The Colosseum sky was filled with golden twilight, but beneath it, two great destinies were ready to devour each other. The wind carried the scent of metal and dust, swirling like a death knell rung repeatedly.
On the cracked ground of the Colosseum arena, two figures stood.
Altair, a shimmering black shadow with eyes that carried destruction, and Valerian, a pillar of light whose body radiated an emperor's aura.
Two worlds—light and darkness, steel debris and silver—met on one fragile line.
As the final silence crept in, Altair's heart raced, as if the arena was no longer just ground, but a stage ready to rewrite history.
Then—
DOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
Altair's and Valerian's slashes met in the middle. The energy explosion of light and darkness detonated like a dying star. The shockwave ravaged the ground, clearing all the dust and debris around the arena.
The sound of the explosion shook the entire Colosseum. Spectators closed their eyes from the blinding light; some were even thrown back by the shockwave. The magnificent arena walls trembled, cracks spreading everywhere.
In the midst of that storm of light and darkness, the two figures remained locked. Valerian's silver sword and Altair's black sword pressed against each other, their energies clashing mercilessly.
"AaaaAAARRRGHHH!!!" Altair screamed, the veins in his neck straining.
The Steel Debris all over his body vibrated; the small black blades burst out again, spinning wildly like a vortex of dark stars ready to swallow everything.
Valerian responded with an increasingly blinding light. From his empty eyes, a strange flicker was visible—a fraction of a second, just a fraction, like a nearly drowned memory.
Altair saw it.
"That's it… Father is still in there! I have to force him to wake up!!"
With a push full of emotion, Altair grabbed Valerian's silver sword with his bare hand, which was coated in Steel Debris. His hand bled, but he held the blade while yelling:
"Remember me, Father!! I am not your enemy… I am your son!! ALTAAAIR!!!"
The voice echoed, piercing through the booming and the light.
For a moment… Valerian's light dimmed. His body trembled, his empty face showing signs of fracturing—as if a locked soul was struggling to break through.
But exactly then—
"CKKHHHHHH!!"
A gust of black mist enveloped Valerian from his back. Spectralis's hand reached out, his fingers glowing with purple runes.
The black mist billowing from Valerian's back became thicker, spinning like a hellish vortex. Spectralis stood behind him, his face half-submerged in shadow, as if all the darkness of the arena was rooted in him.
"Enough with this cheap drama… You belong to me, Valerian. Never forget who your master is."
Spectralis's finger extended; purple runes glowed like invisible shackles.
Valerian's eyes went dark again. But this time, his body exploded in a pure silver light that shimmered like star fragments. Crystal-like cracks spread across his skin, turning into a hardened layer of diamond, glittering sharply in defiance of the world.
A cracking sound came from the ground beneath his feet as the aura surged. The silver light that usually looked beautiful now turned wild, blinding, and uncontrolled.
Altair didn't even have time to react before the force slammed into him. His body was thrown, hitting the arena wall hard. Giant stones collapsed on top of him, while blood spurted from his lips.
The Steel Debris covering his body also cracked, black fragments peeling off onto the ground. But his eyes remained unwavering, flashing with an unquenchable determination.
"Father… I will not give up. If they try to take you… then I will take you back, no matter the cost."
Altair stabbed his sword into the ground, rising again despite his body trembling. The remaining Steel Debris began to pulse, restoring its shape, as if responding to its master's resolve.
The Clashing of Steel Debris and Diamond
The ground waved like an ocean of stone. The arena shook violently as Altair and Valerian resumed their duel, Steel Debris against Diamond.
Suddenly…
BOOOOM!!!
The sound of the explosion shook the entire Colosseum. The shockwave swept over the spectators, forcing most to shield their eyes from the glare. Those who stood too close were even thrown, tumbling down the stone steps.
Cracks crawled across the magnificent arena walls, stone dust flying into the air. A continuous roar was heard, as if the earth itself could not withstand the collision of two monsters fighting in the center stage.
