Supernova.
Unlike the rest of Damien's sword forms, this one wasn't the product of months of experimentation and theorizing.
Rather, it was the result of sudden epiphany.
Even Damien didn't quite understand what it was, he only knew that he could use it.
Was it the result of increasing his control over Void Breathing? It was yet another fact he didn't know.
Damien merely used the most destructive attack in his arsenal, and as he felt the mana course through his body, he called out its name instinctually.
And a supernova truly followed.
Space and time warped around Mirage, the concepts of Samsara filled that space, and with the addition of some Void Mana, even traces of the 5 elements included themselves in the concoction.
And in that final moment, a pulse of reddish-black mana amplified everything to another level.
The proceeding burst burned with the heat of an exploding star. Mirage wedged itself into Arthur's shoulder and poured every ounce of its power into his bodily systems.
The effects projected into the starry sky were merely the aftershocks of this outpouring.
'ARGH!' Arthur roared in pain inwardly,
His physical defenses were strong, but they'd been melted through by the heat of a star! The mana stampeding through his body at the moment was volatile, profound, esoteric, and most of all, from elements Arthur had no connection to!
"Fuck!" He shouted madly, his voice dissolving into the blinding light around him.
He could feel fluctuations similar to his blood laws, but they were entwined with another mysterious power that blocked him from interfering with them!
If not for this connection, he had no way to use his laws to fight back!
'I can't believe I've been forced to this point by a child!' Arthur exclaimed in fury.
Without another choice, he charged mana into his core and…
Exploded!
Bang!
Arthur's body exploded into a river of blood, and the chaotic fluctuations trapped within him burst into the surroundings.
BOOOOOOOM!
A secondary explosion went off, even catching Damien and flinging him backwards with several fatal injuries.
The sea of blood that was once Arthur Bloodlock didn't sit still in the void. It swam like a living organism and escaped the radius of the explosion before coagulating into a physical body once more!
Only…
"Haa…haa…haa…"
Strained breaths left his mouth, his face pale as paper.
'He's weak.' Damien realized.
It wasn't a small portion of that blood that was incinerated by the heat. How could a whole be formed when its parts were missing?
When Arthur came back, his aura was widely unstable and far less domineering than it originally was.
Now, by no means was he truly weak.
However—
'I can definitely beat him now.'
Damien's eyes hardened as he put away all his weapons.
From this point onwards, his weapons would only limit him.
And if he used them too much, they were sure to break.
"Arthur Bloodlock, you're a far better grindstone than I was originally expecting!" Damien exclaimed, his battle spirit boiling.
"Boy, you dare mock me?! Do you think this state means you will win?!" Arthur spat back spitefully.
"Haha, of course I do! And you do too!" Damien quipped back.
Arthur snarled, but didn't speak. He knew better than anyone else his physical condition.
The problem was…his arrogant self declared a Mana Oath!
If he actually raised his strength and used power to suppress Damien, he'd be struck down by the universal law and become even easier to kill!
Arthur frowned to himself, warily circling Damien as he looked for an opportunity to take the initiative.
They'd been fighting for over 20 minutes now, but the majority of their collisions had taken place in the final minute of that.
As the two of them let loose all of their cards, they were able to exchange tens of thousands of moves within that single minute.
By now, they were already standing in the chaotic void that represented the destruction of space. The scenery of this void was merely shadowed by Arthur's domain.
However, even that domain was currently showing signs of failing.
Was Arthur…going to lose?
'Lose…?'
A thought suddenly came to mind.
And Damien found his moment as well.
'It's time.' They thought as one.
'Space-Time River.'
Damien immediately summoned his domain. The iridescent blue form of the Space-Time River, that projection that was merely a few inches long when he first created it, spanned for several kilometers, ebbing and flowing through space like a fish in water, and directly suppressing Arthur's weakened domain.
Damien flashed away. His teleportation truly became instant as he attained power that made him feel like a God of Spacetime.
He exhaled the Breath of All Things as he thought back to the way the Saint Emperor incorporated the properties of other elements in his mana.
'Void Breathing: Elemental Wargod'
Void Breathing, the comprehensive term for Damien's Void abilities and the most apt term to describe the methodology he discovered to comprehend his most elusive affinity.
Now, the first true technique manifested through this affinity had been created.
Damien's form changed. He became a being of energy, incarnated by the elements.
Flames, water, wind, earth, lightning, wood, metal, and many more elements combined to create his existence itself as he slammed his leg towards Arthur's face.
BANG!
The kick struck true. Damien's shin crashed into Arthur's cheekbone and the latter was struck with the volatile force of incompatible elements bursting together as if they were lovers.
It was different from a normal elemental attack. There was something more profound, more deadly behind it.
Arthur felt this clearly. He felt it as clearly as the cracking of his skull when that kick impacted him.
"Ack!" He cried out inadvertently, stumbling away and readjusting himself.
Damien gave chase. He didn't know how long the Elemental Warlord state would last, but as long as it did, he wouldn't let up!
'Fall.'
Meteorites were summoned through earth, sized like monster trucks.
'Burn.'
They were ignited by fire, gathering more and more heat as they fell through the air.
'Faster.'
The force of wind provoked the flames into a burning inferno. It was almost impossible to see the superheated chunks of rock they hid.
The meteorites only took a second to reach a critical point.
'Now, finish it.'
The burning atmosphere immediately cooled past freezing.
And…
Just what would happen when the heat from a meteor met a force that could match its heat in coldness?
Just as the duo was going to find out, Arthur opened his mouth and roared out:
"I…QUIT!"
Damien's mind immediately went blank.
He almost felt the need to break the imaginary fourth wall in order to make sure his ears were working.
Did Arthur Bloodlock…
…really just forfeit?
The thought was a laughable one, but this laughable feeling disappeared instantaneously,
For the instant Arthur declared his withdrawal, his aura burst from its confines.
The terms of the Mana Oath; to keep himself at Damien's level as long as the match was ongoing.
If he just quit the match, wouldn't that restriction disappear?
Arthur grinned and slammed his hand forward.
"Die, you pathetic ant."
And that's when Damien finally felt it with his own body.
The true power of a Supreme, that is.
