Ezekiel felt like his entire body was on fire. The changes he had experienced upon flooding his body with purified Ichor were not within his expectations. He now felt stronger than ever, and the qualitative changes he had undergone were immense.

When he had first finished his transformation, something he hoped he’d never have to do again, and had burst through the room he’d been meditating in, it had taken a moment for him to figure out what was going on, and then, he’d dove into the lava beneath the Legacy and pushed the massive structure to the surface. A task that he had thought would have been much harder without his magic breaking through to Tier six first.

With his body now much stronger, he’d been able to take in mana from the lava, and the Legacy itself, to fuel his efforts. Not unlike how his father manipulated the world around himself to power his magic, rather than using his own mana directly. The only difference was that the mana he took in from the world, with each and every breath of his new body, could only be used to empower his physique, not his spells. This resulted in a constant flare across his body if he didn’t use his magic to dull his senses.

Like right now, as he took a moment to recover from the momentous effort he had just expended.

His senses were so far beyond anything he’d ever felt before that it was like opening his eyes for the first time, only it was like that with everything, and it was almost too much for him.

It hurt to breathe, and the sun was making him squint, even though he could feel the heat of each and every ray upon his back. The light was not once shining in his face. The world felt loud, even though no one was speaking, and there was a fullness that he felt all over.

Not within his soul, however, because that felt, for the first time in a long while, perfectly fine, with little to know strain from the power his body was now filled with.

“Ezekiel...” Riley, her voice a quiet whisper, stepped toward him. Each footfall echoed like a gong in his ears, and his name upon her lips was like a bomb going off in his face.

He tilted his head, bringing it slightly up from where he had faced the ground. His eyes stung as the light reflecting off the Spirit Armor of a thousand or more Hunters, all bloodied and beaten from the massive battle they had just departed from, was like a sea of shining stars that filled his vision all across the horizon. Yet it was still nothing compared to the vastness of just how far his senses reached.

“Riley...” he tried to whisper, but the force that left his mouth was immense, and his wife was stopped in her tracks. She brought an arm up to her face for protection, and he couldn’t help but wince at the sight.

She got closer, until she was roughly twenty feet away from his seated figure. Her neck was craned to look up at him. His own face was nearly thirty feet in the air, even seated as he was. No Spirit Armor covered his body, and Shine had allowed their own vessel to grow to its full size.

It still fit like a short sword in his hand, rather than the massive great sword that it once was.

“I’m sorry,” this time he didn’t speak with his mouth, and used his telekinesis to vibrate the air instead. This was significantly easier, since his control over his magic hadn’t been ripped to shreds like his control of his body had been. “Needless to say, my means of ascension had some... side-effects.”

In the distance he could see his sisters being held back by the Mythical birds of the Fjorya, as well as Scarlet, Fiana, George, and the Void Mages that had remained in the Legacy with them.

Beyond that, he could also see the Guardian looking up at the sky. The mana that once was inside the Legacy had been drained to grant him the power to move it to the surface, and then fueled the [Jumps] that had brought them here.

The familiar forest of Morncrest was not much further away, though it was different in some ways. Denser, and filled with more life than he last recalled.

“...Are you okay?” Riley asked, and he directed his attention to her once more. Ignoring the shock and awe that filled the faces of everyone that looked toward him.

“I think so... I just need a moment, then I will need to head out again.” He didn’t necessarily want to. He would rather take the time to figure out what had changed, beyond the obvious, so that he could figure out how to fix himself, rather than remain as a fifty-foot-tall giant that was made of opalescent crystalline flesh. “If I had the time, I’d likely be able to return to my previous appearance... but for now, simply reaching this level will have to be enough...”

He could feel that his form was incomplete. That there was at least another step or two before he was fully stabilized in his new Tier. His body was now one with his soul, and his [Truth and [Understandings] had merged with his [Will].

The only problem was that his soul seemed to be stretched thin. It was almost as if the foundation had been laid out but hadn’t fully settled into the ground. It wouldn’t fall apart anytime soon, but his body would be stuck in high gear until he had a chance to consolidate his new strength. However, there was no time. He would need to take steps to try and kill Radiant Chaos as soon as possible.

Reaching out a hand, Riley climbed into it. Her weight felt like nothing to him, and it was almost as if he was holding her with a construct, rather than his body.

She was also straining under some sort of weight that he couldn’t see, and he realized that he was emitting an aura that was putting pressure on her.

He tried to restrain it as best he could, and it seemed to work, since she began to relax as he raised her to eye level.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go, and once again, you won’t be able to come with me,” he saw her freeze up, and he knew that that was the last thing she wanted to hear. “Perhaps, if you and the others can recover, you might be able to do something to help me, but for now, I simply brought you all here to keep you safe, and to say goodbye.”

