In the corner of my eye, Kagali and the other teammates were tending to Shion. She remained conscious, but her legs trembled beneath her—unable to stand. Not defeated… but shackled by the sheer force of the blow she'd taken. To force Shion into that state… Yuuki's strength was undeniable.
Yet I felt no fear.
As Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom, had stated with absolute certainty: Unique Skills cannot surpass Ultimate Skills… and an Absolute Ultimate Skill transcends even those.
This battle was already sealed by destiny itself.
A destiny I controlled.
For I commanded Absolute Probability Manipulation—the power to seize fate by the throat and dictate its every outcome. Every possibility bowed to my will. Every path bent beneath my command. Yuuki and Mariabell simply didn't comprehend it. They believed they were fighting me…
…they didn't realize they were struggling inside a script I had already written.
Still, for the sake of the Japanese soul trapped in this chaos, I wished to spare Yuuki.
He was not acting of his own accord. A pawn manipulated by Mariabell's poison of greed and ambition. That truth alone stayed my hand.
But sparing him didn't mean holding back.
Because Yuuki Kagurazaka was not an opponent who allowed mercy.
And because I—Atem, King of Eterna, Pharaoh of Games and Sovereign of Fate—needed to uncover the deeper plot lurking beneath this charade. So I played along. I allowed him to believe I struggled. I gave him hope.
So I could destroy it.
"Then I'm gonna show you my true strength."
Yuuki's foot twisted as he unleashed a right spin-kick. Identical to the previous one. Predictable. I raised my arm and stopped it with calm, regal precision.
Mariabell had no idea that fate itself had already abandoned them.
I stepped forward, straight sword materializing in my hand. Ancient, obsidian-black metal, pulsing with my Divine Youki, crafted for kings and gods.
Yuuki smirked and drew a dagger with his right hand and a short sword with his left. An original stance… uniquely his, forged through hard battles and stubborn ambition.
And then I saw it.
His magic did not affect me.
His Skills could not touch me.
His special attribute—Anti Skill—should have been a wall.
But physical durability? He lacked Physical Attack Nullification entirely.
Even better—
«Report. Special Attribute "Anti Skill" acquired. Modification complete: Master may now bypass all limitations of Anti Skill.»
Solarys' voice echoed through my mind—calm, absolute, sovereign.
I nodded. "As expected."
I stamped the ground, my movement cracking stone beneath my heel, and slashed.
Yuuki parried with his left sword, perfectly predicting my angles.
Impressive.
But Hinata's relentless sword drills had sharpened my bladework to a divine edge. My confidence was unshakable.
My eyes narrowed. Solarys whispered calculations of future moments into my mind—
Future Attack Prediction, unhindered even by Yuuki's peculiar attributes.
Yuuki's dual-wielding was backwards—dagger for offense, sword for defense. Strange, but uniquely suited to him.
His weapons were magnificent. Magisteel evolved into legendary quality—special-grade elevated into true artifacts.
Yet—
«Report. Anti Skill does not apply to weapons.»
I almost laughed.
Yuuki had just become weaker by drawing his weapons.
I let him strike me.
Yuuki lunged for my chest, blade extending unnaturally mid-thrust.
"Haha! Atem-san is getting sloppy!"
I staggered slightly, playing the fool. Letting him see an opening.
He took it—
He always did.
The dagger plunged toward my heart—
Stopped.
Frozen mid-air.
Unable to pierce even a fraction of my Absolute Defense.
Poison coated the blade. A toxin that could annihilate the psyche of any mortal.
It would have done nothing to me.
"This is unfortunate," I said, gripping the dagger. "You were stronger when you fought bare-handed."
"What the hell?! This is bullshit!" Yuuki's eyes widened.
I didn't answer.
Instead, I unleashed a technique born under the blazing celebration lights of Eterna's grand festival—
Storm Breaker.
A sword technique forged from Hinata's Melt Slash, fused with ancient magic, birthed from Storm Dragon Veldora's tempestuous might.
It did not simply cut flesh.
It corroded existence.
Yuuki's chest split open in a deep arc—blood spraying as he staggered back.
Yet his wound did not decay.
Of course.
Greed's corruption protected his life force.
"Ugh…" Yuuki groaned.
I stepped forward, trying to read his spiritual state, but the thick black fog of Mariabell's Greed clouded everything.
«Report. Yuuki's mind is fully drowned by Greed. Master can remove it, but doing so halts all available intel on the deeper plot.»
"…Then that is not an option."
If I could not break Greed without losing the greater truth, then I had to knock Yuuki out—severely and decisively.
I flipped my blade, sharp edge turned toward myself. A gesture proving my restraint.
My arm tightened.
Just enough force to incapacitate him…
but not enough to kill him.
"H-have mercy!"
Kagali suddenly cried out, rushing between us.
"Please, Atem-sama! Don't kill Yuuki-sama!"
I clicked my tongue. "Stand back! He's still under Mariabell's control!"
"No—Yuuki-sama's will is unbreakable! He wouldn't fall to that girl's manipulation so easily!"
Behind her, the investigation team hurried over.
"President would never lose!"
"He's stubborn as hell!"
"He once fought a dragon alone just to look cool!"
Their loyalty was real. Blindingly so.
From their perspective…
I must have looked like the villain.
I sighed internally.
My blade was reversed.
I was holding back my power.
