The ruins of the castle smoldered around her, the very air fractured beneath the magnitude of Ulduin’s emergence. The world had split open to birth him, and now he stood, vast and unfathomable.
Qarinah left herself open, her arms loose at her sides, her form utterly unguarded—a calculated vulnerability, an offering of flesh and bone before a god of annihilation. A mindless beast would have swallowed her in its fury, crushed her without thought.
But Ulduin did not.
Her golden eyes followed the shifting weight of his form, tracing the tension in his limbs, the way the abyssal light within him pulsed—not in aggression, but in… deliberation. No, not quite. Something else pulled at his focus, something beyond this ruined battleground. His gaze did not linger on her for long. Instead, it turned outward, as if peering through the castle walls.
A slow, knowing smirk ghosted across her lips.
"So... not mindless, then," she murmured, tilting her head. “And we’re already off to a promising start.”
She let her arms fall back to her sides, her mind unraveling the possibilities like a weaver at her loom. Was it Khei? A fragment of will buried deep within the abyss, tempering his hunger? Or was it instinctual—like an apex predator overlooking prey too insignificant to acknowledge? Her pride rebuked that option of course..
Or perhaps… his hunger had already found something far more enticing elsewhere.
“Hm~”
A soft hum slipped past her lips, swallowed by the smoldering air. Then, something darker passed through her gaze. There was still more to learn—more than observation alone could ever grant her. And speculation, no matter how refined, was still just that.
"Very well," she whispered, lifting a hand with an almost languid grace. Her fingers curled, as though plucking something unseen from the fabric of existence itself. “Let’s poke the bear, then.”
Darkness coiled around her wrist, thick as ink yet shifting like mist–a blackened corona that devoured the very light around it. For an instant, the oppressive heat of Ulduin’s presence—his raw, searing existence—did not wane. It did not fade or dampen, but utterly, unnaturally suspended– as if the world itself had been caught in a frozen breath.
Then, all at once, it collapsed.
Reality detonated inwards, the air compressing into a singularity centered upon Ulduin. It was not a blast, not an explosion, but an implosion—a void pulling inward with the merciless weight of a celestial giant. The molten ground beneath him cratered violently, drawn into itself as though the very planet sought to consume him.
The force was relentless, all-consuming, like a hand upon the throat of reality itself.
Qarinah had studied Ulduin for some time—through the enchanted mirrors that let her watch from afar, from the comfort of her sanctuary. She had seen him brush aside steel as if it were air, endure the elements without flinching, resist the arcane as if it were nothing but a gentle breeze against an unyielding mountain.
So she chose something far more absolute. A fundamental force nature.
Gravity.
A law older than magic, older than language—a force that could not be deflected, only endured. The spell did not conjure an element, nor did it inflict harm through traditional means. Instead, it devoured, compressing everything within its grasp into a single, merciless point. If Ulduin was indestructible, then let him prove it against the will of the cosmos itself.
Qarinah watched intently, her golden eyes narrowing. Would he resist outright? Would he anchor himself against the tide? Would his very nature adapt, shifting against the force that sought to reduce all things to dust?
Or—
Would he see this as the first act of true aggression?
She held her grip upon the ebon flame with a deadly vice. Her lips parted, her voice slipping through the fractured air, a whisper carrying the weight of a challenge unspoken.
"Show me.."
Because only now did the real test begin. Would he be chaos unchained, the storm that would drown the world in ruin?
Or would he be something else entirely?
A Lapse In Judgement -[End]-
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
Ulduin loomed amidst the wreckage, his presence pressing against reality itself like a storm barely contained. He had yet to move, yet to acknowledge the woman standing before him, her golden eyes alight with something deeper than mere curiosity.
Then—
A shift. A pull.
The air around him thickened, the unseen threads of existence twisting unnaturally. A force, ancient and inexorable, gripped him, coiling around his massive form like spectral chains. The ground beneath him fractured, the stone reduced to molten rivulets as the weight upon him surged beyond his own. It forced him on all fours; the very space around him bending under an army of unseen hands.
Pain. Not agony, not a wound to be remembered, but something sharp, something undeniable.
Ulduin’s maw parted in a soundless exhale as the force gnawed through his flesh. And for a fleeting moment, he was still. He did not resist. He endured
Then, something within him stirred– the abyssal light within his frame pulsed with a slow, deliberate rhythm like the beating of a cosmic heart. The force constricting him began to falter, met with something that would not yield. Then, at last.. Ulduin's crimson fixated found the cause of his agony– the source of this immeasurable pressure. They focused on the tiny human and found her culpable for his rage. Worthy to be considered a threat. .
Finally, Ulduin moved.
His taloned fingers, burrowing into the broken ground to compose himself, space itself quivering at his defiance. Qarinah’s ambiguous pull still tugged at him, insidious in its persistence, but it no longer dictated. It no longer controlled.
Then, he exhaled.
A single breath, vast, terrible, and explosive
The castle walls fractured, their very enchanted stone splintering under the weight of his wrath. Color drained from stone, the air itself howling in protest as his presence surged outward—a scorching, unrelenting force that refused to be caged. Had Qarinah not countered—had she not braced herself with every ounce of power at her disposal—she would have been unmade. Her flesh, her form, her very essence would have been flayed apart by the weight of his fury, reduced to mere strands of thought before being scattered into nothing.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 60%
——---——— ——---———
Then—
A shift. A pull.
The air around him thickened, the unseen threads of existence twisting unnaturally. A force, ancient and inexorable, gripped him, coiling around his massive form like spectral chains. The ground beneath him fractured, the stone reduced to molten rivulets as the weight upon him surged beyond his own. It forced him on all fours; the very space around him bending under an army of unseen hands.
