Chapter 1601 The Last Stance Author's Note: Unedited Chapter --------------------- "Come on," Gustav taunted while leaning forward slightly. "You want a chance, don't you? A host with real power. Isn't that what you're looking for? Or are you just going to dissolve into nothing?" The darkness seemed to tremble, drawn toward him despite itself. Then, with a sudden, desperate lunge, it surged forward, reaching out toward him in a reckless attempt. Gustav didn't flinch. Instead, he opened himself up, allowing the shadowy tendrils to slip through his defenses, to infiltrate his being. The corruption flooded into him with a cold, suffocating sensation spreading through his veins as it tried to take hold. For a moment, his vision darkened, his senses dulled as the darkness sought to gain control. But Gustav's mind remained a fortress. His will was an unyielding force that refused to be swayed. "Is that all you've got?" Gustav's voice echoed within his own mind, taunting the corruption now struggling to establish dominance within him. The darkness thrashed, clawing at his consciousness. Its tendrils writhed as it tried to overpower him. But Gustav's presence was too powerful. Every attempt to consume him was met with resistance. Every tendril was blocked and cast aside as he began to assimilate the corruption instead. "You thought you'd use me as a host? Foolish. I'm the one using you," Gustav's voice reverberated within the confines of his own mind as he tightened his grip on the shadowy force, drawing it deeper, trapping it within his psyche. The corruption shuddered, realizing too late that it had fallen into a trap. It struggled, flailing wildly, but Gustav's will was unbreakable. Slowly, he began to absorb the darkness, breaking it down, examining every fragment of its essence. As he delved deeper into its core, flashes of memories began to surface—moments from its existence, echoes of the malevolent intent that had driven it. The darkness had come from Nocturnis, a fragment of his power sent to wreak havoc. But beneath the layers of malice, there was something else… a memory of an object. A sense of purpose. A place. The sword. Gustav allowed his eyes to close, focusing on the fragments of memories he had taken from the dark corruption. Somewhere within those faint glimpses was the answer he needed, and he could almost feel the sword's presence, like an echo calling out to him from across the vast expanse of the universe. In his mind's eye, a hazy vision began to sharpen: the sword, embedded deep in the ground of a distant, desolate world. The environment was half-erased, the remnants of a cracked planet, its other half fractured into a floating ring of jagged rock and frozen debris. This world was bathed in an unnatural, eerie glow, almost as if it were a void in itself. Just as Gustav reached for more clarity, the echo in his mind suddenly sharpened. "It's… there," he murmured, locking onto a faint sensation of cold, malevolent energy. But before Gustav could fully register the location, a booming, cold voice echoed through his mind, ripping through his concentration. "The darkness is mine to command, Outworldly," Nocturnis snarled with contempt and hatred. "You may have glimpsed it, but you will never find it." Gustav's grip on the darkness shattered, the remnants of the corrupted energy forcibly pulled from his mind, leaving him momentarily disoriented. The vision of the fractured planet dissolved, fading to black as Nocturnis severed any connection Gustav had to the darkness. "Nocturnis..." Gustav voiced with a tone of low frustration. He lifted his hand, dissolving the crystalline cage surrounding the city as he descended back to the streets. A moment later, Endric appeared beside him, having blinked down from the sky. "What happened?" Endric questioned with an expression concern. Gustav exhaled before filling Endric in on everything that had gone down and how he just lost the corruption he assimilated. "I caught a glimpse of the sword but just for a moment. The sword is embedded somewhere out there still in half of that torn desolate world. But before I could see where it was exactly, Nocturnis broke in and took the corruption back. I lost the location." Endric's shoulders slumped as his face contorted with frustration. "So we're back to square one?" Gustav shook his head. "Not quite. I saw two distinct features: a hazy teal planet in the background and an unnatural light, almost void-like, surrounding it. If we can find a world with those features, we'll find the sword." Endric's gaze hardened. "Alright. That's something to go on, but we'll need to be thorough. A hazy teal planet and an eerie glow—there can't be many places like that." Gustav nodded in agreement. "It'll be a difficult task, but it's our best lead." Endric looked determined. "Then let's get started. We'll go through every record of worlds that have been impacted by this corruption. I'm not letting Nocturnis keep us from stopping him." --- Meanwhile, across the galaxy, E.E and Elevora were locked in a relentless chase. Their once-sturdy spacecraft was now battered and torn. Its shielding had long cracked. Sparks were flying from its engines as it struggled to hold together. For days, the Gustavo Alliance member who had been hunting them had trailed them without rest. It was like a dark shadow that tore through space and time to follow them wherever they tried to hide. E.E's hands moved rapidly across the console. His eyes focused as he glanced back at Elevora, who was seated beside him, looking exhausted but resolute. "We're losing the shields," her voice was tight with concern. "If he gets through again, we won't last another attack." E.E gritted his teeth while opening another vortex with a snap of his fingers. "We're not giving up just yet," he replied while forcing their ship through the swirling portal and into a different section of space. As they emerged, a tense silence filled the ship. For a moment, it seemed as if they had managed to evade their pursuer. But then, the silence shattered as another rip in space appeared before them. The same dark figure stepped out. His eyes gleamed with a twisted amusement as he closed the distance between them once again. "Damn it, he's persistent," E.E muttered in clear frustration. Elevora looked at him as a calmness settled over her face despite the situation. "E.E, I think it's time we stop running. We need to face him." E.E glanced at her in surprise. "Are you sure? You were against it before." Elevora smiled with a determined glint in her eye. "That was before. I didn't have you then, but now I do. Let's do this together." Their eyes met, and there was a moment of unspoken understanding between them. E.E leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers, his expression softening as he whispered, "Then let's give him a fight he'll never forget... or will forget because he definitely will die." "Haha, shut up," Elevora chuckled lightly. Without another word, he leaned in and they shared a brief, fierce kiss. As they pulled away, they were both ready to face the figure. Almost on cue, the dark figure's voice echoed through the void of space, a sinister edge to his words. "So, you two lovebirds have finally decided to stop running, have you?" He sneered while crossing his arms. "I must admit, this has been one of the longest chases I've ever had to embark on. Normally, I kill my prey instantly, but I suppose this was worth the exercise. You two have chosen a fine place for your burial ground." He gestured around them, where only empty outer space stretched for hundreds of millions of miles, nothing but the faint glimmer of stars in the distance. E.E and Elevora both stepped out of their ruined spacecraft as their bodies floated in the vast expanse, facing down the relentless Gustavo Alliance member with a calm, deadly focus. "You've chased us long enough like a junkie that can't seem to get enough of the high," E.E stated with a cold tone. "It ends here." The man smirked, tilting his head with a mocking expression. "Bold words. But words are meaningless without power to back them up. I'll enjoy ripping the both of you apart." Elevora's gaze hardened as the purple energy in her third eye beginning to pulse with power. "You talk too much. Let's see if you can fight half as well as you threaten." The figure's face twisted in rage, and with a roar, he launched himself at them. His fists crackled with dark energy as he closed the gap. E.E and Elevora moved as one in synergy honed by years of combat experience and the trust they shared. E.E snapped his fingers, opening a vortex just as the man's fist was about to connect. The man's punch hit empty space as he was pulled into the portal, only to reappear on the opposite side of E.E, who was already prepared. With a quick move, E.E swung his arm in an arc, releasing a concentrated blast of violet energy that slammed into the man, sending him careening backward.