Torvath was on Ary in an instant, his massive fist barreling through the air with a force that could shatter mountains.
CLANG!
Ary's sword was raised just in time to meet the blow, the collision ringing out like the clash of two titanic forces. The shockwave from the impact sent Ary flying back, her body crashing through the air with incredible speed. But like a seasoned warrior, she regained her balance mid-flight, her body twisting as she landed several miles away from her opponent.
"Haha, don't tell me you're already afraid, little girl," Torvath's voice echoed through the sky, mocking her from the distance. Despite the gap between them, his voice was as clear as if they were standing face to face.
Ary wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, a bitter taste lingering on her tongue.
"We're both Late Domain cultivators. Why should I be afraid?" Ary's voice was steady, filled with the weight of her years in battle. "And even if you were stronger... does it really matter?"
Her words were sharp, but it was clear that the battle was taking a toll on her. Yet, despite the pain, Ary closed the distance in the blink of an eye, a blur of motion as she charged back toward Torvath.
They clashed again, blow after blow, the crash of their strikes reverberating across the sky. Ary's blade slashed through the air with deadly precision, her strikes cutting deep into Torvath's charcoal-black skin, leaving trails of crimson abyssal blood in their wake.
With each hit, Ary's skin bore more bruises—shallow and deep, but none could obscure the intensity of her resolve.
Torvath gritted his teeth in frustration, his fists coming faster, stronger, each punch landing with the force of an exploding star. But Ary's movements were flawless—her agility and speed easily outpacing the power of his blows.
"You're just too slow," Ary taunted, her smile sharp even as she dodged yet another of his punches. With a swift motion, she countered. Her blade flashed, and the next thing Torvath knew, he was sent flying back.
SHK!
The sound of the blade slicing through the air was followed by a burst of dark blood splattering across the sky. Torvath was sent flying several hundred meters, crashing into the debris from the fallen warships.
He quickly regained his footing, eyes burning with fury. His pride had been wounded.
"Enough with the games, shall we?" Torvath muttered through gritted teeth. "Let's see how well you handle this."
With that, Torvath's body pulsed with dark energy as he activated his innate ability. The very air around him seemed to distort, his shadow stretching and warping unnaturally, swirling around him like a vortex of darkness.
|Abyssal Eclipse|
----
Abyssal Eclipse was the power to manipulate shadows and the darkness that lay at the edge of reality itself. Torvath could pull shadows from the world around him, reshaping them into solid forms—weapons, barriers, or even massive tentacles. The shadows could also infect and corrupt anything they touched, weakening the target's body and soul.
As the shadows around Torvath grew larger, his body emanated an aura so intense it seemed to swallow the light itself. His once red eyes were now a deep, pitch black, glowing with the power of his innate ability.
"Let's see if you can handle the true power of the Abyss," Torvath growled, his voice now laden with darkness.
Ary's expression hardened. She had faced many powerful foes in her time, but this—this was something else entirely.
"I'm not backing down," Ary whispered to herself as her blade began to glow with its own radiant energy. "Not now. Not ever."
And thus, the battle intensified, the skies above Neyru becoming a chaotic storm of power, fury, and ambition.