Before the energy could even settle, three more detonations followed.
Knight’s shadow dome collapsed inward and burst open like a collapsing star, releasing a surge of condensed darkness that ripped through the Ferans trapped inside.
Ragnar raised his club, slammed it forward, and a repulsive shockwave of silver force radiated outward, breaking bones and armor alike.
Lyrate’s crimson mist condensed into her sword before she whispered a command and the blade exploded into a thousand crimson shards infused with Essence, each one slicing through space like shrapnel.
The combined force of the four detonations drowned the void in light and noise. When the shockwave cleared, dozens of Ferans floated lifelessly, their bodies torn or charred, while others staggered back bleeding, barely holding on.
Even Vynor and Princess Velaira were thrown off balance, their defenses cracked under the combined pressure.
All of them appeared beside me then a single blur flickered beside me. Dante appeared, wiping blood off his hand, and with a careless flick of his wrist, tossed away the severed head of a Feran grandmaster.
He smirked faintly. "I’d say that got his attention."
I stared at Vaelix.
Even with the corpses of his kin floating around him, his expression didn’t change. Not a flicker of emotion.
"I don’t think he cares," I said quietly.
"He doesn’t," Anjee muttered, his jaw clenched, fury simmering beneath his calm.
"Alright then." I lifted my hand, Essence surging at my command. "Let’s see if he truly doesn’t."
"[Sanctum of Judgement]."
The moment the skill activated, my major laws resonated in the void.
Light tore through the darkness behind me, blazing, divine and absolute.
Spears of radiant energy bloomed one after another, their heat bending the air, their presence burning the void white.
One. Then ten. Then a hundred. Then a thousand.
In a breath, the void shimmered with a thousand spinning lances of light, orbiting me like a storm of judgement.
"Go."
The spears shot forward like a rain of comets, each one finding its mark, each one aimed at the Feran grandmasters.
And only then did Vaelix move. He unfolded his hands, raising a single palm.
A roar erupted from him, ancient, primal, reverberating across the void. The sound itself seemed to cut through space, striking the oncoming spears instantly. They slowed, their momentum faltering under the sheer force of it.
Another roar followed, and a ripple surged outward, hitting the spears again, forcing them to stagger in midair.
My eyes narrowed. I could feel the laws he was bending: Sound and Vibration, fused together seamlessly, amplified by something far beyond grandmaster scale.
Then came a final roar, a perfect, earth-shaking crescendo.
The ripples struck the spears one last time. Each one shattered before it could reach the grandmasters, exploding in golden sparks that lit the void in brilliant, violent showers. Shockwaves rolled outward, shaking even our ship.
When the echo faded, Vaelix’s voice boomed across the battlefield.
"You are an impressive human. The strongest grandmaster I have ever faced in my life... from our universe."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"Now, I have a proposal for you. Join the Feran race as an honorary member. Aid us in our fight against the Eternals. In return, you will gain the path forward to higher ranks, and your world will receive our protection."
I raised my hand and pointed at the mirror. "I want that."
Vaelix held a measured silence for a few seconds before replying.
"Is that your final answer?"
I nodded without hesitation.
"I understand," he replied.
Then, with a simple wave of his hand, the dead Feran bodies floating across the void suddenly exploded.
Red blood burst outward, droplets scattering in all directions, trembling as they floated. They didn’t fall; they surged forward, moving as if drawn by an invisible force, rushing straight toward Vaelix.
He lifted his palm again, and the torrents of blood twisted, coiling into a single massive droplet. It merged seamlessly into his open palm, the crimson gleaming like liquid fire.
Then, without a word, he raised his hand, pointing directly at us.
"[Blood Art: Dormant Crimson Claw]"
The void itself seemed to shudder in response.
Far above us, the darkness tore open as a massive crimson claw materialized, descending like a falling mountain.
Its sheer size dwarfed our spaceship, reducing us to nothing more than ants beneath it. The Essence thickened with pressure, radiating from the claw’s enormous palm.
The force alone drove Anjee and Primus to their knees, their bodies straining against the invisible weight. Our ship groaned and vibrated under the oppressive energy.
Instinctively, I released my own presence, letting my Essence surge outward, countering the pressure and stabilizing the ship against the overwhelming force.
But the claw kept descending, slow but unstoppable. I could feel the blood and Essence fused within it, the stolen life of the fallen Ferans, amplified exponentially by Vaelix and woven seamlessly with his laws.
I raised my hand and pointed a finger directly at the claw.
My core roared as the Essence inside me churned violently. I pushed nearly eighty percent of all my stored Essence into a single, concentrated strike.
"[Devouring Horizon]"
A thin, razor-sharp beam of violet Essence erupted from my fingertip, striking the claw squarely at its center.
The force collided with the descending monstrosity, and for a heartbeat, it wavered, suspended in place. Then, a tiny black vortex tore open at the point of impact.
The claw’s bloody, law-infused Essence began to collapse inward, drawn toward the void created by my attack.
Within seconds, the massive claw imploded completely, vanishing as if it had never existed, leaving only the echo of its destruction in the void around us.
"Impossible," I heard Vyron’s shocked voice echo across the void.
I ignored him and kept my gaze locked on the mirror.
It was nearly complete, if my estimate was correct, just one more shard was needed to finish the artifact. As I studied it, I noticed Vaelix doing the same, and it seemed he had come to the same conclusion.
Then a heartbeat pulsed through the void.
"Defend," I said. In the next instant, Vaelix vanished.
Dante reacted immediately, waving his hand as a translucent spatial barrier enveloped our group.
Behind it, Knight’s shadow dome emerged. I opened multiple violet vortexes in front of each of us, preparing for impact.
Vaelix reappeared a short distance away, moving with terrifying speed.
His body radiated a crushing pressure, the same oppressive force I’d felt from his palm earlier. It slammed into Dante’s barrier, making it ripple violently, tearing at its edges and shattering it in places.
His claw glowed red as he pulled back his fist. I braced myself, tapping into the law of Time to heighten my perception, and drew my punch back in perfect counter.
Then he struck.
BOOM!
The shockwave ripped through the void, tearing at Essence itself. Dante’s barrier disintegrated instantly; Knight’s dome collapsed under the pressure. The violet vortexes flared as they absorbed as much energy as possible before shattering.
I thrust my punch forward.
Space rippled violently as the Essence from my attack devoured most of the force, teleporting it behind us. But a portion remained, crashing into us with brutal impact.
The force slammed into us, hurling most of our group backward.
I bore the brunt of it, channeling every ounce of my Essence to shield the others, but even then, I could hear Anjee and Primus coughing up blood. Even Dante was hurt as blood leaked from his lips.
Vaelix floated forward, his robes billowing as a storm of Essence and raw aura churned around him, rippling the void.
"I underestimated you." He said and started walking forward.
Then, without warning—Ding!
A sharp, resonant sound cut through the chaos. My eyes widened as a blinding golden glow erupted from the mirror.