The dust from the obliterated Undead Legion still lingered in the air, the acrid scent of destruction mixing with the faint metallic tang of blood. The once-roaring crowd was silent, as if struggling to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
I stood in the middle of the battlefield, my breath calm, my posture relaxed.
Yet—I wasn't satisfied.
Every opponent had been strong. Some had lasted longer than others, some had even made me exert effort. But none of them truly excited me.
Then, the system notification appeared.
---
[Final Challenger Detected]
Warning: Identity Locked.
Unknown Power Signature Detected.
---
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Finally, some intrigue."
The massive gates at the far end of the arena began to creak open, the sound sending chills through the crowd. Unlike before, there was no dramatic introduction, no announcer hyping up the next opponent.
Just a deep, suffocating silence.
A figure emerged from the shadows, walking at a slow, unhurried pace. The moment he set foot on the battlefield, the temperature dropped. The very air grew heavy, pressing down on the arena like an unseen force.
I narrowed my eyes. "That presence… it feels—familiar."
Tall. Clad in a long, black battle robe that barely concealed the intricate silver armor underneath. His hair was ashen white, his face partially obscured by a metallic mask that covered the left side. But what stood out the most—
Were his eyes.
Glowing, emerald green.
The same color as mine.
My smirk slowly faded.
The figure stopped a few meters in front of me, his gaze locking onto mine. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel it—the sheer power radiating off him in waves.
Then he spoke.
"It's been a long time… Heavenly Demon."
His voice was cold, yet eerily familiar.
I clenched my fists. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted his head slightly, as if amused. "You don't recognize me?"
Then, the system chimed again.
---
[Opponent Identified]
Name: ???
Title: The Forgotten King
Power Signature: Equal to Heavenly Demon
---
I froze. "Equal to me?"
The man smirked. "Oh… you'll remember soon enough."
I barely had time to react.
A fraction of a second later, a fist slammed into my gut, sending me flying backward like a cannonball. I crashed into the arena wall, the sheer impact shattering the stone behind me.
Blood dripped from my mouth as I wiped it away, my emerald eyes narrowing.
I let out a chuckle. "So… you're fast."
I teleported back into the center of the arena using Void Step, appearing just inches in front of him. Without hesitation, I swung a devastating Heaven's Wrath punch straight at his face.
He blocked it with one hand.
The entire arena shook.
Wind pressure exploded outward, sending debris flying in all directions.
His feet slid back slightly, but he remained standing. His smirk widened. "Not bad."
Before I could react, he gripped my wrist and twisted—flipping me into the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath us.
I coughed out blood.
"Tch." I quickly recovered, flipping back to my feet. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you're pissing me off."
The man merely laughed.
Then, his aura erupted.
The ground beneath him fractured. The sky above the arena dimmed.
Dark tendrils of energy wrapped around his arms, crackling with pure destructive power.
I grinned, my own aura flaring to life—a mixture of abyssal black and crimson flames spiraling around me.
The crowd was long forgotten. The fight had truly begun.
We both lunged at each other—two monsters, two rulers of destruction.
Fist met fist.
The moment our fists collided, the entire arena quaked. The sheer force of our blows sent shockwaves rippling outward, causing the air itself to crackle with raw energy. The stone beneath our feet fractured, massive chunks of debris floating mid-air from the sheer gravitational force of our clash.
His smirk widened as he pushed against me, his emerald eyes burning with an ancient fire. "Not bad, Heavenly Demon. But is this really all you've got?"
I grinned, blood dripping from my lip. "You talk too much."
I teleported behind him with Void Step, my fist coated in abyssal flames as I slammed a punch into his spine. The impact sent him rocketing forward, crashing through the remains of the arena walls.
BOOM!
A massive crater formed where he landed, dust and debris billowing into the air.
But before I could capitalize—
He reappeared above me.
His leg descended like a guillotine, crashing down onto my shoulder with the force of a meteor.
CRACK!
My entire body was buried into the ground, the earth beneath me caving in from the sheer weight of his attack.
I coughed out blood, my bones groaning in protest. But pain? I thrived in pain.
I gripped his ankle mid-strike, my fingers tightening like an unbreakable vice.
His eyes widened in surprise—too late.
I twisted violently, flipping him mid-air and launching him straight into the remains of the coliseum wall. The entire structure crumbled on impact.
I didn't wait.
The moment he was buried under rubble, I activated Breath of Destruction.
My lungs filled with raw power, my body surging with an infernal energy as I exhaled—
A torrential wave of annihilation shot forward, a crimson vortex of energy erasing everything in its path.
The shockwave obliterated the remains of the arena, turning the ground to molten rock. The sheer force parted the clouds in the sky, blinding light swallowing everything.
For a moment—there was nothing.
No movement. No sound. Just pure destruction.
I stood there, my breath slow and steady, my body steaming from the sheer power I had unleashed.
And then—
A chuckle.
A low, amused laugh.
From the center of the devastation, he emerged. Untouched.
The dust settled, revealing him standing amidst the destruction, his black robe tattered but his body completely unharmed.
I narrowed my eyes. "So… you're still standing?"
He rolled his neck, cracking his knuckles. "That actually stung a little. But now… it's my turn."
His aura exploded.
The entire battlefield turned black.
The sky darkened, swirling with an ominous, abyssal force. The ground trembled, veins of dark energy cracking through the earth like lightning.
He raised his hand, his voice calm—yet filled with absolute authority.
"Let me show you what true despair looks like, Heavenly Demon."