Will of chaos

Pov Lena:

"You know, I expected more from you, but I think this is all you're capable of using this doll." (me)

"I underestimated your power, your Concept isn't the same as Life's..." (Salles)

"I never said it was the same, you assumed it on your own." (me)

"I still don't understand your Concept, but it was important information I acquired..." (Salles)

Around us a dense forest full of fruit trees, a simple stream with a mountain rising above the treetops some distance away, it was a landscape full of Harmony in its perfection, that is if it weren't for the red blood pulsing inside the plants and flowing through the stream in place of water.

Of course this wasn't my Concept or my power, they are curses and Demonic corruption that I'm using through a Divine item from Zenos's stock, I don't know which Demonic God he got it from, but by using just a little of my power to modify its effects.

There was also Zenos's chaos power imbued in the item, perhaps because it was stored in a sacred place Zenos was influenced by his Divinity that shares traits of the same powers, which was of great help to me.

"(I will thank Cortana for making me bring this thing.)" (me)

In my ears were the earrings that allow me to do this, blood is an aspect of life, corruption also carries traces of transformation that can be represented by the second rebirth in a certain way, I only decided to use this item after seeing Salles, I knew that this was just a doll and I didn't want to reveal my true power in front of him.

"(Salles won't consider that I'm lying, he'll treat me by the standards of Vida and Mavis who don't lie.)" (me)

Even though I wasn't one for lies or falsehoods, I'm not against using them when necessary, my current level of power doesn't allow me the luxury of limiting my actions by Vida's old standards which I still respect to a great extent.

"(The life inside him is fading, but the power is penetrating the Golem... a hidden card... it seems he didn't trust the Ascendants completely either.)" (me)

Not far from me, there was the body of that Ascendant or rather, the pulsating cocoon that was left of him, I honestly don't know what will come out of there, but it doesn't matter, I've already marked him with my power.

I look at the disembodied head behind me the size of my entire body, it was slowly losing its connection with this dying doll.

The energy leaking from it was entering the Golem below me, this would cause the Golem to overload by releasing all the Souls and vitality in a great explosion.

A Golem of this small size has more than 300 planets compacted into it, this was not a job done in a hurry by Salles, he must have been preparing this for a long time and just disguised it as a crude work like the other 19 Golems around.

"What were you planning to do with that Golem? You're not one to do something aimlessly." (me)

"Just a guarantee, the Ascendants aren't exactly a reliable business partner..." (Salles)

Crack Crack Crack Crack

"It seems like it's finally gone..." (me)

I could feel Salles' Aura and presence dispersing, the large statue head behind me shattering into small pieces as it sprawled on the ground.

"Salles, you won't get what you want, but you managed to tie my hands, what a bastard." (me)

"< Life Refinement: Cradle of Rebirth >" (me)

A stream of Essences, natural energies, and pure Vitality flowed endlessly from me as I took the earrings off my ears, I couldn't let these things get in the way of what I'm going to do now, but by doing so I'd be stuck here for a few days.

"I wanted to take care of the other Planetary Golems too, I didn't want to see those very worlds being destroyed by the Gods of this universe, but it seems like I won't be able to." (me)

Sigh

"Frustration really is a very uncomfortable mortal feeling..." (me)

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Pov Zenos:

My confrontation with Ayden only became more and more intense, seconds turned into hours so fast that I didn't notice, my senses closed to everything else other than the opponent in front of me, I didn't have the luxury of processing any information other than the combat I was in.

Ayden was a ruthless and brutal warrior, his blows always carrying the weight to eradicate continental empires with just one blow, his sword that had many vessel marks seemed indestructible without ever cracking or bending, even so there were several light bite marks from the sword's blade as well as the armor covering Ayden's arms.

Even so, I couldn't land any serious blows on his body. His Armor, no matter how damaged it was, still covered his entire body. His Aura was still at its maximum level, as if he could continue fighting forever without ever getting tired. Considering who he was, the Avatar of, I couldn't deny this very likely possibility.

Meanwhile, my body was less damaged than I expected after so much time fighting. My Eclipse Armor, created from the materialization of my Aura, was damaged and missing in several parts of my body. I also had several superficial cuts and bruises, with the most serious injury being one of my arms, which had broken bones. This forced me to control my body directly while I waited for the bones to heal.

My sword seemed to have no marks, but that was because of its strong regeneration, as if it were a living creature. Any marks on it healed quickly, and its resistance seemed even greater than Ayden's sword, which surprised me.

As time passed and the fight never slowed down, I was becoming more proficient in using the sword, and with that I realized that I have been failing myself, I am not a master swordsman after all.

During another one of our exchanges of blows, his sword was coming straight at me and every time I moved my sword to intercept, he moved the trajectory of his blow with a fluidity and ease that I could not replicate, only by following his movements with much greater effort than his was I able to prepare myself for his blows while always observing the rest of his body since he liked to use punches, kicks, shoulder strikes, knees and elbows in between his sword blows.

Just as I expected, he used his sword blow to force me to reposition my sword in another direction and as soon as the two swords collided, I realized that his sword was lighter, much lighter than normal causing my sword to push his quickly while Ayden's body spun closer to me.

Ayden uses his elbow to hit my broken arm, buying enough time to get closer. His shoulder hits my chest, trying to push me away, but I smile. I've been waiting for this opportunity for him to get closer for a long time, and at the same moment his shoulder was about to collide with my chest, I attack.

"< Unholy Breath >" (me)

"Aaahhh!!!" (Ayden)

My point-blank breath attack hits Ayden, taking him 100 meters back before stopping. In that small push, he managed to reposition himself and now had his sword cutting off part of my breath attack while in a more defensive position.

Using this small space I had, I was finally able to do what I wanted, the sword in my hands vibrated, but it wasn't because of the power of the Chaotic Devourer, what was vibrating was my Divine Weapon fused to the sword as well as the base Star Sword itself.

"< Star Sword: Awakening of the Path >" (me)

The presence of the sword changed as my breathing attack stopped, in that brief moment the sword in my hands shone as a stellar energy crystallized forming thin energy fabrics the width of two fingers that soon solidified into crystal paths swirling around the sword that became ethereal.

I placed my other hand trembling from being broken on the sword, the form of my ideal Weapon, of my true fighting style finally clear in my mind after facing Ayden.

When my hands sowed the sword seemed to break as it naturally transformed in both hands, in my right hand the sword became a single-edged serrated katana with star flames coming out of the back of the sword, while in my left hand a large tooth-shaped dagger had an eye on the blade that looked like a predator.

"(This is how I started fighting in the past, my own combat style, my own Divine Weapons were supposed to be like this too... when did I start using only a sword...?)" (me)

Ayden who was no longer receiving my breath attack, did not attack again expecting to see the changes that punching was making, his body was much more damaged this time.

He and I exchanged a look full of murderous intent at each other before launching ourselves into combat again.