As the Middle Veil became a complete battle of winged creatures against the realm itself, those whoâd been living here for untold numbers of years could do nothing but watch the magnificence taking place.
From each and every domain and safe place, inhabitants of the Middle Veil could see figures constantly pouring in from the massive riftâbillions of faceless, multi-winged warriors clad in armor that drank light, swords gleaming with the cold essence of Truth, Desire, and Ruin.
Not just that, they could clearly feel the power of Concepts, but these were much more devastating than anything theyâd ever come across. Ruin at even 10% was stronger than 99% of the Concepts solely because it was a Conceptual Existence itself, then the power of Desireâit was being used by Desire itself.
So, how would it be weak?
SHK!
SHK!
As they watched beasts slain with simple cuts.... limbs severed clean, bodies dissolving into rose-pink mistâand entire domains exploded from single sword arcs.
BOOM!
The ground shattering outward in violent blooms of light and shadow, they were dumbfounded.
It looked completely ridiculous... but this was only because they didnât understand âPrimordia Truthââinevitable attacks that disregarded all known defensive measures, cutting through natureâs laws like paper through flame.
With it being powered by two powerful Concepts... it showed no trouble contesting against the Concepts of Nature and these beasts.
Through each death, desire began to manifest this realm anewâfrom corpses rose Primavus creatures similar to those in the Lower Abyss, pale and beautiful, wings unfurling in rose-pink light as they took their first breathsâand from destroyed domains appeared new and rejuvenated lands... forests blooming in impossible colors, rivers flowing with liquid starlight, earth itself breathing with fresh vitality.
"Just... what the hell is going on..." Kravos, The Adamant spoke as his voice sounded like grinding steel.
He along with the other four stood in the same place theyâd met Ash, watching the scene take placeâthe sky torn open, warriors pouring through like a flood of judgment, the realm itself twisting under waves of rose-pink power.
"Ash... Ash Originat?" Zon Shade questioned before his eyes widened in shock.
"Impossible!" All five of them exclaimed at once... It was true they believed Ash to be strong enough to form an Extraction Squad... but theyâd seen for themselves how he seemingly copied their ranks with a Stellar Law...
They truly had no hope for the group in surviving.
However, as they saw this utter nonsense... respect, admiration, and other feelings began to sproutâslowly at first, then blooming like the very lands below, eyes widening, breaths catching, hearts stirring with something between awe and terror.
And as they did, the man in question smiled as Nexus began to report the incoming affection.
"Haha, All eyes on me!" He laughed in the skies as he stood watching the change happen right before his eyes.
RUMBLEEEEEE
The entire Middle Veil began to rumble as all the changes of desire began to halt.
No more structures appeared... nothing else manifested as the creatures and the realm itself grew more malevolentâthe new Primavus twisted with darker edges, the rejuvenated lands sprouting thorns and black vinesâand the clashes between the warriors and the realm became more intenseâclaws rending armor, swords cleaving through bark and stone, the air thick with the scent of ozone and blood.
Ash frowned as he spread his mana sense covering the whole realm in entirety.
It was something heâd already done when coming here but he didnât see anything out of the ordinary... However, now he could see a rift opening right in the center of this realm.
It was as if something was clawing its way from the deepest pits of hellâedges fraying like torn flesh, darkness bleeding outward in thick, oily tendrils, the air around it curdling with malevolent intent.
Seeing this he shifted his eyes to Kaelthyr and Sylvie whom were watching this in shock much like everyone else. He covered them inside of pure Desire, Ruin along with the Law of Chaos.
Although it was merely a Law it blended well with this realmâs natureâwrapping them in a protective shroud of rose-pink and black that shimmered like oil on water, masking their presence completely.
He then disappeared, reappearing right above the rift. His eyes immediately began to appraise the figure crawling through as the person stood upright locking eyes with Ash. It was a man standing at about 6 foot 8 inches tall with a lean build.
He had muscles that seemed to be sculpted by the finest sculptorâevery line defined, every curve lethal. He had ears that were pointy and long, skin that was pale with green eyes that held dead leavesâfaded, lifeless foliage swirling slowly in the irises like autumn trapped in amber.
[Mael Duskbane
Age - 2.1 Million Years Old
Race - Dark Prime Elf (Bloodline of Unending Nature (Divine)
Rank - Late Void Emperor
Talents - View?
