Momo, Takahiro and Eldrin said their goodbyes to the others within the castle, preparing to move toward Umin to find what they were up against from David and Sos'ul'nuruo.

  Eldrin took the two to the edge of time, travelling through its reaches until they found Atheron, the walls of the beautiful city towering over them as if the place itself was larger than existence. The three set foot on the beginning of Umin's capital, walking towards the gate, which seemed unguarded for such a prestigious city.

  “I thought you would have come earlier, Momo Elric.” Sos’ul’nuruo’s calm voice called from behind him.

  The three turned around to the familiar face of Sos’ul’nuruo, who smiled at them, his smile simultaneously genuine and sarcastic. The beautiful Light of Umin shone onto Sos’ul’nuruo’s skin, making his beauty far more prominent.

  “What are you doing here?” Momo asked, entering a ready stance.

  “There’s no need for hostilities, Momo, we do not need to fight in this moment.” Sos’ul’nuruo stated, retaining his calm demeanour.

  “Shut up. You’re a part of the problem. I don’t care how strong you are, I’ll defeat you all the same.” Momo confidently replied.

  “Such disrespect, for the one who lead you to this.” Sos’ul’nuruo dramatically sighed.

  “What?” Momo responded, puzzled.

  “I am why you are the way you are, Momo Elric. Do you think Rowan Elric and Aeno Elric met by chance? Do you believe Rancour found the Elrics by mistake? Do you believe that ring on your finger was placed there for cosmetic ability? No. I have been meticulously planning your life since before your parents were born. Every moment, Amirah’s birth, your life, your genome down to its last strand, I was there. Who do you think tended your mother, comforted your father, and convinced them not to continue guarding against Rancour’s return? It was me, for the past three centuries I have set adrift the course of fate until this very moment, where you stand before me.” Sos’ul’nuruo explained, staring into Momo’s eyes, causing him to lose a small amount of confidence, his faith in his own power wavering.

  “I don’t care if you were the one to aid my parents into the world, I can’t allow you to be left alive, not after everything you say you’ve done, if what you say is true.” Momo remarked, breathing out as he resumed a battle-ready position.

  The winds of Umin blew across the gatehouse, towering above them with an immense size. The wind brushed across Momo’s skin, giving a gentle coolness to it as the air he breathed in gave him a feeling of relief, its cleanliness reinforcing his will to succeed, Sos’ul’nuruo could not tear apart existence in his crusade, he would never allow it.

  “I see. You are a truly morally complete Momo; it seems you are finally the one I’ve made to fit the grand purpose. I suppose that means fate would have it, you will be the restorer.” Sos’ul’nuruo concurred.

  Before Momo could question what Sos’ul’nuruo had said, a fist connected with his jaw, sending him hurling backwards. Momo reared his head back around, seeing a tall, slender man who looked to be in his early forties, alongside Ariane and Adonis.

  “It pays to have friends, don’t you think, Momo?” Sos’ul’nuruo jeered.

  “Yeah, maybe.” Momo replied, spitting blood at Sos’ul’nuruo.

  “Well then. I suppose I can now finish speaking, now that your underdeveloped mind has processed you won’t win this fight, right Momo?” Sos’ul’nuruo sarcastically commented.

  “Is that all you do, speak? I understand not wanting to fight, but being obnoxious doesn’t further these so-called plans of yours.” Momo replied in discontent.

  “Of course they do. Every word one being says has the ability to move mountains in their favour. In this case, you’re the mountain, and you will move whether you want to or not.” Sos’ul’nuruo posited, smiling at Momo, who’s lip twitched in anger at his overconfidence.

  “Get your speech out, you’re desperate to speak, so speak, I have unfinished business with whoever this old man is.” Momo responded, eyeing the unfamiliar man with rage-filled intent.

  “You truly are a piece of work Momo, but I suppose creating the Momo Elric was an entire third of my lifespan, so there’s that.” Sos’ul’nuruo casually remarked to a perplexed Momo.

