Momo stood out of his bed, having spent the entire night doing tedious jobs that he did not wish to do during the day.

He walked to the dining hall, sitting down and awaiting his sister and friends. Amirah entered first, sitting down across from him as Hjalmarr and Takahiro sat down respectively.

“Good morning.” Takahiro phrased, greeting the other three siting upon the table.

“Good morning.” Momo replied, nodding warmly.

“I have always wanted to know, what does your name mean Takahiro?” Momo asked.

“My name has many interpretations, however my parents wished for it to be a name adorning my honour as a born Samurai, however I left behind that life, as my clan was not honourable when losing its power in the end of Heian period. What does the name Momo mean?” Takahiro replied, posing the same question back to Momo.

“It is no name found in England, it originates from my mother’s home world, Naspor. It means to care, or to be kind.” Momo responded.

“Your mother does not originate from this world? I find that hard to believe.” Takahiro queried.

“My mother was not human, her skin tone was a light pink, her eyes were the same purple as Amirah’s and her hair was a crystal blue, she possessed such immense strength, that seemingly allowed me to tolerate a wraith inhabiting my soul, I doubt she would lie of something so large, especially given her inhuman qualities.” Momo answered.

“I see, I suppose that would explain both of your abnormal qualities.” Takahiro surmised.

“I apologise to interrupt you my lord, but you have a letter from the northern king.” A servant imparted.

“Of course William, show me.” Momo replied to the servant, who handed him the letter, turning around and leaving.

Momo, if this letter reads you, I invite you to Braemar castle to treat. We will discuss terms between the two nations, if you are so inclined.

- King Alard

“Do you really think he would write you a letter?” Hjalmarr asked, as he read the letter.

“I believe he would. I doubt all he wishes to do is talk, but I cannot miss a chance to learn of Rancour before we conquer his nation.” Momo responded, getting up from his chair.

“Take caution my friend, he is not to be trusted.” Takahiro insisted.

“Hey, the man was in my soul, I know him pretty well. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything brash.” Momo assured him, as he hugged Amirah, before walking to the door.

“Good luck!” Amirah called, as he left the city rapidly.

Momo knew exactly where to go, the cut Rancour sent healed, but he could trace it with his senses, he knew exactly where it came from. Momo instantly stood before Braemar castle, seeing his enemy awaiting as its gate.

“Long time no see Alard, or would you prefer Eric? Honestly your names go on and on.” Momo sarcastically commented.

“Eric Alard is my name to the people, so you may address me as such, Momo Elric.” Alard replied, as he gestured him to walk upon the path to the mountains.

“What do you want? What’s your game here, Eric?” Momo asked as they walked upon the brisk path, snow gently falling across the wind-swept mountains.

“To be quite honest, I don’t care much for the politics, that is Ellanher’s boring game. What does matter to me, is power.” Eric replied.

“As you have told me, over and over. I came here to understand your angle, so spit it out.” Momo impatiently remarked.

“To ascertain real power, you must defeat your enemies, show them true defeat, an absolute victory, that for all their power, they are inconsequential before you. Allow me to demonstrate the true peaks of power.” Eric announced, swatting Momo into the air, and out of Earth’s atmosphere.

Momo recovered, attempting to find Eric, but he was palmed, being thrown forward as Eric punched him into the moon itself, violently cracking it and shaking the moon intensely.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Momo stood up as Eric landed.

“So, you wanted a fight?” Momo inquired.

“This is simply a demonstration; you aren’t strong enough to give me a real fight.” Eric confidently boasted.

“We shall see.” Momo stated, transforming into his Black Form.

Momo fired a Gamma Ray Burst at Eric, who dodged it easily, kicking Momo on the shoulder, before punching him eight times, shattering all eight of his ribs, and making him cough up blood. Momo leapt into the air, sending slashes down at Rancour, who allowed them to hit, bowing as they struck him, doing nothing.

Momo flew down toward Rancour, punching him into space, and burning him with an electromagnetic wave, cutting into his flesh. Rancour instantly travelled behind Momo, punching him in the spine, shattering it as he lacerated his entire body with slashes, throwing him onto the surface. Rancour fired a beam of antimatter at Momo, taking off half of his left arm as he fell backward.

Momo quickly regenerated himself, adapting to the antimatter and forming a small resistance to it. Momo threw an orb toward Rancour, creating a nuclear fission effect, exploding with enough power to slightly harm him.

Rancour clapped his hands, a void forming around the two of them, as he disappeared into it. The void closed in, erasing part of his body as he used a resonance barrier to guard himself. Momo broke his own barrier, absorbing the nothingness and purifying it.

Rancour smiled as Momo turned to face him.

“I see that your evolution allows you to even purify nonexistence, very impressive! The formalities of this fight truly are amusing!” Rancour laughed, as he punched Momo back into the moon.

“You talk too much.” Momo briskly commented.

“Should I dispense with the pleasantries? Very well. Spectral Dominion: Sanctum of the Vengeful.” Rancour chanted; his Sanctum being brought forth into reality.

“Resonance Technique: Virtuous Defiance.” Momo chanted in return, the most potent Resonance barrier being raised.

As the slashes began to find their way to his resonance barrier, Momo knew he needed a solution, when fighting Vallum, he recalled Raul using a lower output Dominion to stall the automatic hit of attacks within a Dominion, if he could replicate this by using a barebones Dominion he could stall Rancour, so he could physically challenge him.

“Spectral Dominion.” Momo chanted, a fundamental barrier being placed around him, giving him the barebones effect of a Dominion engagement, without needing to create his own Dominion. He rushed at Rancour, drawing his scimitar and slashing him across the chest as Rancour drew his own sword slashing at him, breaking his resonance barrier, as his basic Dominion began to break.

Rancour sent out a maximum output Spectral Slash, breaking his Dominion, and slashing Momo across the body instantly as the Dominion sent thousands of slashes upon him, which made his regeneration begin to lag behind.

“Resonance Technique: Virtuous Defia-.” Momo attempted, as Rancour slashes his mouth, cutting his tongue so he couldn’t finish the chant, the following resonance barrier being incomplete, and weaker. Momo swept Rancour from the knees, stabbing him in the abdomen, throwing him into his Sanctum and knocking him out, deactivating the Dominion.

Momo rushed after Rancour whilst he was unconscious, but his body got up, fighting whilst he was incapacitated, kicking Momo and duelling him as Rancour awoke, slashing off Momo’s left hand with a swing of his sword. The two locked blades and stared into one another’s eyes furiously.

“I thought that by giving you a challenge you would actually pose a threat, but you’re so weak! I gave you every chance to grow in power, but you lack every quality needed for strength!” Rancour passionately remarked.

“We’ll see.” Momo remarked, kicking Rancour and breaking the deadlock, as Rancour instantly appeared behind him, stabbing him through the back and lifting him into the air, throwing him into the ground.

“It’s ironic how this will end the same way as when we last fought on fair ground.” Rancour observed, clapping his hands, and drawing his Ethereal Flame backward.

“Ethereal Flame: Maximum Output.” Rancour chanted, releasing the arrow and entirely incinerating Momo and creating a crater of a million kilometres. Rancour looked out upon the desolate crater with disappointment, as Momo had not managed to survive.

Rancour returned to Braemar castle disappointed, his rival still had much to learn, as Momo awoke, humiliated from such a loss.