Two swords collided at the center of Chaos Space.
The instant the black blade met the dark red blade, there was no sound, no shock wave, no explosion of energy.
Two utterly different energies clashed, devoured each other, and transformed where the blades met.
Black energy consumed dark red, while dark red consumed black.
Their struggle formed a tiny, unstable singularity poised between existence and nothingness.
The singularity lasted less than a tenth of a second before it exploded.
The blast hurled Lazuli Eve and Knull apart.
Lazuli Eve tumbled dozens of meters through the air, then drove the Necrosword into the void to steady herself.
Knull slid back just as far, his dark red sword planted in the void and leaving a long trail of dark red light before him.
Less than fifty meters apart, they stared at each other.
Knull's brow furrowed slightly. For the first time, his face turned grave.
This woman's power had reached his level. He had to give everything he had with every strike.
Every defense demanded precise calculation, and every dodge demanded more than instinct.
He had not felt this way in a long time. The last time had been when he fought the Celestials.
Lazuli Eve watched him quietly, her eyes as calm as windless lakes.
Her breathing was steady, her hand did not tremble, and her sword was eager.
She felt the Necrosword quiver in her hand. It was not fear, but anticipation.
The sword longed to fight its former master, to prove it no longer belonged to him, and to devour his energy.
Lazuli Eve moved first.
She did not turn into light, teleport, or use any flashy skill.
She simply walked toward Knull, unhurried and steady with every step, as though strolling through her own garden.
The Necrosword hung