He gestures toward the aberration, its form still writhing as it struggles to repair itself.

"Do you have any idea how long it took to perfect that creation? How many failures paved its path?"

"You say that like I’m supposed to care" Ezra responds, spitting out the blood in his mouth.

"No matter" the elf replies. "Your death is already set in stone"

While gasping for air, Ezra completes his assessment of the current situation and reserves his reply.

On cue, he turns and sprints towards the aberration, who lets out a guttural roar, and transforms its arm into an elongated but thin cudgel fully covered in spikes ready to turn Ezra into a pin cushion.

Watching all this, the elf clicks his tongue in distaste.

’Was I overly kind in my evaluation?’ the elf wonders, watching Ezra. ’If he doesn’t have a high enough intellect to understand the current situation, then perhaps I overestimated his potential as a threat’

The elf shakes his head only slightly in disapproval, ’How bland. This fight will much shorter than I anticipated’

Just as the elf is making his conclusions, Ezra reaches within three feet of the aberration.

Here, he does the unexpected.

’This is going to hurt!’

As the aberration swung its spiked cudgel, Ezra tossed Skyfall into his left hand and amplified his right hand, specifically his palm, to soften the impact.

*Pa!*

As he expected, the cudgel pierces through his skin, making holes in his palm.

’UGH!’

Already expecting the pain, Ezra instantly initiates the second part of his plan and activates <Gatekeeper>.

Thus dragging both himself and the aberration into the sovereign universe, vanishing from sight.

Witnessing this, the elf becomes wide eyed for a good ten seconds, before his mouth curls into a smile and he begins laughing like a maniac. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Incredible!" The elf exclaims. "Absolutely fantastic! I knew you wouldn’t disappoint"

But while his tone radiated endless positivity, the malice in gaze only deepened, with his crimson eyes subtly glowing.

—------

Reappearing in the sovereign universe, both parties appear in the expanse of space, floating listlessly.

Ezra’s right palm is being seared significantly because the aberration had utilized his light affinity to burn his hands right as they teleported.

Taking advantage of the sudden change in environment, Ezra immediately cuts off the top portion of the cudgel with Skyfall, freeing himself from the entanglement.

Following up, he utilizes <sovereign movement>, teleporting to planet Ketta, to which he puts Skyfall down and concentrates on pushing out the pieces of the aberrations skin that were left in his right palm.

Utilizing both energy and his blood element, he slowly pushes every single particle of it out of his hand with a minute, to which they seep out of his wounds like water.

Golden water.

Completing this ordeal, Ezra involuntarily falls on his knees, gasping for breath as his chest heaves uncontrollably.

"Gah!" Ezra exclaims, spitting blood.

Tusslin with the aberration had been no easy feat.

And because of that, he immediately knew he couldn’t win the moment the elf came into the picture.

As such, Ezra quickly devised that his best move was to take away the aberration so it couldn’t be of use to the elf by the time both of them would fight.

Of course, that would happen only after a good nap, a deep one this time, because he is thoroughly exhausted.

The fatigue ran throughout his body, Ezra could feel it in his bones.

Without further ado, he teleports to Kingsmere and onto his ever so comfy bed, having forgotten to even take Skyfall along in his haste, he falls asleep in record time.

—--------

Ezra woke abruptly, his body trembling from the residual aches of his recent ordeal. Despite ten hours of sleep, the fatigue from his encounter with the aberration and the elf still lingered faintly in his bones.

He sits up and rubs his temple.

After a quick change into fresh combat attire, he teleported back to planet Ketta to retrieve Skyfall, his trusty weapon.

With his fatigue mostly gone and his strength restored, Ezra figured he rather finish things quickly.

Its gleaming blade seemed almost eager for the challenge ahead.

Ezra gave a firm nod before activating <Sovereign Movement>, reappearing in the same desolate clearing where he’d left the elf.

The elf was waiting.

Seated on an ornate, jagged throne of dark crystal that seemed to grow unnaturally from the ground, the elf exuded a chilling aura of malice.

His posture was elegant yet unsettling, one elbow resting on the armrest, his chin propped delicately on the back of his hand.

The fingers of his other hand drummed lazily against the throne, the rhythm irregular, like a countdown to doom.

His crimson eyes glowed faintly, their sharpness cutting through the air like a predator’s gaze locked on its prey.

A faint smirk played on his lips, one that hinted at countless unspeakable cruelties.

"Welcome back," the elf said smoothly, his voice carrying a melodious yet sinister undertone. "I’ve been waiting for your arrival. Ten hours, to be exact."

Ezra felt a chill creep down his spine as the elf’s words hung in the air.

"You sat here... for ten hours?" Ezra asked, masking his unease.

"Of course," the elf replied with a bright smile that failed to mask the malevolence in his gaze.

"What is time, after all, to someone like me? And besides..." His smile twisted into something darker. "...I was eager to continue our little dance"

The atmosphere grew thick with tension, a suffocating weight that bore down on Ezra’s shoulders.

He tightened his grip on Skyfall, his eyes never leaving the elf.

"Who are you?" Ezra finally asked, breaking the silence.

The elf leaned back in his throne, exuding the casual arrogance of someone entirely in control.

