While the crowd watched with bated breath, whispers rose as they saw Karma, the Supreme Ruler, descend from his high seat with calm steps to join the rest of the rulers. His sitting among them was, in itself, a strange occurrence that no one dared to comment on out loud, yet every eye was filled with astonishment.
Karma sat beside Arlene with a faint smile, then spoke to her in an audible voice:
"Arlene, you are truly fortunate to know this fighter... May I ask a small favor of you?"
Arlene turned to him calmly and replied:
"Of course, my Lord... You may ask whatever you wish."
Karma took her hand in front of everyone, causing several rulers to raise their eyebrows in surprise, and continued:
"Please... after this battle is over, introduce me to him properly."
Arlene laughed softly and said:
"My Lord, we might not even survive after the battle... Don't you see it is still in its early stages and far from decided?"
Karma laughed out loud, making some rulers look at him with even greater bewilderment:
"If that is the case... then I shall cheer for your fighter myself! At the very least, I will boost his luck a little."
Silence fell among the rulers for a moment, then some began to whisper:
"The Supreme King... cheering for a mortal?"
"This is unbelievable... what does he see in him?"
At that moment, Nahira interrupted with a mocking tone, looking at him with disdain:
"Look, Karma... I believe your hopes will soon be shattered. Before you are three fighters from the Tenth World, while that boy stands alone. It is only a matter of time before he falls... as you well know."
Karma looked at her with a bored expression and said coldly:
"My dear Nahira... do not spoil the mood. You know how much I love to keep things entertaining despite everything... do not turn this into another one of your lectures."
Some rulers chuckled faintly at his sarcasm, while Nahira's fury intensified, though she did not respond.
Meanwhile, in the arena, the tension was mounting. Casper and Judy were gasping for air from exhaustion, fending off continuous attacks. Every time they thought Arius was before them, he would suddenly vanish only to strike from another angle. It was like dancing with death.
Judy shouted as she shielded her side from a sudden blow:
"Casper! Are you okay?"
He replied, wiping blood from his mouth:
"Relatively... but this person is toying with us. I can't pin down his location at all... it's as if his body doesn't obey the normal laws of motion."
She said, breathing heavily:
"My energy is nearly depleted... if we just keep defending, we are finished."
She glanced around and screamed:
"Where is Jain?! Why isn't he helping us?!"
Casper raised his gaze amidst the siege and saw Jain clearly, hidden at one edge of the arena, watching Arius's movements with extreme care, as if studying every detail of his footsteps. At that moment, Casper realized his teammate was hiding a plan.
He said to Casper in a strained voice while protecting Judy:
"Endure a little longer... let him think. I believe he has a plan to break this siege... we must hold out until he moves."
Judy nodded despite her exhaustion, raising her energy shield to block another blow that nearly tore her in half.
Everyone stood on the edge of their seats when light exploded from Arius's final attack launched at Casper and Judy. The strike was so devastating that the two were sent flying beyond the arena boundaries, tumbling violently until they almost completely collapsed. The entire crowd gasped in unison, while the rulers' eyes followed the moment of the fall with anticipation.
But... at that very instant, Jain appeared behind Arius like a lethal shadow. He raised his arm with lightning speed and drove his attack into Arius's back, sending him flying along with his teammates out of the arena.
The ruler of the Tenth World shouted in joy, jumping from his seat:
"Hahaha! That's it... it's over!"
While the rest of the rulers sat in total shock, some stood up in disbelief, and others slammed the table in surprise.
Only a few seconds passed until Casper and Judy appeared in the stands with severe wounds, breathing heavily, having been officially eliminated from the fight. But they were not alone... Arius was not with them.
Whispers erupted in the stands:
"Where did he disappear to?"
"Didn't he fall with them?"
"Impossible... we saw him being thrown out!"
Then the image appeared on the massive screen—a slow-motion replay of the moment. At the critical point, just as his body was about to cross the arena boundary, a faint flicker appeared around him before he vanished completely.
The cameras drew everyone's eyes upward... and there, on the main ceiling of the arena, Arius stood calmly, looking down at them as if nothing had happened.
A majestic silence prevailed... then the audience's voices exploded in screams, a mix of shock and excitement. Some rulers slammed their hands on the table in astonishment, and the ruler of the Tenth World sat back down helplessly, his face burning with rage:
"He teleported... at the last second...?!"
The Grandmaster announced in a booming voice that shook the arena:
"Since the fight is now (1 vs 1)... the rules have changed. From this moment... killing is permitted!"
The crowd roared again, half excited, half anxious.
In the center of the arena, Jain stood firmly, his cold eyes fixed on Arius. He was unaffected by his opponent's return; instead, he tilted his chin slightly and said coldly:
"Finally... now the real fight begins."