Within the storm of silver light and dense darkness, two figures still stood.
Altair, with his pitch-black Steel Debris sword blazing intensely, pressed forward with burning eyes.
Valerian, his body layered with shimmering diamond, his silver sword began to be coated in diamond and shone like a lighthouse in the night.
The two were locked in a fierce duel, swords clashing, emitting energy sparks that sliced through the air. Waves of heat and cold collided, light and darkness swallowed each other; neither retreated.
The arena vibrated as if about to collapse.
Quartzis was still relentlessly striking Rex-Nocturnus with his crystal fists—each blow generating an explosion of crystal fragments that devoured the ground and the air.
But everyone's attention shifted.
Towards Altair.
The Steel Debris on his body vibrated violently, black fissures erupting like inverted magma. Black steel walls appeared on their own around him, shielding him from every one of Valerian's slashes.
Altair was silent, his face pale, gasping for breath.
In his mind… another voice echoed.
"Will it end here…?"
Then, from the darkness, another figure emerged—exactly the same shape as him, but his face was colder, his smile full of arrogance.
"You won't be able to control me if you're that weak."
Altair was startled.
"H-huh? Who are you?! Not Roniver… only he is in my body!"
The figure smirked, his eyes jet black and metallic.
"A weakling. I am you… I am Steel Debris. Your power, but purer. You are too pathetic to master me. So let me take control."
"W-what do you mean…?"
"My meaning is simple… You have already lost. Now let me start—and show everyone who the real king is here."
Altair's body suddenly exploded with a black aura. Steel Debris shot out wildly, stabbing into the ground, then rising like spears of hell.
Altair lifted his head—but his eyes now shone black-gold, his smile vicious.
His laughter broke out loudly.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
He struck Valerian brutally.
Every slash split the arena, swallowing Valerian's diamond sword in a shower of black metal fragments.
"If you can't be sobered up… FINE, LET'S JUST LEVEL EVERYTHING!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
The arena seemed to collapse. Steel Debris walls rose everywhere, then fell with explosions every time Valerian struck with his diamond sword.
The collision of the two strongest minerals—Steel Debris and Diamond—triggered blinding sparks of black and white light across the entire arena.
DOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Valerian resisted, his body full of light. But Altair continued to press. Every time their swords clashed, Valerian was pushed back little by little.
Altair looked up, his eyes full of arrogance, his voice booming loudly across the arena.
"WHAT?! Is this… the power of my father that everyone has been waiting for?! WEAK!! So weak!! Are you really the hero everyone praises?! HAHAHAHA!!!"
"Father… oh father… if this is the case, maybe I am destined to be the strongest. I am more worthy to be called KING than anyone!!"
Meanwhile, Feran who was holding up his iron wall at the edge of the arena could only remain silent.
His hands trembled, his eyes staring at the increasingly out-of-control Altair.
"What… is happening to them…? Quartzis is swallowed by rage… and now Altair… too... this… is even more frightening… Should I stop them? Or… can I only watch?"
Feran's face was filled with dilemma, but his heart knew—he wasn't strong enough to restrain both of them.
The Two Hells Converge
On the spectator stands...
"WHAT IS THAT?!" Kael stood up, pointing to the center of the arena, his face pale.
"T-T-This… is too terrifying…" Sylvia whispered, her body shaking, unable to take her eyes off Altair.
Above the arena, Spectralis, who had been hovering over the battlefield, now flew high, watching from the air again. His gaze was full of interest.
"It seems that boy is also beginning to be controlled by his power… just like the boy who is fighting Nocturnus and Rex."
Riftbreaker grinned faintly, his eyes viewing Altair like a merchant assessing a rare item.
"But he is different. He talks too much… and looks very arrogant."
Umbranox, who had been silent with a sharp gaze, finally spoke, his tone cold.
"Hm… true. Look closely, the type of control is different. The boy named Quartzis is like a berserker—swallowed by his own rage. But Altair? He enjoys every move… even seems entertained pressing his opponent. That is more dangerous. That arrogant aura… is too much like Rex."
