“So, this is the grand plan, my old servant. You made an oath by your kin to return me to the world once more, will you not honour it?” Rancour asked, looking at the sorcerer.

“If you can best me, perhaps. However, the oath is void, since you are a vengeful spirit, no longer are a dying man’s wishes legitimate.” Ellanher replied, a wide grin upon his face.

“I’ll wipe that ugly smirk off your face. Your power has waned, you have lost the secrets of longevity and your years have caught up to you, you’ll be no match for me, now that the boy has restored just a quarter of my soul.” Rancour asserted bitterly.

“We shall see, master.” Ellanher responded slyly, moving a few steps closer to Rancour.

Brandishing his sword, Rancour flurried toward Ellanher, moving at speeds his apprentice found incredibly high for a quarter of his soul. Kicking Ellanher, he sent him flying into a building, the shockwave entirely disintegrating it and a few houses around it. Ellanher called upon multiple lightning strikes, raining down extremely potent strikes that threatened to level another portion of York.

Emerging from the rubble, Rancour leapt toward Ellanher, kicking him through multiple buildings as he sped after him moving faster than the lightning which Ellanher summoned to stop him. Picking Ellanher up and dragging him through the main road, Rancour threw him upward, raining slashes across his body, creating shallow cuts that lacerated Ellanher, who resisted the atomization. Firing a beam of intense lightning down to Rancour, blasting off his arm, which he slowly regenerated as Ellanher regenerated his lacerated body.

The two returned to the ground, standing upon the road.

“Spectral Dominion: Sanctum of the Vengeful.” Rancour chanted, as the Sanctum appeared behind them, a hundred yards of buildings being completely atomized.

Creating a resonance barrier, Ellanher weathered the thousands of attacks heading his way, but knowing that he would need a better way, he replied:

“Spectral Dominion: Ethereal Haven.”

A barrier to clash with the barrierless nature of Sanctum of the Vengeful was formed, a small courtyard with trees and a small spherical energy source formed at the side of Ellanher.

As the two Dominions found even footing, Ellanher adjusted his barrier to a 50 x 50-yard square, forcing Rancour to abide as well.

Rancour launched himself at Ellanher, as the two traded attacks with one another, neither breaking the other’s defences. The Dominion clash tore on, as it became increasingly obvious that Rancour was winning, Ellanher launched a concussive wave that sent Rancour flying back with intense force, breaking the Sanctum, and the Dominion.

Altering his Dominion, Ellanher trapped Rancour in the barrier.

“Soul Requiem.” Ellanher spoke, activating his ultimate technique.

Rancour coughed, sensing the technique take hold over his soul, as it drained him, reducing his strength massively and watching as the Spectral Energy and power leech into Ellanher.

“Now I’ll pull your soul apart.” Ellanher cackled, lifting Rancour into the air and blasting him with lightning. He slammed him into the ground, targeting his soul once more, preparing another Soul Requiem to completely erase his soul.

“Spectral Dominion: Sanctum of the Vengeful.” Rancour mumbled faintly, as the Dominion opened, freeing him as he sped toward his Sanctum, launching thousands of slashes and Spectral explosions at Ellanher’s Dominion.

Ellanher launched himself into his Dominion launching spheres of Spectral Energy which Rancour quickly immobilised, absorbing them. Rancour clashed with Ellanher again, the two still at relatively even footing despite Rancour having barely a tenth of his Spectral Energy reserves remaining.

Ellanher called upon another lightning strike, one which was the cumulative force of a hundred million lightning bolts, formed into one, and compressed to the size of a regular lightning bolt, he launched it down upon Rancour, blasting him away and laying him out upon the dirt, as he barely returned to his feet.

“I’m surprised, I could’ve levelled York with an attack that powerful, you surviving such power is impressive, truly, but your Spectral Energy is now depleted, and you don’t have the time to restore it.” Ellanher gloated as he returned to the ground from where he was floating.

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Rancour raised his sword. He wouldn’t go so easily.

“Sou-” Ellanher attempted to say, as Rancour fired a Spectral Arrow into his face, rushing to him and stabbing him in the shoulder.

It all hinges on this Rancour thought, as he recognised the icy glow he so warmly invited.

“Ardour’s Spark!” Rancour yelled, feeling his Spectral Energy return and a new rush of power.

Ellanher slid backward, having to use half his Spectral Energy to resist the sheer power behind the attack.

“Well well. You hit an Ardour’s Spark.” Ellanher sighed, “Your luck seems to be with you.”

“Let’s finish this, my old apprentice.” Rancour bitterly declared.

