What was going on inside Titusz's head?
The expression on his face as he clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes was something anyone could guess.
Admittedly, he harbored a deep grudge against the Underworld, and at this very moment, his primary enemy in his mind ought to have been Hades.
Yet the Snow Empress's words and actions aligned directly with Titusz's own heart's desire.
Clearly, both the Snow Empress and Elder Ghost King now felt that the otherworldly visitor before them posed the greater threat.
As for launching a sneak attack?
Anyone who styled themselves as the champions of justice only did so to stack the odds in their favor.
Furthermore, Titusz was in an extreme rush.
Having finally managed to escape the Netherworld Black Hole, he had originally believed his sole opponent was his mortal enemy, Hades.
Who could have predicted that two more Nebula Bodies would suddenly pop out of nowhere?
He was single-mindedly fixated on revenge, but with the situation thrown into utter chaos, his already rigid train of thought caused him to instinctively lock onto the choice he had just made.
"Ultra Beast Force!" Titusz instantly entered his Ultra Beast state, stomping his foot into the ground and rocketing like an arrow released from a bow toward Zoran's physical body.
The peak is simultaneously the abyss. This was the rule of this world, and a rather wondrous one at that.
However formidable a Nebula Body might be, the corresponding physical body was completely undefended.
Right now, with the Snow Empress blocking all of Zoran's offensive momentum single-handedly, this was the absolute best opportunity.
Lunging toward Zoran's physical form, Titusz roared furiously, "Flash Spirit!"
He was immensely powerful, arguably the number one fighter beneath the Nebula Body tier.
Moreover, he possessed an innate Conqueror's trait, bearing a passive ability that grew stronger the longer he fought.
Among everyone present, excluding the four Nebula Bodies, his strength was second to none, and deservedly so.
The blinding white brilliance of the Flash Spirit was dazzling as it hunted down Zoran's physical body.
The ball of light streaked across the pitch-black ground of the Underworld, charging forward at breakneck speed.
"Seven Wounds Technique!"
With a fierce roar, the Desolate Lion materialized in a flash, intercepting the space between the ball of light and Zoran.
Logan threw a heavy punch, hammering the Flash Spirit out of existence with sheer force.
This sudden turn of events left Titusz momentarily dumbfounded.
"You?" Titusz pointed angrily at Logan. "Why are you blocking me?"
"You're a subordinate of Hades, and one of these two outsiders is currently fighting Hades! Is this a betrayal?!"
As the dust settled, Logan pulled back his fist and slowly stood to his feet.
"Betrayal?" The Desolate Lion stood straight and tall, resembling an unyielding mountain peak.
"I only know that when powerhouses fight, any sneak attack is an insult to fairness!" Logan snorted coldly.
He couldn't interfere in the battle between Shendu and Hades, and Hades presumably wouldn't want other Underworld warriors to meddle in their duel.
Yet on this side, the White Tiger Clan had actually chosen an entirely different path.
Logan cast a glance at the Snow Empress; he refused to believe that the leader of the White Tiger Clan couldn't guess Titusz's intentions.
"Fine! Since you insist on standing in my way, I'll just have to wipe you out along with him!" Titusz clenched his fists, speaking with righteous conviction.
Across from him, however, Logan completely ignored him, turning instead to face Zoran behind him.
"Regardless of your intentions, back in the First Parallel Universe, you did not stop me from retrieving the Netherworld Key. And now, I will under no circumstances allow the White Tiger Clan to launch a sneak attack on you..."
"One good turn deserves another. This has nothing to do with factions; it's simply a matter of honor, which cannot tolerate the slightest stain of filth!"
Zoran spared a fraction of his focus to glance at Logan, offering a smiling nod in silent acknowledgment.
"Come! If you want to launch a sneak attack, you'll have to roll right over my dead body first!"
Logan roared fiercely, and the Desolate Lion clashed head-on with Titusz from opposite sides.
The strength of these two fighters was evenly matched.
Yet when it came to raw hard power, Titusz perhaps held a slight edge. His reputation as the strongest fighter beneath the Nebula Body tier was no empty boast.
