For some reason, Akihiro was recovering at a much slower rate than before. Perhaps from exhaustion of all the mana consumption, or most of the energy was focused on his spine. Either way, it seemed that his healing couldn't be focused over his entire body instantly.

Therefore, it was theoretically possible to obliterate Akihiro's body in one blow to kill him permanently. Athena threw the finishing blow, her punch aimed directly at Akihiro's face.

The moment her fist collided with Akihiro's face, he twisted his head and body in a certain way, redirecting the force throughout his entire body. All of the momentum gathered into a single area: Akihiro's right fist, which then shot forward and smashed into Athena's skull with bone-crushing force.

"You shouldn't have done that.~"

It was too late. Akihiro had already acted on pure instinct, unleashing a variant of Ebon Anshoku. A technique known for its potential to amplify and reflect force mixed with his own. Although, this Ebon Anshoku was only a single powerful punch due to the lack of healing only being in Akihiro's gut. The accumulation of pain and damage in that area intensified the force of his strike, making it far more powerful than the punch of someone who's already known for being one of the strongest.

Pain is the typical reservoir of capability when it comes to Ebon Anshoku, amplifying the impact Akihiro faced which then allows him to channel all the agony he is enduring into absolute annihilation. The slowed healing, instead of being a hindrance, turns into a weapon, showing just how dangerous the martial arts known as as Ebon Anshoku is, even while in a far weaker state.

The force of the punch flung Athena backward, her body colliding violently with the base of a towering Ferris wheel, causing the structure to groan, with metal straining and creaking under the sudden pressure.

Her body lay on the twisted metal at the base of the Ferris wheel, feeling pain throughout her body. For a moment, it seemed as though she would remain there beaten, but the thought of losing to Akihiro motivated her to continue moving. The injuries weren't as bad as she thought, but the blow to the head made her vision blurry.

She forced herself to her feet, muscles trembling but overcome. Her vision still managed focused on Akihiro standing a distance away, the Oni's silhouette hazy but still unmistakable. Every fiber of her being screamed, but Athena had never been one to heed the warnings of her own body. But her body wasn't screaming to surrender; it was screaming for violence.

Summoning her strength from the remaining reserves, Athena darted forward, the ground beneath her cracking from the force she launched herself with as the distance between them closed in the blink of an eye. As the two collide for the final time, their fists met eachother, causing the entire area to shatter as the sheer force of their attack had caused the Ferris wheel to buckle and some parts to collapse.

The two were thrown into the air, fragments of the Ferris wheel collapsing over the amusement park. Athena and Akihiro's bodies crashed through the cabins, metal and glass shattering around them, before finally landing in the same cabin, the Ferris wheel still turning slowly.

Athena and Alexander sat opposite of each other, both looking battered. Akihiro sat impressed, a smirk adorning his face, with the battle done, while Athena smiled at the overall outcome, opening her own flask of alcohol, specifically whiskey sour, and chugged some down. The fight was over.

"You should've trained for another 100 years if you wanted to beat me," Athena taunted.

The Ferris wheel finally came to a stop, and both Akihiro and Athena slowly made their way out of the damaged cabin.

Akihiro brushed the glass shards and bits of metal off his dusted attire, turning to Athena who was now by his side. "So can you actually elaborate on what you came here for?"

"I heard about Haru's death, which encouraged me to leave retirement. The journey was...arduous, to say the least. When I finally arrived, I was approached by someone claiming to have information about Haru's death. She said her name was Amaterasu. In return for the information, she asked for Fenrisúlfr's head. So I played along to reach you. But about Haru... was his death worth it?"

Akihiro's gaze noticeably tightened at the mention of Haru. The memory was as clear as day. In Japan, human life is valued differently than in other parts of the world. Duels to the death are tradition, often sparked by what outsiders might deem as small disputes.

But these battles are what they've built their entire life for. To the honor and dedication of warriors, it was the normal way to honor their life's pursuit.

Haru died protecting those he held dear, the people he saw as his own children: Helios, Zero, and Charlie. In the end, there was no more fitting death for Haru than that. It was the build up of his existence, a sacrifice he had long waited for. His ultimate wish was to give his life for theirs, and so he did.

"No. In the end, the people he died for ended up forgetting him and continued their path of violence."

After a moment in her own thoughts, Athena silently nodded. Her expression was unreadable, but there was certainly a wave of feelings behind that emotional mask of hers. The atmosphere grew somewhat heavier, but she walked it off.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"So what will you do now, oh, Athena?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'll join your group. I'm going after the clown bastard who brought me out of retirement. After all, I'd only be second to your mother, who's the strongest thing to walk the earth."

And so, Athena was now apart of the Kaikuji...by forcing herself in.

And so, time passed as quick as it could. The day of coliseum had arrived. In the dimly lit hall, the only light came from the distant exit leading into the arena floor. Lorin sat alone, the faint sound of cheering still managing reaching him from afar. Though nearly complete silent, the distant roars of the crowd were discernible to his ears.

