Ezekiel wasn’t sure what was happening to him. He hadn’t been meditating, nor gathering mana of any sort at the time, but here he was, floating within the Void that he seemed to tap into whenever he went through a breakthrough with his magic.

Yet, he couldn’t help but notice that there was a subtle difference from before. Where once he saw an endless expanse of stars, flickering about in the vast recesses of space, now, there was something much more daunting. Something that seemed to consume the vast sense of wonder that would fill him as he gazed into the distance.

There was a hunger inside him now. It filled his soul from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. It gnawed at him from the inside out. Like the pain of a thousand needles piercing his flesh, only to fade into an emptiness that longed to be filled. This turned into a cycle, and the sensations repeated themselves, over and over and over, again and again and again.

It wasn’t long before he began to writhe in pain as the sensation became too much for him to stand. Writhing turned into clawing, as he tried to tear out whatever was doing this to him. Clawing turned into screaming, as he opened his mouth and arched his back. But silence was all he heard.

He felt his body strain against itself. The needles and emptiness turned into a searing heat and frigid cold. Then, a cutting wind, and sharp impact. Following that, the scent of flowers, mixed with the rotten smell of decay. Blinding light followed by pitch darkness. Finally, the scent of ozone, accompanied by a flash of all consuming pain, then numbness. Emptiness, once again spread through him.

Ezekiel didn’t know how long he had been like this. Experiencing these brain breaking sensations. The feeling of his very being becoming undone. A pressure placed upon his soul that threatened to crush him out of existence. An enemy that he couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t fight.

“E---ki--... Ez---el... Eze---el! EZEKIEL!” A voice cut through the darkness.

Vision returned to Ezekiel as he wildly looked around. His soul still felt heavy, but the pain was slowly receding. However, the feeling of dread and emptiness still lingered, though not as strong as before.

“Shine...?” Ezekiel muttered, still looking for any sign of his Spirit within this astral mindscape.

“...help me...” Shine’s voice, quiet and weak, cut through Ezekiel’s mind like a knife to the gut. He immediately turned his attention upwards, relative to his previous line of sight.

There, a small opalescent light, not much more than half to two thirds Ezekiel’s own size, Shine’s soul was held in the grasp of an abomination. It was oily in color and seemed to pull the stars in the Void towards it, like a blackhole. All while emanating an ever-shifting appearance of bubbling ooze. Organs grew from tentacles that wrapped around Shine’s soul.

A silent scream was let out by the Void Spirit as a mouth filled with blackened fangs bit down on them. Tearing out a literal chuck of the Void Spirit’s soul.

Ezekiel saw red. Ignoring his own damaged soul, he threw himself towards the invader that dared to harm his Spirit. His soul bonded pattern. A fist filled with ‘NOTHINGNESS’ flew forward.

A flash of light, followed by a soft breeze suddenly appeared. As did a cacophony of rage filled with shrieks of pain. As his vision returned to him, Ezekiel saw that the writhing mass of ooze had shrunk. It was now the same size as Shine, if only a tiny bit bigger. But it had lost its grip on Shine, and that was all Ezekiel cared about.

“OuTsidEr!!! YoU shAlL nOt taKe tHiS woRLd FroM Me!!!” The ooze seemed to call out to Ezekiel in a warped and garbled voice that was barely comprehensible. Ezekiel could feel a stabbing pain in his skull as a being that was far more powerful than him tried to exert pressure on his mind.

“YoU Do nOT bEloNg!!! ThIs WorLd iS mINe!!! I ShAll NoT lEt tHe VOID tAkE iT AgAiN!!!”

Ezekiel felt like his mind was about to shatter as the weight of something so much bigger than himself pressed down on it. It was even greater than the weight of Exalt Harras, when he wasn’t holding back against the Cruor. But at the same time, it still felt just as distant as Exalt Harras’ mana had felt. As if it wasn’t actually here. Even though Ezekiel could see it right in front of himself.

“...avatar...” A soft voice called out to Ezekiel. He turned, just enough to catch Shine out of the corner of his eye while he focused on the enemy in front of him. “... it’s just... an avatar...”

