The wind swept across the castle roof.
Dust moved through the air, carrying fragments of broken stone from the battlefield.
Jedel stood in the middle of the ruined rooftop.
In front of him—
Michael slowly raised his head.
His eyes were no longer filled with fear.
They were filled with something different.
Determination.
Jedel smiled.
"So... let's see how strong a Valric really is."
Michael suddenly disappeared.
Jedel's eyes widened.
Michael launched himself forward and struck at him with everything he had.
Jedel blocked the attack and pushed Michael away.
Michael twisted through the air and landed on his feet.
Without giving Jedel time to react, he thrust his hand forward.
A massive purple blast erupted from his palm.
Jedel immediately moved aside.
The blast tore through the stone wall behind him.
Michael stared at his own hand.
"What is this?"
He looked genuinely surprised.
He could feel the energy moving through his body.
Jedel slowly turned toward him.
"You have never fought without the sword."
Michael clenched his fists.
"I did."
Jedel raised an eyebrow.
"When?"
Michael lowered his stance.
"Now!"
He charged.
Purple energy surrounded his body, flowing around him like a living aura.
Every step left traces of purple light behind him.
Michael leapt forward and drove his fist toward Jedel.
Jedel blocked—
But the force sent him crashing onto the ground.
Michael landed above him.
Jedel looked up.
"You may be strong..."
He suddenly kicked Michael away.
"...but you still aren't at your best."
Michael flew backward.
Jedel followed instantly.
A punch struck Michael across the face, sending him sliding across the rooftop.
Michael recovered mid-slide and fired another purple blast.
Jedel dodged.
Michael looked around.
His eyes landed on a broken wooden stick lying among the rubble.
He picked it up.
Jedel stared at it.
"No way you're going to use that stick against me."
Michael tightened his grip.
"I will."
He charged.
The stick swung toward Jedel—
But before Michael could complete the attack—
Jedel raised his hand.
"Form."
A strange energy field suddenly formed around his body.
The air itself seemed to bend.
"I've put back the defense around me."
Jedel smiled.
"Now you can't attack me with NIT energy."
He stepped forward.
"So what can you do?"
Michael stared at him.
Then tightened his grip around the stick.
"I can fight."
He swung.
CRACK!
Jedel's blade sliced through the stick.
The broken pieces fell from Michael's hands.
Before Michael could react, Jedel grabbed him by the clothes and lifted him from the ground.
"What are you without energy?"
Jedel pulled him closer.
"Without weapons?"
Michael struggled.
"Nothing."
Jedel's voice became colder.
"Just a little kid."
He threw Michael onto the ground.
"When will you understand what being strong means?"
Michael remained still.
Jedel stood above him.
"You are no Valric."
He paused.
"And if you are one..."
His eyes narrowed.
"Then forget being a Valric."
"You are the shame of all Valrics."
"The weakest in the whole generation."
Michael's eyes slowly closed.
His mind went silent.
I lost.
My powers are nothing without energy.
He remembered everything.
The broken Regicide.
The battles.
The people he couldn't save.
The name Valric.
They used to say Valrics were demons.
Michael slowly opened his eyes.
"But I don't think they were."
Silence.
His breathing became heavier.
"They were..."
Michael's fist tightened against the ground.
"THEY WERE!"
Suddenly—
The entire rooftop went silent.
The wind stopped.
A dark aura appeared around Michael.
Green light emerged from the darkness.
A figure slowly appeared before him.
Emerald-green eyes.
Black aura.
A presence so powerful that even Michael couldn't move.
"Who are you?"
The figure looked at him.
"I am Kallis Valric."
Michael's eyes widened.
"The creator of the Valrics."
Michael stared at him in disbelief.
"Wow... I'm meeting all the people at this point inside me."
Kallis shook his head.
"No."
His voice echoed through the darkness.
"You are not inside yourself."
"You are in the afterlife."
Michael froze.
"What?"
Kallis continued.
"You died fighting Jedel."
Michael's eyes widened.
"But I am here to send you back."
Michael stared at him.
"Why?"
Kallis turned away.
"I can."
He paused.
"Don't ask why."
"I'll tell you later."
Michael couldn't speak.
Kallis stepped closer.
His green eyes became brighter.
"Remember who you are."
The darkness around him began shaking.
"That's the only advice I have for you."
Kallis placed his hand against Michael's chest.
"This is my energy."
"I am passing it to you."
The entire space exploded with green light.
"For the first time in more than one hundred years..."
Kallis looked directly into Michael's eyes.
"The Outrage will return."
BACK ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Jedel stood over Michael.
He looked down.
"Did I kill him?"
Michael didn't move.
Jedel waited.
Nothing.
He grabbed Michael and dropped him onto the floor.
Jedel turned his back.
"Pathetic."
He began walking away.
Then—
Michael's fingers moved.
Jedel stopped.
Behind him—
Michael's body slowly began rising from the ground.
His clothes started tearing apart under the pressure of the energy surrounding him.