Concepts - Blight 100%, Inversion 65%
Remarks - Puppet of Middle Veil. Long ago, even before the current factions set root, Mael tried taking advantage of the Middle Veilâa once blooming realm of endless opportunities.
He wanted it to become his personal realm of malevolence and dark nature. A place that would help lead to his comprehension of a new concept. However... the world fought back, trapping his soul into its core...
He is virtually unkillable unless his soul is destroyed.]
----
"Itâs always some extraness going on." Ash said shaking his head looking at the remarks.
âLike come on, am I supposed to destroy the whole world?â He thought internally as Mael launched at him.
As he moved, Blight passively deteriorated the world even moreâgrass blackening, stone crumbling to dust, air turning thick and rancid with decay. He used no weapon as he attacked Ash barehandedâfists blurring with green-black energy, each strike leaving trails of rotting void.
Ash swiftly dodged all the incoming attacks as he quickly thought of a way out of this.
It made no sense attacking the guy right now if he couldnât kill him. So, he dodged and kept him occupied while his mind racedâbody flowing like water between strikes, feet barely touching the ground, each evasion a graceful dance through the deteriorating landscape.
His body kept moving, shields born of pure desire flaring to life whenever he falteredârose-pink barriers shimmering like liquid silk, soaking up impacts with gentle thumps before melting seamlessly back into his skin.
His bloodline also continued to adapt as his body began to shift into better forms to help with evasionâmuscles lengthening for greater reach, joints loosening for impossible flexibility, senses sharpening until every incoming fist felt slow and predictable, the world slowing around him as though time itself bent to his rhythm.
As he moved around the battlefield he smiled as he thought of the most nonsensical thing. There were many ways he could have gone about dealing with this mindless dark elf. However, Ash being who he was, the simplest things always seemed like fleeting thoughts.
He channeled his power of Original Desire into his two talents that he willed into action.
|Infinite Desire Sovereign (Paragon)|
|Eternal Origin Nexus (Paragon)|
HUMMMM!
In the midst of him dodging he spoke simple words to the deepest parts of Maelâs existenceâso much so that his Soul that was trapped in the Worldâs Core shuddered, a faint tremor rippling through the ground beneath them.
"Enough... you donât seek malevolence, but peace."
Those words caused the Elf to stop mid-motionâfists frozen inches from Ashâs face, green eyes flickering with confusion, then recognition, then sorrow.
Then as the Eternal Origin Nexus began to work...
A massive, translucent sphere of pure rose-pink light manifested above the riftâsmooth, flawless, like a bubble of solidified desire that caught the faint light of dying stars. Inside the sphere, reality foldedâspace itself bending inward, creating a pocket dimension separate from existence.
The container was not a prison of chains or stone; it was a mirror of Maelâs own soulâperfect, serene, isolatedâseparating him from his own existence so completely that his soul entered state of false death...
He wasnât dead, but his soul, could no longer spread blight or inversion. The sphere pulsed onceâsoftly, gentlyâthen sealed shut with a faint, melodic CHIME, locking Mael inside a timeless dream of peace he had long forgotten he wanted.
The moment it was done Elysia spoke.
[I was wondering just how you would beat this guy. In the meantime Iâve already copied his race along with his concepts using Conceptual Sight.] She then continued.
[Honestly, I find it admirable how you make the simplest situations so hard. You couldâve simply tossed that guy into your inner cosmos and been done.] She teased him causing him to smile a bit wryly.
"Well... thatâs just who I am." He said with a chuckle before he teleported back to the other two... With Mael gone, sealed and sent away into his inner cosmos... the realm began to falter once again as desire spread all over.
Before there were certain areas that would resist the spread, but now that his connection to his soul was severed the realm itself was once reverting to what it used to beâblackened earth blooming with rose-pink flowers, dead trees unfurling green leaves, the air clearing of rot and filling with faint, sweet fragrance.
And with such a showcase... Heâd gained enough affection for the Void Emperor rank.
It didnât take much work at all as once one was interested in him then it wouldnât end. From the moment they laid eyes on him weeks ago the slightest affection had been gained.
Then through this feat of... this nonsense he was gaining the affection of nearly everyone in this realm.