"Make your move," Max said calmly as he drew his sword, the blade humming softly as blue lightning began to coil around his arm and along the edge of the weapon, his posture relaxed yet perfectly balanced as he faced the Grim Gladiator.

The Grim Gladiator did not waste a single breath after those words. His golden armor flared with blinding light as black flames erupted from the gaps between the plates, wrapping around his massive body like a living inferno that amplified his already terrifying physical strength.

With a thunderous step that cracked the arena floor beneath his feet, he swung his sword in a brutal downward arc, the blade blazing with black fire as it descended with enough force to shatter mountains. The air screamed under the pressure, and many in the crowd instinctively leaned back, convinced that no one could withstand such a strike head on.

Max moved.

Blue lightning flashed, his figure blurring as he shifted his stance by the smallest margin, and with a sharp metallic clash, his sword met the Grim Gladiator's blade directly.

The impact sent a violent shockwave tearing through the arena, stone tiles exploding outward as the black flames surged wildly, yet Max did not move an inch. His arm remained steady, supported by the roaring power of 1200 Draconic Essences flowing through his body and a controlled release of strength from the first Divine Vein, the Vein of Origin, anchoring him like an unmovable pillar.

The Grim Gladiator's eyes narrowed behind his helm as he followed up instantly, his sword spinning into a horizontal slash aimed at Max's torso, black flames twisting violently around the blade as his golden armor pulsed with runic light.

Max responded with pure speed, blue lightning bursting beneath his feet as he parried the strike, then another, then another, each collision ringing like thunder as steel met steel again and again.

Sparks of blue and black energy scattered through the air, and every time the Grim Gladiator's immense strength surged forward, Max met it cleanly, his movements precise and efficient, relying on nothing but his sword, his speed, and the raw power coursing through his body.

The Grim Gladiator roared and pressed harder, his attacks becoming a relentless storm. His sword descended in crushing overhead strikes, sweeping cleaves, and piercing thrusts that carried enough force to tear through Divine Rank defenses with ease.

Black flames wrapped fully around his blade now, spilling outward like a burning tide, while his golden armor glowed brighter with each movement, reinforcing his body and amplifying every swing. Yet no matter how ferocious the assault became, Max remained composed, his blue lightning flashing constantly as he intercepted every attack, blocking, deflecting, and redirecting each strike with flawless timing.

Each time their swords collided, the arena shook, deep cracks spreading across the ground as waves of power rolled outward. The Grim Gladiator pushed forward with overwhelming physical might, attempting to crush Max through sheer force, but Max answered with balance and control, channeling his Draconic Essences to reinforce his body and drawing just enough power from the Vein of Origin to neutralize the disparity.

His sword never left his hand, his stance never broke, and his expression never changed, even as black flames licked dangerously close to his body.

To the crowd, the battle unfolded at an almost impossible pace, blue lightning and black fire colliding in rapid succession as the two figures blurred across the arena. The Grim Gladiator attacked like a raging catastrophe, every strike meant to end the battle outright, while Max stood at the center of it all, meeting each blow head on with nothing but his blade, his speed, and his terrifyingly controlled strength.

With every blocked strike, it became clearer that no matter how powerful the Grim Gladiator's attacks were, Max was matching them perfectly, not with overwhelming techniques or grand displays of power, but with pure mastery, precision, and an unshakable foundation that refused to yield even a single step.

The sight unfolding in the arena left the entire Divine Colosseum suspended between shock and exhilaration, faces frozen in disbelief as eyes struggled to follow the relentless exchange of blades.

Every thunderous strike from the Grim Gladiator carried enough power to crush a peak Divine Rank expert, yet each one was met and stopped by Max with such casual precision that it felt unreal.

The crowd leaned forward unconsciously, breaths held tight, because the scene before them shattered everything they believed about strength in the Divine Realm.

"Damn…" Jaden whispered under her breath, rising slowly from her seat as the reality of what she was witnessing finally hit her. This time, the shock was overwhelming, far beyond anything she had felt before, because she could clearly see every movement and every clash.

No matter how terrifying the Grim Gladiator's sword became, no matter how violently the black flames surged around the golden blade, Max blocked every single attack with ease, his sword moving just enough to intercept the strike without any wasted motion.

It was as if the Grim Gladiator's overwhelming power meant nothing to him, as if Max had already calculated and nullified everything before it even reached him. What unsettled her the most was the fact that Max had not even launched an attack of his own yet, and still the balance of the battle was painfully obvious.

"He is too strong," Lucia muttered, her eyes widened in genuine shock as her earlier confidence transformed into something far deeper and heavier. She had always known Max was powerful, ever since their confrontation back in Obsidian Dragon City, but this was on a completely different level.

Watching him effortlessly handle a warrior at the third level of the Rebirth Realm while he himself was still only at the sixth level of Divine Rank overturned all logic she had ever known.

In that moment, Lucia truly understood that Max's potential was not just high, but limitless, because even the greatest geniuses of the Divine Realm could not compare when it came to sheer combat power. Against Max, they would fade into insignificance.

High above the arena, Lord Arckin observed the battle with a relaxed smile, his eyes gleaming as Max continued to block every strike without strain. "It seems we have all underestimated Max far too much," he said calmly, the comparison forming naturally in his mind, because the scene looked less like a battle and more like an adult indulging a child's tantrum.

The Grim Gladiator was throwing everything he had into each swing, while Max dealt with it effortlessly, never stepping back, never losing control.

The subordinate standing behind him nodded in silent agreement, his expression filled with awe rather than concern.

Lord Arckin then let out a soft laugh, his smile widening slightly as another thought crossed his mind. "I do wonder what kind of expression Malissa is wearing right now after seeing this," he said, clearly enjoying the image, because it was now painfully obvious that whatever scheme she had set in motion was crumbling right before her eyes.

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