Swish—swish—swish—
Blades flashed from swirling gray vortexes, demon swords materializing by the hundreds and streaking through the air toward Riser.
He froze. Eyes wide, pupils pinprick, Riser stared at the oncoming storm of steel—
And for the first time, he felt true fear.
"Ah—!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
There was nowhere to run. The torrent of swords swallowed him whole.
He was a phoenix, heir to immortality—no attack could kill him outright. But every time his wounds closed and his body reformed, another blade would pierce him. Again and again. Heal, impale. Heal, impale. An endless, merciless cycle.
On the projection screen, the nobles watched Riser's repeated agony—screaming, skewered, resurrected, and skewered again. Their mouths hung open; no one could find their voice.
"Balance Breaker!"
Even Sirzechs, seated high above, couldn't hide his surprise. For someone of his caliber, this duel was little more than two children sparring—but Tenra had upended his expectations at every turn.
Not only did Tenra possess multiple Sacred Gears, he'd pushed them to the next level: Balance Breaker. The forbidden power.
This wasn't the era of rampant Balance Breakers, where every street corner boasted a Sacred Gear wielder. In this age, even possessing a Sacred Gear was rare—achieving Balance Breaker, rarer still. Those who did were treasures, courted by every major power in the supernatural world.
Sirzechs weighed all this in a heartbeat. He and Grayfia exchanged a look—sharp, knowing, the barest nod passing between them.
Unbelievable, yet undeniable. The infamous "Sacred Gear Plunderer" despised by both Fallen Angels and the Church… was none other than the fourth son of House Phenex.
For the first time, a flicker of intrigue danced in Grayfia's cool eyes as she watched Tenra's image in the sky. Even the Underworld's strongest queen seemed drawn in.
—
Inside the collapsing dimension, Tenra floated above the battlefield, ringed by countless gray vortexes. Swords poured forth, a ceaseless rain of steel.
Every Sacred Gear evolved with its host's growth. When a wielder's will and desire bent the world's flow, the Sacred Gear reached Balance Breaker.
For most, that was an impossible dream—talent, opportunity, and will all had to align. But Tenra was different. With [Sacred Gear Plunder], he had a natural affinity for mastering these powers. What others struggled for, he achieved with terrifying ease.
Already, several of his Sacred Gears had reached Balance Breaker.
[Unlimited Blade Creation]—Tenra's forbidden evolution of [Sword Birth], inspired by a certain King of Heroes and a champion of justice from another world. Even among Balance Breakers, it stood at the pinnacle.
The sword storm battered Riser, over and over. Each shriek of pain sent chills down the spines of everyone watching.
"I am Riser Phenex! Blessed by the immortal bird! You can't kill me, Tenra Kamiyo!"
"AAAAHHHH!"
Riser's roar was cut short as his newly reformed body was impaled yet again.
Tenra hovered above, shaking his head. Riser was as stubborn and prideful as ever—pushed to his limit, yet still refusing to yield.
Maybe, Tenra thought, that was a virtue in its own way.
He could have dragged this out, let Riser's magic drain away and claim victory by attrition. But that wasn't his style. He'd already punished Riser, taught him a lesson. Now it was time to drive the point home.
The vortexes vanished. The swords ceased. The audience, confused, watched as Tenra raised one hand slowly toward the sky.
A hush fell. The gray heavens of the dimensional space darkened, tinged with violet—like the Underworld's own sky.
Tenra's voice carried, calm and resolute:
"Riser, you've always been proud of your bloodline. You wear your phoenix heritage like armor."
"But today, I'll show you—bloodline isn't everything. Even the talentless can rise to the very top."
"Take this. Balance Breaker—"
"Cloud-Splitting Swordfall!"
A purple blade of light tore down from the heavens.
Riser, pale and spent, had just managed to reform his body, ready for one last desperate stand. He looked up—and saw the sword of judgment descending.
"No—!"
BOOM!
The swordlight engulfed him. His form flickered, then vanished, teleported out of the collapsing space. The explosion shattered the dimension itself.
Crack—crack—crack—
The sound of breaking glass. The unleashed power was too much; the entire arena collapsed.
As the space disintegrated, Tenra's figure blurred and disappeared.
—
Silence. The entire hall stared at the stage, where Riser and Tenra reappeared—victor and vanquished.
"I haven't lost… I haven't—"
Riser, drained and broken, still tried to rise. His eyes burned with unwillingness as he glared at Tenra.
But suddenly, he couldn't move. Hands, feet, neck—his whole body was frozen, as if locked by some invisible force. Only his mind remained free, trapped in a motionless shell.
"Riser, don't you get it? You've lost. Completely."
"If I'd only wanted to beat you, I could've ended this a hundred ways. But—"
"That would've been boring."
Tenra's eyes glinted with a wicked light. He unleashed the power of another Sacred Gear—
The Evil Eye that Stops the World.
Riser's face froze, locked in an expression of utter defeat. Tenra leaned in, voice soft but merciless:
"Now do you understand the gap between us?"
Riser heard every word. How ironic—he'd once said those exact words to Tenra. Now, the tables had turned.
All his fighting spirit drained away. He'd lost. Utterly.
Tenra released the Evil Eye's grip. Riser collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.
It was over. The battle belonged to Tenra.
At that moment, Grayfia's clear, icy voice rang out across the hall:
"I now declare—the final victor—"
"Tenra Kamiyo!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong