The air crackled with tension as Kriel stood at the entrance of the Astral mines, his newfound void memories still settling in his mind. He sensed the presence before he saw it—an overwhelming pressure that made the very air feel heavy.
[Warning: Sovereign-Class Entity Detected
Threat Level: Beyond Measurement
System Stability: Fluctuating]
"So," a voice echoed through the chamber, smooth as silk but carrying the weight of mountains, "you're the anomaly that's been causing such interesting ripples in the System."
Zenith materialized from a column of pure light, his presence alone making reality tremble. Fifteen marks adorned his body, each one pulsing with power that could level cities. His white hair flowed in an unseen wind, and his golden eyes held the casual arrogance of someone who had never known defeat.
"A Mark King," Kriel said, void energy coiling protectively around him. He held Zero's severed head in his hand, a grim reminder of his ruthless nature.he laughed diabolically.
Zenith's gaze fell upon the head, and for a moment, his composure faltered. Fury ignited in his eyes, a rare sight for someone as composed as a Mark King. "You killed my fucking pawn," he growled, his voice low and menacing.
Kriel shrugged, his expression devoid of emotion. "I have no use for sentiment. Only power matters."
With a sudden motion, Kriel hurled Zero's decapitated head at Zenith. The action was so unexpected that even Zenith's superior reflexes were caught off guard. The head flew towards him with a trajectory that seemed almost impossible, as if defying the laws of physics themselves.
Zenith barely managed to raise a hand in time, catching the head with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "You're certainly... creative for a markless fool," he said, his voice tinged with anger.
Kriel shrugged again. "I have no use for allies. Only tools."
The air between them distorted as their powers clashed passively. System energy from Zenith's marks tried to impose order on the space around them, while Kriel's void presence created pockets of pure chaos.
As they began to fight, the surrounding landscape suffered. Trees splintered, rocks shattered, and the ground cracked under the force of their blows. Animals fled in terror, their habitats destroyed by the sheer power unleashed. Birds fell from the sky, their songs silenced by the cacophony of destruction. The once-pristine river nearby churned with turbulent waters, its banks eroded by the chaotic energy.
The battle raged on, with each blow capable of leveling mountains. Zenith's mark-enhanced speed turned him into a blur of white light, his fists aimed at Kriel's heart. But the void corruption had changed more than just Kriel's power—it had altered his very perception of reality.
[New Ability Activated:
Void Sight: Perceive reality through chaos patterns
Warning: Standard physics may not apply]
Kriel's body moved on instinct, flowing like living shadow around the attack. Where Zenith's fist passed, space itself cracked, but the void energy in Kriel's body allowed him to bend rather than break.
"Interesting," Zenith said, his expression sharpening. "Most people don't survive the first hit."
"I'm not most people." Kriel gathered void energy in his palm, forming it into patterns he'd seen in ancient memories. "I'm starting to remember what we all used to be."
Zenith chuckled, his anger still simmering. "You think you're a relic of the past? I am the future. And the future doesn't tolerate anomalies."
Their exchange escalated rapidly. Zenith's marks activated one by one, each adding new dimensions to his attacks. Light beams that could pierce mountains, gravity fields that could crush cities, spatial cuts that could sever reality itself—all delivered with the casual grace of someone playing with their food.
But Kriel was changing with every moment of combat. The void corruption spread further, reaching 91%, then 92%, each percentage bringing new understanding of powers that predated the System itself.
"You're holding back," Kriel growled as he deflected another reality-shattering blow the shockwaves distorted the surrounding area. "Is this how a Mark King fights?"
Zenith's smile finally faltered. "You want to see how a King fights? Very well. Let me show you the gap between your rebellion and true power filthy peasant."
The air itself seemed to freeze as Zenith's fifteen marks began to synchronize. Light and darkness, space and time, all the fundamental forces the System governed began to bow to his will.
"Remember this moment," Zenith said, his form beginning to blur with pure power. "Remember what happens to those who think they can challenge the order of things."
The chamber filled with blinding light as Zenith unleashed his true power, and Kriel felt ancient knowledge surge through his corrupted veins. This wasn't just a battle between warriors—it was a clash between the old world and the new, between chaos and order itself.
As the battle raged on, the destruction spread far beyond the chamber. The land trembled, forests burned, and the skies darkened with the ash of a thousand fires. The natural balance was disrupted, and the very fabric of reality began to unravel.
"You know, Zenith," Kriel said, his voice steady amidst the chaos, "I've seen the end of worlds. I've watched civilizations rise and fall. And in all that time, I've never seen anything as fragile as your precious System."
Zenith's eyes narrowed. "You dare to mock the System? It is the pinnacle of our evolution."
"Evolution?" Kriel laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber. "The System is a cage, Zenith. And I'm here to break it."
With a burst of void energy, Kriel charged forward, his movements unpredictable and chaotic. Zenith met him with a wave of System energy, but Kriel's void sight allowed him to navigate the attack with ease.
"You're fast," Zenith admitted, "but speed alone won't save you."
"I don't need speed," Kriel replied, his voice dripping with ancient power. "I have the void. And the void remembers."
As the battle raged on, reality itself began to unravel. The chamber was a maelstrom of light and darkness, chaos and order clashing in a dance that threatened to consume everything.
And in the heart of this storm, Kriel and Zenith stood as opposing forces, each determined to prove their vision of the world.
"You're a monster, Kriel," Zenith spat, his anger boiling over. "But I will be the one to put you down."
"I am not a monster," Kriel said, his voice calm amidst the chaos. "I am the future. And you are just a relic of the past."
The battle reached its climax as both warriors unleashed their ultimate attacks. Zenith's marks glowed with a light that could blind all living beings, while Kriel's void energy coalesced into a vortex that could consume reality itself.
The outcome was far from certain, as the two forces clashed in a display of power that shook the foundations of the world. The fate of the System, of reality itself, hung in the balance or so it seemed.
And in that moment, only one thing was clear: only one of them would walk away from this battle.
[Chapter End
Battle Intensity: Escalating
Reality Stability: 53%
The Void Remembers...]