Urah slowly rose from the ground.
Dust drifted from his shoulders as he stared across the devastated battlefield at Kaelen. The cuts left by Axiomfall had already disappeared, but the ancient circuit user no longer carried the careless confidence he had shown earlier.
I cannot allow myself to underestimate this mortal for a second.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"If I don't take him seriously, I will be the one to face irreversible damage."
Urah planted his foot firmly against the ground and closed his fist.
"Void Authority."
The space around his hand distorted.
"Space Collapse."
Kaelen's Eye of Time immediately warned him.
A disturbance appeared within the flow of time itself.
Kaelen jumped backward.
The instant he left his position, the space where he had been standing collapsed inward with tremendous force. The earth disappeared beneath the crushing distortion, leaving behind a deep depression.
Kaelen landed several meters away.
"Chrono Gravity Crush."
Gravity descended.
Urah's body suddenly became incredibly heavy while his personal flow of time slowed dramatically. He attempted to move. Every motion became sluggish.
Kaelen accelerated toward him.
"Axiomfall, Second Seal Open."
Blue light erupted from the sword.
Kaelen dragged one finger across the blade.
"Black Hole Dragon Breath, Fourth Form."
Axiomfall changed. Its blade became a mixture of blue and black energy, carrying an ominous gravitational force that seemed to distort the surrounding space.
Kaelen reached Urah. The gravitational field suddenly vanished.
Kaelen swung diagonally.
"Slash."
Urah disappeared before the blade could reach him.
He reappeared several meters away. Blood ran down his chest. Urah looked at the wound. Then he stared at the blood covering his fingers.
His expression changed.
"A user with two circuits and draconic abilities…"
His voice became quieter.
"This is unheard of. Even in the First Circuit Being Era."
The sight of his own blood triggered something buried deep within him.
A memory surfaced, in a distant time. A man standing over the remains of Urah's family. A younger Urah holding a knife. Blood covering his body.
Then Urah snapped back to reality. His expression had completely changed.
"How dare you injure me…"
The golden halo behind his head changed. A second star appeared.
Urah vanished.
Kaelen's eyes widened.
"His speed increased?"
He had not even seen Urah move through the Eye of Time.
A fist suddenly struck Kaelen in the side. The impact pushed him backward, but Kaelen endured it.
He immediately swung Axiomfall.
"Extreme Time Slash."
Multiple slashes manifested throughout the space surrounding Urah.
Urah avoided every one.
Kaelen advanced.
"Eternal Time Slash!"
Urah raised both hands. He grabbed the surrounding space itself.
With his fingers, he pulled it apart. The incoming slash entered another spatial layer and disappeared.
Kaelen narrowed his eyes.
"Since long-range won't work, let's try something different."
"Warp Step."
Kaelen vanished. He appeared directly behind Urah with his right hand already moving toward his face.
Urah turned.
"Nothingness."
Kaelen's hand passed through Urah's face. The portion of Kaelen's hand that entered the void was severed.
Yet Kaelen didn't panic.
"Time Reversal."
Time reversed. His body returned to the moment before the attack connected. Urah immediately responded.
"Void Domain."
The world disappeared. Kaelen was swallowed into an endless void.
There was no ground. No sky. No direction. Only absolute nothingness. Kaelen began falling through it.
"Tch."
His eyes narrowed.
"I've never tried this before… but let's see how it goes."
Kaelen closed his blue slit eyes.
"Primordial Dragon Dominion."
A tremendous force erupted from his body.
The void trembled. Kaelen's domain expanded outward and collided with Urah's Void Domain. Two realities emerged. On one side was a frozen world.
A gigantic tree stood within it, reaching toward the heavens, while the overwhelming presence of the Origin Dragon dominated the landscape.
On the other side was absolute nothingness. No light, matter,space, existence. Only the Void.
Kaelen emerged within his ultimate form.
His hair had grown tall and white. His blue eyes remained narrow and dragon-like. Two enormous white wings extended from his back, while two curved horns rose from his head. His white tail swept behind him, ending in a red tip.
His body radiated cosmic dragon energy.
Infinite Dragon Vitality. Absolute control over gravity within his perception. Near-complete mastery of time. Space instinctively bending around his existence. He had become the complete manifestation of his Primordial Dragon Dominion.
Across from him stood Urah. His physical form was gone..he was transparent, Conceptual..He wasn't merely inside the Void. He was the Void. The two stared at each other. Neither moved.
Then Kaelen spoke.
"Time Skip."
Reality jumped. Both warriors suddenly appeared in the air.
Their fists collided. The impact nearly shattered the entire dimension. Cracks spread through the space around them. Urah threw another punch.
Kaelen responded.
"Reverse."
The attack should never have occurred Yet somehow Kaelen was still struck in the face. He spun with the impact and immediately kicked Urah in the side and urah was pushed away.
Kaelen followed. Their fists collided again, again and again.
Every collision shook the domain. Their final punches struck each other simultaneously. Both were thrown backward.
Kaelen smiled.
"Gravity's Touch."
He extended his right hand and pulled it backward.
Urah's conceptual form was dragged toward him. Kaelen stopped in midair. Then he accelerated.
His personal time sped up. He crossed the distance instantly and appeared before Urah. His fist moved forward.
Urah had anticipated it.
"Absence."
Kaelen's punch passed through him.
Urah's foot struck Kaelen's face. Kaelen flew backward.
Both warriors stopped. They breathed heavily. Kaelen's body was beginning to feel the strain of controlling a power he had only just awakened.
Urah's expression was equally serious.
"His abilities are incredibly annoying."
Neither had much time left. Kaelen inhaled deeply.
His eyes narrowed.
"Eternal Singularity."
A black hole appeared but this was no ordinary singularity. It devoured matter, It consumed energy, It absorbed time,Memories,Mana..Even concepts connected to its targets. The singularity expanded. Both domains began breaking apart. The frozen world was pulled inward.
The Void itself began disappearing.
Urah's conceptual existence started being dragged toward the singularity. He barely escaped. For one terrifying moment, even the concept of the Void itself nearly disappeared.
Then the singularity collapsed. A tremendous explosion erupted.
The two domains vanished. A massive hole was left across the landscape. Kaelen and Urah returned to the outside world. Both stood several meters apart, breathing heavily.
Urah looked toward Kaelen.
"I never thought I'd have to use this… but you are worthy."
Kaelen's expression changed.
"Huh?"
Something had changed inside Urah.
Kaelen could feel it. A power buried beneath everything Urah had shown until now. A familiar sensation passed through Kaelen's mind.
The dream, Time itself….The feeling that something had threatened it.
Kaelen's eyes widened. So that's what it was. The presence inside Urah was the reason time had felt threatened.
Urah raised his head.
"Gods Will."
The world became silent.
Urah's conceptual body began rebuilding itself. His form returned,His hair grew tall,His eyes became brilliant white.
The halo behind him changed again. Four stars now surrounded it his presence exploded across the battlefield.
Kaelen stared at him.
"Seriously?"
He could feel the difference immediately, his aura is no joke.
Kaelen tightened his grip around Axiomfall.
"I have to put my life on the line now…Even if I have to use all my powers."
He lowered himself into a stance. His wings spread behind him.
"Either my body collapses in the end after my victory… or I die."
A smile slowly appeared across Kaelen's face.
"…It's no different, for the results are the same."