Darkness. Emptiness. Silence. Nothingness.
"The Great God of Twilight…"
"Break through the seal… Opportunities emerge to return to reality…"
The voice echoed faintly in the void, an ethereal sound oscillating between reality and illusion. It repeated over and over, calling into the abyss.
"Return… Return…"
As the incantation lingered, tiny dark yellow lights began to flicker in the void. They multiplied rapidly, forming a galaxy of dim luminescence resembling the fading hues of twilight.
A raspy voice stirred within the darkness. "Who… dares? Who disturbs my slumber?"
For a moment, confusion clouded the voice, but recognition dawned. "Ah… I remember now. The sorcerer… you've come back so soon…"
The God of Twilight, stirred from its dormant state, began to piece together the remnants of its fragmented consciousness. As its thoughts coalesced, another voice spoke again, this time firmer and more deliberate.
"Great God of Twilight, the deal to break your seal… will you honor it?"
A pause followed, and then the hoarse voice of the God of Twilight responded, low and deliberate. "Of course, sorcerer…"
As if reflecting its impatience, the galaxy of dusk-like light flared brighter. Dark yellow illumination spread through the void, pulsating with renewed life.
The calm, indifferent voice from before resumed. "The previous terms remain. The power of twilight. The secret method of dimensional refinement…"
The God of Twilight growled faintly, but before it could object, the voice pressed on, its tone unyielding. "You will also surrender a fragment of your original power as collateral. All to be bound by a contract witnessed by Death."
Silence.
The light of twilight flickered, as if the god was deep in thought, weighing its choices.
"I agreed," it said at last, its voice begrudging and heavy with resignation.
Outside the seal, David, standing with Mephisto and Loki, felt the response ripple through the fabric of reality. His hands, already deftly manipulating the sling ring, paused as a faint glimmer of excitement danced in his eyes.
"Then… let us proceed to the contract."
David's body grew still as his soul separated from his physical form. The transparent figure of his essence emerged, glowing faintly as his body collapsed into ash.
The moment the ash fell to the ground, Mephisto's eyes flickered with a hint of regret. Such a waste of a suitable medium… he mused silently, but his outward expression remained composed. Contracts bound by Death required strict adherence, and this sorcerer's sacrifice was necessary.
Meanwhile, Loki's scepter twirled lightly in his hand. Golden light extended toward the departing soul, but it was repelled by the seal. Still, faint traces of that light lingered on the surface, subtle and unnoticed by most.
Within the sealed void
The galaxy of twilight grew brighter as David's transparent figure approached it.
"Foolish mortal soul," the God of Twilight rasped, its tone mocking. "Aren't you afraid I'll devour you the moment you enter my domain?"
David's response was steady, unshaken. "Fear you? Hardly. My faith lies in the Sorcerer Supreme's seal, which still holds you prisoner. Without me, you'll remain trapped here for eternity—nothing more than fertilizer for the sorcerer's secret realm."
The God of Twilight growled, but its tone shifted, tinged with bitter laughter. "Very well, mortal. Let us proceed."
"Sign the contract," David said, his calm voice laced with resolve.
Raising a spectral hand to his brow, David extracted a sliver of his true spirit, a fragment of glowing golden essence. The action left his soul visibly weaker, the once solid form now further translucent.
The God of Twilight mirrored the gesture, pulling forth a shard of its own dim yellow spirit. The galaxy around it dimmed slightly as its essence was extracted, but both fragments—golden and yellow—floated toward each other, merging in a swirling dance of light.
As the fragments combined, complex gray runes exuding the aura of death materialized around them. A heavy, oppressive presence filled the void—the unmistakable gaze of Death itself.
David and the God of Twilight spoke in unison, their voices resonating with ritualistic gravity:
"Supreme Death, ruler of all endings, we pledge this contract in exchange for our true spirits."
David continued, his tone fervent. "I will break the seal and release the God of Twilight."
The God of Twilight's rasping voice followed. "And I shall grant the power of dusk and the secret of dimensional refinement."
The oppressive atmosphere lightened momentarily as the contract was sealed. Death's presence receded, its conditions satisfied.
Back in the Valley of Spirits, Loki and Mephisto observed the seal.
The Cosmic Cube in Loki's hand pulsed with indigo light as he directed its energy toward the seal, its spatial force merging with the Mind Scepter's golden light.
David's soul, now linked to the God of Twilight, returned to reality. Boom! The seal began to quake violently. Cracks spread across the stone wall, glowing with fiery red energy as chunks of rock tumbled to the ground.
Mephisto, not one to be outdone, summoned the power of Hell itself, amplifying the disruption. A vortex of black and crimson energy surrounded him as he worked to accelerate the seal's collapse.
"Ancient One," the God of Twilight roared from within the crumbling barrier, its voice filled with rage. "You cannot kill me! I will have my revenge!"
Loki's scepter flashed again, sending another wave of energy against the seal. Though the golden light dissipated upon contact, faint traces of it clung to the surface.
Mephisto smirked, noticing the subtle game Loki was playing but refrained from interfering. Let him plot. It'll make his eventual failure all the more entertaining.
Finally, with a deafening boom, the seal shattered.
A towering figure cloaked in dark yellow light stepped through the ruins. The God of Twilight had returned.
David's soul followed close behind, now visibly weaker but radiating satisfaction.
The God of Twilight's glowing eyes landed on Mephisto, its voice laced with surprise. "You? What are you doing here?"
Mephisto offered a sly smile but did not respond.
The god raised its hands to the sky, closing its eyes as it reached out to its long-lost dimension. A vortex resembling a tornado formed above its head, drawing elemental magic into its form.
But as the god absorbed this energy, its expression darkened.
Its connection to the Twilight Dimension was fractured, left in ruins by the Ancient One's machinations. Only faint traces of its former power remained.
Even so, the God of Twilight channeled the residual energy, its body glowing with renewed strength.
Beside him, David's lips curled into a satisfied smirk. He could already feel the influx of the god's power coursing through him, along with the forbidden knowledge of dimensional refinement.
Turning his attention away from the god, David's gaze grew cold as he muttered, "It's time… to destroy Vishanti's contract."
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