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A golden ring appeared beneath King Arion, its light swirling with power. In an instant, he vanished from the endless white expanse, only to reappear beside Novachro, who was kneeling by Novelius. The scene panned quickly to Damasin, standing across from Kaipo, his aura flickering with determination.
Kaipo was the first to speak, his voice calm but edged with challenge. "They left you by yourself? The last couple times I fought you three, you usually are on the outskirts attacking from the side. This time, you are on the front line."
Damasin smirked, stepping forward. "Yeah, well Arion has to re-group on some things, so I'll step in and keep you occupied until then."
Kaipo's demeanor shifted, his eyes narrowing. "Do you really think you'll be able to hold me off for long? How positive are you?"
Damasin's expression hardened as subtle black lightning began flowing from his body. "I'm positive about a lot of things. And just because I'm positive about it, doesn't mean it'll come true......but..... I am positive though... that this is our best chance to defeat you."
With a sharp exhale, Damasin whispered, "Kyomu Ho."
In a blink, he disappeared and reappeared behind Kaipo, slashing across his chest. Blood splashed from the small wound as Damasin declared, "Yami no Chūnyū."
Kaipo reacted, instantly turning to strike Damasin, but Damasin used Kyomu Ho again, disappearing and reappearing in the distance. Kaipo wiped some blood off his chest, his expression thoughtful.
"I see, a Dark Infusion Strike. You've never used this ability before, you must have developed it recently. It's been a while since I've seen my own blood."
Black lightning still crackled around Damasin when suddenly—
BAM!
Kaipo's fist drove into Damasin's chest with devastating force. We see his shocked expression frozen in slow motion as he processes the impossible speed of Kaipo's counter-attack.
"And also, another new ability that allows you to Void Step/Phase. Pretty impressive," Kaipo remarked casually.
Damasin's thoughts raced as the slow-motion moment stretched: How could he have already learned and adapted to my two new abilities?
The slow-motion scene ended, and Damasin was sent flying all the way back to the rocks where the trio had been seated.
Meanwhile, Novachro placed his hand over Novelius, healing his wounds with a gentle glow. He turned to Arion, speaking with quiet urgency.
"This is the result of sending big blasts his way. Kaipo's overall power has transcended even the strongest. So if you send a blast his way, it needs to exceed his overall power, because if not, he can withstand the effects and absorb the blast and re-use it. It isn't a power or ability of his—it's just something he can do naturally."
Arion frowned, considering the information. "So what's that thing he does when he says 'silence' or 'stop' and I'm forced to stop? Is that an ability? Because it seems so, even though he has no abilities."
Novelius, now recovering, responded: "Oh that. It's all mental. He calls it 'Genshiteki Ken'i' or 'Primordial Authority.' Primordial Authority is a rare psychological phenomenon that manifests when an individual's power reaches such overwhelming levels that their mere presence triggers primal survival instincts in others. This ability operates through pure intimidation on a subconscious level. The target's mind recognizes the overwhelming power disparity and activates deep-rooted survival mechanisms that have been hardwired into human psychology over millennia. The brain essentially concludes that disobedience equals certain death, forcing the body to comply before conscious thought can intervene. The terrifying aspect of Primordial Authority is that victims choose to obey—their survival instincts simply make any other choice feel impossible, creating a form of psychological dominance that feels more absolute than any physical restraint."
King Arion thought to himself: That's it, that's why I couldn't move. It wasn't that I couldn't move—my mind subconsciously forced me to stay put.
Novachro chimed in: "It seems Damasin was hurt pretty badly, Arion. Activate your Essence Manifest and head to fight Kaipo with Novelius—"
He was cut off as Kaipo appeared, standing right in front of them.
King Arion reacted quickly, activating: "Essence Manifest: Imperial Aether Tyrant!"
Arion's Essence Manifest, Imperial Aether Tyrant, encapsulated the peak of his dark powers, transforming him into a transcendent force of control and destruction. This form granted him absolute dominion over the fundamental aspects of reality, life, and death, allowing him to reshape universes at his whim and enforce his vision of a cruel, orderly peace.
Upon activation, Arion was shrouded in a dark, imperial aura that exuded an overwhelming presence of authority and menace. His eyes glowed with a fierce, unnatural light, and his gestures rippled with energy capable of tearing apart the fabric of space and time. Shadowy tendrils of energy swirled around him, forming a cloak that symbolized his control over the cosmos. The air around him grew heavy with the oppressive force of his will, making the atmosphere itself feel dense and constricted.
King Arion looked at Kaipo, his transformed presence radiating power as he spoke: "How about we end this... shall we?"
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