Chapter 109 – The Echo of the Void II: Ivan
Zarion placed his hand on the hilt of his black blade.
In a breath, he vanished.
A heartbeat later, he reappeared right in front of the Echo, still lounging lazily on his throne like a bored king.
— Hey.
A loud BAM rang out. Zarion delivered a lightning-fast kick.
The Echo raised his arms to block, but the force of the impact sent him flying — throne and all.
The celestial seat spun through the air like a divine projectile.
— MY THRONE! the Echo nearly shouted as he crashed to the ground in a shower of black dust.
He landed perfectly balanced on the armrests, a feral grin on his face.
— Alright then, you want to dance?
He charged at Zarion at insane speed.
Zarion raised his blade — a sharp, precise motion — shhhhht.
The Echo dodged… but his arms fell to the ground, cleanly severed.
He stepped back, watching his limbs dissolve into mist before reforming.
His grin widened even more.
— I want you, he whispered, placing his hands on his face with a disturbingly devoted expression.
Around them, reality twisted. Black spikes erupted from the ground, rushing toward Zarion.
He sliced through them so fast the world seemed frozen.
A moment later, everything behind him crumbled into dust.
Frustrated, the Echo conjured a world of illusions.
Zarion found himself chained, trapped in an endless space.
The Echo approached slowly, placing a finger on his cheek.
— I knew you wouldn't escape me, my dear…
A luminous slash tore through the scene.
The illusion shattered.
— Don't flatter yourself, Zarion replied coldly.
The Echo reappeared right in front of him.
— Don't you want to know my name?
His arms pulsed with dark energy.
Zarion raised his sword.
— Absolutely not.
The clash was brutal.
The Echo blocked the blade with a mana-coated fist, then attempted an uppercut.
Zarion parried, a smirk tugging at his lips.
— You say that, but I know you're curious, the Echo insisted.
A pause, then a whisper:
— My name is… Ivan.
Zarion, stoic:
— …Don't care.
Ivan scowled.
— Insolent.
He unleashed a flurry of devastating punches.
Zarion blocked each one with mechanical precision, his blade carving arcs of dark energy.
The two vanished, reappeared, collided.
The air vibrated.
Ivan blocked a sword strike, attempted a right hook.
Zarion caught the punch with his free arm, then kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing into a pillar of void.
— You hit hard, but you've got zero style, Zarion said.
Ivan chuckled:
— And you've got too much sarcasm.
---
**Elsewhere…**
Nova and his clone charged at each other with inhuman speed.
Blue lightning burst with every collision.
— Void Art – Seventh Movement: Dimensional Slashes!
Rifts tore through space.
His clone responded with the same attack.
The two dimensions clashed in a cosmic roar.
Nova leapt into the air.
— Second Movement: Multiple Accelerations!
He reappeared and vanished so fast the air exploded from the pressure.
But his clone mirrored every move.
The impacts thundered.
Nova stepped back, panting, gripping his blade.
— He copies everything… so I'll have to hit harder.
He closed his eyes, focusing his energy.
— Void Art – Ninth Movement: Multiple Void Slashes!
His clone responded instantly, combining the second and eighth movements.
The two merged into a ballet of speed and light, a duel of reflections where every strike shattered chunks of reality.
Nova sighed.
— Yeah… this is going to be harder than expected.
---
Ryn faced her double in a luminous ballet.
Both vanished and reappeared at near-instant speed, fists clashing in showers of sparks.
Ryn summoned two daggers of light and sliced her clone into pieces.
But it regenerated instantly.
Ryn smirked.
— Oh, you're the stubborn type. I like that.
Her clone summoned daggers too.
They clashed, blade against blade.
Their dance was nearly flawless.
Ryn fused her daggers into a single sword.
— Alright, playtime's over.
She struck with force.
The clone blocked, then retaliated with a flurry of blows.
Ryn blocked them, then overwhelmed her clone from all sides — her strikes came from every angle, and the clone struggled to keep up.
---
Valor bombarded the battlefield with energy beams.
His clone dodged everything, moving at a comically fast pace.
— Stay still, please! Valor shouted.
The clone appeared right in front of him and punched with mana-charged force.
A smile spread across Valor's face.
A shield blocked the attack.
— Bad plan.
He extended his hand, pointed to the ground.
His clone was crushed by an invisible gravitational force.
Valor stepped forward, calm.
— Even if you're my clone, you'll never reach my perfection.
The perfection… of the great Valor.
The clone raised a finger from the ground.