And yet they still dove in front of him.
Ridiculous.
But then—
"…Y-you guys…"
Yuuki's voice quivered.
His expression shifted.
«Report. Subject Yuuki Kagurazaka's mental state is changing. Greed's influence weakening… confirmed: mental liberation in progress.»
…What?
So suddenly?
At this exact moment?
Fate—
or perhaps their bond—
had severed Mariabell's grip.
His killing intent evaporated.
I lowered my sword slightly.
"Is this… real?"
Solarys confirmed again.
I exhaled slowly.
The duel was over.
But the shadow behind it had only begun to surface.
With Yuuki finally freed from Greed's grasp, only two foes remained: Mariabell and the Chaos Dragon.
Yuuki steadied himself, regained, breathing hard yet clear-eyed.
"I seem to have been a burden. I'm truly sorry… but I've been saved, Atem-san!"
"…Good."
My reply was calm, regal. But the subtext was there: Your death would not have been my fault.
Before Yuuki could read further into my gaze, I redirected my irritation.
"Gobta. Finish this already."
He straightened immediately. Perhaps the pressure of my voice—with authority honed from ruling Eterna—was what made him snap to action.
The battlefield quieted soon after.
Shion was fine—thanks to her Ultraspeed Regeneration, her wounds rapidly rewound themselves like time reversing. She shot Yuuki a venomous glare before I gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"How embarrassing… my skills weren't enough…" she muttered, cheeks puffed in frustration.
"There will be more battles," I said. "Plenty of chances to prove yourself."
Her frustration melted just enough for her to nod.
Gobta, however, looked half-dead.
"I told Lamar that Glenda-san is still alive, but he just kept screaming about revenge…"
Against Werewolf Gobta, empowered by Ranga, Lamar never stood a chance. Their teamwork was impeccable—Gobta's instinctive adaptability paired with Ranga's predatory awareness created a synergy similar to me and Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom.
No wonder their fusion was so devastating.
But Gobta's kind heart left him defenseless against emotional interference. I had Solarys forcibly neutralize Lamar's frenzied attachment.
«Mental disruption terminated. Soul strain acceptable. No lethal damage present.»
Good.
With Lamar stabilized and Gobta's conscience cleared, one obstacle fell away.
Unfortunately, our real situation was only worsening.
The earth rumbled beneath us—again. And again.
Unceasing.
Milim's battle was escalating.
The Chaos Dragon was not being sealed.
I clenched my fist.
I needed to reach her. Immediately.
Before I could leave, Yuuki spoke up—his voice steady, determined.
"Atem-san, I want to chase Mariabell."
I blinked.
When did his wounds—deep, gashing ones—vanish?
"…Your injuries. They're gone."
"Oh—Kagali knows strong healing magic."
He said it so casually that even Shion twitched.
"Magic works on you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Yuuki grinned. "I can turn off the Anti-Skill attribute whenever I want."
Even Hinata couldn't deactivate her inherent ability, and yet Yuuki could turn off something far more troublesome at will.
…Interesting.
And suspicious.
Solarys, keep watching him. Every action. Every breath.
«Understood. Surveillance maximum.»
Good.
"Speak," I commanded. "What is your plan?"
Yuuki nodded, confidence brimming.
"If I am careful, I can defeat Mariabell. She may have controlled me… but my pride won't allow her to walk away unpunished."
Before I could respond, Kagali stepped forward, her expression sharp with determination.
"Atem-sama, I have a request. Mariabell is likely planning to destroy this ruin. I suspect this city contains a magic engine—identical to the one I investigated in Soma. If it overloads, it will annihilate everything for miles."
My brows furrowed.
"You believe Mariabell intends to trigger it."
"Yes. You only need to overwhelm the core with mana. And this ruin hasn't been active for centuries. The reaction could be catastrophic…"
"Do you know its structure?"
"I investigated Soma thoroughly. If the mechanism here is the same—or similar—I can prevent the overload."
Her intensity did not waver. She spoke like someone who had seen the worst outcome already.
I nodded.
"Then I entrust that task to you."
I turned to Yuuki. "And you—I am counting on you."
Yuuki smirked.
"I swear, I'll return my disgrace many times over."
His attitude remained arrogant, but confidence was not unwelcome in a pursuit mission.
Still, Solarys watched him.
Good.
The plan was set.
I straightened and gave my orders, voice booming with authority.
"Shion! Gobta! Lead the team and regroup with the dark elves. Protect them."
"Understood!" Shion replied with renewed vigor.
"You got it!" Gobta saluted.
"What about you, Atem-sama?" Shion asked.
"I will reinforce Milim. If I delay, the Chaos Dragon's rampage may consume us all."
Even a stray blast from it would annihilate whole sections of the ruin. Milim was strong, but suppressing a Chaos Dragon was another matter entirely.
"I'm coming too!" Shion insisted.
"No."
My voice cut through the air like a commandment carved in stone.
"Your surface wounds have healed, but your internal injuries are not. Guard the others. That is an order."
Shion froze, then lowered her head.
"…Understood."
Yuuki and Kagali dashed toward the heart of the ruin—toward Mariabell—without wasting a second.
After entrusting the remaining tasks to Shion and Gobta, I stepped forward, flames of my youki igniting around me.
Milim needed me.
And I would not let a dragon—Chaos-born or otherwise—threaten my people.