Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 201: Aspect of the Vale I

Paled of color, Altair tried to hold. He could feel his skin begin to peel at the monstrous flames trying to penetrate through the barrier. Blood bubbled and popped from the surface of his palm as he held on, giving enough time for Ren and Syris to escape. He'd faith in his Almighty Resistance. Faith in a state of knowing that allowed him to perceive the Truth.

'REN GET HER OUT OF HERE!!!" Altair roared at the top of his lungs.

[Divine Being She Who Hunts demands you use the Skill!]

Altair didn't listen.

[Divine Sin, Daddy grins feverishly.]

In the distance, watching, towering over Vesim like an immortal, a poised Beelzebub stared with an intensity that would place many of his brethren on guard. He could feel it. He could feel the presence of an indescribable domain beginning to unravel; like a shadow beast within the darkness, it was beginning to bear its fangs.

'In the Era of Zariel, the Spirit Domain was something of a determining factor in battle many of us adopted when Davos created it. It allowed one to see minute changes within causality.' Lord Beelzebub thought, rising from his throne. It was a skill many sought, sacrificing their soul in order to learn how to see with the soul rather than the eyes or with Qi.

As one's control of the soul grew, the Spirit Domain would expand, allowing one to perceive space and, in a few cases, the future. It was a domain that allowed just about anything based on one's 'intent' and 'knowledge.'

"I sense the presence of the 'Realm of Sprits' surrounding the boy. A tainted Realm of Spirit. How is that possible?" Beelzebub asked, resisting the urge to steal the boy away.

Neither Mephisto nor Lucifer would approve of his action should he abuse the position they allowed him to hold.

With a deafening roar that tore from his throat, shredding muscles on the way out, Altair's Mana twisted into Vale Qi, piercing the skies like a Blade of Despair. Darkness congealed into a dense ooze of flames and liquid. The stones beneath his feet began to fade, withered to a rot known only to the hells.

Altair followed his sense of knowing. Allowing his awareness to merge into a dense oasis of understanding. The sensation of plunging into the depths of the seas swallowed him hole.

From within the heart to the iridescent twin circle radiating light, the Vale consumed, turning it into a flame cloak black as the deepest night. In half a beat, Desolate Abyss activated, crowning the young Prince with two twin stars that hummed across his forehead, a brilliance beyond the dawn.

The barrier that had been defending the Young Prince shattered as the Mana supplying it died. Shadowclaw raged, meeting the shockwave threatening to turn Altair to ash.

So powerful was the iridescent shockwave that golden light turned to liquid, seething with a profundity that threatened to destroy an entire continent; all around Vesim, barriers and ancient scrolls were torn in the hopes of surviving.

Unsure who was battling causing such catastrophic damage to the world around them. Shadowclaw instinctively merged with the [Dark Moon Blade ]that had recently evolved into [Sword of the Vale], cloaking Shadowclaw in iridescent black flames. A domain of nearly twenty-five meters materialized.

"Severing Edge," He bellowed.

With the sword technique that could cut through Darkness and Light as though it were corporeal, a scar of Sword Intent roared a cry of defiance, creating a V shape around the Prince.

The skies seemed to split apart from the sheer might of Severing Edge, but strangely, the cut itself did not extend past the intangible domain. Suspended in the air hovered the sword arc, which lingered in the air like a scar across space.

Altair pulled his sword back and gave a ruthless thrust, and like a beam of light, the Sword Arc whipped through Vesim like a baleful storm. Severing Edge separated light, darkness, and space, which stretched across all of Vesim, splitting all that entered its path.

A grave mistake occurred as a sense of knowing, followed by prophecy, told Altair of his impending doom. He wanted to move, wanted to curse, but as the space that had been cut expanded open like a wound, Altair saw something that turned his legs to butter.

'An Event Horizon!" He thought as everything froze, unsure what was happening. Altair felt time slow to a standstill. All was frozen, all but him. He looked at the Sword of the Vale, knowing it had something to do with what was happening, but before he could understand.

The Event Horizon inverted, turning on itself, letting loose an eruption so profound, Altair could only make out the sensation of a dozen or so divinity materializing out of thin air to defend.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

Pillars of Divinity clashed against the scar within space, keeping it from atomizing all of Vesim as Altair watched in horror. He understood it was not that his power had been so powerful that it required the power of a God to stop it, but rather, it was profound enough to alter the natural laws of space and time.

