The Devourer's Dominion

The battlefield groaned under the weight of Aetheron's Dominion. Shadows twisted unnaturally, coiling like living things, their forms shifting between smoke and solid matter. The air was thick—dense—like stepping into the jaws of some unseen beast.

Lorien stood at the center of it all, sword steady, eyes sharp. Watching. Calculating.

For the first time, he hadn't moved yet.

Aetheron's breathing was ragged, his right arm still useless from the last exchange. But that didn't matter.

His Dominion was awake now. Hungry.

And this time—Lorien wouldn't be able to shrug him off.

Aetheron's left hand snapped forward.

The shadows responded instantly, spears of black tendrils shooting from the ground, lunging at Lorien from all angles.

Lorien finally moved—

But something was off.

He stepped, dodging smoothly, cutting down the tendrils with precise slashes—

But his movements were a fraction slower than before.

Aetheron narrowed his eyes. He feels it.

His Dominion wasn't just warping the field. It was weighing down reality itself.

And that gave him an opening.

Aetheron vanished—reappearing behind Lorien in an instant. His left hand coated in pure Abyss—

He swung.

Lorien twisted, blade meeting his strike—

CLANG!

Aetheron didn't budge this time. His feet dug into the dirt, his strength matching Lorien's for the first time. That hesitation cost him.

Lorien stepped back—just as a second shadow spear erupted from below—aiming straight for his chest.

Lorien's blade flashed—cutting it down—

But the instant it was destroyed, another emerged.

Then another.

Then another.

Aetheron grinned. Now he gets it.

This wasn't a fight anymore.

This was a hunt.

And Lorien was trapped.

Shadows coiled tighter, closing in, their speed increasing every second. Lorien's blade flickered, cutting them down as fast as he could, but it wasn't enough.

Aetheron moved in again.

Lorien turned to meet him—but too late.

Aetheron's foot slammed into his ribs.

The force sent Lorien skidding backward.

Aetheron didn't let up. He pressed forward, his left hand forming a jagged blade of abyssal energy. He swung, the air hissing as his attack carved through space—

Lorien dodged—but not fully.

The edge of Aetheron's blade clipped his shoulder, slicing through his armor like paper.

Aetheron saw the briefest flicker of surprise in Lorien's eyes.

And that was all he needed.

He followed up immediately, twisting his body—bringing his knee straight to Lorien's chest.

Lorien blocked with his forearm.

But he still staggered.

And then the shadows closed in.

Aetheron raised his hand, fingers curling. The tendrils lunged.

Lorien reacted fast, sword flashing—

But it wasn't enough.

The shadows wrapped around his arms, his legs—tightening.

Lorien's feet left the ground, his body suspended in mid-air.

Aetheron exhaled. He had him.

Lorien was strong—insanely strong. But no matter how sharp a sword was, it couldn't cut through something that was already everywhere.

Aetheron clenched his fist—

The shadows crushed inward.

Lorien's aura flared—but it buckled.

For the first time—Lorien let out a sharp breath. Not quite pain. But acknowledgment.

Aetheron stepped forward, standing beneath him, eyes locked onto his. "Still think I can't fight?"

Lorien didn't answer immediately. His gaze wasn't filled with frustration. It was something else.

Aetheron frowned.

Something wasn't right.

Then—

Lorien exhaled slowly.

And Aetheron's instincts screamed.

MOVE.

Lorien's aura didn't just flare.

It exploded.

The silver energy around him burst outward, colliding with the shadows. Aetheron felt it immediately—his Dominion cracking.

Then, shattering.

The tendrils that held Lorien burned away.

And then—Lorien moved.

Aetheron barely had time to react before—

CRACK!

Aetheron's vision blurred.

He felt himself fly backward—something sharp piercing his side.

He barely processed it—his body crashing into the dirt, rolling violently.

When he finally stopped—he coughed, tasting blood.

Slowly, he looked down.

A thin slash ran across his side—deep, but not lethal.

Lorien stood where he had been before, sword still crackling with that strange energy.

Aetheron gritted his teeth. His Dominion was still active. So how the hell did Lorien—

Then he realized.

Lorien's blade.

It wasn't just cutting through his attacks.

It was cutting through concepts.

Aetheron pushed himself up, his breath ragged. "That's new."

Lorien's eyes shone. "Your Dominion is strong. But it has limits."

Aetheron scowled. "Tch. You figured that out in what—five minutes?"

Lorien tilted his head slightly. "I already knew."

Aetheron's fingers twitched. Bullshit.

Lorien raised his sword again. "Let's see how much further you can go."

Aetheron exhaled. His shadows coiled again—

But something was different now.

This wasn't just a battle of strength anymore.

Lorien wasn't just cutting him down.

He was teaching him how to lose.