The void quaked violently.
Time pulsed unevenly as Arkham's proxies—though staggered and cracked—began to react to the relentless assault. Their crystalline shells shimmered with unstable godhead energy. Fragments of collapsed worlds spun wildly around them.
Stojian moved like a storm.
Shadows twisted like serpents around his body. Each strike, each lash of void energy, further destabilized the proxies.
Yet the Vessel's will persisted.
Arkham's influence still flowed through them, repairing microfractures almost as quickly as they were inflicted.
"We have to break them all at once," Stojian muttered, his voice low but intense. "If even one core survives, he can rebuild."
Evershift warped fragments of broken reality, turning jagged shards into platforms and barriers. Adam's void blade cut through fractured crystal with precision. Gi Hun manipulated gravity to hurl shards into perfect collisions. Chronicle Lord's probability threads wove attacks into patterns that were nearly impossible to evade.
The first massive proxy—the size of an entire galaxy—staggered violently.
Its core pulsed erratically, energy flickering in chaotic bursts.
Stojian surged forward.
Shadows coiled tightly around it. Twin blades struck simultaneously—one piercing the core directly, the other lashing across its outer structure.
The proxy trembled and cracked. Shards scattered through the void.
But Arkham's influence was relentless.
Secondary shards began to reassemble around the first proxy, fusing broken fragments into jagged formations that defied comprehension. Energy pulsed outward, warping nearby fragments of reality, threatening to consume the allies' platforms.
"Watch your positioning!" Stojian shouted. "We can't let him adapt!"
Evershift shifted reality instantly, bending shards to absorb energy pulses. Adam and Gi Hun attacked remaining cores in perfect synchronization. Chronicle Lord's threads subtly nudged reassembling shards into destructive collisions, amplifying the damage.
Yet even as cracks widened, the Vessel's presence was suffocating.
Time stuttered under Arkham's will. Gravity twisted unnaturally. The void itself seemed to resist Stojian's power.
Shadows coiled violently. Void energy flared as Stojian pressed forward.
"We can't falter now," he whispered. "Every shard we destabilize brings him closer to collapse. We push forward… no matter the cost."
A secondary wave of proxies surged to intercept.
Massive shards formed impossible formations mid-air.
Stojian lashed out with void energy, coiling shadows to pin multiple avatars at once. His blades pierced exposed cores, energy erupting outward in blinding bursts.
Adam and Gi Hun struck simultaneously, tearing through shards with devastating precision. Evershift manipulated reality to redirect incoming shards into collapsing formations. Chronicle Lord guided attacks with uncanny foresight, ensuring maximum efficiency with minimal exposure.
Cracks spread across the proxies like molten veins.
Cores flickered violently, energy unstable, threatening catastrophic explosions.
The Vessel staggered.
For the first time—
Its control faltered.
Arkham's proxies were beginning to collapse in ways even he had not anticipated.
Stojian's green eye flared brighter. Void shadows lashed outward in waves.
"We're close… hold the momentum! Keep targeting the cores!"
The multiverse responded to their onslaught.
Floating fragments trembled. Shards collided and shattered. Arkham's proxies faltered under the combined assault.
Yet despite the growing instability—
Arkham himself remained untouched.
His consciousness tethered to the void. His power immense. His intent unbroken.
Stojian's voice was steady, unyielding.
"This is it. Every core we hit… every crack we widen… it weakens him. We cannot stop."
Around him, the allies pressed on.
Shadows, void energy, gravitational forces, probability threads, and reality warping struck in perfect synchronization.
Arkham's proxies were fracturing faster than ever. Cores flickered. Energy unstable and exposed.
And yet—
A chilling awareness lingered.
The Vessel of the Void was still alive.
Still a threat.
Still watching.
Stojian knew the battle was far from over.
The cracks were spreading.
The cores were destabilizing.
The multiverse itself trembled under the weight of their relentless strike.
Victory was within reach—
But the true test of endurance, strategy, and power had only just begun.