Ken collapsed to the ground, his body trembling, blood dripping from his lips as he coughed violently. Every breath felt like lifting a mountain, the crushing pressure around him almost unbearable. But still—he stood. With sheer willpower, he rose to his feet, his legs shaky but determined. He took his fighting stance once more, eyes blazing with resolve.
On the other side, Lexus stood calmly, a faint smile curving his lips. A flicker of relief passed through his eyes.
"Good," Lexus thought. "I've managed to control my power. If I hadn't… this place would've been erased from existence."
Then, aloud, he said with a grin, "Come on, Ken. Show me what you've got. If you've got anything left to show."
The battle began again.
This time, Ken changed his strategy. He knew that getting close was suicidal. One wrong move, and he could be obliterated. So he kept his distance, calling forth the element of fire, launching a massive Flame Blast straight at Lexus.
But when the fire cleared… Lexus stood unharmed. Not even a scratch.
With a wave of his hand, Lexus retaliated with a pure energy blast, and though Ken managed to barely dodge it, the shockwave alone knocked him back.
Ken knew he needed more speed. He summoned the wind element, pushing his body to the limits, creating a fierce hurricane to trap Lexus. It roared with force, the sky swirling above—until Lexus calmly rotated his hands in the opposite direction, unraveling the hurricane effortlessly.
Then, in a blink, he vanished—and appeared behind Ken.
Ken barely turned before he was hit by a single, devastating blow infused with Lexus's energy. He was sent flying, crashing across the battlefield. Still, he staggered back to his feet, breath ragged, bones aching.
"I… I can't win like this," Ken thought. "Not with single elements."
He clenched his fists and spoke to the Ring of Elements. "We don't have time to charge attacks. I need to launch faster. Infuse faster. We have to fight smart—now."
The ring pulsed in response.
> "Hmph. Kids these days. Impatient and reckless. They try something once and give up too soon. But you… you're different. You're standing in a life-or-death situation, and you're still asking how to win. I am the Ring of Elements. My potential is limitless—it's up to you to unlock it."
Ken grinned through the pain. "I understand now. If you were human, you'd know the pain of standing against monstrous power. It hurts. But pain makes us stronger."
His eyes ignited with fire.
Ken lunged forward, launching a powerful Water Blast, then quickly fused it with Electricity, shocking Lexus. Taking advantage of the moment, Ken unleashed a barrage of Thunder Punches, each strike infused with lightning.
He followed with a devastating Thunder Charge, crackling with electricity. Then, he summoned a Thunderstorm, blending every elemental power he had mastered. This time, Lexus was pushed back—wounded and surprised.
Blood dripped from Lexus's lip. He wiped it away and smirked.
"Impressive," he said. "But I know you can do better."
Then his expression darkened.
"You're about to be the second person to witness the power of my sword."
He summoned it—an ancient blade glowing with divine energy. Ken felt danger—real, imminent danger—just from its presence.
In an instant, Lexus was gone from sight. Ken barely dodged a power slash, but a shallow cut appeared on his arm. When he looked back… the entire area behind him had vanished—erased.
Lexus had gotten serious.
He unleashed a flurry of powerful slashes, each one stronger than the last, hitting Ken before he could touch the ground. Ken was tossed through the sky like a ragdoll, pummeled across dimensions, his body breaking, consciousness fading.
But… he didn't give up.
Ken roared in defiance, pushing past pain. He summoned every element he knew—Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, and now… Ice.
With newfound strength, he created razor-sharp Icicle Crystals, then an Avalanche, but Lexus remained standing.
"This isn't enough…" Ken whispered. "I need to go beyond limits."
He spoke to the ring once more. "I'm done playing. Time to fuse everything."
The ring blazed with energy as Ken combined all elements into one attack:
Elemental Fist.
His fist burned with fire, flowed with water, cracked with lightning, and swirled with wind and ice. He charged at Lexus with full force.
Boom!
The impact shook the heavens, clashing with Lexus's raw strength—not divine, but close.
Then, Ken added Earth to the mix—activating Seismic Force, causing the land to tremble. Cracks formed beneath Lexus, and a trap sprung up from below, locking him in.
Ken shouted, "This ends now!" and slammed Lexus with Elemental Fist, full power, full will.
Lexus roared in pain, wounded deeply.
But he wasn't finished.
Breaking free, Lexus slashed once more—a Wind-Cutting Slash filled with divine fury—and Ken was sent flying across the battlefield, crashing violently into the ground.
He lay there, battered, bloodied, but not broken.