— You're mostly the perfection of narcissism.
Valor smiled.
— I'll take that as a compliment.
A colossal energy beam fired from the clone.
Valor blocked it with a gesture, the air saturated with power.
— Interesting, you don't give up.
Alright… I like you.
---
Lya faced her reflection.
They stared at each other in silence.
The clone charged.
Instantly, it was chained, trapped in an illusion.
Lya approached calmly and slapped it repeatedly.
— Pathetic clone.
But the clone's body dissipated like smoke.
Lya raised an eyebrow.
— Oh?
The real clone lunged at her.
She dodged, parried, countered.
The strikes came at an inhuman pace.
Shadow tentacles erupted from the ground, chasing the clone.
It leapt away, but Lya reappeared above, delivering a monstrous vertical kick.
It passed through the clone — like a specter.
Lya landed smoothly.
— Clever, she murmured.
Then her third eye opened slowly.
— But not clever enough.
Chapter 110 – The Void's Obsession
Ivan rose slowly, brushing what looked like shadow dust from his shoulder.
A radiant smile split his face.
— Hahaha… Zarion, you're perfect for me.
Zarion exhaled, hand resting on his sword's hilt.
— Sorry, but you're not my type.
Ivan narrowed his eyes.
— What?
— You're obsessive and creepy at the same time, Zarion replied flatly. Like an overly devoted fan.
A moment of silence. Then Ivan exploded:
— SHUT UP!
He vanished in a burst of mist and reappeared right in front of Zarion, fist coated in energy.
Zarion blocked the strike with a flick of his blade.
The shockwave shook the battlefield, scattering shards of void around them.
Both fighters leapt back.
But suddenly, invisible slashes tore through Ivan's arms and legs.
Zarion reappeared instantly, ready to slice him into a thousand pieces.
Ivan regenerated before the blade could land, catching the strike barehanded.
A mad grin twisted his face.
Then, with an energy-charged kick, he sent Zarion flying, his sword skidding across the ground.
Zarion slid, snatched his blade mid-motion, and stood again.
— Okay, you've got skills. But you've also got a serious attachment issue.
He swept the air with a fluid motion.
Invisible slashes erupted from all directions, tearing into Ivan in a storm of cuts.
Ivan crossed his arms, taking the hits. Each wound closed instantly.
— Hahaha… that tickles, Ivan said with a manic smile.
Then he spread his arms.
The void condensed around him, forming hundreds of floating blades.
They surged toward Zarion.
Zarion advanced calmly, blocking each blade, slicing through those he couldn't dodge.
His dark gaze remained fixed, unflinching.
He ended up face-to-face with Ivan.
They struck simultaneously.
Blade and fist collided in a deafening boom.
A shockwave tore through the zone, shattering nearby illusions.
They stepped back, caught their breath, then charged again at blinding speed.
Each impact echoed through the world.
— Zarion! Ivan shouted, laughing. I'm obsessed with your perfect body! Tell me, how did you get it?!
Zarion sighed.
— Not telling you. Also, take a nap. You need it.
Ivan burst into laughter, lost in his madness.
— HAHAHA, I'll have you, whether you want it or not!
Zarion murmured:
— I seriously doubt that.
---
Elsewhere…
Nova eyed his clone.
— Alright… all means are fair in war.
He raised his sword.
— Void Art – Ninth Movement: Multiple Void Slashes!
His clone instantly mirrored the move.
Both warriors vanished into a hurricane of invisible blades.
Their slashes canceled each other out, ripping space apart.
Nova stepped back, gritting his teeth.
— He copies everything. Even my stylish pauses. Okay… time to go all in.
He closed his eyes.
Silence fell.
The void filled him. His breath, his thoughts — gone.
When he opened his eyes, his aura had changed.
It no longer glowed — it absorbed light.
— Void Art – Sixteenth Movement: Absolute Void.
His blade turned translucent, vibrating with indescribable energy.
Each motion warped reality around him.
The clone tried to follow… but for the first time, it couldn't predict.
Nova had become unpredictable.
Each strike hit the unseen, even slicing through the void itself.
— Not copying anymore, huh? Nova said with a smirk.
The clone cracked, then exploded in a silent wave.
Nova sheathed his blade.
— And that's that. Original > Copy. As always.
---
Valor kept his clone pinned to the ground with gravity.
— Stay calm, it's for your own good, he said in a professorial tone.
He raised his foot, ready to crush its head.
But the clone reversed gravity, launching Valor into the air.
— What?!