Hearing Shine’s words, Ezekiel focused his mana, his soul, and filled it with his concept of ‘nothingness’. Immediately the pressure let up as the influence of the being in front of him was dispersed. Leaving his soul clean, and free of corruption.

“You’re not really here.” Ezekiel muttered, pulling back his fist once again. “Get out.”

“YoU!!!” The ooze screamed in rage as it lashed out once again, attempting to wrap its appendages around Shine once again, while also striking out at Ezekiel in an attempt to bring him harm.

But Ezekiel wouldn’t have it. Throwing his fist forward once again, an even larger light burst out. But he didn’t stop there. Without even looking at what he had done, Ezekiel pulled his other fist back, and threw it forward as well. Alternating back and forth, right and left, his ‘nothingness’ infused fists practically flew as they impacted against the abomination that had infected his soul.

Over and over, again and again, until there was nothing left.

Seeing that there was nothing visible around him, besides Shine and himself, he nearly allowed himself to relax. But the feeling of dread had yet to fade away.

Knowing that he couldn’t afford to take any chances, Ezekiel cupped his hands together. Between them, a ten sided polyhedral was formed from Void Panes between his palms. Within, Void mana was gathered in large quantities. More than Ezekiel remembered having.

The Polyhedral began to spin. Ezekiel started to have second thoughts about what he was about to do, but he pushed them aside. This was entirely theoretical. He had no basis with which to believe that this would work as intended. Just a feeling, as if his mana was guiding him.

Opalescent light filled his vision. It flashed like a strobe light, and he heard screams of garbled pain once again. As the light strobed faster and faster, Ezekiel allowed the mana he had gathered to break apart the polyhedral he had shaped.

An explosion of mana, filled with ‘nothingness’ spread throughout the Void, and with one last shriek, unseen to Ezekiel, the last remnants of the thing that had infected him disappeared. The pit of dread within him, and the emptiness that accompanied it, faded away.

Immediately, he threw himself at Shine. Reaching out to the Void Spirit with his own soul. Stretching across their bond and allowing the weakened Spirit to put weight upon his own soul. A melding occurred, just like when they had climbed the Feather Peak mountain.

He wasn’t sure how long he and Shine remained like that. But eventually, a sense of recovery and wellness filled them both. The innate healing that seemed to occur when burdens of the soul were shared brought relief to them both. Allowing Ezekiel to relax and open his eyes to the real world.

Only for destruction to fill his sight.

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Several minutes prior to Ezekiel’s awakening, Herend continued to keep an eye on Ezekiel as he did his best to also fend off the Cruor that were chasing after them. Usually, a fight like this would be something that they would have trouble with even if they weren’t outnumbered.

The fact that they were also tired from using their magic in a battle prior to this one, and were matched for Legendaries, meant that things were even worse for them. The only saving grace was that they were fully dedicated to retreating. Had they not been, then whatever battle they might’ve had would’ve been short and devastating.

A sudden jerk by the Spirit beneath his feet nearly threw him into the sky. Beside him, Philip let out a yelp and a curse. Yet Ezekiel remained as unflappable as ever. Almost as if he hadn’t even noticed it. At the same time, the head of the Cruor that had flown too close fell to the ground, followed by its body soon afterward.

“Focus; you deadweights! Don’t make Ezekiel do all the work, dammit!” Filia yelled as she waved her hand. A Pulse of mana dislodged and sent a hardened feather flying from where it had stuck her Spirit in the back.

“We’re heavily outnumbered and they’re focused solely on us right now.” Philip exclaimed. “We can’t even get help from the Leaders since they’re busy with the damned Peerage Members!”

Herend couldn’t help but wince at Philip’s words. It was bad enough that they were nearly being swarmed. But the lack of backup was really hurting them. Though, not as bad as it would if Garrad and Nonette fell. It was almost certain that the Legendary Cruor’s had been weakened by Ezekiel’s attack. However, that didn’t mean they were out of the fight.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Seeing a Cruor get a little bit too close, Herend deflected several more feathers with a wall of water that he materialized from the water vapor that was nearby. They were high enough that the naturally formed, if still somewhat miasmic, clouds were usable with his magic. Lessening the strain of summoning forth water for him to freeze and use.

