Cronus' system: Against the gods

Wallen's body radiated an overwhelming surge of Aether, the air around him distorting like waves above a scorching fire. Blue energy streamed from his eyes like twin infernos, his very breath spilling luminous torrents of raw power.

It was as if the essence of divinity itself had descended into a mortal shell, reshaping Wallen into something otherworldly...something terrifying.

Rex stumbled back, his cocky facade faltering as sweat formed on his brow. "Holy shit!" he muttered, his voice cracking slightly. The oppressive force pressing against his chest wasn't just strength; it was suffocating, a flood of Aether that seemed limitless in its sheer volume.

While it lacked the sharp, cutting potency of a blade, its sheer overwhelming presence was enough to make his knees threaten to buckle.

Wallen's voice echoed, deep and resonant, layered with an unnatural timbre that made it impossible to discern whether it came from his mouth or the very air around him.

"Kid..." he rumbled, the sound a mix of awe and command. "Your power... it is unlike anything I have ever seen... Marvelous!" His words came with a god-like growl, a declaration that felt more like a proclamation to the heavens than a simple compliment.

Rex's eyes widened, his heart thundering in his chest. "M-my power?" he stammered, his voice shaky. "What do you mean, my power?!"

Wallen tilted his head, the glow from his eyes intensifying as if scrutinizing every fiber of Rex's being. "The way it burns," he said, almost reverently. "The way it defies... it hungers. It bends to you, not the other way around." He spread his arms wide, the sheer force of his aura blasting outwards and shaking the ground

Rex's eyes darted to Wallen's hands, where veins of molten Aether pulsed like rivers of fire beneath his metallic skin. He clenched his jaw, ignoring the heat radiating from Wallen's presence, and barked out, "But how? How did you get it? What are you?"

The question hung in the air, desperate and laced with suspicion. A part of him couldn't shake the feeling.....this was no ordinary opponent. Could Wallen actually be a demi-god?

Wallen's laughter erupted like a rolling thunderclap, the sound vibrating through the cracked earth beneath their feet.

"I told you before," he said, his voice brimming with manic pride. He paused, letting the silence stretch unbearably, then continued, "My iron is not a weapon. It's not armor. It's me. An extension of my blood and flesh!"

Stay updated with empire

Rex's brow furrowed in confusion, but his pulse quickened. "Uh… yeah? And what does that mean for me?" he asked, his voice dripping with defiant sarcasm, even as unease crept into his tone.

Wallen's grin widened, feral and triumphant. Aether burst from his arms and back in torrents, an untamed storm of raw energy.

The ground beneath him groaned and splintered under the sheer force. His words, jagged and drenched with Aether, poured from his mouth like an unholy mantra. "Remember when I pierced you with my blood...the blood I had forged into metal?

Rex's eyes widened slightly, his smirk faltering for a heartbeat. The pieces of some elusive puzzle danced tantalizingly close to clarity. "Yeah, I remember that," he replied, his tone drenched in bravado, but a flicker of unease glinted in his eyes.

Suddenly, Cronus' voice boomed in his mind like a thunderclap, sharp and urgent. "Harbinger! I think I knoweth what befell thee!"

"Really? What? Spill it!" Rex thought back, the tension in his voice betraying his usual flippancy.

Cronus sighed, a deep, weighty sound. "I never thought such an ability would exist... Thy foe can control and morph his body and blood into metal, making them extensions of his very essence."

Rex groaned audibly, slapping his forehead. "Isn't that just a fancy way of repeating what he already said? What's the big deal? Get to the point!"

"Remember when thy foe injected his metallic blood into thy legs?" Cronus pressed, his tone heavy with foreboding. "At that precise moment, he took some of thy blood and corrupted it, turning it into his own... even before I could intervene. The properties of thy—nay, my—blood now flow within him, granting him the ability to wield Aether!"

Rex froze, the gravity of the revelation sinking in like a lead weight. His breath hitched as his eyes widened, finally grasping the horrifying truth. "So you're saying... he stole your blood? That's how he's using Aether?"

"Precisely," Cronus confirmed, his voice thick with dread. "He hath become a perversion of thee, wielding what was never meant to be his."

Rex's smirk returned, but this time, it was tinged with a feral edge, his Aether blazing brighter around him. "Well then," he muttered, his voice dripping with resolve, "I guess I'll just have to show him the difference between borrowed power... and the real deal."

"It seems you now realize it now?" Wallen smirked as he noticed the no-longer-ignorant look on Rex's face.

Rex smirked, spitting out small blood from his mouth. "I have to admit!..... From all the foes I've encountered.....you're...."

Wallen's eyes glinted with Aether, a smirk etching on his face as if he already knew what Rex was about to say

"The weakest!" Rex added

Wallen's triumphant smirk twitched, the overwhelming tension in the air crackling awkwardly. For a moment, even the roaring Aether swirling around him seemed to stutter in disbelief.