"Hmmm...You may call me Vorath," he said, his voice dripping with superiority.

"A name that once carried little significance, but now stands as a symbol of perseverance and... transformation."

Vorath gestured to himself with a flourish. "I am a Mage and a Sylvan Elf, those known noble guardians of the forests. Heh, at least I was"

"I was amongst the first set of people to set into this realm on an expedition with many more teammates. We sought knowledge, power, and enlightenment. But as with all pursuits of grandeur, greed seeped into our ranks"

His crimson eyes darkened, and his voice grew cold.

"I was betrayed, left for dead by those I trusted. But even in my lowest moments, I clung to life, fueled by rage and a burning desire for retribution. I discovered... methods. Unorthodox ones. Souls of the fallen, woven into my essence. They granted me strength beyond my wildest dreams"

Ezra’s brows furrowed. "You consumed the souls of your own comrades?"

Vorath shrugged, his expression indifferent. "Well, not them, they died to trials here, but those after them...A small price for survival and supremacy. And now, here we are"

Ezra’s grip on Skyfall tightened. "Doing such things...what is your end goal?"

Vorath chuckled, a hollow, chilling sound. "End goal? Who knows? Power is its own justification. But if I were to entertain the question..."

He leans forward, his gaze bearing in on Ezra. "Perhaps I simply wish to see how far I can go, how much I can grow"

Ezra’s jaw clenched. "You’ve lost your mind."

"Perhaps," Vorath said, his smile widening. "But enough talk. I must admit, your insolence has grated on my nerves more than most. And for that..."

His aura flared suddenly, an oppressive wave of killing intent that made the air itself feel heavier. "...I will make you experience a whole new realm of suffering"

Without another word, Ezra shifts into a fighting stance, his instincts screaming at him to stay alert. Vorath, however, merely smirks.

"You think you’re strong enough to fight me?"

Before Ezra can react, Vorath vanishes, reappearing at his side a blur of motion.

Processing what happened, Ezra goes ’oh-oh’

He could instinctively feel things were about to take a bad turn.

SMACK!

A crushing blow slammed into Ezra’s ribs, sending him skidding across the ground.

The force of the blow sent Ezra sprawling, his vision momentarily swimming.

"Did you truly believe," Vorath said, his tone mocking, "that because I command creatures like that aberration, I would lack in strength myself?"

WACK!

"How naive"

Another strike landed, and Ezra barely managed to stay on his feet.

"I’ve been here for decades, refining my power," Vorath continued, his tone almost casual.

His movements blur as he appears above Ezra, delivering a brutal kick to his chest.

"It would be an insult to my efforts if I didn’t have at least this much strength"

Ezra hit the ground hard, coughing up blood. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to focus.

Wack!

A sharp strike to his back left him gasping for air, pain radiating through his entire body.

Vorath loomed over him, his crimson eyes glowing brighter. "Do you see now, Ezra? You’re nothing. A mere insect flailing against a storm."

Another blow connected, this time a punch to his shoulder, the force of it sending him sprawling a third time.

The beating continues, with Ezra being utterly ragdolled, tossed all over the place with every one of Voraths strikes.

Ezra struggles to even defend, his body battered by strikes he couldn’t even see coming much less react to.

Each blow felt like it was breaking his body piece by piece.

’Think, damn it!’ Ezra’s mind races, desperation clawing at him.

At such a desperate moment, he hurriedly calls on his advisor.

’Zydrax! Help me’

[Well this going badly] Zydrax’s voice echoed in his mind, calm but urgent.

’I noticed!’ Ezra replied mentally, getting hit with another kick to the head. ’I’m barely holding on! What’s the plan?!’

[Just listen to my instructions. Sheesh, why did you pick a fight a ascendant?]

’How was I supposed to know he was this strong?!’

Ezra gritted his teeth, focusing on Zydrax’s advice, he puts Skyfall right in front of his face, reducing the force of Voraths kick.

Thinking it to be a fluke, Voraths strikes elsewhere, only for Ezra to block it again.

Well, only semi block it, but still.

Vorath raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

"You can’t see me, yet you’re starting to put up somewhat adequate defenses" Vorath mused, his tone tinged with amusement. "How Fascinating. You always to manage to surprise me. Just who—or what—is aiding you?"

Ezra doesn’t answer.

Instead, he slams Skyfall into the ground, releasing a shockwave of energy that forced Vorath to momentarily retreat.

"That’s it," Zydrax encouraged. [Keep him guessing. Don’t let him dictate the flow of the battle]

Ezra focused his energy, summoning a series of spikes from the ground to impede Vorath’s movement.

The elf dodged them effortlessly, but the slight delay gave Ezra a chance to catch his breath.

"You’re persistent, I’ll give you that," Vorath said, his tone laced with grudging respect. "But persistence alone won’t save you."

Ezra clenched his fists, his determination burning brighter despite the odds. "We’ll see about that."

The battle resumed, and while Vorath still held the upper hand, Ezra’s defenses grew sharper with Zydrax’s guIdance.

Each exchange revealed more about Vorath’s fighting style, and slowly but surely, Ezra began to adapt.

The tide of the fight was far from turning, but for the first time since it began, Ezra felt a spark of hope.