The world still trembled, the energy from my clash with Guy lingering in the air like an unhealed wound. As the dust settled, it became clear—neither of us had triumphed. Both of us stood motionless, bodies battered and strained, but neither willing to collapse. The cracks in the small world shimmered faintly as the destructive force began to dissipate, leaving behind an eerie silence. The outcome was different from what I have seen from my skill.
As I was thinking this a ripple of divine energy sliced through the atmosphere, far stronger than anything I had ever felt. Panting heavily, I looked up. From the sky descended a figure wrapped in an overwhelming aura—an energy that commanded instant respect. Even Guy, the Lord of Darkness, stiffened under its weight.
Veldanava, the Star King Dragon, the creator of the Tensura universe, had arrived.
His mere presence stabilized the fractured world. "Enough," Veldanava spoke, his voice calm yet brimming with authority. His gaze shifted between me and Guy, measuring us both. "This battle ends here."
My legs buckled, and I dropped to one knee. Exhaustion and frustration overwhelmed me. I had pushed beyond my limits, but it wasn't enough to defeat Guy. My body trembled, not just from fatigue but also with anger. With the skills i have and the knowledge from the past life i should have been the winner.
Before I could fully process my thoughts, a laugh cut through the tension. Ramiris, the Queen of Spirits, fluttered down, her wings still faintly glowing from the aftermath of our battle. "Zeyron, what a show you put on!" she exclaimed with her usual bright smile. "I'd love to see how your puppet body works. Maybe I could use it too."
Guy, wiping the blood from his lip, glanced toward Veldanava. His usual arrogance was tempered, but defiance still burned in his eyes. "Veldanava," he muttered with a dark grin, "you finally decided to show up. But I'm not done yet." His words were filled with bravado, though the futility of continuing the fight was clear.
Veldanava didn't flinch as he addressed Guy. "You've reached your limit. Continuing this fight brings nothing."
Guy snorted in frustration. "Fine. I'll stop, for now," he grumbled, folding his arms before teleporting away.
A gust of icy wind swept across the battlefield, and I sensed another presence—Velzard, the second strongest True Dragon, appeared in a blur of silver and white. She observed the scene quietly, her gaze lingering on me briefly before turning to Veldanava. "Will you take him as your disciple?" she asked softly.
Veldanava's eyes softened as he nodded. "Yes."
I barely noticed Velzard's presence, still lost in the exhaustion and confusion of my battle with Guy.
---
The chambers within Nasca Kingdom's palace were quiet, the destruction brought by the raiders far behind. I stood before Veldanava, still sore from the fight but now burning with questions.
Veldanava's gaze was calm yet penetrating. "You fought well, Zeyron, but despite your strength, you couldn't win against Guy. Do you know why?"
I frowned, replaying the battle in my mind. "I thought I had the power and knowledge to win. Nova and I gave everything, but no matter what I did, I couldn't break through."
Veldanava nodded, his expression unreadable. "Your power was sufficient. In fact, you didn't even use 40% of what you're capable of. But power alone won't secure victory." His voice carried a weight that I couldn't ignore.
I stiffened, unsure of what he meant. "I don't understand."
Veldanava's tone grew more serious. "You have incredible ultimate skills, Zeyron, but your defeat came because you never truly owned your power."
I blinked in surprise, struggling to comprehend. "What do you mean?"
He stepped closer, his presence heavy with ancient wisdom. "Your ultimate skill, Lord of Marionettes, is one of the strongest. But you haven't scratched the surface of its potential. Do you know why?"
I shook my head. I had always suspected there was more to my power, but I could never figure out what was missing but he did not explain why I can't use my ultimate skill properly and move on to next weakness I have.
"The unique skills you possess—Magician and Spatial Master—aren't aligned with your core abilities. They are powerful, yes, but they create a disconnection from your ultimate skill. Instead of working together in battle, they drag you down. The more skills you have, the less you can fully use them because your soul is stretched to its limit."
My eyes widened as the realization sank in. "So… Nova's endless skill copying and learning… it's been weakening me?"
Veldanava nodded. "Your soul is strained by the countless skills Nova has collected. They make it impossible for you to fully harness the strength of your ultimate skill. This happened because you rely on power that isn't your own. You never trained with them and leave everything to nova".
Nova, who had remained silent throughout, finally spoke. [What Veldanava says is true. I've analyzed the situation. The sheer number of skills we've accumulated is a burden. You're unable to unlock your true potential because your soul can't handle that much power.]
[It's like overloading a car with too much weight. Even though the engine is powerful, the excess load slows it down and strains the system, preventing it from reaching top speed or performing efficiently. In this analogy, the car represents your soul, the engine is your strength to bring out the power within you, the weight symbolizes the overwhelming number of skills, and the speed is your true potential.]
I clenched my fists, the weight of the truth sinking in. All my battles, all my victories they felt hollow now. I had never truly owned my strength. The frustration burned inside me as I realized how deeply I had misunderstood my own power.
Veldanava's voice softened, cutting through my turmoil. "You can still fix this, Zeyron. But you must let go of the power you've borrowed. It's time to stop depending on free power that won't help you when you need it most."
I looked up, my resolve hardening. "What do I need to do?"
Veldanava smiled at me. "You are my disciple now, just like Rudra, and I promise you'll become incredibly strong under my guidance."
His smile faded as he added, "But first, how about we try something with your skills?"
My heart sank at his words. " We are not exchanging skills right..." I muttered, nervous.
Veldanava frowned and shook his head. "You're not ready for that yet. But I can offer you something else."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "Your Mana's Nova evolved from a unique skill, which means he'll always be average at best. But if you trade your useless skills—Magician and Spatial Master—I'll give you a unique skill called Archive. It has the potential to make your mana rival Ciel, and maybe even surpass it if you play your cards right."
After hearing what veldanava was giving me i didn't even hesitate. "I agree."
********