Arius descended from above with calm steps, his gaze still strange, his eyes moving slowly as if he were seeing the world for the first time. His eerie calmness still dominated, but his features were different than before.
Suddenly, a system screen appeared before his eyes:
[Alert: User consciousness will be restored.]
[Activating Rui State — Temporary Physical Consciousness.]
His eyebrows twitched slightly, then he whispered in a low voice:
"...Rui state?"
He held his head with his hand, as if his memory had suddenly returned. He raised his eyes toward the arena with a bewildered look, then looked at the crowd around him, then at his hands. He was like someone waking from a long dream, not understanding how he had arrived there.
He said in a hoarse voice, heard by those nearby:
"Where... am I? What... happened?"
The rulers began to exchange looks in great confusion. One of them whispered:
"Has he... regained his consciousness?"
While Arlene placed her hand over her mouth in shock:
"No... this is not the same Arius who was fighting moments ago..."
The entire audience went silent, as if trying to comprehend what was happening. Even Jain himself, who was preparing to attack, paused for a moment, staring coldly at his opponent's face, trying to understand if this was a weakness... or the beginning of something greater.
A murmur rose in the world when Wang said in a deep voice:
"Has he… regained consciousness?"
All eyes turned to him, waiting for an explanation. He cleared his throat and continued:
"I cannot say for certain… but from his behavior now, it seems he himself is confused by what is happening. It's as if he just discovered that moments ago he was fighting with his body… not his mind. This means that when he was stabbed by Judy, he truly lost consciousness, and what we saw afterward was merely his body in a strange form fighting on its own. As for now… he himself has returned, in full consciousness, but he is still surrounded by that mysterious aura…"
Silence fell between the rulers and the audience until Arlene placed her hand on her chest, trying to process the shock, while Nahira knitted her brows with a tension that had never appeared on her face before.
In the center of the arena, Jain's gaze lowered toward Arius, and he smiled arrogantly as he whispered:
"Are you happy now… you?"
Arius raised his eyes slowly, his gaze cold as ice, and his voice came out calm, as if piercing the silence:
"Oh… so you are the last one standing. You were hiding like a rat in the shadows, waiting for the moment to stab me in the back. Do not be deluded… I felt your presence from the beginning. And I knew you would do it."
Jain laughed mockingly, his steps advancing with confidence:
"Ha… so your tongue has finally started moving."
But the surprise was that Arius himself froze for a moment, his eyes widening slightly… he hadn't said those words consciously. They had come out of him without thought.
"I… didn't say this…?" he whispered to himself in shock.
And here, like a rushing torrent, memories of the previous fight flooded into his mind. He remembered how his body fought Judy and Casper without a single decision coming from him, how he unleashed strikes, how he cornered them, and how he used teleportation with lethal precision… and all of that happened while his consciousness was completely gone.
He raised his slightly trembling hand before his eyes, examining it closely. He felt the glowing black aura surrounding his body, its strange heat, and the numbness of emotions taking over him. He wasn't even able to form expressions of anger or joy… as if his face had detached from his feelings.
But amidst all this turmoil, one truth crystallized within him.
Whatever was happening… there was no room for withdrawal.
He lowered his hand, clenched his fist, and his eyes reflected a sharp glint.
"Whatever this state is… and whatever the cost… the only thing I must do now is fight. And win."
The audience erupted in a single cry, a mixture of shock and excitement, while Jain smiled slowly, like someone seeing his prey begin to show its fangs.
The rulers stood, one after another, stunned by the scene before them: Arius and Jain face to face on the arena floor floating in the heart of infinite space. There was no sound left but the ragged breath of the audience and eyes that did not blink, as if the entire world had frozen waiting for the explosion.
One of the rulers whispered:
"This might be the decisive battle… the end for one of the worlds."
In a split second, Jain lunged like lightning, his fist burning with crimson energy. But Arius, with lethal coldness, didn't even seem to move… his body drew back with calm steps, evading every strike as if he knew its location before it was launched. Suddenly, and without warning, he extended his hand with a single direct punch to Jain's chest.
A muffled sound followed by a sharp cry; Jain spat blood, his body doubling over like someone struck by a bolt of lightning, his knees nearly hitting the ground in pain. The entire audience shuddered, and Raymos's voice rose in shock:
"What is this…? Only one punch…!"
Arius remained standing coldly, his sharp gaze fixed on his opponent like a hunter staring at his prey before the slaughter. That terrifying stillness in his features was heavier than any blow, to the point that some rulers felt a chill on their skin.
