As soon as Muria spoke, the awards ceremony descended into a stunned silence. The host standing beside him turned to him, utterly bewildered, and quickly reacted. "Lord Jerlos, what on earth are you talking about?"
"I'm not talking nonsense," Muria replied with a smile. "You can step aside; what happens next has nothing to do with you."
Gently moving the host aside, Muria faced the microphone and looked out at the now-silent venue and the many reporters below.
"I know some people aren't happy with me winning this year's Star Armor Tournament. They think defeating my opponents with one move each time was just a bluff. Others are curious about me and want to test my real strength. But there's a final group I appreciate the most—they simply want to fight me for the sake of fighting."
Muria's voice filled the hushed venue as he prepared for what was to come. "Now, I'll give you all the opportunity. No matter your reason, anyone who wants to fight or challenge me can step forward now. I'll even allow you to fight me together."
"Jerlos Douglas, do you think just because you won this year's Star Armor Tournament, you're invincible? Do you think you can openly disregard the rest of us?"
The bold statement sparked an immediate reaction. A young man, urged on by someone beside him, stepped forward to question Muria.
"No," Muria shook his head. "You've got it backward. It's not because I won that I think I'm invincible. It's because I am invincible to all of you that I won."
This reply left everyone dumbfounded. Cameras clicked furiously, capturing Muria's calm demeanor as he delivered these audacious words.
"Damn, I thought I was arrogant back in my family. Now I see what real arrogance looks like."
"That was masterfully said. I need to remember that for future use."
"Maybe don't. Saying something like that might feel great, but the consequences could be disastrous."
"True. Hearing that, I feel really annoyed. I think I'll challenge him myself to see just how strong this so-called best fighter of the Douglas family really is. Who's with me?"
"Count me in. Honestly, I wasn't satisfied with how my match in this tournament ended. Now's my chance to test the guy who made the Douglas family bow down."
"I'm in too. Beating him would be like defeating the entire Douglas family."
Whispers of excitement spread through the audience as many of the competitors expressed their interest in taking Muria on.
"You have fifteen minutes to decide," Muria said with a smile, observing the buzzing venue. Surrounded by pure white martial energy, he flew out of the hall.
As soon as his words ended, small groups began leaving their seats, following in Muria's direction.
...
A tall, lean figure sat cross-legged in midair, surrounded by pure white energy that flickered like flames, radiating an overwhelming aura of power.
After meditating in the air for nearly fifteen minutes, Muria opened his eyes. He glanced at the forty-five young men and women now encircling him and sighed with slight disappointment.
"Only this many of you? The turnout is too small."
"That's enough, Jerlos. There's no need for talk anymore. We'll see what you're really capable of once we fight." One young man stepped forward, glaring at Muria.
"Alright then, let's begin!"
"Step back, everyone. I'll go first," the young man said, his face full of battle intent as he summoned his Star Armor.
"Hold on," Muria interjected, looking at the crowd backing away to make space for the fight. "Have you misunderstood something?"
"What?" The young man, ready to fight, hesitated in confusion.
"Why do you think you can face me one-on-one?" Muria looked at him curiously before sweeping his gaze over the group.
"Do you think I'm here to waste my time sparring with each of you individually? Do I look like such a pushover?"
Muria's series of questions stunned everyone, including the eager young man in front of him.
"What are you trying to say?" the young man asked, suppressing his anger as he readied his armor.
"My point," Muria replied with a chuckle, "is that all of you need to come at me together. I have no interest in one-on-one duels."
"Stop looking down on us!" the young man roared, his anger ignited by Muria's blatant disregard. He immediately launched his attack, a barrage of energy projectiles filling the air and closing in on Muria.
"You'll see the gap between us soon enough."
Muria remained seated, unmoving, as his martial aura flared to life. From the energy surrounding him, a shimmering white dragon emerged, roaring as it coiled around him. The dragon let out a burst of radiant energy, effortlessly neutralizing the incoming attacks.
The dragon, lifelike and majestic, then lunged toward the stunned young man, engaging him in combat.
Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators and cameras, the young man—a genius from a top family—found himself overpowered by Muria's martial energy dragon.
Within ten moves, the dragon struck the young man with its massive tail, causing cracks to form in his Star Armor. The attack exceeded the armor's defensive limits, and scarlet blood seeped through the fractures.
The young man, gravely injured, plummeted to the ground amidst shattered armor, his body bent in a U-shape.
The dragon let out a triumphant roar before dissolving into energy and returning to Muria.
"Do you see the difference between us now?" Muria asked as he stood, looking around at the others.
"None of you can defeat me alone. Your only chance is to work together and attack me as one."
"He's right. Alone, none of us stand a chance against Jerlos Douglas," said a young woman with ash-blonde curls, her eyes filled with disbelief and fear. "He's reached a whole different level, hasn't he?"
"Martial Grandmaster?" someone gasped, realization dawning as they stared at Muria.
"No wonder he's this powerful. He's already entered a realm we can't compete with."
"That's impossible! He's so young—how could he already reach the level of a Grandmaster?"
"Relax," Muria said with a wry smile as he observed the hesitant crowd. "I'm not a Grandmaster yet. I'm just half a step away. But even so, none of you can match me individually. If you work together, you might stand a chance."
"Half a step, huh? In that case, it's not shameful if we all fight him together," someone muttered, summoning their Star Armor.
"Yeah, especially since he's the one asking for it."
As the group prepared for a combined assault, Muria's smile widened.
A thunderous roar erupted as Muria unleashed a torrent of pure white energy. The surrounding space turned into a surreal domain filled with shifting shapes—phantoms of creatures and structures—crafted from his overwhelming aura.
"Damn it, and he says he's not a Grandmaster!"
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