The little frog Spirit on his shoulder helped him immensely as it lessened the load when it came to mana expenditure. The little Spirit had a natural ability to maintain a certain level of moisture in its surroundings. The fact that it was endlessly spewing bullets of ice at the Cruor meant that it was difficult for their enemies to get close to them as well.

A whip of fire to the side forced several Cruor to fall back, allowing Filia’s Spirit to pull a bit further ahead. But the gap was quickly closed by the Cruor. Their innate abilities granted them an advantage in the air. One that a flying Spirit wasn’t able to match with four humans weighing it down.

A wing was suddenly cut off from one of their pursuers. Herend didn’t know what was going on with Ezekiel, and Philip and Filia were too preoccupied to notice, but he was starting to get worried. Whatever was happening to Ezekiel was good for them, at least for now.

But he knew that things involving unknown magic and Ichor were often too good to be true. Like the massive, exponentially larger explosion that occurred with that strange, Ichor filled, Spine. The fact that Ezekiel had been covered by what they assumed was some sort of inert Ichor didn’t fill him with joy either.

“How much further until we reach the midway patrols?” Herend suddenly asked.

“At least--” Filia had to cut herself off as she urged her Spirit to dodge a dive bomb that nearly clipped them. Ezekiel once again struck out with his magic, but missed, and didn’t seem to follow up. “At least a few more minutes. Why? Are things getting worse back there?”

Herend looked at the dozen or so Cruor that were slowly tightening around them. Then he looked at Ezekiel, whose eyes were slowly dimming. Something he had just noticed when he saw him casting another spell. It seemed like Ezekiel was acting out of reflex, and it was doing something that was possibly harming him.

“I don’t think we can last much longer. And something’s wrong with Ezekiel. Philip; cover me for a moment!” Herend moved over to Ezekiel, placing a hand on his shoulder to try and examine him.

While Glacial Mages were not as efficient at healing magic as Life Mages, or even Radiant Mages, if trained, they could still be considered capable healers. At least when it came to physical diagnosis. Using his mana to sense Ezekiel’s physical condition, he nearly threw up as the scent of Ichor and rotten blood seemed to fill his soul.

Collapsing to his knees, he had to force himself not to throw up as he gasped for breath in shock.

“Herend!” Philip exclaimed. Taking a risk, he wasted some mana to let loose an explosion that forced the Cruor back further, granting them some breathing room.

“What happened?” Filia yelled. “What did you do?”

“What did you do!? How the hell did you, a Death Mage, not notice that Ezekiel is basically rotting from the inside out?” Herend exclaimed. Filia risked a look back as she stared at Herend in confusion.

Looking at Ezekiel, and seeing the now noticeable changes in his condition, she went pale.

“All I sensed was his mana in his soul. There wasn’t anything wrong when we checked him. Just a Void, like normal. His body wasn’t rotting either.” Filia said. “Is this because he’s using his mana?”

Herend couldn’t help but wince. It was well known that, besides draining one’s mana, Ichor would affect the body in strange and unusual ways if the body didn’t have any mana for it to absorb, or if mana was specifically used to catalyze a reaction. If Filia was telling the truth, then it was possible that Ezekiel’s Void mana had been suppressing the effects of the Ichor, and his reflexive use was weakening his defense against it.

Suddenly, Ezekiel seemed to jerk his limbs, nearly losing his footing. The veins around his eyes and orifices began to turn black, only to begin shining with a bright light. The air seemed to chill for a moment, and Herend suddenly felt as though he was being pulled towards Ezekiel.

At that moment, all three Hunters felt a sudden sense of foreboding and helplessness fill them as they all turned to Ezekiel. The Cruor took this chance to catch up, but the words from the three Spirits to their Hunters meant they didn’t have to.

Not even thinking about it, just reacting to the frantic instructions of their Spirits, Herend and Philip, pushed by a primal fear that flooded them, kicked Ezekiel’s now spasming body off the back of Filia’s Spirit. But the sense of foreboding didn’t fade away. Even as the Cruor dove to grab Ezekiel, ignoring them as they flew away.

