The Devourer's Dominion

The moment their blades clashed again, the battlefield roared to life.

Aetheron's darkness surged, wrapping around his arms as his Devourer's Dominion pulsed. Lorien's blade, still humming with its eerie nullifying force, cut through the shadows, but this time, Aetheron was faster.

Boom!

Their strikes sent shockwaves rippling through the ruined temple, stone cracking beneath their feet. Aetheron ducked low, pivoting as he launched a brutal kick aimed at Lorien's ribs. The Hunter deflected it with his forearm, but Aetheron was already moving again, twisting midair and lashing out with a tendril of shadow.

Lorien barely managed to slice through it before Aetheron closed the distance, his fist driving toward the Hunter's face.

Lorien caught his wrist.

For a brief second, the world seemed to freeze.

Aetheron felt it—the unnatural energy radiating from Lorien's grip, the way it tried to disrupt his power.

But this time, he was ready.

With a sharp breath, Aetheron twisted his arm, breaking free from the hold while summoning a concentrated spear of darkness in his other hand. He drove it forward, aiming for Lorien's exposed side—

But Lorien moved like a shadow himself, sidestepping the strike with unnerving precision. In the same motion, he brought his sword down in a diagonal arc.

Aetheron barely managed to block with a conjured blade, but the impact sent a jarring force through his bones. Too strong.

Lorien pressed forward. His attacks weren't just fast—they were surgical. Every move forced Aetheron into a smaller and smaller space, restricting his options.

Adapt.

Aetheron let himself fall back, then abruptly collapsed into his own shadow.

Lorien's blade sliced through empty air.

A split-second later, Aetheron emerged from the Hunter's blind spot, darkness exploding from his form.

"Devouring Chains."

Tendrils of void energy lashed out, coiling toward Lorien's limbs.

Lorien reacted instantly, slashing through the first set, but Aetheron had anticipated it. The moment Lorien cut through, a second wave of chains erupted from below, catching his left arm.

Aetheron pulled.

Lorien staggered—just for a fraction of a second.

That was enough.

Aetheron surged forward, shadows twisting around his fist as he drove it into Lorien's stomach. The force sent the Hunter skidding back, boots grinding against the shattered stone.

Aetheron didn't stop. He lunged, pressing the attack—his blade clashing against Lorien's, their movements blurring together in a deadly rhythm.

Strike. Parry. Dodge. Counter.

Each clash sent sparks flying. Each movement pushed both fighters to their limits.

Lorien was still stronger. But Aetheron was unpredictable.

"You're better than I expected," Lorien admitted, shifting his stance.

Aetheron smirked, rolling his shoulder. "And you're harder to kill than I thought."

Lorien's expression remained unreadable. Then, without warning—

He vanished.

Aetheron's eyes widened.

Not teleportation. Speed.

He barely had time to react before a sharp pain exploded in his side. Lorien's blade had already found its mark, carving a shallow gash across Aetheron's ribs.

Aetheron gritted his teeth, stumbling back.

Lorien's sword was raised again, and this time, Aetheron saw it—a faint distortion in the air around him.

He's suppressing his presence.

It wasn't invisibility. It was something deeper—erasing his killing intent, his footsteps, his very existence for a brief moment.

Aetheron exhaled.

Alright. Two can play that game.

Instead of retreating, he closed his eyes.

And let the Devourer's Dominion expand.

Darkness spread across the battlefield, warping the light, distorting reality itself. The ruins of the temple seemed to vanish, swallowed by an abyss of shadows.

When Aetheron opened his eyes again, they gleamed with a deep, consuming void.

Lorien hesitated for the first time.

And Aetheron moved.

This time, he was the blur. This time, he was the unseen force.

He emerged behind Lorien, his fist already crashing down. Lorien barely turned in time to block, but the impact sent a violent tremor through his arm.

Aetheron didn't stop.

He struck again. And again.

Each blow came from a different angle, from unexpected directions. His presence flickered in and out of existence, mirroring Lorien's own technique but enhanced by the abyss itself.

Lorien's defense wavered.

Aetheron saw his chance.

He feinted a direct strike—then abruptly twisted, manifesting a blade of pure void in his free hand.

Before Lorien could react, Aetheron's blade slashed across his chest.

Lorien staggered. His armor cracked. His breathing turned shallow.

Aetheron's grip on his weapon tightened.

The fight was turning in his favor.

But then—

Lorien smiled.

Aetheron's instincts screamed.

Before he could react, Lorien's aura exploded outward, the air around him distorting violently.

Aetheron was thrown back, barely managing to stabilize himself as he landed.

When he looked up, Lorien was standing tall—his eyes glowing with an eerie, silver light. The sigils on his armor pulsed, reforming themselves.

His wounds were closing.

Aetheron's stomach sank.

Lorien exhaled, his expression calm once more. "Good," he said quietly. "You're starting to understand."

Aetheron wiped blood from his lip, his mind racing.