> A history of black. A future tainted claret.

Probacon, Wynn and Watch walking through a literal hall of frames which seemed to fragment their bodies.

----------------------------------------

Wok and Tyrai made haste towards each other, completely drowned in the joy of this duel shared by their duopoly.

Both simultaneously created strong forcefields right as they neared themselves, meaning these barriers would clash with immense fervor.

The result of which, a massive wave of destruction that spread across the surface of the gargantuan platform.

The masses watched as the dust and debris settled amidst the decelerating winds, revealing both men standing, and barely tired.

"Bastard. Just how much is in that tank of yours?" Tyrai inquired, raising his body upright in the meanwhile.

"The same can be asked of you, my friend." Wok replied with a grin.

The two began preparing to have another go, gathering intense energy in their two hands in different positions; Wok's to his side, spaced, and parallel to each other, whilst facing away from his body, and Tyrai's with his straightened to his front, spaced as well.

~HERMIT WAVE!~ ~STARK BURST!~ They released the energies in the form of grand beams from their palms. The blasts subsequently colluded, igniting an epic power struggle.

Eventually, the sheer output of the clash reached a critical point, causing yet another explosion, with a shockwave that blasted the two away.

But within an instant they had risen and teleported a hair’s length of each other.

With electric power emitting on his palm, Tyrai struck Wok with a sturdy blow to the gut.

But to no effect on the Ghouling, responding with a vivacious punch which sent Tyrai spiraling away.

The latter would find himself crashing violently into an elevation that rose into the stratospheres nearing the vast emptiness that surrounded the platform.

But he would hurriedly dash out of it, with his blood pumping with energetic indulgence. If his greatest disadvantage is hand-to-hand…

Then–!, thought Tyrai, nearing where the Ghouling was positioned in a matter of mere seconds.

But this tactic wasn’t unbeknownst to Wok, who immediately transposed himself far away, which shocked Tyrai to a reasonable degree.

Wok then suddenly teleported back, carrying in his hand a charging small black ball.

Wait–!, thought Tyrai, urgently attempting to escape the next move.

But Wok acted much too fast, bashing him in the abdomen with the ball.

In turn, a giant explosion was propagated, which eviscerated the nearby mountain ranges of elevations larger than asteroids, across an area spanning six lakhs of hectares.

The cloud of dust and smoke formed would eventually dissipate, showing that although Tyrai had received minimal damage which he did heal himself from, the condition of either of the two was yet to change.

The Kibito began to pant a little however.

"What's wrong?,” asked Wok while boldly running a hand’s fingers through the hair that covered his left eye. "Don't tell me you're losing steam now…"

Tyrai’s simple and initial response to that question was to show to his current rival a look of unchanging self-confidence.

"You really are something, Ran Wok.” He remarked as he uprighted himself, slightly confusing the Ghouling.

"Your Meridian Powers are special, even more than any others’ whom I have seen in this plane. (And I have seen a lot.) No wonder you have that title..."

"What, resorting to flattery now?,” questioned Wok with a chuckle.

"Not really…just measuring my victory.” Tyrai replied coldly.

Wok's smile faded, sensing a sudden shift in the atmosphere surrounding this encounter.

He simply sighed, knowing this was to be a long commune.

"Well…for one thing, the first statement sounds a bit iffy, but it doesn’t concern me much. But what does do that…,” commented Wok, looking down with a wide smile, pausing for a short moment.

"...is the inordinacy of your physical nature."

This statement shocked Tyrai, and while such was predictable, he still looked as though he had expected it to a degree.

It also caught off-guard some spectators, including a number of Wok's allies.

Tyrai looked down for a while, seeming to contemplate.

He looked back up at Wok, just responding with a smile.

"No answer, huh?" Wok laughed.

"Just who are you?"

"Me?" Tyrai asked with a light laugh of intrigue.

"Fine. I'll humor you a bit.”

“Honestly…I really do not know either."

Wok tilted his head in empuzzlement from that very statement, unexpecting that sort of answer.

"Truth is…in a sense, we're similar. For a good few temporal cycles, I don't think I've once ever really remembered my origin. Heck, sometimes I feel as though it’s of nonbeing, and I just happened to show up.” He revealed as he looked around, taking short pauses as he divulged this truth of himself.

"Even still…I believe it doesn't matter much. The past, that is. Serves nothing more than as pullback, keeping us far from the future."

Wok's hand twitched when hearing those words come from Tyrai’s mouth.

A small reaction noticed by Probacon, David, and a few others.

"In that sense, we are kindred spirits, don't you think, Hollow Ghouling?" He asked Wok as he turned to him.

