Ch(14):-The wraith of creation

The light from the Nexus swallowed them whole, enveloping Ryuusuke and Kaito in a whirlwind of pure energy. The sensation was disorienting—time bent and twisted around them, the very fabric of space pulsing with an unknown rhythm. Then, as quickly as it began, the light faded, and they found themselves standing on solid ground once more.

But this was no ordinary ground. The landscape stretched before them like a canvas—an endless expanse of dark, shifting clouds above, and a horizon that seemed to bleed into infinity. The air crackled with energy, thick with a tangible presence. The atmosphere felt alive, as if the world itself was watching them.

"Where… are we?" Kaito asked, looking around in awe and trepidation. His hand instinctively rested on his weapon, but there was no visible threat. Only the oppressive stillness.

Ryuusuke's eyes narrowed as he scanned their surroundings. "This is it. The heart of the Nexus. We're inside the Womb of Creation—the birthplace of all realities."

As if in response to his words, the clouds above shifted, swirling into a singularity of dark energy. From it emerged a figure, impossibly large, yet formless—a shifting mass of shadows and flame. Its presence radiated such raw power that the very ground beneath Ryuusuke and Kaito seemed to tremble.

The figure's voice was an unsettling whisper, like the scraping of metal against stone. "So, the intruders have arrived. Ryuusuke, the Unbound. Kaito, the Keeper of Hope. You are far too small to understand the true nature of this place."

Ryuusuke's grip on his sword tightened, but he made no move to strike. "I know exactly what this place is. You're the Wraith—the last remnant of the First Gods. The ones who set the Cycle in motion."

The figure let out a sound that could only be described as a laugh—low, guttural, and terrifying. "You think you understand? You who are nothing but a product of time's whimsy? The First Gods were merely instruments. The Cycle… is far older than them."

The sky above them cracked open, revealing a massive, swirling vortex of color and light. Ryuusuke could feel the fabric of reality warping, but there was a sense of familiarity to it. The Nexus itself was reacting to the presence of the Wraith.

"You were the one who gave birth to this hell," Ryuusuke said, his voice cold with fury. "You were the one who shaped the laws of existence—who allowed the multiverse to fall into an endless loop of creation and destruction."

The Wraith's form shifted again, coalescing into a more humanoid shape. "Indeed. I am the Creator of the Cycle. I gave birth to this existence and bound it to a perpetual rhythm. But you, Ryuusuke… you are the anomaly. The flaw. The interruption."

A dark tendril of energy shot forward, aiming directly at Ryuusuke's heart. With a swift movement, Ryuusuke parried it with his sword, the energy crackling against his blade before dissipating. He gritted his teeth. "I'll stop this. I'll shatter the Cycle. And I'll end your reign."

The Wraith's form twisted, shifting in and out of focus. "You can try. But you are not the one who can break the Cycle. You are simply a cog in a machine much larger than you. Every action you take will only further cement the destiny I've crafted."

Kaito stepped forward, his voice firm. "We won't back down. You've already caused enough suffering. We're here to make sure it stops."

The Wraith's gaze turned to Kaito, its eyes like black holes, devouring the light around them. "You… You are insignificant, Keeper. Do you truly think you can stop what's inevitable? Your hope is a fleeting spark, destined to burn out."

Without warning, the Wraith unleashed a torrent of energy, warping the space around them. The ground beneath Ryuusuke and Kaito crumbled, revealing a vast, endless abyss below them. Dark creatures, twisted and grotesque, rose from the depths of the void, their forms an amalgamation of nightmare and despair.

Ryuusuke clenched his fist, his power surging. The sword in his hand glowed with an otherworldly light as he prepared to face the Wraith. "We'll see who's insignificant, Wraith. No one controls my fate."

The Battle of Creation

The Wraith extended its arms, and the creatures from the abyss surged toward them in a relentless tide. They were monstrous, made of shadows and pure malevolence, each one an embodiment of despair and ruin. They crawled, slithered, and flew in erratic patterns, each one intent on ripping Ryuusuke and Kaito apart.

Ryuusuke didn't flinch. He drew his sword and charged forward, slashing through the first wave of monsters with deadly precision. His strikes were like lightning, cutting through the creatures with ease, their forms disintegrating into nothingness with each slash. Kaito was at his side, his twin blades dancing in the air, cutting through the tide of horrors with expert skill.

But the Wraith watched them calmly, as though this was nothing more than a passing moment in its grand design. "You cannot win, Ryuusuke. You cannot fight against the essence of existence itself."

Ryuusuke paused, briefly glancing at Kaito, who was holding his own against the monstrous forces. "I don't need to defeat it all at once. We'll keep fighting, one step at a time. It's what we do."

But the Wraith's influence began to warp the very air around them. The ground shifted, and the very laws of physics seemed to bend under its will. Ryuusuke felt the immense pressure pressing down on him, like the weight of the entire multiverse was closing in.

"You are a product of time's whimsy," the Wraith whispered. "A flicker of light in the grand darkness. No matter what you do, the Cycle will correct itself. You cannot escape destiny."

Ryuusuke's eyes flared with determination. "No. I will not be a slave to fate. I will break the Cycle, even if I have to tear this reality apart to do it."

With that, he released an explosive burst of energy, creating a shockwave that sent the dark creatures flying back. His sword, infused with raw cosmic energy, pulsed brighter than ever before, radiating with power that could shatter worlds.

"You want to see true power, Wraith?" Ryuusuke's voice echoed across the battlefield. "This is my will. This is my determination."

The Wraith's Fury

The Wraith, unperturbed, raised its arms to the heavens. The abyss trembled, and the fabric of reality itself began to unravel. "You fool," it said with a voice full of cold amusement. "You cannot hope to control this power. You are nothing compared to the first creators."

It launched a wave of pure destruction, a tidal force that engulfed the battlefield. Ryuusuke felt the immense pressure and staggered, but his eyes burned with a fiery resolve. "Then I'll show you how much nothing can be."

He poured every ounce of his power into the sword, transforming it into a spear of cosmic energy. The moment the Wraith's attack collided with it, an explosion of light and energy shattered the space between them.

The shockwave knocked Ryuusuke off his feet, but as he lay on the ground, he realized something. The Wraith, despite its power, was afraid. This fight was not just about destroying enemies—it was a test of wills.

Ryuusuke rose slowly, eyes burning with resolve. He wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.

"Let's finish this," he muttered, stepping forward with newfound strength.