Chapter 101 - Beyond Authority
The massive cloud of dust slowly began to settle.
The endless wasteland fell silent once again.
Orion watched without blinking.
"...Let's see."
The last veil of dust disappeared.
There stood Blaze.
His boots were dug deep into the cracked earth, leaving a trench stretching hundreds of meters behind him.
His glowing blue sword was held in front of him.
The blade had intercepted Orion's punch just before it landed.
A small crack ran beneath Blaze's feet from the sheer force of the impact.
Blaze slowly rolled his shoulder.
"...That actually hurt."
Then he lowered his sword into a familiar stance.
The same relaxed stance he always used.
Except this time...
His eyes carried a sharpness the others had never seen before.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"...Round Two!."
BOOM!!
The ground exploded beneath his feet.
A deafening shockwave swept across the wasteland as Blaze disappeared.
The force alone split the earth for kilometers.
Chunks of stone were hurled into the sky.
Even Ryze, Volt, and SK had to shield themselves from the violent wind.
"...He's gone!"
Volt shouted.
CLANG!!
A brilliant flash of blue and gold erupted high above the battlefield.
Blaze's sword collided directly with Orion's golden barrier.
The impact distorted the air itself.
Another explosion echoed across the Domain.
Orion smiled.
"Excellent."
"So come."
Orion calmly watched every movement Blaze made.
His golden eyes never blinked.
Every dash...
Every swing...
Every feint...
Every defensive maneuver...
He recorded them all.
"...Hm."
"A movement-enhancement skill."
"So that's how you're keeping up with my speed."
A faint smile spread across his face.
"Interesting..."
"Truly interesting."
He effortlessly raised a hand.
Golden code materialized around him before expanding into a shimmering force field.
CLANG!
Blaze's sword crashed against the barrier, but the Administrator remained completely unmoved.
Another slash followed.
CLANG!
Then another.
And another.
Every strike was intercepted by the same golden barrier, each impact sending ripples of code across its surface.
Orion continued observing without showing the slightest concern.
"It seems..."
"The Grand Master..."
"And Commander Frostbyte..."
"Were right about you."
His smile widened.
"You truly are... fascinating."
Blaze narrowed his eyes before launching another flurry of attacks.
The blue blade became nothing but streaks of light.
Yet each strike met the golden force field.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Orion calmly blocked them all.
He looked almost amused.
"...Let's see."
His golden eyes locked onto Blaze.
"...How long can you keep this up before your body reaches its limit?"
The two vanished again.
BOOM!!
CLANG!!
BOOM!!
Blue and golden streaks flashed across the sky faster than the eye could follow.
Every collision sent shockwaves ripping through the wasteland.
Mountains of stone were torn from the ground.
The sky trembled.
Even Orion's Domain began to ripple under the pressure of their exchange.
Down below...
The three could only watch.
Volt's mouth slowly fell open.
"...Unbelievable..."
His eyes followed another explosion in the distance.
"So..."
"This is Blaze's true strength."
"I knew he was powerful..."
"...but this is insane."
He laughed nervously.
"The spar with Sylph..."
"That wasn't even a real fight."
"It was practically him holding back."
Ryze simply nodded.
"...That's just Blaze."
SK crossed her arms without taking her eyes off the battle.
"He rarely goes all out."
Another explosion illuminated the horizon.
Volt slowly looked at the two girls.
"...How are you two acting so calm?"
Ryze smiled faintly.
"Because that's the Blaze we've always known."
SK nodded.
"He's always been absurd."
Volt stared back at the battlefield.
His smile slowly disappeared.
"...But for how long?"
The question silenced everyone.
"Even Blaze gets tired."
"Orion doesn't seem exhausted at all."
"If this keeps going..."
"...eventually Blaze will lose."
Far below the battlefield, Volt kept his eyes locked on Orion.
Something suddenly caught his attention.
"...Wait."
Ryze glanced at him.
"What?"
Volt activated his HUD and focused on the Administrator.
His expression slowly changed.
"...Where's his health bar?"
SK looked at him.
"What?"
"His health bar."
Volt pointed toward Orion.
"Every player has one. Even bosses have one."
"But him..."
He stared at the empty space above Orion's head.
"...Nothing."
"No health bar."
"No level."
