★278
THIRD POV
Shortly before Kenos moved on Belenos, Algol rose from the Abyss and crossed the distance to the Divine Land in a single motion. He landed behind Acamar, who sat quietly in the grass, unmoved by his arrival.
"It's time."
Algol's voice carried no urgency, only certainty.
Acamar did not respond. He remained seated, his gaze forward, offering not even the slightest acknowledgement of the presence behind him.
"Time for?"
He asked without turning around, his tone calm but edged with irritation.
Annoyed, Algol released his nothingness across the Sacred Land, certain that Acamar would be forced to act. Yet Acamar didn't so much as flinch, still seated, utterly absorbed in whatever occupied him.
Algol stepped closer, his presence warping the air, only to halt in disbelief.
Before him, the Supreme Star was quietly building a sandcastle, each grain arranged with divine precision. Algol's face twitched, disbelief flickering through his composure. This was not the behaviour he expected from one such as Acamar.
"What are you, a child?"
Algol asked, his tone sharp and incredulous.
"Every man has a hidden self."
Acamar replied evenly, his hands never stopping their delicate work.
"It means there's always a part of him that remains a child."
"But we are not men."
Algol countered coldly.
"We are Stars, Wills of the Supreme Star God."
"Exactly."
Acamar said, lifting his gaze at last.
"So tell me, why do you rebel against your own kind? What are you, Algol... a human?"
He fired back.
"So you knew?"
"All along."
Acamar murmured, turning away and focusing once more on the delicate towers of his sandcastle.
"Then you know why I'm here."
Algol said, his voice devoid of warmth. Without hesitation, he brought his left foot down, crushing the sandcastle into dust beneath him. Erasing Acamar's quiet creation in a single motion.
Acamar froze, frustrated that he's been pulled into this. He sighed and shook his head.
"Fine, I'll give you what you want."
With a sharp snap, Algol vanished, teleported away to clear space for the newcomer. But before the caster could even take a full step forward, the air shattered with a sonic boom. Algol reappeared at blinding speed, fury blazing in his eyes, his fist clenched and poised to drive straight into Acamar with enough force to shake the sacred land itself.
"You know, you're the first to create the sense of fear in me."
Acamar said, easily dodging his punches without even looking. He created a dimension and immediately swapped it with the Garden.
"It's strange for nothing to be something. You don't possess any trace of mana, just nothingness yet you still exist."
ACAMAR POV
"Are you just going to keep dodging?"
Algol asked, but I paid no attention to him and continued evading.
"You know why the void is non-existent and yet still exists?"
I asked as if I knew the answer.
"Beats me, Lord Philosopher."
"And do you know why that nothingness, emptiness, can be modified in reality as part of existence that it's used to form void arts, skills, weaponry and the like?"
I asked again. A chaotic black scythe appeared and I raised my arm tainted with my energy grabbing the scythe with my palm.
"This is unfair, we may be billions in numbers but you three can scorch the life out of this Pond in a day without my existence, you know why?"
I asked again.
"We're chosen, yes."
I let go of the scythe, spacing out.
"Wrong. Because no Art will exist here that can best you voilings. Every Art here needs mana to be active, your existence is null. In short, one can manipulate all the Concepts, probability, fate, you name them but will be unable to scathe you.
But that's for the Dark stars of this Class. As time goes on, we'll both get weaker and we'll see which Art shall reign supreme."
I wasn't talking about us in particular but the Stars and Dark Stars.
"Give up all if you want, I must beat you up!"
He roared charging at me with a fist which I dodged, my fist connecting with his head sending him away.
"If you have the answers to my question, then you'll know who your real prey is."
Enraged, his energy surged and I could feel the dimension crumbling from within. He flew up closed his fist grazing my cheek, my flesh corroding.
"It won't harm to exchange blows."
I noted, staining my fist with my energy and charged. We crashed and I could feel his strength increasing with each punch.
'How was he able to release a blast of energy when he's non-existent? His raw strength is outstanding and I'll admit at this point, even without God's Wrath, his physical strength is greater than mine.'
