End’s Authority

The change was slow in coming, at first Ryun in ways that he had never felt before. It was as if the core of his entire being had changed. Oblivion felt revitalized, but also changed, as if it wasn’t really just Oblivion anymore. He felt connected to so much more than just it. And True Death was the same. Before, he could feel the separation between the two and his Soul. It could take on the attributes of either of his two main Aspects, but it was still a Soul flavored by them. Now there wasn’t such a separation anymore.

His Soul was the End, and it encompassed all of it.

His body remained the same, in the form of the Reaper, but he could feel Oblivion seeping back into his core, could feel True Death there too.

In the distance, Ra’azel dodged Nayra’s attack from above. Fire rained down on him, and a shield around him blazed brightly, protecting him. Zach was attacking from a distance, as was Nahamassa. Then several things happened at once. Lances of light burst out of his shield, taking all three of them down.

Ryun took a step, and knew that both Selia and Erdania did the same. The world around them changed. With Erdania’s step, the ground rippled and transformed from the pale and cold earth into a dark stone surface—not unlike Worldstone. He could feel the oppressive pull of Gravity intensify, though it didn’t affect him at all. Ra’azel though stumbled.

With Selia’s step, the bare trees shook, leaves grew on every branch, dark green and black in color. The bark turned white, and turned from the sickly and old, weathered tree trunks into something that held a glimpse of a vitality that it once held. Ryun could see a life lived on the surface of each tree, as if a story was written on their surface.

Beyond the trees, the sky filled with stars vanished, replaced by the endless nothingness, Oblivion. Ryun could feel the plane of his Aspect, of his being surround this world, and knew that the final end came to all things that walked this place.

With every step he took, more strength flowed inside of him. His core rippled with changes, his Qi becoming something else. It was as if he lost his connection to the Plane of Oblivion, and was instead connected directly to his own existence. His Soul, which he could feel growing with every passing moment.

Notifications were blazing in the corner of his eye, calling to him, asking to be brought forward, he ignored them. He had eyes only for Ra’azel, for the being whose end had long been avoided.

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Ryun pulled his new Qi through his conduits, using his {Mantle of Gathering Twilight}. His strength soared, and he used more techniques. He felt Scorn ripple across his body as he pushed his Qi outside of his body through it and shaping his {Twilight Cutting Flicker} in a dozen tightly packed spheres of Qi just over his shoulders. Scorn made the effort almost effortless, faster than ever before.

Ra’azel turned, noticing something. Ryun unleashed his attacks.

Like Oblivion before, his techniques lanced out at an instantaneous speed. The core of the beam was black, not the endless darkness that was Oblivion, but the black color of True Death. The deepest darkness that existed. Around it were many different colors, violet and silver, the most predominant—but also there were touches of all the colors of destruction. He could even feel an echo of every Essence that could be used to destroy, to bring about an End, and more.

He hit Ra’azel and his attack pushed the shade back. His scales blazed with light as they broke apart from the attack, then the world around him wavered and they were suddenly on an open plain, a massive tower stood where Ra’azel was just a moment ago.

His attack demolished it, but a moment later the image flickered away, and Ra’azel wasn’t there.

Spears made out of white Qi, with dark green edges flashed through the air, and Ryun looked up to see their target. Ra’azel floated in the air, runes flashing all around him as Selia’s attack broke on his shields.

Then three beams of pure red energy lashed out, and Ryun felt their destructive power. For a moment, he almost remained where he was, he felt as if he should be able to take the power for himself, as if it was part of who he was. But he could feel the power of the Soul that fueled the attack, and he didn’t understand himself yet.

He dodged to the side and alerted Selia and Erdania to do the same.

In the moment before Ra’azel could do something else, he jumped forward, running on air. He leaned on his power, the Pull of the End and focused it on Ra’azel. He was drained, Ryun could feel it. His Soul had been spent, he was nearing his end.

Runes flashed, but Ryun’s power hastened their end, collapsing their effects before they could even be born. With the Coming of the End, he focused on the world around him on the Essence of Light. All Essences within this domain was theirs to control, and he utilized that control and his power.

He took away the idea that Light carried information, that it allowed people with eyes to see. Ryun, Selia, and Erdania didn’t need it. Through their link he let them see through his eyes, let them sense through his perception.

Ra’azel pulled back, panic clear on his face as more Essences lost their concepts. Sound no longer carried through the Air, nor did scent.

Ryun’s being expanded, his density flowing out of his vessel and into the world. The Reaper remained, but he was so much greater now. He spilled onto the ground and into the air, into the trees and everything else.

He felt Selia and Erdania doing it too, and was surprised for a moment, then understood that this was the path he had already been walking on. Their Authority was different than his, they had a common thread—True Death—but each had its own domain, and the complete dominion over it.

They closed in on Ra’azel as he turned his head in circles, Ryun was certain that he could perceive through other means too, perhaps feel Souls themselves. But losing senses he had relied on for so long had to be a blow.

Ryun prepared his will and intent of his Authority, focused it on Ra’azel in order to bring about his End.