The collection of memories moving backward in time all lead to a single point.
It is where this Demon's pool of consciousness is the strongest and most profound, at the instance where his soul bond with Ember is forcefully severed.
In this moment, my own energy bodies have begun moving through the void, and the pool of dead aura that attempted to trap us within an eternal prison is starting to subside.
The dents in the void begin unfolding back to their natural state, as through the trillions of constantly opening and closing microfractures in my mind and soul, this energy is being greedily absorbed and assimilated.
I gain a far more vast understanding for the fields and reactions of this consolidated energy in the void with every passing flicker, and it makes the scene of a golden dragon letting plumes of bright white flames so much more awe-inspiring.
The Demon's feelings in this moment course through me, and I relive the excruciating pain it went through in the moment.
The mental fortitude necessary to not submit to the all-encompassing waves of serene, unyielding fire is unfathomable at first. Yet, it too broadens my understanding of what a being of this level can endure.
Under the current strength of these flames, if pointed in the direction of the Upper and Lower Realms, they would obliterate the entire galaxy the moment they made contact.
For the first time, I begin to see into the true contents of this translucent fire.
My consciousness falls deeper into the memories, and I start to feel the sensation of skills and buffs from the system being activated.
They are not activated in the unconscious way that I've grown accustomed to.
Instead, there are distinct manual mechanisms being triggered inside the Demon's mind to make certain waves of energy act in their desired function.
It triggers very strange shifts and fractures, even in the space within this membrane. I watch normally smooth, curving fields make violent right angles, and some even break and bend into brand new areas of space.
I can tell that in this Demon's desperate last attempts to hold onto life as its soul tie is being severed, an array made from the remnants of the soul tie itself is forming around him. It is merging with an extremely eerie skill that he wields.
However, even in these memories, as I try to read what the skill is, only a bent shadow remains.
I try to shift my vision to comprehend the ripples of aura flowing off Ember's body in this state too.
The immaculate golden glow that lights up the void in these images of the past is countless times brighter than the current magnificent state of his Dragon Form now.
The instant I try to dive in, the crackling sensation of golden threads overtaking the inside of my mind returns. Simultaneously, I feel that I've almost run out of wisps of consciousness in the void to devour.
This increases our speed toward the white bubble, like we've just moved out of the sticky molasses holding us back.
I plunge half of my active mind deeper, pushing past the explosion of golden threads, toward memories with less resistance as I absorb the final pockets of the demonic wisps.
The premonition I felt the moment I touched this dense energy draws closer, as flashes of two major events start to come together in my mind. They are crystal clear images of this Demon's every move while creating the Demonic Legacy, and upon its completion, the experience of merging all of its physical energy, wavelengths, and divine threads into a single source of power.
My grasp on these memories becomes fleeting, as there is no more energy for me to absorb, but I can see the path to gaining more right in front of me.
Every single one of my thoughts is mirrored through Maria's mind. With the flickering silver threads present inside both our bodies, and the close proximity of our soul tie, there is virtually no lag at all between our thoughts. Using telepathy to communicate is a waste; acting as one is more efficient.
A burst of red and blue telepathy shoots out from both of our auras as we stride through the void.
Each one is still made up of the violent and unbound collection of ether, mana, corruption, source resin, high royal vibrations, primordial aura, and even purple divine threads. Yet, streaming through the center of both of these waves, there are growing webs of silver threads that hold them all together.
Tethered to the outside of every single silver thread, there is a weight of existence that forces the energy that is nearby to merge into the same consolidated, heavy gel-like substance that is a combination of every energy source in its vicinity.
When these two streams of telepathy hit the Demon's floating pool of demonic consciousness, two more enormous splashes disrupt the peace.
Our combined voices ring in Noctus' mind.
"You are a shadow of your former self, and have already lost. Admit it, this is just a remnant of what you used to be. You are a coward that won't face death. There is only decay left in your future... You are a selfish fool for dragging the galaxy that gave you life down with you!"
I already know that any response this Demon gives will only be the culmination of its memories and past conversations in this void. I do not expect anything of substance from a being that can no longer learn and progress.
The results of this response are what I desire more.
Maria and I both grab our blades with both hands and thrust ourselves straight toward the trembling bubble of consciousness. The outline of a Demon frozen in time still lingers within, while our probing attack sends crashing waves through its ocean.
My mind no longer feels like a minuscule drop in the sea. Instead, the tendrils of mental energy thrust into the bubble are like a fleet of millions of ships exploring and mapping out the body of water before us.
A purple glow starts to fill our vision again, as the Demon retaliates, and sends potent wisps of its consciousness out at us, equivalent in might to the attack that nearly immobilized us for eternity in the void.
Yet, my Crimson Sword filled with dense silver threads, and Maria's crystal blade shimmering with a rainbow light, slice and bend through these mental attacks without slowing our movement forward one bit.
When the energy pours in through the many cracks in my energy bodies again, the memories of the past pick up right where they left off, and the tips of both our blades pierce the outside of the Overseer's protective soul-tie array.
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Author's Note:
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