Pain. Not agony, not a wound to be remembered, but something sharp, something undeniable.
Ulduin’s maw parted in a soundless exhale as the force gnawed through his flesh. And for a fleeting moment, he was still. He did not resist. He endured
Then, something within him stirred– the abyssal light within his frame pulsed with a slow, deliberate rhythm like the beating of a cosmic heart. The force constricting him began to falter, met with something that would not yield. Then, at last.. Ulduin's crimson fixated found the cause of his agony– the source of this immeasurable pressure. They focused on the tiny human and found her culpable for his rage. Worthy to be considered a threat. .
Finally, Ulduin moved.
His taloned fingers, burrowing into the broken ground to compose himself, space itself quivering at his defiance. Qarinah’s ambiguous pull still tugged at him, insidious in its persistence, but it no longer dictated. It no longer controlled.
Then, he exhaled.
A single breath, vast, terrible, and explosive
The castle walls fractured, their very enchanted stone splintering under the weight of his wrath. Color drained from stone, the air itself howling in protest as his presence surged outward—a scorching, unrelenting force that refused to be caged. Had Qarinah not countered—had she not braced herself with every ounce of power at her disposal—she would have been unmade. Her flesh, her form, her very essence would have been flayed apart by the weight of his fury, reduced to mere strands of thought before being scattered into nothing.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 60%
——---——— ——---———
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
Qarinah felt it before she heard it—the shattering force of Ulduin’s unholy wail. The walls of the enchanted castle groaned in protest, their ancient foundations buckling beneath the weight of his fury.
It traveled faster than sound, and hit her like the fist of God.
For a fraction of a second, she felt herself unravel—body, mind, essence—ripped asunder and scattered like ash upon a cosmic wind. The castle behind her shattered as her form was caught in the blast, stone walls flaking away into dust, the very air igniting with the residual heat of destruction. Her flesh was torn from bone, and those bones were splintered into nothingness, and for the first time in centuries, she was reduced to oblivion.
And yet..
The remnants of her being coalesced, black mist bled from the cracks along the stone where she'd been vanquished, squirming and writhing like living veins searching for its heart. Flesh reknit, bones reformed, blood surged anew. And then, with a slow, deliberate step, she emerged from the ruin of herself—whole, nude, unscathed, and laughing.
Dark and rich, her laughter rang through the broken chamber, carrying with it something almost like reverence. She ran her tongue over the tip of a fang, her golden eyes blazing with fevered exhilaration.
“Brilliant… absolutely brilliant,” she mused, flexing her fingers as arcs of energy crackled between them. “I've nearly forgotten this feeling– the fleeting sting of pain, the sweet, momentary sensation of suffering.. gods, the nostalgia.”
As her body reformed, the invisible shackles of gravity she'd woven around Ulduin shattered in the process– undone by her shift of focus on regenerating. He was free. But Qarinah was far from finished with her examination.
“Oh we’re making excellent progress, love.” She stretched, rolling her shoulders as though limbering up for a dance. “We're learning so much about each other.”
A low, sultry chuckle escaped her lips as she raised a single hand. The space around her distorted as three identical figures materialized beside her—each a perfect reflection of herself, standing with eerie stillness.
“And I'm afraid I'm having too much fun to slow down now.”
The clones spoke in eerie unison, their voices layered like a haunting chorus. Then, with a grotesque ripple of shifting flesh and snapping bone, they changed.
The first clone twisted into a monstrous winged horror, an eldritch fusion of bird, man and dragon, its wingspan vast enough to eclipse the ceiling. Its body pulsed with unnatural energy, veins glowing with an eerie, violet radiance as its scales hardened to a density beyond mortal comprehension. It's head, a naked skull, shrieked a sound that bent the air itself, then took to the sky, circling above like a vulture awaiting its feast.
The second clone expanded, their bodies reshaping into a colossal, horned bipedal behemoth– large enough to rival Ulduin himself. It boasted a terrifying demonic form of rippling muscle and armored scales, their very presence radiating an aura of overwhelming might.
And the creature did not hesitate.
With a guttural, bone-rattling roar, the titan charged its foe.
The ground buckled beneath its weight as it thundered toward Ulduin, claws extended, fangs bared in unrelenting ferocity. It lunged low, aiming to drive its crushing jaws into his side and rip through his flesh like cheap poultry.
Meanwhile, Qarinah and her last remaining clone stood back, unbothered by the chaos unfolding before them. With an idle gesture, she conjured two elegant gowns from the slithering shadows around them, draping one over her own form as she lazily observed the battle.
“Well,” she mused, her voice light, conversational, “He’s certainly proving entertaining, isn’t he? Worth the effort of the investment?”
Her clone—an exact mirror of her in every way—nodded, arms crossed. “Mmm.. That and then some. But brute force, no matter how boundless and polarizing, will only yield so much.” She gestured toward the battle, where the airborne horror wheeled above, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. “Let’s see how he handles adaptation.”
Qarinah smiled, her fangs glinting. “Well said.” She responded as she watched, waiting for the inevitable collision. “Maybe I'll bid my praise, for now.”
It traveled faster than sound, and hit her like the fist of God.
For a fraction of a second, she felt herself unravel—body, mind, essence—ripped asunder and scattered like ash upon a cosmic wind. The castle behind her shattered as her form was caught in the blast, stone walls flaking away into dust, the very air igniting with the residual heat of destruction. Her flesh was torn from bone, and those bones were splintered into nothingness, and for the first time in centuries, she was reduced to oblivion.
And yet..