Riley looked reluctant, and she glared into the distance with tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She stayed silent though, and he mentally thanked her for that.

Ezekiel, we need to go. He’s already gotten a head start on us. Shine’s voice had a gentle sense of urgency in it. If we don’t cut him off before he opens the next seal, then any chance we have at taking him out, or at least holding him off and weakening him once more, will basically disappear.

I know. I just have a few more words, then we can go. I just need to say goodbye. Shine gave a mental shrug, but Ezekiel could feel their anxiety through their bond. But he nodded in thanks, and the motion alone kicked up a gust that nearly threw Riley off his hand.

“I don’t know how you can help right now, or if you can at all, but perhaps the Remnant of the Void that is here will be able to help. The twins will be able to lead you there, so trust them for now, and keep my mother safe. She should be finishing her own breakthrough soon.” With that said, he gently lowered his hand, and Riley stepped away while he flexed his mana.

Taking in a deep breath, his body was flooded with power while the mana in the atmosphere was lowered by a massive amount.

Then, with a flex of his [Will] he disappeared. The island scenery was nowhere to be found, and within a few moments, a sea of oily gold that flowed across the land filled his vision.

“Void Herald!” the warbling voice of Radiant Chaos filled his ears, and nearly sent him tumbling before he regained control of himself.

Without a word, he brandished Shine in his hands, and dove toward the ocean of Ichor below.

His [Truth] and all aspects of the Void that he had come to [Understand] were brought to bear while he imposed his [Rule] upon the world as best he could.

With a single swing, the miasma in the sky was parted, and the earth was cleaved in twain, while two titans began what could only be the battle that would decide the fate of the world.

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Even though they were halfway around the world, waves of clouds being parted and shifting in the sky could still be seen in the Archipelago. Especially since they were still within the edges of the Desolate Lands. Though the island of Morncrest was certainly not as darkened as it once was, with the skies now much clearer thanks to the Deep and other Cruor being kicked out after their Broodlords were slain, the signs were there, beneath the illusion of a peaceful, Life filled, environment.

“Riley,” it was Wendy that pulled the Exalted Flame Hunter from her musings, “we need to get going. I can see the Avatars of Morncrest in the forest. I think the Remnant wants to speak with us.”

Shaking her head, she stood up and turned to the younger woman behind her. There were tears that welled at the corner of her eyes, and Riley realized that she could feel her own tears running down her face.

“Right... Let’s get going. Any signs of your mother?” She realized that she didn’t know how long she’d been staring at the space where her husband had been. “How is everyone else doing? The other Exalts haven’t started giving unreasonable orders, have they?”

Wendy shook her head. “No, not yet, and nothing like that. Most of those who were in the fight are trying to recuperate. None of them are in any condition to lead right now.”

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Riley knew that, left unsaid, was the fact that none of them wanted to get on her bad side by giving orders to those that had stayed in the Legacy. The loyalty of those people, who were mostly Void Mages and Hunters, was clear to any who saw them.

A sudden commotion grabbed their attention, and the two Hunters moved to one of the more crowded dust piles. The Guardian of the Legacy was already there and had moved most of the debris out of the way.

There was a look of lost wonder that still covered the Guardian’s face. One that Riley felt was out of place on the stoic and bound by duty Spirit.

She didn’t linger on it, however, since there was a more pressing matter to worry about.

“It seems like we found your mother... Do you know if she can be moved with us?” Riley didn’t take her eyes off the strange black egg that sat in the middle of the gathered Hunters and Spirits.

It pulsed with energy, and she could tell that something was happening inside it. Though she could also tell that it was different from whatever it was that had happened to Ezekiel during his own metamorphosis. It was much slower, for one thing, and there was no particular drop in the ambient mana.

The Guardian, hearing her question, moved his hands, and a bowl-shaped platform appeared beneath the egg. He raised it into the air with no problems, and there weren't any noticeable changes.

“Alright then, let’s move. I want to be at the Ruins of Morncrest by nightfall, if not within the next few hours.” Her words echoed over the group of Hunters and Spirits. “I also want all Artificers and healers working overtime, to make it so we can be ready to set out as soon as everyone is in their best condition.”

The Legendary Hunters closest to her gave her confused glances, but didn’t ask questions and just got to work. At the same time, her fellow Exalts just turned to her with knowing looks, and the twins settled into determined stances. Their postures showed they were ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

“Once we’ve recovered, we will be heading back to the continent. We cannot let the fate of this world rest on the shoulders of one Hunter. No matter how strong he may be.”

