Skorr POV:

I cracked a wide smile while the broadcast drew near to its climax. It was one surprise after another, but to think that he was truly the disciple of the Zane Pantheon was something else.

‘This kid...’

I laughed lightly at the thought of what would have happened if things went differently; I’d definitely be 6 feet under by now.

A relieved sigh left my mouth as I pondered over the situation. There had been multiple occasions where Zane should have shown up if he really was watching from close by, but he didn’t.

‘Was this a test for the kid? To take over the South?’

No. That didn’t seem right, especially if you took into consideration Zane's personality. There was more to this than simply replacing the person sitting on the throne.

“Keuk...”

My thoughts were cut short by the pained moans of a middle-aged man. I shifted my gaze to the ground as my foot rested against his chest.

‘Hmm.’

I splayed my hands, forming fairly detailed swords of fire that I gripped firmly. It was better to take care of this permanently.

“...Ha... I see you want to have your way with her too...”

“You should get a new set of eyes, old man.”

His face contorted while I increased the heat of my flames. I raised my right hand, swinging the blade right down at the intersection of his shoulder. I tore through his Ki Armour, lacerating the skin, the nerves, the muscles and then the bone.

“ARFHHHBGGCC!!”

He screeched out in pain when I slapped his mouth shut with the back of the flaming sword. It left a deep burn on his cheek as he glared at me with hate-filled eyes.

I shifted my attention to the wound that had been sealed shut by the burning heat. His right arm laid separated from his body on the ground, twitching before going limp.

“One more to go.”

“W-WAAI—AERRGHHHHNBXFZX!!”

His left arm rolled on the ground, spewing out a few drops of blood from where the cut was made. I gazed down at the man whose eyes had almost rolled back into his head.

“...I don’t know if you touched her in that way, but I'll get rid of it just in case.”

I turned my attention to his private area while he conveniently regained consciousness.

“N-no... P-please... Mercy... Have mercy...”

“Mercy? Did you have mercy when you beat her to your hearts content? Did you have mercy when you had your way with her? When you abused her to the point you could control her with her name alone?”

I pointed the flaming sword at his throat.

“Mercy is a luxury you can’t afford. Compassion is a decency you lack, and Punishment is an action you deserve.”

I peered down into his eyes, simultaneously swinging the sword towards his groin. The motion alone caused his mouth to foam while his body convulsed violently.

‘Hmm.’

I gazed at the sword that penetrated the now-wet earth in front of his privates. I turned around as my jacket fluttered behind me as I dispelled my Elemental Ki.

“Rise: Promotion.”

I flickered into a new location and instantly dropped to one knee. Beads of sweat ran down my forehead, having used up most of my Ki Reserves. Rose immediately came running over and placed her hands on my cheek.

“!”

Before her mouth could open, I removed her hands and gently put them on top of her knees. I stood up straight while letting out a small sigh.

“He won't ever touch you again.”

I prepared to meet up with the others when Rose grabbed my arm.

“Please... Stay with me.”

My eyes narrowed, and I took my arm out of her grip lightly.

“You don’t need to rely on others.”

Rose bit her lip as she took a step back. Tears pooled at the side of her eyes, threatening to break out into an unstoppable stream.

“...Am I not worth your time anymore?”

I stood there for a while, wondering how I should handle this woman. My sister flashed through my mind once more while I stared at the deep blue sky.

“...You're afraid of getting close to me. Why?”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and took a seat on the rooftop.

“Use your ability and find out.”

“I won’t because I know what kind of person you are.”

I tapped my knee lightly, ignoring her presence again. I may have opened up to her, mostly against my will, but that didn’t mean she knew me.

“You didn’t kill M-Mr Alfons.”

Rose no longer addressed him as master, which wasn’t a surprise. I had no idea what her fixation on me was, but it was quite tiresome.

“Let’s get straight to the point. Rose, why are you so interested in me?”

I shifted my gaze to her face, which suddenly appeared inches away from my own. The twilight ring around her pupils glowed intensely while my eyebrow twitched.

“!”

There was a slight shift in the air as I stared into her unique eyes. Before I knew it, my hand rested against her soft cheek, and her lips curved into an alluring smile. She closed her eyes, revealing her long eyelashes as she stroked my hand.

“?”

I pulled it back and instantly got to my feet. Sweat poured down my face while my heartbeat raced uncontrollably.

“What... Did you just do?...”

“Me? What just happened was your own doing. There’s a lot about Ki that you don’t understand, nor do you know the path that you walk.”

‘What?’

Her aura changed slightly, and my head began to throb. My eyes burned with pain, blurring my vision as I stumbled backwards.

“You are my dawn.”

“Guh...!”

I flopped to my knees, unable to bear the scorching pain eating away at my eyes. Bright reddish flames formed a curtain over my vision; they blocked out the world around me, burning the very nerves across my sclera. Excruciating bolts of pain assaulted my blank mind as I roared out in agony.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

I wanted to claw them out of my sockets to get some kind of relief, but I instinctively knew I shouldn’t. It felt like the pain would only intensify if I tried to aggravate it in any way.