The remnants of her being coalesced, black mist bled from the cracks along the stone where she'd been vanquished, squirming and writhing like living veins searching for its heart. Flesh reknit, bones reformed, blood surged anew. And then, with a slow, deliberate step, she emerged from the ruin of herself—whole, nude, unscathed, and laughing.
Dark and rich, her laughter rang through the broken chamber, carrying with it something almost like reverence. She ran her tongue over the tip of a fang, her golden eyes blazing with fevered exhilaration.
“Brilliant… absolutely brilliant,” she mused, flexing her fingers as arcs of energy crackled between them. “I've nearly forgotten this feeling– the fleeting sting of pain, the sweet, momentary sensation of suffering.. gods, the nostalgia.”
As her body reformed, the invisible shackles of gravity she'd woven around Ulduin shattered in the process– undone by her shift of focus on regenerating. He was free. But Qarinah was far from finished with her examination.
“Oh we’re making excellent progress, love.” She stretched, rolling her shoulders as though limbering up for a dance. “We're learning so much about each other.”
A low, sultry chuckle escaped her lips as she raised a single hand. The space around her distorted as three identical figures materialized beside her—each a perfect reflection of herself, standing with eerie stillness.
“And I'm afraid I'm having too much fun to slow down now.”
The clones spoke in eerie unison, their voices layered like a haunting chorus. Then, with a grotesque ripple of shifting flesh and snapping bone, they changed.
The first clone twisted into a monstrous winged horror, an eldritch fusion of bird, man and dragon, its wingspan vast enough to eclipse the ceiling. Its body pulsed with unnatural energy, veins glowing with an eerie, violet radiance as its scales hardened to a density beyond mortal comprehension. It's head, a naked skull, shrieked a sound that bent the air itself, then took to the sky, circling above like a vulture awaiting its feast.
The second clone expanded, their bodies reshaping into a colossal, horned bipedal behemoth– large enough to rival Ulduin himself. It boasted a terrifying demonic form of rippling muscle and armored scales, their very presence radiating an aura of overwhelming might.
And the creature did not hesitate.
With a guttural, bone-rattling roar, the titan charged its foe.
The ground buckled beneath its weight as it thundered toward Ulduin, claws extended, fangs bared in unrelenting ferocity. It lunged low, aiming to drive its crushing jaws into his side and rip through his flesh like cheap poultry.
Meanwhile, Qarinah and her last remaining clone stood back, unbothered by the chaos unfolding before them. With an idle gesture, she conjured two elegant gowns from the slithering shadows around them, draping one over her own form as she lazily observed the battle.
“Well,” she mused, her voice light, conversational, “He’s certainly proving entertaining, isn’t he? Worth the effort of the investment?”
Her clone—an exact mirror of her in every way—nodded, arms crossed. “Mmm.. That and then some. But brute force, no matter how boundless and polarizing, will only yield so much.” She gestured toward the battle, where the airborne horror wheeled above, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. “Let’s see how he handles adaptation.”
Qarinah smiled, her fangs glinting. “Well said.” She responded as she watched, waiting for the inevitable collision. “Maybe I'll bid my praise, for now.”
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
As the last vestiges of Qarinah’s gravitational shackles dissipated, Ulduin exhaled—a slow, rumbling sigh that reverberated through the fractured chamber. He drew in deep, measured breaths, each one expanding his vast chest like the swell of a storm-fed tide. This form was still new to him, its immensity unfamiliar, and for a brief moment, the weight of his own being encumbered him. He staggered, his footing unsteady, his colossal frame adjusting to a power that threatened to spill beyond control.
But there was no time for acclimation. Once Qarinah's behemoth began its charge, Ulduin did not hesitate. He surged forward to meet it head-on, his form a blur of raw, unrelenting force that defied his monstrous bulk. The very ground beneath him rebelled, shattering in a violent cascade of splintered stone as he propelled himself forward.
Every fiber of his being coiled with terrifying precision, and then—his knee rocketed upward, a seismic battering ram aimed at the lunging titan’s gnashing maw. The motion carried a terrifying weight, a force not meant to merely injure but to utterly pulverize in a single blow.
But even before the initial strike landed, his other arm was already in motion.. Thick fingers, gnarled and sharpened like iron spires, carved through the air with ruthless efficiency, seeking the beast’s throat. There was no wasted movement, no excess brutality—only the cold, absolute intent to end this engagement before it could become a battle.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 50%
——---——— ——---———
But there was no time for acclimation. Once Qarinah's behemoth began its charge, Ulduin did not hesitate. He surged forward to meet it head-on, his form a blur of raw, unrelenting force that defied his monstrous bulk. The very ground beneath him rebelled, shattering in a violent cascade of splintered stone as he propelled himself forward.
Every fiber of his being coiled with terrifying precision, and then—his knee rocketed upward, a seismic battering ram aimed at the lunging titan’s gnashing maw. The motion carried a terrifying weight, a force not meant to merely injure but to utterly pulverize in a single blow.
But even before the initial strike landed, his other arm was already in motion.. Thick fingers, gnarled and sharpened like iron spires, carved through the air with ruthless efficiency, seeking the beast’s throat. There was no wasted movement, no excess brutality—only the cold, absolute intent to end this engagement before it could become a battle.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 50%
——---——— ——---———
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
The sheer velocity of Ulduin's rising knee split the air with a concussive force, detonating like a war drum struck by ten thousand hands. The impact sent a shockwave rolling outward, shaking the very foundations of the chamber. The Behemoth’s skull absorbed the devastating blow, its jagged maw cracking, bone splintering like brittle stone beneath the might of the strike. A rain of blood and fractured ivory sprayed across the arena in a grotesque halo of destruction.