Aside from having a recklessly hot head and giving little thought to the consequences, he had practically no other flaws.
This was precisely why he found Logan's behavior utterly incomprehensible at the moment.
Clearly, his own king was locked in a life-or-death battle against one of the enemies, yet as a subordinate, Logan chose to assist the other enemy.
"Utterly foolish!" Titusz's hetero-energy steadily climbed, his fists punching out like heavy artillery and forcing Logan back step by step.
What he didn't know was that, not long ago, Logan had even been transformed into a hamster by Shendu's Rat Talisman magic.
Yet even so, Logan had resolutely chosen to step forward.
"There are some things that people like you simply cannot understand." Logan stared down Titusz's violent onslaught, speaking through the gaps between blows.
A man like him lived solely for his convictions.
Regardless of what motives Zoran might have had back then, he genuinely hadn't stopped Logan from reclaiming the Netherworld Key in the First Parallel Universe.
A gentleman is judged by his deeds, not his motives.
Otherwise, given the power Zoran was displaying right now, Hades would never have had any chance of resurrection.
Out of respect for the fairness of a duel between powerhouses, and out of his own personal code, Logan could not take a single step backward.
The Desolate Lion weathered Titusz's barrage of attacks, forcibly knocking him back with a shockwave as brilliant streams of light rippled across its armored frame.
It had always been this way. Ultra Beast warriors grew powerful through their convictions.
High above in the sky, terrifying amounts of hetero-energy collided with one another, erupting with boundless might.
The purple-black beam of light representing Zoran had already pushed the Snow Empress's Snow White Radiance back step by step.
He was stronger than the Snow Empress.
And the Snow Empress seemed to realize this as well, a trace of anxiety flashing beneath her veil.
She appeared physically delicate and did not customarily cloak herself in combat armor or martial gear on ordinary days, but once she made up her mind about something, she possessed an unyielding, fierce tenacity.
If she could drag Zoran down with her in mutual destruction right here and now, she wouldn't even bat an eye.
The reality, however, was that Zoran was simply too strong; even pulling off mutual destruction was proving somewhat difficult.
"Snow White Radiance!" The Snow Empress's voice trembled uncontrollably as her hetero-energy surged toward its absolute peak, pushing virtually to its limits.
Down below, Ghost King watched Zoran and the Snow Empress locked in their mutual clash, then glanced back at Titusz and Logan, who remained deadlocked in fierce combat.
Sensing the heaven-splitting, earth-shattering battle between Shendu and Hades in the distance, he maintained an air of unhurried calm, showing not a hint of impatience as his mind seemed to hatch a scheme.
At last, just as the beam of purple-black energy unleashed by Zoran threatened to illuminate the Snow Empress's brow, Ghost King finally made his move.
His gaze fell first upon Titusz and Logan fighting on the ground.
Gathering his hetero-energy, he drew a bow and notched an arrow, the tip erupting with a dazzling burst of light targeted squarely at Logan down below.
Suddenly, an arrow loosed. It cut through the air wrapped in an intensely sharp, piercing aura, hurtling with sinister intent toward Logan.
"Titusz!" Ghost King called out in a low voice.
Titusz reacted instantly, shifting his body to the side in a flash.
That cold arrow pierced like a streak of light straight into the chest of the Desolate Lion.
Logan let out a muffled grunt of pain. Fortified by his convictions, he and Titusz had been evenly matched; although his opponent grew stronger with every clash, Logan could have held out for a long while yet.
However, Ghost King's hidden arrow acted like the final straw that tipped the scales. While the damage itself wasn't fatal, it caused Logan to briefly expose a flaw in his defense.
Titusz seized that opening with razor-sharp precision.
"Flash Spirit!" Showing no mercy, he unleashed his ultimate technique, slamming it directly into Logan's chest and completely shattering the dark arrow stuck within the armor.
With a sudden explosion, Logan was sent flying backward, crashing down hard among the ruins of the grand hall.
The Desolate Lion slowly faded away.
Titusz's eyes chilled as his gaze locked directly onto Zoran.
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