brother's retry (the beginning after the end)

Defilement of Godhood

There is a paradox, named the irresistible force paradox. It is what happens when two absolutes clash, for instance an immovable object standing in the way of an unstoppable force. Neither side gives in, and if one does, it nulls an absolute.

That was what it was like when their blades clashed, the insatiable heat against an all ceasing cold. In such a scenario, the one with more mana to draw from would inevitable emerge as the winner. But it would be a hollow victory, leaving neither side satisfied. So they broke off, each taking their own side in the battlefield.

The two watched each other silently, ready to move at the slightest hint of movement. The shadows behind Ashton began to fester, and he felt the tingling oncomings of his sixth sense. Without looking behind him, he jumped high in the air, completely evading what would have otherwise impaled him.

Fayden took this opportunity, warping right in front of Ashton, his sword ready to pierce him through. Ashton barely had enough time to put the flat of Twilight's blade in between them, and the tip of Void Edge clanged harmlessly against the coldness infused blade. Ashton was flung back, away from Fayden by the force of his attack.

Twilight flashed black, it's shape melting away to form a bow, yet retaining the coldness around it. Ashton nocked an arrow and waited, feeding it more and more mana as he drew the bow. His aim was true, and he let the arrow fly. As it left the bow, the singular arrow multiplied into dozens of arrows, all coated in the dark water mana.

Fayden knew he could not disintegrate them with Void Edge as soon as he laid his eyes on them, he could see the mana clinging on to it. Earth mana flowed through his veins and condensed into a black sphere over his palm, with the time he had, he could only make a basketball size black hole, and he hurled it at the rain of arrows. The attractive force of the black hole pulled in the arrows in it's vicinity, while the others soared past. Fayden did not need to move as the remaining arrows missed him and made a ring on the ground around him.

Fayden exhaled deeply, letting the fire mana around his sword to disperse before he recalled it. Ashton raised an eyebrow at the sudden decision, but remained wary nonetheless. Fayden raised his arm, and the nacht responded. In each corner of the nacht infused domain, blades of every shape and size arose, all pointing towards Ashton. Each one was sharp enough to cut through entire buildings with ease. He flicked his hand, and they shot forward, moving like a massive blur.

Ashton snapped his fingers and an equal number of blades formed around him, blurring away they met each of Fayden's head on. The weaker of Ashton's blades, those made by lessers, shattered against the nacht blades, forcing him to weave between them even having to parry some with twilight. Still, some of the nacht blades had grazed him, slowly getting healed by his nox wind infused spells.

Nox coalesed around Ashton's hand as Twilight flashed away, a staff of nox formed as dark flames and water wrapped themselves around the staff. Black lightning crackled to light mixing within the flames as dark ice formed across the murky water. With a final touch a gale of dark winds kicked up along the hilt of the lance. And then it was gone. Ashton had flooded his legs with mana forcing them to move faster then they should, blurring faster than any blade yet, he appearing in front of Fayden attempting to pierce him through his heart.

Fayden flinched back, in a flash of black, he warped away. Reappearing midair, he held his arm out by his side, willing the nacht to the shape he wanted it to. The cosmic fluid like substance took the shape of a lance, much like Ashtons own, but unlike his, it was made purely out of nacht. In a split second, he hurled it downward, right at Ashton, who held up his own spear to block.

The two forces of nature clashed, holding their position for a moment before exploding in a shower of nox and nacht. The explosion had heavily affected the landscape, where it used to be a green meadow, was now nothing but a massive crater. Ashton had to stand on his rusty sword to avoid falling in.