Yet, this was no ordinary beast. It was an extension of Qarinah herself—crafted not merely for brute strength but for a far greater scheme. It did not stagger, did not crumple beneath the weight of its opponent’s wrath. Instead, the behemoth’s massive legs slammed against the stone floor, its clawed feet carving deep trenches as it absorbed the impact with monstrous resilience.
Its rumbling growl reverberated through the chamber—not a cry of anguish, but a declaration. It had taken the hit. It had endured.
The raw force of the blow did not dissipate into nothingness. Instead, the creature drank it in, absorbing the residual energy in the same way Ulduin himself had done before. Its gargantuan form pulsed, muscle and sinew tensing, veins surging with stolen power.
But Ulduin did not relent.
His massive hand came for its throat—fast, decisive, lethal. A strike meant to end this contest with cold finality. But the moment his fingers sought purchase, the beast’s flesh rebelled. The thick, armored scales along its neck shifted with a sickening, fluid grace, jagged ridges erupting outward like a bed of obsidian spikes. What had once been vulnerable was now a death trap. To seize its throat would be to impale his own palm, to suffer for his own aggression.
And the Behemoth had no intention of waiting for a response.
With its newfound energy coiling within, its clenched fist prepared to surge forward—aiming not just to strike but to retaliate with a force that could shatter mountains if Ulduin had not escaped its clutches.
All The While, the airborne horror still circled its prey–glowing violet eyes prowling with the eerie luminescence of a predator waiting for their window of opportunity. It wheeled in slow, deliberate arcs, each wingbeat causing a ripple in the space around it. It was patiently amassing its own power, charging its own attack. And now, with the battlefield primed, the moment of execution drew near.
From the sidelines Qarinah observed alongside her clone, both mirroring an expression carved from pure, enthralled amusement.
Her golden eyes gleamed as she folded her arms, lips curling into a satisfied smirk. “Oh I see.”Her voice dripped with velvet satisfaction. “A foe with abilities that mirrors his own. Not entirely original, but I suppose you’ve still given him quite the challenge.”
Her clone, standing beside her, let out an approving hum as her gaze tracked Ulduin's movements. “Indeed. The way he moves… It’s almost instinctual. No hesitation, no testing of limits. He simply acts. Savagery, at no cost of efficiency. ”
She hummed as a tall glass of crimson liquid manifesting in her grasp with a casual flick of her wrist. She took a slow sip, savoring the taste before exhaling a quiet chuckle. “Like a hammer that has never known anything but the breaking of lesser things. But then I wondered..”
She gestured toward the battlefield, toward the behemoth still standing, shifting, adapting further. “What happens when the hammer meets something that does not break?”
Her eyes flickered skyward, catching the moment the airborne horror shifted its flight pattern—wings angling, movements sharpening. The predator had found its opening.
Qarinah’s grin widened, fangs flashing.
“I suppose we shall see.”
Yet, this was no ordinary beast. It was an extension of Qarinah herself—crafted not merely for brute strength but for a far greater scheme. It did not stagger, did not crumple beneath the weight of its opponent’s wrath. Instead, the behemoth’s massive legs slammed against the stone floor, its clawed feet carving deep trenches as it absorbed the impact with monstrous resilience.
Its rumbling growl reverberated through the chamber—not a cry of anguish, but a declaration. It had taken the hit. It had endured.
The raw force of the blow did not dissipate into nothingness. Instead, the creature drank it in, absorbing the residual energy in the same way Ulduin himself had done before. Its gargantuan form pulsed, muscle and sinew tensing, veins surging with stolen power.
But Ulduin did not relent.
His massive hand came for its throat—fast, decisive, lethal. A strike meant to end this contest with cold finality. But the moment his fingers sought purchase, the beast’s flesh rebelled. The thick, armored scales along its neck shifted with a sickening, fluid grace, jagged ridges erupting outward like a bed of obsidian spikes. What had once been vulnerable was now a death trap. To seize its throat would be to impale his own palm, to suffer for his own aggression.
And the Behemoth had no intention of waiting for a response.
With its newfound energy coiling within, its clenched fist prepared to surge forward—aiming not just to strike but to retaliate with a force that could shatter mountains if Ulduin had not escaped its clutches.
All The While, the airborne horror still circled its prey–glowing violet eyes prowling with the eerie luminescence of a predator waiting for their window of opportunity. It wheeled in slow, deliberate arcs, each wingbeat causing a ripple in the space around it. It was patiently amassing its own power, charging its own attack. And now, with the battlefield primed, the moment of execution drew near.
From the sidelines Qarinah observed alongside her clone, both mirroring an expression carved from pure, enthralled amusement.
Her golden eyes gleamed as she folded her arms, lips curling into a satisfied smirk. “Oh I see.”Her voice dripped with velvet satisfaction. “A foe with abilities that mirrors his own. Not entirely original, but I suppose you’ve still given him quite the challenge.”
Her clone, standing beside her, let out an approving hum as her gaze tracked Ulduin's movements. “Indeed. The way he moves… It’s almost instinctual. No hesitation, no testing of limits. He simply acts. Savagery, at no cost of efficiency. ”
She hummed as a tall glass of crimson liquid manifesting in her grasp with a casual flick of her wrist. She took a slow sip, savoring the taste before exhaling a quiet chuckle. “Like a hammer that has never known anything but the breaking of lesser things. But then I wondered..”
She gestured toward the battlefield, toward the behemoth still standing, shifting, adapting further. “What happens when the hammer meets something that does not break?”
Her eyes flickered skyward, catching the moment the airborne horror shifted its flight pattern—wings angling, movements sharpening. The predator had found its opening.
Qarinah’s grin widened, fangs flashing.
“I suppose we shall see.”
