Ashura emerged from the portal, the black light around him folding seamlessly into the new void. The world that greeted him was unlike any he had ever seen—not bestial, not chaotic, not even violent in essence. It was a translucent void, endless yet defined, like a crystal ocean stretching into infinity. Colors shimmered softly, refracting through nothingness, and somewhere in the distance, a grand castle floated atop an ethereal foundation, flanked by a small, meticulously arranged city. Every structure and spire seemed alive, resonating with a subtle hum that made Ashura's aura tingle in approval.
He could feel it immediately—the beings here were not mortal, not corrupted, not chaotic. They were high-dimensional, entities whose minds existed in layers, whose power could warp the perception of reality itself. Every step he took through the void, every pulse of black light around him, brushed against the consciousness of the entire city, and yet, the inhabitants did not panic.
The ruler of this realm, the being who commanded this domain, had already felt the presence. From the highest tower of the castle, a figure began to descend. Tall, composed, radiating authority that could be felt across dimensions. His very existence seemed to bend the space around him, as though the laws of reality acknowledged his presence. This was Dracius Endeavor.
Dracius' voice resonated through the void before he even came fully into view. "So," he said calmly, his gaze piercing yet measured, "you are the Eternal One. I've heard of you."
Ashura, stepping forward, let the soft black light ripple around him like a curtain in the wind. His smile was subtle, the kind that could unsettle the most grounded of beings. "And you are Dracius," he said, his tone almost casual, yet every word carried the weight of absolute authority. "I've come to your realm to see if you… are as naive as the primals."
Dracius' lips curved into a smile that conveyed both respect and confidence. "Oh, Eternal One," he said, voice like tempered steel, "no. If you wish for us to be under you, then we will. But first… I have a condition."
Ashura tilted his head slightly, intrigued. "Hmm… I'll hear you out."
Dracius stopped mere meters before him, his presence a gravitational pull on Ashura's aura, testing it with subtle intention. "Could you… fight me?" Dracius asked. "I have heard of your deeds—the destruction of the Outer Gods, the demise of the All-Denying Father, the slaughter of the Thirteen Heavens. I wish… to spar with you. Not for conquest, but for understanding. If you defeat me, I and the entirety of this Dimensional Rift will submit to your command."
The black light around Ashura flickered faintly, almost in amusement. He studied Dracius for a heartbeat, sensing the calculated restraint behind the man's aura, the perfect balance of power and diplomacy. This was not a challenge born of arrogance—it was a challenge of honor, of curiosity, of mutual acknowledgment of strength.
Ashura smiled, fully allowing the darkness around him to ripple and breathe like a living shadow. "I accept," he said simply. "You are broad-minded. You know your limits, yet still seek to test them. That… is admirable."
Dracius nodded, his aura intensifying, layers of his consciousness weaving in and out of the void like fractals of thought made manifest. The city around them shifted slightly as if reacting to the concentration of their power—structures pulsing faintly, luminous pathways igniting in silent acknowledgment of the duel about to unfold.
Ashura drew Kuroha from the void at his side, the blade appearing like a shadow drawn from the depths of night itself, a ripple of black light tracing its edges. The air shimmered with potential, and the entire dimensional rift seemed to hold its breath.
Dracius extended a hand, his own aura coiling like a living lattice of energy, high-dimensional patterns threading around him. "Then let us see," he said, voice even yet commanding, "if your legend matches the reality."
Ashura's eyes narrowed slightly, amusement and excitement mixing in the darkened glint of his gaze. "I am curious myself, Dracius. Let us begin."
For a brief moment, silence hung over the translucent void. The faint hum of the city, the subtle resonance of the castle, the delicate balance of the rift itself—all of it paused, as though the universe itself waited for what was coming next.
Then, with no more words, both beings shifted. Ashura's black light aura flared and expanded, brushing against the edges of the void like a living tide. Dracius' own aura rippled in response, higher-dimensional patterns folding and twisting, challenging every layer of Ashura's presence.
They faced each other, a study in absolute balance and untapped potential. One stood as the Sovereign of Black Light, a being whose authority stretched across death, life, balance, and the void itself. The other, Dracius Endeavor, was a living paradox, a being capable of perceiving and manipulating multiple dimensions simultaneously.
Ashura tilted his head again, his tone faintly teasing as he said, "Very well, Dracius. Show me what your intellect and strength are worth."
Dracius' smile widened. "Prepare yourself, Eternal One. You will find this… enlightening."
The void around them seemed to quiver. The rift itself waited in anticipation of the storm to come.
Ashura drew Kuroha fully, black light spiraling around the blade, an aura so thick it distorted the very transparency of the void. Dracius' energy coalesced into his own form of patterned radiance, creating a lattice of light and geometry that twisted reality around him.
Then, they moved.
The duel was not just a clash of swords or force—it was a collision of conceptual authority. Black light met high-dimensional radiance. Space bent. Time hesitated. Every swing, every shift of Kuroha, carved into the void itself. The city and castle trembled, their structures realigning with the patterns of power unleashed, shimmering with the recognition of two beings beyond ordinary comprehension.
Ashura leapt forward, Kuroha slashing down with a speed even the rift couldn't fully register. Dracius mirrored the motion, high-dimensional patterns slicing through space in counterpoint. The clash didn't make a sound, yet it resonated through every layer of the void as though the rift itself understood the magnitude of the battle.
Ashura's black light expanded, rolling outward like waves, testing the limits of Dracius' perception. Dracius responded with a lattice of radiant geometry, the patterns folding around the blade strikes, redirecting them, countering them in ways Ashura had only anticipated but had not fully accounted for.
For the first time in what felt like eons, Ashura allowed a laugh to escape, a dark, low chuckle that reverberated with authority and amusement. "Good," he said. "I enjoy a challenge. Most fools think strength alone is enough. You… you understand balance."
Dracius' smile never faltered. "And you, Eternal One, understand the weight of judgment."
The two circled, the space between them fracturing and reforming with every step. Energy spiraled outward, creating miniature storms of black light and radiant geometry, lighting the void with impossible colors and dimensions.
Then Ashura paused mid-step, observing Dracius' stance, the weaving lattice of his aura. He respected this being, perhaps more than any other opponent he had faced in centuries. And yet, there was no hesitation. The duel would continue, and when it was done, one would stand as master of this rift.
Ashura's black light intensified, wrapping around Kuroha like a living entity. He whispered faintly, "Let's see… what it truly means to confront the Eternal One."
Dracius' aura flared in response, and the rift itself seemed to warp under the pressure of their combined presence.
They were ready.
And with a synchronized step, the duel began—the Eternal One versus Dracius Endeavor, the high-dimensional ruler of this rift, a dance of light, shadow, and conceptual authority that would echo throughout the void for eons.
The stage was set. And Ashura… was smiling.