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Kael paid little attention to the blond man lying before him, dead in a pitiful, clownish state.
He did not care whether there had been some misunderstanding between them, nor did he wonder what history might have connected them.
The moment the man had ordered Bisharp to strike with lethal intent, his fate had already been sealed.
Before absolute power, provocation and malice were nothing more than the final, meaningless struggles of the weak.
Blood surged through Kael's veins like a raging ocean.
His killing aura had grown so dense it almost manifested physically in the air.
Simply standing there, his towering body radiated an overwhelming pressure that swept across the battlefield.
He slowly raised his right hand.
His long fingers spread open before him.
Ghost-type energy, dark as mist and flame, swirled within his palm. It is intertwined with the red-brown aura of Fighting-type power.
The two energies merged seamlessly.
Balanced.
Perfect.
He clenched his fist.
CRACK.
The air distorted under the sheer force.
Kael stared at his own fist, crimson eyes glowing faintly.
After evolving into Machamp, his strength had reached a level he had never experienced before.
Even with the knowledge and perspective of his past lives, he could not fully grasp the extent of his power.
This uncertainty had begun near the end of his time as Machoke.
Now, it had reached its peak.
He could only estimate his strength by comparing himself to powerful beings he had encountered before.
Groudon was beyond question.
That was a level he could not touch yet.
But the Hydreigon he had faced in his previous life…
The Lucario from Ignis City…
He was confident he had surpassed them both.
He could defeat them easily now.
Even without relying on Zamazenta's power.
As for Legendary-class Pokémon like Tapu Koko or Zeraora…
Kael paused.
Based on his memories and current sense of strength…
He might be equal.
Or at least very close.
Had his evolution truly elevated him to Legendary-level combat power?
He could not be certain.
Only a true battle against an equal opponent would give him a definitive answer.
The joy of evolution faded quickly.
In its place came something unexpected.
Emptiness.
Confusion.
His newfound strength gave him security.
But it also made him realize something terrifying.
How far away his true goal still was.
He had promised Gaia itself that he would fight to save this world.
But now—
With greater strength came clearer awareness.
The scale of destruction.
The scale of the enemy.
Even if he hunted Ultra Beasts endlessly, he would only slow the world's collapse.
Not stop it.
Nightmare Pokémon infested the world in overwhelming numbers.
There were too many.
Far too many.
He had strength.
But nowhere to use it.
He could only watch as the world slowly died.
For the first time in a long while, uncertainty crept into his heart.
"…One step at a time."
He exhaled quietly.
There were no answers.
Not yet.
"All I can do is stay true to my purpose."
His rapid rise in power had changed him.
But thankfully, he had not lost himself.
He suppressed the instability in his heart.
Forced it down.
Shook his head.
His eyes hardened once more.
Whatever came next—
He was stronger now.
He would face it.
Suddenly—
A strange ripple of energy swept across the air.
Kael froze.
"…What is that?"
His gaze snapped toward the western horizon.
In the distance, a massive dark-green silhouette rose from the earth.
A forest.
He frowned.
An intense, instinctive unease surged within him.
It came from Gaia's influence.
Calling him.
Guiding him.
Warning him.
This was the first time Gaia had reacted so strongly.
Kael could not ignore it.
With his sharpened senses, he felt something deeply contradictory within that distant energy.
Sacred.
And corrupted.
Heaven.
And hell.
Life.
And madness.
It made no sense.
"…An Ultra Beast, most likely."
That was the logical conclusion.
Without hesitation, Kael bent his legs and launched forward.
BOOM.
His massive body shot toward the forest like a missile.
His speed was so great it resembled low-altitude flight.
Only a blur remained in his wake.
The ground cracked beneath his feet, leaving behind a massive crater.
He could have controlled his strength.
Could have moved silently.
Perfectly.
But he did not.
His body overflowed with power.
His emotions were still unsettled.
So he let it out.
He let his strength shatter the earth beneath him.
Let the destruction release the pressure inside his heart.
Wind roared past his ears.
The world blurred behind him.
His speed brought clarity.
Calm.
Focus.
He had lived through multiple lifetimes.
He would not lose himself now.
As he drew closer to the forest, its abnormal nature became clearer.
"…Hm?"
His expression darkened.
An overwhelming surge of life energy poured from its depths.
It flooded the air.
Dense.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
Life energy could heal.
Restore.
Protect.
But in excess—
It became poison.
A force capable of destroying life itself.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
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