The chaos around Ash was deafening, but it did nothing to quiet the storm raging inside him. His eyes scanned the battlefield, locking onto the familiar figures of his sisters, surrounded by devils, fighting fiercely. Seeing them in this state—fighting for their lives—was more than Ash could bear. It had been a little over a year since he had last seen their faces, and the reunion was not one he had imagined. No warm embrace or cheerful reunion; instead, a battlefield teeming with the overwhelming presence of devils, their numbers endless.
They had been fighting for half an hour, their reinforcements now scattered across the field, but it wasn't enough. The devils kept teleporting in, an endless tide that didn't seem to diminish no matter how many fell. It was a battle of attrition, and the tide was not in their favor.
Ash gritted his teeth and felt a surge of resolve. He couldn't just stand by and watch.
"Ary… Selvira… Nyssari!!!"
The three princesses heard their names—a voice they could never forget—cut through the clamor of the battle. For a brief moment, everything seemed to pause. Time itself stretched, as if the world was holding its breath. And there, ascending through the chaos, was their little brother, sword in hand, flying toward them with unwavering resolve.
The sight was surreal.
"Flying?"
"Little brother?"
Ary's heart skipped a beat, but the moment was short-lived. Her voice cracked with urgency as she shouted, "NO! GO BACK! FIND FATHER AND MOTHER!"
But Ash didn't hesitate. His eyes locked onto his sisters for just a heartbeat before turning away. His grip tightened around his sword.
'What are the chances of me surviving against Domain Forging Cultivators?' Ash's question echoed in his mind.
[Uhhh, at your current prowess, if you don't allow them to use their domains, you would have about a 70% chance of winning. However, once their domains are active, you're doomed.]
"Fuck it," Ash muttered, the decision made. He didn't have time for doubts. His eyes flashed with the activation of his Eyes of Infinity, an instinctive reaction. He looked ahead to where the first devil stood, its form emerging from the haze of battle.
[Dusk]
Age: 2,500 years old
Race: Devil
Cultivation: Spiritual Foundation
Innate Ability: Void Eclipse
Soul Trait: None
CLANG!
The devil, Dusk, met Ash head-on. The collision of their weapons sent ripples of force through the air, but Ash barely flinched. His eyes flickered, perceiving the world around him in a way that no ordinary fighter could. Weak points, strong points, the future moves of his opponent—it all unfolded before him like an open book. He could see just a few moments ahead, but that was enough.
With a swift shift of his feet, Ash sliced his blade across the glowing red point at Dusk's waist.
SHK!!
The cut was precise, leaving a trail of crimson in its wake. Ash quickly created some distance between them, as he pulled back, dusk was attacked again—it was an echo of his previous strike. The air around him vibrated, and this time the attack hit with twice the force.
Dusk's body jerked in agony as the cut deepened, and his blood sprayed against the skies of Neyru, staining the air with a sickly hue.
This echo was the evolution of his Recursion ability, an extension of his training. What had once been a single strike now had the potential to multiply his power, and with each use, the force grew stronger.
The three princesses watched in stunned silence, their gazes flickering to Ash in surprise. Their little brother, the one they thought of as still inexperienced, was holding his ground—no, more than that, he was thriving.
But there was no time for reflection. The battle raged on around them, and they each turned back to their own enemies. The moment of surprise passed quickly as their focus returned to the devils they faced.
Ash could feel the rush of battle surging through him. His blood boiled as he reveled in the atmosphere of a real life-and-death fight for the first time. This was no training ground; this was war.
"Dusk, was it?" Ash muttered to himself, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You'll be my first... don't disappoint me now, alright?"
Dusk's red eyes narrowed, the devil snarling in response. But before he could speak, Ash blitzed forward.
WHOOSH!