Rancour stared out into space. A void, not all too dissimilar to where his new friend was now trapped. Rancour assessed himself, drawing his hand across his wounds with a slight exhale of anguish. Healing the final wounds he had been dealt, he breathed out a sigh of relief. Rancour realized he only had half of his maximum stores of Spectral Energy, and only half his maximum output, his power was severely diminished.

That sly king. He planned to weaken me so the others could become strong enough to defeat me, knowing that I would have to fight them whist Vallum completes my plan. Rancour thought, laughing out loud at how well Raúl had planned his part in the war.

Rancour blasted off the planet, flying back to Earth slower than when he had come to Alpha Centauri, noticing his diminished power despite his healed body. He reflected on his reduced physical prowess, coming to the conclusion that it was due to his damaged essence, to which he couldn't heal. Rancour couldn’t help but be happy with his new circumstances, he was willing to play Raúl’s game.

Momo touched down on Earth, only a few hundred metres away from Rancour, his eyes glaring upon his former mentor.

“What did you do with King Raúl?” Momo yelled.

“He is temporarily out of commission. Don’t you worry boy, he will be back soon enough.” Rancour laughed, fixing his hair.

Marzen sped to Momo, looking at him with horror.

“Momo, it’s your sister, I tried to protect her, but Vallum took her.” Marzen uttered, as Momo noticed cuts across his body that were closing slowly.

Momo’s eyes went dull, both anger and sadness shining through their golden hues.

“You.” Momo yelled.

Rancour smiled back; his servant was playing his part perfectly.

“So, the girl is finally secure, very good.” Rancour commented.

Momo’s anger took hold of him. With a scream that reached the corners of the Earth, Momo unlocked another extension of his potential. Momo’s messy hair turned purple, his power increasing fifteen-fold with the unlocking of his Purple Form.

Momo and Marzen sped after Rancour, who drew his sword. Momo’s mouth covered in purple flames, as he spewed a beam of raw Spectral Energy far more powerful than his Gamma Rays after Rancour, burning him intensely as he laughed, running toward Marzen and Momo.

The blades of Momo, Rancour and Marzen clashed as Rancour elegantly weaved under slashes and Spectral bursts by Momo. Rancour sent hundreds of Spectral Slashes toward Momo, deeply wounding him as they pulled him apart, but he remained unphased, his anger still controlling him, as he began the evolution process.

Marzen stabbed Rancour through his spine, stabbing him multiple times before Rancour kicked him away, stopping Momo’s sword in-between his fingers, as he cleaved his entire body with an amplified slash, watching as his blood gushed out, throwing him away with a punch.

“Spectr-” Rancour stopped, as blood poured out of his mouth.

My essence is too weak to expand my Dominion. He even planned the clashes. Rancour thought, as Marzen and Momo closed in once more.

Rancour drew his bow, empowering an Ethereal Flame, firing it at Momo who cast a barrier, forcing the Ethereal Flame to only hit him, as it engulfed him, the barrier dissipated, leaving Momo unharmed, but just as angry.

Rancour stood impressed, but refused to give Momo any room to breathe. Rancour instantaneously caught Momo face with his hand, throwing him into space, as Marzen leapt up at Rancour, catching him and kicking him downwards.

Rancour gracefully landed on Earth once more, sending thousands of slashes at Marzen, as he dodged away from them, as he appeared next to Rancour, who clashed their blades before he could be hit again.

I can feel that blade tearing into me, my essence is already weak, its power weakening as if it was bleeding out, I have to finish this fight quickly. Rancour thought.

“Absolute Proficiency: Equilibrium of Totality.” Rancour chanted, a beam blasting Marzen as fast as he could react, obliterating his shoulder, with nothing remaining from it, he collapsed to his knees, being unable to muster the energy to stand.

Momo kicked Rancour in the face, sending him flying into a rock formation as he ran to Marzen, coating him in his regenerative factor, as he slowly began to heal his wounds.

As Rancour recovered, he prepared to face Momo alone. Rancour and Momo sprinted at one another, Momo’s speed increasing to match Rancour’s as he became more and more angry and instinctive towards killing Rancour.

His speed is astounding, it has already increased an incredible degree to what it was when he entered this new form! Rancour thought to himself, laughing as he countered every hit Momo threw at him.

“Dæinvorol!” Momo yelled, as he entered reality, slamming his mace into Rancour and throwing him into space, as he and Momo gave chase.