“Ugh...!!”

Just as the pain reached an even higher realm of intensity, the shadow of a blurry figure slowly approached me. In need of any kind of relief, I reached out to them.

Two soft lips placed themselves against mine, followed by the bewitching, sweet smell of evening primroses. The unbearable pain in my eyes finally calmed down, and a feeling beyond my understanding gradually seeped inside of me.

“!”

The lips abruptly pulled away before I could make sense of what was going on. My breathing stabilized somewhat, and most of my vision returned.

“It's too early for you.”

I glared at Rose, who was visibly sweating. A constant burning pain, no matter where I looked, accompanied my bloodshot eyes, but surprisingly, I wasn’t angry at Rose. Rather, I felt a strange sort of attraction to her.

“Why do I suddenly feel attracted to you?”

I blurted out my thoughts while I narrowed my eyes. There appeared to be other changes going on inside me, but it all seemed incredibly incomplete.

“You’re wrong. It wasn’t sudden.”

‘Hmm.’

I let out a sigh and sat back down on the rooftop. I could worry about this issue later; it was more important to me that I saw the kid's fight to the end.

Despite the strange situation, I knew Rose wasn’t an enemy. She stood upright in the same position like a statue with a soft smile plastered across her face. I tapped my knee for some time before parting my lips.

“You can sit down. I did already tell you that I’d stay with you till it’s all over.”

I sighed inwardly. Rose sat right beside me, close enough for our shoulders to touch, as we turned our attention back to the broadcast.

***

Lyon POV:

Baekan's eyes widened in disbelief as he took a few more steps backwards. He furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his teeth.

“So you’re not just a copycat...”

I observed his arms tremble. He took his time to re-examine me, not wanting to charge in carelessly due to the weight the name of a Pantheon carried.

‘Go.’

I heard my Master's voice echo inside my head. My lips curved upwards, and I clenched my fists.

“Ghost.”

The streak of yellow shattered the remaining dark violet lines as my speed increased explosively. It added another burst to the Ignition Phase, bringing my total to 5 while I felt my understanding of the Pantheon Style deepen.

The optimal lines of attack were no longer limited, like before. Ghost now gave me the option to place them down wherever I wanted them to be.

“...You’re not a Pantheon... You’re just an outsider. Do not get ahead of yourself.”

Baekan regained his composure and stretched out his hand towards me. The biomass morphed into the shape of a red cannon as a dark yellow light illuminated the inside.

“Witness the power of a King.”

The compressed Ki exploded out of the cannon. It spread out into a larger beam, tearing through the bedrock below. Gusts of wind blew across District 1 while I continued to dash toward him.

The energy covered most of my vision, threatening to consume me as the distance shrunk further. The heat charred the already dark earth; its power darkening the sky. My Ki shot down the yellow path that connected Baekan and me together in a straight line.

“!”

The beam of energy split apart on either side like a raging wave forced to separate itself in front of an obstacle that wouldn’t be moved. At the same time, Baekan's head snapped back, and a second later, I arrived.

“Pantheon Style: Ghosting Mirage.”

Dozens of biomass weaponry launched towards me while I flickered behind him. Hundreds of yellow lines shone all around his body briefly before the violent sound of the air bursting and snapping apart descended upon him.

His ability-enhanced skin shattered in several places under the intense assault, but Baekan summoned thick tendrils of biomass to wrap around him like a cocoon.

‘!’

I immediately jumped into the air, avoiding a blackish-red Ki flash out in a circular radius. It split the cocoon in half. It cut through the edges of the deep crater, slicing inside with ease before exploding. Baekan grabbed the top half of the cocoon, moulding it into a shield that attached to his arm while Elemental Ki wrapped around his black and red sword.

“Biomass: King's Declaration.”

His hand flickered as red arcs coated with water shot towards me. I slipped through the attacks that I could and blocked the ones that I couldn’t. There was no longer that strange sensation of being cut by something I couldn’t see, and I instinctively knew Baekan was running out of time.

My foot snapped the air apart while he blocked it with the shield. He leapt high into the sky and viciously swung his sword down, sending out a large torrent of red Ki that detonated upon impact.

“Defensive.”

I took the blow head-on. Blood trickled out of several cuts along my body as I glared at Baekan, who splayed his hand. A large earthen spear shot towards my stomach, but my intent shattered it well before it could reach me.

He dropped to the ground, and we traded blows for the final time. Shockwaves rippled across the entire South of Outer Astril as I gradually pushed Baekan backwards.

“You...”

I spun on the inside, no longer concerned about the biomass Baekan could manipulate. My palm rested against his chest, shooting him back into the ground while I landed lightly on my toes.

“Pantheon Style: Hearken.”

A burst of Ki erupted out from around me as the Offensive and Defensive stances synergized into one, doubling their effectiveness just for this technique. Bursts of Ki pushed down on either side of Baekan, forming a powerful pressure field.

