Malvern stopped abruptly, his Earth Communion detecting the powerful, massive presence ahead—a clear Overlord equivalent.

"There he is," the crystalline titan rumbled, his voice carrying through the telepathic bond, since the corruption-thick air muted normal sound. "Zone center. Fifteen kilometers ahead. He is not moving. He is waiting."

Draven’s hand instinctively tightened on the grip of Stormfang. His Elite-tier blade felt suddenly inadequate, like bringing a small shield to a continental war.

Through the shifting purple-white mist, he saw it: Azurath. The figure hovered, unnaturally suspended in the corrupted air. He was a Storm Roc of unnatural proportions, sitting between the size of a Lord and a true Overlord.

Across fifteen kilometers of dead zone, across the silence and the mist, the empty white eyes of the Pseudo-Overlord found them. He assessed them, calculated their threat, and prepared.

The standoff began. Two titans faced each other: Overlord and Pseudo-Overlord. Earth and Storm. Sanity and Madness.

---

The distance did not diminish the horror. Azurath was terrifying and magnificent. His body retained the perfect aerodynamic grace of a Storm Roc, but every feature was corrupted. Purple veins glowed across his black and silver feathers; the corruption radiated visibly, surrounding the body like a pestilence cloud.

His eyes were completely white, stripped of any iris or pupil, empty windows into nothing. The person was gone; the monster remained. When Azurath moved, the air screamed—a sonic element warped by corruption, making the atmosphere protest its very existence.

"What was he before this?" Draven whispered, his voice quiet with grief.

"Storm Warden," Malvorn replied quietly, the knowledge of the planet resonating through the bond. "Lord-tier. Atmospheric guardian. Maintained the monsoons for three centuries. Served with honor."

"And now?" Draven already knew, but he needed the verbal confirmation.

"Now he is a weapon," Malvorn's voice was heavy. "A thing to be stopped. The person died; the body remains. We face what corruption made."

The Genesis Codex pulsed. Its analysis was complete, and a green-gold page manifested before Draven, compiling the necessary information:

AZURATH — The Hollow Sky Tyrant

Species: Storm Roc (Corrupted)

Original Tier: Lord

Current Status: Pseudo-Overlord (Mutated)

Element: Wind / Sonic / Corrupted Resonance

Consciousness: ABSENT — Soulless Vessel

Threat Assessment: CONTINENTAL Confirmed

Abilities:

Hollow Cyclone

Wail of the Sky

Featherstorm

Anomaly Drain

Null Draft

Resonant Rift Pulse

False Overlord Aura

Echo Mirage

---

Draven absorbed the data. "Then we end this," he stated with determination. "There will be no reasoning with it. We proceed immediately to combat, focusing only on victory and survival."

Chainbreaker's Link

"I have to move," Draven realized, the tactical necessity overriding the tension. "I will die this close to Overlord combat. The shockwaves alone will kill me. Even with Adhivar's protection, I'm too close. I need distance to maintain perspective and coordinate effectively."

"Agreed," Malvorn confirmed with concern. "I can create a platform, but it will divert energy."

"No," Draven refused. "You need every advantage. I will reposition myself. I have an ability I've never used before. It's time to test the Chainbreaker's Link."

He commanded the link—granted by the Genesis Codex and Adhivar—to activate.

There was no strain, no energy drain. Only sudden, intuitive access. Draven suddenly felt Malvorn's Earth element and his gravity manipulation. It was not the full, devastating magnitude, but a minor-scale, precise version.

Draven raised his hand, focusing his will. A fist-sized stone nearby lifted and hovered at chest height, weightless.

"It works," Draven confirmed, a trace of amazement in his voice. "I can feel your element, Malvorn. I can manipulate gravity around myself—enough to lift debris, deflect projectiles, and survive the periphery of the battle."

"Extraordinary," Malvorn responded. "I feel you sharing my power without draining it. The connection allows mutual benefit."

Draven ran, retreating systematically.

A large boulder tumbled toward him, displaced by Malvorn’s adjustment. Draven instinctively activated the Chainbreaker's Link, employing a minor-scale Graviton Core. The boulder stopped mid-air, was gently suspended, and then deflected harmlessly.

"This is incredible," Draven murmured, using the Link continuously as he ran.

He stopped at a ridge five kilometers back, an elevated position that gave him a clear sightline to the zone center. The distance was sufficient; Adhivar would handle the main shockwaves, and the Chainbreaker's Link would handle the battlefield debris.

"Position established," Draven reported, breathing heavily from the run. "Clear view acquired. Ready to coordinate. Malvorn—engage when ready. I will guide you."

---

Azurath moved, breaking the standoff and unleashing violence.

His wings beat once, creating a terrifying sonic boom. The Corrupted Storm Roc ascended rapidly, maximizing its aerial advantage.

Then, the Hollow Cyclone formed. A sphere of absolute vacuum expanded, threatening to collapse outward and release an annihilating supersonic shockwave. The continental-scale attack was aimed directly at Malvorn.

"Malvorn!" Draven’s voice was sharp with urgency through the telepathic bond. "Graviton Lock! Contain the sphere before it collapses! Trap the vacuum!"

Malvorn executed the command instantly. His Graviton Core activated at Magnitude Two, warping gravity. An invisible prison of compressed gravity formed around the Hollow Cyclone, preventing its implosion and explosion.

Draven watched as the vacuum sphere detonated inside the Graviton Lock. The shockwave was contained, but the force was enormous, causing the gravity prison to strain. Malvorn increased his magnitude slightly to three, holding and containing the force. The attack was neutralized.

The first exchange was over. Azurath's attack was stopped, and Malvorn’s defense, guided by Draven, was perfect.

But the Earth trembled. Malvorn's brief use of Magnitude Three gravity manipulation sent waves through the crust, registering as a Magnitude 6.0 earthquake.

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