Crack.
The realm shifted beneath their feet, and the battlefield dissolved into a shifting maze. Massive obsidian walls rose from beneath, curving into a spiraling prison of void.
A voice echoed from all directions.
> "Let us see if you are worthy to walk the path of gods."
---
🔁 Trial Begins: Echoes of Ghul-Tar
As Akira and Kuroo moved deeper, they were separated by an invisible force field. The maze twisted independently for both.
Suddenly—monsters emerged. Not normal ones. They were clones of Ghul-Tar—each one a distorted, faster, deadlier version.
🔥 Akira's Path
Two Ghul-Tar echoes appeared—fused with forgotten god fragments. One manipulated light, the other reflected Akira's own attacks back at him.
Akira (gritting teeth):
"Mimics, huh? Then try mimicking this!"
He used a delayed light burst—blinding the mimic just before landing a crescent slash through its core.
Second one shattered only after charging Solstice with his emotions—grief, hope, resolve—and slicing through reality itself for a second.
🌑 Kuroo's Path
Kuroo faced three. These ones crawled on walls, screeched in reverse, and exploded into shadow spikes when hit.
He activated Shadow Form, merging with the darkness to vanish mid-air and emerge behind them.
Kuroo:
"I don't play fair either."
A deadly dance followed—dodging inhuman speed and returning calculated brutality. He used his Nightbane Chains to drag one into a collapsing gravity field—ripping it apart.
---
⚔️ Reunion & the Mini-Boss
The maze shook. The paths merged.
Akira and Kuroo stood side by side.
Then the Mini-Boss arrived.
> Name: Vorrak, The Forgotten Maw
Form: A massive golem-like beast with no face, only an endless, rotating maw on its chest.
Abilities: Reality Disrupt, Pain Echo, Energy Drain.
It roared, shaking the walls. The maze melted into a circular arena of mirrors and fire.
---
🥵 Final Clash – Brief But Brutal
Vorrak absorbed energy from every strike. Each punch he landed echoed pain into both of them.
Akira used a barrage of photon daggers—but Vorrak swallowed them.
Kuroo tried his Dark Lance, but Vorrak warped space and redirected it back.
They were getting overwhelmed.
Then—they switched styles.
Akira went full darkness—used Kuroo's misdirection tactics.
Kuroo embraced light—used Akira's timing-based strikes.
This unexpected crossover confused Vorrak.
Finally, they combined:
> Akira (holding light): "Radiant Reaper."
Kuroo (surging with shadow): "Void Execution."
Both together: "Judgment Collapse!"
A beam of light and a lance of shadow crossed paths, creating an explosion so intense the maze cracked open.
Vorrak screeched, twisted—then shattered into void particles.
---
🧩 What Remains
The Observer watched in silence.
Observer (softly):
"They're learning. Adapting. Merging."
From Vorrak's remains, a strange sigil burned into the ground.
> "Only the Devourer King remains."