Ascension

Fayden Leywin POV :

The air sizzled at the clash of the two blades, made from pure mana and nacht respectively. Andrew and I were currently locked in a spar. How did we get here? Well-

I had to stop my monologue to dodge an upcoming lightning spell.

[I'll take it from here.]

Hey!

[Basically these two battle nuts were very bored. And we all know the best solution to curing boredom is to beat the shit out of each other.]

Well when you put it like that- I parried Andrews sword, jabbing into his torso with the other, it sounds bad. But I assure you it's enjoyable!

[Sure it is.]

I withheld from rolling my eyes at him, turning my focus back to Andrew. We had agreed to use no spells for this fight, only using one construct each. This was a battle of skill, not strength.

I lunged forward, holding my sword in a stabbing position as I approached him. He repositioned himself, holding his blade down to counter mine, yet before they could make contact, my construct dissipated, and I grabbed the blade of his, using it as leverage to deal a heavy blow at his abdomen. With my asuran physique, he was unable to endure it.

As he buckled backwards, I yanked his sword forward, releasing it from his grip. As he fell to the ground, I threw his blade at him, embedding it in the ground inches from his head.

"I win."

He sighed, "That was reckless, ruining your palm just to gain an advantage."

"Eh, It's already healed."

"The ends justify the means huh…"

"Exactly."

We sat down around our campfire as Jor tended to the flames.

"How's your progress going?"

"I've definitely gotten close, I can feel it."

"Hmm," I could feel the blinding mana in his core, "We do not have much time then."

"What? Really?" Jormungandr sounded sad.

I nodded, "I need to get back to my world as soon as possible."

"I understand," Andrew said, "I'll try to hasten the process as much as I can."

"No," I disagreed, "don't rush and ruin everything. Take the time you need."

He stared for a few seconds before nodding, "Very well."

He spent the rest of that day meditating.

_________________________

"I need another day."

"Huh?"

"To break into the integration stage."

I narrowed my eyes, that was awfully quick, "Are you sure?"

He nodded confidently.

"Good, the faster you finish the better."

[That sounds…]

'Shut up Phanes.'

[Whatever.]

.

.

.

About halfway through the day, when I had just returned from hunting our dinner, I sensed a massive, yet familiar mana signature.

[How did they find us?!]

'I don't know, but we need to get Andrew and Jormungandr away!'

But when I turned back to shadow travel them away, I noticed an iridescent sphere around Andrew. Jormungandr had a similar sphere around him which entangled with Andrews.

Shit, he has already begun integrating!

I tried to warp him away in his state, but the sphere around him interfered. This was bad, I couldn't let him reach here.

I sighed, taking one last look at the duo before shooting away from the ground.

[Have you finally gone senile? You have gotten stronger yes, but not strong enough to beat him!]

'You have a better idea?'

[... This is how we die, in another universe, trying to protect our own counterpart.]

I ignored his ramblings as I got closer to the man. I was fast enough to score a hit on his face as I clashed into him.

He flew back a few metres and came to a standstill, "Interesting…we have no information about one such as you."

"Go back Kiros, there is nothing for you here."

"Oh but there is, and he's right in front of me."

"I…didn't know you swung that way, and honestly I'm flattered you would-"

"Join us, the Vritra are your best option."

"..."

Black smoke like flames coalesced in my hand in the form of a sword.

"A shame."

Silver runes appeared around my eyes and shadowsoul covered my torso. I could not afford to hold back against him.

I moved with the speed of light itself, my fist encased in a storm of icy lightning. Kiros barely had the time to raise his arms in defence, but he couldn't absorb the full force of the attack. We both plummeted down at supersonic speeds.

My bones shook at the explosion that followed. The ocean below us was encased in a thick layer of ice, and thunder cut deep gallows into it.

I jumped back, a blade of fiery shadows in my hands. Kiros dusted his clothes as he got up, wincing from the blow a bit.

[You actually managed to hurt him.]

'I am much stronger than when I last fought him.'

[Are you strong enough to beat him though?]

'I don't know. Guess we'll have to see.'

[Suicidal idiot.]

A mana spike from the island suddenly hit us.

Kiros narrowed his eyes, "Who is that?"

"Your only concern right now is me." I said, activating phase 3.

Although I didn't know it, the skies of the entire world turned pitch black, and a white sun appeared tethered to me.

"A most interesting form of power."

"..." I raised up my sword silently, my rune working overtime to predict how he would dodge, and I struck.

As predicted, Kiros moved, but I was prepared. The very space between us bent, and Kiros was forced back into range.

The sea split open, as if I was Moses commanding the red sea, and Kiros was caught in the attack.

Only two halves of his body remained in the aftermath, and by some twist of fate his head was uninjured.

Smoky gray flames connected the two halves of his body, forcefully pulling them together and leaving only a scar behind.

