Suzan stepped forward, his voice carrying across the massive arena. After announcing the two competitors, he raised a hand to silence the crowd.
"Before we begin, I will explain the rules," he said, his sharp gaze sweeping over both fighters and the countless spectators.
"First rule: This is a death match. If you die, I will personally revive you—unless your opponent forces you to yield. Until that happens, the fight does not stop."
Murmurs rippled through the stands, but Suzan continued without pause.
"Second rule: If you have the means to take another's powers, you are free to do so. No one can interfere unless you concede before it happens.
Third rule: Leaving the planet is forbidden. You have two days to finish your match. Fail, and both of you will be disqualified."
He let the weight of the words settle before speaking again.
"Fourth rule: Only one winner will emerge from each region—North, South, East, and West. They will advance to the semi-finals. Until then, matchups in each area will be randomized by the wheel."
A faint grin touched his lips.
"Final rule: The winners will receive three prizes, revealed before the semi-finals. Now… good luck to you all."
One of the Ōtsutsuki clan members suddenly raised his voice, his tone sharp with disbelief. "That's unfair! Stealing abilities? How could that even be possible, and even if it is, how can such a rule be allowed?" His words echoed across the arena, drawing the attention of both spectators and competitors alike.
Another elder immediately snapped back, his eyes narrowing. "Hmph, what do you know? Do you think our Ōtsutsuki clan is for weaklings? The strong devour the weak, and that is the ultimate truth. If you cannot protect what you possess, then you were never worthy of it to begin with." His voice carried the weight of authority, silencing many of the murmurs, though debate still stirred among the crowd.
Even Reizan, who had seen countless battles, found himself intrigued. These rules… they're ruthless, yet fascinating. I'll have to be cautious. Who knows what abilities others might unleash? His gaze drifted to the stage where Lenma and Anon stood, facing each other with unshaken confidence. A faint smile tugged at his lips. This is getting interesting.
His eyes then fixed on Lenma, the green-haired youth with deep black eyes. They glowed faintly, unlike anything Reizan had encountered. Those eyes… Tensai once mentioned them. Abyss Eyes. A legendary category, valued at nine hundred and ninety-nine million coins. But why has this guy only reached Morning Star level? Something doesn't add up. Perhaps his body is damaged, or maybe his talent is being suppressed. Unless… the elders themselves agreed to restrain him. If so, what's his true identity?
Suzan's voice cut through his thoughts. "Now, let the tournament begin." He raised his hand and, with a touch, both Anon and Lenma vanished. In the next instant, they reappeared on Planet-1000A, standing atop a vast floating forest. The skies above shimmered as giant screens ignited, projecting their images for all to see. Suzan's voice boomed once more. "You may begin!"
Suzan's figure flickered like a ripple of space and vanished from the arena, reappearing outside the planet where the vast screen projected every movement below. The audience of elders and spectators leaned forward, eyes fixed on the two figures suspended within the floating forest of Planet-1000A. The tension was palpable, as though even the stars were holding their breath.
Lenma and Anon faced each other, the air between them vibrating with suppressed energy.
"Guess your luck is about to run out," Lenma sneered, his lips curling into a cruel grin.
Anon narrowed his eyes, voice sharp. "Don't get your hopes up. Talent means nothing here. You and I both stand at the Half-Supreme stage—words won't decide this battle."
"Enough talk," Anon spat, and in that instant, his transformation began.
The lotus symbols in his eyes spun with radiant light. His icy blue hair shifted hue, glowing green as it lifted in the air like flames of chakra. A divine aura coated his body, weaving into a glowing green cloak. Nine Truth-Seeking Orbs materialized in a perfect circle behind him, radiating immense pressure. His very presence distorted the forest around them, trees trembling under the weight of his aura.
Lenma's gaze darkened, unfazed. "So you're going all out from the start. Good… my eyes are not weaker than yours. Abyss Mode!"
A dreadful silence fell as Lenma's body convulsed, then expanded. His once small frame surged from 1.4 meters to a towering three meters. His skin turned pitch black, exuding a ghastly aura. His abyssal eyes glowed with a grayish light, like cracks of void tearing into reality itself. Chakra leaked from his form like black fire, consuming the ground beneath his feet. His horns stretched over ten inches, jagged and sinister, while a dark-gray cloak wrapped his body in a suffocating shroud. Behind him, four swirling vortexes spun into existence, each one pulsating with violent dimensional energy.
