The shattered world trembled, and the thick dust slowly began to dissipate from the battlefield. The ground had transformed into a valley, and the air itself was heavy with energy, making every breath a struggle.
When the smoke finally cleared, Saruto and Adrian emerged, standing dozens of meters apart. Their bodies were weary, their clothes torn, and their skin covered in ash and blood, but their eyes still held a gleam. The fight was far from over. Adrian raised his head first, his eyes blazing with black flames as he whispered in a deep voice, "Time to get serious, boy."
At the same moment, a vortex of energy erupted from his body, enveloping him like a shield of dense shadows. The tips of his hair rose, and his aura surged. Saruto responded with a faint smile, releasing his own aura, and with it, strands of his hair, gradually turning white, fluttered around him.
The ground beneath their feet cracked. With the first step, the battle resumed. The sword was no longer the dominant force; their fists reigned supreme. Every blow shook the air, every clash left a spark of darkness in the sky.
A strike from Saruto was met with a strike from Adrian. A swift kick from Adrian was countered by a move from Saruto. They traded blow after blow. But Adrian wasn't satisfied. He reached behind him and formed his colossal sword from shadows. The black sword flashed through the air as he shouted, "Enough of this nonsense, boy!"
He launched a lightning attack at Saruto, but Saruto responded with incredible speed. In an instant, he formed his two swords. The swords met mid-stride, and sparks flew into the sky.
The sound of the impact echoed throughout the world. Blows continued, each man retreating only to return with renewed force. But Saruto knew his time was running out. He felt his shared consciousness with Void begin to crack, his energy no longer stable. He had to end the fight quickly.
In that moment, amidst the chaos of blows, a new idea flashed through his mind. A skill he'd never tried before, something born from the edge of inspiration and danger. He stepped back sharply, suddenly gathering his energy into his two swords, then propelled Adrian with a violent thrust to buy himself a few seconds. "Time to try..." he whispered as he raised his swords high.
The two swords, once bound by chains, began to fuse into a blinding purple light, gradually transforming into one mightier sword, pulsating with immense power. Saruto raised his head, then vanished. In a flash, he used teleportation and reappeared directly behind Adrian. "It's over!"
He shouted before bringing his fused sword down on his target.
The sword slammed into Adrian, and the area exploded. A massive explosion shook the heavens and the earth, from which a terrifying column of light shot through the layers of the dark world. The sky itself trembled, and all sounds were silenced for a moment, then the echo returned, filling the horizon.
When everything was still, Saruto was on his knees, breathing heavily, his sword gradually fading away. The shared consciousness within him dissipated, and Void's voice echoed intermittently in his mind: "Did... we succeed?"
"I don't know..." Saruto answered wearily, his voice barely audible between breaths.
But the answer was not long in coming. From the dust, Adrian rose again.
His face was covered in blood, his armor partially shattered, but he still stood. And as he stood, something terrible began to emerge.
An intense black glow emanated from his body, swallowing light itself, like a living black hole. His aura intensified tenfold, and his voice rose like the roar of a primal beast: "So you want to force me to use my full power, kid? Fine, you got it!"
The entire place trembled. Even Void inside Saruto was terrified by this power and cried out in a low voice, "Saruto… no one has ever reached this level before!"
Saruto took a half-step back, his energy almost nonexistent, while the pressure from Adrian seemed to crush the very air. Adrian laughed a terrifying laugh, advancing with slow, steady steps: "Did you think your acrobatic moves were enough to defeat me? You foolish kid!"
Then he unleashed his killing intent upon him. Saruto froze, a suffocating sensation engulfing his chest, as if he were facing death personified. Even Void felt the same terror. He cried, "This… is no time to be afraid, Saruto!"
But Saruto's body no longer moved. Then, Void seized control, advancing with all the strength he had left.
Saruto's eyes turned a dark, menacing color. Void lunged at him, but Adrian raised his hand, grabbing Void by the neck as he charged. Saruto's entire body convulsed, the air around them both suffocating. "Didn't I tell you?" Adrian muttered coldly. "Everything you do... is pointless."
Then he delivered a blow to Void's stomach, causing him to vomit blood and collapse unconscious. Saruto regained control, barely able to open his eyes. Adrian smiled with devilish malice. "You trust this dragon a lot, don't you? Let me... separate you both forever."
He raised his hand, covering Saruto with his dark energy, which began to pierce his body like needles. Saruto screamed in agony as the energy seeped inside him, searching for Void. Suddenly, another scream erupted from his depths, and energy burst forth from within, materializing as a translucent, dark dragon. This was Void, forcibly torn from his body. Adrian seized the dragon by the neck, lifting it into the air, and roared, "So you two are together again… you weaklings! Where is the desire you spoke of? Where is the strength you boasted of?!"
Then he hurled them both into the sky and began to gather his dark energy in his hands, preparing to destroy them in a single blow. As he launched the attack toward Saruto and Void, a flash of black light appeared before him, and a powerful voice said, "Enough, Adrian!"
He altered the trajectory of the attack, creating a powerful explosion that streaked the horizon with a brilliant light. When the light faded, Ethan stood before him, his face serene and his eyes shining. Adrian took a step back, his voice sharp with surprise. "Ethan… the First Founder's right-hand man? What are you doing here? And why are you defending this boy?"
"Because I no longer serve the First Founder… but Saruto," Ethan replied coldly and firmly.
Adrian gave a short, mocking laugh. "Serving this weakling? You fool, Ethan!"
But Ethan's gaze was unwavering, devoid of hesitation. "He may seem weak to you," he told him, "but one day, this boy will surpass you."
He didn't wait any longer. He raised his hand and formed a sphere of darkness, enveloping Saruto and Void, thus drawing them out of this world. Then he turned to Adrian for one last look and said, "Until that day... remember this boy's name well, Dark Founder."
Before Adrian could reply, they all vanished, returning to the Time Chamber where Saruto lay unconscious on the floor, Void beside him.