BOOOOM—!
The desert roared like a living beast.
The sky split in two, wind howling like it had a voice of its own—screaming.
Between Ethan and the tentacled titan, raw energy exploded in arcs of blinding light, crackling like a storm made of blades.
The soldiers had long since retreated miles away.
Now they just stood there, necks craned, staring up at the two blazing figures locked in combat above the dunes.
No one dared get closer.
This fight had left the realm of mortals behind.
Ethan hovered high in the air, golden energy coursing over his body like living fire. It didn't flicker—it surged, alive and hungry.
His eyes were sharp, calm, focused.
Inside him, power churned like a rising tide.
It was the energy of his fusion with Idra.
Right now, his aura was brushing the edge of Tier 20—Peak Stage.
But he knew better.
That was just the temporary boost from the fusion.
His true self was still Tier 20—Early Stage.
