Boom!
Souta was propelled backward by several hundred meters. Unfazed, he recognized Dargan's formidable strength, understanding that their earlier exchanges had merely been a prelude to this real confrontation.
"Dream Power... Elemental type, no, he's more than that," Souta pondered, his gaze narrowing as he assessed his opponent.
Despite the powerful currents and the suppression of shadows and light, Souta remained alert. He swiftly pivoted to face Dargan, gathering energy onto his blade as he prepared to counter the incoming attack.
Swoosh!!
Dargan didn't retreat. He met the blade with his claws, delivering a devastating blow to Souta's stomach.
Ugh!
Souta spat a mouthful of blood, which quickly transformed into spears that flew toward Dargan. With a wave of his hand, Dargan created an invisible field that instantly shattered the blood spears.
"Come! Let's fight!" Dargan roared madly.
"As you wish!" Souta smiled, stepping forward without backing down.
With each step, the surroundings underwent a dramatic transformation. The landscape turned crimson, the sky adopting a blood-red hue as if enveloped by a scarlet dome.
[Twilight Zone]!
Souta tightened his grip on his sword as blood gathered around his skin, swiftly transforming into black armor.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})[Blood Armor: Great Black Orc]!
Boom!!
Souta and Dargan clashed fiercely. The [Great Black Orc] boasted the strongest strength among his armor yet Dargan could keep up with him. There was no doubt that Dargan was strong.
Both of them were using their released forms, so it all came down to their individual skill to make a difference. Dargan was harnessing his Dream Power to the fullest, far surpassing the Sovereign of the Ming Region whom Souta had fought before. He manipulated the entire surroundings, making everything in the region feel like extensions of his own limbs.
Dargan flew above and raised both of his hands. In an instant, all the waters in the sea were compressed into a tiny ball of energy. The density was so high that it seemed on the verge of explosion.
Swoosh!
Dargan fired the ball of energy in the next second.
Souta widened his eyes and saw a concentrated beam flying at him. He was about to move when the surroundings changed again. The suspended sea reappeared out of nowhere, and it began to crush him.
Boom!!
In the blink of an eye, the concentrated beam swallowed him. It continued to advance until it crashed into the ocean below, causing a massive explosion.
The Mare Region was a peculiar place. Several seas floated in the sky, while a large ocean lay below on the ground. Souta and Dargan were locked in combat in one of the airborne seas.
The massive explosion reverberated throughout the body of water. The ocean split in two, transforming the waters into countless sharp needles.
Amidst the divided ocean, Souta rose to his feet. His armor had undergone a transformation; now gray in color with numerous small spikes adorning it. It was the [Stone Armadillo], renowned for its ultimate defense. However, even this formidable armor had sustained significant damage.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Underneath his armor, Souta smiled as his injuries were healed and his armor repaired by the gathering blood.
Rank 60 Sovereign versus Rank 11 Sovereign. The leap Souta had to make was immense. He was directly challenging someone at the top rank instead of aiming for a middle-ranking sovereign. But Souta remained confident.
Dargan's strength lay in his Dream Power. He wielded near-omnipotence within his realm. He could conjure objects out of thin air or reshape the environment to his will, as evidenced by his current actions.
"[Dream Power III]... Perhaps even approaching four," Souta mused, taking a deep breath.
Naturally, Dream Power held a significant advantage within the Dream Realm. That's why Souta wanted everyone to acquire this power before participating in the Walpurgis invitation.
[Dream Power III] was already beyond the scope of normal dream abilities. It possessed the capability to manipulate dreams, unlike Souta's dream power, which merely augmented his elemental abilities.
"Well," Souta stretched his arms as he stared up at Dargan, who loomed above him. "If you think you've already won, you're mistaken. I challenged you, the Rank 11 Sovereign, not to test my strength, but because I'm confident I can defeat you."
"Are you now?" Dargan asked, a wicked smile playing on his lips.
"Yes," Souta replied with a smile of his own as he stepped forward.
"Very well!" Dargan responded, making a grabbing motion.
In an instant, the needles forming the ocean transformed into a crashing wave headed towards Souta's position.
Suddenly, Dargan widened his eyes, turning to see Souta behind him. In the next moment, he found himself hurtling backward, a deep cut on his face.
