Rian gave a faint, sly smile.
In an instant, his body vanished and reappeared directly behind Vali.
Vali had anticipated it, and his fist shot forward like a bullet. But before the punch could land, the gravity beneath his feet multiplied dozens of times.
Rian had created a convergence point in the ground, forcing Vali to slow down slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, Rian threw a punch, and Vali blocked it with an open hand.
The collision wasn't just an ordinary strike—at the moment of contact, space and time around them fractured briefly. Black Flash, though unintentional, erupted between them.
BOOM!!!
The deafening explosion sounded like lightning striking amidst a storm. Black streaks spread wildly, slicing through the air, while the ground beneath them cracked and shattered like glass underfoot.
The protective arm of Vali's Scale Mail cracked, then shattered, exposing his left arm now bruised black—the mark of a direct Black Flash hit.
At the same time, the flow of magic within him surged uncontrollably, as if its rhythm had been violently disrupted.
"Kurgh…!" Vali hissed, teeth clenched tightly against the piercing pain.
But Rian didn't stop. A faint, sly smile graced his face as his left hand clamped onto Vali's arm—the same one Vali had used to block Rian's previous punch.
Without a pause, Rian's right palm slammed into Vali's body repeatedly—five brutal strikes.
Buagh! Buagh! Buagh!
Each hit rang out like shattering metal, forcing Vali's Balance Breaker armor to crumble piece by piece.
The assault ended with a single, powerful kick, exploding like a giant hammer, sending Vali crashing through trees and tearing up the earth along his path.
***
Meanwhile, in the spectator area, Ophis, Koneko, and Kuroka watched the battle, each reacting in their own way.
Ophis sat leisurely at the edge of a pillar, her eyes calm as she observed the duel between Rian and Vali.
Around the Dragon Goddess, scattered wrappers of chocolate chips lay strewn about—a clear sign she had long been enjoying her snacks while watching.
Not far from her, Koneko also sat on the edge of a pillar, knees drawn up to her chest. Her face remained expressionless, while her nekomata tails swayed gently, keeping pace with her thoughts.
In contrast, Kuroka had been visibly shocked from the start of the fight. The intensity of their battle made it difficult for her to look away.
Rian, a human without a Sacred Gear, had pushed Vali this far.
"He's really not human, nyaa~," Kuroka muttered, her gaze serious. "Could he be some kind of new monster?"
"Rian is a pure human," Koneko replied calmly, as if it were nothing unusual. "But… he is incredibly strong. I still don't understand how he can be this powerful."
Glancing at Kuroka briefly, Koneko then turned her gaze back to the battlefield.
"Rian is the one who taught me Senjutsu," Koneko said calmly. "And his combat techniques as well."
Kuroka immediately turned, still showing clear shock on her face.
"He taught you Senjutsu, nyaa~? How is that possible? I didn't even sense him using Ki energy for Senjutsu."
Then, with a tone full of curiosity, Kuroka added, "He's not an ordinary human, nyaa~."
A mischievous idea crossed Kuroka's mind as she watched Koneko's gaze following Rian, recalling their previous closeness.
A thin, teasing smile spread across her face. "If that's the case… being adopted by Rian as a pet cat doesn't sound so bad, nyaa~. Maybe we could have hundreds of rounds of nighttime activities, nyaa~."
Instantly, Koneko turned with a serious gaze. In a calm yet firm tone, she said, "No. Kuroka Nee-sama must not come near Rian, not even a little."
Feeling the pressure radiating from Koneko, Kuroka didn't back down at all.
Instead of feeling intimidated, Kuroka gave a faint smile, her voice shifting into a more teasing tone.
"Nyaa~… Are you jealous, Shirone? If you want, I can share, nyaa~ we can take turns."
The pressure from Koneko grew even more intense, the air around them seeming to harden. Her eyes remained fixed, unwavering.
Finally, Kuroka sighed and raised both hands as if surrendering.
"Relax, Shirone. I'm more interested in dragon descendants… not humans, no matter how strong, nyaa~." (lol)
Koneko didn't respond immediately. She simply stared at Kuroka with a look full of suspicion, as if trying to determine whether her sister was truly being honest.
***
In the center of the battlefield, dust and ripples of energy still swirled through the air.
"For a human without a Sacred Gear, you're incredibly strong," Vali said, standing slightly unsteady.
His Scale Mail armor was cracked in multiple places and had collapsed, his body covered in bruises, yet a faint smile and a satisfied gaze remained on his face.