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
Ulduin saw the Behemoth's jagged ridges form beneath his grasp, but he barely reacted—no inkling of apprehension or hesitation, only ruthlessness. Undeterred and unmitigated.
He persisted. The barbs tore into his flesh, splitting through skin and sinew, but he did not waver. If the creature had designed itself to wound him for daring to hold it, then it had made a fatal miscalculation.
With a savage snarl, he tightened his grip, his fingers clamping like a vice over the beast’s ruined mandible. The behemoth snarled—an instinctive protest, a futile resistance—but Ulduin only wrenched harder.
Bone cracked.
Tendons snapped.
And with a final, primal heave, he tore the mandible free.
Blood sprayed in thick, arterial gouts as the colossal fragment of bone and flesh came loose in his grip. The behemoth staggered back, a guttural, gurgling howl escaping its ruined maw. But Ulduin was already moving.
The sundered mandible became a weapon. In a single fluid motion, he turned the massive fragment in his grip and drove it upward—plunging it into the beast’s exposed throat with a force that sent shockwaves rattling through the air.
The behemoth’s groans died in its throat. Its massive form quivered, the stolen power within it struggling against the inevitable, but there was no escaping what had been done. Its monstrous body convulsed once, twice—then collapsed in a thunderous heap, blood pooling beneath it like a sacrificial offering.
And Ulduin did not watch it fall.
Instead, he turned.
His chest expanded, the wounds along his arm already knitting together, flesh weaving itself anew in grotesque, rapid regeneration. The scent of fouled blood was thick in the air, but Ulduin’s focus had already shifted.
His eyes snapped toward the heavens—toward the circling horror above.
And then he roared.
It was a sound that only worsened the ruined arena, a bestial challenge that sent waves rippling through the air. Not a warning, but a promise of carnage yet to come.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 35%
——---——— ——---———
He persisted. The barbs tore into his flesh, splitting through skin and sinew, but he did not waver. If the creature had designed itself to wound him for daring to hold it, then it had made a fatal miscalculation.
With a savage snarl, he tightened his grip, his fingers clamping like a vice over the beast’s ruined mandible. The behemoth snarled—an instinctive protest, a futile resistance—but Ulduin only wrenched harder.
Bone cracked.
Tendons snapped.
And with a final, primal heave, he tore the mandible free.
Blood sprayed in thick, arterial gouts as the colossal fragment of bone and flesh came loose in his grip. The behemoth staggered back, a guttural, gurgling howl escaping its ruined maw. But Ulduin was already moving.
The sundered mandible became a weapon. In a single fluid motion, he turned the massive fragment in his grip and drove it upward—plunging it into the beast’s exposed throat with a force that sent shockwaves rattling through the air.
The behemoth’s groans died in its throat. Its massive form quivered, the stolen power within it struggling against the inevitable, but there was no escaping what had been done. Its monstrous body convulsed once, twice—then collapsed in a thunderous heap, blood pooling beneath it like a sacrificial offering.
And Ulduin did not watch it fall.
Instead, he turned.
His chest expanded, the wounds along his arm already knitting together, flesh weaving itself anew in grotesque, rapid regeneration. The scent of fouled blood was thick in the air, but Ulduin’s focus had already shifted.
His eyes snapped toward the heavens—toward the circling horror above.
And then he roared.
It was a sound that only worsened the ruined arena, a bestial challenge that sent waves rippling through the air. Not a warning, but a promise of carnage yet to come.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 35%
——---——— ——---———
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
From her vantage point, Qarinah watched arms folded, her golden eyes half-lidded with satisfaction as her clone traced the rim of her glass.
“How fascinating,” she murmured, a smirk playing on her lips. “That.. seemed like a calculated kill.”
She took a slow sip, savoring the taste. “He endured the agony, not out of necessity, but because it was irrelevant to him so long as he reached his target. And he didn’t just kill it—he tore it apart, as if defying the very notion that it had ever been a threat.” Her gaze flickered downward to where the remnants of the behemoth lay, strewn and ruined. “A message, perhaps? A sense of pride, maybe? Does this prove a sense of self awareness? Or just plain savagery?”
Qarinah let out a soft chuckle. “Well, either way, I doubt he expects this one to fare any better.”
Her lips curled into a knowing grin as she turned her gaze toward the descending horror.
“..I suppose we'll see if he’s right.”
–
Ulduin's roar was responded to in kind by the Avian fiend– a violent shriek that shattered the air and rippled through every solid medium. The empty sockets it used for eyes began to emit a black, thick steam– as if it were either insulted by the challenge, or enticed.
Ulduin dared to call him down, but the winged horror did not descend.
Not yet.
It remained suspended in the air, its vast, jagged wings beating with slow, deliberate precision. Each movement was measured, each pulse of force rippling through the battlefield in waves that grew stronger with every beat. The vibrations built gradually at first, an eerie, bone-deep hum that slithered through the air like an unseen predator. Then, with a final, thunderous stroke, it unleashed the stored energy.
The sound was less an explosion and more a rupture of existence itself—an inaudible quake that shattered equilibrium. The force swept forward, an invisible onslaught that bypassed armor and flesh, striking deeper, sinking into the very essence of its target. The vibrations wormed their way into muscle and bone, rending tissue from within, distorting structure, unraveling the cohesion of sinew and strength.
And only then, when it had laid the foundation of ruin, did the beast strike.
Its wings snapped shut, and it plummeted—a streak of darkness breaking through the sky with terrifying velocity. The sheer speed of its descent tore apart the air, a sonic boom reverberating across the chamber as it closed the distance in an instant.