Valor flipped midair and unleashed a meteor shower, shouting:
— METEOR OF SUPREME PERFECTION!
The clone tried to counter, but stone chains erupted from the ground, binding it.
Its mana was sealed instantly.
— Bad karma, buddy, Valor said with a grin.
The meteors crashed. A cataclysmic explosion swept the area.
When the dust settled, the clone was still alive, crawling.
Valor appeared before it, placing a foot on its head.
— That's what you get for trying to imitate my perfection.
A blue flame appeared in his hand.
— Goodbye, discount version of me.
He cast the flame.
The clone vaporized instantly.
Valor sighed, ran a hand through his hair.
— Even reduced to ashes, I'm still magnificent.
---
Ryn fought at near-invisible speed.
Her clone blocked every strike with twin daggers.
— Impressive, you've got style, Ryn admitted. But not enough.
The clone activated magic circles, unleashing a rain of light beams.
Ryn dashed at full speed, dodging every shot.
She leapt, blade raised, and unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes.
The clone blocked, but Ryn's strength increased with each hit thanks to her buffs.
— Surprised you're keeping up… but don't die too fast, she said with a smile.
She extended her hand.
Chains of light burst from the ground, chasing the clone.
It tried to fly, but a kick from Ryn slammed it back down.
The chains closed in, locking it completely.
Ryn looked to the sky.
A massive magic circle formed above them.
— Disintegration.
A colossal beam of light descended.
The clone was obliterated, leaving only a smoking crater.
Ryn sighed.
— Copy my buffs, sure. Copy my patience? Never.
---
Lya calmly faced her clone.
Her third eye opened wide.
The scenery shifted.
The clone found itself chained above a sea of lava.
— You think you'll trap me with an illusion? the clone shouted.
Lya smiled.
— Think again. This isn't an illusion. I just… reshaped reality.
The clone screamed, trying to become intangible.
Nothing.
Its hands slowly dissolved.
— Now you understand, Lya whispered.
She closed her eyes.
— Disappear.
The clone was swallowed by the lava, screaming one last time.
Lya opened her eyes, standing tall, impassive.
— Copying my gaze is easy. Enduring it… is something else.
---
Meanwhile, Zarion and Ivan continued their battle at the heart of the void.
The ground cracked, dimensions twisted.
One fought to kill.
The other, to possess.
And in the shadows… something watched.
Chapter 111 – Resurgence of the Void
Zarion, black blade in hand, scanned the battlefield.
The ground was nothing but unstable energy and fractures of void.
— I think I'm the last one left, he murmured. The others have finished with their clones.
A mocking voice echoed above him.
Valor appeared in midair, hands in his pockets, floating like he was out for a Sunday stroll.
— Ah, the great Zarion, always the last to finish.
He teleported right in front of him, flashing a bright grin.
— Hurry up and finish him, man. Liora can probably hear us from miles away.
Zarion sighed.
— Yeah, but you were too busy admiring your own glow.
A vein pulsed on Ivan's forehead, still standing despite his wounds.
— Arrogant fools! You think defeating me is so easy?!
Valor raised an eyebrow.
— Honestly? You're not that impressive.
Ivan, enraged, screamed:
— Insolent!
From the ground, blades of shadow erupted in every direction, rushing toward Valor.
He remained still, arms crossed, a small smile on his lips.
— Seriously? That's it?
Zarion, with a swift motion, sliced through all the blades in an instant.
Then he charged at Ivan, his speed leaving trails of void in the air.
Shadow threads wrapped around him, trying to restrain him, but Zarion cut through them with a flurry of slashes so fast they seemed to happen before he moved.
At that moment, Ryn appeared in front of Ivan.
Three overlapping magic circles materialized in the air, spinning at a furious pace.
This time, she gave him no chance.
— Disintegration.
A blinding explosion tore through the zone.
The light lasted several seconds before a shadow emerged.
A blackened arm suddenly clamped around Ryn's throat. Ivan, charred but standing, strangled her with a wicked grin.
Zarion intervened in a blink.
With a clean slash, he severed Ivan's arm.
Ryn leapt back and landed beside Valor, catching her breath.
— This guy's seriously clingy, she growled.
A ripple of air made everyone shiver.
Nova appeared, his void aura manifesting like a silent storm.
— Void Art, Sixteenth Movement… Absolute Void.
He lunged at Ivan, slicing him from every angle — arms, legs, chest.
Ivan staggered, regenerated instantly, and a twisted smile stretched across his face.
— You all look so alike… it's almost adorable.
