Warriors have always grown through battle.
And Akagi's growth was clearly far more unusual than that of an ordinary warrior.
He could feel the thunder gradually transforming into power that belonged to him alone. With every passing moment, he was becoming stronger…
"Hah—"
Gripping his greatsword horizontally, he exhaled deeply.
Within that breath—there was thunder.
Whoosh!
In the very next instant, Akagi's entire body ignited, transforming into a blazing inferno as flames engulfed him!
Yet within those flickering flames, Kanzaki Rei could still sense that indomitable fighting spirit.
Even as lightning surged, the flames intertwined with it, crackling violently. His power was still rising—growing even stronger.
Boom!
Suddenly, lightning and fire exploded outward!
Flames like galloping thunder surged toward Kanzaki Rei in a torrential wave!
And yet, under ten-thousandfold time dilation, the motion was absurdly slow—like a high-speed train crawling across the earth.
Akagi… was still trying to counterattack.
A faint restlessness stirred in Kanzaki Rei's heart.
Truthfully, he did feel a slight urge to clash head-on with Akagi in pure physical combat.
But…
Compared to a straightforward exchange of brute force—
He was even more curious to test whether, in his current complete combat state—where every ability at his disposal could be used freely—he could actually defeat Akagi.
Shing—
As the lightning and flames surged forward,
Kanzaki Rei raised his hand once more.
This time—
Pure ice, pure light, pure darkness, pure wind—
Each a fully fused sixth-tier elemental magic—
All descended at once, completely enveloping Akagi.
Crack—
Light and darkness seeped into Akagi's body.
His blazing form froze into solid ice, while wind infiltrated every crevice of his being, slicing through every inch.
Even the smallest particle of wind element condensed into razor-sharp blades.
A kaleidoscope of elements spun violently.
Akagi's entire body twisted like a vortex, on the verge of being shredded to pieces!
"Akagi…"
"This is everything I've learned in my life. Even if you fall to this… you've already proven how strong you are."
In terms of experience—
The years Akagi had lived since his class advancement weren't even longer than Kanzaki Rei's own.
Twisting.
Collapsing.
Within the domain of [Elemental Primogenesis], the power of elemental magic far exceeded its normal limits.
Not to mention—
Kanzaki Rei's spells were not merely magic, but Transcendent Magic, and fully fused elemental magic at that.
With all three factors stacked together—
The power of this elemental assault was already comparable to true eighth-tier magic.
The lightning striking Akagi—
If it were to fall directly upon the continent of Rylan, it could easily sink the entire landmass in an instant.
More precisely—
Within a radius of a million kilometers, not even ash would remain.
Its true destructive reach could extend to tens of millions—even hundreds of millions—of kilometers.
Though it still fell short of true ninth-tier elemental magic, which could vaporize oceans spanning tens of millions of kilometers in the very first second…
If Akagi were to fall to this strike—
It would not be an unjust defeat.
Not… unjust.
Kanzaki Rei gazed into the collapsing, distorted elemental vortex—
And yet, he had already seen the future that was about to unfold.
Crack—
Two hands tore through the elements.
A warrior, dyed in a riot of colors, burst forth from the distortion.
Kanzaki Rei could feel it—
Pure power forcing the elements apart.
"Little Rei…"
"Looks like everything you've learned… still isn't quite enough!"
Guided by instinct, Kanzaki Rei saw it clearly—
All of his magic had become a source of strength for Akagi.
His elements had turned into something like a blazing sun behind him, endlessly fueling his power.
"This is the first time I've revealed it in front of you, isn't it? My physique."
Akagi lifted his face skyward.
Arms spread wide, as if embracing Kanzaki Rei's magic.
"This physique allows me to draw power from any skill of the same tier."
Kanzaki Rei was using sixth-tier magic.
Naturally—Akagi could absorb it.
"And I can permanently retain a portion of that power… though to do so requires grueling battles—facing dangers as if standing on the brink of death."
"And before this… only Izan could push me that far."
Bathed in the storm of magic, Akagi's tone was even more relaxed than before.
"With your help, I've managed to reach a higher level of power."
"Kanzaki Rei… you've truly caught up to us."
Akagi once again assumed his greatsword stance.
"And thanks to you… I've finally grasped that final layer."
He drew into a posture, ready to unsheathe his blade.
At that moment—
Kanzaki Rei felt all the elemental magic he had unleashed arrange itself neatly behind Akagi.
They were clearly his spells—
Yet they now served as Akagi's source of power.
A warning surged through his perception—
An unavoidable premonition.
Before Akagi even made his move, Kanzaki Rei already sensed it.
Though it was unavoidable—
He had already figured out how to respond.
And yet…
Despite the instinct screaming at him to evade the edge of that attack—
Kanzaki Rei chose—
To face it.
Akagi's lips parted slightly, his voice low and distant:
"All things have limits, all paths are ever-changing. The myriad ways are complex—yet all can be broken by a single force."
Shing!
"The Path of Invincibility—First Form."
"Endless Severance."
The greatsword slashed out—slowly, impossibly slowly under the time dilation.
Under normal circumstances, such a slow strike would be effortless to dodge.
But—
Kanzaki Rei felt it—
His own time had been frozen as well.
He had become just as slow as Akagi.
He was now experiencing Akagi's perception—
Time slowed ten thousandfold.
And in Akagi's eyes, everything beyond them was accelerated by the same magnitude.
Shing—
In that instant—
Kanzaki Rei seemed to witness the evolution of countless paths.
He saw cultivators nurturing life, observers perceiving all things, the transformation of magic, the silence of assassins…
In a single glance, countless paths flashed by.
And behind them—
Came the greatsword.
It split apart every possible path in existence!
Boom!
And then—
That sword fell before him!
[Path of Invincibility — First Form: Endless Severance]
With pure force—
It severed all possible roads!
This was Akagi's answer!
Boom!!!
The greatsword descended with overwhelming force, crushing everything in its path like the weight of the universe itself!
All manner of magic manifested around Kanzaki Rei—
Only to be obliterated the instant they formed.
His instincts screamed—
There was only one choice.
To meet it head-on!
The essence of combat—
Was merely the threshold of a true warrior's path.
To stand at the absolute pinnacle—
One must comprehend their own Dao.
Just as a Sword Saint grasps the Way of the Sword—
Akagi, with Kanzaki Rei's aid, had taken that step.
Kanzaki Rei tightened his grip on his war spear.
Then—
Come!
The state of Ascension Beyond Limits had already been active for some time.
In that instant—
Every body-forging technique from his combat arts surged through him.
Radiant light flowed both within and beyond his body, exuding a brilliance like that of a sage!
Boom!
Kanzaki Rei thrust his spear forward with explosive force—
Colliding head-on—
Against the world-encompassing greatsword!