Chapter 23 - End of the Hunt

The tension was palpable in the air.

The two Campiones stood face to face, separated only by a few meters of devastated terrain, while the oppressive silence was broken only by the sound of the wind passing through the trees that still stood, witnesses to the clash that was about to begin.

Adam Victory raised his black sword, [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi], pointing it slightly at Voban. He didn't seem worried or even anxious, but his vibrant blue eyes sparkled with a cold and lethal concentration. He exuded confidence, his impeccably trained muscles demonstrating that he was prepared to face any attack.

On the other side, Marquis Voban, the oldest of the Kings, remained motionless. His lupine eyes glowed with a dangerous excitement, as if savoring the moment before the hunt. He wasn't a man in a hurry; he preferred to measure his opponent, feel his fighting spirit, and then crush it completely. His body, enveloped by a heavy and oppressive aura, seemed replete with contained energy, about to explode.

Without further words, the confrontation began.

Adam was the first to move, closing the distance in an instant. His movements were so precise and fluid that they seemed to defy the laws of physics, a reflection of the martial arts he had copied from Luo Hao and combined with his own style. He swung Susanoo's blade in a descending arc, aiming for Voban's flank with a quick and deadly blow.

The Marquis reacted like a wild animal, dodging abruptly and unexpectedly, his body moving with an agility that seemed impossible for someone his age. He immediately retaliated with a punch, his hands enveloped in an overwhelming force that made the air around them crackle.

Adam barely dodged, turning his body to the side and using the [Mind's Eye] to anticipate Voban's next move. Each attack of the ancient wolf was like thunder, brutal and devastating, flowing like a boxing master who spent decades hitting a sandbag, but Adam avoided them masterfully, as if dancing on the battlefield.

"Interesting," Voban murmured, retreating for an instant as he observed Adam. "You remind me a little of that girl...."

Adam laughed, his eyes gleaming. "Talking about Luo Hao? I learned a bit from her..."

He was slightly amused because the older man wasn't as skilled as Luo Hao, it was good to punch him in the face, despite that, he could see that he was as resilient or maybe more so than the Ruler of the Martial Realm. And could withstand the deadliest blows of his blade, preventing him from being completely wounded.

The two lunged at each other again, and the impact of their blows was like the sound of thunder, echoing through the ravaged terrain. Adam attacked with a series of swift and lethal combinations, each blow aimed at a vital point, while Voban countered with brute force, trying to crush him with each impact.

However, the advantage seemed to lean towards Adam. His skill with the [Mind's Eye], which allowed him to read Voban's attack patterns, along with the martial arts he had mastered, gave him the edge in close combat. He not only dodged the attacks but counterattacked with relentless precision, forcing Voban to move more than he was accustomed to.

The surrounding landscape reflected the intensity of the confrontation. Rocks were pulverized, trees exploded into splinters, and the ground was torn by each exchange of blows. Each movement created shockwaves that reverberated for miles.

But then, Marquis Voban changed tactics. Realizing that Adam was taking advantage of his speed and technique, which was not his forte, he enveloped his body in lightning that danced around his figure like luminous serpents. When Adam attempted a quick kick aimed at Voban's ribs, the ancient wolf exploded in electricity, a wave of energy that almost caught the Sixth Campione off guard.

Adam stumbled back and looked towards the old man who had a smile on his face.

Suddenly, the vast blue sky, previously serene, began to darken rapidly, as if nature itself was responding to his will. The wind grew stronger, generating silent ripples in the water below, which crackled with the air pressure.

Adam smelled the characteristic scent of ozone, an electric sensation that invaded his nostrils with a pungent hum. He didn't need to look at the sky to know what was about to happen. The storm was coming, and the feeling of something big and unpredictable approaching made his skin crawl.

The clouds, once scattered and harmless, closed like a large gray curtain covering the daylight. Their shadow fell upon the earth, creating a dense and menacing atmosphere. Lightning bolts began to jump violently from one cloud to another, their erratic and repetitive movements like furious serpents tearing the sky. The sound of thunder echoed, reverberating in Adam's soul and making the air vibrate with an almost palpable power.

The rain began to fall, but not gently. The drops were heavy and incessant, saturating the ground and forming small puddles that reflected the lightning. The grass, bushes, and destroyed trees of the forest were now covered by a thin layer of water, and the ground seemed to absorb the liquid with insatiable thirst.