“I don’t think so.” Rancour averred, blasting Dæinvorol with a void, appearing behind him, a wide grin upon his face.

“Ardour’s Spark!” Rancour yelled. Gaining his reserves of Spectral Energy once more.

Momo threw Rancour onto the surface of Mars as he and Dæinvorol landed before him

My Dominion returns, only due to the immense Spectral Energy I possess… I will have to drain my Spectral Energy stores once more, as using my essence to expand my Dominion is impossible since the Ardour’s Spark hasn’t given me my output back, or healed my brokej essence and soul, it has even reduced since the boy and Marzen have been harming my essence. If I don’t kill this boy, he’ll finish off what little output of Spectral Energy I have left. Rancour thought to himself, as he created the hand sign for his Dominion

“Spectral Dominion, Sanctum of the Vengeful.” Rancour chanted, as Momo returned Dæinvorol to unreality, preparing him to evolve to Rancour's slashes.

Momo cast a rudimentary dominion, running to Rancour and punching him in the face as his rudimentary dominion broke, feeling the weight of the slashes be outweighed by the satisfaction of the blood that poured out of Rancour's mouth. Momo continued pushing forward, Rancour’s slashes slowly losing their effects as he evolved under their pressure, the pain seared into his flesh, as he felt parts of his body being cleaved off.

Momo uppercut Rancour across his jaw, punching Rancour on the shoulder and twice into his midsection as he released slashes onto Rancour’s skin, watching the agony on his face with enjoyment.

Rancour grabbed Momo by the throat, slamming him downward as Rancour’s Dominion still tore Momo apart, his evolutions becoming harder to manage as Momo felt himself burn out of Spectral Energy, his face going pale as his eyes became heavy. Momo attempted to stand up, but the damage was done, Rancour tore apart Momo’s arm, watching him writhe in pain, as he fell unconscious, Rancour held him up, carrying him down to England, where Takahiro and two new faces stood.

“Welcome back Rancour, return the Archduke to me.” Takahiro demanded, as Rancour smiled, dropping Momo at his feet.

“Shall I get acquainted?” Rancour proposed.

“This is Enzo, and this is Aleksandr.” Takahiro announced, gesturing at both sorcerers.

“I am always pleased to meet my victims before they die.” Rancour smugly asseverated.

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As Rancour prepared to attack, he heard a large storm forming, as he saw Ellanher fly into the building nearest to him.

Hjalmarr walked towards the group, the thudding of his steps disturbing the growing storm as it cracked and thundered.

“You’re mine.” Hjalmarr vowed, cracking his knuckles.

Rancour drew his sword, as Hjalmarr raised his axe, charging at the strongest wraith.

Hjalmarr summoned a lightning bolt with the power to fracture the world upon Rancour as he threw his axe into his shoulder, slamming him into a rock pillar as he recalled his axe with a snap of his fingers. Rancour and Hjalmarr both roared energetically, their faces filled with joy as they clashed once more, Hjalmarr threw Rancour into the air, striking him with lightning bolts from the sky, as he was stunned by the shocks. Rancour recovered, launching an amplified slash down at Hjalmarr, watching the shock in his face as it became panic, launching his axe into it as it fell to the ground, having blocked the slash.

Rancour flew into Hjalmarr, slamming him into the ground and coating him in slashes. Hjalmarr cackled as he grabbed Rancour’s face, snapping his finger and slicing into him with his axe as Rancour’s anger showed in his desperation to win. Rancour coated his hand in Spectral Energy, slamming his fist into Hjalmarr’s jaw, feeling the cracking of the jawbone snapping in half, as he headbutted him, breaking his nose.

Hjalmarr cleaved through Rancour’s leg, blood coating his blade as he launched him into the air with a punch, feeling the haziness of his wounds across his body, his attire becoming drenched in his blood as he fell to his knees, panting heavily.

Enzo rushed to Hjalmarr, having healed Momo, bringing them to the King’s castle to be treated alongside Marzen.

“We require more sorcerers, my friend.” Alexsandr stated, as Rancour descended from the air.

“Go. Find more to fight, I’ll do whatever I can against him.” Takahiro ordered, as Alexsandr left to scour the Earth for anyone who could fight.

“Is it just you now, Ronin? I expected more resistance.” Rancour solemnly imparted.

Takahiro gripped his Katana readily, being the only sorcerer left to stand against the greatest power in history.

“Umbran Vigour.” Takahiro recited, a small purple circle forming at his feet.