But Jain, with the madness of defiance, raised his head smiling despite the blood on his mouth. He tore his shirt with his hands, and a dense crimson aura exploded from him like a flame, rising like pillars of fire that pierced space. With a thundering roar, he lunged at Arius with everything he had.
Arius smiled a faint smile and lunged in turn.
Their collision caused a mighty explosion that shook space itself, and the corners of the floating arena trembled as if they were on the verge of cracking.
Shockwaves radiated in every direction like invisible swords, slicing through the infinite sky around them. Every time they exchanged a blow, the air was torn and folded, and distant stars flickered from the effect of the echo.
One of the rulers cried out while watching the scene with trembling eyes:
"Are these two truly mortals…?!"
Raymos replied with gritted teeth:
"Impossible… they are perfectly matched!"
Here, Wang intervened, watching with an expert eye, and said with a tilted smile:
"The interesting thing is that we do not feel Arius's energy at all. But we feel Jain's full energy, and this allows us to measure the true power."
One of the rulers' assistants leaned in while reading the indicators:
"What madness… Jain's energy is rising at an incredible pace! It has now reached… 9 Septillion!!"
The audience gasped, even some rulers who showed signs of fear.
Wang added coldly:
"With this power… Jain is capable of rivaling some rulers… only the lower ranks of them."
Raymos turned to him stunned:
"What… you mean Arius also stands at this level?!"
Wang replied, staring at the arena:
"Perhaps yes… and perhaps more."
While murmurs of astonishment rose in the ranks of the rulers, Arlene was smiling a thin smile, her features proud as she watched her student defy the impossible. With total coldness, she turned toward the ruler of the Tenth World, her eyes flashing with mockery, as if saying: "Is this your boastful fighter?"
But the ruler contented himself with turning his face away, ignoring her, his voice booming with confidence:
"Jain… will win. No matter who his opponent is."
Nahira sat in the back, her eyes never leaving the burning battle. Her inner words were like a shocking confession:
"Am I… am I in a parallel world? The weak Arius, the one who was nothing but a joke even before the weakest of my soldiers, stands here now… fighting at the level of cosmic creatures, matching them head-on! What is this madness?"
Signs of shock and agitation appeared on her features, until her assistant noticed her hands trembling and approached her with concern:
Assistant: "My Lady… are you alright? Your face has gone pale."
Nahira (recovering slightly and breathing deeply): "Don't worry… I'm fine. It's just… I didn't expect to see this day."
Then she returned her gaze to the arena, as if fearing she would miss a single scene of this madness unfolding before her eyes.
The battle reached its peak.
The two—Arius and Jain—no longer needed their hands or feet; they fought through their gazes only. Every crossing of their eyes created a vibration in space, as if they were exchanging invisible blows beyond comprehension.
But something strange began to appear.
Jain, with his terrifying combat instinct, caught a gap in Arius's movements… those strange movements that occurred during their first collision. Arius's body seemed at times as if it didn't obey him, but rather did random things that hindered his focus.
Jain smiled sarcastically, saying to himself:
"I've found it… his weakness! No matter how composed he seems, this body does not function with total perfection."
But Arius also felt it. He felt the pressure beginning to increase and that he was losing control. At that moment, he made a decision…
Arius suddenly closed his eyes.
Everyone gasped in surprise, even the rulers themselves leaned forward slightly in horror at what they were seeing.
Raymos (standing from his seat, shouting): "What in heaven's name is he doing?! Arius… why are you closing your eyes?!"
But what seemed like madness turned into horrific wonder.
With every movement, Arius's strikes became more precise. His defense was impenetrable, his attacks balanced, and his penetrations lethal. His body was no longer a burden to him; it had become an independent war machine.
Wang (smiling wickedly while watching): "…He understood. He left the fighting to his body while clearing his mind completely. Now he does not fight as a human… but as a pure current of power."
With the gradual withdrawal of his consciousness, power began to flow from his depths without stopping.
The Arius inside him heard his own voice as if from afar:
"What is this…? My body is moving on its own, but… I feel a power rising… expanding without end! This number… I have never seen it in my life… is this truly… my power?!"
The two landed on the arena surface again. Jain's body was dripping with sweat as he stared at his opponent with wide eyes. Anger began to eat his heart, not because he was afraid… but because he felt insulted.
Jain (shouting frantically): "Are you mocking me, you fool?! Do you think you are capable of standing above me?!!"
He raised his power to the absolute limit.
One moment was enough for his existence to set the whole world ablaze. The corners of space shook, and its crust cracked as if it were shattering glass. The crimson aura around him burned like black fire, to the point that the explosion of his energy made the rulers' seats shake violently, and the infinite sky began to splinter.