[He looks pissed, understandably so.]

A sudden pain exploded from my torso, as Kiros' hand pierced right through it. A dangerous amount of decay magic coalesced over his hand.

"Die." He spat out as the gray sphere exploded, disintegrating my lower half completely.

My upper body fell on the cold ice as he walked by without another word.

"Now, let's see who you're hiding."

Black flames spouted from my bottom half, recreating the parts I had lost within seconds and I was back on my feet.

I turned back, but Kiros had already reached the island.

Shit

"Fascinating." He muttered to himself as I reached him. "A human and an asura achieving perfect synchronization."

"Get your horned ass away from him Kiros."

He glanced at me, surprised, "So you survived. Maybe I used too little force?"

I moved in an instant, my sword held diagonally as I attempted to cut him down. But he grabbed it in one hand, "You used to hit harder. I suppose my blow has left you weakened."

More like I do not want to hurt Andrew and Jor by using too much power.

But this was the perfect opportunity. Nacht pulsed through my blade and into Kiros' as I prepared to take us far away.

Kiros wouldn't have it, he tightened his grip on my weapon and hurled me away faster than I could warp us.

Before I could regain control, I was hit again, and I crashed into the ground.

"Rude." I coughed out as I got up. We were decently far from Andrew now, so I could let out a bit more.

My hairs rose and my instincts told me to raise my hand, and I was glad I did. Kiros' blow hit my arm instead of my face, and rattled my bones.

I took the opportunity, twisting my arm around his and keeping him in place as I headbutted him, hard.

His free hand went to touch his head out of instinct, but I had already begun my next move. I placed my palm over his chest and let the nacht flow out.

"Freeze." Black obsidian like ice covered him in an instant, giving me a few seconds to prepare for my next move.

The ice began cracking almost immediately, I didn't have much time left. A grey blade materialized this time, a blade made to injure souls not flesh.

[Gravity x 1000]

The ice shattered, and Kiros was forced to his knees, the earth under his feet giving in.

In a swift motion the sword cut through his arm, but no blood blossomed.

Grey fire washed over his hand, but damages to the soul cannot be undone so easily.

"What did you do to my arm fiend?"

"Thats the least of your worries Vritra." I knelt down to his level, placing an arm on his shoulder.

"You should've stayed in your little castle, maybe then you would've lived."

[Don't kill him.]

'Oh? And why should I?'

[Destroy his core, humiliate him. Thats a fate worse than death for one as prideful as he.]

A smile crept up my face, 'I like how you think.'

Kiros began struggling, he knew something bad was going to happen, but alas a wounded prey can only await its fate.

With my palm on his sternum, right above his core, I spoke, "I hope you enjoy your experience as the lessers you abhor so much."

A shockwave of mana and aether shook the very forest, and a phenomenon I wasn't aware of occurred for the first time in history.

His horns shattered like glass, and his pale skin gained color. A viscous gray energy seeped out of his core and was absorbed by my arm. His face looked haunted, "What did you do?"

"Wha…?" I stumbled backwards. "What the hell…?" I whispered.

[I…didn't think that was possible.]

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He sounded desperate, mad even.

I shook my head and grabbed his shoulder, sending him to Etistin City.

"What the hell just happened Phanes?"

[Somehow you managed to do the impossible. You managed to strip an Asura of their "Godhood." You made Kiros a human, literally. He's no longer a Vritra now.]

"How is that even possible?"

[You think I know?]

I took a deep breath in, no use worrying about it now. I need to go check on Andrew.

Just as I thought that, a massive explosion rocked the entire island, or rather it shook the very continent.

Ah, so he finally reached it.

I fell into my own shadow as I warped to my counterpart.

"Looks like Fayden was fighting somebody." Andrew said as I Void Stepped into the clearing.

"Yeah, don't worry about that, he's…been taken care of."

He nodded, he had changed much, I could notice fading runes and scales on his body. His hair had bleached to become more blond than brown, and his mana signature had gotten dozens of times stronger.

[He honestly reminds me of you before the whole ascension thing.]

'I can definitely see it.'

Jormungandr had grown taller and more basilisk like, two horns jutted out of his temples, facing forward and his eyes were a mixture of red and gold.

Andrew sighed, "I suppose this is goodbye."

I nodded somberly, "Yes, but who knows maybe we will meet again."

"I would like that. Please come back sometimes." Jormungandr pleaded.

I smiled warmly, "I will, I promise that."

I turned back to Andrew, offering my arm. He reciprocated, and I pulled him in for a hug, "I wish you luck in your war."

He chuckled, "Good luck in your own war, though I don't think you'll need it."

"We never know, until next time." I waved at them one last time before a pulse of black nacht swalled me away.

________________________

[You know, I was expecting a lot of different worldlines, but a dystopian apocalyptic future wasn't one of them.]

"What the hell happened here?"