Beelzebub pursed his lips, thinking, 'This is a mortal domain. It's not meant to handle this type of power. Altair nearly destroyed the planet. Not bad for a Second Circle. If he keeps this up, he might be able to match a few of those monsters within the Old Houses.'

Still, Beelzebub felt something off about the sword in Altair's hand. It had been clear to him that the boy wasn't knowledgeable enough to split space in his present state. Yet the moment the Sword of the Vale descended, it ignored natural law.

Beelzebub thought for a bit and flicked his head with a cheeky smile. And the thousand scores above Altair's head spiked to five thousand. He laughed when he saw the indescribable look of unease settle across the young Prince's face.

"His Almighty Resistance ensures he won't be one-shotted by some of these monsters, but he'll take quite a nice beating. Let's see if we can't push him to create a true Spirit Domain and Aspect. Hehe, you can thank me if you live."

***

Despair fell like a crown upon Altair's head as he whirled, his domain signaling to his rear. Shadowclaw moved, clashing against the claw from a ghoulish fellow. The shockwave flung Altair's arm into the air, allowing the strange creature enough time to attack with his other arm.

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Talons tore through flesh, slashing across his chest, spilling blood.

The pain was incomprehensible to the sensation of understanding that came in waves. Altair pivoted back, weaving his sword through the air, parrying several other apparitions that came in droves.

'Remember Altair, whenever you are surrounded, never stop moving,' came the words of Tenebrae.

Conjuring another Vale Sword in his off-hand, Altair's entire being became like a blur. Through his eyes, embers blinded the skies as Altair was guided by [Primal Instints], [Foresight], and his domain.

"He's almost out of Mana! Get him!" the Ghoulish man shouted, bolting towards the Prince. His body somehow multiplied into seven and then fourteen.

Tendrils of black veins traced up the Prince's throat, reaching his cheeks and the whites of his eyes. The two Vale Stars above his eyes were spinning, and the throne that had appeared a few months ago began to rise.

"Arise," the Prince said, summoning his Fallen Shadows. He entered the third stance of Grave of Night when a lion beast that bore two heads materialized right before Altair's face. Both its mouths open, with a spiraling orb of Mana prepared.

Not enough time to step in with Sovereign Gale. Kirr emerged from shadows like an apparition from the King's Domain and erupted in a blaze of Infernal Lightning, ending his life and giving the Prince enough time to dodge.

Altair summoned him again with a single thought, feeling the throne behind him, fueling him with an endless supply of Qi. And flashed above the head of the twin-headed lion. His sword plunged into the Astral Beast's skull, and Devouring Edge howled like an infinite storm.

Striking nearly a thousand times, breaking through whatever barrier it held, Altair severed the head alongside every inch of the beast into cubes in a single microsecond before he pushed off space with Sovereign Gale towards the next astral monster.

His swords whirled like endless swarms as everything within twenty-five meters of the Prince slowly began to grow in more focus. They were moving slowly; their swords, claws, tails, and spells were all slowly being perceived.

"RESTORATION!" Aurora shouted upon her master, having learned the spell from Thanatos.

Altair felt a warmed aura beginning to mend his injuries at a blinding rate. Aided by the Vale Qi, he was back to one hundred before he could blink and upon the ghoul that carved through his chest two seconds ago.

"How do you have so much mana!" The Astral Ghoul howled, meeting the Prince's sword with its talons.

Embers tore at the heavens when all of a sudden, Nia emerged like a ghost, her spear like a storm of Vale Qi as it tore towards the undead spirit.

Aided by her ability to dilate time, the ghoul, despite its spirit domain sensing her arrival, had no time to defend against Altair, and Nia felt her spear run through its heart and spine, exploding out the back in an eruption that sent nearly half his organs sprawling out of the ground.

"Arise!" The Prince commanded, summoning those that had perished. He had his main knights occupy his domain, feeling like he could control their every action as if they were a part of his body within his domain.

[Ding]

[Fallen Necromancy Proficiency has increased by 3%]

[Fallen Necromancy Proficiency has increased by 3%]

[Fallen Necromancy Proficiency has increased by 3%]

:( •? ? •? )