The blood-red sky stretched above the arena, the molten god faltering below, steam rising from rivers of redirected lava. The crowd had fallen into stunned silence, eyes wide as one boy—a null—had turned the battlefield into a living weapon, dismantling a god with nothing but armies, cities, and terrain itself.
But the calm did not last. From the far edge of the arena, a new presence descended—a summoner cloaked in black armor, radiating an aura that twisted the very air around them. Their eyes glowed with a strange, otherworldly light, and the spectators instinctively stepped back. Even the molten god paused, molten fists raised, as if sensing that this newcomer was something to be feared.
Arin's eyes narrowed. Finally… someone who might actually challenge me.
With a subtle motion of his hand, his empire shifted. Cavalry repositioned along hidden roads. Archers adjusted firing angles. Rivers curved to form new traps, and fortresses rose to shield vulnerable positions. Every unit, every soldier, every golem moved as extensions of his mind, anticipating not only the molten god's desperation but now the tactics of this new summoner.
The newcomer raised their hand, and the arena reacted instantly. Shadows erupted from the ground, twisting into gigantic beasts that moved with terrifying intelligence. Fire ignited across the battlefield, lightning crackled in arcs that no ordinary army could withstand. The air seemed to warp around them, bending reality slightly with every step.
A murmur ran through the crowd. "That summoner… they're not normal…"
Arin tilted his head, calm as ever. "Interesting," he murmured. "Finally… someone who wants to play."
With a flick of his staff, he split the battlefield again. Hills rose to block the shadow beasts' approach. Rivers shifted, cutting off potential flank routes. Fortresses sprouted with towers bristling with archers, catapults, and ballistae. Golems advanced to intercept shadows, while cavalry struck from unexpected angles.
The rival summoner smirked. "So this is the null… controlling armies instead of gods. Clever." Their voice was smooth, cold, and carried a power that made the molten god look small in comparison. "But cleverness isn't enough to survive."
Arin's lips curved into a faint, confident smile. "I don't survive. I dominate. And I learn from every encounter."
The molten god bellowed, sensing the new threat, its attacks wild and desperate. Arin's empire responded instantly. Cavalry flanked the molten god while archers targeted the shadow beasts. Golems struck simultaneously at multiple fronts. Rivers split and merged to redirect molten flows and block shadow assaults. Fortresses shifted locations mid-battle, turning terrain into a weapon.
The spectators gasped, some falling to their knees. One boy—dismissed as worthless—was simultaneously countering a collapsing god and a powerful rival summoner, commanding armies, terrain, and cities like pieces on a chessboard.
The rival summoner raised their hand again, summoning spikes of black stone to pierce the ground, aiming to crush the human army. But Arin anticipated it. With a flick of his staff, hills rose to shield the soldiers, rivers shifted to flood the spikes before they could strike, and golems intercepted with earth-shattering blows.
Arin's mind raced calmly. Two threats. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities. He smiled faintly. "Let's see how clever you really are."
The molten god trembled beneath him. The shadow beasts faltered at the golems' relentless pressure. The battlefield moved as one, alive, responding to a single mind. And high above the arena, the rival summoner realized something terrifying: the null boy was no mere fighter. He was a living empire, a force capable of turning destruction into creation, chaos into absolute control.
This… cannot be stopped, the rival thought, eyes widening.
And Arin, calm and unfazed, surveyed the battlefield. Good. I was hoping for a real challenge.