The gods' eyes slammed shut like cosmic doors, leaving the Ascension Trials hanging in stunned silence.
For about five seconds.
Then the Void Eater's whisper slithered in—cold, slimy, ancient as dirt. It wasn't just a faint echo anymore. No, this time it expanded, blooming like a nightmare flower inside every fighter's skull. Tentacles of dark energy poked through the seal's cracks, invisible but felt, wrapping around minds and squeezing secrets loose.
Haru Cyrius froze mid-step, the celestial gold in his veins turning ice-cold. The whisper hit him first, personal and nasty.
Haru... stolen child of light. I taste your stolen fate. Sweet. Join me. Break the seal yourself. Become my herald... or watch your world unravel thread by thread.
Visions flooded him: His kingdom crumbling not from war, but from black voids swallowing homes whole. Clara's sister twisting into a monster. Leonhardt's pride shattered as his brother's ghost laughed from the abyss.
Haru shook his head hard. "Get out of my head, you slimy bastard!"
But he wasn't alone.
Clara dropped her spear, clutching her temples. "No... my sister... it's showing her screaming in the dark!"
Leonhardt roared, swinging his broadsword at nothing. "Illusions! Begone!"
Wildane's winds faltered, eyes wide. "My kingdom... sinking into nothing..."
Luna's silver light flickered unstable. "Prophecies twisting... into lies..."
Mireille's elegant stance broke, rapier shaking. "My family... alive in the void? No!"
Rhaizen's holy glow dimmed. "The fog... it's alive. Hungry."
The whisper wasn't just taunting—it was expanding, revealing chunks of the Void Eater's lore like poisoned gifts.
It was no mindless monster. Born from the gods' first war, a devouring entity that ate realities whole. Sealed by the original champions—true god-slayers—who sacrificed everything. Now, every tournament fed it blood to keep it asleep. But it was waking. Hungry. And it craved the Divine Seeds most—their powers like candy.
The announcer's voice stuttered back online, hype mixed with panic:
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? VOID WHISPERS INVADING MINDS! FIGHTERS LOSING IT EVERYWHERE! THIS AIN'T IN THE RULEBOOK—BUT THE SHOW MUST GO ON!"
Scoreboard glitched again:
FIGHTERS REMAINING: 2,189 TIME LEFT: 16:22:18
The whispers amped the chaos. Fighters turned feral—some attacking shadows, others forming desperate packs. Beasts mutated under the influence, growing void tentacles from their backs.
Haru's group snapped out of it first, thanks to their unlocked Crests.
Haru channeled celestial energy. "Shake it off! It's messing with us!"
Clara's holy light flared, purifying the air. "Sanctum Reversal—Mind Cleanse!"
Golden waves washed over them, dulling the whispers to a buzz.
But the damage was done. Paranoia spiked.
And then the mutated beasts hit.
A horde of void-touched wolves—eyes black as ink, tentacles whipping—swarmed their island.
Wildane summoned his storm. "Tempest King's Wrath—Abyssal Gale!"
Winds turned void-black, slicing tentacles like butter. He surfed the hurricane, sword carving epic arcs, cape flapping heroic.
One wolf leaped—tentacle wrapping his leg. The whisper hit him mid-air: Prince of nothing. Your throne awaits in my belly.
Wildane roared, wind blade severing it. "Not today!"
Leonhardt charged like a mythical lion god. "Lionheart Awakening—Void Predator!"
His broadsword glowed anti-dark, shockwaves crumpling wolves. He tanked a tentacle lash, mane wild, eyes burning pride. Claws raked his armor—he countered with a brutal overhead smash, splitting a beast in two.
Luna floated above, silver moonlight weaving barriers. "Silver Eclipse Wave—Abyss Bind!"
Waves turned into chains of lunar light, pinning wolves. Her gentle face hardened, compassionate eyes flashing curiosity turned fury. One tentacle pierced her barrier—she reversed it, wave exploding the beast into stardust.
Mireille danced through the pack, rapier a silver storm. "Silver Thorn Strike—Dark Rose Bloom!"
Thrusts bloomed thorns inside void flesh, elegant and deadly. Sharp-tongued quips flew: "Disgusting pests—die with grace!" A tentacle grazed her—she flipped, striking back with precision that screamed noble vengeance.
Rhaizen blazed holy. "Light Purification Burst—Eternal Dawn!"
