The battle erupted again. Void and Adrian swords clashed in a single blow, shaking the world. The earth trembled, and space itself cracked under the force of the impact. They didn't stop at the first strike, but unleashed an endless torrent of attacks, each blow heavier than the last, each impact leaving shockwaves that tore through the air.
Adrian soared into the sky, followed instantly by Void, and they battled through the air at unimaginable speed. Their styrazine swords crossed, intertwined, and then separated, each time accompanied by a shower of sparks.
A Void strike cleaved the sky, only to be met with a sharp spin from Adrian, deflecting his sword and attacking from an impossible angle. They collided, retreated, then returned with even greater ferocity, like two monsters who knew no retreat. Suddenly, Adrian spun around in place with terrifying speed.
A colossal dark storm formed, a black vortex that engulfed him completely, his body disappearing within it. Void plunged straight into the heart of the vortex, but vision vanished, and darkness engulfed everything.
He tried to sense Adrian's energy and caught it. But the moment he tried to block, he was struck twice in quick succession from an unexpected direction. Void plummeted from the sky like a meteor, crashing to the ground with tremendous force.
He sprang to his feet, rage blazing in his eyes, while the vortex continued to spin. He opened his mouth, and a purple flame began to form, which he then unleashed directly into the vortex. The fire merged with the storm, and Adrian emerged.
The moment Void eyes landed on him, he charged at him with frantic speed, unleashing a barrage of sword blows that pierced Adrian's formation and tore through his colossal shield.
Adrien roared with fury, regrouped his energy, and reshaped the sterazin around him. He regained his balance and charged at Void, and they exchanged blows once more, strike for strike, no advantage, no retreat.
But something began to change. Void energy began to dwindle. The Asterazine skill was rapidly draining his energy. At that moment, Saruto voice echoed in his consciousness: "Void… I've returned your blows. Enough. Rest."
Void paused for a moment, then acquiesced. The aura shifted. Saruto regained control. Adrian realized this immediately, but he didn't stop. He continued his attack without hesitation.
Saruto moved swiftly within the Asterazine, dodging Adrian blows, then unleashed a powerful kick that struck Adrian's Asterazine directly, sending him reeling backward. Fatigue was beginning to show on both of them. Adrian undid the Asterazine formation. Saruto did the same.
They stood facing each other in the middle of a shattered world. Adrian said, "Saruto… you won't defeat me no matter what you try. Even if you use Consciousness with Void, you won't win."
Saruto chuckled softly, a laugh free of tension. "So… how about I use Consciousness… but in a different form?"
Adrian froze. "What do you mean?"
Saruto didn't answer. He began to gather his energy, and telepathically said to Void, "Now… Sid will take over."
Then, Saruto and Void said in unison, "Common Consciousness."
Energy erupted violently from Saruto body, and his form began to shift. A blinding light enveloped Adrian, filling the entire space until he could see nothing but a deadly whiteness. When the light dissipated, the consciousness of both Saruto and Void vanished. Something else appeared.
The creature spoke in a blended voice, combining the voices of Saruto and Void: "So… you are Adrian, the Fourth Founder. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Sid… the entity resulting from the fusion of Saruto and Void."
But Adrian wasn't listening. He was simply staring at the energy. A terrifying, suffocating energy that nearly crushed him in place. Suddenly, Side was in front of him. "What are you thinking about?" he said coldly. "Ignoring me?"
He landed a punch directly in Adrian stomach. Adrian staggered, coughing from the force of the blow. Side grabbed him by the face, flew with him, dragged him across the ground, smashing him through rocks, and then flung him away.
Side gathered energy in his hand and released it. Adrian winced, but didn't fall. Side stood over him and said, his voice full of amusement, "Don't give up so easily. I've just gotten out… and I want to have some more fun with you."
Adrian growled, grabbed Side by the leg, and began slamming him to the ground repeatedly. "If you want to have fun… you have it!"
Then he hurled him into the sky with all his might. As Side flew through the air, Adrian formed a dragon's head on his chest and began gathering energy into the dragon's mouth. Side saw this and grinned. "You're not the only one who can do that."
He began to mimic him. Adrian was surprised, but didn't stop. He launched his attack. Side launched his at the same moment. The two attacks met in the middle. The energies collided, each pushing against the other. Side began to back down slightly under Adrian's strength, so the latter said confidently, "Trying to imitate my skill? Even if you imitate it… it won't be the same."
Side laughed and said, "I agree with you." "I agree. It won't be the same... it will be better."
Side pumped more energy. He began to push Adrian backward. They both screamed simultaneously. Then their energies exploded. A deafening, colossal explosion that engulfed the entire world.