Voban stepped forward with calculated precision, and at that exact moment, lightning split the sky, illuminating the scene in a flash. Three majestic silhouettes manifested around him, as if materialized from the storm itself. Each one emanated an aura of power that seemed to distort the surrounding space, their presences almost supernatural.

The first, dressed in a deep blue cloak, radiated a sense of tempestuous serenity. The second, wrapped in vibrant red, exuded explosive, almost burning energy. The third, with green robes reminiscent of a dense jungle, seemed to be the personification of wind and raw nature. They were the very reflection of fury and control, their eyes fixed on Adam with an intensity that seemed to pierce his soul.

"Bo Feng, Yu Shi, and Lei Gong," Voban said in a soft voice, but full of reverence. He extended his right arm towards Adam, as if invoking an ancient and primordial power. "Gods of weather."

When he spoke the names, a vibration seemed to emanate from the ground, and Adam felt the change in atmospheric pressure, as if the very space around him was distorting. The air became charged with electrical tension, and a low, almost imperceptible laugh escaped Voban's lips. His shoulders trembled slightly, but not from fatigue; it was the excitement of someone who knew that the real battle was about to begin.

"You should know what this means," Voban continued, his eyes now shining with supernatural intensity.

With an almost lazy movement, he raised his hand, and without any warning, enormous lightning bolts emerged from his open palm. The air around his hand distorted, and with a deafening roar, the lightning shot towards Adam. The speed with which they moved was impressive – like fiery serpents cutting through the air, their trails illuminating everything around.

The electricity seemed alive, jumping and leaping with irrational fury. Each bolt had the power to tear metal and turn stone to dust, and as they approached Adam, the sound of the storm intensified, creating a deafening roar that seemed almost threatening enough to make the earth tremble.

The ground around Adam shuddered with the force of a nearby lightning strike, but he remained calm, his eyes focused on Voban and his movements.

Adam, sensing the power of the approaching storm, didn't hesitate. He used the [Mind's Eye] and activated [Black Lightning] to increase his speed, feeling the world around him slow down completely, a quick, strategic glance to anticipate Voban's movements, the flames of lightning distorting in the air as if projected in slow motion. He leaped to the side with agility, dodging a bolt that grazed his body. But he didn't stop there. He used the [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi], the divine sword, to absorb the impact of another bolt that came his way, its blade vibrating with electrical energy, deflecting the charge of the attack away.

He murmured the incantation: "Clouds form and darken, gather the wind and rain, my lightning will split the heavens, my thunder will shake the earth, tremble with awe and terror before my power and fury, for my uncontrollable storm approaches!"

Activating one of his authorities usurped from Perun, [Growing Storm], he felt absolute control settle over the area. Controlling the weather, he extended his hand towards Voban and invoked a series of lightning bolts that snaked towards him.

Voban was surprised but quickly responded in kind.

The lightning bolts they launched at each other met in mid-air.

The sound of the lightning cutting through the air was deafening, as if the sky itself was being torn apart by forces beyond human comprehension. Enormous, shrill sounds reverberated across the landscape, echoing through the mountains and valleys, where the shockwaves created by the impacts reverberated like a powerful symphony of destruction.

The power unleashed by the lightning seemed palpable, a primal force that distorted the reality around it.

"What a surprise!" Voban shouted, his voice mingling with the roar of the lightning and the crash of the impact. His expression was illuminated by the fury of his storm. "You can control lightning too!"

"I thought that was something every Campione could do!" Adam mocked with a slight smile.

His voice was firm and charged with energy, as if the words themselves were a reflection of his inner strength.

In response, the arcs of lightning he generated began to expand, gaining intensity and power as his willpower increased. Each arc of electricity seemed almost alive, pulsing with the threat of destruction.

The confrontation between the two Campione caused the world around them to begin to crumble. The power of the lightning generated by both warriors was so great that, when their attacks collided, a wave of energy erupted, breaking the barriers of physics and space. Lightning escaped from the point of collision, jumping in uncontrollable directions, spreading like furious serpents through the atmosphere.

The impact was devastating.

The sky, previously laden with heavy clouds, exploded in electrical fury, while the ground beneath their feet became a field of destruction. The mountains in the distance, which had remained unchanged for millennia, were struck with such force that they collapsed into pieces, fragments of stone and rock being hurled into the air like shards of broken glass. The mountain ranges were leveled, their structure devastated by the pure power and force of these titanic lightning bolts.