Talons, sharp as obsidian daggers, stretched outward, each claw designed to puncture and carve with surgical precision. Its maw, lined with curved fangs, hung open in a soundless shriek, its bite aimed for the softened flesh left vulnerable by the relentless vibrational assault. Should its first strike land true, it would continue in a deadly orbit until Ulduin could not longer endure.
“How fascinating,” she murmured, a smirk playing on her lips. “That.. seemed like a calculated kill.”
She took a slow sip, savoring the taste. “He endured the agony, not out of necessity, but because it was irrelevant to him so long as he reached his target. And he didn’t just kill it—he tore it apart, as if defying the very notion that it had ever been a threat.” Her gaze flickered downward to where the remnants of the behemoth lay, strewn and ruined. “A message, perhaps? A sense of pride, maybe? Does this prove a sense of self awareness? Or just plain savagery?”
Qarinah let out a soft chuckle. “Well, either way, I doubt he expects this one to fare any better.”
Her lips curled into a knowing grin as she turned her gaze toward the descending horror.
“..I suppose we'll see if he’s right.”
–
Ulduin's roar was responded to in kind by the Avian fiend– a violent shriek that shattered the air and rippled through every solid medium. The empty sockets it used for eyes began to emit a black, thick steam– as if it were either insulted by the challenge, or enticed.
Ulduin dared to call him down, but the winged horror did not descend.
Not yet.
It remained suspended in the air, its vast, jagged wings beating with slow, deliberate precision. Each movement was measured, each pulse of force rippling through the battlefield in waves that grew stronger with every beat. The vibrations built gradually at first, an eerie, bone-deep hum that slithered through the air like an unseen predator. Then, with a final, thunderous stroke, it unleashed the stored energy.
The sound was less an explosion and more a rupture of existence itself—an inaudible quake that shattered equilibrium. The force swept forward, an invisible onslaught that bypassed armor and flesh, striking deeper, sinking into the very essence of its target. The vibrations wormed their way into muscle and bone, rending tissue from within, distorting structure, unraveling the cohesion of sinew and strength.
And only then, when it had laid the foundation of ruin, did the beast strike.
Its wings snapped shut, and it plummeted—a streak of darkness breaking through the sky with terrifying velocity. The sheer speed of its descent tore apart the air, a sonic boom reverberating across the chamber as it closed the distance in an instant.
Talons, sharp as obsidian daggers, stretched outward, each claw designed to puncture and carve with surgical precision. Its maw, lined with curved fangs, hung open in a soundless shriek, its bite aimed for the softened flesh left vulnerable by the relentless vibrational assault. Should its first strike land true, it would continue in a deadly orbit until Ulduin could not longer endure.
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
Pain.
It twisted through him like a living force, vibrating through marrow and muscle, seeking to unmake him from the inside out. The Avian horror’s assault was not a mere strike—it was an unraveling, a fundamental attempt to dismantle his very being. His limbs quaked, bones groaned beneath the invisible onslaught, and his organs threatened to rupture under the ceaseless internal devastation.
His breath came in ragged, heaving gulps. His feet dug deeper into the ruined earth, the flesh along his arms splitting and mending in an endless, frenzied cycle. Blood boiled in his veins—a furnace of raw fury burning away pain. He refused to be undone.
And then, the fiend descended.
A streak of black death, plummeting at impossible speed. The very air howled in protest, the force of its descent fracturing the atmosphere with a deafening sonic boom. Gleaming talons stretched forward, poised to carve him open. Fangs snapped, eager to tear sinew from bone. And they did.
The initial pass was too fast to counter. A blur of razor-sharp claws ripped slabs of ivory flesh from Ulduin’s back before the beast vanished into the sky. The second assault was swifter still, its talons slicing deep, carving fresh lacerations from head to toe. It was as if the wind itself had turned against him, each gust a blade, each vibration gnawing at his defenses.
The twenty-foot Primordial dropped to a knee. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and steaming, soaking into the shattered earth. He shielded himself beneath his arms, his massive frame momentarily bowed.
But he did not fall.
Even as he knelt, battered and bleeding, Ulduin never feigned surrender. His sharp, crimson gaze burned through the veil of pain, tracking the fiend’s aerial patterns with predatory precision. His muscles coiled like tempered steel, enduring, waiting—until certainty replaced instinct. Until he knew.
And then he moved.
Not to run. Not to evade. But to meet the creature head-on.
The battlefield quaked as his colossal form exploded forward, a force of nature turned vengeful. His charge met the Avian horror just as it descended, the collision tearing apart the space between them. Flesh and fury crashed in an eruption of force, an impact that sent echoes beyond the castle and throughout the lands of Muu.
The fiend struck first. Talons raked across his half-mended chest, carving deep trenches into his flesh. Fangs sank into his shoulder, grinding against bone, desperate to tear him asunder. The vibrations still pulsed through him, gnawing, unraveling, seeking to break him apart.
But Ulduin did not falter.
Instead, he caught the beast during their clash. His massive hand clamped around its thrashing appendages, and bone shattered beneath his unyielding grip. The creature screeched in agony, wings beating frantically, but Ulduin tightened his hold. His other hand speared into its ribs, anchoring it, pinning it to the ruined earth. And then—
Barbarism.
Wet snaps. Squelching cracks.
Ulduin tore.
Wings ripped from their sockets, severed tendons curling like flayed roots. He chewed at its wounds, fangs sinking into quivering flesh, devouring agony and terror alike. His fists, drenched in ichor, rained down like a relentless deluge, pulping bone and sinew beneath his wrath. The arena trembled with the carnage.
The fiend convulsed, spasming as its remaining wing flailed, desperate to flee. But Ulduin would not allow it.
With a final, grisly motion, he wrenched its skull from its shoulders, tearing it free with a wet, spine-severing rip. The lifeless corpse crumpled to the ground.
