186 Chapter 163 - The Void.
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Goals and rewards of the week.
TOP 1 = Three double releases.
TOP 2 = Two double releases.
TOP 3 = One double release.
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[Adam C. POV.]
Bankai.
Normally a Bankai means the culmination of power behind a Zanpakuto.
The denouement of a work of art.
I wasn't part of that normal occurrence.
Why?
Well...
The thing is, that thanks to my human body, there are some limiters I have to go through before I could actually use the full power of my Bankai.
Steps, I have to... accomplish.
These steps prepared my body for... the true essence of my Bankai.
"Is that all?" Acnologia roared, his eyes glinting with amusement.
I smiled, dodging the dragon's claws as I continued to gather my energy. "Not yet."
I had to admit, Acnologia's power was beyond my wildest expectations, despite having cut him multiple times, despite having the clear upper hand, his body was adapting to my power, making it harder and harder to actually harm him.
Granted, his body was adapting to the... larva stage of my Bankai, a stage that only existed because my mortal body wasn't capable of withstanding the full power of a Bankai without first acclimating to it.
Acnologia roared, rushing towards me. "Show me what you got, God of Death!"
I chuckled, to think Acnologia, The Dragon of the End, would become so excited to face me.
I was flattered.
Unfortunately for him, the time was finally coming.
My body was finally acclimating.
I smiled, closing my eyes, clutching tight the empty hilt of my Zanpakuto, a blade that reflected the cosmos itself. "You have no idea what lies beyond the veil of stars, King of Nothing."
Before Acnologia could respond, a wave of energy enveloped the battlefield, several times bigger than the one everybody had felt upon the release of my Bankai. The ground and the sea trembled wildly as the stormy sky above breaks open, taking away everything revealing the vastness of space.
Stars, nebulae, galaxies and black holes become visible. It's as if the universe has unveiled itself, for me.
As my power continued to grow, my attire changed as well, my robe now reflecting the Milky Way and other constellations.
Seeing this, Acnologia opened his mouth, releasing a massive blast of dark energy towards me.
"What are you?" Acnologia cackled, grinning at me.
"The embodiment of the cosmos. Prepare yourself," I muttered, my voice echoing as if it came from the vast reaches of space.
Growling, Acnologia lunged at me with blinding speed, but before he could reach me, I effortlessly sidestepped him, manipulating gravitational forces around him to throw off his trajectory.
"Galaxy eater," I muttered, raising a finger, creating multiples rips in space-time. Manifesting several black holes around the Dragon King.
"This won't stop me!" Acnologia roared as he struggled to escape the gravitational pull of the black holes.
I smirked, pleased with his tenacity. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, King of Nothing."
Acnologia roared again, releasing a burst of energy that caused the black holes to collapse in on themselves.
I smiled, swinging my right arm forward. "Cosmic Fog," From my palm, a beam of energy shot out, colliding with Acnologia's energy. The resulting explosion created shockwaves that rattled the very fabric of the universe.
I really need to keep my focus, otherwise I might end up killing everyone on the continent.
Taking a step forward, I coughed, blood spilling from my lips as I struggled to maintain my balance.
"Is this all you've got?" Acnologia growled, charging at me again.
I chuckled, watching his movements as if they were in slow motion. "Not by a long shot." With a flick of my wrist, I created a miniature star, a blazing ball of fire that illuminated the entire battlefield.
Acnologia's eyes widened, realizing what I was about to do, but it was too late. The star exploded violently, sending waves of heat and radiation that engulfed the dragon king.
"Not bad," Acnologia grunted as he emerged from the explosion, his body battered and burnt. "I couldn't eat the entire thing, however, you will never defeat me this way."
I raised an eyebrow, surprised by his resilience. I'll be the first to admit, I thought that last attack would've done more damage.
Then again.
I was holding back, a lot.
To avoid killing myself before it's time, and to avoid killing everyone around.
