"Now then…" Legris inhaled deeply, preparing himself for what was about to happen.
He had made all of these plans and preparations for this very moment.
"... I should begin the absorption."
With his wide grin still remaining on his face, he stretched out his hand, and a swirling black portal began to swirl around it.
~WHOOSH!~
The swirling blackness generated such great suction that it caused everything around—the sulfur, the landscape, and the ever-growing heat—to rapidly break down.
They all shattered into what seemed to be tiny glass fragments, and everything swiftly went into the darkness Legris generated.
"So many Energy Particles… it's unbelievable." Legris whispered to himself as he watched the once vibrant landscape slowly devolve into a blank space.
There was still so much Aether to absorb, so he kept his arm upright and kept taking it all in.
All of this, within the span of a few seconds.
"Maybe an hour more and I'll be done with—"
~CRAAAAAACCCKKKKK!!!~
Suddenly, the sound of crashing glass echoed within the entire dimension, forcing Legris to look in the direction where it originated.
What it seemed like was a dimensional collapse—a forceful entry from one dimension into another.
The barrier that separated the two dimensions shattered like paper-thin glass, leaving shattered fragments flying in the air as another intruder made his presence known.
"You…" Legris murmured, his eyes widening, as he took in the features of the young man before him.
He had long golden hair, with an oversized flowing robe that seemed only befitting of royalty. He also had jewels adorning his neck, like a shimmering golden sea of various proportions.
His bare chest showed due to the absence of a vest, and his puffy trousers complimented his black and gold shoes.
He was currently floating in the air, staring down at Legris with his golden eyes.
"... Kuzon Midas."
The whisper that Legris made served as both an acknowledgment and a warning.
His eyes instantly narrowed as he looked at the young Midas, unknowingly sizing him up as soon as he fully registered his presence.
'He's stronger than before!' Legis had to admit to himself.
He even found himself swallowing down bits of his saliva, wondering who would make their first move.
"I'd stop that if I was you." Kuzon eyed Legris' hand, which was still trying its hardest to absorb as much Aether as possible despite the situation.
"Well, I mean—"
~WHISH!~
Before Legris could conclude his sentence, his arm got severed, leaving a trail of sticky black liquid that gushed out of both openings.
"Guek!"
The black vortex instantly dissipated as his lifeless arm plopped to the ground, leaving Legris wincing in both pain and shock at what just happened.
He gripped his wounded hand slightly, gritting his teeth as he stared at Kuzon's cold gaze.
"How did you arrive here so fast? Don't tell me…" Legris murmured to himself, studying Kuzon's calm demeanor despite the current situation.
"The Constellations told you, right? Or to be more specific… YOUR Constellation did."
Even though he felt the sharp sting of Kuzon's blow on his hand, Legris couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"Your expression says it all. It's unfortunate, though. Even though I managed to cut off their connection to this realm, I still can't do much with the bond they have with their Hosts." He whispered.
It had taken so much out of Legris to isolate the Constellations from his business, since he would lose otherwise, but even he had his limits.
'Their connection with the Hosts they have bonded with still exists, though in a limited quality.'
Just as a radio signal could be jammed, leading to a poor connection, but not completely cut off… that was the best way to describe the current state of the Constellations and their respective Hosts.
'Also, only three of them had Constellations when I last saw them. It seems my guesses were correct, and Jared decided to make his allies Hosts. But, it'll take some time for them to be accepted by Constellations, so I can be assured that not all of them have Constellation Familiars at this point.'
This suspicion he had was further reinforced by the death of Z'ark, who had no Constellation Energy within him before or after death.
'He seemed to be undergoing a trial when I killed him. That means the Constellations are yet to choose. Perfect! It means the numbers have probably not changed from before.'
Still, Legris knew he couldn't be too careless.
Even just one Host could pose a problem to him and his plans, especially if they were being guided by a Constellation—irrespective of how unstable the connection was.
"I thought your Constellation would tell you to run. You know, if you die and I get access to the Constellation Essence you have… it would only doom your cause." Legris decided to prolong the conversation a little.
If he could gain even a few strands of information from his target, it would be well worth it.
"He did. But I won't ignore your presence here." Kuzon responded, his eyes narrowing even further, almost as if examining Legris thoroughly.
'I see. He isn't being hasty to attack because he's cautious as well…' Legris smiled to himself.
He didn't know what the Constellation told Kuzon, but he was sure that the boy was apprehensive of him and his abilities.
That was why he was being so indecisive.
'He also wants to extract information from me while ensuring I do not absorb more Aether. In a way, he kills two birds with one stone and increases the odds of his victory the longer he keeps me here.'
If Kuzon successfully bought enough time for his allies to arrive, they could all attack him with minimal efforts toward strategy and still emerge victorious.
'However, if I can kill him and collect his Essence first, the advantage lies with me.' Legris liked the idea of this plan.
Right now, it seemed his goal was now divided into two—obtain Kuzon's Constellation Energy, and absorb as much Aether as he possibly could.
With Kuzon being wary of him, Legris thought it was the perfect chance to take the initiative in their inevitable clash.
'Let's give it a shot!'
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[A/N]
Thank you all for reading!
Legris versus Kuzon… who do you think will win?
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