“...I am a KING!!”

He struggled to walk out of the affected area; fragments of biomass crumbled off his face, revealing his eyes that shook as he stretched out his hand towards me.

I took a step forward, and the force of the pressure field magnified as a result. His ankle bent in, crushing the bedrock below while veins popped around his clenched mouth. I stepped forward again, forcing his knee to buckle as it crashed into the ground.

“You DARE!!”

Each step I took stripped away his false perception of himself. The look in his eyes gradually changed as his other knee cracked the ground beneath it.

“...I will... Kill you...”

He muttered to himself while his pupils dilated.

“I AM A KING!!”

His eyes bulged wide enough to tear the skin around the sockets as he roared. I took one last step, and his forehead smashed into the ground in front of me.

‘...’

My Ki Reserves had been decreasing at a rapid rate ever since I used this technique, but it was necessary. It was better that he experienced reality here, rather than after forcing Inner Astril's hand to massacre everybody.

“You are no king.”

I peered down at the back of his head while he prostrated himself before me. The pressure field took away his freedom and left him with no choice but to listen.

“Your tyranny ends here, Baekan.”

His fingers twitched at my words, and his body began to tremble. I narrowed my eyes when I belatedly noticed the biomass inject Baekan with another KED.

“Sto—”

I stretched out my hand when a flash of light split apart Hearken and launched me backwards. My back smashed against the side of the crater as a pained moan escaped my mouth.

“A true King's potential is limitless.”

The biomass turned into shades of black, yellow and red as he stepped out of the light. It evolved further, taking on a new form that made the air heavy. His Ki began to rise rapidly, and I instantly got back to my feet.

‘There’s no time.’

I bolted forward with the intent to end this now. If his Ki continued to climb higher and broke past Jikki, I would definitely lose.

Baekan kicked off the ground as I spun inside, barely dodging his fist that seared the skin off my cheek. I used nearly all the Ki that I had left as my fist touched his stomach.

“Pantheon Style: Eclipse.”

A golden brown Ki enveloped his abdomen, pushing him back and slowly lifting him up into the air. It quickly spread across his body, restraining him from launching any more attacks towards me.

“You pathetic insect.”

His eyes flashed a darker shade of red while his Ki drew closer to the breaking point of Jikki. Baekan temporarily ripped out of his restraints and shot his fist forward. I clenched my teeth as I sacrificed my right arm to block the mixture of black, red and yellow Ki that flew towards me.

“Keuk!”

It shattered my bone, launching me backwards while I dug my feet deep into the earth. Steam rose from the trail of burn marks caused by the friction of the two opposing forces as I finally came to a stop.

“Ugh...”

The little Ki I had remaining was used to enter the Defensive Stance. It was why Baekan’s attack didn’t blow off my entire arm.

“...You maggot!”

Deep folds of flesh formed between his eyes while I watched the golden brown Ki completely cover him. It hovered high in the sky, blocking out the real sun in the background.

‘I made it.’

Eclipse was one of the Pantheon Style’s ultimate techniques, and it was also my Master’s favourite. It restricted a target’s movement by latching onto any part of their body and using their Ki against them. The more Ki the target used, the stronger the restraints placed on them would be, and the faster Eclipse would cover them, but that wasn’t all.

I stretched out my hand towards the glowing orb of light and abruptly bent my fingers inwards.

A black dot appeared in the middle, gradually expanding as Baekan failed to break free from his entrapment. All it took were a few more seconds before a thin golden layer of Ki shone brightly around the pitch-black darkness within.

The sky went several shades darker as the scene was broadcasted across not just District 1 but the whole South of Outer Astril. A sharp glint of light formed on the right edge of the rim, followed by a circular blast of wind.

It imploded, shaking the entire South violently as powerful winds swept over the nearby districts. I struggled to stand upright as the pressure forced me down to the ground. A flash of light blocked out my vision, and then everything went dark.

“Ugh...”

I pushed the rubble off my body and wiped the dirt away from my eyes. Thick dust clouds covered the area, taking minutes to subside before I could finally make out Baekan's motionless body laying down in the epicenter of the detonation.

I stumbled over to him as I gripped my broken arm. The floating windows descended into the deep pit, continuing to broadcast the result of the battle.

Baekan's body had multiple deep gashes running all over it. His bones were broken in several places, and half of his face had been burned badly. Blood spewed out of his wounds in many different locations due to the fuel he had provided Eclipse with. However, it seemed like his Biomass ability had forcefully reduced the side effects of the KEDs.

“...”

I knew that leaving someone like him alone would be too dangerous, but for now, there was something else I needed to do.

I raised my left arm into the air and clenched my fist. A rumbling sound soon echoed across District 1; it became clearer, resembling the sounds of people cheering loudly, and I could tell that this was happening all across the other districts as well.

The war was officially over; change had come to the South of Outer Astril.