The rain began to fall with apocalyptic intensity. Gigantic drops crashed against the ground, creating a deafening sound as the ground began to transform into a sea of murky water. The torrent was so intense that it seemed to engulf everything around it, submerging forests, fields, and even the ruins of the mountains, as if the world itself was being erased by the fury of the gods.

The winds, propelled by the force of the storm, transformed into gigantic tornadoes that ripped through the sky. The air was saturated with electricity, and the wind currents bent and twisted like giant serpents in a dance of destruction. They tore trees from the ground, dragging stones and even fragments of the destroyed mountains, throwing them far away with the force of a nuclear explosion.

The absolute power of those who slew gods seemed unbeatable.

The earth, the winds, the sky, and even time itself seemed to be controlled with terrifying ease, a symbiosis of divine force that knew no bounds.

The world around the combatants seemed to crumble under the magnitude of their powers, and the landscape was transformed into an apocalyptic scene of chaos and destruction.

The storm raged in the sky as lightning continued to descend with uncontrolled fury, illuminating the scene of destruction unfolding on the battlefield. The terrain was devastated, the ground cracked and in ruins, but the fight between the two Campione continued to defy nature itself.

For a brief moment, the lightning stopped, and the battlefield was immersed in a silent tension, as if the world knew something great was about to happen.

Voban, with a cold smile, took a step back. His eyes glowed with a golden light, the yellow irises gleaming with a menacing intensity. He bent down, his knees flexing as his hands touched the ground, as if preparing for something even greater. Silver fur spread over his body, a brutal transformation that distorted his human form. His jaw elongated, and his mouth opened in a terrible howl as the figure of a monstrous werewolf took shape before Adam.

"Like the star shining during the day..." Voban murmured, his voice deep and guttural, almost like thunder among the echoes of the storms.

The surrounding landscape seemed to bow before the rising power. Flashes of light illuminated the contours of Voban's new form, his golden eyes twinkling like beacons amidst the darkness of the storm. He rose, a creature of indomitable strength, with sharp claws and a muscular body that exuded a terrifying presence. His transformation was complete, and what remained was only a colossal wolf, almost unrecognizable from his previous state. The aura of an ancient, immortal, and hungry predator enveloped him, something not seen in any mortal creature.

"And the light of Lykos reaches the heavens!" Voban shouted, his voice now more animalistic, reverberating like thunder. And around him, a pack of wolves appeared, with burning red eyes and growls that echoed like a prelude to death. They were there, ready to hunt, ready to fight to the last drop of blood. They were the Starving Wolves, a Legion he had taken from Apollo Lyceus, one of the Heretic Gods he had slain.

With impressive speed, Voban rose on his hind legs and, in an agile and precise movement, dropped into a quadrupedal stance, his sharp claws touching the ground with a dull thud. He advanced, his paws tearing the ground, leaving deep craters as he moved. Each step was a testament to his strength, each movement a demonstration of the brutality he was capable of unleashing. His body, nearly twenty meters long, moved with an agility that defied all expectations, his transformation turning him into a true beast of war.

He approached Adam, his teeth bared in a silent threat, and his mouth opened in a monstrous grin, a cruel reflection of his pleasure in the impending battle. With a final step, Voban leaped forward with devastating force. The ground trembled under the impact of his forepaw, and the wind increased with the violence of his attack.

Voban's claw sliced through the air like thunder, but Adam did not yield. His muscles contracted, his legs steadied, and with a desperate effort, he managed to block the blow with Susanoo's Blade.

The impact was monumental.

Adam felt Voban's crushing force, the weight of his destructive paw pressing against him, but he did not retreat. His arms were tense, his veins throbbing with effort, and the sound of friction between Voban's claws and the blade of his sword echoed in the air like the rumble of an ancestral war.

The pressure was immense. Adam felt his bones stretching, his joints straining, he immediately activated his authority usurped from Baldur. A radiant energy began to manifest around him, in a golden flow of runes, ancient and powerful, that began to cover his body up to his neck, as Adam uttered the words of enchantment:

"O mark of divine protection, become my armor!"

Immediately, the golden runes began to glow intensely on his body. A luminous cloak enveloped him, like an impenetrable divine armor, a barrier against any evil. The runes extended from his body to the space around him, creating an expansive protective field of a few centimeters. He felt a flow of renewed energy, as if celestial light passed through his muscles, making them more powerful, faster. His resistance increased, his reflexes becoming supernatural.

He stowed his [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] in his arm, and Voban's claw descended towards him cruelly, but met absolute resistance, as if it had struck an invisible and insurmountable wall. A deafening crash echoed across the field as the impact was nullified, the runes absorbing the force of the blow with ease.