---
Lya descended from the sky, landing beside Valor and Ryn.
Her gaze briefly settled on Ivan before turning to Zarion.
— Situation?
Valor raised his hand, palm open toward Ivan.
— See that silhouette over there? Yeah, the one stubbornly refusing to die.
Lya nodded.
— Perfect. Thanks to your clones, I've harvested their mimicry and hunger traits.
— Their copying ability was limited, but I… I can use it to its full potential.
An eye materialized on her forehead — the third eye, pulsing with void energy.
Ivan chuckled.
— Copying won't make you stronger than me.
Lya replied calmly:
— That remains to be seen.
She dashed toward him, twin shadow daggers in hand.
Ivan did the same, their silhouettes vanishing into a flurry of invisible strikes.
The impacts echoed like thunder.
Lya tracked his movements with her eye, but even then, blocking everything was difficult.
A slash cut her cheek, then Ivan struck her with a charged blow, sending her flying.
She caught herself by planting her daggers into the ground, breathing heavily.
— He doesn't want me copying his attacks… If I go intangible, he'll do the same — and then we're screwed.
A hand rested on her shoulder.
Zarion.
— Alright, let me handle this one.
---
Zarion looked up, and his eyes turned black as the abyss.
The Eyes of the Void awakened.
The air around him grew heavy, as if even light refused to approach.
He extended his hand.
Primordial Void energy condensed in his palm.
— Time to end this.
In an instant, Ivan was sliced apart.
His body disintegrated, the Primordial Void nullifying all his abilities.
Regeneration was impossible.
Zarion approached slowly, his gaze blank.
— Any last words?
Ivan tried to speak:
— Wait…
Zarion raised his sword.
— Eye of the Void – Judgment of the Abyss.
A black light engulfed Ivan.
And he vanished. Erased from reality.
Zarion sheathed his blade.
— Alright, let's go home.
Lya closed her third eye, her face returning to normal.
— That was kinda fun, she admitted.
Valor, fixing his hair:
— Fun? Or were you just admiring the great Valor in action?
Lya raised an eyebrow.
— Yeah, yeah, keep dreaming.
A crack echoed.
Everyone turned.
The ground trembled.
A sinister laugh rose from the void.
The particles that had formed Ivan slowly reassembled.
But this time, something else was at work.
His energy was no longer his own.
It was older, heavier, divine.
Ivan opened his eyes — multicolored, glowing.
— Thank you… Lord Vael.
A massive silhouette with multicolored eyes briefly appeared behind him — a shadow whose presence threatened to erase everything.
Nova gripped his blade.
— Oh no… this smells like a ridiculously overpowered final boss.
Valor sighed.
— As long as he doesn't mess up my beautiful face, I'm fine.
Zarion slowly raised his head, his gaze hardening.
— Get ready.
— This fight… won't be like the others.
Chapter 112 – World Oblivion
Moments before Ivan's reappearance…
His body was slowly disintegrating, each fragment dissolving into a space without shape, without color, without time.
A place where even memories were devoured.
A place even the void feared.
World Oblivion.
The realm of eternal forgetting.
Ivan collapsed to his knees.
His body was nothing more than a blurred silhouette, half-erased.
He raised his head and cried out:
— Where… where am I?!
A hand gently touched his face.
A calm, almost amused voice echoed:
— You are where all existence ends… where even gods fall silent.
Before him stood a tall figure, black hair tied back, eyes shimmering with a thousand shifting hues.
His gaze changed color every second, oscillating between gold, blue, and red.
His aura alone twisted the space around him.
It was Vael.
Ivan, voice trembling:
— Vael… the real… Vael?
Vael tilted his head slightly, a serene smile on his lips.
— In flesh, in form, and in cosmic immensity. Welcome to my domain, Ivan. World Oblivion.
Here, all existence is reduced to nothing. Nothing escapes. Not even you.
Ivan clenched his teeth.
— So… this is how I disappear? Like a worthless memory?
Vael stared at him, amused.
— Come now. You should thank me. If I hadn't pulled you into my world before your dissolution, you would've ceased to exist instantly.
Ivan looked up hesitantly.
— Why… why did you save me?
Vael chuckled softly, a deep, melodic laugh.
— Saved? No. Let's say… I enjoy observing interesting pieces before they vanish.
He stepped closer.
— You amuse me, Ivan. And you might be useful.
Ivan frowned.
— What do you mean?
Vael extended his hand, a divine shimmer running along his finger.
