The two massive figures floated in the fractured sky above the ancient ruin, their mere presence warping reality itself. Levi's body pressed down against the stairs as the pressure they radiated over a kilometer away rippled towards him.

The dark-cloaked figure let out a cold laugh that seemed to echo from multiple directions at once. "Scarlet, you've grown stronger than I expected."

It was actually a female voice but it seemed to echo from all directions as it spoke with a hint of surprise.

"I didn't expect you to care enough about those ants you call student to cut through the void to continue our battle."

Sub-Dean Scarlet's eyes blazed with pure crimson fire as flames erupted along her hair, turning each strand into a flowing river of red-hot energy.

Her entire body was covered in a robe made of flames and then fluttered in midair, despite the still air of the void.

She sneered as she glanced at the Dark priestess. "You're not bad yourself, Leina. Managing to survive my strikes is actually quite impressive for someone born weak."

Leina, the Dark Priestess and third leader of the Ancient Ground of Dark Matter laughed and then the dark phantom behind her suddenly moved.

Its massive form shifted, and the fork in its hand thrust forward. The attack looked almost lazy, a casual motion without urgency or excessive force. But the moment that fork moved, space itself began to crack.

Visible fissures appeared in the air, spreading outward from the phantom's weapon like cracks in glass, and through those cracks Levi could see nothing but absolute void.

Sub-Dean Scarlet flames surged. Her flaming phantom surged forward with speed as it slashed forwards.

Its attack was like a meteor as it slammed into the dark phantom's attack. The collision between the two techniques created an explosion that turned night into day.

"BOOOOOOOM!"

The shockwave from the impact rolled outward in a visible sphere of compressed air and conflicting energies. It swept over the ancient ruins where Levi stood, and despite being over a kilometer away, he felt as though he had been struck by a physical wall. His transformed body was thrown backward, tumbling across the stairs uncontrollably. He crashed through the checkpoint platform he had just reached, smashing into the demon statue hard enough to crack its stone surface.

Pain exploded through his body as several ribs cracked from the impact. His regeneration immediately began working to repair the damage, but the sheer force of that distant shockwave had been enough to injure him despite his enhanced physique. If he had been in his normal form rather than empowered by Divine Thunder Might, that single shockwave alone might have killed him.

Levi forced himself to his feet, coughing up a mouthful of blood. The little thief, protected by the makeshift sling against his chest, stirred slightly from the impact but remained asleep, seemingly shielded by some residual effect of the treasures it had consumed. He needed to get out of here immediately. This was not a battle he could witness, let alone survive if he remained in the vicinity.

But before he could even take a step toward the exit, the sky above erupted with a second exchange. This time, Sub-Dean Scarlet was the aggressor. Her hands moved in a complex series of gestures, and her flaming creature split apart into hundreds of smaller fire constructs. Each one was shaped like a bird made of pure crimson flames, and they filled the sky like a flock of phoenixes descending upon their prey.

The Dark Priestess distorted laugh echoed once more. "The Thousand Flame Phoenix Formation? You've actually mastered that technique? Impressive, but ultimately futile."

The dark phantom raised its free hand, and a wave of absolute darkness spread outward from its palm. The flaming phoenix flew into that darkness and exploded but the darkness simply expanded and actually managed to withstand the attacks.

Sub-Dean Scarlet's expression didn't change, but Levi could sense a shift in her energy. She was getting serious now. " I gave you a chance to retreat. You should have taken it. Astral Manifestation: Eternal Inferno Monarch!"

The phantom behind her suddenly changed. It grew even larger, expanding to nearly forty meters in height, and its form became more defined and solid. What had been a vague shape of fire now resolved into a clearly visible armored figure wreathed in flames so intense they appeared white rather than red. The heat radiating from this transformation was so immense that Levi could feel his skin beginning to burn despite the distance, and he had no choice but to channel his Astra energy into a protective layer around his body.

The Dark Priestess's voice, for the first time, changed as she turned slightly serious. "You've pushed your Astral Soul to the Mid-Stage already? In just a few decades? Your talent is even more monstrous than I thought."

Her gaze swept across the starry void surrounding them.

Suddenly, he gaze fixed up the stone stairs, the ancient statues, the treasures glowing in their hands and the dark energy that was so thick around her flickered. "I didn't expect this place to hide an ancient inheritance ground. How fortunate that our battle led us here."

Then her attention shifted, and those dark eyes behind the cloak focused directly on a specific point lower on the staircase.

Levi felt his blood run cold as her gaze fell upon him, pinning him in place like an insect under a magnifying glass. "Ehn? There's actually a student here? You're really lucky to be able to find this place."

Her voice took on an interested quality that made Levi's danger sense tingled even harder than before.

He felt he would die if he remained here any longer.

"Hmm? Most of these lower treasures are fairly useless, but those top treasures in the hands of the Ancient Demon God and Ancient Divine God at the highest platform should definitely be worth the trip of coming to this wretched place."

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