"No status."
"Nothing."
His voice became uneasy.
"How are we even supposed to beat someone who doesn't have a health bar?"
Ryze remained silent for a moment.
She looked toward Blaze, who was still fighting Orion high above them.
"...Blaze will find a way."
Volt looked at her.
"You're seriously that confident?"
Ryze nodded.
"He already found a way to hurt him."
"That means Orion isn't completely untouchable."
SK tightened her grip on her weapon.
"And we don't need to defeat Orion ourselves."
"We just need to give Blaze every opening we can."
Volt looked between them before slowly nodding.
"So..."
"We support Blaze."
"Exactly."
Ryze raised her rifle toward the battlefield.
"Whatever happens..."
"We help him."
"...Then we need another way."
"A way to beat an Administrator..."
SK shook her head.
"...Or at least..."
"...find a way out of this Domain."
Another thunderous explosion echoed overhead.
Blue and gold clashed once more.
The battle between Blaze and Orion had only just begun.
And the three of them knew...
If they couldn't come up with a plan soon...
Not even Blaze would be enough.
The battle continued to shake the Domain.
Blue and golden streaks repeatedly collided across the endless wasteland, each clash releasing a shockwave powerful enough to split the earth below.
CLANG!!
they weapon met once again.
Orion pushed Blaze backward before calmly stepping away.
His golden eyes never left the mysterious swordsman.
Every movement...
Every swing...
Every dodge...
Every defensive stance...
He was recording everything.
Analyzing.
Calculating.
"...Interesting."
A faint smile appeared on Orion's face.
"Very interesting."
Blaze simply rested his glowing blue sword on his shoulder.
"What?"
"You planning to write a report about me?"
Orion chuckled.
"Perhaps."
"The Grand Master wasn't exaggerating."
"Now I understand why he's so interested in you."
"You don't exist in any record."
"No player profile."
"No combat history."
"No guild."
"No faction."
"And yet..."
"You possess strength that shouldn't exist."
"You are..."
"...an unknown variable."
Blaze shrugged.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Orion narrowed his eyes.
"Getting tired already, Blaze?"
"Perhaps you should take a break."
Blaze laughed.
"Nah."
"I'm just getting started."
The moment those words left his mouth—
BOOM!!
His speed suddenly doubled.
The air beneath him exploded.
Within a blink—
Blaze was already in front of Orion.
CLANG!!
Another violent collision shook the Domain.
Orion's smile widened.
"...Incredible."
"So you were holding back."
The Administrator blocked another slash before leaping backward.
"You keep getting faster."
"At this rate..."
"You may actually be a National-Level Pro."
He paused.
"...Or perhaps..."
"Even higher."
Before Blaze could answer—
A brilliant white flash came flying bellow
SHING!!
Orion instinctively twisted his body.
The beam of light barely missed his head before striking the clouds above them
"...What?"
He looked toward the ground.
Far below—
Ryze had lowered her sniper rifle after firing.
Their eyes met.
Orion smiled.
"...How amusing."
CRACK!!
A fist suddenly slammed into Orion's jaw.
The Administrator was sent skidding across the wasteland.
Blaze casually lowered his fist.
"You should focus more on me."
Orion slowly stood back up.
For the time—
His smile disappeared.
"...Annoying."
His eyes remained locked on Blaze.
Again...
He touched me.
How?
How is he bypassing my Authority?
Below the battlefield—
Ryze immediately chambered another round.
She never took her eyes off the fight above.
Volt pointed frantically.
"Ryze!"
"A little to the right!"
"No, your other right!"
SK immediately corrected him.
"Too high!"
"He'll dodge that!"
"Lead your shot!"
Volt pointed again.
"There!"
"He's slowing down!"
Ryze groaned in frustration without lowering her rifle.
"Would both of you shut up?!"
"I can't concentrate with you two yelling in my ears!"
Volt immediately closed his mouth.
"...Sorry."
SK quietly looked away.
Ryze took a deep breath.
Her heartbeat slowed.
Everything else faded.
The explosions.
The shockwaves.
Even Blaze and Orion's impossible speed.
Only one thing remained inside her scope.
The exact point...
Where Orion would be.
Not where he was.
Where he was going to be.
She slowly squeezed the trigger.
"...Got you."