Varynthia
The female figure had already lowered herself into a dangerous stance, ready to attack. Nova studied her for a moment.
"Wait."
The figure straightened, watching Nova carefully as she waited for her to continue. Nova looked down at herself, then back at her opponent.
"You can't hurt me like this," she said. "So I'll make the fight fair."
She raised one hand and smiled.
"You're going to like this."
Nova straightened her body. Spiritual Energy began to glow around her, then condensed across her form. Layer after layer of physical matter developed over the energy until her entire body had become physical. Her long hair turned slick and blue, and her spiritual presence became almost impossible to sense beneath the physical form she had created. Nova looked at her opponent and smiled.
"Now you can attack."
The female figure took a small step backward:
How did she…?
Then she remembered what Nova was:
Of course. She's a spiritual being. I shouldn't be surprised.
The figure launched herself forward at incredible speed. She leaped into the air and pulled back her fist, aiming directly at Nova. Nova moved to meet her. Their fists collided in midair. The impact released a massive shockwave that tore through the surrounding area. The female figure was thrown backward and landed several metres away, while Nova remained upright. Nova stretched both hands forward. A sword formed in her grasp—a long prototype blade created from her energy. The figure looked at it.
"So there's no more fair fight?"
Nova smirked.
"You're good with your hands." She raised the sword. "I'm good with a sword."
Nova dashed forward. Her speed was so great that the space between them seemed to disappear. The figure jumped at the exact moment Nova's blade came within inches of her body. Nova did not slow down. She followed her into the air, then threw the sword upward. The female figure was already waiting for Nova to reach her. As the figure began to fall, Nova moved again with blinding speed. The figure's eyes widened. Nova passed her before she could react. But Nova was no longer holding the sword.
What was that? the figure thought.
A sharp metallic sound rang through the air.
Clang!
The female figure landed on the ground with a sword in her hand. It was long and smooth, and red demonic energy ran along its blade. Nova landed several steps away and looked at the weapon:
How did she get that?
The figure raised the sword. Nova glanced at her own empty hand, then at the red energy covering the enemy's blade.
"Since you now have something that can affect me," Nova said, "there's no reason to keep playing."
She released the physical form covering her Spiritual Energy. Nova's body shattered like glass. The physical matter broke apart and vanished, leaving her original shimmering spiritual form floating above the ground. Her prototype sword disappeared with it. The female figure watched carefully:
All I need to do is buy time.
Nova's eyes remained fixed on the red demonic blade.
That is what the demon was trying to attack me with.
She paused and studied her opponent;
I need to be careful. Kaelvyr has already taught me how to restrict myself. I need to try.
The female figure jumped again. Nova looked up at her:
Another jump? What is she thinking?
The figure came down hard, striking the ground where Nova stood. A massive hole opened beneath them. The force of the impact spread through the surrounding land, but Nova remained standing above the shattered ground without a single injury. She looked down at the figure.
"What was that for?"
The female figure rose slowly and looked up at her.
"Think well."
A strange sensation moved through Nova's form. Her expression changed. She looked down at herself and realized that something had already entered her Spiritual Energy. The figure had used the impact to contaminate her, and the contamination was spreading through her core. For the first time, Nova panicked. Her energy began increasing. Then it increased again. Nova's spiritual form flickered under the pressure as she deliberately pushed more Spiritual Energy through her core. She was not allowing the contamination to overwhelm her. She was increasing her own energy, forcing it higher and higher so it could overpower the foreign energy spreading through her. The female figure immediately leaped away from the massive hole, creating distance between herself and Nova. Nova remained suspended in the air.
Every revival makes me stronger, she thought. If I continue increasing my energy, I may be able to overpower the contamination completely.
She continued forcing more energy through her core until the pressure became almost unbearable. Then she stopped:
But if the Celestial Eyes revive me while I'm in this state, I'll become even stronger.
The female figure stared at her in confusion. Nova was not fighting against the spreading energy. She was simply watching her, smiling. The figure pressed a hand to her ear.
"I thought you said Nova would try to fight the energy from spreading."
A voice answered through the device.
"Isn't she doing that?"
"No!" the figure shouted. "She isn't fighting it at all!"
Nova's body suddenly dropped. She struck the ground, and silence spread across Varynthia. The contamination had consumed her Spiritual Energy. Her form began fading, the light around her weakening until she looked as though she might disappear completely. The world went black. The female figure pressed her hand against her ear again.
"What is she trying to do?"
"I don't understand it either," the voice replied.
Then the Celestial Eyes appeared. They filled the sky, enormous blue eyes watching over the world in complete silence. Their gaze remained fixed on Nova. For the first time, the eyes moved. They looked down at her. Then they returned to their original position. The female figure stumbled backward.
"Did you see that?" she asked through the device.
"We all saw it," the voice replied.
The figure continued staring at the eyes.
Are those things alive?
The Celestial Eyes had never moved before. A blinding blue light suddenly spread across Varynthia. The energy became so bright that the female figure had to turn away. When she looked back, Nova was floating high above the ground. She appeared untouched. But something about her had changed. The figure stared at her.
"Wait… she's different from before."
The Celestial Eyes slowly closed. The blue radiance faded, and Varynthia returned to normal. Nova looked down at the female figure.