Acamar was superior to all Stars but he'll admit the fact and work harder to maintain his status. In terms of speed, Acamar was overwhelmingly superior even without the All Space Movement or his nigh-omnipresence status.
Algol kept releasing his devastating blows each packed with void capable of destroying the Drop itself but his opponent seemed unharmed which left him shocked.
"Is your durability also greater than mine?"
He asked curiously. I'd say yes, he'll need to seek new heights. If not, he'll still push further so I won't catch up to him.
"It's a fact, even Belenos with Divine Grace cannot withstand this."
"Answer me."
"I can't say for sure. I'm only moving because my body is healing faster than the rate I'm taking damage."
This unexpected answer left Algol more stunned.
'Regeneration beyond void's erasure?'
"Then I'll have to destroy you faster than you can heal."
He released another blast of energy, the previous dimension long gone and the new one I deployed has crumbled to destruction already.
"I'll give you a taste of true void."
"You've lost."
I calmly stated.
"What? You think you've won?"
He didn't answer, but I simply dismissed his energy and waited.
"Come."
I challenged and Algol dashed towards me, his body radiating intensely void. As he was onto me, I tapped into the forbidden particles and my fist connected with Algol's. Unlike Kenos, Algol has few threads of existence left.
Upon contact, his fist, flesh, bones, and arms were completely destroyed, the damage extending all the way to his shoulder.
'Heh.'
Dumbfounded, I took the lead. Each strike I delivered tore through his non-existent existence, nullifying the very fabric of his being. By the third punch, it was over. His form shattered, collapsing in on itself as his body crumbled into nothingness.
"Like I said,"
I paused, and golden light began coalescing at the top of my fingers.
"..if you knew the answer to my questions, you'll know who your real prey is."
I finished off, releasing golden light destroying his Ontologions.
I teleported back to the Garden, descending through Drops of light until I reached the source I had been tracking, the second strongest.
(He's already there. He just wanted to waste time and make it real.)
A pillar of golden radiance tore through Azyrion, annihilating the Drops and erasing every shadow in its wake. When I arrived, the scene was silent and drenched in divine light. Kenos stood at its centre, his hand wrapped firmly around the young Star, Azrion.
"You're late, Lord First. But unfortunately, the game has ended."
He said. I needn't move because I'm everywhere, the Sword of Light hovering next to me is ready to demolish Kenos while I snatch back the young Star.
But he flashed me and the arc of lights ended up destroying a shadow. All the coordinates of the Pond within my grasp were analysed but he was nowhere to be found.
Without sparing a glance at the fallen Azyrion, I invoked my inherited speed and shifted instantly, arriving in Solaria as though I had always been there.
The world was drowned in jet-black flames, its skies burning without sound. Not a single thread of mana lingered in the air... and yet, amid the stillness, I detected it, a familiar signature, frozen in suspension.
I was already in the scene and Belenos was frozen while appearing to be chained by a non-physical chain. Just like Azyrion, the main Domain was destroyed but I can sense a few Stars alive those that the destruction hasn't reached.
While in Etherium, I bind my energy with the Yuánlì, nullifying the death chains and the control of fate linked to the caster was successfully detected and destroyed.
"Mors."
I murmured and Belenos's energy quickly nullified the ice, freeing himself.
"Th...those bastards."
"The danger is gone, get some rest."
I said before walking into the atmosphere of Elvyra. Same scenario, different cause.
The world was lit with red light coming from the Crimson Moon. My body absorbed the rays and with my energy and Yuánlìmixed, I was able to trace the mana of the caster.
"Phoenix."
I murmured looking at the moon. I didn't have time to analyse it but destroying it will cast a spell I don't want to deal with right now. With my hybrid-made energy doing the work, I stepped into the Palace and a thick paralysing and intimidating energy was released.
I didn't need to check who it was so we spoke from a distance.
"Take your time and calm down, I'm not ready to deal with your rage."
I took a step back, and left, the Goddess of Life's chaotic surging. I left to the utmost Drops of the Pond, knowing where they'll attack next.
'It'll take time before I can crack this. But still, I have to try.'
I noted, closing my eyes as I began to analyse the barrier between the Pond & Kalidor.
To be continued...