The Izigans who held the dome could barely withstand the force bursting from within. The Void hadn't even realized he was trapped before the Furious Three began their assault, but now the dome was shaking violently.
It wasn't going to hold much longer, they could feel it in their bones. Their faces grew pale, their hands trembled as they struggled to maintain their grip.
Blood streamed from some of their noses as they forced themselves to endure.
They had no idea what exactly was happening inside, but whatever it was, the cosmic energy kept rising, reaching levels far beyond what they were used to. Still, they held on to their duty with desperate determination.
Kate stared at the screen, unable to process what she was seeing. The others in the control room stood frozen as well.
"What the hell just happened? That doesn't make any sense! Did he just break through Construct Reality?" she shouted.
Construct Reality, the highest-level skill an Izigian could master. A dimensional cage born from merging reality with an alternate dimension, said to be inescapable. Once caught within it, your fate was sealed. It was supposed to be impossible to resist. But the Void had just done the unthinkable, he walked through it like nothing, unharmed and unfazed.
This proved something horrifying: even techniques as mighty as Construct Reality were not enough to contain him.
Terry's jaw dropped. His body tensed in both awe and panic, and the other captains felt the same. Fear settled deep inside them, as though they themselves were standing face-to-face with the Void.
There he stood, radiating terror into the hearts of everyone who merely watched him from afar.
Some distance away from Galaxia, a small station floated in orbit. It was cone-shaped, built to house drop ships and support machines, giving the captains a perfect vantage point.
A massive digital screen stretched the length of the platform, relaying every detail of the battle below.
The eight captains stood in their battle-tech suits, each suit unique to their clans yet similar in design to those of the Furious Three. Henk had a mic piece that curved from his ear to his mouth. One hand gripped the railing of the platform as he leaned forward, staring at the chaos.
"Lord Tim, this is Captain Henk. We are preparing to engage."
It was a direct signal, the captains were ready to deploy immediately. They didn't expect a response, but suddenly a voice came through the speakers. Deep, low, and commanding.
"No. Not yet. Do not engage. We are not done."
The voice carried such weight that the captains froze. Quietly, they returned to their positions, eyes fixed on the screen as the dust from the battlefield began to clear.
"Do they still have any tricks left?" Brian muttered, rubbing his chin.
"I think we're about to find out," Henk answered, his focus unbroken.
Amid the rubble, Lord Tim forced himself to his feet, his body drained and weak. He glanced at Stella, who was also standing again. They exchanged a nod, both ready to continue. But before he could search for Kenneth, a sharp sound cut through the air.
He turned too late, an unexpected punch slammed into his stomach with brutal force. His vision blurred instantly, blood spraying from his mouth. The impact shattered his armor, hurling him across the battlefield and smashing him through several buildings.
"Pest,"
the Void sneered, lowering his hand with a smile. He admired the dark glow radiating from his body, the power he had stolen from Construct Reality itself. He was so caught up in his newfound strength that he didn't notice the small light forming in front of him.
The glow intensified, expanding into a massive three-dimensional "X." A piercing cry echoed from it as energy condensed within. Realizing the danger, the Void vanished in an instant, dashing aside just as the seal detonated.
The blast tore through the ground. Even from a distance, he knew it would have caused him serious damage. But before he could recover, more lights began to appear. Tiny glowing fragments scattered in the air, each one expanding into a blinding seal accompanied by that same crying sound. They erupted one after another, shaking the battlefield.
The Void darted between destroyed buildings, dodging as best he could, but the seals kept multiplying, closing in from every direction.
He hissed in annoyance, his patience breaking, but Stella suddenly appeared above him, sword raised. She swung down with all her might. The Void blocked, but the impact forced him straight into the ground with crushing power.
He rose quickly, but Kenneth and Lord Tim gave him no chance to recover. One cloaked in shadows, the other in lightning, they struck from both sides with devastating punches. The Void met their blows with his bare hands, stopping both attacks at once.
"Now… you mortals are beginning to interest me," he grinned. "Shall we dance further?"
Chains of radiant yellow burst from the earth beneath him, snapping upward in unison. The ground shook as Stella unleashed another sealing art.
Kenneth and Lord Tim vanished, leaving her to focus on the seal. But the Void's aura sliced outward in sharp purple lines, severing the chains one by one until they crumbled apart.
He slipped free, only to find himself surrounded again. This time, countless clones of Lord Tim encircled him, each wielding a black cosmic rod. They rushed in, striking all at once.
The Void twisted, dodging, and cut through them with his aura, each deflected strike shaking the battlefield.
The clash continued until the Void released a massive burst of energy, scattering the clones into black dust. The shockwave slammed into the real Lord Tim, hurling him into a wall.
The Void's body flared with purple corrosive energy. Kenneth, timing a blind strike, transformed into lightning and shot toward him but the Void's aura caught him midair. Energy pulled at Kenneth's form, ripping him apart piece by piece. Kenneth screamed in pain, trapped.
But just then, another glowing seal appeared beside the Void. He tossed Kenneth to the ground, dodging at the last second.
"This damned technique," he growled.
Too late again, the seal erupted, the "X" exploding point-blank. The impact flung him across the battlefield, his body smashing through debris. When the light faded, cracks spread across his form, glowing faintly with purple veins. For the first time, he looked wounded and the damage seemed irreversible.
"Annoying… such a nuisance," he muttered, staggering to his feet. "This body is failing. My powers will deplete soon. I'll need a new vessel. One of you will do nicely."
Before he could move further, another seal activated beneath him. Light flared into a circle, binding him in place. The harder he struggled, the tighter it held.
Stella appeared in a flash, standing before him. She raised her hand, her index and middle finger glowing with sharp yellow light.
"Sealing Art: Eternal Lockdown!" she declared.
She thrust both hands toward his stomach. But in a blink, her position switched. The Void now knelt where she had stood, while Stella was left standing in his place, her own seal slamming into her abdomen.
The light sank into her body. Her eyes widened. She collapsed as the glowing circle beneath her dissolved, leaving her paralyzed.
Kenneth, watching from afar, froze in horror. His heart dropped as realization struck.
"What the fuck? They switched places!"
Stella lay trembling on the ground, unable to move. The seal burned within her, binding her far worse than the Void's aura ever could.
The Void loomed above her, smiling darkly. Kenneth's eyes widened in terror. He tried to move, lightning sparking around him but the sparks died out instantly, fading to nothing.
"No… no, it can't be her. Not her!" he screamed, reaching desperately toward her, though he knew it was useless.