The Infinite Court trembles Pale light spills through the cracks above and the Judge of Oblivion stands silent at its center Its presence is unlike the others no heat no weight no fury just a void that eats sound and space Where it steps the world vanishes leaving behind smooth nothingness.
Kael: gritting his teeth I don't like this Not one bit.
Yuna: her voice trembling It's not just power… it's erasure If it touches us we won't die we'll never have existed.
Kael: snorting Great. Just great. That's exactly what I needed today.
The Judge raises a pale, misty hand Instantly the floor between them and it disappears Not shattered not burned just gone A bottomless void yawns open swallowing the Court's marble tiles like they were never there.
Judge of Oblivion: whispering but echoing in every corner Resistance… meaningless Memory… meaningless You do not fight me You… un become.
Kael: snarling Oh yeah? Then I'll punch you so hard you'll remember it forever!
He charges fists ignited with burning energy but the moment his foot lands too close part of the ground beneath him disappears Kael stumbles barely pulling back before his leg is swallowed by nothingness.
Kael: staggering Damn it! Even the floor hates me right now!
Yuna: Kael stop! This isn't like War or Heaven It doesn't trade blows it just… unravels reality.
The Judge slowly lowers its hand toward Kael A pale ripple spreads outward and suddenly Kael's body flickers his form blurs parts of him fading like a half-forgotten memory His voice cracks as if pulled apart.
Kael: strained fading Wh what theYuna! I can't!
Yuna: screaming Hold on!
She slams her staff into the ground flooding the Court with healing light The glow stabilizes Kael's body pulling him back from the edge of erasure He collapses to his knees gasping.
Kael: panting Hah… hah… okay that sucked Note to self: don't piss off nothingness.
Yuna: sweating trembling It's worse than I thought My magic barely held you together If you'd faded one more second I wouldn't have been able to reach you.
Judge of Oblivion: voice calm merciless Struggle is futile Your forms are lies I am the end of lies.
Kael: forcing himself up, smirking weakly Funny I thought I was the king of lies Guess we'll see who's better.
Yuna: snapping Kael stop joking! This isn't a fight we can win!
Kael: grinning even through blood Then I'll lose in style.
The Judge raises both arms now The entire Court shudders as vast swaths of the floor vanish along with pieces of the broken pillars and even fragments of the sky above Stars wink out as if swallowed by darkness.
Yuna: horrified It's erasing the battlefield itself! If this keeps up there won't be a Court left to fight in!
Kael: grimacing Ryo! Now would be a great time to jump in!
Ryo has remained still until now his black coat unmoving despite the void's pull At last he steps forward his presence cutting through the suffocating emptiness His voice is steady colder than before.
Ryo: Enough.
The Judge halts For the first time the veil of silver mist around its face trembles as if even Oblivion recognizes something it cannot consume.
Judge of Oblivion: …You You are not memory You are not form You… should not be.
Ryo: calmly Correct.
(Kael blinks his face pale)
Kael: Wait… did it just admit it can't define you?
Yuna: whispering That's… impossible.
The Judge lowers its arms its form flickering like static The nothingness around its feet shudders as though refusing to expand under Ryo's gaze.
Judge of Oblivion: You are void beyond void A paradox A wound upon reality Even I cannot
Ryo: interrupting You cannot erase me.
Ryo raises his hand, and the empty space left behind by the Judge's erasure begins to reappear The vanished tiles return The pillars re form Even the swallowed fragments of sky are restored as if Oblivion's touch had never existed.
Kael: stunned Holy… He's undoing it He's actually undoing Oblivion!
Yuna: voice breaking That shouldn't even be possible Erasure is final It's the end Nothing should come after it Nothing… except
Ryo: calmly finishing her thought Me.
The Judge recoils, its mist thrashing violently Its calm tone finally cracks into something like fear.
Judge of Oblivion: You… are unmaking the unmaker That cannot… BE.
Ryo: stepping forward voice firm Then cease.
He flicks his hand. Instantly the Judge's body jerks The mist is torn away revealing a hollow emptiness beneath a shape without substance The nothingness that once devoured reality now collapses inward dragged into itself The Judge lets out a soundless scream as its existence folds like paper into a single point then vanishes The Court trembles but this time… it survives.
Silence Only Kael's ragged breathing and Yuna's quiet sob fill the Court Ryo lowers his hand his face unreadable.
Kael: grinning weakly …Remind me never to get on your bad side Ryo.
Yuna: looking at him voice trembling You didn't just defeat it You erased Oblivion.
Ryo: quietly No I corrected it.
Kael: collapsing onto his back laughing despite his wounds Hah… yeah Sure Whatever you say boss.
Yuna says nothing only staring at Ryo For the first time even she wonders if he's something beyond victory beyond even existence And above the Court cracks again signaling that yet another Judge is coming.