Chaos' Heir - Chapter 1551
Chapter 1551: Weight
The miniature stars had been on the verge of suppressing the cloud, only for the opposite to happen. Khan’s living spell had bested those celestial bodies, and the world changed because of it.
The battlefield made of glowing darkness was no more. A purple-red color had tainted layers upon layers of that land, and similar effects extended in the areas above in far more evident fashion.
The air became electric, with literal sparks manifesting into existence on their own, as if they were a natural phenomenon in that world bathed in purple-red light.
As for the sky, the direct sight to the vast expanse above was no more, now hindered by a thick layer of thundering, flashing clouds.
That transformation of the environment was Khan’s most extensive yet, affecting both sky and ground, altering the air’s very properties.
However, the real achievement behind the current feat was in what Khan’s mana had taken over. Tainting ordinary symphony or environments had become as easy as breathing for him, but that was a world of True Chaos.
The Maker looked more intrigued about the feat than Khan himself. As a member of that race, he knew how difficult tainting the True Chaos was. Actually, it was theoretically impossible to accomplish for a mana-based existence.
Yet, the darker-than-black color was truly gone, and that wasn’t only due to mere destruction. The cloud spell had indeed pushed a lot of True Chaos away during its abrupt, immense expansion.
Still, some of that True Chaos had switched sides, turning into raw energy that let itself be tainted by that purple-red shade.
The previous exchanges had already proven it, but that show of power set the matter in stone. Khan had access to an energy no inferior to the True Chaos. His individual iteration of mana truly had divine potential. The one lacking was Khan himself.
“[Impressive],” The Maker admitted, nodding to himself while inspecting the layer of raging clouds above. “[But do you believe I can’t do the same]?”
“We both know that’s not the point,” Khan stated.
“[Isn’t it]?” The Maker wondered, and the True Chaos hidden under the layers of tainted soil and above the thundering clouds moved.
Waves of True Chaos rose and descended, pressing onto the purple-red energy, easily pushing it away due to the home-field advantage.
Yet, the crackling energy fought back, slightly retreating to assume sturdier and stabler shapes, something that could help it endure that outside pressure.
The isolated stalemate from before returned in far extensive, almost worldwide, fashion. A second set of clouds appeared, carrying the True Chaos’ pitch-black color. A similar event unfolded on the ground, splitting the environment in half.
One side featured purple-red ground, air randomly assaulted by crackling sparks, and thundering, bright clouds.
Meanwhile, the other featured dense soil, suffocating, glowing air, and a sea in the sky, creating a still-bright but starkly darker environment.
The two environments were also connected, pressing on each other, fighting for dominance. The pitch-black side was denser and, technically, more powerful, but the purple-red one looked more driven, seemingly putting its very life at stake in that struggle.
And, Khan and the Maker hovered right between that split world, one illuminated by sparks and purple-red light, while the other was immersed in glowing darkness.
The stalemate reclaimed the Maker’s attention. He inspected his surroundings, showing special interest in the fronts where the purple-red and black light met.
“[We are evenly matched],” The Maker eventually declared, bringing his scarlet irises back to Khan. “[The mana didn’t waste its efforts with you].”
“Don’t you still have those horns to break?” Khan wondered. “I believe your Father called it ascension.”
“[My twin and I have no need for such limits],” The Maker reassured. “[What you see is the best we can do].”
Truth be told, Khan had half-expected that. The True Chaos that surrounded him proved as much. That was no watered-down version of that superior energy.
The Maker’s strength was also beyond what Khan had expected or would have preferred. He was barely keeping on as it was, and that mission promised to have an even stronger opponent afterward. The situation was already as grim as it could be.
Still, that tease felt necessary, both because it was in character for Khan and due to the strange vibe he sensed from his opponent and the spells he cast.
“Do you even want to win?” Khan asked, pointing at the sea of True Chaos in the pitch-black part of the sky. “You don’t need any of this.”
The Maker smiled in amusement but didn’t contradict Khan. After all, he was right. The Maker didn’t need to imitate his spells to prove any superiority. His stars were a far more efficient weapon to achieve victory with.
“[But I do need this and more],” The Maker declared. “[I would never surpass my dear Father otherwise].”
“Is that all there is to your life?” Khan questioned. “Surpassing your Father?”
“[How could lifeforms such as yourself understand]?” The Maker muttered. “[You are children of the mana, but aren’t direct children].”
“Well, you are glorified Nak,” Khan pointed out. “Sure, you have a more distinct individuality and are definitely stronger, but that’s that.”
“[We are direct sons of a superior energy],” The Maker specified. “[My twin and I are even more direct heirs of a God. Our concepts of life are different].”
“Do you have any idea how many eccentric people from different ways of life I had to convince to fight you?” Khan scoffed. “It’s a miracle they didn’t kill each other before getting here.”
The joke didn’t land or, at least, it wasn’t enough to trick the Maker. The alien threw a knowing glance at Khan, his following strange whisper translating into sharp words. “[I was wrong. You do understand].”
Of course, Khan understood. He had seen that way of life during his absorption of the white-azure sphere. It was one of the reasons he had refused godhood.
“[Is that wrong way of life so important to you]?” The Maker asked before Khan’s silence. “[Even if your side will lose because of it]?”
“My life isn’t mine to give anymore,” Khan declared. “And you will lose. The weight I carry isn’t something your matter manipulation can imitate.”