Umbranox glanced briefly at Riftbreaker, his lips curving slightly.
"Perhaps we should padlock that boy's mouth before he truly becomes a second Rex."
Riftbreaker's eyes only returned a cynical look.
Meanwhile, Veyron and Fulguran did not utter a word. They sat with serious faces, their gazes unblinking as they judged Altair. Their eyes held no fear—but looked like they were weighing something…
As if they were seeing something much bigger than just a fight.
The Colosseum arena no longer looked magnificent. The ground was cracked, pillars had collapsed, the air filled with colliding light and darkness.
Altair's black sword continued to press Valerian's diamond sword. Every slash shook the world. Steel Debris clashed with diamond; the sound of the metal was like thunder from hell.
"HAHAHAHA!! WEAK!! MY GREAT FATHER… IS JUST TRASH IN THE FACE OF MY POWER!!"
Altair's eyes glowed intensely, his voice full of ear-piercing arrogance. Fragments of steel debris spun around him like a thousand cursed knives. Valerian groaned, his body shining stronger; the diamond aura around him hardened into a sharp shield.
The two swords met again. DOOOM!!! The shockwave cracked the arena floor until it rippled like a sea of stone.
On the other side of the arena, Quartzis roared. The crystals on his body grew increasingly wild; his body looked like a giant glass monster. His crystal fists struck Rex repeatedly.
BOOOOM!! CRAASSHHH!!
Every punch fractured the air, making Nocturnus-Rex stagger. But Rex—despite some of his bone armor cracking—only laughed heartily.
"YAHAHAHA!! GOOD! THIS IS A FIGHT I ADORE!! HIT ME, BOY!! SHOW ME YOUR RAGE!!"
"Shut up, fool, you're only provoking him," Nocturnus retorted while trying to stand.
Quartzis did not answer, only struck more brutally. His crystals burst everywhere, piercing the ground and penetrating the arena walls. Every time he attacked, the arena shook like an earthquake.
Back to Altair, Altair slashed straight—steel debris split the air, creating a dark abyss. Valerian resisted with diamond, its crystal fragments sparkling to withstand the pressure.
Valerian roared, his voice still restrained by Spectralis's control.
But Altair only laughed loudly, his chest puffed out with arrogance.
"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO TEACH ME!!! I AM THE NEW KING—THE WORLD MUST BOW BEFORE ME!!!"
The steel debris on his body pulsed wildly, the fragments forming jagged black wings on his back. The arrogant aura grew louder, making the air tremble.
Returning to Quartzis, Nocturnus slammed his sword into the ground—DUAARRR!! The shockwave destroyed hundreds of Quartzis's crystals. But the boy did not stop. He ran forward, his crystal fist hitting Rex's skull and punching through Nocturnus's face so hard that his head was thrown back.
Nocturnus's black blood splattered, but Rex merely laughed.
"HAHAHAHA!! YES THIS!! THOUGHTLESS BRUTALITY!! YOU ARE EXACTLY THE ANIMAL I WANT!!"
"What must I do to make this skull shut up," Nocturnus muttered.
Quartzis roared, his eyes red with rage. His crystals shattered, forming long spears that rained down on Nocturnus-Rex repeatedly. ZRAAASSSHHH!! Nocturnus's body was covered in wounds, but he was still standing, as if he didn't know the word fall.
The two fights echoed each other.
When Altair slashed, its shockwave hit Quartzis's side of the arena, sending crystal fragments flying.
When Quartzis struck Nocturnus-Rex, the ground shook, cracking the footing of Altair and Valerian as well.
The Colosseum arena turned into an open hell—two world-shaking fights happening simultaneously.
The Switch and The Second Hell
Valerian gasped, his sword still radiating diamond light but his body was covered in wounds. Behind him, Nocturnus-Rex also sat down for a moment, his skull armor cracked, his maw-sword hissing.
Nocturnus:
"Ahhh damn it… why is that boy so strong?!"