Adam recoiled from the shockwave, and Voban did as well.

"Impressive," Voban praised with a ferocious smile. "But the warm-up is over."

The colossal silhouette of the wolf that Voban had become now blended with dozens of other wolves that appeared out of nowhere, their eyes glowing like insatiable flames. The earth trembled with the impact of the beasts' movement, and the air was filled with the sound of savage and menacing howls.

The true essence of the [Legion of Starving Wolves] Authority was not just the ability to transform into a monstrous wolf. It was the ability to summon an entire legion of merciless creatures, and these wolves were not mere animals — they were immortal hunters, with an insatiable hunger for destruction.

This Authority, and something in Voban's eyes that reflected his own rise — from a lost orphan on the streets to one of the most powerful men in Europe — perhaps it was this strength, forged in struggle and solitude, that gave him control over such power.

Adam, however, was not impressed. Black lightning snaked around his body, electrifying the atmosphere around him. His eyes shone with fierce intensity as he advanced towards Voban with superhuman speed. The world seemed to slow down around him, each movement stretching out in time as if in slow motion.

With unbeatable precision, Adam approached at breathtaking speed, feeling the air distort around him. However, Voban, with the experience and instinct of a predator, reacted in the blink of an eye. The immense Wolf King raised his arm, a wall of flesh and strength, to block Adam's fist, which was coming with all his might.

But it was a mistake.

The reason he had stowed his [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] was because he wanted to test something, he had the sword's authority to absorb and copy other authorities do this with the Authority he had previously usurped from Salvatore Doni, the [Man of Steel], which transformed his body into a steel fortress that could handle extreme physical conditions, like the vacuum of space or powerful authorities, aside from the power to make his body heavier, no matter how heavy it is, the authority allowed him to move normally, in short, absorbing this authority gave him the ability to transform his arms into diamond and amplified his strength many times over, equal to Luo Hao's [Divine Power of Vajrapani].

The limitation was that he had to have the [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] stowed inside his arm, and he could only increase the strength and transform his arms into diamond. And it's worth noting that it was more like he acquired characteristics of steel as strong as diamond, a metal that had the durability of a diamond.

But it was enough.

He punched the giant wolf.

The impact resonated across the battlefield, and the ground around the two shattered, cracking with the force of the shock. The surrounding air vibrated with the energy of both, as if the world itself could feel the intensity of the confrontation.

The Wolf King was thrown back by the force of the impact, his immense body shattering the ground beneath him before crashing to the ground with a ferocious roar. Even with the oldest authority he possessed, Voban's strength was not enough to contain the violence of Adam's blow.

The impact of his fist was so overwhelming that the very ground around them seemed to give way under the pressure, creating a deep crater where Voban had fallen.

Meanwhile, Adam wasted no time. He spun with supernatural speed, his hands unleashing electrical discharges at every wolf that approached. Each lightning bolt that struck its targets transformed the wolves into nothing more than ash and smoke, dissolving their animal forms with the same ease with which thunder rips through the sky. The sound of lightning echoed across the battlefield, resonating like a cry of vengeance and power, each electrical discharge dragging more and more of the summoned creatures to their end.

The wolves, which had previously been fiercely aligned beside their master, didn't stand a chance. Each one was felled with the same speed and precision, one by one disappearing under the furious lightning he invoked from the storm.

Voban got up and lunged at him, Adam didn't waste any time and attacked him.

The battle between Adam and Voban reached epic levels of destruction, the titanic forces clashing reverberating throughout the region. The sky, darkened by the storm, convulsed, and incandescent lightning bolts sliced through the earth like blades. Trees shattered into pieces, rivers were lifted and evaporated in the face of the intensity of the attacks.

Voban, still in his monstrous twenty-meter wolf form, advanced with the ferocity of a predator, his sharp teeth gleaming under the storm. His claws tore the ground, creating deep fissures, as he used his supernatural speed to move in circles around Adam. The Wolf King was not a mere animal; his aura was that of a starving god, and his Authority, the [Legion of Starving Wolves], caused wolves larger than any human creature to appear around him, ready to attack with sharp claws and deadly fangs.

He was like a general commanding his soldiers.

With each of Voban's attacks, the very ground split, and the storm winds became even more furious, as if the world itself was reacting to the violence of the battle. Adam moved with equal speed, his body agile as lightning, delivering blows with lethal precision. He used his Authority to channel powerful lightning bolts that devastated everything around him when unleashed.

