Aetheron's breath slowed.
The figure before him wasn't just another opponent.
It was the Sovereign.
Not a shadow, not an illusion—the real presence of the one who came before him.
The air between them crackled with power, an invisible force pressing down.
The Sovereign's armor was dark, almost shifting like a void. His blade, a weapon that commanded dominion itself, hummed with untold strength.
His voice was calm. "Show me."
Aetheron barely had time to react before the Sovereign vanished.
The First Strike
Aetheron moved.
Instinct.
He twisted to the side just as a blade cut through the space where his neck had been. A flicker of motion. A ghost of a step.
Too fast.
Aetheron swung his sword, but the Sovereign was already behind him.
Aetheron barely blocked in time. Steel met steel. The impact sent a shockwave through his bones.
He gritted his teeth. This wasn't normal speed.
It was like the Sovereign wasn't just moving—he was erasing the space between attacks.
Aetheron pushed off, landing a few meters away. His grip tightened.
This wasn't a battle of strength.
It was a battle of understanding.
Reading the Sovereign
The Sovereign didn't move immediately. He simply watched. Studied.
Aetheron exhaled slowly. Think.
The Sovereign wasn't just attacking randomly. Every move had purpose, an opening that didn't exist, a step that shouldn't be possible.
Aetheron narrowed his eyes.
No… it was possible.
But only for him.
The realization clicked.
The Sovereign wasn't bound by the same rules of combat. His power allowed him to bend the space between movements, creating the illusion of instant attacks.
Which meant—there was a pattern.
Aetheron's lips curled slightly. Found you.
Breaking the Flow
The Sovereign moved again.
But this time—Aetheron was ready.
He didn't try to dodge. He stepped forward.
A blur of motion—but Aetheron had already predicted it.
His sword met the Sovereign's mid-swing.
Aetheron felt the force behind it, but he held his ground. He wasn't just reacting anymore. He was disrupting the rhythm.
The Sovereign's head tilted slightly.
Then—he smiled.
The True Test Begins
The moment was brief.
Then the Sovereign released his full power.
The entire space trembled.
The world itself seemed to shift—like reality was bending under the weight of his presence.
Aetheron braced himself.
Then the Sovereign vanished again.
But this time—he wasn't alone.
Shadows emerged from the air, reflections of the Sovereign himself. Five. Ten. Twenty.
All of them moving at once.
Aetheron's eyes widened. This… this wasn't just a test anymore.
This was overwhelming.
Cutting Through Fate
The first shadow struck.
Then the second.
Then all of them.
Aetheron didn't have time to block them all.
So—he didn't.
He stopped thinking like a swordsman.
And started moving like a Devourer.
His power surged.
Aetheron let his instincts take over, his body shifting through the attacks like water flowing through cracks.
He wasn't dodging. He was consuming the space itself.
The shadows flickered, unable to land a clean hit.
And in that moment—Aetheron struck back.
One slash.
A shockwave tore through the battlefield.
The shadows shattered.
The Sovereign stood alone.
The Last Clash
The two locked eyes.
Aetheron wasn't unscathed—blood dripped from a cut on his cheek, his breathing slightly heavier.
But the Sovereign…
For the first time, his armor had a crack.
Aetheron adjusted his grip. "Again."
The Sovereign exhaled. "Very well."
The final exchange began.
No wasted movement. No hesitation.
Only pure skill.
Their swords met in a flurry of clashes, each one sending sparks through the air.
Neither backed down.
Until—
Aetheron stepped through the Sovereign's attack.
A single clean strike.
His blade stopped inches from the Sovereign's chest.
Silence.
Then—the Sovereign laughed.
Aetheron's Next Step
The Sovereign stepped back, lowering his weapon. "You've passed."
Aetheron exhaled, his grip loosening. "So that was the test."
The Sovereign nodded. "But this is only the beginning."
He raised his hand—and something formed in the air.
Aetheron's eyes widened.
A blade.
Not just any weapon.
The Sovereign's own sword.
It pulsed with a power far beyond anything Aetheron had ever felt.
The Sovereign extended it forward. "Take it."
Aetheron hesitated. "Why?"
The Sovereign's voice was calm.
"Because the seal will not hold much longer."
The weight of the words settled deep.
Aetheron reached forward—
And as his fingers touched the hilt, everything vanished.