Zatiel's sword and Nihilak's hand clashed, marking the first real contact between the forces of both sides. A blast of energy that formed cracks in the fabric of reality emerged from that single collision as the Samsara Thearch and Knight vanished from everybody's sight.
The Thearchs, Sacred Kings, and Knights understood that for people of their level, moving up and down would not work in a place like the Emptiness, where there was so little force restricting the collateral damage of their attacks.
Middle Stage life forms unleashed spells that could obliterate everything in a radius of a billion light years. That was enough to encompass the entire battlefield and more, which was why Zatiel and Nihilak moved to a parallel dimension.
It was like a mirror dimension. The Samsara Thearch and the Harbinger of Desolation could hear and see everything that happened in the main plane of the Emptiness, but their fight would not reach it.
The Samsara Thearch's eyes were cold as he triggered Reflection of Annihilation and hacked with his flaming sword.
Nihilak's killing intent was not any less than Zatiel's, as he clenched his right fist, generating a black hole around this one and facing the flaming sword head-on.
"BOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!"
Waves of dark fire and gravitational force, and dark purple fire exploded everywhere. They would have killed everything beneath Extreme Rank 9 if not for the duo's move to the parallel dimension.
Zatile tightened his grip around the sword and pushed it forward, his eyes full of fierceness as he attempted to cut Nihilak's body in half. The dark fire coating his weapon was capable of cutting the arm of a universe-size Late Stage's remnant in one single movement, yet it could not reach the enemy this time.
Nihilak's intent was not any less fierce. There was nothing in his eyes, but the desire to destroy Zatiel, and he was using his most potent weapon, gravity.
Gravity was a manifestation of the universal balance between creation and destruction. Yet, Nihilak twisted into something else, just like the Beyonder mutated every Law and Concept in its path.
By combining the powers of his Truth and Eternal Flame, the Knight mutated gravity into a cosmic force that drew all things toward their inevitable end. It is not merely a force that pulled objects closer but into the abyss of oblivion, a relentless undertow of destruction.
In terms of destruction, it was unmatched by any Truth or Concept that the Samsara Thearch had seen before.
Of course, there were dangers to using such corrupted force since it required an incredibly resilient body and soul to endure the gravitational pressure, but Nihilak had that covered. After all, his flesh, blood, and soul particles originated in a Late Stage life form.
As Zatiel and Nihiliak attempted to overcome each other, the Emptiness Thearch and Revenge Thearch clashed with the Echo of Doom and the Bringer of Extinction.
Silver armor covered Ezequiel's entire body, as black-white lighting coating his fist clashed with Tormentras' ax.
Venganza had a samsara wheel behind his back with seven realms that depicted the original sins, glowing with power. Dark red flames set his body ablaze as he sent a palm strike toward Ravakir, who responded with a blast of darkness full of howling souls.
As soon as the Thearchs and Knights collided with each other, they moved to a parallel dimension as well. However, it was not a new one, but where the battle between Zatiel and Nihilak was happening.
Waves of dark fire and gravitational force flooded the battlefield that Ezequiel, Venganza, Tormentras, and Ravakir had just entered. A sharp light appeared in the eyes of the four as they glanced at the collision between the sword and fist.
It immediately became clear for the Thearchs and Knights that only after defeating their own opponents would they be able to influence the battle between Zatiel and Nihilak.
Since that was the case, the Thearchs and Knights emptied their minds of anything but the enemy before them.
Ezequiel's body bulged as a crown of fourteen Suns of Origin around his head glowed with majestic light, allowing his body and soul to commute with the Emptiness, making its power his own.
That burst of energy came along with a golden flame that set the Emptiness Thearch's body ablaze as the Eternal Flame of Freedom broke the limitations of his body, allowing this one to hold even more power.
Just like the Emptiness Thearch, Tormentras was someone that relied on physical might to fight, and he also took advantage of the powers of the world around him.
However, there was a significant difference between the duo's styles. While Ezequiel took control of the World Strength by commuting with the universe or Emptiness around him, Tormentras forced it.
The Knight's soul force was able to cover millions of light years. Every stream of light and every iota of energy of every atom in that domain was forcefully consumed, transforming into energy for Tormetras' body.
Cracking sounds emerged from the armor covering the Knight as his body bulged, and he hacked with monstrous strength. There was no lightning or fire in that attack, only pure and raw physical strength so high that it could sever Truths and Eternal Flames.
"BOOOOOOMMMMM!"
"CRACK!"
An explosion followed by cracks in the fabric of reality emerged when Ezequiel's lightning fists collided with Tormentras' ax.
"Hmph, the black-white force of the Lord of Emptiness. I don't understand how someone could reach the Middle Stage using the power of the Emptiness' ant drones."
There was mockery in Tormentras' words as he pushed his ax forward.
Ezequiel's eyes grew colder as he heard the way Tormentras referred to the Lord of Emptiness. He had not forgotten his promise to Pan Gu of freeing their kind from the self-destructing nature imposed by the Emptiness.
The black-white lightning around his fist burst with more power as he pushed back the ax.
"Great words for the puppet of an entity that chose to become a deformed tumor, capable of only bringing agony to others instead of accepting that it should have perished a long time ago."
Pure killing intent and rage burned inside Ezequiel and Tormentras' hearts as they heard the words from the other, both pushing their bodies with all they had.
Unlike the clash of physical power that could twist a universe to pieces, the collision between the forces of Venganza and Ravakir was of long range.
Dark red flames and darkness made of broken agonizing souls emerged from the Revenge Thearch and the Echo of Doom. After that initial clash, neither had made a move, only unleashing the full power of their cultivation and energies.
"It has been a long time since I saw one of my kind. A universe with a destiny great enough to give birth to the Sky Demon Race. No wonder the divine master is keen on consuming your home and devouring its destiny."
Venganza's eyes narrowed as he heard the words Sky Demon Race. It should be the name given to life forms born out of emotions across the Emptiness.
The Revenge Thearch was not so arrogant as to think that his kind was unique to the Daybreak Universe, but he soon shook his head as determination appeared in his eyes.
"I don't care about the Sky Demon Race. You and I are nothing alike. Your path only submerges you into greater corruption. I am a Depravita, and our goal is to always rise above our nature."
Ravakir showed a smile as he heard those words, and there was nothing but disdain in it.
"The limitations of your minds will always keep you caged. There is no such thing as good or evil. There is only power and those that submit to it.
You spoke about falling into corruption, but you failed to understand that I have risen above my nature a long time ago. However, unlike you, who chose a path that went against our race's creed, I evolved to a higher stage by following the Path of Order."
Venganza's face grew solemn as he heard Ravakir's words. Whatever this Path of Order was, it was clearly a way of gaining immense power, but he was able to remain focused.
"You spoke about my limitations when no matter the lucky changes and wisdom you obtain, you will never attain the power to rewrite reality."
Ravakir's eyes grew cold as he heard that. His loyalty to the Beyonder was engraved in the core of his soul, but he was capable of a certain level of free will and desire to grow stronger. However, there was no way the Beyonder would ever allow someone among its ranks to reach the Late Stage.
"You say you have risen above your nature, but in my eyes, you have just changed one chain for another."
The power of the dark red flames rose as Venganza uttered those words, improving his resolution.
Ravakir stared at the Depravita of Revenge for a moment before smiling.
"Whether your path or mine is the correct one will be decided by the winner of this battle."
