Chapter 440: Mimicry
3rd Person POV
In the cult's base, everyone huddled around the table, their hushed voices discussing possible plans for countering Perseus. The air crackled with tension as Cain laid out an array of photographs, each capturing distinct individuals. Murmurs floated through the chamber, questioning who they were, though some looked familiar.
Pictures of various men and women sprawled across the polished surface of the table. As the group pored over the images, one photograph stood out among the rest, a portrait capturing the essence of a captivating female dancer.
This information was then relayed to Reiner, who is now secretly watching and listening to the conversation himself. He was at the northern islands, and once he saw that the fight was too dangerous, he stayed back with his men to call back home while Rowan rushed to intervene.
"Though I doubt that he is here today, please try to be careful with what you say." Cain warned, "One of his powers is a cloak of illusion, an artistry of deception...this was explained by a person who is no longer here. He has a mastery of mimicry, a mirage so convincing that even the keenest eyes falter in distinguishing truth from falsehood.
"Do not let his voice fool you either, he can mimic anything or anyone, it's quite a scary power that I've...helped developed." Cain uttered with a slight tone of disgust.
As Cain proceeded to explain everything he knew of Perseus' origin...Phineas realized something...something that he never thought to connect before...Perseus should be only 18 years old...and Cain said that his powers were developed quite a long time ago...
There are also rumors from the heroes' side that he looked familiar...some say that he could be the exact reincarnation...he was known as the wielder of the blue rose...and out of nowhere...the black rose...There's no denying that he's 18...at least physically...but...
What if...what if this Loki did reincarnate as Perseus...and...the reason why he's powerful was that his soul was also a part of the hero summoning...and he awakened his memories and powers later on...but he wasn't marked...either way...if he truly is this Loki person reincarnated, a person who can cause such destruction without even magic...
That means that he must have planned the possibility of this fight for a very long time...his revenge has been brewing for a long time. I do not like this Cain person, I do not know his goal for why he wants this gauntlet and why having it ensures a guaranteed victory...but I'm only cooperating with him because God seems to tolerate him.
I, however, do blame him for Perseus' deeds...it seems that he caused Perseus to think the way he does, and if he did indeed reincarnate, and if this revenge plan is true and has been stewing for a long time...
We shouldn't have retreated, we've made a dire mistake. We only gave him more time.
*****
Perseus POV
Lilith's arrows continued to rain down, but Isfrid seemed unfazed, almost as if he anticipated every move we made. There was a cunning gleam in his eyes, a dangerous patience that spoke volumes much volume to my suspicions.
I halted my advance, a sudden wave of caution washing over me. With a subtle signal, Lilith adjusted her position, her eyes locking onto mine for a brief moment. But before we could make our next move, Isfrid's demeanor shifted. A smirk played at the corner of his lips, and in an instant, the surrounding air grew colder, an ominous chill settling in.
Without warning, he unleashed a surge of power, a blast of freezing energy that rippled through the air, aiming not just at us but at the very fabric of the environment. Ice shards erupted from the ground, a crystalline storm swirling around us, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
He knew that he couldn't hit me with the best spells as I could just dodge everything...so if he left no room for escape... he'd at least get a hit in, whether it was a weak shot or not. But this motherfucker used a lot of mana in that attack, a reckless amount, to ensure that the hit will do some damage, and it did.
An ice shard had cleanly pierced through my side. The world seemed to slow down as I staggered backward, the biting cold of the shard sending shivers through my entire body, his ice shard...froze everything it touched and started to freeze me up from the inside, but luckily, my lightning armor stopped it in its track and I slowly healed back.
He then caused another attack, but Lilith got to me and put a barrier up to protect me. This ice...it's slowing my healing, it's not stopping me from doing it like the demon lord, but it's much much more painful, excruciating was very much an understatement.
This guy...developed his magic in a way that deals more damage to demons...I can tell, it shouldn't hurt like this, but it did...and Terrance not being able to heal a demon...it adds up.
"Hey, you okay?" Lilith asked
"A kiss might make me feel better."
"I would slap the shit out of you, but I don't have the time, where do you want the kiss?"
"I was kidding."
"I was too, I was going to pull away last second."
"By the way, do you mind if I use your body real quick? I got a plan."
"You want to use my what?"
"Your body? I need your consent...well...I now realize that I might have phrased that wrong."
Lilith POV
After the spell stopped, we separated, but let's just say that what Perseus did surprised me. He transformed into me. The look wasn't what was surprising though, because of his presence and aura...before, he could look like someone, but when it came to mimicking me, I always had this eerie feeling, but not anymore.
He ran and pulled out an identical replica of my bow and shot at Isfrid, I did the same, even though the power levels of the 2 arrows felt the same, once it hit, mine was stronger than his, but it still didn't change that...since when can he wield magic like mine? It felt exactly the same despite having the power actually calibrated to his.
Since when could he replicate my movements and wield my powers with such precision? he moved and ran exactly like me...and copied me...the death of Curly must have done something.