“Faster...” Herend muttered as he and Philip looked at Ezekiel as he descended. “FLY FUCKING FASTER!!!”

Filia and her Spirit immediately burned their mana, forcing the Spirit of Death to fly faster. Getting further and further away from Ezekiel as he descended, but even though they were nearly out of sight, as Ezekiel fell below the tree line, a gnawing fear continued to fill them. One that still drove them to flee. It was an all-encompassing fear that drowned out all other thoughts.

As the forest went quiet, the Cruor having nearly caught Ezekiel before his unwilling descent could be completed, a flash of multicolored light filled the world for an instant. The disrupted quiet seemed to make the world still for a moment, before it began once again. Only for a chaotic storm to descend on the world an instant later.

Fire, sandstorms, plagues, blizzards, lightning, earthquakes, rays of light, and shadows devastated the landscape. Destroying the forest and leveling it to the ground, all while it immediately regrew, only to be torn asunder once again. Destruction, followed by creation, flowed in a looping circle.

It just didn’t end. Even the mana in the atmosphere seemed to be reacting and following the will of whatever the hell was directing this destruction. Herend and the rest were nearly caught up in it as stray lightning, as strong as a full powered attack from a Third Step Adept, flew everywhere, nearly striking them down.

But they managed to escape more or less unscathed, looking back only to see the devastation die down. Observing a scene in which there was nothing left. No Cruor, no forest, no anything.

Except for a young man holding a sword in the midst of destruction.

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A distance behind The Adept Hunters that were fleeing as fast as the Spirit that carried them could fly, Garrad and Nonette were having difficulties of their own. While they had managed to more or less hold off the majority of the attempts on their fleeing underling’s lives, the moment the Cruor focused their attention on just one of the groups was the moment things got much tougher. Made even worse as the two Legendary Cruor were now entering the battle in full.

“How is your throat?” Azrak asked in a raspy growl. His features becoming more warped and animalistic. “An attack like that shouldn’t have taken this long to heal.”

Currently, the only saving grace for the two Hunters was the fact that Ezekiel’s attack had more or less incapacitated the female Cruor that was attacking them. Forcing the male Cruor to hold back, ever so slightly, to ensure that she didn’t die, and force him to be outnumbered.

As it was, Azrak was carrying Nara on his back, she was attacking with her wings and shooting feathers while he jumped back and forth. They were harrying the two Legendary Hunters, but it wasn’t quite enough. Azrak had calmed down somewhat, having to focus on the here and the now, instead of rampaging towards the Void Mage, but the fact that he was slowly transforming showed just how close he was to losing it. Something that none of the Legendaries wanted to have happen.

The cost would be too great, even for the winners. Regardless of which side you were on.

“The... mana... it’s hard... to heal...” Nara whispered. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the damage was severe. Her head had nearly been taken, and if she wasn’t a full Tier higher than Ezekiel, his attack certainly would’ve killed her. “How... could a... lesser...”

Nara trailed off, but Azrak knew what she wanted to ask, even as he dove out of the way of another strike from Garrad. The difference between Legendaries and Adepts was not the same as the difference between Adepts and Apprentices. The quantity increased by a magnitude, of course, but there was also a qualitative difference that depended on the soul.

It shouldn’t have been possible for a low-Step of the third Tier to have done such damage. Especially since a Cruor’s body was far tougher than a Mage of the same Tier. Barring Void Mages, of course. Had a Hunter not been wearing their Spirit Armor, Ezekiel may very well have taken a Legendary Mage’s head with that attack.

Across from the Legendary Cruors, Garrad and Nonette were doing their best to slow down the Cruor’s advance. Broad, sweeping swings were accompanied by clouds of dust as Garrad laid down smokescreens. While Nonette attempted to bind their foes in brambles and vines to keep them grounded.

But while their underlings were making headway in their retreat, they were still too close for comfort. Even if they managed to escape the swarm of Cruor, Adepts and Apprentice levels, they would be dead if these two caught up to them. Fortunately, it seemed like the Cruor were also slowly getting tired, though not as much as Garrard and Nonette. But it was enough to bring them closer to the ground.