The light of the energy explosions illuminated the battlefield, revealing the magnitude of the destruction in their wake.

With his [Blessing of Protection] and the [Divine Power of a Godslayer] - the name he gave to the new power created by his [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] upon absorbing the [Man of Steel] - Adam remained unharmed by the attacks and injured Marquis Voban due to the immense strength he possessed with the stacking of these two authorities and his Campione body, but his magical energy burned quickly, he also had to keep his [Black Lightning] and [Growing Storms] active all the time, one caused him negative effects and the other also burned magical energy.

He could feel that unlike Luo Hao, Voban didn't have the power to break his [Blessing of Protection] with brute force, he wasn't a combatant, he was more someone who used the wolves and a combination of his attacks to defeat his enemies, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.

Meanwhile, Voban, with his monstrous form and impressive resistance, tried to attack with his claws in an attempt to tear Adam to shreds. Each blow from the Wolf King made the ground tremble and entire mountains crumble, he used his [Legion of Starving Wolves] to attack in conjunction and his authority over the weather [Storm and Impetus] to nullify Adam's weather-related attacks, in addition, he also sometimes disappeared into the ground and appeared elsewhere, one of the other effects of the [Legion of Starving Wolves].

When he applied the effect of entering and disappearing into the ground, one of Adam's punches hit Voban's ribs, who was thrown back, causing an immense crater to open in the ground. But, in a matter of seconds, Voban rose, furious, and charged again with a roar of rage, provoking a storm of thunder so intense that the earth itself seemed to tremble under the force of his attack.

The colossal wolf then leaped on top of Adam, his claws slicing through the air with impressive speed. Adam, with supernatural agility, turned to block the attack with his own hands, his body glowing with lightning that clashed with the force of the impact. The ensuing explosion disintegrated an entire area of the forest around them, creating a cloud of dust that obscured the view.

But Voban didn't stop, each blow of his claws became a wave of destruction, destroying mountains and forests, making the winds drag everything around him.

Adam, however, did not retreat, using his authorities in conjunction to fight against Marquis Voban.

Thunder roared in response to each blow, while lightning illuminated the battlefield, reflecting the nature of their fight: two beings so powerful that not even the earth, the mountains, or the heavens could withstand their fury.

Voban advanced with a final lunge, leaping on top of Adam, his claws extended towards his neck. But Adam was ready. He channeled his energy and, with a direct punch to Voban's chest, threw the wolf back, crashing through entire mountains with the force of the impact. The sky was once again illuminated with the glow of lightning, while the surrounding terrain shattered under the pressure of the confrontation.

The storm seemed to follow the rhythm of the battle, increasing in intensity with each blow and each movement of the combatants.

Adam took a deep breath, feeling his body heavier and his breathing more difficult, his magical energy was also burning rapidly from the consecutive use of multiple authorities, he quickly channeled his authority usurped from Iddun: "Maiden who dwells within the orchard, deceived and stolen, transformed and returned. The blessing that even the Gods yearn for is mine to have, mine to grant, mine to use."

As he consumed the [Apple of Immortality] he had cultivated earlier before his battle against Voban, he recovered all his magical energy and fatigue, even his authorities that were becoming exhausted were restored, and the negative effects of [Black Lightning] disappeared.

As he returned to his peak in moments, he thought about this battle, he knew that authorities related to the Sun were useless against Marquis Voban, due to his [Legion of Starving Wolves] authority having been usurped from Apollo, as a Wolf, he could devour powers related to the Sun, so his authorities usurped from Lugh and Balor—with the exception of the mystic eyes—were useless.

So, he had to find another way to win this fight.

He looked towards where he had thrown Marquis Voban.

The mountain debris fell around, pieces of giant rocks scattering through the air like projectiles as Voban rose from the destruction. His wolf form, colossal and imposing, emerged through the rising cloud of dust. His eyes gleamed like furious stars, his mouth wide open showing rows of teeth as sharp as knives.

He shook himself, feeling the weight of the rocks falling around him, but his resistance was unbreakable.

With a ferocious leap, he crossed the remains of the collapsed mountain, advancing towards Adam with impressive speed for his enormity. The ground trembled under his heavy feet, and each step seemed to make the earth open up, cracking the ground. The storm moved with him, the menacing clouds, lightning falling in his wake.

Voban landed with a deafening crash, raising a wave of dust and pieces of rock as he rose, his claws cutting through the air, ready to attack. His tense muscles, his colossal form threatening to swallow Adam whole.

