"GRAAAAAHHH!!!"
An'un howled at the heavens!
That sound was no longer a human's roar—it was a demon's shriek from the deepest abyss of hell!
A wave of Absolute Domain—ten times more violent, a hundred times more evil, saturated with pure "destruction" and "chaos"—erupted from his body like an awakening void!
Not 70%. Not 75%.
But a level that silenced the entire stadium...
Absolute Domain 80%!!!
"What... the fuck?! Is this a live-action Devil May Cry shoot?!"
"MOMMY! I WANNA GO HOME! This tournament is too scary! The fighters... they're transforming mid-match!"
The audience completely lost it!
They felt like they'd witnessed more "legendary moments" today than in their entire lives combined!
In the VIP section, Cloud raised an eyebrow at the thoroughly inhuman Crown Prince.
"Damn, this guy has a second-stage transformation?"
"This aesthetic... looks like someone from the Tekken set named Mishima wandered into the wrong studio."
Just then, a seductive mental transmission echoed in his mind.
Mature.
"Divine Son, your guess is correct."
"This An'un is one of the human vessels our Divine Tribe of Heaven screened worldwide to welcome our Lord Orochi's resurrection."
"We injected him with the purest blood of madness."
"The original intention was to make him the first container for our Lord Orochi's descent into the mortal world."
"But we never expected... his compatibility with the blood of madness would be so extraordinarily high."
"High enough to cause a demonification mutation that even we couldn't predict."
"I see." Cloud nodded in understanding.
So this garbage prince was just a... "failed experiment."
...
On stage.
Facing An'un—now fully transformed into a "demon" with power that had skyrocketed to incomprehensible levels—
Iori Yagami, who'd just broken through to 73%, showed no fear whatsoever.
Instead—
"Haha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He burst into manic laughter!
Laughing until tears nearly streamed down his face!
Those blood-red eyes blazing with madness and killing desire now shone like twin supernovas about to explode!
"Interesting! How interesting!"
"Now THIS is more like it!"
"If you're not a monster... how could you possibly be worthy of being MY OPPONENT?!"
"You... seem happy?"
Demon An'un spoke slowly.
His voice had become impossibly hoarse, deep, metallic—utterly devoid of human emotion.
"Of course!" Iori bared his teeth in a grin more insane than any demon's. "Personally tearing apart a monster like you... is the most beautiful thing in this world!"
"Is that so?"
Demon An'un slowly raised his head.
His eyes had turned pure black—filled with absolute cold and mercilessness.
"Then drown in endless pain and despair... while savoring that beauty."
He moved!
Fast!
So fast that time itself seemed left behind!
His silhouette became a black bolt of lightning, appearing before Iori in an instant!
"Demon God Fist!"
A straight punch as black as ink—wreathed in pure "demonic power"—hurtled toward Iori's face!
Facing this terrifying strike capable of leveling a mountain, Iori roared and pushed his freshly-broken-through Absolute Domain 73% to its absolute limit!
"Oniyaki!"
He met force with force! Traded blow for blow!
An equally violent purple rising fist wreathed in destruction surged upward—
But this time...
The result was completely different!
KABOOM!!!
The purple "Demon Flame" shattered instantly upon contact with that ink-black "Demon God Fist"—like ice meeting its nemesis!
"GUHH—!"
Iori was utterly crushed in the head-on power clash!
He sprayed blood, flying backward like he'd been hit by a speeding train, slamming into the Yata Mirror Barrier with a thunderous crash!
"How... how is this possible?!"
In the stands, Kyo Kusanagi's face drained of color at the sight.
For the first time ever, he watched his eternal rival get...
...absolutely dominated in such straightforward fashion!
"Too weak."
Demon An'un gazed at the red-haired man struggling to rise from the ground, voice cold and emotionless.
"Right now, you don't even qualify to entertain me."
"YOU'RE DEAD—!!!"
When had Iori Yagami ever suffered such humiliation?!
He roared and charged like a rabid beast!
But under the absolute suppression of 80% Absolute Domain, all his attacks were pathetically futile.
Demon An'un didn't even move his feet.
He simply swung his fists casually.
Each strike precisely intercepted, sending Iori flying like a sandbag again and again!
Blood painted the entire arena.
The crack of shattering bones echoed endlessly.
But strangely...
No matter how brutal An'un's attacks.
No matter how horrific Iori's injuries.
He kept dragging himself up from pools of blood!
Those blood-red eyes—burning with flames that would never extinguish—locked onto his enemy!
He was like an unkillable cockroach!
"What... what is this guy made of?!"
...
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