Killian and Liwei sprinted through the palace corridors, kicking open doors and scanning rooms that looked important.
They stopped in front of a massive set of doors. When they stepped Inside, they found a vast hall shaped like an amphitheater. A raised stage sat at its center.
"Must be for speeches," Killian muttered.
They turned to leave—
The exit sealed shut as a wall of earth erupted from the floor.
Bo cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted down, "Zhang! I'd recognize that face anywhere! Get your ass down here and fight me!"
Liwei clicked his tongue. "Looks like he's not going to let us leave unless we beat him." He glanced at Killian, "take him. I'll go ahead and look for Weilong. You'll be fine by yourself, trust me."
Killian nodded.
Liwei charged forward as a distraction. Killian stayed back, energy building, Pegasus Burst charging—
Before Liwei even reached the stage, a blue-and-red blur tore past him.
It slammed straight into Bo Dazheng, blasting both of them through the wall and into another room entirely.
Liwei palmed his face, "that idiot… I told him not to overdo that move." Liwei turned and broke the wall standing in the way of their exit. He ran into the hallway, on the hunt for Weilong Zhao.
In the room Killian had just kicked Bo Dazheng into, hundreds of afterimages swarmed Bo Dazheng.
Punches. Kicks. Slashes. Nothing phased him.
Dazheng caught the real Killian mid-strike and hurled him into the wall. Killian groaned, rolling aside just in time to avoid a crushing follow-up.
"Not bad, kid," Dazheng said calmly. "But you're a little young for this fight."
Killian spat blood, "let's see if you still feel that way when I lay you out."
He burst forward, spinning into a head kick. Dazheng caught the leg and slammed Killian into the ground. He raised his foot to stomp, but Killian rolled clear just in time.
"All you know how to do is run," Dazheng said. "Fine. I'll come to you."
He charged, throwing a punch slow enough for Killian to block, but the impact sent him sliding backward. His arms shook from the sheer strength. Killian had no time to think. Dazheng stayed on him, firing a one-two. Killian deflected and redirected instead of taking them head-on-just like Liwei taught him.
A right hand came in. Killian ducked–
–but the left uppercut was already there.
Killian coated his arm in electricity to block but it didn't soften the blow. But when he looked at Dazheng's hand, it twitched.
Killian's eyes lit up.
"That's it."
Dazheng rushed again and grabbed him by the shirt. Killian struggled, but it was useless. Instead, he focused, slowly imbuing his Ether into Dazheng's body. Dazheng stomped the ground. Six walls of earth erupted. Holding Killian in front of him, he charged through each one, slamming Killian into the ground at the end of it.
Killian groaned, "this guy is insane."
Dazheng formed a massive stone hammer and brought it down with full force. The ground shattered as Killian rolled left and snapped his whips around the weapon, tearing it from Dazheng's grip.
Bo seemed to control the rocks that came from the hole he left in the ground, they split in the air, multiplying, until hundreds, then thousands hovered in the air. Dazheng brought his fist together, then spread his palms.
The earth answered his command.
A massive stone hand clawed its way out of the ground, forming into a golem that mirrored Dazheng's build. With a thrust of his hands, the rocks launched forward, swarming Killian as the golem charged.
The stones hurt, but with Roteh, Killian pushed through.
The golem was the real problem.
"I need him," Killian thought. "Not this thing."
"My lightning's not going to work, but maybe…"
Killian exploded outward, circling the golem, he increased his speed drastically, trying to create more afterimages than he ever had before. Afterimages spawned around th golem, surrounding it. They rushed it, restraining it with whips and overwhelming it with their speed.
Killian appeared behind Dazheng and slammed a kick into this back. It barely moved him.
Dazheng turned, and Killian drove a front kick into his face.
That did it.
Dazheng stumbled back. Killian pressed, not trying to pass up the chance. He unleashed three afterimages at once, they blitzed Dazheng from every angle. They kept attacking in constant motion, constant pressure.
Little by little, Killian finished placing his Ether onto Dazheng's body.
Then Dazheng caught him.
Just as Killian went for a body shot, a massive fist smashed into his face, sending him sliding across the ground. He tumbled to a stop, barely conscious.
Above him, something formed. A massive stone hand, growing larger by the second.
Killian knew exactly what was coming next. He tried to move, but his body screamed in protest. His back burned. His knuckles were torn. His legs shook.
He couldn't move. He slowly faded into the darkness, eyes closing.
Killian woke beneath a familiar tree. The grass was lush, and the sky clear. His guardian sat nearby, casually eating an apple.
"Come on, Mr. Kingston," the man said. "Sit."
Killian sat beside him. The man offered an apple. Killian refused.
"Your loss, kid."
"Why am I here?" Killian asked. "I'm supposed to be fighting that big guy."
The guardian burst out laughing.
After a moment, he wiped his eyes, "dude, you got knocked out." Killian crossed his arms, angered. "One of these days I'm going to stop summoning you like this. But since you're here, I figured I'd give you some help," the guardian continued.
"I'll admit that idea you had of placing your ether onto his body just might work. In fact, you completed it before all this happened. But you have no energy, and basically no magic left to use. To put it simply, you're out of luck, kid."
Killian leaned forward. "Then hurry up and tell me what I can do."
"Listen carefully," his expression turned serious, "vessels don't just get stronger abilities. They can enter a form where they tap directly into their god's power."
He pointed to himself.
"Me."
Killian's eyes widened. "How do I activate it?"
"You're not even close to ready yet, you don't even meet the conditions." the guardian said. "For now, I'll force it when you wake up. But don't get cocky, I'm the god of gods. My power will tear you apart if you overdo it."
The world began to fade.
"It'll last one minute," the guardian yelled.
"So beat his ass fast, kid!"
Killian gasped awake. Pain throbbed across his face. And right in front of his eyes was a giant hand, coming down on him, with the intent to crush him. Electricity crackled from his glowing eyes. An aura poured off him, Ether leaking freely.
Killian scrambled up and jumped out of the way. His pain felt like it had vanished.
His fatigue disappeared. His body felt light. Charged.
Electricity sparked from his glowing eyes as an aura surrounded him.
He bounced on his feet, testing it.
"…He wasn't joking," Killian muttered. "I feel unstoppable."
Bo Dazheng's eyes widened.
"It's game over," Killian said with a serious expression on his face.
Afterimages appeared, forming a ring around Dazheng. Electric whips snapped out, binding him in place.
"I've been placing my Ether on you this entire fight," Killian continued. "Now you're basically a lightning rod."
Thunder roared overhead.
Electricity engulfed Killian's body as he fired a thread straight into Dazheng's chest."
"Checkmate."
CRACK.
A massive bolt of lightning tore through the roof. It came down like judgement.
BOOM.
Dazheng convulsed as the lightning tore through him for ten full seconds before vanishing.
He collapsed face-first.
Unmoving.
The electricity vanished and Killian instantly felt the pain. He almost fell as he walked back, staggering. "I… did it…"
He fell forward. He tried to hold on, sending his afterimages into the halls before he fell unconscious, spreading lightning bolts through the palace. Wherever Weilong Zhao was hiding–
the storm would find him.
Only two generals remained.
And Weilong Zhao was being hunted.