And there, in a moment of pure ferocity, he stood before Adam, with the wind howling around him and lightning illuminating the battlefield with a supernatural glow.

Adam looked at Marquis Voban, a slight smile played on his lips.

With a swift gesture, the roots of the trees surrounding the field began to twist and rise like hungry serpents emerging from the ground. They stretched and intertwined around his figure, flowing as if they were in harmony with his own energy. Iddun's Authority took shape, allowing him to control the flora around him.

The roots spread, sharp and imposing, as if they knew they were about to hunt.

With a sharp movement of his hands, Adam commanded the roots, which lunged towards the immense wolf with impressive speed. They intertwined around his paws, climbing up his legs with increasing force, restricted only by the Wolf King's resistance. But meanwhile, the roots were absorbing all the magical energy that Voban emanated, draining part of his power, making him weaker as the battle unfolded.

He pressed his hands against the ground, causing more roots to emerge, formed by his will, as if they were extensions of his own body. With each movement, the roots intertwined more around the Wolf King, preventing him from moving, and at the same time, they extracted more energy from his magic.

But Voban was quick to rid himself of the roots with his impressive strength, he smiled as he spoke, "This authority is interesting, boy. Too bad it's fragile..."

"Glad you liked it, old man..." Adam said with a slight smile, not bothered by him destroying the roots he manipulated. It had its purpose, he wanted to absorb the old man's magical energy to give rise to more [Apples of Immortality], he quickly manipulated the flora around him.

The roots lunged towards Voban with overwhelming force, snaking through the air and intertwining with impressive speed, ready to further restrain the Wolf King. But they were useless, Voban quickly got rid of them.

While he was distracted, Adam thought of something and gave a discreet smile. With a quick movement, he retrieved the [Shoes of Vidar] from within the [Inventory], a gift usurped through his authority over the [Forge of the Dwarves], a cursed gift of divine creation.

The pair of shoes, simple in appearance, but imbued with ancestral power, was thrown to the ground with a decisive gesture towards Voban. As soon as they touched the earth, the transformation began.

A pulsating energy emanated from the shoes, growing like a tide that could not be contained.

Fwoom!

The magic shoes, created for the silent son of Odin, Vidar, exploded in emerald light. Roots began to emerge from the ground like hungry serpents, and in moments, a giant ash tree was born there, growing at a supernatural rate. The branches of the tree extended with terrifying speed, advancing directly towards Marquis Voban, who was in his colossal wolf form.

"Oh, is that?!"

A cry of surprise escaped the giant wolf's mouth.

The ash tree continued its relentless expansion, its roots penetrating deep into the ground, while its thick, sturdy branches wrapped around Voban's monstrous body. The wolf's movements were restricted almost immediately, each branch tightening like an iron chain.

Creak-! Creak-! Creak-! Creak-!

The sound of the ash fibers resisting the wolf's brute force echoed like distant thunder. Still, the magical tree held firm, as if channeling Vidar's own determination.

"A mere tree dares to contain this Voban. What Herculean strength does he have there!"

The wolf's eyes glowed in fury and disbelief as he struggled against the wooden bonds that surrounded him.

"Obviously!" Adam declared, a cold smile curving his lips. "The forest god Vidar is a legendary hero, second only to the lightning god Thor. He crushed Fenrir's jaw and sealed his movement before stabbing him to death. These magic shoes, which grant him such strength, are now under my command──and you will not escape them so easily."

Adam crossed his arms as he watched Marquis Voban struggle, the giant wolf writhing in vain against the crushing force of the ash tree.

Vidar, the silent avenger of the forest, was the son of Odin and a giantess who did not have the status of a legitimate wife. He lived isolated in the forest of Vidi, and the magic shoes, made from scraps of leather offered by his mother, were his secret weapon. They were said to possess the hardness of iron and the absolute power to seal the strength of any creature, even the terrible beast Fenrir.

"I see. In that case..." Voban growled, his voice reverberating like the sound of tectonic plates colliding. "I will bring down even this legend!"

The giant wolf, trapped by the magic ash tree, roared with such intensity that the surrounding ground trembled. His eyes glowed like two dark suns, full of hatred and contained power.

The sky above them, previously cloudy, began to churn. The dark clouds swirled in a colossal vortex, and the smell of ozone filled the air. A sharp wind blew, causing the leaves of the ash tree to shake violently.