  “What are you talking about?” Momo asked.

  “Do you know what the Essence is? What it really entails that is. The Essence is what makes you unique. Without an Essence mortals are just robots, a body and a soul, one living and yearning for life, one living and yearning for death. The Essence breaks this unfortunate deadlock. A truly unique existence, the Essence is. The Essence is the amalgamation of your place within this grand construct, a multiverse, truly unbounded in its vast expanse and yet, every single Essence is different. There is no being the same and yet, you exist in two, three, four, five places, slowly branching away from yourself one and again. How would the natural order compensate for these alternate selves? Of course, by breathing a separate Essence into them. There are more Momo Elrics out there then one could count in a trillion lifetimes and yet, none of them are you, Momo. Every one of them is a different Momo, all are you, and yet none of them are, and not to add the failed Momo’s. Projects of mine from the past millennium to create the perfect hybrid, a fate-born child. Never once did they succeed, until you. You’re the first true success, because every part of you breaks and bends the natural order, the descendant of the mightiest being in existence, Rancour. The son of the most powerful race to ever enter existence, the wraith scarred boy, and lastly, the human spirit, indomitable in all its fury. You are the first experiment of mine to succeed, and no matter where you stand after today, you will accomplish your purpose, just as I have intended for you.” Sos’ul’nuruo explained, his smile remaining steady, as Momo stood still, entirely speechless, as a portal opened directly beside Sos’ul’nuruo, as Momo Elric walked through it, wearing dark armour, his skin pale and his eyes glowing orange with an unspoken intensity.

  “You’re me.” Momo uttered in total shock, to his corrupted counterpart.

  “I’m your better, Momo.” He replied to himself, staring at him arrogantly.

  “What game are you playing Sos’ul’nuruo? What does this profit you?” Momo interrogated, as Sos’ul’nuruo slyly smiled back to him.

  “This is no game, this is the politics of war, you’ll come to understand that one day. One Archduke to another, I’d suggest you become a faster learner.” Sos’ul’nuruo taunted.

  “Enough of your useless chatter. All you do is talk, can you be silent so I can teach my counterpart the flaw of virtue?” Dark Momo sarcastically asked.

  “You’re more impatient than usual. Well, be my guest.” Sos’ul’nuruo replied calmly, as the Dark Momo drew a hood over his face, as a mask began forming, three pointed edges forming upon the top, as if they were a crude crown, with incisions across the mask, giving it a naturally grotesque and fear-inducing look.

  “Ready to die, Momo Elric?” Dark Momo queried, his modulated voice bringing unease to Momo, who saw the form of evil he could become, terror.

  “Are you?” Momo replied, drawing his sword in unison to Dark Momo.

  Dark Momo instantly teleported behind Momo, kicking him across the open courtyard, watching him crash around, teleporting to where he stopped. Momo kicked him on the knee, spinning into a kick across his face, cracking his mask for a second, as it returned to its original shape.

  The two clashed swords, as Dark Momo’s superior strength quickly proved itself, as he broke the deadlock, ruthlessly slashing down upon the outmatched Momo, who entered Black Form, countering Dark Momo’s onslaught and placing himself on the offensive as he slashed toward Dark Momo’s legs, to which he blocked, punching Momo across the face and picking him up before slamming him into the ground, shattering his back and causing him to cough up blood profusely.

  “You’re a Momo? You’re pathetic!” Dark Momo yelled in a deep fury, picking Momo up by his neck and repeatedly punching him across his face, before throwing him a few meters away.

  “Show me something Momo! Show me you’re worthy of your name!” He screeched, forcing Momo to unleash Purple Form, flying toward his dark counterpart and grabbing him, to which he elbowed Momo across the shoulder, releasing himself, as he launched slashes across Momo’s body.

  “Shut up. You’re nothing. You caved into evil, only the weak embrace it.” Momo replied, shooting three Spectral Arrows into him, as he felt his body vibrate uncontrollably, teleporting to Dark Momo. Capitalising on this, he punched him in the chest, sticking his Spectral Arrow further into his body as his eyes rolled back into his head in pain.

