Cains eyes widened in disbelief as he realized what he was seeing. The energy he had detonated inside the Champion of the Root was now fueling the abominations next attack.

There was no time to react, no time to think. Cain crossed his forearms before him, bracing as the Champions colossal punch landed. The impact sent a shockwave tearing through the void. The Scarlet Kings body was hurled backward, crashing through the warped fabric of space itself.

He clenched his teeth as pain flared across his arms. Cracks spiderwebbed through his crimson flesh, blood seeping from beneath his skin. But there was no time to dwell on the damage or the agony, because Emprik was already upon him again, his bladed arm slicing downward toward Cains head.

Cain twisted aside at the last possible instant, countering with a brutal uppercut that connected squarely with the monsters skull. The explosion that followed was internala detonation that rippled through Empriks head, shaking his grotesque frame and distorting the air around him. Yet within a single heartbeat, the damage repaired itself, flesh and bone reforming as if time had reversed.

A twisted smile spread across Empriks face. His massive jaws opened, and the energy he had absorbed ignited. A scarlet beampure destructive forceerupted from his mouth and swallowed Cain whole. The blast consumed everything in its path, painting the void in shades of red and black.

Cain was driven back again, but he recovered mid-flight, twisting in the void and planting his feet against an invisible surface. His eyes sharpened, golden light flaring within them.

Now he understood. The cosmic force the Champion wielded allowed him not only to absorb attacks but to invert their flowdrawing the energy back through impact and then releasing it at will.

Its like Redirection, Cain thought grimly, but on a far higher level. He doesnt even need to defend. Every strike becomes his weapon.

A somber look crossed the Scarlet Kings face. The power of the Root was becoming clearand it was terrifying. Yet fear was a luxury he could not afford.

He launched himself forward once more. The void screamed as the two titans met in a storm of divine force. Emprik swung his bladed arm, releasing an arc of decay and rot that corroded spacetime itself. Cain countered, waving his hand and summoning a crescent of invisible energy that severed reality. The two waves collided, birthing an ocean of destruction. Space warped, shattered, and bled light.

But neither warrior stopped. They plunged through the cataclysm, their figures blurring in flashes of red and black. In an instant, they stood before each other again.

Cain ducked beneath a sweeping slash and retaliatednot with a fist this time, but with an open palm. From his hand, countless invisible blades erupted, a spiderweb of death that tore into Empriks body.

Dozens of cuts appeared across the Champions torso, black ichor spilling into the voidonly for the wounds to heal almost instantly. Lines of energy rippled through Empriks form, converging in his right arm, gathering for another devastating strike.

Damn it, Cain hissed, realizing the horror of it. The Champion could absorb any energykinetic, elemental, even conceptualand recycle it back as his own. There was no pattern, no cooldown, no weakness he could see.

Empriks next blow smashed through Cains defenses, carrying the power of the Conqueror Infinity Rift. Dozens of shallow cuts appeared along Cains body, blood shining like liquid rubies as he was thrown clear of the explosion. If not for his NecroSkin, the wounds would have reached the bone. Even so, his overwhelming durability did little to solve the problem.

No matter what he unleashed, Emprik consumed itand grew stronger.

Hahahaha! The Champions laughter echoed through the ruined space, dripping with madness. Do you see, mortal? This is the power of the Root! The power that devours all! You will join it soonyou will become it!

He lunged again, his attacks a blur. The Scarlet King shifted into full defense, weaving through the barrage of strikes. Each movement was precise, calculatedbut purely reactive. Cain could not win by trading blows. He needed something elsesomething the Root could not simply absorb.

But time was running out.

Behind them, more spawn were pouring from the Heart of the Root, tearing and clawing at the golden hand of the Matrix that still held the colossal tumor in place. The Heart was pushing through the universal wall. If Cain didnt end this soon, the Root would reach into the universe.

He searched his mind for a solution, and through the link of the Crown of Ascension, inspiration struck.

Taking a deep breath, Cain centered his power, forcing his body beyond its limits. Every particle of energy inside him began to burn, his aura igniting into a storm of scarlet flame.

The bladed arm of the Champion of the Root came for his neck. Cain dropped low, feeling the heat of the corrupted edge pass above him, then propelled himself forward in a burst of motion, appearing directly in front of Empriks chest.

The abomination smirked, his monstrous grin splitting wider. He was ready to absorb whatever came nextto take Cains attack and turn it back against him.

But then he saw something that made his confidence faer.

Cains left fist glowed with starlight. His right fist burned with white fire.

He struck with both hands at once, his fists slamming into Empriks chest like twin meteors.

For the first time, the Champions eyes widened in shock. The powers Cain had unleashed were not ordinary forcesthey were Nihility and Entropy, the twin aspects of cosmic end. Their nature transcended Laws, standing at the brink of unmaking itself.

Inside Empriks body, the two forces began to churn. His absorption power strained, struggling to consume them. It was like swallowing a paradoxthe energies twisted and rebelled against him, threatening to tear him apart from within.

Still, Emprik roared and pushed forward, his body convulsing but refusing to fall.

Until Cains fingers tightened.

With a single motion, he twisted his fists in opposite directionsstill pressed against Empriks chest. The energies of Nihility and Entropy obeyed his command, rotating against each other, spiraling inward until they converged.