A strange black tattoo appeared across his back.
Green energy exploded around his body.
His eyes opened.
Emerald green.
His hair began turning green.
The skin across his body took on a deep crimson tone as the Valric energy surged through him.
The entire rooftop trembled.
Jedel slowly turned around.
His expression changed.
"What the fuck...?"
Michael raised his head.
His aura erupted around him.
He stared directly at Jedel.
"JEDEL..."
The green energy intensified.
Michael clenched his fists.
"FEEL MY RAGE!"
IKIRO VS SMITH
A completely different battlefield.
Smith stood inside the blue barrier surrounding the area.
He looked around.
"What is this barrier?"
Ikiro stood several meters away.
"Instant teleportation."
Smith's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Ikiro smiled.
"I can teleport anywhere inside this barrier."
Blue flames wrapped around his body.
"And my speed increases a lot."
Smith stared at him.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Ikiro's expression became serious.
"Because you won't be able to ask me again."
Smith frowned.
"Why?"
Ikiro disappeared.
"You won't be alive."
WHOOSH!
Smith turned.
Nothing.
A flash of blue appeared behind him.
BAM!
A punch struck him.
Before Smith could recover—
Ikiro vanished again.
BAM!
Another hit.
Then another.
Then another.
1—
Teleport.
2—
Teleport.
3—
Teleport.
Ikiro's location changed every second.
Smith desperately swung his sword.
But he couldn't even see where Ikiro would appear next.
"What the fuck is this?!"
Ikiro kept moving.
Every teleport was followed by another strike.
Smith was forced backward across the barrier.
I have to analyze his pattern.
If I can predict where he'll appear...
I can knock him down in one swing.
Smith raised his sword defensively.
"AH!"
Another strike hit him.
"STOP HITTING ME!"
Smith crashed onto the floor.
Ikiro appeared above him.
Another attack.
Smith rolled away just in time.
The barrier is roughly a 10x10 square.
That gives me one hundred possible positions.
He looked around.
I need to analyze every entrance.
Smith began memorizing the locations.
"12... 14... 16... 8... 26... 28... 40... 56... 58... 100... 98... 96..."
Ikiro didn't notice.
He kept attacking.
Smith's eyes sharpened.
Wait.
He's only using certain positions.
He watched carefully.
"10... 100... 90... 80... 70... 60... 50... 40... 30... 20... 10..."
His eyes widened.
He changes the pattern every ten seconds.
This pattern will return in forty seconds.
Smith tightened his grip around his sword.
And I know where he'll appear.
Position ten.
He began counting.
"Thirty-seven..."
Ikiro disappeared.
"Thirty-eight..."
A blue flash appeared.
"Thirty-nine..."
Smith raised his sword.
"Forty."
Ikiro appeared directly in front of him.
"ARE YOU NOT FINISHED YET?!"
Ikiro threw his fist forward—
Smith's sword moved instantly.
CLANG!
The blade stopped Ikiro's attack.
Smith smiled.
"Got you."
DOM VS TON
Inside Dom's strange dimension—
Ton stood in darkness.
"Free me, Dom!"
Dom appeared in front of him.
"Alright."
He snapped his fingers.
The glass cage disappeared.
But the moment it broke—
The ground vanished beneath Ton.
"WHAT IS THIS?!"
Ton fell into a bottomless void.
Dom floated above him.
"My world."
He smiled.
"Everything I imagine happens in here."
Ton looked around.
"Then..."
Dom raised his hand.
"Fill the room with water."
Suddenly—
Water flooded the entire space.
Ton began struggling to breathe.
Dom watched calmly.
"Fire."
The water vanished.
Flames erupted around Ton.
Ton fought his way through them.
"Hey..."
He looked toward Dom.
"So you can do anything?"
Dom smiled.
"Yeah."
Ton's eyes narrowed.
"So from anything..."
A small smirk appeared on his face.
"Anything?"
Dom sighed.
"Don't get any ideas."
Ton suddenly disappeared.
Dom's eyes widened.
"TON!"
Ton appeared behind him.
BAM!
He punched Dom across the face.
"Got you!"
Dom flew backward.
"You were thinking about my question!"
Ton grinned.
"And I sneaked up on you."
Dom wiped his face.
"You mean sneaked?"
Ton blinked.
"Whatever."
Dom's expression changed.
"If you want to play that game..."
He raised both hands.
"Why don't I bring some snakes inside here?"
Ton's smile disappeared.
"I suppose you're joking."
Dom smiled.
"No."
The darkness began moving.
One snake.
Ten.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
SNAKES BEGAN POURING INTO THE DIMENSION.
Ton jumped backward.
"What the—?!"
The snakes surrounded him from every direction.
He tried to escape.
More appeared.
Dom floated higher into the air.
Ton was completely overwhelmed by the swarm.
Dom looked down at him.
"Goodbye."
He turned away.
"Sayonara."
The darkness swallowed the battlefield.
And somewhere above them—
the countdown continued.