Wok, who had been looking downward for a while, finally looked up at the Kibito with a greatly stark face. "Us? Kindred?”

Tyrai took intrigue in Wok's reaction. “Hmm?”

“Maybe in the fact we see the past as not of much importance, yeah, maybe that's true.”

“However…I don't see the past the same way you do.” Wok stated with grimacing mannerism.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The past doesn't matter. But not because it’s a yoke or any bloody nonsense like that. It doesn't matter…because it already happened. And it's wasteful to dwell on what’s happened.”

“But that doesn’t mean it has no place in our lives. ‘Cause without the 'then', there is no 'now', and never a 'later'. Get it?" Wok finished, emboldening his stature more than ever before.

And from a greater number of the general audience he would garner vast respect and appraisal from.

But in turn, would gain Tyrai's unrestricted ire. "Haaa. Look at that. And just when I thought I finally found a resonating soul.”

“Looks like I was wrong.”

He charged at Wok, who had entered a state of deep thought, as if he had awakened his mind's eye or a state of the like.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

It was a thought of recollection, as he saw silhouettes of humanoids, seemingly both male and female, as they played around with a child. And due to this undefined vision, his eyes widened with brimming wonder.

Ah. What is this? He asked, blissfully in thought. I can't precisely remember.

But…it feels like a haven of mine. Like a safecode for myself and all my worries. I wish…I could feel it for real.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in a sudden jolt, feeling something sharp and pointed pierce through him.

He looked down to see a sword going through his abdomen, and Tyrai behind him, pushing the blade through as he smiled.

Wok tilted his head back, his eyes wide opened. "Cheeky fellow, aren't ya…faw?"

Tyrai realized the imminent danger he was in the range of.

Suddenly, another Nimbus would appear, one of blue, white and green coloration, padded shoulders and knees, golden knobs for eyes, and with a strange set of bumps on its palm. With said palm, it swiped at Tyrai.

Tyrai evaded by transmitting away, however, baffled at Wok's sudden mood swing. The Nimbus with that swipe erased some of the space between the two.

Two Nimbuses!? No…the greater issue is that the guy who's holding back as well as I have throughout this match…

Is suddenly on the aggressive… Tyrai thought, as Wok would turn to front his current standing and eerily inquire something of him. "Answer my question."

"And tell me why…you ruin my moment of bliss."

Tyrai was even more puzzled than before, taking a while to reach realization.

He then smirked.

“Which though? As for the one about my physicality, I bolstered myself with a self-imposed Tenchi Bar via a wi–.” “I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT!!!” Wok yelled aggressively.

Tyrai was left stunned by Wok’s newfound erraticness.

But he grinned as he quickly realized what Wok referred to. “Well, in regards to that…”

"This is battle. Within its borders…I have no time to care for that."

Wok's eyes jumped in a fiery rage.

"Is that so?" He asked, placing his right middle and index fingers up.

Tyrai prepared his body for the next action, questioning just what it would be, especially in regards to his opposition’s volatility.

"Then…just die."

《His fury, unleashed.》

And in an instant, a furious tempest would rise from nowhere, courtesy of Wok’s powers and current emotion. The Kibito was completely bewildered.

Wok then released a large burst of energy of a purpler hue right towards Tyrai.

The latter managed to evade, but was left shocked upon seeing it completely erase his prior location with a small explosion, realizing its nature. Destroyer Energy!? Raze?!!

Wok rushed at him, just as Tyrai sent another full-on beam of radiance at the oncoming opponent.

Wok easily skipped by it, reaching Tyrai and blasting him point-blank with a wave of energy particularly recognizable as Void energy.

Tyrai quickly recovered, and brought forth a giant of earth and iron which was infused with his powers.

Said giant attempted to punch Wok with an energy-covered fist.

But Wok simply stopped the attack with a palm, much to Tyrai's astonishment.

He activated an ability that appeared to turn the whole giant into dust instantly via means of hastened decay.

Tyrai followed up with a psychical burst as he leapt into the air, creating a massive shockwave.

But such was rather futile, because Wok could negate such power in the space around him, which he did.

Then, he blitzed Tyrai, kicking him back down to the ground.

Raising both arms as high as naturally possible for him, he began gathering energy from all around him, energy that was clearly shaping into a ginormous sphere.

And only upon its completion did he throw it at Tyrai with great fruition, causing greater destruction than ever before.

With peak anticipation, anyone and everyone kept on watching in the belief in the possibility of the battle’s conclusion with that attack.

Wok slowly floated down back to the ground.

I wonder…is he unconscious? Or maybe even dead? Who knows…, thought the Ghouling, as he landed down with lackluster emotion.

