Rain poured over Veylport, a cold drizzle that ran down broken streets like molten silver. Rayon's violet eyes scanned the horizon from the chair he now sat in like a king, coat trailing behind him, strings barely visible but coiling in anticipation.
Erethon: Ah… this… this is the real him. Not the sealed potential you've seen before. Full Potential Rayon… it's a completely different predator. One that doesn't just survive, it enjoys destruction, manipulation, dominance…
On the rooftops, atop broken buildings, through shattered alleyways, ten of the strongest Awakeners were converging. Their aura cut through the rain like knives. They had been the ones assigned to guard the seals from the likes of Rayon—ten individuals handpicked for strength, cunning, and lethality.
Rayon's eyes glinted. "Well… look at you. All ten of you. And you thought I'd ever fear you?" His tone was calm, bored, but the words dripped with arrogance and amusement.
Vorthalaxis coiled tighter around his arm, sensing the surge. "Master… you're practically glowing. They can't even touch you."
The Awakeners circled him like predators sizing up prey:
Lazheron Veyral – Aura of molten steel, capable of crushing stone with a punch.
Rovan Delsic – Shadow manipulator, moves through darkness like liquid.
Asha Myrelle – Deadly with dual daggers, unmatched reflexes.
Korvath Helrin – Psychic brute, capable of shattering minds with raw thought.
Thalric Veynis – Master of elemental chaos, firestorms manifest at will.
Selivar Kain – Extreme speed, teleportation-like movement.
Fryden Oskvar – Multi-limbed martial artist, perfect defense and attack.
Vaelther Nox – Blood magic, draining and manipulating life forces.
Deyrus Harkon – Beast form manipulator, can summon titanic monstrosities.
Zyrel Tahlis – Gravity manipulator, capable of pinning foes with unseen weight.
Erethon: Ah… all ten. And they think they are a threat. Watching him now… they'll feel like children before a storm.
The Awakeners Circle, the organization itself that had held the world in balance from the shadows, now gathered through these ten. Their purpose was absolute: guard the seals, enforce order, and neutralize those who threatened it.
Rayon slowly stood from his chair, dusting off his coat, hair lifted with residual energy, hands still in pockets. "You came a long way. For what? To fight me?" His voice was casual, but every word burned with arrogant confidence.
Erethon: See that? Full Potential Rayon doesn't just fight… he mocks, he toys, he dominates psychologically before a strike even lands. Sealed potential? Subtle, restrained. Controlled. This? This is chaos made flesh.
Rayon's smile widened, purple energy glinting faintly at the tips of his strings. "I'm excited," he said softly. "All ten of you… I've been waiting for this kind of fun. Let's make sure everyone remembers you. But… why kill when I can teach you?"
Vorthalaxis hissed, sensing the thrill. "Master… they don't even know what's coming."
Rayon's smirk sharpened. "They'll find out soon enough."
Without warning, the ten Awakeners launched themselves simultaneously. Shadows, elemental blasts, psychic waves, and gravity fields collided in a symphony of destruction. Rayon didn't move at first, casually leaning back. The first strike—the molten punch of Lazheron—hit his strings. Rayon chuckled faintly as the strings absorbed, adapted, and redirected the force.
Rayon (mocking): "Is that all?"
Rovan's shadows lunged, fast as knives in the dark. Rayon's hands flicked, strings coiling around them mid-air, yanking, binding, and crushing without effort. Asha darted in with twin daggers, blades aimed at his head—Rayon leaned back, smile widening, and a string wrapped around her wrist, disarming her with a flick.
Erethon: Yes… yes… they have no idea how fast, how deadly, how untouchable he is now.
Korvath tried a psychic strike. Rayon's mind expanded slightly with Insanity, devouring the attack and adapting. The blast rebounded with a small fraction absorbed—Korvath staggered backward, wide-eyed.
Rayon's attacks were precise, not meant to kill, but to leave scars, breaks, and fear. Lazheron ended up with a crushed arm and a burning imprint across his chest. Asha had multiple fractured ribs, and her reflexes were permanently shaken. Rovan's shadows were twisted and reshaped into grotesque knots around him before Rayon casually cut them away.
Erethon: This… this is the difference. Full Potential Rayon doesn't need to kill. The world beneath him is just clay. He shapes, he bends, he reminds them of their place.
Every blow, every dodge, every manipulation of hollow strings displayed Rayon's mastery. The Awakeners Circle members found themselves battered, humiliated, and terrified, yet none died. Rayon didn't see the point—he wanted submission and respect, not empty corpses.
Rayon walked calmly through the battlefield, brushing dust off his coat, eyes scanning for weaknesses. "Come on," he taunted. "You're all strong, but you're nothing before me. Admit it. You want me to stop… but you know I won't."
Erethon: Notice the arrogance, the confidence. This isn't the sealed potential you've seen. That one was restrained, careful, calculating. Full Potential Rayon? He's raw, unfiltered, madness and genius intertwined. He doesn't flinch, doesn't hesitate, and every hit only makes him stronger. He wants to fight, to dominate, to leave an impression that lasts longer than death. That… that is artistry.
Rayon's grin widened as he tore through another attack, his Insanity fueling strength and regeneration. Each step, each strike, was a lesson in dominance. The rain hissed on his strings as they laced through the air, whipping the Awakeners backward, leaving bruised, battered, and humiliated champions.
Rayon (laughing, high-pitched, arrogant): "This is fun! You all thought you were gods, huh? Look at you now… crawling, gasping, broken… beneath me."
As Rayon finally stepped back, surveying the ten strongest Awakeners—Lazheron, Rovan, Asha, Korvath, Thalric, Selivar, Fryden, Vaelther, Deyrus, Zyrel—he smirked, smoldering violet eyes scanning the battered but alive warriors.
Rayon: "Alright… that was fun. But I think it's time for the real players to show up. Call them all. I've been waiting."
Vorthalaxis hissed softly, coiling around his arm. "Master… the full potential is magnificent… terrifying… unstoppable."
Erethon chuckled softly in his mind, sardonic and cruel. "Yes… the world is about to remember this moment. But even I can't predict how much chaos you'll create before they try to retaliate."
Lightning flashed over Veylport. Shadows stretched longer. And somewhere, far above the rooftops, the Awakeners Circle's leadership began their descent, alerted by Draven's trembling voice.
Rayon tilted his head, one leg casually resting over the other, coat fluttering. He was ready. And he was ecstatic.
Rayon (whispering to himself): Let's see who's bold enough to try me next…
The storm above wasn't just weather—it was a prelude to chaos, the beginning of a war that no one, not even the Awakeners Circle, would forget.