Origins: The Absolute

Chapter 16: Divergence

The air in the training chamber was thick with anticipation. I could sense the weight of the upcoming battle pressing down on me. This was the final test, the duel against 12, the one who had discovered me, who wielded the formidable power of kinetic and potential energy. This fight would be the culmination of my training, the proving ground for all the skills I had honed.

The other Sigils stood in a circle around the perimeter, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. Their auras shimmered subtly, a testament to their support and expectations. I could feel their energy, a silent encouragement. 1 and 7 were closest, their eyes watching me intently, a blend of pride and apprehension in their gaze.

A ripple of surprise swept through the room as the chamber doors slid open, and High General Korixso entered. His presence commanded attention, his imposing figure and palpable aura adding a layer of gravity to the proceedings. He took his place at the edge of the training floor, his eyes locked onto me with an intensity that made my heart race.

“I will be present for this fight,” Korixso declared, his voice resonating with authority. “The battle between 12 and 13 holds a particular significance.”

A murmur of surprise went through the assembled Sigils, but none dared to question him. The gravity of Korixso's interest was a reminder of the importance of this confrontation. I felt a surge of adrenaline, my determination hardening into steely resolve.

12 stepped forward, his expression unreadable, though I could sense the intensity in his gaze. His aura ignited, a shimmering field of near translucent energy that seemed to crack and tear the air around him. I mirrored his action, my own aura flaring to life in a dynamic interplay of quantum and void energies.

Korixso raised his hand, signaling the start of the battle. “Begin.”

12 moved first, his aura pulsing with kinetic energy as he surged forward at blinding speed. His movements were a blur, and I barely managed to activate Blink to dodge his initial strike. The ground where I had stood shattered under the force of his attack, fragments scattering like shrapnel.

I countered with a burst of non lethal quantum energy, aiming to only disrupt his momentum. 12 absorbed the impact effortlessly, redirecting the energy back at me in a concentrated wave. I responded with Singularity, the clash of our energies creating a shockwave that reverberated through the chamber.

Activating Blink, I appeared behind 12. I activated Singularity, this time I concentrated the Singularity to the size of my fist, drastically increasing its power, holding 12 steadily in place. 12’s eyes widened at my shocking display of supremacy, I readied my arm, tensing my body, bracing for impact. 

As I shot my fist at 12, a sensation fell over me. My arm felt numb and my connection where I aimed to hit 12 had seemed…weaker. The impact dissipated, it felt almost nonexistent. I glanced at 12, who had cracked a smug grin on his face, the realization of what had happened crashed into me.

“It seems you've lost your potential 13,” 12 chuckled a few words out before he prepared to attack, “let me help you find it.” 12’s final words landed heavily on my ears as I saw a red static zip through 12’s legs. I deactivated Singularity, trying my best to get distance from 12, unfortunately it was too late. In an instant, 12’s leg shot up with an unmatched force that cracked the floor beneath us, his knee struck me in the chest and before I could react, I found myself in the air, looking down at 12’s shrinking figure.

Thinking fast, I activated Coherence, materializing a singular clone. I grabbed my clone’s hand to stabilize my body’s ascent in the air. Looking down, i trained my vision on 12, i could barely make out what he was doing however, I could see a mass amount of red static forming around his location, in a mere moment, the red static that formed around 12 acted as if it were being sucked into a hole beneath him rapidly disappearing until i couldn't see it anymore. A large crater formed at the spot 12 stood, I started to activate Blink but was startled by 12 abruptly appearing in front of me. Sheer terror shot over me, I looked down in disbelief, seeing that 12 was no longer where he stood, he was in fact in front of me, in the air, far away from the ground…How?