Beneath the starry sky, the Universe resigned herself to her unraveling fate.
She had known—ever since NOX achieved complete [Concept]—that the tides of destiny had shifted. And when she failed to perceive the moment VRITRA and Garuda entered the material universe, she understood that her fate had already been sealed.
The predetermined path that once dictated today's events had taken a decisive turn. A variable beyond her control had emerged. And now, all she could do was hope.
How ironic. For a near-omnipotent entity—one who had once woven every strand of Cause and Effect to her favor—to now find herself clinging to something so fragile, so uncertain.
Her gaze lingered on NOX as she murmured softly, "I can only hope these Abominations do not push this child too far."
Beside her, Lucas and Garuda stood silently, their eyes locked on the unfolding battle between VRITRA and NOX.
In the distance, VRITRA and NOX stood motionless, locked in a silent confrontation.
VRITRA's posture was casual, almost lazy, as if he found the entire situation beneath him. In contrast, NOX gripped his black sword tightly, his expression uncharacteristically serious. There was no arrogance, no sneer—only cold focus.
Neither moved. The air between them was thick with tension, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
He wanted NOX to come at him first. He longed for the moment when NOX would charge, full of arrogance and defiance, only for VRITRA to break him down, piece by piece. He relished the thought of seeing NOX struggle, seeing that flicker of hope rise only to be snuffed out in an instant.
He wanted NOX to beg. To tremble. To despair at the mere mention of his name.
But to his growing frustration, NOX didn't flinch. He stood like an immovable monolith, his grip steady, his stance unwavering.
VRITRA's grin twitched, his amusement thinning. "Fine. Since you're too afraid to move, let me give you a proper welcome."
VRITRA casually pointed his finger toward NOX. He yawned, his voice barely a whisper as he uttered,
"[Entropy Manipulation]."
The moment the words left his mouth, the cosmos seemed to shudder in response.
NOX's instincts flared, like an alarm ringing in his mind—but it was already too late. The very fabric of space around him surged violently—matter itself bent, twisted, and decayed under the invisible force VRITRA commanded.
In the material universe, entropy was the unyielding ruler. Even here, where celestial bodies drifted in frozen serenity, every particle existed in delicate balance—and VRITRA's Concept seized control of them all. The shattered remnants of stars, the forgotten dust of ancient worlds, even the faintest cosmic radiation—everything began to spiral toward the inevitable heat death.
And NOX was caught in its merciless grasp.
A subtle yet overwhelming invisible force permeated his body. In the span of a breath, NOX's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he felt his body begin to decay at a cellular level, succumbing to the unrelenting pull of entropy. His skin withered, cracks appearing across it as festering wounds sprouted seemingly out of thin air.
His entire being plunged into chaos, each moment teetering on the edge of complete collapse.
Without hesitation, NOX summoned his Concept skill—[Corruption Veil]. A surge of dark energy enveloped him, pushing back against the oppressive weight of entropy, restoring some semblance of stability.
But the [Corruption Veil] could only shield his body directly from VRITRA's influence. The very space around him trembled, still trapped in the grip of the advancing decay, as matter continued to degrade.
As the rate of entropy spiraled upwards, NOX felt the strangest distortion of Space and Time—the very fabric of reality around him began to stretch, bending in unnatural ways. The distance between himself and VRITRA seemed to lengthen, stretching further than what should have been possible.
Recognizing the abnormality, NOX knew he had to act quickly. He didn't hesitate. With the full force of his resolve, he shouted,
"[The Unmaking]."
In an instant, the surrounding matter began to collapse inward, disintegrating and returning to its primordial state. As the influence of [The Unmaking] expanded outward, the strange force manipulating the entropy rate ceased.
In the blink of an eye, everything reverted to its state before VRITRA's intervention.
NOX finally exhaled, a fleeting sense of relief washing over him. But in that moment of reprieve, a harsh realization struck—until now, he had never faced an opponent wielding a 'Complete Concept.' His lack of experience had blinded him to a fundamental truth: in battles involving [Concepts], leaving one's body unprotected was a fatal mistake. He could only blame his ignorance for not being aware of this crucial aspect.
Furthermore, he came to understand something even more fundamental—battles between [Concepts] were not clashes of energy, but struggles between primal forces, each drawn from the very essence of one's own Concept.
"An Omnipotent Concept?… How interesting…" VRITRA mused lazily. Yet beneath his nonchalance, a flicker of vigilance surfaced.
He had realized something crucial—[The Unmaking] might be merely a branch skill derived from NOX's Omnipotent Concept. If that were the case, then how powerful was its Ultimate Skill? And more importantly, how terrifying was the Omnipotent Concept itself?
Countless Concepts existed in this world, each unique, carrying its own primordial force.
Typically, a Concept granted its wielder multiple branch skills along with a singular main skill, allowing for versatile maneuverability in battle or support while ensuring complete dominion over that Concept's domain.
But an Omnipotent Concept was an entirely different existence—an amalgamation of multiple powerful Concepts, fused into a singular, unparalleled force. Each of its branch skills was hundreds of times more powerful than the main skills of regular Concepts. Moreover, it granted its wielder an Ultimate skill, a power that stood above all others.
And NOX's unknown Omnipotent Concept—born from the fusion of some of the most formidable forces, such as [Destruction], [Nothingness], and [Madness]—unsettled VRITRA in a way he had never anticipated.
Still, he did not dwell on it for long.
No matter how venomous an ant's sting, could it truly kill a God?
While VRITRA remained wary of NOX's Ultimate Skill, NOX's thoughts followed a different path.
In a fraction of a second, his mind accelerated thousands of times over, rapidly simulating and calculating strategies to counter VRITRA's Concept. Yet, despite his efforts, he arrived at an undeniable realization—defeating this incomprehensible entity with his Concept alone was impossible.
If he wanted to stand a chance, he would have to abandon reliance on his Concept and engage in battle the traditional way.
NOX's intuition proved correct—VRITRA likely wielded multiple Concepts, each honed to its absolute limit over countless eons. In contrast, NOX had only just completed his own Concept, with no time to even explore its Ultimate Skill. Yet, despite this overwhelming disparity, he made his decision.
He would engage in physical combat, even knowing the futility of trying to wound a being who transcended the very limits of physical existence.
With unwavering resolve, NOX channeled his red Evil Energy into his black sword, pushing its power to the utmost limit. The ancient runes etched into the blade shimmered with an eerie, ethereal glow. Without hesitation, he lunged toward VRITRA, his blade cleaving through the void in a vertical arc, aiming to slice his foe in half.
But in a display of effortless grace, VRITRA merely sidestepped, allowing the blade to pass within inches of his form.
"You want a street fight, do you? Very well… I shall grant you one." VRITRA mocked, amusement flickering in his eyes.