Sacred blade became a sunbeam, burning tentacles to ash. Disciplined stance unbroken, emotional restraint cracking as the whisper taunted: Purifier... your kingdom's fog was my breath. He pushed harder, light exploding in mythic bursts.
Clara spun her spear, healing mid-fight. "Sanctum Reversal—Holy Void Seal!"
She thrust, reversing void energy into healing pulses. Kind smile fierce now, unexpectedly brutal stabs impaling wolves. Tentacles wrapped her—she glowed, reversing the grip, beast imploding.
Haru dove center, celestial chains alive. "Celestial Breaker—Abyss Shatter!"
Golden fists turned void-crushers. He punched tentacles to mist, uppercuts caving skulls. The whisper expanded in his head: I am endless. You are fleeting. Surrender, and rule the nothing. Visions showed him as a void king—powerful, alone.
He grinned savage. "Keep whispering—I'll shove it down your throat!"
Slow-mo clash: Haru grabbed a massive wolf's tentacle, yanked it close, and headbutted it—celestial boom shattering the beast.
The horde thinned, but whispers kept expanding—now sharing fighter secrets across minds.
Haru heard Yura's clan screams. Felt Azra's creation pain. Tasted Xyphira's heavenly fall.
It united them... or broke them.
Across the Arena, other legends battled their own void horrors.
Azra roared in a eclipse storm, beast mode maxed. Claws extended with void edges. "Eclipse Beast Mode—Abyss Devour!"
He tore mutated dragons apart, black fire swallowing whispers. Nameless origin flashing: Created by gods as a weapon against the Eater—now tempted by it.
Xyphira laughed from pink flame wings. "Temptation Overdrive—Void Seduction!"
Whips turned beasts against each other, seductive cruelty peaking. Whisper: Fallen one... return to heaven through my gates. She whipped harder, eyes cruel delight.
Yura shadow-stepped through tentacle forests. "Voidstep Decapitation—Abyssal Edge!"
Blades sliced whispers mid-air. Anti-hero coldness cracking as clan memories surged. Whisper: Executioner... your gods are my puppets. Join the hunt.
Akira floated in rune chaos. "Arcane Cataclysm—Seal Breaker!"
Runes exploded voids shut. Reserved genius unleashing: Whisper showing his curses as Eater gifts. "Not... mine!"
Christine burned eternal. "Phoenix Ruinburst—Abyss Inferno!"
Flames twisted void tentacles to ash. Scarred wisdom flashing: Her century-old wish? Accidentally cracked the seal further.
Lady Sakura bloomed crimson. "Crimson Bloom Slash—Dark Petal Storm!"
Petals shredded horrors. Honorable grace unbroken, but whisper taunting betrayal.
Yuna dashed wind-thief. "Gale Phantom Dash—Void Snatch!"
Daggers stole tentacle essence for points. Cheerful protective vibe hiding mother's illness fears.
Yuzde froze pillars. "Frost Dominion Pillars—Abyssal Freeze!"
Ice trapped whispers solid. Elegant perfectionist chilling horrors.
Armane released calm. "Calm Void Release—Inner Storm!"
Wind erased tentacles. Guilt-ridden silence deeper now.
Farah wove illusions. "Nightmare Bloom—Abyssal Dream!"
Beasts trapped in their own voids. Playful fluster turned fierce.
Khaleed miraged. "Mirage Sand Clone—Trickster's Void!"
Clones baited, daggers struck. Cunning flirt dodging whispers.
Elara wove stars. "Lunar Binding Threads—Eternal Bind!"
Threads sealed cracks. Warm loneliness aching as whisper promised elf rebirth... in darkness.
Suyin danced deadly. "Shadow Waltz Step—Abyssal Grace!"
Ribbons sliced, innocent eyes hiding clan trauma.
The entire Trials turned mythic apocalypse—slow-mo roars, glowing clashes, whispers echoing like dark choir.
Haru's group cleared their horde, panting.
The whisper faded... but left a mark.
Haru felt it: A tiny void seed in his Crest. Growing.
Scoreboard stabilized:
FIGHTERS REMAINING: 1,945 TIME LEFT: 15:45:07
Clara whispered, "It's not just whispering... it's recruiting."
Leonhardt nodded grim. "We fight it. Or become it."
But deep in the seal, the Void Eater chuckled.
One tentacle slipped further—aiming for Haru.
Whispering: Come closer... hero.