Rex gave a dry laugh, his voice echoing from behind the skull.
"Chhh, it's not him… it's his power controlling his body. But true… his crystal especially… is very troublesome."
Valerian's empty eyes only glanced briefly, then nodded slowly.
Nocturnus snorted.
"What about you, Valerian? You also seem cornered."
Valerian remained silent. A small nod was a brief answer.
Nocturnus shrugged.
"Heh… alright. So, what's next?"
Rex's skull head, which served as Nocturnus's helmet armor, seemed to get an idea.
"Wait a minute… I think I've found a pattern. Something that… could benefit us."
Nocturnus raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? What pattern is that?"
Rex smirked, his skull jaw creaking.
"Hehe… just watch. But before that… switch positions with Spectralis's minion."
Nocturnus-Rex and Valerian rotated, like chess pieces shifting on a board. The backs that were previously meeting now faced a new direction.
Nocturnus-Rex now stood facing Altair.
Valerian faced Quartzis.
Altair sneered arrogantly, his steel debris wings vibrating wildly.
"WHAT?! Just switching positions? Do you think that will make me lose?! HAHAHA!! It changes nothing!!"
Rex chuckled.
"I like that boy…"
They immediately fought. Altair's black sword struck Rex's skull armor; the sound of the explosion was like two mountains colliding.
Rex resisted, then began to speak while parrying.
"Hey kid… I know you're strong. Strong enough even to defeat us…"
Altair smirked wider.
"Hmph, finally you realize it."
Rex added, his cunning tone apparent.
"But I'm sure… you won't be able to defeat that crystal boy… who is now fighting your father."
Altair was silent for a split second. Then his eyes widened; his arrogance exploded into rage.
"HAAAAAH?! What do you mean… underestimating me?! WATCH ME!!!"
He swung his steel debris sword with full force. DZZZZZAAARRR!!!
Nocturnus-Rex was thrown far, hitting the arena wall until it was half-collapsed.
Without thinking, Altair immediately ran toward Quartzis.
Meanwhile, another fierce duel took place. Quartzis with his crystal gauntlets struck Valerian repeatedly. Crystal and diamond light exploded against each other.
Valerian parried with all his might, but Quartzis's brutal attack pierced his defense. BLAARRR!! Valerian was thrown back, his body hitting a Colosseum pillar until it cracked.
Quartzis roared wildly, his crystals growing more ferocious.
At that moment, Altair arrived. His black sword slashed straight towards Quartzis.
CLAAANNNGGG!!!
Quartzis's crystal gauntlet blocked the slash. Black metal fragments and crystal shards flew, sparks of light filling the air.
Altair stared coldly, full of arrogance.
"Alright… now… the next round."
Quartzis's eyes glowed red hot, his jaw clenched tight, his body trembling with rage. The two brothers now pressed against each other, no longer fighting the same enemy—but devouring each other in a storm of power.
CLAAAANGGGG!!!
Altair's black sword and Quartzis's crystal gauntlet slammed into each other. Waves of black and pink crystal energy exploded, sweeping across the entire arena. They could no longer distinguish who was the enemy, who was the brother.
Crack after crack crawled across the Colosseum floor, as if the ground was unwilling to contain this fight.
Altair sighed roughly, his lips curving viciously.
"Hhh… finally, you want to fight me too, little brother… good. Show me your fangs!"
Quartzis roared, his eyes glowing red, no longer containing any clarity. His crystals exploded more brutally; his body seemed to transform into a bloodthirsty glass monster.
"GGRRRAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
Their collision boomed again; the sound of metal and crystal clashing filled the air. The arena turned into a vortex between darkness and sharp crystals.
And on the upper spectator seats, Umbranox's voice sounded cold, closing the entire uproar with one sentence:
"Heh… look. The same blood, now destroying each other. This is the symphony of two hells."
The final explosion wave swept across the entire Colosseum. Black light and crystal consumed everything—and the chapter curtain fell.