Nevaeh and Azrael moved frantically, dodging distortions of space that seemed intent on devouring them. Every dying "ground," every dimensional fragment, vibrated with pain and hatred, as if purgatory itself were conscious and spitting suffering at them.
Null was trapped in a narrow rift of multilayered existence, a space that bent reality in on itself. Each layer amplified the sensation of pain and despair millions of times over. His soul screamed in silence.
Azrael: Son of a—! —he spat blood that sparked and disintegrated upon contact with the air— This… this is impossible… where the hell can I even attack?!
Nevaeh: Azrael, watch out!
Nevaeh dodged a gigantic dimensional "fist" that struck space itself, her body staggering from the residual energy that slammed into her.
A conceptual mountain collapsed onto Nevaeh. Her very existence was compressed, pain piercing her body like needles of fire. She dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach, unable to move.
Azrael: NEVAEH! —he roared in fury— I won't let them hurt you like this!
Azrael gathered his energy, dark and dense like the void itself, until gravity began to bend around him. His fists floated with inhuman power, and when he struck the dying conceptual ground, a hole of pure darkness opened, devouring everything in its path.
Azrael: I may be fighting the dimension itself, but if I can control it even a little, we'll gain the advantage! —A malicious laugh echoed among the dying concepts— Let's see who's really stronger.
The parallel dimension plunged into absolute darkness. Purgatory roared and writhed, projecting miles of distorted shapes of pain and chaos. Null seized the opportunity, absorbing energy from the void and the rift itself. His soul, body, and existence regenerated in a flash of light and glitch.
Null: Azrael… are you sure about this? You might exhaust yourself too much…
(The narration halts, and Alcanor's voice emerges like a celestial echo.)
Alcanor (narrator's voice): Let us remember: Azrael once possessed infinite energy and could integrate any type of power, from darkness to celestial energy. With just a fragment, he could generate an eternal flow. Now… he is limited by me. No omniscience, no infinite energy, and much of his supreme power diminished. This will make the battle more real,and more entertaining.
Alcanor relinquishes the role of narrator and disappears.
Azrael: That's why we need to get out fast. We're not strong enough to destroy a domain layer this powerful.
Nevaeh stood up, still shaken.
Nevaeh: I didn't feel pain, but… that was too much. My body reacted on its own.
When she looked at Azrael, her concern deepened.
Nevaeh: Are you sure? This could drain you too much…
Azrael: (smiling with determination) Don't worry, my dear. This is the only way to win.
Suddenly, purgatory created an ocean of mountains and dimensional spears that sprouted like spines of pure energy, aiming straight at them. Null readied his sword as each spear advanced at speeds that bent time itself, leaving trails of erased concepts behind.
Azrael: If even one hits us… things will get much worse.
Nevaeh wielded Rita, her divine axe. Infinite suns burst forth from it, expanding and merging into a storm of light that melted and erased every spear before impact. Null took a deep breath, holding the defense while assessing their escape.
Null: That'll buy us time, but we need to find a way out… fast.
Azrael closed his eyes, sensing every flow of energy: Null, Nevaeh, the dying concepts, even purgatory itself. Focusing his mind, he snapped his eyes open.
Azrael: There! —he pointed— Null, cover me while I prepare this.
Null: Let's go, do it!
Nevaeh: I'll protect you too.
While Nevaeh held the suns in place, Null deflected every spear that broke through the defense, and Azrael concentrated his power into his sword, imbuing it with a wave of gravitational darkness.
Azrael: (laughing) It's been a long time since I unleashed this…
A colossal flash erupted from his blade, shaking even purgatory itself.
Azrael: BANKAI!
Conceptual hands emerged to seize him, but Null severed the limbs and Nevaeh erased every projectile that came close. With a final effort, Azrael released a devastating slash that erased entire dimensions and concepts, tearing open a massive rift in reality.
The System appeared before Null.
System: Unique opportunity to escape purgatory. If successful, you will transcend to the upper hell.
Null: LET'S GO! IT'S OUR ONLY CHANCE!
Azrael, exhausted but resolute, grabbed Nevaeh's hand and ran, with Null following close behind. Purgatory tried to block their path with millions of conceptual spikes that threatened to erase their names and existence. The rift began to close, and Null felt despair rising… until a voice echoed deep within his mind
∆™`®,/: Hard to learn your mortal language… you are very weak.
Null awakened within his subconscious. Everything was glitch: reality errors, floating polygons, corrupted code forming the air itself. Before him stood an anomalous, surgical silhouette—a chaos of texture errors and floating words: [Existence], [Anomaly], [Errors], [Reality], [Space-Time], [Singularity], [Limitlessness], [Absolute].
Null: What are you? —he reached for his sword, but it wasn't there—.
∆™`®,/: You are very weak, Valker… though it's true your name is now "Null." Then call me "Anomaly."
Null: Anomaly? What are you doing inside my mind?!
The Anomaly laughed, and reality uninstalled and reinstalled itself at its whim, erasing and reconstructing everything around them.
Anomaly: Always suspicious… but I want you to stay alive. I'll do you a favor.
Null: A favor? What are you talking about?
Anomaly: Wake up.
Null emerged just as the path was completely blocked. Catastrophic glitches burst from his body, erasing purgatory and expanding the rift enough to escape. Tentacles of fragmented polygons formed a bridge, splitting infinite purgatory in half.
Azrael: It's like that time…
Nevaeh: Incredible…
Azrael: There's no time!
Azrael grabbed Nevaeh, Null ran behind them, and as they got close, the Anomaly returned to Null. Together, they escaped the collapsing purgatory.
System: Escape completed.