"You're strong too," Rian replied casually. "It's been a long time since I've fought like this."
According to Rian, Vali's base Attribute values were STR: 30 | VIT: 30 | AGI: 30 | INT: 300 (total 360). With the Scale Mail (+100%), the total reached 720 points, equivalent to Tier 3.
Suddenly, Vali's body radiated a sacred white light. The glow enveloped his armor, and as it dimmed, the Scale Mail was restored perfectly as before.
Rian merely gave a faint smile. In an instant, Vali shot forward like a spear of light, his fist tearing through the air toward Rian's face.
Drrrt! Drrrt!
However, the space between Vali's punch and Rian seemed distorted, as if the scene were a warped film reel.
At that moment, Infinity created an infinite distance, stopping the punch as if it had struck an invisible wall.
Unlike before, Rian had not restrained Vali's strike without using Infinity.
This time, he activated it, sensing something different about Vali's fist.
Six Eyes detected the danger, though it wasn't life-threatening.
"Stopped?" Vali thought, recalling his previous attack. "Rian's power is truly strange. This isn't a protective spell… it's like a thin dimensional barrier."
"It seems Divide can't be used… near or far," Vali continued mentally.
Clearly, Vali had intended to use Divide to absorb or split Rian's power from close range. Unfortunately, Six Eyes had already predicted it.
Without hesitation, Rian grabbed Vali by the shoulder and unleashed a flurry of brutal punches.
Vali couldn't move, forced to endure the barrage, until a sharp elbow strike landed, sending him flying once again.
As a result of the repeated attacks, Vali's Scale Mail armor cracked, though he quickly restored it.
Once free, Vali shot high into the sky, creating a safe distance from Rian. His right hand stretched out, palm aimed directly at his opponent.
"Half Dimension."
Half Dimension: one of Divine Dividing's abilities that can split the size of objects or living beings in half.
Unlike Divide, this ability doesn't require physical contact to work.
In an instant, the trees around Rian began shrinking gradually, as if swallowed by that mysterious power. Yet, Rian remained standing tall, completely unaffected.
Infinity protected him, creating an infinite distance. Simply put, it was like Vali was trying to divide zero.
No matter how many times it was split or reduced, the result would still be zero… or, in this case, infinity.
Vali froze, eyes widening slightly. "What? Even Half Dimension doesn't work?"
Still wearing a serious expression, Vali stared at Rian, who hadn't moved an inch.
Whether speaking to himself or to the entity within his armor, Vali murmured:
"Albion… do you know something?"
The voice came out quietly, almost like a whisper slipping through the roar of the wind.
Inside Vali's mind, another voice echoed—rarely sounding like this, a mix of astonishment and caution.
"Vali… that man's power… I don't recognize it. It's not magic, not a dragon's strength, not even the power of the gods. It feels… like something that separates the world from him."
Vali furrowed his brow beneath his helmet. "Yes. I feel it too. His punches, his magic energy, Divide, even Half Dimension… none of it works."
He took a deep breath, his gaze hardening. "The more I think about it, it's as if the space itself rejects my existence."
Albion responded swiftly, voice sharp as ice. "Even in all the battles throughout dragon history, there has never been a power like this."
A thin smile crept across Vali's face, like the glint of a sword reflecting the light of battle. "Isn't that… interesting?"
"Interesting… or dangerous?" Albion asked, his curiosity tinged with a shadow of doubt.
"Both," Vali replied flatly. "And we will show everything."
"Oh… you intend to use it?"
"Yes," Vali answered Albion curtly, his eyes filled with resolve.
Suddenly, a voice from afar interrupted their inner conversation.
"Hey!" Rian called from the ground, staring up at Vali hovering in the air. "Are you done chatting? Or don't tell me you've already reached your limit, Hakuryuukou?"
Vali's thin smile widened, like someone who had just read a challenge in the eyes of their opponent. "Even he knows we're talking."
Instantly, the aura around Vali's body shifted drastically: heavy, oppressive, filled with white energy that radiated a sacred presence.
The energy swirled like a vortex, enveloping his entire Scale Mail armor.
Waves of power spread outward, shattering the Curtain that enclosed the arena as if it were fragile, cracked glass.
___
Additional Note: I've already provided the Rian vs. Vali battle. Next up, Vali will use the Juggernaut Drive. I probably didn't even need to mention it… but you all already know, right?
Anyway, give me your best review and commentary! I'm waiting.
And don't forget to hand over all your power stones. Hehehe~