'He's faster...!' Dargan thought inwardly as he tasted blood in his mouth, crashing into a rock boulder.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Boom!!
Souta's armor had undergone a transformation. Its color was now a dark green with brown accents. It sported two antennas on the top and a pair of insect-like wings on its back. Its legs were thick and muscular, adorned with unknown symbols.
[Blood Armor: Desert Grasshopper]!
Souta had already absorbed all the knowledge of the Emperor of Crimson Twilight. Naturally, he could access all five armors representing the traits he gained back then. He could release the full potential of his lineage.
Bending his knees, he propelled himself forward with a kick against the water.
Boom!!
In an instant, he appeared before Dargan.
Dargan crossed his arms in front of him, but he couldn't fully deflect the force of Souta's attack. Gritting his teeth, he used the momentum to push himself further away from Souta.
'He can travel through shadows, and his speed has increased this time? Interesting, so his abilities change based on his appearance,' Dargan thought, narrowing his eyes.
He began to discern the pattern in his opponent's abilities. The black armor represented strength, the gray armor represented defense, and the green armor represented speed. While Dargan could counter Souta's ability to traverse shadows by extending his energy and elemental power into them, dealing with Souta's increased speed would be more challenging.
"Come!" Dargan roared, readying himself for the next exchange.
Outside the Mare Region, various sovereigns observed the intense energy fluctuations, sensing the battle unfolding within.
Originally, these sovereigns were pursuing Souta due to his plundering of resources in their areas. However, they now paused as the Rank 11 Sovereign engaged in battle. To their surprise, Souta proved capable of keeping up with Dargan, a feat none had expected.
Some among them began plotting for after the battle's conclusion. Regardless of the outcome, exhaustion was inevitable for the combatants. They planned to seize the opportunity presented by this momentary weakness.
The significance of the Rank 11 position was immense. It offered substantial benefits through control of resonance alone. With access to greater Dream Power nourishment, the victor would inevitably grow stronger.
Bang! Bang!
Souta and Dargan continued their exchange of high-speed blows.
Dargan manipulated the terrain to impede his opponent's movements, causing constant shifts in the landscape.
Swoosh!
Souta leaped away just in time, narrowly avoiding the collision of two mountains that obliterated his previous position. The resulting explosion released a devastating surge of Dream Power.
Quickly adapting, Souta's armor shifted, transforming first into the protective [Stone Armadillo] to shield him from the blast, then into the agile [Jade Spider] as he spread his arms wide.
Hundreds of webs shot out across the area.
Dargan countered by conjuring countless water blades, which sliced through the webs Souta had scattered through the air.
Swoosh!
Unbeknownst to Dargan, Souta had already shifted into [Desert Grasshopper]. He closed the distance to Dargan before transitioning into [Great Black Orc].
Swinging his weapon, Souta forced Dargan to conjure an invisible barrier to deflect the sword.
Bang!!
"Although it pales in comparison to yours, I'll tap into my Dream Power too," Souta grinned as white smoke emanated from his pores. His elemental power surged until it reached the Fusion Stage.
Boom!!
A massive explosion erupted, hurling Dargan's figure several kilometers away.
Dargan stabilized himself, groaning in pain as he lifted his head, his expression tinged with confusion. His opponent was undeniably strong, yet his Dream Power seemed lacking. How was this possible?
Swoosh!
Souta chased after Dargan, his figure pulsating with intense elemental energy. Darkness and light intertwined around his blade, creating a strange reaction.
"You must be wondering why, right? Well, you won't find out," Souta declared, his voice echoing with determination. His energy surged, and blood-colored lightning crackled around the blade as he swiftly swung it.
"Ehe, you're strong... You're able to hold back even when facing me," Dargan observed, seeing the impending attack. He knew he couldn't avoid it; all he could do was try his best to resist.
Boom!!!
The attack surged forward, a straight line of energy that left no room for resistance. Dargan, despite his formidable Dream Power, couldn't withstand the sheer force of the blow. His lifeless body plummeted into the depths of the ocean.
Swoosh!
Souta glanced downward, a hint of surprise flickering across his features. Dargan had proven to be exceptionally resilient. Despite the devastating force of the attack, his body remained intact, a testament to his strength.
"Now, onto the next part," Souta murmured, a determined smile playing on his lips as he turned his gaze towards the distant horizon beyond the Mare Region.
