Inside the grand war room, Vaerion, Selyra, and the leading nobles, clan chiefs, and generals of Neyru stood solemnly before a massive projection orb. On the screen, Ary's fierce battle with Torvath played out in real-time—a reminder that the fate of their world hung in the balance.
It had been over a day since the invasion began. Losses had already piled up on both sides, but neither Ary nor Torvath had shown any sign of faltering. Their duel raged on—equal parts strength, skill, and resolve.
----
Far above Neyru's barrier, the emptiness of space was twice as tense. Asteroids drifted silently around the combatants, like silent sentinels bearing witness to the massive clash.
Torvath was in his element—his Abyssal Eclipse in full effect, consuming every shadow around him, manipulating them into thorned tendrils of pure darkness that snaked through space, crushing asteroids or restraining Ary's movements.
Ary, weary and bruised, clawed her way out from beneath a massive rock.
"Fuck!" she spat, pushing the debris away with sheer willpower. She had held back her own power thus far, hoping Torvath would wear down first—but he remained relentless.
Torvath's mocking laughter echoed in the void:
"Haha, come on, little girl. Use your ability—or better yet, your domain!"
He materialized before her in a swirl of shadow. With one hand, he seized Ary by the throat as shadow tendrils coiled violently around her limbs. With the other, he sent her hurtling into a field of floating rocks.
BOOM. BOOOM. BOOOOM.
Ary lashed out with her sword to break free, and the asteroids erupted around her as though they were fireworks—debris and dust swirling in gravity's absence. She staggered to her feet, her attire torn, her once-pristine battle dress now marred by blood and scratch. She'd fought a full day without stopping, and the toll was showing.
But Torvath's Abyssal Eclipse had also come at a cost—his ability consumed his mana consistently, and the strain was beginning to show.
Ary's grip tightened around her blade.
"Fine then. Be careful what you wish for."
---
With pain and resolve etched into every line of her face, Ary activated her innate ability and her domain in a single breath.
|Blade of Absolute Precision|
When activated, Ary's sword glows with a pale blue light that sharpens her physical form. Every movement is calculated, every strike a perfect intersection of timing and force. Even in the weightless expanse of space, her strikes land with surgical accuracy, ignoring flaws in technique, altitude, or angle.
|Equilibrium Arc|
Her domain manifests as a ring of shimmering blue light surrounding her in all directions, forming a perfect circle of calm in the chaos of the void. This ring has two properties:
Balance Field: It nullifies force extremes—eliminating momentum-based attacks and shockwaves. In the domain, all force is equalized to a precise tension, meaning Torvath's smash becomes a light tap, and his shadow spikes bend away.
Precision Edge: Attacks routed through the domain will trace a path of least resistance—meaning Ary's perfectly timed strike will follow that path, undodgeable even by Torvath's domain.
As Torvath surged forward, abyssal tendrils lashing like serpents, they dissolved the moment they entered her domain. Ary remained steadfast, eyes narrowing with icy calm.
---
Torvath advanced again, fists glowing with dark power. He threw a blow meant to shatter bones. The force was tremendous, but at the edge of Ary's domain, it slowed, bones absorbing the blow with uniform strength.
CLANG!
Ary countered instantly—with the Blade of Absolute Precision, she slid between Torvath's blocked strike, slicing through the air directly across his chest. The blade cut through darkness, into flesh. With incredible precision, she targeted the heart. Blood—black as night—splattered in slow motion, suspended in the void.
Torvath staggered—a crack in his armor. He was wounded and caught off-guard. He gave a guttural roar, pain flaring in his eyes.
Ary's domain—and precision—had turned the tide.
---
The projection of the battle shook the war room with energy. Vaerion's fist tightened, Selyra leaned forward, every eye locked on Ary's domain becoming visible as a pulsing circle surrounding her.
A noble gasped.
"By the Moonlight Blade... she's activated her Domain—Equilibrium Arc. Torvath is faltering."
Vaerion glanced toward Selyra.
"She's turning the fight. Send reinforcements now—every cultivator who can fly!"
Selyra nodded and flicked her wrist.
"Mobilize every defensive squad. The tide is shifting, but the battle has just begun."