"What did you do to Kaelvyr?"
The figure froze.
*How does she know?*
Without answering, she turned and ran toward Astravon Empire. She moved with incredible speed, desperate to warn the others. The moment she leaped forward—
Bang!
Nova had already moved. She was faster than before—far faster. The female figure did not even have time to react. Nova passed directly through her body. A violent burst of energy tore through the figure, and her body exploded behind Nova. Nova did not stop. She continued toward Astravon Empire.
Crimson Citadel
Everyone in the Crimson Citadel had already received news of the battle. The atmosphere inside the living room had become heavy. Xyne and the others remained seated while the Matriarch and Ryvex stood before them.
"We have to go and return your brother's blade to him," the Matriarch said.
Ryvex stared at her in disbelief.
"How can he do this?" he demanded. "He knows this isn't possible. He's fighting an Origin!"
He paused, fear tightening his expression.
"Nova would have been there too. What is happening?"
The Matriarch looked at him calmly.
"Do not be afraid. If anything happens, go to the King's Domain. Do everything you can to open a portal and leave this world."
Rin watched them from nearby. She was still too young to understand what was happening, but she could feel that something was terribly wrong. Xyne rose to her feet.
"I'm certain my father is involved in this somehow."
The Matriarch suddenly stiffened. Something inside her had changed. Cracks spread across her form. Her presence weakened, and part of her body began to break apart into energy. She fell. Ryvex and the others immediately stood and surrounded her.
"What's wrong?" Ryvex asked.
The Matriarch looked at him.
"My energy is almost gone," she said. "I won't be here much longer."
Rin did not understand the words, but she understood the fear in everyone's energy. Tears gathered in her eyes as she reached for her mother's face.
"Mo—"
Her voice broke.
"Mom…"
Ryvex's expression tightened.
"What if we give you some of our energy?"
"No!" the Matriarch said immediately. "Do not. It will not change anything."
Her eyes hardened.
"That King… he is so foolish."
"What do you mean?" Ryvex asked.
"If Nova were not in a battle, or if Orynx were not already at war, she could have helped me." The Matriarch's voice weakened. "I need Spiritual Energy, not Demonic Energy."
Ryvex looked toward Xyne. Xyne nodded.
"She's right. Our bodies convert Spiritual Energy into Demonic Energy. If we give her our energy directly, it won't pass through that conversion. Her body will become unstable."
"And she could explode," Ryvex finished quietly.
The Matriarch smiled faintly.
"Looks like you know a lot about our kind."
Half of her body had already disappeared. No one could stop it. No one could give her what she needed. They could only watch as the Matriarch's existence continued to fade. The door opened. Everyone turned. Elara stepped inside. She walked straight toward her mother, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out. Tears rolled down her face as she stared at the Matriarch's fading form. Elara gripped her sword tightly.
"Let's all meet at the King's Domain," she said at last. "We don't know what may happen next."
Ryvex stared at her.
"You saw our mother dying, and that's all you have to say?" he shouted.
Elara turned toward him.
"I have nothing else to say." Her voice trembled. "I've lost enough."
The Matriarch looked at her children.
"You still have your brother and Rin." Her voice softened. "Go to Zarek. Help him."
Elara's grip tightened around her sword. Flames burst across her body. Her form began to burn with demonic energy, and fiery tears slipped down her face. For a moment, the flames rose violently around her. Then they calmed. Elara turned and ran back to her mother. She fell beside her and wrapped her arms around the last remaining part of the Matriarch's body. The Matriarch held on for one final moment. Then her remaining form dissolved. Rin cried against her. Elara's fiery tears continued to fall. Ryvex could not speak. The others stood in silence, forced to watch the Matriarch disappear.
Astravon Empire
Kaelvyr was down. The battle had exhausted everyone. Eris, Zarek, and Krios stood together, staring at Kaelvyr's body on the ground. Zarek reached into his energy and brought out an orb. Kaelvyr's eyes opened, and he looked up at the object in Zarek's hand.
"What's that?" Kaelvyr asked.
"That is the Abyssal Devourer," Eris explained. "It was created to drain the energy from any being it is directed toward. It functions like a void, pulling the target's energy into itself. Because it does not release energy outward, your Holy Edict cannot cancel it."
Eris lowered herself before Kaelvyr.
"I will forever choose you as my master," she said.
Zarek stepped forward and raised the orb toward Kaelvyr.
"To activate it, you have to point it directly at the person whose energy you want to drain and say the word—"
"Devourer."
The orb opened.
The Abyssal Devourer immediately began pulling the Holy Energy from Kaelvyr's body. He felt himself weakening as his energy drained away until almost nothing remained. His eyes closed. Then he heard his name.
"Kael!"
His eyes snapped open. Astra was running toward him. Kaelvyr tried to move, but his body would not respond.
"Stop!" he shouted—or at least, he believed he had shouted.
No sound came from him. He had lost his voice. Astra stopped immediately. The ground began to vibrate beneath her feet. Eris suddenly looked upward.
"Wait…"
Her expression changed.
"This presence…"
Everyone looked toward the sky. A blue streak of light tore across the distance at impossible speed. Then—
BOOM!
It struck the battlefield.
To be continued…