"Today's battle is one for the history books! On the right, we have our battle arena's rising star, Damien Void! And on the left, the King Bracket's Overlord, the Battle Arena Champion who hadn't lost a single battle in the past 20 years…Leon Holfort!"
The announcer's words caused a wave of raucous cheers to emanate from the crowd. Even disregarding the connotations of this battle, just the fact that these two powerhouses were going to fight in the ring was enough to put them on the edge of their seats.
The arena looked different today. Overnight, the previously 10,000-kilometer-wide arena stage had been expanded multiple times over, giving the two contestants an insane amount of ground on which they could battle.
This was only possible because the battle arena existed in an area similar to a Dimensional Cage. Due to its relative isolation from the outside world, it could be expanded and retracted as needed for the ongoing battle's convenience.
Usually, the arena stage didn't change at all. Even when the weakest 2nd and 3rd class geniuses fought, they did so with 10,000 kilometers of empty land surrounding them.
Only in a situation like this, when two contestants with Emperor level strength fought, would the expansion function be utilized.
Despite the announcer's hot-blooded words, neither of the men in the arena moved an inch. They stood sizing each other up, competing with their auras and trying to gauge their opponent's strength.
Damien wasn't the only one who was given information. Leon was both given information on Damien and a strict warning never to underestimate his enemy.
Because his current challenger, despite his relatively lower level, would be far more difficult to face than any who came before him.
The crowd in the coliseum today was also much different than usual. Aside from the regular geniuses, many esteemed personas had come to witness the showdown.
Whether it was the Paragons present at the academy, other Emperor-level geniuses that hadn't yet reached this level, or even High Elders and Supreme Elders of the influence, none of them wanted to miss out on such a showing.
And in the air above, concealed from the perception of all those present, were thirteen more spectators.
The Director smiled as he gazed down upon the arena. He really had to wonder what this rising star would show him today.
And aside from Silcerin, who was wearing a cold and haughty expression, the rest of the Zodiacs looked indifferent.
It was true that Damien's situation interested them. It wasn't just because of the Director's apparent interest in the young genius, but also due to the feats they discovered when they checked his background.
A man who'd appeared from thin air, a man who the universe had no record of…this man managed to make his way to the peak of the younger generation within a mere year of his first appearance.
This kind of talent was unheard of. It was natural for them to be interested.
But at the same time, even disregarding the Director's influence, they didn't put much stock into him yet.
Geniuses rose and fell like drifting clouds. There was a high likelihood that Damien would die in battle, whether that be today or when he went to war in the coming days.
It was still unknown whether he'd be cannon fodder or if he'd rise from the rubble, but only time would tell.
If he came back from the warfront alive, then…
Many people eagerly waited for the fight to start. Many bets were placed on both contenders, leading the atmosphere to heighten even more.
And when the crowd reached the peak of its excitement…
"Battle: Start!"
The announcer's words rang out like a bolt of lightning. Immediately, Leon teleported tens of kilometers away and waved his hand through the air.
'Spatial Windstorm!'
His mana raged and formed a vortex of chaotic spatial winds. This vortex flashed through space, never moving in a linear path as it somehow reached Damien in an instant.
And in response, Damien…
Grinned.
"Dominion."
Voom!
An invisible wave of power spread from his body and encapsulated the surrounding ten thousand kilometers, space rippled and rocked like peaceful waves crawling up a beach. Immediately, Leon's spatial power was dispersed.
As for the remaining tornado, why did Damien have to be afraid of some heavy winds?
It passed through his body as if it didn't exist at all.
Damien looked up, gazing directly into his opponent's eyes.
"If it were a battle of anything else, perhaps my loss would be set. But if you want to compete in Space Laws…"
"Under Divinity, there is no one capable of stopping me."
Space solidified.
The Space-Time River materialized above Damien's head, glimmering with iridescent blue starlight.
"Warp."
Space twisted. The entire arena turned into a chaotic mess. The skies became the earth, the earth became walls, the walls became interweaving branches that spanned dozens of kilometers, and those branches transformed back into the sky.
Within the Space-Time River Domain, Damien was a God.
Leon gritted his teeth and backed away. Despite the distance he made, he found himself trapped in Damien's terrifying spatial cage.
Leon's spatial mana emanated from his body in waves. He dispelled a portion of the spatial confusion taking place around him and regained his bearings. At the same time, his eyes hardened as he looked at Damien who was now floating in the air.
To compete in Space Laws, this had been his intent since the start.
Space Laws were the core of his being. They were the reason he was able to stand on par with the greatest geniuses of the era. If it was space, he wouldn't lose to anyone!
His body turned into a blur as he flashed across the distorted terrain. Despite his senses being confused, he used instinct alone to traverse the spatial layers and find Damien.
But if he could do it, why couldn't Damien?
Bang!
A fist appeared from nothingness and slammed into Leon's face, pushing him back. Damien appeared from within the spatial layers and grinned.
"You can do more than this, right?"
"Spatial Collapse!" Leon yelled without responding. His hand clenched into a fist and slammed through space, causing it to shatter into countless fragments!
A small hole was created, allowing the chaotic void to consume space itself. In the area around Leon, Damien's spatial confusion lost its effect.
"Damn, I knew that one was too mainstream. I bet every spatial practitioner has their own spatial collapse…" Damien lamented.
"Since you've shown me yours, I'll show you mine as well!"
'Void Sword Art Fourth Form: Spatial Collapse'
Mirage appeared in Damien's hand as he slammed it downwards. Spatial mana raged, clouding the surrounding space.
And when Mirage reached the end of its arc…
Bang!
Space shattered on a massive scale. Thousands of kilometers were enveloped in darkness as the chaotic void took prominence over space. The black hole that formed swirled furiously, emitting a terrifying suction force that could be felt even outside the arena barrier!
'This…!' Leon gasped in shock. The scale and power of Damien's collapse far outstripped his. It was to a level where he couldn't even call himself inferior, as that term wasn't nearly strong enough.
It wasn't just due to Damien's Space Law comprehension. Mirage was a sword of space, a sword that not only had its own spatial abilities, but also the inherited comprehension from its previous master.
When it worked together with Damien to showcase the collapse tied to his sword art, the results were devastating.
Small spatial tears opened up all around the black hole as it furiously sucked anything nearby into its maws. Leon found himself riddled with small cuts in an instant as he moved rapidly to dodge the intrusion of these tears.
But would Damien let him continue?
'Dimension Shift'
The dimension itself split in two. The world turned grey as it split horizontally into two pieces, trapping Leon's upper and lower body in each of them respectively.
'What is this?!' Leon exclaimed in astonishment. This level of spatial control that even split the dimension they existed in far outstripped his understanding of space.
Space…was weak.
At least that's what he told himself.
Other than collapse and a few other minor abilities, Leon couldn't find any offensive merit in his Spatial Law comprehension if he didn't combine it with his Wind Laws.
He took pride in his element because even without offense, the defensive and supportive capabilities in space far outstripped its competitors. It was also an especially rare element, so the element of surprise was always on his side in battle against enemies who didn't know him.
When Damien used space, he threw common sense out the window. He turned this supportive element into an intense offense that couldn't be escaped regardless of how hard one tried!
And if they didn't have a spatial affinity to help them counter his onslaught…
Then any opponent he faced was guaranteed to die!