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  Dark Momo blasted Momo away, catching his breath, focusing upon Momo and unleashing his Black Form.

  The pure release of Dark Momo’s Spectral Aura brought Momo to heel. Dark Momo unleashed a wave of dark energy unlike that of the refined nature of Spectral Energy, its unstable power bending Momo’s mind as he struggled to stay in control of his own body.

  “How do you enjoy seeing the ring’s true power Momo? You could be this, a ringbearer, a true zenith of power.” Dark Momo stated, walking up to Momo and gripping his chin as the ring exerted even greater power over Momo, causing his entire body to feel limp.

  “I’ll enjoy tearing it off you.” Momo declared, as his ring glared with the might of fire itself, breaking the deadlock and allowing him to stab Dark Momo through the abdomen, clashing their swords once more.

  “You know, this place is very beautiful. It’s among the greatest places to ever be created. Do you know why, or how this place came to be, Takahiro Genji?” Sos’ul’nuruo asked, his attire gently swaying as the wind hummed quietly around them.

  “I am interested to know what this place is, it carries an air of connection to Spectral Energy itself, a binding beyond that which any being could perceive.” Takahiro replied.

  “I was informed of your knowledge of Spectral Energy, greater than even Rancour himself, quite impressive I must say. You would be correct, this place is connected to Spectral Energy itself, given the one who created it was one closer to Spectral Energy than any other race in the history of existence.” Sos’ul’nuruo explained.

  “And what race would this be? I am unfamiliar with the history of existence, so you may have to elucidate who created this place, if a busy man such as you has the time.” Takahiro lightly jeered.

  “I would gladly fill my time passing wisdom on to one who could understand it. I know your friend there, Raúl’s boy is eager for a fight, but I am sure as long as I am not hostile, he won’t interrupt me.” Sos’ul’nuruo answered, sitting upon a nearby rock, to which Takahiro also did, knowing that neither he or Eldrin could defeat Sos’ul’nuruo, or interfere in Momo’s fight, lest the bystanders become involved.

  “As you may know, this multiverse has a beginning. Long afore, life was truly null. In this time, the Void Master, as he is referred to as, made the Ean?r, otherwise known as primordial beings. Beginning with the End?ri, or greater primordials, they came forth. David, D?invorol and Rancour, being the highest of the Ean?r, powerful and sovereign beyond compare. They were called the Ilümar, known as the mightiest and the closest to the Void Master, being named his sons as a term of endearment to him, with their influence in their prime time stretching further and deeper into the void then even Spectral Energy itself ever has, or even will. Next, came the rest of the End?ri, eleven in total, before Rancour was said to have made Lord Vallum out of his might, completing the twelve End?ri, making three among the Ilümar, six among the High End?ri and six among the Low End?ri. In the proceeding moments, the Aln?ri were born. The race in which I exist of, also known as the lesser primordials, we were born as the spiritual servants and allies to the End?ri. We number in the thousands, and we rule over grand territories within and beyond the multiverse, such as our sovereigns do, albeit on a far smaller scale. Our influence does not reach beyond the grasp of space and time such as the Ilümar, nor does it encapsulate all of existence, such as the High End?ri, but our power is the backbone of the End?ri, and their world is built in pools our blood.” Sos’ul’nuruo commented, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice, disturbing its calm demeanour.

  “I see. So, the beginning birthed a race of immortal beings, from which the order of the world was enacted. Then why this? Why war, why chaos and why strife? If you all were so mighty, why is the world such as it is.” Takahiro inquired.

