Astral looked around the pure white blank canvas as he thought this was his pocket dimension, he thought up of his cup of tea as nothing appeared. Looking up he saw a lanky fellow in gold and silver armor with a black circular helmet covering his face as his cape blew behind him in an non existent wind. "Who are you?" Astral slid his back foot into position as he focused on the target.
"I am the god's weapon! The apprentice of the Seventeen, the one who would have won the battle tournament if I was allowed to partake in the fun festivities." he spoke as if he was the one to be honored. "What you are feeling is a sense of elation for being in someone in such high praise!"
"You are as ridiculous as your outfit looks." Astral clenched his hands as he realized he still never put his armor back on from the battle with Jaimie. Taking a sharp breath he tried to use the pocket dimension as it failed.
"Aww, is someone trying to grab something? Too bad your access to it is cut off due to my powers." He started laughing as he looked back at the figure with his coat. "Oh, I'm sorry mine is bigger and better."
Astral stayed silent, why was he here and what was the goal? To kill him? Why did he not do more to stop him? Astral flicked his wrist as a magic circle appeared around the pocket dimension, all across the ground the pattern overlaid as his light slice did nothing.
"OH, that's right. Shall I entertain you with my powers?" Zero clapped as the magic circle glowed brighter and turned into a red. "My magic circle takes away other's capabilities and magical abilities." Astral blitzed him and punched Zero in the abdomen as he slid backward. "And other than canceling your abilities. I have full access to the universal powers gifted by the gods."
Astral was far from amused. The pressure the kid exerted was that of a novice who had the training wheels taken off for the first time. "You won't have the creativity to keep up with me. Nor the skill, or experience."
"No, but once I kill you, I can use my powers to add yours to mine, then who will save that pretty wife of yours, oh she is gorgeous, an absolute catch." Astral turned as pale as a ghost, and he hadn't shed a drop of blood yet. Smiling Zero kept the pressure on. "Oh, and I hope you know, I will make your death painful, unlike yours where time stops if you are in it." Astral growled as he was pissed. "Mine slows down time sixty to one, so an hour in here is equal to a minute in there."
"I can hack off a piece of your body here and there and drop it one by one at my leisure and enjoy this process very much so." Zero cackled as he looked over to Astral who loosened up as much as possible. "You don't think you and your army can win can you?"
Astral stayed quiet as Zero stood there trying to get any reactions out of Astral. "Nothing can get you to budge, I hardly believe it. Something has to stir you." Zero tried to poke and prod Astral as he blitzed Zero down again, with a flurry of moves he was able to send Zero sliding back one more time as Zero laughed.
"Now that you are reduced to being a human, how are you supposed to win, you can't give up and make it easy on both of us. Just die nice and easy and let me clean up the mess you call an army." Zero mocked him as Astral was pissed. All the experience, all the patience he has put into building his empire to explore the galaxy and learn more about the universe cannot crumble like this!
"Less talking, more punching." Astral let his fists fly as Zero kept backing away from the constant pursuit of Astral. Astral had a sense of deja vu, like he was Titan when they faced each other. Each blow was avoided by Zero who wanted to keep playing with his food.
"Oh, but playing with you and parlaying each attack with the odds to hit me is so fun. You want me to try and kill you quickly?" Zero laughed at this weak threat from Astral. He was not as he knew he could break through, he would just need to focus on one small part at a time.
Astral's aggression was still soaring as each punch was thrown faster, each step and sidestep delivered quicker and quicker. Astral relied so much on his power, that Zero overlooked the original without all of the fancy gadgets. "Ah, but I wouldn't worry about you killing me. Hard to chew through the blessing of the gods."
"So you are blessed by the gods?" Astral reconfirmed as he knew his trick was up his sleeve and made sure to focus on eating away at a single hole and weakness inside of the pocket dimension.
"Wow, you are a slow listener as well as a slow learner." Zero leaned on a pillar of marble he summoned as Astral smashed it with one punch. The electric shock coursing through his body, slowing him for a second as it got absorbed by the gem on his chest. Zero sent a counter kick that Astral absorbed as he rolled through the air, descending slowly and softly to the ground using his glider wings. They vanished as Zero watched them.
"Ooh, I want those. Hand them over and I may spare your life for a touch longer than the few hours I have planned." Zero extended his arms as Astral had a soft chuckle. "What, you don't think I'm serious about killing you?"
"No, you just won't do it as fast as you planned, if I do die, then several different dominos will all fall at once. However, because it's not here. I feel in no danger of death." Zero got mad at Astral's words as he rushed at him and started launching his own barrage of attacks at the warrior.
Astral used his superior skill and experience as each blow was blocked and redirected. He had full confidence in his abilities as Zero got nowhere on breaking through his defense. Zero went too aggressive and stretched out too far as Astral capitalized and landed a strong punch into his back then into his ribs.
Zero stumbled back, confused on how even an ordinary human could keep up with him. "You are just a human, how are you doing this to me?" Zero closed the gap in anger as he tried to bludgeon Astral while enchanting his fists with lightning like Titan did. Astral dodged all of them and sent Zero rolling with a kick to his side as he scoffs.
Mumbling about Zero brushes himself off. "Fucking virgin loser ass bitch punk mother fucker." Zero became infuriated as he busted out his sword in his left hand. "Meet Godslayer, the only weapons that can kill gods are given out by them. Now I will use it to kill you."
"Ha, I have one of those too." Astral rested his hand on his katana as he didn't need to bring it out yet. Zero charged at him and vanished into thin air. Slashing the sword down to Astral's back he thought he had the blow to weaken Astral.
Astral instead ducked below the blade and punched Zero in the mask in the blink of an eye. As the grip on his sword loosened Astral focused all of his willpower into one motion as he took the sword away as it fell into his pocket dimension.
Zero was furious as he charged a kinetic blast directly into Astral's chest. "Hope your trick was worth it!" Launching the blast point blank it sent Astral flying into the distance as Zero bounced Astral between himself and the ground. Each punch connected until Zero felt a gash on his thigh. Looking down he had a slice through the armor as it healed. Astral stood up a little bit battered and bruised holding Murasama in his right hand. Grabbing it with his second he smiled for the first time in this fight.