Aurora remained where she had been thrown, her body pressed against the invisible boundary, the space around her still trembling from the force of my strike. For a brief moment, neither of us moved. The void around us was no longer stable. My domain had taken hold, pressing outward, while hers flickered in response, trying to maintain its structure.
Then she straightened slowly as if the impact had been nothing more than a test she had already accounted for.
She turned and looked at me, her expression unchanged, but her eyes now carried something new.
"That," she said, her voice steady as it echoed across the fractured void, "was better."
I rolled my shoulder slightly, feeling the strain across my body despite the constant flow of Essence repairing me.
"You said I needed to go all out," I replied. "I’m getting there."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"You are adapting faster than expected," she said. "And more importantly... you are beginning to understand how to use what is available to you."
Her gaze shifted briefly to the surrounding space, to the way my domain had carved out its own presence within hers.
"You are no longer just forcing your will," she continued. "You are shaping it based on what is in front of you. And your use of dream law is not bad as well."
I let out a small breath.
"I am a good learner. Anyway, enough talking," I said. "You said I have one round left."
She nodded.
"Yes," she replied. "Show me something that makes this worth concluding."
That was all I needed. I raised my hand and summoned my sword ’Prarambh’.
The sword formed in my grip instantly resonating with the energy flowing through my body. The moment I held it, the space around me seemed to react, subtle distortions forming as my control tightened.
I adjusted my stance. Then activated my physical ability.
"Essence Redistribution."
Essence Redistribution: Up to 20% of any stat (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Psynapse) can be transferred temporarily to another stat. The transfer is time-limited.
I felt it immediately.
A shift within my body as a portion of my Dexterity was pulled away and forced into my Psynapse. The change was sharp, almost jarring, as my perception expanded further, my control deepening, my connection to the surrounding energy becoming clearer.
Everything slowed around me as my understanding of her domain deepened. I could feel the domains more clearly now. Both her and mine.
The overlap and the friction that was ongoing between them and most importantly the dream energy.
With a breath I drew it in as something I could shape.
The silver glow around my body intensified, mixing with faint strands of dream energy that began to wrap around my blade. The sword in my hand started to hum, the energy condensing along its edge.
Aurora watched everything with curious eyes and did not interrupt me.
She simply raised her hand as well.
"Dream Manifestation: Stellar Sever."
The void behind her shifted.
A line of pure, condensed force formed, stretching outward like a blade carved directly into space itself. It was perfectly defined, carrying an immense amount of compressed energy within it.
I took a step forward planting my foot properly and with a twist swung my sword.
"Absolute Void Cleave."
The energy I had gathered surged forward, the strike leaving my blade as a massive arc of silver light, layered with void distortion and woven with dream energy. The attack carved through the space ahead, splitting it apart as it advanced.
My domain reacted instantly.
The tablet above pulsed violently, feeding more power into the attack, amplifying it beyond its original output. The violet clouds churned as the cleave grew sharper, heavier, more absolute with each passing moment.
Aurora released her attack.
The Stellar Sever shot forward, a clean, perfect line of destruction that cut through the void with unmatched precision.
The two attacks collided.
BOOM!
The impact shook everything.
A violent surge of energy exploded outward as the two forces met, tearing through both domains at the point of contact. Her attack held its form, stable and precise, pushing forward with controlled force.
Mine pushed back for a moment. Then the difference appeared.
Her attack was perfect but mine was evolving.
The dream energy within my strike began to shift, adapting, reshaping the conditions of the clash. The void distortion intensified, the cleave adjusting its own structure, finding the weakest point in her attack and pressing into it.
My domain surged again and the amplification increased.
The pressure began building and then her attack cracked.
A fracture appeared along the length of the Stellar Sever, subtle at first, then rapidly expanding as my cleave pushed through. The balance broke, and in the next instant, my attack tore through hers completely.
The cleave continued forward straight toward her. For the first time she did not counter. She simply watched and accepted.
The attack reached her. It passed through without stopping.
Her domain split.
The void around us cracked open, a clean line cutting through everything as the structure of her domain gave way under the force. The stars flickered, the space distorted, and the entire field began to collapse.
Her body was split in two as well. The energy continued past her, tearing through the remaining structure before finally dissipating into nothing.
The domain began to fade. Aurora’s form remained, divided but not destroyed, her presence still intact despite the damage.
She spoke with a smile.
"Well done."
Her voice was calm. I even felt a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
"You have exceeded the threshold," she continued. "Your control, your adaptation, and your ability to integrate different laws into a single execution... are sufficient."
Her form began to dissolve slowly, turning into faint particles of light.
"You have cleared the quest, Lord Billion."
I lowered my sword slightly, my breathing heavier now, the strain on my body finally catching up.
She looked at me one last time.
"I will be waiting for you," she said. "In the Prime Galaxy."
A faint smile appeared.
"Do not take too long."
And then she was gone.
The domain collapsed completely.
The void shattered.
And everything disappeared.
*****
I was back in my house. The moment I returned, my legs gave out.
I dropped to my knees, a sharp pain tearing through my body as blood rushed up my throat. I coughed violently, blood spilling onto the floor as the damage I had been holding back all this time surfaced at once.
My vision blurred and breathing became uneven. Every part of my body felt heavy and broken. I tried to steady myself, but the strength wasn’t there anymore.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard her voice.
"Billion—!"
North.
I tried to respond. But the darkness came faster.
And before I could say anything everything went black.