It was just a shame that Garrad was too low on mana to take advantage of the change in terrain. A massive bear trap of stone would’ve been a great boon to them right now. Unfortunately, it seemed like the battle would continue to be a slog, for both parties.

Though that didn’t stop the two Legendary Hunters from also briefly wondering how Ezekiel was able to make such a powerful strike. They had tested him previously, and they knew from experience that Ezekiel, prior to destroying the Spine, wasn’t that strong.

There was little time to ponder the possibilities of how such a thing was possible, however, as Nara was slowly recovering enough to fight on her own. Though at a reduced rate since a significant amount of her Ichor had been used up. A brief lull occurred as the two groups broke off from one another, with Nara climbing down to land on her own two feet. But a sudden shift in the air held them back.

“Garrad!” Nonette suddenly exclaimed. “Something just happened. The trees; they’re... scared...”

The other Legendaries looked towards the Life Hunter as she seemed to shiver in fright from something that only she could sense. For a moment, Azrak and Nara thought that Nonette had been trying to psych them out, but suddenly she turned her head, fully facing away from the battle. Something that threw both of the Cruor for a loop.

“Nonette!” Garrad exclaimed in panic, but he needn’t have worried. Neither Azrak nor Nara were in any condition to take advantage of their enemy’s distraction. His own Spirit was muttering about something to him, but it wasn’t clear, and couldn’t tell exactly what was going on. Just that it was something terrifying that he needed to be wary of.

They too had turned to the direction of the disturbance. Their eyes dilating, and Azrak reverting to his more humanoid appearance. As they stared into the distance, their eyes pointed slightly upwards at an angle, their gazes slowly descended. The feathers that lined part of their bodies ruffled outwards. Their senses, more in tune with bestial instincts, were screaming at them to run.

Something that they knew, in the depths of their hearts, that they could only realize due to their strength. No Adept Cruor would be able to sense this. Just like how an and wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a shadow cast by a cloud, and a shadow cast by a boot.

Yet, in the backs of their minds, they could feel the hint of Spiritual essence. That strange scent that all Spirits seemed to have. They idly wondered if this was something tied to the Spirits that were running away, and immediately knew that the Void Spirit must’ve been involved. If not the Void Mage.

“Fall back...” Azrak said. “We don’t know what that thing is truly capable of. We must report this to the Lord.”

Nara wanted to defy him, but the sudden invisible shockwave of ‘nothingness’ that seemed to strike at their souls reminded her of the Mythic Hunter that had fought them off several days ago. Regardless of how much weaker it was.

The massive storm of elements in the distance also encouraged her to leave without complaint.

“We’ll be back, and our Lord will be accompanying us. Your little weapon won’t live for too much longer.” Azrak gave some parting words, causing Garrad to pale as he turned to the retreating Cruor.

“Wait!” Garrad called out. He knew he should’ve been glad that the Cruor were retreating. It meant that they would get to live another day. But if they were going to the Broodlord and were going to bring him back into the fight. Then that just meant that their deaths were going to be delayed.

But as Azrak and Nara took to the skies, there was nothing he could do. Nonette was still staring in shock, obviously sensing something from the trees, but he was blind. Whatever was going on had yet to occur on the ground, so his senses were of no help to him.

Until a small impact in the distance registered to his senses. The Void was opened up to him. He was nothing. The world was nothing. Nothing would kill him. Nothing would save him.

“Oh...” Was all he could say before the feeling of dread and terror faded from his mind.

In its place, there was a brief vision of destruction, and in the center of it, was the weight of a familiar young man. An underling that he was supposed to protect.

Slowly pulling himself from his temporary stupor, he saw that Nonette was staring at him with wide eyes. Gritting his teeth and squaring his shoulder, Garrad shook off the vision he had been given, and took to the air once again. He headed directly towards where he knew Ezekiel would be.

But regardless of what he told himself. He couldn’t shake off the sense of confusion and concern that now settled in his mind.