The void split open under the force of the entity's presence. Its body was sculpted from obsidian light, each limb wrapped in orbiting rings—twelve, twenty, more than Vemy could count. They shifted constantly, glowing with alien colors that had no names, resonating with a power deeper than life or death.
Vemy's Celestine flames crackled violently, his spectral figure straining against the weight. "That aura… it feels like… infinity itself."
The being tilted its head, voice like an earthquake swallowed by the sea.
"You've awakened the tenth. But the path doesn't end there. Beyond the tenth ring lies the Forbidden Cycle… where mortals are unmade, and gods are born."
It raised a hand, and one of its infinite rings detached, orbiting forward. The pressure alone forced Vemy to his knees. His aura sparked frantically, every nerve in his body screaming in protest.
"Just one… ring…" he muttered, teeth gritted. "And it's already—this strong?"
The entity's hand clenched. The ring burst into a storm of crushing gravity, folding the void into collapsing layers. Entire spectral beasts were swallowed instantly, erased from existence.
Vemy roared, forcing himself upright, Celestine Blue flames detonating outward like a nova. His spectral figure unfurled its wings fully, dragging azure fire into a spear of pure annihilation. He hurled it forward, piercing straight into the collapsing storm.
The void screamed. The spear shattered the gravity field, blue embers scattering across the dark. For a moment, it seemed like Vemy had broken through—
But the entity stepped through the flames, unharmed.
Its countless rings spun faster, their light carving through the void like galaxies in motion. "Strength alone won't let you ascend. To claim the Eleventh, you must burn more than your enemies… you must burn yourself."
Vemy staggered, chest heaving, sweat dripping. He felt his flames respond, surging hungrily, as if they'd been waiting for those very words. His veins glowed, his spectral figure flickering violently behind him.
"Burn… myself?" he whispered.
The entity's voice thundered.
"Show me your resolve, Blue Inferno. Offer your flame. Become the fire… or be consumed by it."
With a roar, Vemy thrust his hand forward. The tenth ring on his finger shattered into shards of light, embedding themselves into his skin. Pain ripped through him, but in its place… a new flame erupted.
It was no longer Celestine Blue. It was deeper, darker—Aetherion Blue, a color that seemed to bend the void itself around it. His aura howled, wings erupting in a storm of fire that seared the unending dark.
The entity's countless eyes narrowed.
"So… you choose to burn."
And then they clashed—infinite rings versus Aetherion Blue flame, their collision fracturing the void into a thousand dimensions.