On another side of the battlefield, far from the frozen continent where Britanya had defeated Serene, an enormous open field stretched beneath the darkening sky.
Tessandra stood quietly in the middle of it.
Across from her stood Megan.
The two women studied each other for a moment, neither revealing the full extent of their power.
Megan finally opened her mouth. "What's your na—"
She never finished.
Tessandra pushed herself forward.
The ground beneath her feet shattered from the force of her acceleration as she launched herself into the air. Her body rotated once, and she drove her foot toward Megan with incredible speed.
Megan immediately crossed her arms.
Tessandra's kick collided with her guard.
The impact shattered the ground beneath both of them and sent a powerful shockwave across the open field. Megan smiled despite the force behind the attack. "Won't even let me finish, huh?"
She pushed Tessandra away.
Tessandra flipped backward through the air before landing gracefully on her feet. But Megan was already there. Her right fist was moving toward Tessandra's face.
Tessandra tilted her head aside. The fist passed beside her cheek.
The force behind the missed punch tore through the ground, carving a massive trench across the battlefield. Tessandra immediately retaliated.
She kicked toward Megan's face. Megan raised one hand and caught the kick against her palm. Before Tessandra could recover, Megan swung her right arm downward.
Tessandra reacted instantly and jumped backward. Megan's fist struck the ground. The earth exploded beneath her. Tessandra rushed forward through the dust.
She threw a punch while simultaneously using her right foot to attack Megan's leg.
Megan blocked the punch and lowered her own foot to intercept Tessandra's kick.
Tessandra immediately changed her rhythm.
Her right fist became a feint before she threw a hook toward Megan's head.
Megan weaved underneath it and answered with her own right hook.
Tessandra caught the punch with her right hand.
She raised her left knee, then extended her leg and drove her foot into Megan's stomach.
Megan slid backward across the ground, her feet carving shallow lines through the earth before she finally stopped.
She looked at Tessandra with a grin.
"You're good."
Tessandra lowered her leg and smiled faintly. "You're also good yourself."
Megan's smile widened. Then she punched. She didn't move from her position. Instead, the space between them cracked.
Tessandra's eyes widened slightly.
"Huh?"
The next instant, Megan appeared directly in front of her.
Her right fist was already buried against Tessandra's right side. The impact sent Tessandra flying across the open field. She rolled several times before twisting her body upward and landing on her feet.
Megan stood several meters away.
She slowly spread her arms.
"Let me introduce you to Supreme Transcendence."
Tessandra spat to the side. Her expression became serious. She activated her Circuit.
She inhaled deeply.
"Apex Breaker."
Reality seemed to shift.
Megan suddenly found herself upside down in the air.
For a brief moment, even she looked confused. Tessandra was already directly in front of her. Steam escaped from Tessandra's mouth as she exhaled.
Then she punched. Her fist struck Megan directly in the stomach. Megan's body bent around the impact. Blood escaped her mouth as she was launched forward.
She flew across the open field, rolling repeatedly and carving a deep trench through the earth before finally regaining control of her body.
Megan dug her feet into the ground and stopped herself.
She slowly stood. Blood escaped from the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away and looked at Tessandra.
Tessandra crossed her arms.
"How was the taste of my Apex Martial Circuit?"
Megan smiled.
"Good. All martial artists should at least be this strong."
She straightened herself.
"Let's continue, then."
The atmosphere changed. Megan's aura erupted.
"Circuit Embodiment — Supreme Transcendence."
Her transformation began.
Her hair grew taller as an immense pressure descended across the battlefield. Her eyes shone brilliantly, and the aura surrounding her changed completely.
It no longer felt like the presence of an ordinary human.
It was as though a higher existence had descended into the lower world.
Tessandra watched her silently. Then she smiled.
"It's been a while."
Her silver hair flowed behind her as the wind intensified.
"Circuit Embodiment — Apex Martial God."
The blue dress covering Tessandra's body transformed into white. Her eyes began glowing with brilliant white light. A circular symbol appeared across her back, with black markings extending outward from it and spreading across her body.
The two women stood facing each other. Neither spoke nor moved. The battlefield itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then both disappeared. The next instant, they appeared high above the battlefield.
Tessandra's right foot collided with Megan's right fist. The impact produced a tremendous shockwave that spread across the sky and tore apart the land below them.
Megan immediately pulled her fist back.
"Heaven Breaker."
She folded her right hand into a fist and drove it toward Tessandra.
Tessandra rotated both arms in a circular motion, redirecting the punch toward her right.
Megan's fist passed beside her.
Tessandra spun with the movement, carrying her momentum into a left elbow aimed directly at Megan's face. Megan tilted her head away just in time. The elbow passed beside her.
But the force behind it still pushed her backward through the air.
Megan stabilized herself several meters away, while Tessandra remained suspended in the sky, her white clothing and silver hair flowing through the wind.