Even Anon froze, his green cloak rippling as he instinctively stepped back. "This pressure… impossible. What is that transformation?"
Outside, the crowd was in shock. Suzan's usually calm eyes widened, unable to hide his envy. "So this… is the true depth of the Abyss Eyes," he murmured. The elders exchanged grim looks. Though Anon's transformation had impressed them, it was Lenma's that drew a single whispered word from their lips:
"Monster…"
Reizan, arms folded, watched with narrowed eyes. "That power… even from here, I can feel it. He's already stepped into pseudo-Supreme combat power. If this continues, Anon will be crushed."
Back within the floating forest, the tension snapped. Anon barely had time to raise his guard before Lenma vanished in a blur.
Boom!
A kick like thunder smashed into Anon's stomach. His body rocketed downward, colliding with the ground and leaving a massive crater. Dust and broken earth erupted into the air.
"You were courting death by standing there and gawking," Lenma's voice echoed, layered with disdain. His vortex spun, and from one of them, his massive fist lunged out unnaturally, cloaked in abyssal energy.
Crack!
Anon, still reeling in the crater, was struck in the stomach again, blood spraying from his mouth as the force folded him over.
"Bastard—ugh!" Anon gasped, clutching his ribs, fury blazing in his lotus eyes. With gritted teeth, he summoned his nine Truth-Seeking Orbs, pulling them close until they encased his body in a protective shell.
Hiding won't get you anywhere," Lenma's voice thundered, his Abyss eyes glowing with malevolent light. "Watch closely, worm… and see how I crush your fragile little shell."
He roared, and in response the space around him warped. From the rift of endless void, Hands from the Abyss emerged—massive, shadowy limbs stretching like molten plasma. They reached forward with eerie fluidity, grasping the massive Truth-Seeking Ball that encased Anon. The moment the dark hands clenched, they detonated, bursting into an ocean of pitch-black mist.
The forest below withered instantly. Trees decayed into ash, the earth corroded into lifeless sludge, and even the air seemed to rot away. Anon's scream tore through the haze as the darkness burned into him. His arm melted like wax, and the Truth-Seeking Ball shielding him disintegrated into fragments.
Desperation flared in his eyes. With a burst of golden chakra, Anon shot into the skies, high above the encroaching black mist. Glaring down at Lenma, fury twisted his face."You piece of trash… I'll kill you!"
Lenma smirked coldly. "Hah… says the rat scurrying from his little hole."
But then, something changed. Anon's body shimmered—and split into two. Standing side by side, both figures radiated the same blazing aura. Even Lenma raised an eyebrow at the sight.
"So," Lenma said with disdain, "you think mere numbers will save you?"
Anon laughed, his rage bleeding into arrogance. "Not numbers… my trump card."
Both Anons lifted their arms in unison, their golden eyes blazing."Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!" they roared.
Twin halos of dazzling golden light burst forth, spiraling skyward before ripping down toward Lenma like divine judgment. The beams shredded the clouds, their brilliance threatening to swallow everything in their path.
Lenma's expression sharpened. At last, a real challenge."Interesting… now you're finally talking." He extended his arms, his Abyss eyes glowing darker, deeper. Space itself groaned. "Then let me show you the true power of the Abyss."
Four swirling black vortexes spun into existence around him, merging into a single spiraling rift. The tear in reality pulsed with ominous light as lightning arced violently from its edges.
"Chaos Suction!"
The tear expanded, devouring sound and color alike. When the twin golden beams slammed into it, instead of annihilating Lenma, they were swallowed whole. The golden brilliance vanished into the Abyss as if it had never existed. Then silence.
Anon's eyes widened in disbelief. "No… that's impossible—"
Lenma chuckled darkly, raising one hand. "Fool. Did you think the Abyss only devours? Allow me to return your gift."
Another tear ripped open the heavens. But this one was blinding white, its center swirling with inverted void energy. From within, two colossal beams of blackened light erupted, identical to Anon's Golden Wheel—but sharper, heavier, and infinitely more destructive.
The returned attacks howled across the sky, descending with doubled force.
Anon froze, terror dawning on his face as he realized—he was about to be destroyed by his own ultimate move.