Adam watched the change, narrowing his eyes. He could feel the increase in energy in the environment, as if the sky itself was rebelling against the presence of the tree.

"So, is that what you're going to do?" Adam murmured calmly, moving towards the wolf quickly to deliver a final blow and prevent him from escaping.

When he was about to move towards Voban and land a decisive blow, the enormous wolf looked in his direction, its eyes shining with a pale green.

Voban's Authority, [Eyes of Sodom], was devastating. Any living thing that came under his gaze was turned to salt, as if a millennial curse was being triggered. A mere glance from him could turn an entire city into a pile of salt. For someone like Adam, who possessed innate resistance, the transformation was not complete, but he felt the effects, the momentary paralysis that gave him a feeling of discomfort.

This was an Authority that allowed the old Campione to transform living beings in general into salt, however it did not affect Campiones and Heretic Gods due to their innate resistance, it only paralyzed them.

Despite this, the glow of these evil eyes could turn an entire city into salt, this was the [Eyes of Sodom] Authority.

Sodom - A city that was touched by God's wrath due to its citizens who fell into the depths of degeneration. The divine punishment ruined the city and all the people died. It was something that occurred in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Because these evil eyes could reproduce the effects of that tale, this Authority was named after that immoral city.

The effect of the curse rushed towards Adam, who despite his innate resistance knew he could be paralyzed for a second because of the effect, which would cause his end in the fight.

"Purify the doom and cleanse the sins that have no forgiveness..." Adam murmured the incantation of the authority he had usurped from Tlazolteotl, which he called the [King of Purification and Lust], which gave him some special powers. He had to stop his sudden movement towards Voban.

As soon as the incantation of his authority ended, the water droplets floating around him took shape. They coalesced into a fluid mass and protected him from the effect of Voban's authority.

Seeing that this didn't work, Voban immediately tried to summon his [Undead Servants] along with his [Legion of Starving Wolves], he needed time to free himself from his bonds and wanted to use his undead as a distraction, but he was surprised that his authority usurped from Osiris didn't work.

This was due to Adam's authority that was still active.

The most basic power of the [King of Purification and Lust] authority was the ability to purify everything that exists in the world, negative effects, curses and sins would cease to exist in his presence while this authority remained active, this applied to the necromantic effects of divine authorities on the dead, he also had the power to transform evil into good or simply make someone pure, even being able to cleanse bad memories - something that wouldn't work on Campiones and [Heretic Gods] due to innate desistence.

In one of the myths, Tlazolteotl is called to purify the sins committed by humans. The inhabitants of the Aztec world, often involved in impure actions and immoral practices, felt burdened by guilt. To alleviate these feelings, they invoked Tlazolteotl to help them purify their hearts and souls. She listened to their confessions and, in return, purified them, removing impurities from mind and body, as well as spiritual impurities, this power perfectly reflected these myths. There were myths that she even went to the Aztec underworld to purify the dead, hence Voban's authority being useless.

Taking the aspect of Goddess of lust, he also had some interesting abilities, being able to manipulate anything related to lust, including desire, passion, and even the complex emotion of love, being able to increase or decrease it at will, in a broader term, he could literally do whatever he wanted with everything related to "Lust."

Passively, this attracted women to him like a magnet, and coupled with his appearance, it was easy to see why Luo Hao fell in love with him—it also had to do with her delusions—he could also give a hypnotic suggestion that made people tell him their deepest desires without hesitation.

This power involved another popular myth involving Xochiquetzal, the goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality, with whom Tlazolteotl is often associated due to their similar attributes. While Xochiquetzal is seen as the goddess of pleasure and happiness, Tlazolteotl is associated with the darker, redemptive side of desire. In some versions of the myths, Tlazolteotl is described as a twin sister or simply sister of Xochiquetzal, some believed that she was a Goddess with these two aspects. This relationship between the two goddesses reflects the different facets of sexuality and desire in the Aztec pantheon, like a coin this ability came from this myth, since Xochiquetzal was basically an Aphrodite or Ishtar in Aztec culture.

Going into this, he possessed another main power based on the Aztec Goddess of lust who had incorporated these two goddesses from the myths.

The power was something he called [Clarity Amplification] which gave him the ability to amplify an effect as much as he desired, potentially even to a near infinite extent. It was the simple power to "amplify your desire until it becomes something physical" that Xochiquetzal and even Tlazolteotl (through her purification) had done in some myths, giving shape to this interesting power. When used on a creature, it can be used to increase its power; there was a limit that if exceeded resulted in living beings becoming worn down by the burden of their overly amplified power, or at the extreme, being burned alive by their own body heat or otherwise disintegrating, he couldn't use it on himself, but he could use part of it on his attacks.

