Abyssal Awakening

Resonance.

As Astrelya stood upon the shattered precipice of her own realm, her Sigils began to shimmer one by one.

Three formed a connection like the constellations themselves, lightning up in a stellar radiance. Motes of light converged around her as the realm above parted in reverence.

Alice felt her entire body freeze from the sudden surge of energy. As though submerged in a viscous pool of liquid, she felt it compressing around her.

The sheer amount of energy far surpassed what she felt from the Sect Leader and Old Man Mo.

'Is she bullsh*tting when she said she had eight Sigils??? This doesn't f*cking feel like eight Sigils.' Alice's smile twitched, having no other choice but to witness Astrelya transform into her Resonance state.

From her feet, radiant constellations spiralled around her. Astrelya looked as though she was the centre of a galaxy. Her hair, shimmering like starlight fluttered behind her. A golden blonde took the place of her previous pristine white with the tips dyed with a celestial blue that glowed at the tips.

It's as though her hair was made partially from energy as stars flickered within the strands.

Her eyes now bound by ethereal white bandages etched with the pattern of Sigils, pulsing with a radiant glow. And from beneath the bandages, golden tears streamed down her cheeks, luminous and reflecting the sea of stars above her.

Unfurling behind her, three pairs of wings bloomed like the eruption of a supernova. Vast and imperial, shining with gold and azure, layered with stardust. The middle pair were sleek, almost blade like. The feathers trailing a cosmic light not unlike an aurora borealis.

The final pair faded into a translucent ghostly sheen, flickering between realms.

Like most resonances, her attire shifted to match. A celestial gown woven from white and gold, Radiant threads weaved the patterns of the constellations upon the fabric as the edges of her dress flowed out, blending into stardust.

Every movement caused her dress to ripple ever so slightly, an ethereal dance without the bindings of gravity.

Her crown of stars shattered before reconstructing itself, with spears of light.

Bringing her hands together, Astrelya opened her mouth. It wasn't a shout yet her voice echoed across the entire realm.

"I am the light at the end of all things. . ."

She carried no malice, no rage, only pure, boundless love and affection.

"I am the memory of the first dawn. . ."

Above her, the sky of her realm began to unravel. From the cracks, starlight tore across the barrier, igniting and forming connections with other stars.

"I am the star that illuminates the all consuming darkness."

[It's a ritual! She's gathering power with a ritual right now!] Cayla shouted.

Golden chains snapped around Alyss's wrist as darkened limbs surged from her shadow!

*RUMBLE!!!!

Signs of corruption began to spread across the realm but it was soon swallowed and prevented from expanding.

"Tch!" Alyss had expected this considering Astrelya probably worked with the Outer Gods. However, corrupting the realm wasn't her main goal!

Her goal was to give them enough space to breathe and react!

'I don't think we can hold back more than this! We have to kill her! Consequences be damned!' Alyss shouted in her mind, preparing to drink the Abyss Lord's blood but Alice stopped her.

'We can do this without Lord's power. It's only a first Resonance no matter how strong it is.' Alice narrowed her gaze.

She could see astral rings forming above them, a circle of celestial power forged from the light of stars. Intersecting constellations moved like clockwork around the ring, shimmering with a stellar fire and runic patterns.

One by one, rings began to form in quick succession before stopping at the twelfth.

Clenching her fist, Alice activated her fifth Sigil!

Halo of Ruin + Crimson Immolation!

'It's not enough.'

Even with her forceful level up, Alice knew that something was still lacking in order to properly counter Astrelya's attack.

She needed something more, something to counter the enormous amount of energy flowing through the attack.

'Do you think Crimson Immolation can level up Eldritch Energy?' Alyss hesitated.

With the enemy doing a ritual to gather energy for this attack, why shouldn't they do the same? It wasn't as if she couldn't do a ritual.

Though Alyss wasn't sure if her new control over Eldritch Energy would be applied to the ritual.

'It's worth a shot.' Closing her eye, Alice unleashed a storm of energy around her.

Before she accepted Alyss's ritual, she needed to make sure she used everything at her disposal. That way, when the ritual is applied, it would cover everything.

Artificial Resonance!

Bloodline Release!

While Alice was gathering power, Astrelya was about to complete her own ritual. She could sense the violent storm of energy, Alice's defiance. Her body trembled with joy.