So he created the technique. Rancour speculated.

“Is that your technique, Takahiro Genji?” Rancour asked.

“It is.” Takahiro replied dryly.

“How interesting.” Rancour observed, launching a flurry of slashes at Takahiro, to which he reflected all of them, deeply wounding Rancour.

So it enhances his technique beyond its natural bounds with a dominion, but it doesn’t expand his soul, it’s quite literally a Pure Dominion. Rancour thought to himself, as he rushed at Takahiro, slashing at him rapidly, to which he blocked on instinct alone, feeling the wind brush against his skin, as he focused himself upon Rancour.

I need to break the Dominion. Attacking him conventionally will only waste time and my very limited supply of Spectral Energy.

Rancour disappeared into the void, making Takahiro rely on his senses as he heard the roaring winds, and the subtle sounds of rain covering the battlefield. Rancour appeared behind Takahiro, creating multiple afterimages as he ran circles around Takahiro. Pouring all his energy into speed, Rancour entered the circle of the Dominion, to which Takahiro sliced off one of his arms, but it was too little too late.

“Gotcha.” Rancour declared, as his hand rested on Takahiro’s shoulder, slicing him endlessly as the pain wore over Takahiro, blood spilling out of his mouth as his mind burned from its realisation of the slashes effects, his blood sticking to him as it clung to the life he felt fading from the rest of his body, Rancour smiled, kicking him away.

His cuts only did physical damage, it was a good decision to use Umbran Vigour, or else I would’ve died. Takahiro thought, beginning to close his wounds, feeling the relief around his body, as it returned to a calmer state, allowing him to regenerate his burnt-out technique, his brain feeling a similar sense of calmness after it returned to its healed state.

“Out of everyone I’ve fought today, you are the most impressive, Takahiro. For someone of such a low amount of power, your mastery is beyond that of even myself, you understand the Spectral World on such a level it eclipses anyone I have ever fought. To create such a powerful technique, whilst expending so little Spectral Energy is truly beyond anything I could have imagined when I met you Takahiro Genji.” Rancour exclaimed.

“Such high praise from the strongest wraith, I’m quite honoured.” Takahiro replied gracefully.

“What has caused you to have such a connection to the Spectral World?” Rancour inquired.

“Alongside the basic effects of either form of Pure Dominion, I gain a permanent twenty-five percent increase in all my statistics and understanding of Spectral Energy, the Dominion also gives me twenty-five percent more Spectral Energy output whilst I am inside the Dominion.” Takahiro explained.

“How did you manage to impose so many conditions on this technique, that seems impossible?” Rancour asked.

“I created the technique, and slowly over time I have improved it, and I was able to impose more and more conditions upon it as I used the technique more and became more thoroughly learned in the workings of the Spectral World.” Takahiro replied.

“How immaculate. You truly are a genius such as Raúl.” Rancour remarked.

“I doubt I could live up to the intellect that Raúl possessed. I pity the fact that he lost to you, he was the greater warrior, at least from what I have seen of him.” Takahiro replied.

“I do agree. His pride was unfortunately the reason he lost, I did not expect him to involve himself in the battle as far as he did, but the perception of being challenged for the title of ‘the strongest’ seemed to make him entirely too eager to prove himself, to the detriment of his growth. I spent the entire fight learning and expanding my technique, whilst he remained stubborn and unwilling to use his entire arsenal. I suppose that would be why I won, and why he is now within the Void Realm. I do hope he decides to use all he can to escape it, as he has nothing to prove to me, I would never ask of him to prove his strength, as he was the only man to ever bring me to my knees.” Rancour imparted, taking his time to look at the scenery before him, appreciating the nature of England, as Raúl did before him.

“You seem to be quite reflective for someone of your reputation, Rancour. I did not expect it from you.” Takahiro commented.

“Although I am in the business of power, I find the pursuit of a purpose to be something useful, and most needed. Reflecting upon the ideological struggle between myself and our mutual friend is something, even one as evil as I must do. The pursuit of knowledge and understanding is more important to me than being a constant, simple conqueror. However, do not take this as me changing my ways, I have no intentions to change, I only seek understanding.” Rancour phrased.

“That seems contradictory, how can you seek knowledge, and then be unwilling to change?” Takahiro asked.

“As you will find out, I’m quite the contradictory type. I enjoy what I do, so even if I know there is a better way, if I don’t enjoy it, I’ll never adhere to it. I am after all, a demon of my own creation.” Rancour responded.