  “Once they were created, the moments passing shrunk, becoming smaller and more compressed. Time then began, as declared by the Ilümar, and then the multiverse was formed, with this, mortals were created, and we were decreed to be their leaders and guiders, however, Rancour was not satisfied. He believed that creation was flawed, and that mortals had it easy, they did not have to bear the weight of ruling, they did not have to know what he knew, and he thought that their lives were frail and meaningless. He lusted for total rule, in which his ideas were paramount, and he could shape the world in a way he saw fit. To this end, he wished to corrupt The Void Master’s worlds, draining himself into the creation of Umarnak, from which rose Chaos, Evil and Corruption. This was the beginning of the First War of the Ean?r. His brothers, seeking to rebalance the turmoil he had created, created Umin, the place where you now stand, and Undalen, the home of the largest amount of Ean?r, hence the name ‘Soul Army.’ In the First Age, for millennia, Rancour disfigured and ruined creation, scarring the worlds one by one as Umarnak’s power expanded. In the age of the first Elric, after three millennia of deception and destruction by Rancour and the newly formed Fell Beasts, a cruel imitation of the beings of the worlds, the Grand Emperor of humanity, Faemarr Elric set out toward Rancour’s fortress within Umarnak, as the forces of the Grand Overseers and Soul Army fought those of Rancour’s across the multiverse. Rancour came upon Faemarr within the multiverse, the mightiest of men, the grandson of Rancour himself, challenging the mightiest of the Ilümar, it’s funny, but he truly stood a chance, this mighty being, the mightiest creation of the Void Master, challenged by a man as small as Faemarr. What was truly special, was Faemarr’s blade Ans?nn. The blade was forged out of refined Spectral Energy, that was to become the Light of Umin itself, the refinement of the blade has never been matched, and it made this man, barely upon the level of a Low End?ri such as Edith alone, able to truly challenge the mightiest creation of the Void Master, albeit he was diminished. Their battle was one that was never replicated in scale, shaking the multiverse to its core, and threatening to engulf all of existence over the twelve days they fought. By the end of their vast battle, existence was ever changed, Faemarr had impaled himself and Rancour upon Ans?nn, ending both of them, as Rancour’s spirit was returned to Umin, where he was chained. However, to defeat evil and to heal existence was not something the Ean?r were capable of, as Rancour diminished himself, but in doing so, had corrupted all that was created, and to destroy his evil servants, would mean the destruction of all.” Sos’ul’nuruo explained.

  “You’re saying that the world is forevermore corrupted? Why this then? What point is there in fighting us, if Rancour is the true threat?” Takahiro asked.

  “All of you are a threat to true peace, the perfect world cannot exist, with you in it.” Sos’ul’nuruo responded, instantly appearing behind Takahiro and paralysing him, as Eldrin sprung toward him with his sword, as Sos’ul’nuruo caught it between two fingers, shattering the blade as Eldrin launched the shards toward him, watching as it barely scratched him, having no effect on him.

  Eldrin stumbled backwards, casting his hand sign.

  “Spectral Dominion: Paradox Frame.” Eldrin chanted, engulfing the two of them in his Dominion’s deep blue hue.

  Sos’ul’nuruo appeared behind Eldrin, as the latter raised his blade to defend himself, locking blades with Sos’ul’nuruo, as he impaled his leg with a telekinetic blast. He leaped back, healing the wound and distorting space and time, cutting apart the area in front of Sos’ul’nuruo and engulfing it into a vortex, encapsulating Sos’ul’nuruo’s form, as he shed his avatar, impaling Eldrin upon his hand, shattering the Dominion, as he revealed his spirit to him.

  “The good thing about being among the Ean?r, is that we don’t have a limit to how or where we travel in our true forms.” His ethereal voice muttered, kicking Eldrin to the edge of Umin’s world.

  “Goodbye, Eldrin Immora. Nobody is coming to save you now, your father is all but decimated, and you’re all alone. Who do you think will save you now?” Sos’ul’nuruo said, shoving Eldrin into the void.

  “Me.” Lord Vallum exclaimed, holding Eldrin by his collar, dropping him, to Sos’ul’nuruo’s utter dissatisfaction, as the greatest of the High End?ri faced the greatest of the High Aln?ri, the first true battle of the Third Great War of the Ean?r, had begun.