Suddenly, his cranium was struck with immense pain, on both physical and metaphysical levels. And with his ears ringing, his groans were unbridled in any way.

He fell onto the floor in great pain, clutching his head as well.

This brought much confusion to the greater audience. "Hey, what's going on?" "Is this the aftermath of his All-Meridian?" "Can't be…"

Wok attempted getting back on his feet, but the strain from his unnatural head pain held him from doing so.

"What’s going on?!,” inquired Probacon in great concern. “No clue. And that worries me.” Noot responded, just as concerned for this ally of theirs.

What's this?, thought Wok. Why is my head–.

Before he could finish, he was hit with a wave of memories, seeing multiple different things, though whether or not they were all actually his was unknown to him.

But eventually, one particular one would stick out. One where he saw great chaos, destruction, and death within it, whilst he still struggled in real-time.

He then viewed a memory of two other Ghoulings, male and female, both sharing vaguely similar features to him, including hair color and facial structure, though he couldn't make out their proper facial features. "Ran, we must hurry. Or we die as well!" The male said.

"I’m scared…,” said a younger sounding individual, with similarities to the voice of Wok. "Don't worry. Mommy and daddy will protect you,” said the female.

Suddenly, his mind flashed to another memory. In this one, a colossal translucent being was procuring destruction of gargantuan amounts, whilst a person seeming to be himself and someone else with blonde short hair in Eisendic garb, and was about his height in that memory, observed, appearing to have been battling the being for a long period of time.

"Faw! I can…slow him down! Leave it to me!" The individual shouted as he turned round to face whoever’s memory this was, though his face was blurred as well, amidst the great storms around them.

Wok was still struggling with said memories, unable to decipher them, and as the pain grew greater, his groans would suddenly become screams.

"LEAVE ME BE!!!,” viscerally yelled Wok, expunging a great pulse of energy that sent vibrations through parts of the platform.

He then fell to the floor flat, much to the heightened confusion of the majority of the masses.

What…happened? What memories…whose memories were those?, contemplated Wok as he got up whilst holding his head, trying to understand what had just happened to him.

I…don't remember right now. What I do recall….

In rapid reaction, he spun forward with his palm ready to fire off any attack. But there was no one.

He realized the truth of the situation, for behind him stood Tyrai, who wielded a strangely shaped dagger, was in prime position to attack.

Wok slowly turned around.

"Too slow,” said Tyrai.

He vehemently stabbed the lower part of Wok's right abdomen, beginning to slash diagonally towards his left.

This weapon is designed for a being such as yourself… Tyrai thought while continuing his action.

He completely cut across Wok's midsection with a deep slit, and blood began to vehemently gush out. Therefore, at this very moment…

As Wok began to lose consciousness, Tyrai swept his leg ferociously.

And stabbed him deep into his neck with emphatic force onto the deck.

And Wok’s body looked as though it had no life, just with his eyes and mouth opened and cruor pouring from the very places he had been attacked.

This grim turn of events horrified many, adding greater shock to the faces of Wok's friends and allies.

Tyrai stood up properly with widened legs, with the dagger still in hand, and with a devious smile, as the prior storm began to settle.

Afterwards, he began walking away from Wok's body. "Didn't wanna do this this early, if not at all. But…”

“You drew my ire, Ran Wok."

The jeers had begun to sound within the Bounded Coliseum, all aimed at the Kibito.

"LET ME AT HIM!!!" Probacon roared in a fuming rage, just about to jump from his seat.

But Noot placed his weapon in front of him to block him from any action. “Hold on now. For one, the distance is essentially uncrossable for us.” “Guh!”

“And another…you'd just get yourself killed."

"But…but…"

"Wok…,” said David in a frustrated tone as he watched from his own seat.

"I shall go announce the winner, and deliver appropriate punishment.” Dgiag said to Tōmii, beginning to walk from beside him.

"There be no necessity o’ that sort." Tōmii replied in calm fashion, much to Dgiag's surprise. "Why not?"

"Open thine own eyes."

Dgiag turned back to the Field.

His eyes would grow widely with shock, as Tōmii simply chuckled in the back.

People from within the Field and Coliseum also began noticing it, all with varying faces of shock, happiness, excitement and fear.

Tyrai sensed the perplexity of an occurrence, baffled by it, and swiftly turning back to confirm it. W-what?

The general sight was of Wok, who had now gotten up, all his body completely healed, though covered in stains of blood and grime, and with his ponytail now in front and rested upon his collar, looking down to the ground.

"Haha…yo." He said with an ecstatic grin on his face as he looked back up at Tyrai, with it being clear as ever that this contest was but far from ended…

《A lifesaving metamorphosis, it seems. But of what kind?》

----------------------------------------