(AN: Someone made a great comment on the last chapter, reminding me that it was bad for Edward to show his variant research on Void Energy since it could accelerate the speed at which they enter the void and achieve Omniversal Travel. As such, I am retconning the chapter, and he showed them Luna's research on Divination. I recommend reading the last paragraphs of the chapter.)
—--
"How do you want to fight?" asked Edward. "Do you want to use Virtual Reality, or can I create a special dimension large enough for our confrontation? Better yet, I have mastered ways to enter the Mirror Dimension, we can fight there."
"This bastard is showing off," was the thought that came into all these variants' minds, making them grit their teeth. Unfortunately, they had to admit they were not as good as them.
'We will use Virtual Reality," said C-137.
"Fine by me," replied Edward. "Let's not waste time and decide the winner between us."
C-137 wanted to beat this man to an inch of his life. He was one tier higher than his opponent, yet the latter treated this battle as if he was guaranteed to win. Such arrogance is a humiliation to him.
'No, he must have something that gave him his confidence,' thought C-137. He suddenly felt he should have been more careful. Unfortunately, he was currently riding an unstoppable train.
Before using his soul to log in, Edward first checked whether there was no problem with the virtual reality; he also ensured it could display all his abilities. A few seconds later, C-137 appeared before him, all ready for battle.
A countdown materialized before them, descending from 30. So, they waited until it reached zero.
'Not only do I need to win this battle, but I must use absolute force to deter these lawless versions of himself.'
So, he secretly activated his Arcane Spark, using his karma to boost his spells. He has recently won an intergalactic war and saved trillions of lives from the wrath of an Undead Legion. As such, his positive karma had drastically increased; in other words, he had plenty of karma to empower him.
When the countdown reached zero, Edward immediately acted. He did not use his Arcane Rune Magic for fear these variants would learn from it and replicate it. Although his magic system incorporates countless knowledge from other universes, making it impossible to replicate, he did not dare underestimate the capabilities of his variants. He knew how talented they were and how capable they were–especially if they decided to work together.
For this battle, Edward decided to return to his roots and only use Wandcraft and Basic Dragon Language Magic. As soon as the countdown reaches zero, he casts the Fiendfyre Curse.
A blue magical flame materialized under his command before turning an enormous eastern dragon. With his vast mana and Karma Empowerment, even the weakest spells become unfathomable.
Meanwhile, C-137's face changed; he immediately could tell his opponent had used a Tier 9 Spell.
'How is that possible?' He would understand if the latter had used some weapons or magical artifacts, but he did not detect any of these things. In other words, G-003 used his own power to cast such a spell.
C-137 reacted swiftly and used an Anti-Curse Spell, allowing him to control the Fiendfire. However, the sheer power of the flame pushed him a hundred meters away.
[Sectumsempra]
Edward waved his hand to cast another dark magic curse. A shield appeared around C-137's body; however, a few more injuries could be seen on his body as blood gushed out.
[Death Hand]
C-137 used his Divine Runes to cast a spell. As such, a golden light flashed around his body before a dark hand rushed toward Edward.
"I've dealt with so many Death Gods now that it's become boring," said G-003 as he waved his hand, canceling C-137's spell.
'My Death Magic is useless,' thought C-137, knowing the situation was dangerous for him.
"Enough playing around," said Edward before saying a strange and majestic word.
[Dragon Language: Destruction]
C-137 immediately felt the space around him twisted, becoming a cage that imprisoned him. He instantly concluded he was not in a pocket dimension created by his opponent. Furthermore, that pocket dimension was extremely unstable.
Then, as expected, it exploded. The chaotic space-time energy was enough to annihilate his unique Divine-Mana Physique.
The explosion annihilated the surrounding dozes galaxies. Luckily, this was only a virtual reality battle. Once everything calmed down, Edward saw that C-137 was still alive.
His magic robe was in tatters, and golden blood dripped from different parts of his body. Furthermore, a broken golden shield was still protecting him.
"So, you have already completed the prototype of Divine-Mana Spell," said G-003. "My invitation still stands. I'm willing to exchange for your study in the combination of Divine Energy and Mana."
"Do you think this battle is over?" said C-137 with gritted teeth.
"It is," replied G-003. "I can tell your soul is on the verge of collapse because of the rampaging divine energy and mana. Now, you are only trying to buy enough time to seal the divine energy and control your mana.
"Alas, it's pointless."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you sense the chaotic space-time energy mixed between the two energies?"
C-137's face changed.
"The battle is over. Admit defeat and save your last dignity."
C-137 did not say a word, remaining quiet.
"In that case, die," said Edward, raising his hand to shoot a beam of purple light similar to a dragon ball character's Ki Blast. He used pure mana to annihilate his opponent, showing his contempt for not even using a spell.
Edward and C-137 opened their eyes, each with different reactions. The AI appeared and gave Edward another perfect score. In this battle, he overwhelmed his opponent while also battling one tier lower. So, he deserved that grade.
"I guess I'm the president?" he asked, and no one said anything.
"Not yet," said A-001. "Although I know my chances of winning are small, I don't want to give up."
"Courage is admirable," said Edward before inviting him to virtual reality. While there was a countdown, he decided to ask the latter for his life story.
"What happened to you? If you don't mind me asking."
"My story is simple," said A-001, his eyes full of longing and reminiscing. "I once built the Magic Empire. However, my hubris led to me losing everything at the hands of Herpo.
"The Earth exploded, and everyone I loved and cared for died, and it was True Death, with no hope of revival."
A-001 seemed lost in his memories.
"I tried everything to revive them, to make up for my errors. Alas, fate seemed to be against me."
His appearance was not due to age, lack of vitality, or lifespan. He suffered so much mentally that he aged into an elderly in one day.
"Yes, arrogance and hubris are our greatest foes," nodded Edward. The countdown ended, and the battle began. Alas, it was even shorter than the one against C-137.
A--01 was an excellent healer, but it did not change the fact he was still Tier 8. So, Edward ended this battle as quickly as possible.
Finally, the AI gave A-001 a score of 30. According to its algorithm, it should improve after a few more battles. However, no variants care about this anymore.
"You guys are not going back on your word, right?" asked Edward, gazing at the silent crowd.
"Since we decided on using this method to decide a president, we won't go back on our word," said A-001, followed by the others. Edward then looked at C-137.
"I…also agree with the election."
"Excellent," said Edward with a smile. "Then, from now on, I will be your president."