— I'll give you a fragment of my power. But be warned: one misstep, and you'll be erased instantly.
You're playing with pure void energy — the origin of non-existence itself.
Ivan, panting, placed a hand on his chest.
— I accept. I refuse to disappear so easily.
Vael smiled.
— As I hoped.
He touched Ivan's chest.
A jet of black light pierced through him, and the entire world seemed to tremble.
Ivan screamed, his body twisting under the impact.
Multicolored lightning burst from his skin, and his eyes took on the same shifting hues as Vael's.
— Do you feel… this power? Vael asked calmly.
Ivan, gasping, nodded.
— Yes… incredible… terrifying…
Vael walked away slowly, his steps echoing in the void.
— Perfect. Then go back, and do whatever you wish. That's all I ask.
Ivan frowned.
— You… don't want anything in return?
Vael stopped and turned his head, a mysterious smile on his lips.
— No. Chaos already does the job for me.
And with those words, the world of Oblivion cracked.
Ivan felt an invisible force pulling him back, his body reassembling piece by piece… until he reappeared in reality.
---
Back in the Purple Dungeon
A breath swept through the air.
The ground trembled.
The heroes, still catching their breath from the previous battle, turned in unison.
And there… he stood.
Ivan. Alive.
But changed.
His multicolored eyes glowed with supernatural intensity, and his aura bent space around him.
Each step he took made the ground vibrate, as if he walked on the heartbeat of the world.
He slowly raised his head, locking eyes with Zarion.
— Thank you… Master Vael.
Silence fell — heavy, suffocating.
Zarion, wary, placed his hand on his sword's hilt.
— How did you do that? How did you escape dissolution? And… what is this energy? It's… unstable. Dangerous.
Ivan flashed a predatory smile.
— That's none of your concern.
Zarion charged without hesitation.
His black blade sliced through the air — but Ivan blocked it… with a single hand.
The impact shattered the ground beneath them.
A bead of sweat rolled down Zarion's forehead.
He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: instinctive fear.
Ivan looked up, his pupils glowing with divine light.
— You see, Zarion… now it's your turn to taste oblivion.
A chill ran through the group.
Valor stepped back, his face suddenly serious.
— I hate to say it, but… this is really bad.
Nova gripped his sword tightly.
— For once, I agree with the narcissist.
Lya, a nervous smile tugging at her lips, murmured:
— And here I thought we'd finally get a break…
Zarion, eyes locked on Ivan, whispered:
— This won't be a normal fight.
---
In the Palace of the Void
An infinite black space, dotted with strands of light and fragments of broken realities.
On a throne carved from the matter of void and inverted light itself, Vael sat, relaxed, watching the scene through a misty screen.
Beside him, Death leaned against the throne's back, arms crossed.
— You're acting weird today. Why'd you help him?
Vael shrugged, a sly smile on his lips.
— I'm allowed to have fun, aren't I?
Farther off, Valt and Nyxa exchanged glances.
Nyxa sighed:
— The old man's really off today.
Valt added:
— Yeah… feels like he's setting up something twisted. And while we're at it, could you explain, boss, the difference between your "Abyssal Realm" and this "World Oblivion"? Because even I'm lost.
Vael raised his hand and conjured two spheres:
One black, pulsing — the other translucent, vibrating.
— Alright. The Abyssal Realm, he said, is like a cosmic prison.
I trap everything I absorb there: entities, gods, architects… even concepts.
It's a place beyond time, space, and narrative — beyond causality.
Everything that enters is erased from reality, but… still exists, within the Abyss.
A sort of "eternal trash bin," if you will.
He spun the black sphere between his fingers.
— Everyone thinks they're erased, but in truth, they still live… in silence.
Then he pointed to the translucent sphere, glowing with fragments of universes:
— World Oblivion, on the other hand… is my body.
It's beyond time, space, and any possible narrative.
Absolutely inaccessible.
Anything that enters — unless it's my incarnation or avatar — is simply erased.
Plunged into absolute oblivion.
Vael leaned forward on his throne, an amused smile on his lips:
— And just to be clear… this "Palace of the Void" here?
It's just a drop of my World Oblivion.
Nyxa blinked.
— A drop?
Vael shrugged:
— Yep. Let's say it's my lounge. Everyone needs a quiet corner — even incarnations of the void.
Valt raised an eyebrow, smirking:
— "Quiet corner"? Dude, you decorated your lounge with floating skulls and dead stars.
Vael chuckled.
— Everyone has their vibe, right?
Death sighed:
— And I'm the one they call morbid…