Her realm groaned in pain as each of the astral rings locked into place. One final ring to direct her power towards a single target.

Parts of the realm began to blur, fading away as the energy was being absorbed by Astrelya's rings. From the constellations, beams of starlight shot towards the receptacles of the rings scattered above the realm.

Filled with energy, the rings now hummed in resonance, a harmonized song of power.

'Are you ready?' Alice asked, sensing that the array above her head had reached its threshold. The attack was coming.

'Right behind you.' Alyss nodded.

Opening her mouth, Alice spoke a single word to establish a contract between them. A single word to begin the ritual, to borrow her twin's power.

"Feast."

*RUMBLE!!!

Despite being in resonance form, Alice's hair returned back to the normal black and white that's split down the middle. From her shadow, dark energy began to surge as golden chains clasped around her arm.

She had done it once before, a physical resonance between her Sigils and Eldritch energy.

First Sigil + Eldritch Energy + Fourth Sigil!

She needed to use the all consuming properties of Eldritch Energy and the space manipulation that the Void granted. To further elevate her powers of 'erasure' or at least, a cheap copy of what Feris did.

But the moment her resonance activated. . .

*KRK!!!!

The Halo of Ruin above her head began to falter. Dark tendrils began to climb around the ring, corrupting it.

Crimson Immolation indeed levelled up her Eldritch Energy! A forceful upgrade!

Akin to a student who suddenly remembered the answers to a test, Alice felt like she was in a trance.

The flow of Eldritch Energy flooding through her body, its properties and how it was threading together with her other sources.

How it changed, mutated the other powers.

Suyin's research, while mostly correct, was missing on certain key details that they couldn't observe before.

Yes, Eldritch Energy devours, yes it mutates, yes it hijacks contracts.

But when it comes to overriding and Abyssal energy being slightly weaker than EE unless it came from an Abyss Lord, that was incorrect.

Beneath all the layers, beneath all the conflict. There was a strange. . . Symbiosis between the two powers.

Like how Void reacts, deep within the layers, there is a harmonization with the power.

But now wasn't the time for Alice to explore the possibilities of her power.

Her only focus right now, was to 'consume' the attack in front of her.

Behind her, Alice's 'soul' began to weep tears of blood as a wide smile formed on her face.

Mutated spider lilies with black petals made from tiny limbs blossomed across her body, the tips of her fingers being dyed the same darkness as Eldritch energy.

Alice could sense the world around her warping. Her vision darkened around the edges, focusing only on the rings filled with power.

*CRACKLE!!!

Energy crackled across Alice's body, surging towards her palms as a singularity spun to life!

*BANG!!!

The realm beneath her cracked as tears in space leading to the Void was formed. To siphon the energy of another realm!

Taking a deep breath, Alice pulled her arm back and compressed the singularity. Overlaying the attack with her blade, she could feel her weapon cracking under the pressure.

Even with Sigurd's forging method, the 'container' was still faltering!

Despite her overwhelming power right now, her weapon couldn't contain it all!

One attack wasn't enough to discharge everything.

Above Alice, the final ring spun into existence, brimming with power.

Astrelya opened her palms and a single spark appeared.

A spark so bright that it drowned out all darkness within her realm, transforming it into a void of pure radiant emptiness.

She allowed the spark to fall.

And as the spark collided with the ring, a deep resonant tune echoed out as all the rings erupted simultaneously!

Countless pillars of light shooting down as though the stars themselves were casting a judgment for destruction!

Yet despite this blinding radiance, Alice stood in defiance. Her body shifted through the realm as a single black blade was held in her hand.

There was no extravagance in her attack. No wasted movement.

A single, simply slash upwards. An arc of three energies. Void, Eldritch, Abyssal!

All woven into one devastating cut with the intent to consume!

*BANG!!!

The attacks collided, the realm was split in half. One light one dark. Pillars of light raining down from above warped unnaturally, their radiance distorted as Alice's attack continued.

To use the power of space, she bypassed the limitation of distance! To fold the realm so that she might reach her target in an instant!

Alice only swung once.

One swing, one arc.

*KRK!!!!

Astrelya widened her eyes. A diagonal cut that sent blood splattering through her pristine realm.

Her attack collapsed in on itself, the rings shattered. The fragments of her power scattered like meteorites across her space.

Yet despite this wound, Astrelya felt only one emotion.

Pure bliss.