Ulduin stood amidst the ruin, bathed in ichor and sinew, his breath slow and deep. And then, crimson gaze smoldering, he turned and settled on the only remaining things. They settled on Qarinah(s) and his rage seethed through his nose like steam.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 20%
——---——— ——---———
It twisted through him like a living force, vibrating through marrow and muscle, seeking to unmake him from the inside out. The Avian horror’s assault was not a mere strike—it was an unraveling, a fundamental attempt to dismantle his very being. His limbs quaked, bones groaned beneath the invisible onslaught, and his organs threatened to rupture under the ceaseless internal devastation.
His breath came in ragged, heaving gulps. His feet dug deeper into the ruined earth, the flesh along his arms splitting and mending in an endless, frenzied cycle. Blood boiled in his veins—a furnace of raw fury burning away pain. He refused to be undone.
And then, the fiend descended.
A streak of black death, plummeting at impossible speed. The very air howled in protest, the force of its descent fracturing the atmosphere with a deafening sonic boom. Gleaming talons stretched forward, poised to carve him open. Fangs snapped, eager to tear sinew from bone. And they did.
The initial pass was too fast to counter. A blur of razor-sharp claws ripped slabs of ivory flesh from Ulduin’s back before the beast vanished into the sky. The second assault was swifter still, its talons slicing deep, carving fresh lacerations from head to toe. It was as if the wind itself had turned against him, each gust a blade, each vibration gnawing at his defenses.
The twenty-foot Primordial dropped to a knee. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and steaming, soaking into the shattered earth. He shielded himself beneath his arms, his massive frame momentarily bowed.
But he did not fall.
Even as he knelt, battered and bleeding, Ulduin never feigned surrender. His sharp, crimson gaze burned through the veil of pain, tracking the fiend’s aerial patterns with predatory precision. His muscles coiled like tempered steel, enduring, waiting—until certainty replaced instinct. Until he knew.
And then he moved.
Not to run. Not to evade. But to meet the creature head-on.
The battlefield quaked as his colossal form exploded forward, a force of nature turned vengeful. His charge met the Avian horror just as it descended, the collision tearing apart the space between them. Flesh and fury crashed in an eruption of force, an impact that sent echoes beyond the castle and throughout the lands of Muu.
The fiend struck first. Talons raked across his half-mended chest, carving deep trenches into his flesh. Fangs sank into his shoulder, grinding against bone, desperate to tear him asunder. The vibrations still pulsed through him, gnawing, unraveling, seeking to break him apart.
But Ulduin did not falter.
Instead, he caught the beast during their clash. His massive hand clamped around its thrashing appendages, and bone shattered beneath his unyielding grip. The creature screeched in agony, wings beating frantically, but Ulduin tightened his hold. His other hand speared into its ribs, anchoring it, pinning it to the ruined earth. And then—
Barbarism.
Wet snaps. Squelching cracks.
Ulduin tore.
Wings ripped from their sockets, severed tendons curling like flayed roots. He chewed at its wounds, fangs sinking into quivering flesh, devouring agony and terror alike. His fists, drenched in ichor, rained down like a relentless deluge, pulping bone and sinew beneath his wrath. The arena trembled with the carnage.
The fiend convulsed, spasming as its remaining wing flailed, desperate to flee. But Ulduin would not allow it.
With a final, grisly motion, he wrenched its skull from its shoulders, tearing it free with a wet, spine-severing rip. The lifeless corpse crumpled to the ground.
Ulduin stood amidst the ruin, bathed in ichor and sinew, his breath slow and deep. And then, crimson gaze smoldering, he turned and settled on the only remaining things. They settled on Qarinah(s) and his rage seethed through his nose like steam.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 20%
——---——— ——---———
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
Qarinah and her clone observed the carnage with an almost clinical detachment, their mirrored expressions unreadable as Ulduin reduced the Avian horror to little more than shredded sinew and fractured bone. Their eyes followed each brutal movement, every thunderous blow, every visceral act of destruction, as though each offered a deeper insight into the nature of the beast before them.
"Such brutality..." her clone murmured, almost to herself, before taking a measured sip from her glass. "I expected chaos, but he is beyond that."
The final, sickening snap of bone echoed through the air as the lifeless husk of the creature collapsed into the blood-soaked earth. Ulduin loomed over its remains, a monolith of carnage, his breath slow and deliberate. Though power still radiated from him in suffocating waves, Qarinah noted the subtle tells—the fractionally heavier rise and fall of his chest, the near-imperceptible tremor in his fingers, the way his regeneration, while formidable, was beginning to lag behind his wounds.
"And yet..."
Qarinah tilted her head slightly, her sharp gaze confirming what she had already surmised. The monster, for all its overwhelming might, was tiring.
"Even gods have limits," she mused, amusement curling at the edge of her lips. "As I suspected, he's burning through his reserves faster than he can replenish them. He devours energy, but without a source... he starves."
Her clone exhaled a quiet chuckle, swirling the contents of her glass before passing it to her prime self. "Clever as always, of course. And have we decided how this will end?"
Qarinah accepted the drink with a nod, her expression turning contemplative. "I have. But I'd rather give Khei the opportunity to handle this herself, first."
With a flick of her wrist, her clone dissolved into a swirl of black embers, the remnants fading into the air before settling at her feet. Now, her full attention turned to Ulduin. His eyes had never left her. He remained eerily still—not in hesitation, but in waiting, as though anticipating whether she would flee or make her move.
Qarinah did neither. Instead, she took a slow, indulgent sip from her glass, folded one arm beneath her chest, and simply watched.
