Leon punched again and again, over and over. He was absolutely enraged, though even through his fury, he knew logically she wouldn't remain frozen for much longer.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

He punched hundreds of times in just seconds, his fists moving in desperate blurs.

But he wasn't even able to get past her enchanted armor's defensive properties.

Every punch came with a desperate denial: "NOOO!"

And a tormented question: "WHHYYY?!"

And deep inside, beneath the rage and Holy energy, he knew the real answer.

Because I can't even use my full power. I can only access roughly fifteen percent of my actual physical strength.

"AHHHHHHH!"

He absolutely couldn't accept this limitation anymore.

I refuse! I REFUSE!

He tried desperately to push past the limit, to break through the barrier.

And unexpectedly—unbelievably—something happened, on his very first try.

As if a gateway to an entirely new world had been opened with just a slight push forward...

It happened.

CRACK! WHOOOOSH!

He crossed the unknown limit that had bound him.

Unimaginable strength flooded his body all at once, far beyond anything he'd felt before.

An overwhelming pressure filled the entire arena—the ground directly below where he hovered, which hadn't suffered even a scratch since the arena's ancient construction, suddenly cracked deeply just from the ambient force.

CRACK! CRUMBLE!

"This is it! I can use it! I can access my real strength!"

Leon then detected—without even needing his spatial awareness—that she was breaking free. Her sword was moving again, coming toward him much faster and stronger than before.

Her eyes looked completely different now—fully aware, calculating, and dangerous.

She's free!

Leon hovered smoothly to the side, out of the path of her descending sword with casual ease.

WHOOSH!

But to the audience members who were breaking free from the freeze effect now, too, they remained absolutely dead silent. Their eyes were glued to the brilliant, glowing figure, unable to look away.

Their breath held collectively. Many of them were visibly shaking—from excitement, fear, awe, or some combination. Who could tell?

What is that light? What is that being?

Leon dodged her sword and immediately punched the exact same place—her chest, her fiery, intense armor's strongest point.

His glowing fist connected with her protective layer.

IMPACT!

For a single frozen moment, it seemed as if nothing would happen—just like all the times before.

Then visible cracks began spreading across her previously impenetrable armor like a spiderweb.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The woman's eyes went impossibly wide with shock and disbelief.

Impossible! My armor—!

Then Leon's strike connected fully with her actual body beneath the failing protection.

BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!

A massive sonic explosion erupted from the point of impact, sending devastating shockwaves rippling through the entire arena—traveling through the stone, through the air, through every person's skin, and rattling their bones.

The stone beneath the crowd vibrated, and many in the front rows clutched their chests, feeling the pulse echo through their ribcages.

BOOM! RUMBLE! SHAKE!

The Vice Chief's expression shifted instantly from curiosity to extreme seriousness, his eyes narrowing with focus and intensity.

That power... what IS he?!

Crimson, standing on the ground floor just outside the arena boundary, looked absolutely shocked beyond words. Then suddenly she was smiling—widely, genuinely—her body shaking visibly with overwhelming emotion.

She was caught between excitement and fear, completely overwhelmed by surprise and a dozen other feelings she couldn't name.

"VEL KRESH! MANDOR! SIKARA!"

He's... he's actually... so strong...

The woman felt intense, searing pain exploding across her entire chest cavity—agony unlike anything she'd experienced in years of brutal combat.

What... what just happened?!

She could feel distinctly that several of her actual ribs were broken—fractured cleanly through by that devastating punch. This injury would take considerable time to heal properly, even for someone of her Sage rank cultivation.

I can't accept this! This is impossible!

She'd genuinely felt he was weak and pathetic, so she'd been deliberately holding back, going easy on him. But now? This felt extreme and terrifying.

My armor... my technique-forged protection... broken in one single punch. How is this even remotely possible?!

Her mind raced with shock and calculation.

I have to go all out. Immediately. No more testing. No more mercy.

As she was flying backward through the air from the force of his devastating strike, she burst her Fire affinity outward in all opposite directions simultaneously to create momentum and control.

FWOOOOSH! WHOOSH!

Using the explosive counter-thrust, she arrested her backward flight and stabilized herself mid-air.

Then she immediately recreated her protective armor using her racial ability's special Fire manifestation technique—but this time, she tapped fully into her Fire Embodiment, not just barely touching it like she'd done before in the fight.

CRACKLE! WHOOOOSH! SHIMMER!

The advanced fire energy merged seamlessly with her reformed armor, creating something far more substantial. Her greatsword became covered in that same overwhelming intensity.

This is my true power. My real form.

The armor was dramatically more advanced than her previous version—this wasn't just condensed elemental energy anymore. It appeared as an actual physical manifestation of her complete power—solid, tangible, and radiating devastating heat.

SHIMMER! GLOW! RADIATE!

Waves of heat radiated from her body, distorting the air around her in liquid ripples, and the faint scent of scorched iron filled the air.

She looked like a miniature red destroyer—a war goddess.

Fully armored from head to toe with her giant flaming sword, she floated above the ground on a platform of pure fire beneath her feet.

CRACKLE! WHOOSH!

Her chest wounds were still hurting intensely from the broken ribs, sending sharp pain with every breath. But she deliberately ignored the agony and pushed through.

Pain doesn't matter. Winning matters.

She was ready to charge directly at him with everything she possessed.

However, when she looked forward toward where he'd been standing...

There was no one in front of her.

What? Where—?

"Huh?"

Then she heard a voice directly next to her left side—far too close.

"It's time for payback."

FWOOSH!

Leon's glowing fist struck her newly formed armor once again before she could even begin to react or defend. She was simply too slow compared to his Holy-energy-enhanced speed.

Too fast! How is he—?!

The entire arena collectively held its breath, thousands of eyes locked on the point of impact.

IMPACT!

The connection was made with devastating force—this time targeting her abdomen specifically.

CRACK! BOOM!

The noise was sharp and grinding, like boulders splitting under unbearable weight.

Visible cracks spread across her advanced armor plating despite its improved construction.

But this time, Leon caught the horrified expression on her face clearly—her eyes going wide with genuine fear and disbelief.

A single word escaped her mouth loudly in her native language, audible even over the impact:

"KRESH'THOR!"

Then—

BOOOOOOOM!

Another massive sonic shockwave rippled across the entire arena, which had fallen into absolute deadly silence. Everyone was witnessing the same impossible result playing out again, and they still couldn't believe how the situation had reversed so dramatically in just mere moments, and now one of the strongest warrior of their clan was getting beaten so brutally.

"VEL... MANDOR..."

She went flying backward violently, her lower ribcage completely shattered now. Multiple organs were damaged internally from the transmitted force.

An acidic burn spread through her gut as ruptured tissue screamed from within, every breath laced with agony.

CRASH!

This time, she absolutely couldn't hold it in anymore—blood gushed freely from her mouth in a violent spray, painting the air red.

SPLATTER! COUGH!

I'm... I'm losing?! To the same weak him?! Impossible!

Just then, Leon detected something approaching rapidly from directly behind his back through his senses alone.

I was waiting for you make a move! It's about time.

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