That's right. Just beyond that gate, he would fight for his life's purpose. Blood must be marred on his hands, a necessary stain for the path he must walk. The world, with its endless cycle of foolishness and injustice, did not deserve sympathy. Lorin knew that only through his actions could true rulership be shown.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from beyond the darkness, their rhythm precious enough to be recognized by Lorin. From the shadows, Saturnus had stepped forward, their footsteps already evident to who it was. Although their appearance was one of pure darkness, Lorin's eyes still weakened.

"Lorin, I long accepted your vision of the world to be one I desire. But ruling through fear and seeking this artifact...it's tearing you apart. You don't have to be like your father."

Lorin's gaze snapped towards Saturnus, his eyes beginning to illuminate with rising anger. He shot up from his seat, fists clenched tightly as he contemplated grabbing Saturnus by the collar, but deemed it as unprofessional.

"Do you think Helios and his sister will just stand by and let us rule? They're just waiting for an opportunity to go after their own necessities. Fear is the only language they'll understand."

Saturnus stood still with a mask of calmness. They waited, allowing Lorin to rant out a bit.

"But have you ever asked yourself at cost, Lorin? What you embody is the lost of empathy ever since the world burned the place you were raised. But there's more to humanity than that--"

"Saturnus, leave me be."

Letting out a hopeless sigh, Saturnus turned away, their shoulders slumping slightly as they began to walk back into the darkness from which they had came from.

The day had come.

In the sky, the golden light of the sun marked the arrival of noon. Fenris' festival had finally reached its final point: the Coliseum event. The winner would be rewarded with an Heirloom, rumored to be sourced from destruction itself. Midir knew its true origin was Cerberus, and those who shared this knowledge understood the weapon's actual potential:

to slay immortals.

Surely, such a weapon wouldn't be given out for free, leading Midir to theorize that Charlie would play an important role in today's events.

Now, the Kaikuji stood gathered with their participants: Helios, Kronos, Zero, Eris, Apollo, Selene, and Akihiro. Today marked the end of the first part of their journey, with stakes higher than ever so far. Reminiscing on the conversation Midir had with Helios, he had decided to place more trust in his teammates.

The plan was straightforward: the Colisuem would proceed as expected with everyone participating, while Midir would secretly investigate the restricted areas to get into a helpful position for an ambush.

Akihiro's role in this plan was more important than any role, but right before Midir explained, he suddenly realized that everyone was present except for Akihiro.

"...Why does he keep going off on his own?"

A man looked out the window of his cab, taking in the scenery, and remembering how amazing it felt to be back in America. He wondered if it had changed much at all or if it was still very similar to when he had left. He smiled and then motioned to the driver to stop, seeing that his destination was in front of him. He got out and dropped his bags on the ground and then took in a whiff of air. It smelled nice.

"Ah. It's good to be back."

He raised a hand to the top of his brow, attempting to block out the morning rays of the sun as he took in the majesty of the building in front of him. It was truly massive, spanning at least a mile in length. Sunlight reflected off it, giving it an even greater sense of grandeur. He stood there in awe for a bit before noticing a familiar figure near the entrance.

"Time to say hello again I suppose."

He quickly grabbed his stuff and hurried over, only to find that they'd entered and were now nowhere in sight.

A figure managed to suddenly appear from thin air, darting through and across the area towards the man. Gripping his sheathed katana tightly, the figure swung it towards the at speeds that would only be seen as a blur. Feeling his instincts kick in, the man pulled out his blade in a sudden move, and brought it up to block the incoming blow.

It was silent for a moment as the two individuals stared at each other in the face, weapon against weapon, almost as if they were analyzing each other, and their fighting prowess. The man finally broke the silence, saying only a few words, before disengaging and leaping away.

"Long time no see, old friend." He said with a smile towards Akihiro.

"You're Odin..."

Fenris began to walk down the dark hall, each step echoing against the walls as he silently but gracefully strolled through the corridor. He definitely knew he looked raw as fuck, but his focus was on the growing light ahead. The distant roars of the crowd were growing louder with each step he took, his ears relishing in their screams.

Reaching the end of the hall, he finally walked into the light, finding himself on a platform overlooking the entire arena. Below, the crowd was overflowing with excitement, the men below letting out their savage cries like animals, placing their bets on who would come out as the winner amongst the enlisted participants.

Fenris sighed, turning the screen off as he gazed down the platform, chuckling to himself at the sight of so many people roaring even louder at the sight of the ringleader. He opened his arms to command silence, the crowd quickly silencing themselves as Fenris leaned into the mic.

"Welcome, one and all, to the grand finale of the festival," his voice echoed throughout the entire arena. "Today, we will witness the greatest beaut there is for a battle of God."

Fenris begin to slowly approach the throne at the center of the platform, making sure his cape billowed as he paced forward.

"Each of you has come here with hopes, dreams, and.. money apparently. Make sure you spent it in good use?"

He seated himself, slouching on the throne as he felt bathed in his riches. Slowly, he picked up the golden crown, holding it high above for everyone to see.

May the best win.

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!*"

As the crown settled on his head, the coliseum erupted once more, the screaming now at its peak as colorful explosions of abilities colliding filled the entire arena.

"And may fortune favor the bold."