Chapter 66: The Breaking of the Void
Before them, the land that was once a field of bloodshed now contorted into a dimension, ruled only by the Apostle leader's will. The very fabric of reality wavered and distorted with every passing moment. Each strike, each move, seemed to them like resisting an unstoppable tide.
Jason refused to yield. His feet dug into the void in which shifting darkness flailed at him. His eyes never left the Apostle leader, whose crimson eyes so gleamed with malevolent delight. It floated in the middle of the air, unhindered by the surging turmoil, its power bursting out of every fibre in that twisted realm.
I warned you," the voice of the Apostle leader came from the void, every syllable a cold dagger. "You are nothing in this domain. No matter your strength, no matter your power, I control everything here.
Jason's grip tightened on his Chaos Blade, the weapon pulsing with chaotic energy. His body was battered and bruised, but the fire in his chest burned brighter than ever. This was the moment where they would decide their fate.
"We'll see about that," Jason muttered, his voice low but resolute.
Lucas, struggling to catch his breath beside him, nodded grimly. "We've been in worse situations. We'll break through this."
Diane, her golden aura fluttering weakly about her, sought out Jason's gaze. "I can break this space, but I'll need a little time to gather energy. It won't be easy. He's suppressing everything."
Jason nodded. "We hold the line for you, and you work on breaking through.
Before Diane could get a word out, a mass of tendrils of black energy shot out from the Apostle leader, each one aimed with deadly precision at the group. Jason reacted in an instant, raising his blade to intercept the first wave.
Chaos swords clashed with the tendrils, the dark energy splintering on impact. The force of the blow threw Jason backward, but he was already getting to his feet. The power of the Apostle leader was colossal, but the resolution in Jason's chest proved stronger.
He wasn't alone.
Next to him, Lucas raised his spear, crackling with the furor of lightning. With a wild, animalistic cry, he plunged his spear in an unthinking lunge against the nearest tendril, discharging a fierce outburst of energy. The tendril recoiled as the surge of lightning flashed through it, but before they could pause to catch their breath, another wave of tendrils charged at them.
Then Joe appeared out of nowhere, darting in to strike with his daggers. His speed and precision were second to none as he cut through the tendrils with deadly grace. But for every step of swiftness he had, the domain of the Apostle leader seemed to regenerate just as fast.
This was an unending cycle of attack and retreat, a game of cat and mouse where the enemy was at an advantage all the time.
Jason's frustration boiled beneath the surface. They needed a way to break this cycle. Diane needed time to gather her energy, but time was running out. They were being worn down, their bodies slowly losing the will to fight under the oppressive pressure of the Apostle leader's power.
"Diane!" Jason shouted over the chaos. "You have to hurry!"
Diane's golden eyes flickered. "I'm almost there! Just a little longer!"
But it wasn't about to wait, either.
The Apostle leader raised its hand to an explosion of black energy that tore through the air, blowing away the very ground beneath their feet. A shockwave hurled Jason and the others across the ground, slamming them against the jagged remnants of reality. In an instant, their senses were out, eyes blurry from the ferocity of the attack.
Jason's heart was racing as he struggled to his feet. It was the overpowering might of the Apostle leader. The leader was toying with them, drawing out the pain and agony for its own entertainment.
But Jason refused to yield.
"We are not your playthings," Jason growled through gritted teeth.
His Chaos Blade pulsed with raw power, a force that could tear through dimensions. The energy in him coursed, the entirety of his being ablaze with the fierce power of the Chaos Sovereign's bloodline.
With a roaring determination, he charged forward and his sword flashed through the void. The leader of the Apostles had hardly any time to react when Jason's blade hit it square on the chest.
The void seemed to hold its breath. The eyes of the Apostle leader widened in disbelieving shock. Jason had scored a direct hit.
But then—
The rippling in his body healed the wound before their very eyes.
Jason stumbled backward, his face pale with shock.
"It's no use," the Apostle leader sneered scornfully. "You cannot hurt me in this realm. Your effort is futile.
Jason's heart clenched, but he refused to let despair grab hold of him. This wasn't over. They had to push through.
"Lucas! Joe!" Jason yelled. "We need to keep up the pressure! We can't let it recover!"
Lucas's spear crackled with electricity. He gritted his teeth. "Don't need to tell me twice!
Joe, once again coming out of the shadows, leapt at the Apostle leader with unmatched precision, his blows aimed directly at the weak points of the creature. The tendrils flailed out in an attempt to intercept him, but Joe was too fast, his movements a blur.
For one short, shining moment, it seemed as though they were getting the better of it.
But then, with a flick of its wrist, the Apostle leader released another devastating wave of energy that blasted them back, sending them crashing to the ground.
Jason's vision swam. His body ached, but he fought to stay conscious.
Diane's voice echoed in his mind, her tone filled with both strength and concern. "Jason. I'm ready."
Jason's eyes widened. This was their chance.
"Now, Diane! Do it!"
With one final, sudden burst of energy, Diane's golden aura erupted as the sheer power of her heritage surged through space. It felt like the laws of reality twisted and bent in her will.
The Apostle leader screamed in an articulation of its body, thrashing it against the energy that began to tear the void asunder. The tendrils faltered, the darkness flickering as if some kind of illusion.
But even then, the Apostle was not done.
In a snarl of wrath, it flung its hand forward-a wave of black lightning crackled through the void as in one final desperate strike at the lives to consume them all.
Jason's eyes were alight.
He simply wasn't going to let this creature get the last word.
With a feral scream, Jason raised the Chaos Blade, his entire focus on one purpose.
"Chaos Strike!"
The blade shrieked with energy, unstoppable, and met the Apostle leader's final attack.
The world seemed to shatter around them.
A blinding explosion of energy blinded them all. The tendrils dissipated. The darkness seemed to flicker, its hold on reality faltering.
And then, all was silent.
Jason felt his knees hit the floor as the energy dissipated; his body battered, his weight exhausted, Jason refused to go down. Over, they'd managed to breach it-the domain of the Apostle leader.
To his sides, in equal exhaustion without being broken, Lucas and Joe got up bit by bit, slowly getting into their feet again. They stood against something unmoving, came out on top.
Diane straightened up, her golden aura still sputtering in weak flickers, but managing a small, satisfied smile at Jason. "It's done."
Jason turned to her, softening. "You did it."
Diane nodded. "We all did.
Yet, as they stood there, battered and victorious, the air still felt heavy with the weight of what was still to come. The Apostle leader had been just one piece in a much larger game. The Dark Apostles were still out there, waiting for their next move.
And Jason knew, deep in his heart, that their journey was far from over.
"We're not done yet," Jason said, his voice filled with quiet resolve. "The real battle is just beginning."
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End of Chapter 66
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