Those last words were quieter, but she could feel Wolken and Brun working their magic and carrying her voice across the gathered army.

It was like a wave passed through them all. Their slumped and defeated gait straightened up, and there was an ephemeral pressure that they now exuded.

Even if they had lost the first battle, the war wasn’t over just yet.

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Shine was hurting, but they knew that they couldn’t give in just yet. While they hadn’t been able to take the same path as Ezekiel, and reach Tier six via body refinement, they could still hold up for now.

How are you doing? Is the overflow hurting you? Their partner’s voice filled their mind through the bond they shared within their souls. It was comforting, if painful, due to the care and power that was expressed within those words.

I will be fine. It’s just a little bit heavy. You should focus on the fight. My vessel can hold out for a while longer still. How much longer they didn’t know, but Shine refused to give in, and felt a sense of shame when Ezekiel pulled a punch to give them a reprieve.

They didn’t call him out on it though, and took the few seconds granted to cover what they could.

In that time, their and Ezekiel’s perception was sped up, and the world seemed to clear before their senses. What would’ve been nothing more than rapid blurs of white and gold were not clean movements that were easily defined and traced by the Spirit’s soul.

Multiple tears that led to the space-between-spaces filled the sky and air. Every wave of their blade, wielded by Ezekiel’s hand, saw to it that space was torn asunder. It was painful, but their reinforced body was able to hold out well, so long as they [Reinforced] themself sufficiently.

On the other side of the battle, an endless wave of golden Ichor covered the land, turning it into an ocean that spread nearly to the horizon. All the while, Ezekiel’s titanic form, seemingly carved from mana crystals of the purest form, stood atop it in the very center.

Given his newly advanced state, Ezekiel was somewhat at a disadvantage due to his comparatively weaker power. However, thanks to the uniqueness of his magic, he was able to overcome this weakness with a seemingly endless flow of energy.

One that could be expressed in many more ways than Radiant Chaos' simple constructs, animated or not. Even as the Broodmasters also took in mana from the surroundings.

“This battle will rage on forever! Until the day that one of our souls gives in and succumbs! Do you honestly think that you, who has lived for less than a century, could match the passage of time that my own has experienced?” Radiant Chaos' spouted words of derision and doubt toward Ezekiel, but Shine’s partner ignored them, and, if anything, seemed to grow more determined by them instead.

“Your [Will] is weak! Unrefined, and filled with softness from a lack of trials and tribulations meant to test your might! You soul!.” Ezekiel’s reply was filled with power, and his words were like a blast of destructive energy that ripped a portion of Radiant Chaos’ body into pieces that disappeared into the [Nothingness] that spread outward. “Besides...thanks to Eldramir, my soul is older than yours.”

A wicked grin spread across Ezekiel’s face, and Shine felt his heart stop for a moment when Radiant Chaos' screamed in rage.

“Eldramir! Eldramir! Why do you continue to betray me! Betray yourself!” Radiant Chaos' began to ripple as their Ichor burned and miasma filled the air.

None of it reached Ezekiel, his [Nothingness] wiping it away before it got too close, but it was still enough for a heavy pressure to weigh down on Shine’s mere Mythical power.

They even noticed that the shadows that were hidden across Ezekiel’s body had seemingly stilled. The Remnant of Obscurity had also felt the same weight that they did.

“We did nothing but follow your commands! We destroyed all flesh and blood that was not your own, yet you locked us away! You chose the enemy over your children!” Radiant Chaos' continued to scream, and Ezekiel just smiled. The sight of the Broodmasters wasting their Ichor like this was pleasing.

It was a chance for Ezekiel to take in more mana and direct it into his spells. Even if they weren’t as strong as the physical blows and power that his body possessed.

Just then, the ocean of gold Ichor surged upward, and It surrounded Ezekiel like a whirlpool, with him right in the center.

Brace!

Ezekiel’s warning was almost too late, but Shine managed to push their [Reinforcement] to the absolute limit just in time. Their partner used their blade to channel mana that their body had taken in. The massive quantity would’ve immediately collapsed or blown up any spell it was focused into, but by simply releasing it en masse, with a hint of [Understanding] woven into it, Ezekiel was able to use Shine as a medium to cut through the rising Ichor.

It splashed harmlessly into the air, until it fell back into Radiant Chaos’ body, only to rise once more and be cut down again.

This happened over and over and over again. For hours and hours, until the sky that could be seen through the parted miasma above them turned dark from the sun having set. Ezekiel’s mighty body withstood the endless waves of Radiant Chaos’ Ichor. All while cutting the Broodmasters into bits that fell apart, only to be brought back together again.

