words, the Executionerʼs expression darkened.

A frown crept across his face.

Those were the exact same words he had once spoken to Anthony.

”Well… it doesnʼt matter”

The Executioner muttered, his voice cold and dismissive.

A moment later, his aura erupted, violent and unrelenting, like an ever-consuming abyss tearing through the fabric of the soul realm.

Here, within this soul realm, he was no longer bound by the same constraints that once suppressed him in the Fragmented World.

For the first time in ages, he could release his true power without restraint.

His energy surged toward Romulus, a tidal wave of oppressive force, seeking to overwhelm him, to force him into submission.

And yet, it couldnʼt so much as stir a single strand of Romulusʼ hair.

Unmoved, unshaken, unbothered, Romulus remained as if the very laws of existence bent to his will.

The Executionerʼs frown deepened, a flicker of unease crossing his face for the first time.

”It seems you must be one of the most pitifully blind existences to ever crawl around the higher galaxy”

Romulus said, his voice calm and precise.

”To stand before one who eclipses you in power… and fail to recognize it”

There was no mockery in his tone.

No scorn.

No taunt.

Only the serene certainty of a man stating an undeniable truth.

Before the Executioner could respond, his gaze suddenly snapped to the side, his senses flaring as another presence cut through the space like a blade.

Anthony.

He hovered in mid-air, suspended effortlessly within the soul realm, his eyes locked onto the Executioner with utter calmness

”Itʼs you”

The Executioner said coldly, his voice edged with steel.

”What did you do?”

The smug amusement that once lingered on his face had vanished, replaced by suspicion and a flicker of dread.

Anthony met his gaze with an easy smile, amusement flickering in his eyes like dancing embers.

”Why donʼt you devour my soul and find out?”

He replied, his tone laced with daring.

The Executionerʼs eyes narrowed.

”Was all of this… part of your plan?”

Anthonyʼs smile deepened.

”Indeed”

He said, his voice calm and confident.

”Allow me the honor of introducing you, Romulus, the First Flame of Creation. A man who, with but a blink, could reduce the universe to ash”

At those words, the Executionerʼs gaze slowly returned to Romulus.

But he said nothing.

No retort.

Then his gaze returned to Anthony.

He only watched in silence as he allowed Anthony to continue.

”You touching the soul of my clone in the beginning… that was the original plan”

Anthony began, his voice calm, measured.

”But no”

He continued, eyes narrowing slightly,

”Instead, you destroyed the clone outright. That told me something important, that you might have many other method to seize my body without ever laying a finger on my soul”

He paused, and a slow smile began to stretch across his face, cold and knowing.

”So, I adjusted the plan. I simply had to make you want to touch my soul. And to do that, I gave you exactly what you couldnʼt resist, temptation”

A faint hum of silence seemed to ripple through the air as he spoke.

”Time. Space. Void… Who could ignore such rare affinities in a single being? Even wielding Intent at my age. I knew flaunting all of it would ignite your greed. After all, claiming my body wouldnʼt guarantee you access to my gifts. But my soul… now that was the key”

His smile twisted into a smirk, sharp and confident, as he leaned in, his words laced with venomous satisfaction.

”I knew from the start that I couldnʼt defeat someone like you without bringing out the big guns”

Anthony said, his voice calm, but the weight of his words unmistakable.

”And there is no greater card in my hand than Romulus”

He paused for a moment, his eyes flicking toward Romulus, who sat still, watching with an inscrutable smile, one leg crossed over the other.

The air around him seemed to hum with a quiet, knowing authority.

Anthonyʼs gaze shifted back to the Executioner, his expression calm.

”But Romulus wonʼt intervene unless you touch my soul. And what better way to draw you in than to let your own greed consume you?”

His tone turned sharper, more deliberate.

”So, all those battles, every moment of struggle, you can think of them as a mere charade. Just as you said earlier”

He leaned forward slightly, his voice now carrying a touch of finality.

”And here we are”

A dramatic pause lingered in the air before Anthony spoke again, his words cutting through the tension like a blade.

”I suppose the saying ʼIn the face of absolute power, everything else is but a fleeting illusionʼ is, in itself, a paradox. After all, Iʼve just proven it wrong by outwitting you twice. And soon, Romulus will prove it right… by ending you”

A profound silence descended, thick and oppressive, as the weight of Anthonyʼs words settled into the air.

In a desperate surge of will, the Executioner immediately attempted to sever the soul connection he had once established through his Reincarnation Art.

But his efforts were in vain.

This was Romulusʼ domain.

The Executioner was no longer the master of his own fate.

Here, he could not simply come and go as he pleased.

His attempts to break free were met with the oppressive weight of Romulusʼ domain, which seemed to mock his struggles.

”No need to struggle”

Romulus said, his voice smooth and unbothered, as though speaking to a mere insect.

”For beings of your caliber, death is an absolute certainty. Then again, who knows? You might reincarnate”

At Romulusʼ words, the space between them seemed to vanish in an instant.

The Executioner, once standing tall and a distance away, now found himself kneeling before Romulus, as though drawn by an invisible force far beyond his comprehension.

Instincts screamed within him, primal and urgent, yet his body remained frozen, unresponsive.

His thoughts echoed in the head, sharp and clear, but they were all that remained of him.

His energy, his skills, his very essence… nothing responded to his call.

Nothing.

”You should feel honored”

Romulus spoke, his tone devoid of any emotion, as if stating a mere fact.

”You are the first to step into this realm”

With a single, almost lazy wave of his hand, the Executioner vanished.

There was no grandiose display, no explosions of light or ferocious technique.

Just one simple, effortless motion.

And with that, the Executioner ceased to exist.

As though he had never been.

”It seems youʼre making good use of your ʼScheming Mindʼ skill, even if itʼs been gathering dust for some time”

Romulus remarked, his gaze shifting to Anthony, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Anthony merely chuckled in response.

”Whatʼs the point of scheming when I can settle things with a fight?”

He replied with a casual shrug.

”Besides, I brought you a friend”

Romulusʼ gaze lingered on Anthony for a moment before he spoke again, his tone contemplative.

”Speaking of friends, it seems I should pay the Spirit King a visit”

And with that, Romulus vanished.

Anthony shook his head with a smile before disappearing as well, the space around them returning to its quiet, empty stillness.