"Now introducing the Rising Emperor of Death Emperor Star, the Bane of the Bloodbitch Clan: Damien Void!"

The entire arena went silent.

Whether it was the challengers' area, the arena crowd, or even those watching the battles remotely in the comfort of their own homes, nobody spoke a single word.

They all stared at the purple-eyed man on the arena floor with hurried breaths and widened eyes.

Did that man..really dare to insult the Bloodlock Clan so blatantly?!

The display he put on with his entrance was domineering to say the least, but was it worth offending one of the universe's strongest clans for?!

Unlike their apparent worry and mocking at his choice, others felt differently.

More than anyone, Atticus' reaction was especially pronounced.

"HAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

His laughter bellowed through the halls of his palace. He keeled over, unable to stand straight anymore after seeing Damien's display of power.

"Haha..hahaha..really, I didn't think you'd do it so soon!"

Atticus was bewildered and excited. Just yesterday he'd been wondering if Damien had the courage and resolve to face the Bloodlock Clan's fury if he ever killed Reavus. But now, wasn't it obvious what the young hero's choice would be? Atticus almost felt stupid for doubting him.

"Now, put on a performance worthy of your boasts! Hahahaha, I really can't wait to fight you again in the Emperor Bracket!"

Atticus' excitement turned into fighting intent rapidly. Damien's every action served as a reminder of their tie in the Storm Heavens Mystic Realm.historical

Atticus was unresigned.

One day, they'd finish that battle.

Then, he could finally see the true extent of Damien's strength.

And he could feel the exhilaration of winning against the most promising genius he'd met in many many years.

***

Back in the arena, Damien remained standing, waiting for a challenger to come greet him. But after his previous stunt, there was nobody willing to do so.

Besides, this wasn't how the battle arena worked! Challengers couldn't just run onto the stage as they pleased and battle! It'd be utter chaos if they did!

But..what were they supposed to do now?

Damien's actions had interrupted the King Bracket's flow, and more than that, had served as a slap in the face to many of the geniuses present.

They'd laughed at him and mocked him for acting too high and mighty and offending someone too big for him to handle. They'd celebrated the fact that he was in the same situation.

But unlike them, he didn't bend.

He arrogantly proclaimed himself the Bloodlock Clan's enemy.

And in the process, he called every single one of those who had succumbed a weakling.

Plenty were angry. Plenty wanted to run onto the stage and beat Damien to a pulp.

But unlike him, they didn't have the reckless abandon to discard the academy and its ruling powers.

The rules that were set, they would follow to the tee.

Damien sighed despondently. "Seriously? You're all supposed to be proud geniuses! What happened to all your gusto from before?! You can't even face a little bit of punishment for the sake of your self-worth?! Pathetic!"

"It's not pathetic at all." Another voice responded.

A man with similar build and stature to Damien walked through the challenger gate. His white hair contradicted his ashen-grey skin, his red eyes shined with a light of intelligence.

"Small punishment? It's nothing like that. How would you feel about confinement and brutal reconditioning in the Hell Hole? Or maybe you want to be prematurely sent into war against her Nox to 'temper your psyche.'" The man said as he walked to the center of the arena floor.

"We are still growing. Nobody wants to submit, but sometimes we don't have a choice. To submit and live until one day we can break free from our shackles and triumph, is that truly cowardly and pathetic?" The man asked. He was now face to face with Damien, only a few feet apart as he stood up to the latter's challenge.

In response, Damien shook his head. "No, what you're describing isn't cowardly. I'd rather escape than submit to pressure, but I have spatial abilities that allow me to actualize this mentality. For someone who can't escape, it isn't wrong to submit and wait for a chance to kill the oppressor."

"Then..!"

"But that's just you." Damien continued, not giving the man a chance to speak. "Those pathetic bitches in there feel joy when others suffer the same fate. To even feel that way, they must first bend to their circumstances and give up. Are they not weak?"

"That.."

"Enough." Damien looked straight into the man's gleaming eyes. "You at least had the courage to step up, and I can somewhat respect you for that. So, fight me. Prove yourself through battle."

Damien took a fighting stance with his arms up like a boxer. He didn't take out his weapons yet, for he didn't think he'd need them in this fight.

Despite his powerful appearance, the grey-skinned man wasn't too powerful. After all, Damien could see through his status. He knew exactly what the latter's level was.

SHIIING!

A collision took place. Without an announcer, there was no set start to the battle. Instead, it began when one challenger decided to move.

In this case, it was the grey-skinned man. His name was Alec, and he was a dark elf from a quiet corner of the Elven Domain. As his world bordered the edge of another sector, he was quick to escape when danger struck.

He was one of the Elven Domain's few survivors. His grudge against the Nox ran deeper than blood, and his shame at his cowardice ran even deeper.

Damien's insults touched the scars in his heart that he endlessly wished to hide. It was recklessness that brought him to the stage, but a fiery determination that allowed him to attack.

In a sense, Damien was right. He was also one of those beings who gave up after seeing ultimate power. The terrifying sight of his world being blown to pieces as a fleet of Nox starships passed by was too striking. It haunted his memory every night.

And when he heard rumors about the Star Destroyer, Exadrion, which annihilated all life on Aurora, the Elven Main World, this fear became even more palpable.

He worked endlessly to conquer it. He trained for years to become powerful enough to have an impact on the war, but the stronger he got, the more hopeless he felt.

The Nox..were just too strong.

He couldn't even stand the oppression of the smaller forces within the universe itself, so how could he stand against the Nox who wished to destroy it all?

This mentality caused a roadblock, one he had yet to overcome.

Damien's words were an inadvertent wake-up call.

The faces of his family as he fled, Alec would never forget their relieved smiles as they saw him leave the world safely.

For them, for his entire race, he needed to remain strong.

So that one day, he could get revenge.

He poured all those feelings into a terrifying strike of his sword, slashing it at Damien with every ounce of willpower he had.

But the metallic ring that rang out..

In Damien's hand was a translucent sword that almost melded in with the environment. In that split second before Alec's attack struck, he managed to parry it and send the latter's sword into the ground.

Damien walked up to his opponent with a smile. "It's no fun if you exhaust yourself before we even fight, but I get it. Congratulations on getting past whatever was hindering you."

Alec's eyes widened, and with an accomplished smile on his face, he fell to the ground.

It was as Damien said. The previous moment of realization drained him. Overcoming his fear of the Nox and realizing his truth was taxing on his mental strength considering the depths of his trauma.

And while Damien didn't get any satisfaction out of his "duel" with Alec, he was satisfied with the results nonetheless.

Indeed, it seemed like among those useless trash in the challengers' area, there truly were some hidden gems.

Damien easily stabbed Mirage through Alec's throat and decapitated him, sending him out of the arena painlessly.

His gaze turned back to the challengers' area, piercing through the arena walls.

"So are there more like him amongst you, or are the rest of you just pussies?"

His words, the previous scene, and all else that had happened in the last few minutes combined as one.

Even those who fit the weakling categorization he'd mentioned earlier were riled up.

Nobody wanted to be seen as weak. Nobody wanted their pride stepped on and crushed by others.

They had no choice back then but to submit. Every single one of them swore on the day they submitted that they'd grow and pay back the humiliation they suffered.

But none of them carried out on their promises in the end. As Damien said, they gave up.

But were they willing?

No!

And even if they were, they'd never let anyone else talk down to them for it!

Bloody killing intent, billowing fighting intent, and flaming determination ram rampant through the challengers' area.

It looked like Damien wouldn't be lacking in opponents for a very long time.