The Empty Hand's laughter echoed in the void, a chilling reminder of the entity's power. "You may have escaped this time, little god," the Empty Hand intoned, "but know this: I will find you again. You cannot hide from the Great Darkness."
As the singularity absorbed an innumerable number of void entities, it began to destabilize, growing more volatile by the second. The black hole, once a concentrated point of gravitational force, started to swell and pulse erratically. With a deafening roar, it detonated in a cataclysmic explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the void. The blast released an unimaginable amount of energy, a blinding light that seemed to tear through the fabric of space itself.
"KRAKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM"
The shockwave hit the Empty Hand, forcing him to shield his eyes and brace against the onslaught. The sheer force of the explosion caused the primordial darkness to recoil momentarily, creating a temporary expanse of clear space within the void. The light from the explosion, imbued with Toneri's chakra, carried destructive properties that seared through the darkness, leaving behind a vast, empty expanse where the billions of void monsters had once occupied.
Empty Hand groaned, his malevolent amusement replaced with a grim realization of Toneri's power. "Such raw power...," he muttered to himself. He quickly exerted his will, containing the remnants of the explosion, drawing the dispersed energy back into a manageable form. The darkness resumed its previous form, but the brief disruption left a lasting impression on him.
The Empty Hand's thoughts swirled as he processed the encounter. "This godling... He wields power that rivals some of the more powerful gods in the multiverse. His control over space and time, the ability to erase existence now that is a unique ability, his ability to also summon and manipulate singularities with such ease... It's unlike anything I've encountered… Except for the higher entities themselves of course."
He reflected on Toneri's battle strategy, noting the absence of true desperation. "He was holding back," Empty Hand realized, a shiver of unease and excitement creeping into his mind as he remembered the look in the gods eyes, his strange eyes that churned with power. "Even in the face of overwhelming odds, he didn't unleash his full potential. What manner of god is he and where exactly did he come from, I cannot sense his origin and his presence is all but now to the multitude? His powers could rival those of the New Gods or even some of the Earth's mightiest gods."
Empty Hand's gaze lingered on the spot where Toneri had vanished. "I could sense the lack of pressure on him, the calmness with which he fought. He was testing his limits, probing the nature of this realm to see how he'd fair. And he succeeded in escaping, despite my efforts to completely overwhelm him."
The realization that Toneri had escaped his grasp gnawed and upset at him greatly, but then again he didn't really put in his best efforts either did he?. "He cannot hide forever. I will find him again, and next time, I will not underestimate his power." As the darkness closed in once more, Empty Hand's malevolent presence solidified. "This young god... he will either submit to the Great Darkness, or he will be destroyed."
With that final thought, the Empty Hand resumed his place on the dark throne, his mind already plotting the next encounter. The void around him pulsed with a renewed sense of purpose, the hunt for the elusive godling now a priority in the endless expanse of the primordial darkness.
Toneri stepped through the portal, his emerald form appearing on the moon's surface, leaving the void behind. As the gateway closed, he faced the familiar world, his heart pounding with adrenaline from the encounter. 'I need to prepare,' he thought. He considered how dangerous it was to cross dimensions carelessly and the potential presence of other entities occupying the void. He doubted the Empty Hand was the only one there.
Reflecting on the battle, Toneri realized he was close to resorting to using his second form to barrel through time and space if the portal had failed to open. As his chakra mode faded away, his urgency remained. "This isn't over," he vowed, a sense of urgency burning in his eyes.
Toneri made his way back to his hidden base, deep within the lunar surface. The winding corridors of his sanctuary offered a peaceful silence unlike the deadly emptiness and chaotic void he had just escaped. His mind raced with thoughts of the battle and the cryptic words of the Empty Hand. "The Great Darkness," he muttered, pondering its meaning. "It sounded as if it were an entity, not just a concept. If so, what is its purpose? Why does it dwell in the void between realities, and what does it want with me?"
He entered his laboratory, a vast chamber filled with intricate seals. The room was dominated by a large, crystalline structure suspended in the center, connected by streams of chakra to a green chakra orb floating nearby. This was the weapon he and Hamura had been tirelessly working on—a weapon bound to his soul and chakra, designed to amplify his powers and adapt to any threat.
Toneri approached the crystalline weapon, his thoughts shifting from the battle to its creation. 'It's looks close to completion,' he thought, examining the carefully patterns of energy flowing through the crystal. "Ninety percent complete. It's almost ready."
He placed his hand on the weapon, feeling the familiar pulse of his chakra resonating with the crystal. The weapon was designed to be an extension of himself, capable of harnessing and enhancing his abilities in ways he had yet to fully understand. "I should have summoned and tested it against those creatures," he mused, reflecting on the encounter with the monstrous entities in the void. "Especially with its unique attributes."
The weapon pulsed with energy, the bladed part shifting from crystal to metal at intervals. The metal was curved and arc-like. It was not just a tool of destruction; it was a conduit for his chakra, capable of channeling his energy into devastating attacks and impenetrable defense. It was designed to adapt, changing form and function based on his needs in battle. "With this weapon, I could have neutralized those void entities more efficiently. The attributes we've infused into it should have been perfect for countering their dark nature." And with that, he left his lab and set of to earth.