“Spectral Dominion: Sanctum of the Vengeful”

“Spectral Dominion: Ethereal Haven”

The Dominions reopened. Rancour let out a long, deep, bellowing laugh as he completely blitzed Ellanher’s defences, sending him flying into his Dominion barrier with a thunderous punch, as it broke under the sheer weight Ellanher was thrown by.

Rancour amplified his Dominion, tearing Ellanher apart before he could attempt to activate his resonance barrier. Deactivating his Dominion, Rancour walked to his apprentice, looking down upon him, as he sat, completely beaten.

“You got a lucky shot, your power increased tenfold. Good for you, but I’d rather die than give you a bridge back to this world.” Ellanher asserted.

Before either could speak their mind, Momo and Ellanher came crashing through the city walls, as Momo threw Hjalmarr toward the ground where Rancour and Ellanher were situated.

“Good to see you could join us kid. Time to end this, you may kill your quarry first.” Rancour affirmed, stepping to behind Momo.

Momo stood still, looking down upon Hjalmarr, the beast had no words, but Momo knew he was beaten and that killing him would simply be an attack of bloodthirsty revenge. Momo extended a hand to Hjalmarr, beckoning him to accept. Hjalmarr outstretched his hand accepting Momo’s mercy.

Before he had the chance, a spear pierced through his heart, a spell stopping his regeneration. Hjalmarr looked back to his father, who held the spear.

“One day, you’ll understand boy. Mercy is for the weak.” Ellanher asseverated.

“I should’ve known father, you always would choose power over me, or mother.” Hjalmarr averred, gasping one last breath as he spat blood onto his father’s face.

As Hjalmarr collapsed, Ellanher siphoned his energy from his corpse, standing up once more.

“What father kills his own son?” Momo asked Ellanher.

“One who does what is necessary. You wouldn’t understand, because you’re new to this world, the world of power. Perhaps you never will understand.” Ellanher remarked, staring at both Momo and Rancour, as Takahiro rejoined them in the city.

“Well, this shall certainly be a challenge, but with my son’s power, I’ll end this today.” Ellanher pouted confidently.

Momo dashed at Ellanher, who blocked a strike from him. Laying a curse upon him and stabbing him through the abdomen, expediting the curse’s effects. Takahiro and Rancour attacked, both trading strikes with Ellanher as Momo struggled to stand, his regeneration and strength wavering.

“Absolute proficiency: Equilibrium of Totality.” Rancour chanted as a black sphere formed in the center of his hands. The collapse of antimatter, into matter in their purest forms, creates a power that can erase matter totally.

Slamming the energy into his hands, black flames came over them. Rancour focused the power into a beam, firing it as it tore apart Ellanher’s arm and shoulder, catching him completely off guard as Takahiro cleaved off his left leg, forcing him to stumble onto the ground and release the curse upon Momo.

Ellanher forced all his Spectral Energy into regeneration, rebuilding the parts of his body which no longer existed, but by the time he had finished, Rancour put his blade to Ellanher’s chin, as his techniques and Spectral Energy totally burnt out from rebuilding his lost body.

“You truly are great Ellanher, you gave me the key to restoring my once lost power. To destroy all that is bound to the physical world in my attacks. For all your talk of power, you truly lack the understanding of how to harness it.” Rancour gloated.

“Perhaps, but unfortunately for you, my lineage is traced to the third Northumbrian King, you know I speak, you know the technique I have.” Ellanher asserted, an evil smile present upon his face.

Rancour’s smile faded, his face becoming gloomy as he knew what was to come.

Of the inheritors of such a technique, Ellanher was most well equipped to destroy that which it summoned. However, its powers would be unleashed upon Rancour.

"O underworld I call upon thee, in the name of Ellanher, successor of Ivar Bjornsson, I challenge you. Heed my word and bring forth the Soverign of Souls and Constant of Brutality, Dæinvorol." Ellanher recited, as a portal opened behind him, a large being, clad in armour began to breach the veil between the worlds.

“Good luck, if you can destroy him, I’ll fulfill the oath.” Ellanher wickedly remarked.

Rancour kicked Ellanher away, as he crashed into a nearby building.

The being came through the portal, landing on the ground with a sheer force unmatched by most. It stood at twice that of Momo’s height, clad head to toe in pitch black armour, with glimmering red spheres somewhat resembling eyes within his helmet. Its thunderous footsteps approached, as it assessed the three standing before him. It gripped a mace of the same material and colour of its armour.

The stage was set, the Sovereign of Souls was unleashed upon the world, to the dismay of all its inhabitants. The fate of the world now lay upon the shoulders of the three companions.