"If you have any hope of reclaiming yourself, dear," she murmured, her voice carrying across the battlefield, "I'm afraid the time is now."
"Such brutality..." her clone murmured, almost to herself, before taking a measured sip from her glass. "I expected chaos, but he is beyond that."
The final, sickening snap of bone echoed through the air as the lifeless husk of the creature collapsed into the blood-soaked earth. Ulduin loomed over its remains, a monolith of carnage, his breath slow and deliberate. Though power still radiated from him in suffocating waves, Qarinah noted the subtle tells—the fractionally heavier rise and fall of his chest, the near-imperceptible tremor in his fingers, the way his regeneration, while formidable, was beginning to lag behind his wounds.
"And yet..."
Qarinah tilted her head slightly, her sharp gaze confirming what she had already surmised. The monster, for all its overwhelming might, was tiring.
"Even gods have limits," she mused, amusement curling at the edge of her lips. "As I suspected, he's burning through his reserves faster than he can replenish them. He devours energy, but without a source... he starves."
Her clone exhaled a quiet chuckle, swirling the contents of her glass before passing it to her prime self. "Clever as always, of course. And have we decided how this will end?"
Qarinah accepted the drink with a nod, her expression turning contemplative. "I have. But I'd rather give Khei the opportunity to handle this herself, first."
With a flick of her wrist, her clone dissolved into a swirl of black embers, the remnants fading into the air before settling at her feet. Now, her full attention turned to Ulduin. His eyes had never left her. He remained eerily still—not in hesitation, but in waiting, as though anticipating whether she would flee or make her move.
Qarinah did neither. Instead, she took a slow, indulgent sip from her glass, folded one arm beneath her chest, and simply watched.
"If you have any hope of reclaiming yourself, dear," she murmured, her voice carrying across the battlefield, "I'm afraid the time is now."
Re: A Lapse In Judgement
The silence between them stretched, thick and suffocating. The battlefield, once alive with screams and the wet symphony of tearing flesh, had quieted to little more than the distant crackling of fires and the slow drip of blood pooling beneath his feet.
Ulduin did not answer with words—he never did. Instead, he exhaled, a deep, guttural sound that rumbled from within his chest like the final growl of a predator who had fed well but was not yet sated. His massive frame remained motionless for a moment longer, his piercing gaze locked onto Qarinah as though weighing her against the countless others he had obliterated.
Then, he took a step forward.
The ground trembled beneath his weight, a fissure splitting through the blood-drenched earth with the sheer force of his movement. His breath still came slowly, controlled, but there was a shift in the way he carried himself—less the boundless fury of a storm, more the measured intent of something that had learned, even in its madness, to recognize a persistent obstacle.
And Qarinah was persistent.
His fingers twitched, curling slightly, as though he were testing the strength left in them. He could feel it now—the hunger gnawing at his insides, the slow ebb of powerlessness as the bloodlust faded into something dangerously close to fatigue. He was not invincible. Not infinite. And she knew it.
She had known it from the beginning.
A low snarl escaped him, his upper lip peeling back to reveal rows of jagged teeth.
Another step. Another tremor.
Qarinah did not flinch, nor did she waver. She only tilted her head slightly, watching him with that same infuriating calm, that same unwavering poise.
The words slithered past the wall of primal instinct, deeper than they should have..
The beast inhaled sharply, his claws flexing, his form wavering just for a fraction of a second—barely noticeable, but enough. A crack in the monolith. A whisper in the storm.
For the first time since his emergence, Ulduin hesitated. With his reserves so dangerously low, it allowed Khei an opportunity to scratch at the proverbial wall. Ulduin was now close enough to reacg for Qarinah if he wanted.. close enough to blitz her with all twenty feet of his thunderous might. But he didn't, or at least he hadn't.. not yet.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 25%
——---——— ——---———
Ulduin did not answer with words—he never did. Instead, he exhaled, a deep, guttural sound that rumbled from within his chest like the final growl of a predator who had fed well but was not yet sated. His massive frame remained motionless for a moment longer, his piercing gaze locked onto Qarinah as though weighing her against the countless others he had obliterated.
Then, he took a step forward.
The ground trembled beneath his weight, a fissure splitting through the blood-drenched earth with the sheer force of his movement. His breath still came slowly, controlled, but there was a shift in the way he carried himself—less the boundless fury of a storm, more the measured intent of something that had learned, even in its madness, to recognize a persistent obstacle.
And Qarinah was persistent.
His fingers twitched, curling slightly, as though he were testing the strength left in them. He could feel it now—the hunger gnawing at his insides, the slow ebb of powerlessness as the bloodlust faded into something dangerously close to fatigue. He was not invincible. Not infinite. And she knew it.
She had known it from the beginning.
A low snarl escaped him, his upper lip peeling back to reveal rows of jagged teeth.
Another step. Another tremor.
Qarinah did not flinch, nor did she waver. She only tilted her head slightly, watching him with that same infuriating calm, that same unwavering poise.
Ulduin halted."If you have any hope of reclaiming yourself, dear," she repeated, her voice silken but firm, "the time is now."
The words slithered past the wall of primal instinct, deeper than they should have..
The beast inhaled sharply, his claws flexing, his form wavering just for a fraction of a second—barely noticeable, but enough. A crack in the monolith. A whisper in the storm.
For the first time since his emergence, Ulduin hesitated. With his reserves so dangerously low, it allowed Khei an opportunity to scratch at the proverbial wall. Ulduin was now close enough to reacg for Qarinah if he wanted.. close enough to blitz her with all twenty feet of his thunderous might. But he didn't, or at least he hadn't.. not yet.
——---——— ——---———
Current Energy Level: 25%
——---——— ——---———
The team