One of the rulers (in a trembling voice): "Impossible… his mere scream… shakes this boundless space!"
Wang (watching with focus): "This is not just power… this is wounded stubbornness. Jain's pride was insulted before everyone, and now he will fight with a madness beyond calculation."
Arius, with his eyes closed, sensed everything… and knew that what was coming would be the most violent of all.
Jain emerged from his massive energy explosion like the embodiment of destruction itself. Everything around him was distorted, and space itself vibrated from his power. He wanted nothing but one goal: to crush Arius completely out of existence.
Raymos stood stunned, unable to believe what he saw. Jain's massive power was something he had never seen in his life.
Arisa, despite her usual courage, trembled. Her confession was shocking:
"Jain… he is a predatory beast… his power… has reached 12 Septillion… a massive and terrifying number!"
Arlene felt intense anxiety for Arius.
The ruler of the Tenth World shouted angrily:
"Jain! Kill him immediately! If you don't, your entire world will perish!"
A quick glance from Jain toward Arius's body, then he suddenly lunged with inconceivable speed and appeared before him. His punch collided with Arius's head and sent him flying, but Arius realized the situation quickly and opened his eyes.
Suddenly, it appeared on the system screen:
"Rui mode will now deactivate."
Arius panicked. Tension seized him, and with it, the feeling of drowning in doom increased.
Jain lunged at him with fictional speed, landing a lethal blow that Arius barely managed to evade. Everyone was stunned… had Jain truly become stronger than Arius?
Arius's glow began to fade, and with it, the danger of the end approached. Arius felt he was on the brink of destruction. He had only one step left: maximum speed. He suddenly lunged, evading all of Jain's strikes, and launched a massive Nisphir at him with all his power. The energy exploded, piercing the fabric of dimensions, but it did not hit Jain, who stood directly behind him.
Jain grabbed Arius and began to crush him intensely. The auras surrounding Arius began to fade, and the system informed him that Rui's time had ended.
Arius returned to his normal state, and everyone realized his strength once more. But it was not the same power that could protect him from Jain's pressure.
Jain continued to shatter Arius's body with pressure, and Arius screamed loudly, in pain, helpless.
Arlene looked at Wang, Raymos, and Arisa, and said in a sad voice:
"Arius did everything he could… but… unfortunately, I think it is the end."
The ruler of the Tenth World smiled and said:
"We are the winners."
Nahira was watching Jain as he pressed down on Arius, feeling awe and fear at the same time.
Inside his mind, Arius felt he was at the gates of doom. He began to blame himself:
"I was just useless… if I had enough power, none of this would have happened… if I were able to possess the raw power to protect my family and the world of Yukari, whom I promised to return and save along with the last humans there. But I am just a failed piece of trash."
Anger, sadness, frustration… Arius began to curse himself, the world, and everything around him. He felt he was the only victim in a world that knows no justice, and that he no longer had any chance to save those he loved or fulfill his promises.
The system screen began issuing repeated warnings, words scattering:
"Error… Error… Error… User's life is in danger…"
Arius closed his eyes, believing the end had finally come. A strange coldness took over his mind, while the world around him gradually began to change. The vast sky of space began to turn into a pale, strange canvas, carrying no color of life, and rain suddenly began to fall, without any explanation.
The rulers were shocked, especially Karma, who turned to his servant, the Grandmaster:
"How can rain fall here, in a world essentially without basic physical laws?"
The Grandmaster replied honestly, also stunned:
"I… I do not know, Lord Karma…"
Suddenly, a stern warning appeared on the system screen:
"User is on the brink of death! The command must be executed immediately and compulsorily!"
Then a new window appeared saying:
"Unlocking the Hexagonal Seal… User is no longer restricted by the Forced Evolution policy."
A massive, brilliant light exploded in the world, blinding everyone with its intensity. Jain fell and closed his eyes along with everyone else, while the light covered every corner of the arena.
After the light vanished, everyone opened their eyes, and Jain began to scan the area anxiously, but he found no one. Suddenly, his eyes caught a faint light from a distance, waving his hand and causing a small explosion at the site of the light.
Arlene wondered:
"Where did Arius disappear to?"
Jain lunged with supernatural speed toward the explosion, but he found nothing. While he felt something strange behind him, he turned and caught a glimpse of something resembling Arius. In a split second, Jain received a violent blow, blood streaming from his eyes and mouth.
He approached him slowly, only to discover the shocking truth: Arius was completely different. Silver hair, cold features, entirely devoid of any emotion… a coldness that could not be pierced; neither fear nor pain could be perceived.
Jain collapsed to the ground, shocked, unable to comprehend what had happened, while everyone remained watching this horrific transformation in total awe.