The void shivered. The very essence of space and energy twisted around the two combatants. Dust and stone shards spiraled into violent vortices as Vryndor's aura flared like a storm on the verge of annihilation.
Lucien's pale eyes glimmered, calm and calculating, watching the energy coalesce around Vryndor. The titan's fist glowed with impossible energy, tendrils of force slicing the void. A deep rumble emanated as Vryndor bellowed,
"Cataclysmic Maelstrom!"
The strike exploded outward in a spiral of chaotic force, twisting space itself. Rocks vaporized midair, void energy tore paths through the battlefield, and the air seemed to scream. Each fist of Vryndor's formed mini-cataclysms, converging into a devastating spiral, designed to crush, obliterate, and annihilate anything in its path.
Lucien tilted his head, faintly amused. "So theatrical… I like it."
He moved. Not forward, not sideways—he phased within the subtle folds of reality, slipping through the currents of the energy maelstrom with a grace that belied his base form. Sparks of energy ricocheted off his presence like raindrops hitting steel, none connecting.
Kaelith, observing from the edge of the void, froze. "He's… he's just dancing through it?! That's insane. Lucien, you monster! That attack is enough to erase…"
Lucien ignored the comment, already moving into position, his aura flickering faintly as he activated something new.
From the depths of his focus, Lucien drew his intent into a singular point. He had prepared this attack long ago—meant for Kaelith, but now perfected in practice. He released it.
Omni-Strike.
The air bent, twisted, and folded. From all directions, Lucien's fist, palm, and elbow launched toward Vryndor simultaneously. Not as separate strikes, but as an interwoven symphony of force converging from every possible vector: above, below, behind, inside, and through space itself.
Vryndor's eyes widened. "What—what is this?!"
Kaelith nearly fell off his perch, yelling, "He planned to use that against me?! Lucien… you monster!!"
Even from a distance, the sheer audacity of the attack was horrifying. Vryndor's aura flared violently, energy bending around him as he tried to parry and anticipate each strike. But no matter how he moved, no matter how he anticipated, the strikes came from everywhere at once.
The battlefield erupted in brilliance and chaos. Every strike Lucien made tore small rifts through the void, sending shards of energy and rock spinning across the endless crater. Vryndor countered with raw force, the Cataclysmic Maelstrom spinning violently to meet each vector of attack.
Clang! Fist against fist. Boom! Elbow meeting chest. Crack! Palm strikes vibrating across bone and stone.
The two combatants moved faster than the eye could perceive. Lucien's strikes bent space around him, weaving in a pattern that even Vryndor's massive strength struggled to adapt to. Vryndor's brute force was spectacularly destructive, but Lucien's precision and multi-directional assault forced him onto the defensive, step by step.
Kaelith shouted from above, trying to keep up: "Look at him! He's everywhere at once! Omni-Strike… that's insane! If he uses that at full force…"
Lucien's smirk deepened, but there was no arrogance. Every movement was calculated, perfect. He flowed like water, striking like a blade. Vryndor's fists met air more often than they met flesh.
Even in controlled power, the shockwaves reached the spectators. The ground trembled, the void itself seemed to groan, and dust exploded outward in spirals of sheer kinetic energy. Kaelith, jaw agape, muttered, "I… I can't even imagine what the full Lucien would do."
Vryndor growled, anger and exhilaration mixing. "You… you planned this… every strike, every angle! I can't—"
Lucien stopped mid-air, twisting slightly, and lightly tapped Vryndor on the chest with the final strike of Omni-Strike. It wasn't meant to destroy—but it carried the momentum and precision that left the titan staggering, completely outmaneuvered.
He stood there, calm, as if the fight had been a mere dance. "You fought well. I enjoyed that. But predictability will always betray you."
Vryndor stumbled back, gritting his teeth, fury and respect clashing. "This… this isn't over."
Lucien's eyes glimmered faintly, amusement curling his lips. "Oh, I know. But for now… let's call it a lesson in humility."
Kaelith couldn't resist: "I'm… I'm actually terrified. That was beautiful. And terrifying. And… why do I feel so inadequate right now?!"
The battlefield was a ruin. Shards of stone hovered in the void, small rifts hung suspended, and trails of energy crisscrossed the air. The dust slowly settled, yet even now, faint tremors radiated outward from where their power collided.
Lucien's pale form stood unscathed, untouched by the devastation he had orchestrated. Vryndor knelt, catching his breath, eyes wide in disbelief and admiration.
Omni-Strike. A simple name for an incomprehensible feat. The first time it had been used in battle, and even in base form, its elegance and raw destructive potential left a mark that would be remembered for ages.
Before Lucien could relax, a faint ripple echoed through the void. Something had noticed. Something far beyond the current plane. His Abyssal Eyes flickered, catching movement at the edge of reality itself.
Lucien's smirk deepened. "Ah… so someone else wants to join the party. How considerate of you to arrive right as the lesson ends."
The air quivered, charged with anticipation. Even Kaelith whispered, awed: "He senses it… whatever that is, it's huge. Too huge. This… this is going to be insane."
And from the distant cracks in space, a silhouette began to form—something massive, ancient, and unmeasurable in power.
The stage was set.
The fight was far from over.