"Did... did you just say weakest?" Wallen rumbled, his god-like aura faltering slightly as confusion flickered across his face.

Cronus sighed deeply in Rex's mind. "Must thou mock thine opponent whilst courting death?"

"Relax, Cronus," Rex thought back. "This guy's got enough ego to build his own temple. I'm just chipping away at the foundation."

Wallen's smirk returned, but this time it was colder, edged with dangerous intent. "You talk a lot for someone standing on fractured knees."

Rex felt his legs wobble slightly under the oppressive force of Wallen's Aether but kept his grin plastered on his face. "Yeah, well, standing is overrated. I've been meaning to try floating for a while now."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He ignited a burst of Aether from what he'd managed to gather during the small talk beneath his feet, sending himself into the air with a haphazard hover. His body flailed slightly mid-air, the effect more comedic than impressive. "See? Totally got this under control!"

Wallen raised a brow, clearly unimpressed. "You look like a drunk pigeon."

"Hey! Pigeons are survivors!" Rex shot back, still wobbling in the air. "They live in cities, dodge carriages, and poop on nobles without consequence. That's peak evolution, my guy."

Cronus groaned internally. "This is a battle of life and death! Art thou truly comparing thyself to a foul street bird?"

"Focus, Cronus! I'm building psychological warfare here," Rex retorted mentally. "If I can't out-muscle him, I can at least out-annoy him."

Wallen, clearly done with Rex's antics, thrust his hand forward, sending a wave of metallic Aether hurtling toward him like a tidal wave of molten steel. Rex barely managed to twist out of the way, the heat singeing his clothes.

"Okay, okay, serious mode now," Rex muttered to himself, landing awkwardly and stumbling slightly. He clenched his fists, his Aether flaring around him like an untamed wildfire. His grin faded into something more focused, more determined.

Rex launched himself at Wallen, flames of Aether trailing from his fists. Their clash sent shockwaves across the battlefield, cracking the ground beneath them. Wallen parried each blow with metallic arms that gleamed ominously, his strikes heavy and precise.

"You can't keep up, Rex!" Wallen roared, slamming his iron-clad fist into Rex's gut. Rex was hurled back, skidding across the ground like a ragdoll, coughing violently.

Cronus' voice echoed in Rex's mind, urgent. "Thy body cannot endure much longer. He outmatches thee in brute strength!"

Rex groaned, struggling to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "Thanks for the pep talk, Cronus," he muttered sarcastically. He steadied himself, his Aether flaring brighter. "But I'm not out just yet."

Wallen didn't wait. He lunged forward, his entire form blazing with molten energy. The ground melted beneath his feet, and with a single, devastating punch, he aimed to end the fight.

Rex barely managed to dodge, feeling the searing heat brush past his face. Wallen's fist crashed into the earth, creating a crater that glowed with molten rock. Rex retaliated with a quick burst of Aether, sending a fireball toward Wallen, but it barely singed the iron warrior's metallic skin.

"You're too slow!" Wallen growled, appearing behind Rex in a flash. He drove his knee into Rex's back, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt.

Cronus yelled in Rex's mind, "Get up! He approaches again!"

Rex struggled, his body aching with every movement. He tried to rise, but Wallen was already above him, ready to deliver the final blow.

"This is the end!" Wallen declared, his fist glowing with concentrated Aether, poised to strike. "Say goodbye, Rex!"

But then, Wallen froze. His body convulsed, veins of molten Aether pulsing erratically beneath his skin. His glowing eyes widened in confusion, then fear. "What… What's happening?!"

Cronus spoke urgently in Rex's mind. "His body… it's overloading! He cannot contain the power of Aether!"

Rex rolled away just in time as Wallen clutched his chest, his entire form trembling violently. The once controlled streams of Aether spiraled chaotically around him, tearing at his metallic skin.

"No! No, this can't be!" Wallen screamed as cracks formed across his body, glowing with blinding light. "I… I'm supposed to be invincible!"

Cronus' voice was calm but grave. "He was never meant to wield thy power. He is neither a demi-god nor a true harbinger. His mortal form cannot withstand the divine force coursing through him."

With one final, agonized cry, Wallen's body erupted in a blinding explosion of Aether. The force of the blast hurled Rex backward, shielding his face with his arms as heat and energy washed over him.

When the light faded, Rex lowered his arms and stared at the smoking crater where Wallen had stood. All that remained were fragments of molten metal and faint traces of dissipating Aether.

Cronus spoke once more, his tone filled with a strange mixture of relief and solemnity. "He was consumed by his own greed for power. Such is the fate of those who seek what was never meant to be theirs."

Rex stood shakily, his legs barely holding him up. Despite the pain coursing through his body, he managed a weak smirk. "Guess that's what you get for borrowing someone else's strength… You're not supposed to hold on to it for too long."

"Same goes for you, harbinger?" Cronus muttered

"Ours....is...different" Rex muttered weakly as he collapsed on the ground, exhausted