The talk from before had fallen to the wayside, and now there was only fighting. Mana flowed into Ezekiel at a constant rate, both from the world, and from the rifts he formed into the space-between-spaces. Something Shine found strange, since that place was mostly devoid of any abundant mana that could be used. Yet they couldn’t spare a chance to think about it.

At the same time, the earth began to crack, becoming weaker, and less vibrant, even for the Desolate Lands. The miasma in the sky fell down toward both Ezekiel and Radiant Chaos. The energy both above and below was taken in by the Broodmaster, and used to regenerate their body, even as it was eaten away by Ezekiel’s magic.

A hole the size of a city was beginning to form as the ground beneath them began to disappear. The mana being absorbed was so great that the environment was being affected. It wouldn’t be more than a day before they sank low enough for the earth’s crust to give way to the upper portions of the mantle.

“That’s enough! If I cannot defeat you as I am right now, then I will simply raise myself higher first!” The words that the Broodmaster spoke were confusing for a moment, and Shine could tell that Ezekiel didn’t know what it meant either.

Until several large orbs of Ichor shot off into the distance. Eight in total and filled with the [Will] and power of Radiant Chaos'. The orbs were fast, but not so fast that Ezekiel couldn't intercept them.

“You bastard! Are you too terrified to face me yourself, so you try to distract me instead!? That won’t be enough to free and eat your brethren!” Ezekiel’s yell sent shivers through Shine’s soul. They realized what Radiant Chaos' was planning at that instant. “That’s right! I know exactly what you planned to do, and let me tell you, consuming the other Broods won’t let breakthrough to the next Tier!”

It was going to try and bring the bodies of the other Broodmasters here, instead of going to the seals one by one. That seemed like it would be impossible, however, since it shouldn’t have had the power needed to open the seals. Not after splitting off pieces of itself.

Let alone be able to take on the full might of a Broodmaster and consume their power for its own use. That shouldn’t be possible, at least not from what they knew so far.

“You know nothing of my power, oh Herald of the Void. When I consumed my brethren’s puppets, I damaged their souls by taking in their [Will] as my own. Even now, they should be unconscious for at least a week as they recover from the shock. So long as I can free them, their unprotected bodies will be mine for the taking, and their power will push me to the next Tier! To the same level as Eldramir itself!”

Radiant Chaos’ mad words were filled with hatred, and Ezekiel moved to stop the orbs of Ichor that were flying away. But tendrils wrapped around him in an instant, and he was unable to get away.

That was when Shine felt a push on their body. One that they tried to defy.

You need to go! Hunt down those pieces and ensure that they do not succeed.

Shine wanted to rant and rave, and scream that Ezekiel needed them here. How he needed them to fight alongside him and finish this battle before they hunted down those pieces together.

Yet they knew that that was the worst plan they could go with. There was no guarantee that staying would allow Ezekiel to kill Radiant Chaos’ main body in time.

Thus, with a heavy heart, and half a mind focused on the shadow that wrapped around them, Shine allowed themself to be thrown, both with the strength of Ezekiel’s arm, and the push from his mana.

The air cracked and shattered under the speed that they flew, and the closest orb, one that was just passing over the horizon, was cut in twain, and disappeared as Shine flooded it with [Nothingness] and crushed the relatively smaller amalgamation of [Wills] that Radiant Chaos' had infused it with.

They then crashed through a mountain and skipped off another one before coming to a stop halfway through a third. Not a moment was spared in their recovery, however, and they were off to find the next sphere of Ichor and cut that one down as well.

The presence of a living shadow wrapped around them was surprisingly comfortable and would hopefully prove helpful in destroying their enemies.

I will let you know if he does it again, but I will need to focus most of my attention on my fight until you get back. Ezekiel spoke to them through their bond, from a distance that was greater than any that they had been parted by before. Good luck.

With those final words, Shine felt Ezekiel speed up his perception to the pinnacle once more. He went well beyond the speeds that they had previously shared with him, and a sense of uselessness at having held Ezekiel back returned.

“You have a duty. Don’t get lost in self-pity and regret.” The shadow wrapped around them said, and Shine realized that they had paused in midair. “Your partner has shown me much in the time I have served him. This behavior is unbecoming.”

They didn’t say anything, instead, the air cracked once more when they released their mana. The flow of power running through them saw their form cutting through the air faster than ever before.

All the while, the Remnant of Obscurity left a gate to the shadow realm open and connected to Shine’s blade. One that they used to access and consume mana, not unlike what Ezekiel had done with his rifts. It allowed them to push forward without restraint, though their soul would be exhausted by the time this was over.

The earth-shattering quakes coming from Ezekiel and Radiant Chaos’ battle were ignored. There was a job to be done, and neither Shine, nor their current shadow, would be stopped.