Once they were in the void, the Emperor and the thirteen Kings all unleashed the full power of their souls and energy pools, forming shining suns around them that carry the power of the laws.
Of the fourteen Law Domains, there were two that stood out. Their power was vastly superior to the rest, and they positioned themselves at Roku's back and front.
Kurt's Supernova Law Domain embodied the Law of Severing, Law of Gold, and Law of Earth. The Emperor's body shone with dark golden light, and his aura carried such sharpness that space and time shattered with nothing more than his breathing.
King Bork's Supernova Law Domain embodied the Law of Fire, Law of Shadows, and Law of Blood. Dark veins protrude over the Magi's skin, carrying a lava-like substance that filled his body with monstrous strength, and dozens of shadow creatures emerged from his back.
Just the radiation and laws those fourteen Supernova Law Domains generated could melt a weak Rank 6 life form. Still, Roku, who stood in the center of all, received not even the slightest injury.
Despite their superiority in number and cultivation level, everybody, even the Emperor, felt anxious.
Roku's scheming minds may not be that impressive, but when it came to raw power, he was at the absolute peak of the Aeternum Empire!
"King Roku, the next phase of the Divine Extermination War will start soon, and it is not the time for us, Supernova Domain stage powerhouses, to waste our energies in futile battles. Return to the empire now, and I can pretend nothing happened. Think about what is best for the empire and our Ancestor's wishes."
Kurt's words could make people think he was willing to compromise for the sake of the Aeternum Empire since Roku's previous behavior was extremely insulting and defiant to his authority.
However, the only response in Roku was a monstrous blast of demonic killing intent emerging from his body. It made the surroundings tremble and pushed the energies and laws of the rest of the Royals away.
"Kurt Silverlight, if you had attacked me intending to end my life, I would at least show you some respect. But instead, you utter such nonsense, only to hide your fear. For me, to have a father like you is truly disappointing."
When the Kings heard that, other than King Bork, all showed surprise on their faces. Who would have thought that the Royal who got Roku's mother pregnant would be the Emperor?
Having such a genius for a son would be the greatest joy of any father. Unfortunately, Kurt never showed the slightest concern for Roku, not even when his mother died or as he faced countless tribulations at the beginning of his path.
In all fairness, the number of sons Kurt sired in his thousands of years of life reached the hundreds. In his mind, how could the great Emperor of one of the three strongest organizations of the Magi World waste his time with the bastard of a lowly concubine?
Kurt was about to respond to Roku, but he noticed that this one stopped looking at him the next second.
It was clear that to Roku, the word father meant nothing.
Roku stared at the other Kings with empty eyes before focusing on himself.
"My first lucky chance and the one that allowed me to begin my path to glory was when I discovered an old and secluded cultivation abode that Ancestor used during his youth. Other than resources that helped me immensely to develop my talent, I found some theories on how to fully excavate the human body's potential."
Although the Emperor and the Kings could attack at any moment, taking advantage of Roku not putting any form of defense, none of them moved as they felt a profound meaning in the man's words.
"The Magi Path of Power focuses on developing cognitive abilities along with wisdom until they reach a supernatural level. A Magus' supreme intelligence and perception allows him to decipher the mysteries of the universe more quickly and efficiently than members of other races or Paths of Power." From Roku's Inner Law Dimension, a blue aura emerged, and in it, one could feel a calm and analytic nature.
All the Royals understood that this was the most basic and pure aura of a Magus. They were surprised by the purity of Roku's Spirit Force and its density.
None of them were anywhere close to that level of quality, not even the Emperor or King Bork. These two showed envy in their eyes since they knew Roku's soul and Spirit Force reached that level thanks to Ivar the Flawless using the soul of a Rank 7 Magus to temper his existence.
"In his theory, Ancestor proposed a way of using the Magi Path of Power in a different direction. Instead of applying our superb perception toward the outside, doing it in the opposite direction. Treat the body as a unique universe and each cell as a world. Unravel the mysteries kept in the genetic code and push ourselves to a level beyond the limit of flesh and blood."
Kurt and the others felt shocked when they heard the path Roku spoke off. To unravel the mysteries of the body and research it to a point they can make adjustments to their core sounded even more complicated than deciphering the laws.
However, if someone could indeed reach the level where they could see their bodies as a universe, their physical might would be indisputable.
Roku seemed to not notice the effect his words had on the rest and just continued.
"Those who embark in this new Path of Power must face a barrier, and that is their origin. The nature of the human body is weak, our strength is small, and our speed low. While it is true that we can enhance our might with techniques and spells, our foundation can not compare with Titan or fiends. Luckily, we humans have our creativity, our ability to learn, and, more importantly of all, our infinite adaptability."
The Royals and even those watching the battle from within the Magi World made sure not to miss a single word that came from Roku's mouth, as they could feel immense wisdom in them.
"Ivar the Flawless used a power hidden within the stars' cores to break through this barrier, not only achieving a body even mightier than Titans but also understanding one of the three basic concepts of existence. I took a different path, and although I do not dare to say that it is better than that of our mighty Ancestor, it is mine!"
The moment Roku pronounced those last words, immense pride burned in his eyes.
Roku then focused on King Bork, and the demonic smile that appeared in him made the Royal tremble.
"Bork, I think I must thank you. I have never been so close to dying like I was in the depth of Carceri, but who am I? I am Roku! Not only did I survive in that hellhole, but I also managed to use it and change my nature. To be like the perfect hybrid between fiend and human!"
It was then that a monstrous and demonic red aura emerged from Roku's body. This one was red and carried such an immense pressure that it could easily level a continent.
At first, the blue and red aura repelled each other as their essences were too contradictory. One focused on the soul and carried a calm nature, while the other centered on the body and brought destructive might.
As the auras threatened to destroy each other, Roku's eyes glowed, one red and the other blue.
Then it happened. The auras slowly began to achieve equilibrium forming a blue and red burning sun around Roku.
This new sun had the form of a yin yang symbol, and when it achieved completion, a power that shattered the void and clashed against the Magi World's Crystal Wall blasted out of Roku's body.
The shock wave pushed the Royals surrounding Roku away, and those who were too weak endured severe injuries when their Supernova Domains shattered.
Kurt and King Bork could only see with horror as Roku began to change. He adopted a demonic form, with a white bone-like armor covering his body and a pointy helmet over his head.
Despite his monstrous appearance, the wisdom and intellect in Roku's eyes did not diminish. On the contrary, it became even more powerful.
"The soul is the hand, and the body is the weapon. The stronger the soul, the more power the body can unleash, and the stronger the body, the better it can protect and serve the soul. Rejoice, as you are the first to face a member of a new race, the Astral Fiend Race!"