I felt my throat tighten and the wetness of blood on my tongue as I choked out another cough. My vision blurred and my body began to shake.
I can't keep this for much longer.
I had to kill him quickly, it was only a matter of time before my control faded away completely.
Acnologia moved, closing the distance between us, before slamming me back into the island. The impact shook the very foundation of the island.
He sent me back to Tenrou...
This bastard...
I could feel the blood oozing out of my mouth and nose, and my eyesight was getting hazy.
At this rate, I will die in a minute or so.
I smiled.
Either way it didn't matter. The time had finally come, the power of my Bankai was ready to be unleashed.
"Adam!" Erza shouted; her voice muffled by the ringing in my ears.
"You promised!" Cana cried out, tears streaming down her face as she watched from a distance.
I smiled. "I lied." closing my eyes as I took a step forward, bringing my hands together. "Abyssal Void."
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[Acnologia POV.]
One moment I was staring at the God of Death who had challenged me, and the next, I was in the middle of nowhere, lost in the nothingness.
There was nothing around, no sound, no magic, nothing.
It was like I had been transported to another dimension entirely.
An endless void, a space without time, or escape.
I gritted my teeth.
I was Acnologia! The Dragon King!
I refused to be defeated by this, even if he had managed to catch me off guard.
"Before you die, allow me to explain," I heard a voice echo in the emptiness.
"Show yourself!" I roared, or tried to, but no sound came.
"This is the true power of my Bankai. A space where nothing exists, not even time. You can't escape, you can't fight back, you can't do anything."
I opened my mouth, trying to destroy the entire place with the full might of my magic, but as soon as I did so, I realized something, my magic... I couldn't feel it.
I couldn't feel my magic at all.
My... magic was gone?
The voice spoke once more, "Your magic doesn't work here, Dragon. Nothing works here, that's the beaty of the void, a vast expanse of nothingness."
I...
I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED LIKE THIS!
I still haven't killed them all.
I still haven't destroyed all the Dragons in the world, I can't die, not yet, not when my mission hasn't been completed!
This couldn't be the end! Not for me! Not for the one who had stood atop the world as the epitome of power! I couldn't be defeated by something so... abstract.
"Time to die, Dragon King."
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[Third Person POV.]
As Acnologia raged against the nothingness around him, a sudden sense of constriction filled the void around him. The emptiness, already suffocating, seemed to become tangible, pressing in from all sides, crushing him tightly. For the first time in eons, a spark of genuine fear lit in the Dragon King's eyes.
"What...?" Acnologia gasped, struggling to breathe as the void closed in on him. "What's happening?"
The voice spoke again, cold and merciless. "You cannot fight the void, Dragon. It consumes all, it kills all."
As those words were spoken, the nothingness around the Dragon King began to coalesce, shadows merging with shadows, swirling in an ever-tightening spiral around him. The oppressive nothingness thickened, as though the void itself sought to snuff out his existence.
In the encroaching darkness, memories flashed before Acnologia's eyes – not of the battles or the countless souls he devoured, but of simpler times. Moments of laughter, fleeting instances of camaraderie, and flashes of joy from his human days. The weight of lifetimes of choices bore down on him, and for a moment, Acnologia's fiery spirit dimmed.
Fighting with all the ferocity that had once made him the most feared being on Earth, he roared, a desperate and primal scream echoing into the encroaching void. Yet, no sound emerged. The abyss swallowed it whole, just as it was swallowing him.
Then, as the blackness touched him, an icy chill began to creep into his very soul. It was the cold of finality, the end of an era. The void was not just a physical place but a metaphysical one, and it sought to erase him from the very fabric of existence.
Despite his struggle, a crushing force enveloped him, and as the last flicker of Acnologia's consciousness began to wane, a singular thought rose above all else: Was this what true oblivion felt like?
And then, there was nothing. The Dragon King, a force that had once threatened the entirety of the world, was no more. The void had claimed its due, leaving only the silence of a universe at peace.
