Eli, Thalen, Jeci, Lynus, and Raven stared into the distance.
The Leviathan was... gone?
Just like that—vanished as if it had never existed. Its mark upon the world—the fractured sky—was fading too. Everything was dissolving away.
All of them had descended and hung suspended in the air, one way or another, gawking in stunned silence. Jeci nearly slipped from Lynus’ grasp.
Eli’s cracking voice shattered the quietness.
"You know... don’t you guys feel abused? I do—I feel bullied, really. What in the stars’ domain am I supposed to do here?"
Raven sighed, her gaze locked ahead. She was utterly stunned, especially knowing what a bulwark the Leviathan had been. Its sudden disappearance from someone else’s attack drove home just how powerless she truly was.
But that was the thing!
She believed she wasn’t. She was a Paragon, after all—a very abnormal one at that. She wouldn’t advise any sane human to use her as a benchmark for strength, because she was exceptionally abnormal and special.
And she sensed the exact same thing about Northern, except maybe ten times more extraordinary. Northern shouldn’t be used as a standard for strength either, or else he’d put the entire world to shame.
Even so, from one extraordinary person to another, one abnormal soul to another, she was struggling as well—struggling to grasp the magnitude of his power, what he might be concealing or simply not revealing.
And no one truly understood the nature of his ability. He’d never shared it openly; the best anyone could do was make educated guesses.
She sighed once more before glancing ahead.
"Still, we must press forward... right?"
Eli glanced at her and chuckled dryly.
"The girl wants to move forward. To where, exactly? I think we should stay here and observe—hope we can contribute somehow to the battle should the opportunity arise."
Raven looked down, conflicted.
She understood what the Paragon was saying, but still, she ached to help. Even if it meant nothing, added nothing. She couldn’t bear to sit idle. But the Paragon was right.
She looked at Thalen.
"I understand..."
***
Northern caught up with the Chaos Prince, and now the two of them hovered over a vast chasm of darkness that yawned at the center of the snowscape.
He levitated above the abyss with a slight smile.
"Damn, Ul really is doing excellent work. She definitely didn’t come unprepared."
Northern glanced at the gaping chasm in the ground and looked back at the Chaos Prince with confusion.
"Wh... What do you mean?"
The Chaos Prince regarded him with a cool smile.
"Isn’t it obvious? Look at that space. It’s utterly unnatural—the deep, vast darkness, the earth breaking and shattering inward—it depicts a mastery of space so profound and ancient."
He raised a finger as he continued.
"...and Lady Ul happens to be the Origin of space."
Northern frowned.
’How could I forget that crucial information for even a second... damn right, she is. How ironic—how did she become so washed up if she was the strongest Origin?’
Northern pondered internally while staring at the vast chasm of darkness, deep gloom shadowing his features.
After several seconds, he asked:
"How does this relate to the peculiar way you spoke those words?"
He tore his gaze from the hole and fixed it on the Chaos Prince.
He was grinning, staring downward.
"She’s digging his grave—and intending to bury herself with him."
Northern’s frown deepened instantly. His expression turned savage, like a vicious beast whose cub had been snatched by pathetic hunters.
"What?"
The Chaos Prince looked at him, his features tensing.
"That’s certainly not the face of someone who wants to save the world, Northern... you look like you want to murder it instead!"
Northern’s face was truly contorted with ethereal darkness born from intense loathing.
"Ul... that witch... She thinks human lives are garments she can wear and discard into the pit whenever she pleases?"
Northern clenched his teeth.
"I’m going in."
The instant he spoke, he plunged downward. The Chaos Prince tried to stop him—extended a hand forward—but Northern had moved too quickly.
He descended, but instead of simply flying down, Northern felt a crushing wave of agony wash over his entire body as he slammed into something resembling an invisible steel wall.
His body wasn’t sent flying from the impact. Instead, the collision traveled through every fiber of his muscles, sending roughly one million joules of pain coursing through him, frying him like electricity.
Northern collapsed onto the solidified air below, writhing in excruciating pain, while the Chaos Prince slowly descended, scratching the back of his head with sheepish laughter.
"Ha... I wanted to warn you... but you moved too fast."
Even while battling such torment, Northern didn’t miss the bastard Prince’s words. He also didn’t miss the chance to suspect the Chaos Prince had intentionally let this happen.
At that moment, he stopped thrashing and slowly pulled himself upright. Soon enough, he was standing atop the dome of air, barely controlling his flinching body.
’It’s rather strange.’
From a distance, it appeared he was floating mid-air. But actually, Northern wasn’t floating at all. He was simply standing as if on solid ground.
The air felt like earth beneath his feet.
Northern’s eyes slowly widened in realization.
’I see... so that’s why their battle isn’t causing the devastation I expected.’
Northern had initially worried when he saw no catastrophic impact from two Origins clashing. He’d assumed the earth’s crust would have been completely obliterated from the planet’s surface by now.
But apparently, Ul was containing their battle. This revelation made Northern even more livid. The vast chasm was sealed by a barrier of compressed air far more impenetrable and resilient than any wall forged from metal or built from stone.
There was no way through.
The Chaos Prince gently lowered his levitating feet onto the solidified air as well. Northern glanced at him as he landed.
Before Northern could speak, he did.
"Don’t ask me. I definitely don’t know how to interfere with an Origin’s manifestation. That’s like asking me if I can flip an ordinary mountain and transform it into a volcano. No, Northern—there are things that even beings with ultimate power cannot do. Just forget it... and let’s see how this battle unfolds."
Northern’s fury erupted. He stepped closer to the Chaos Prince and glared into his eyes, the latter nearly retreating.
"What part of... Ul is using the body of a mortal friend to fight that battle–did you not understand?! In everything you’ve said Ul is attempting here, what are the chances of her survival?!"
The Chaos Prince swallowed hard, blinking as he met Northern’s blazing stare.
"I see what you mean..."
Northern shot him one final withering look, then turned away. The Chaos Prince followed as Northern strode forward, muttering:
"Still... this is far beyond my capabilities..."
Northern stared down with a profound scowl.
"It’s alright... I know someone who might be able to pull it off."