Now when used in an attack, it could potentially create an absolutely catastrophic result by increasing its power to the absolute limit, creating the strongest possible offensive power. He could even amplify the power of his authorities to a certain extent.

Despite delaying Adam for only a second, it was enough for Voban to finish his preparations to escape his bonds.

CRACK!

The first lightning bolt fell, striking the branches of the ash tree with brutal force. The explosion illuminated the area like the glow of a thousand suns, while splinters of wood flew in all directions. Another lightning bolt followed shortly after, striking the roots that held the wolf to the ground.

BOOM! BOOM!

The electrical blows were incessant, as if the sky itself was unleashing a furious attack. Each impact tore away pieces of the ash tree, which creaked in resistance, but began to give way.

Adam, who had stopped to activate his authority to nullify his enemy's authorities, watched as Marquis Voban used his Authority over the Weather, manipulating the elements to his advantage. The storm was completely under the wolf's control, and it seemed to respondto his desire for freedom.

"HAHAHA!" Voban's laughter echoed as he struggled against the remaining branches. "You underestimate the power of wind and thunder! No prison can hold me for long!"

CRASH!

A final lightning bolt, more intense than all the previous ones, descended directly onto the main trunk of the ash tree. The impact was devastating, splitting the wood to its core. The roots began to loosen from the ground, unable to withstand the combined force of the elements.

In a violent movement, the giant wolf shook the remaining branches and, with a leap, broke the last bonds. The ash tree, now reduced to a pile of charred wood, fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Marquis Voban rose, his giant paws treading on the remains of the ash tree. Lightning continued to dance around him as if celebrating his liberation.

Adam didn't seem surprised, but the glint in his eyes grew colder. He immediately activated Iddun's authority to control the roots around him, using [Clarity Amplification] to make them stronger.

This time, the roots that formed around him were much more powerful. They emerged from the ground with overwhelming force, no longer limited to just controlling the trees or plants around him. Now, Iddun's strength manifested in every fiber of these roots, each one pulsing with the life energy of an immortal being.

He stretched his hands towards the ground with a concentrated force that sent waves of energy through the soil. The roots spread across the battlefield, twisting with astonishing speed, seeking Voban in every corner of the region.

The ground split under the power of the summoning, and monstrous roots emerged like serpents in a fury, leaping towards Voban with a speed impossible to avoid. Each one carried the energy of life and death, capable of draining the magical energy of their targets like a venomous bite.

The wolves that had been summoned earlier were all crushed.

Voban felt a certain danger, but underestimated the power of the boy's authority, thinking it was the same as before. The roots enveloped him with overwhelming force, beginning to restrict his movements, forcing him to the ground with crushing pressure.

He tried to free himself from the net of roots that held him. He grunted, but the energy of the roots continued to drain him, the power of his own Authority being eroded by the uncontrollable force of nature. Despite this, he managed to destroy nature with his colossal strength in wolf form and began to deflect the others that came towards him.

After reaching a safe distance, the colossal wolf seemed worn out. He breathed heavily, and some of the injuries he had suffered earlier from Adam's attacks were beginning to affect his movements, while the Sixth Campione was fully recovered due to the [Apple of Immortality], something Marquis Voban had noticed, but said nothing.

While dodging the attacks that absorbed magical energy, along with his maniacal laughter, Marquis Voban unleashed an overwhelming amount of magical power, feeling invincible before the force he was about to unleash.

"All living things in the world are equal: saints and sinners, villains and heroes, innocent children and even their mothers are the source of my fire," he declared, his voice full of disdain, as his authority manifested.

As the words left his lips, the sky began to open, the clouds parting as if the universe itself was yielding to the Marquis' power. Searing heat took shape, and the temperature around them soared alarmingly. The water began to bubble furiously, as if forced to evaporate by the unbearable pressure of the environment.

From within this gigantic heatwave, a colossal flame emerged, its color burning and intensely vivid, an incandescent fireball advancing with the force of a hurricane. It was launched against Adam with crushing speed, like a flaming arrow cutting through the air.

As if obeying Voban's will, the enormous mass of flames began to double in size, growing without limit, its heat and energy accumulating to the point of being able to consume an entire city. Still, it did not stop expanding, its waves of fire threatening everything around it.

The air became unbreathable as oxygen was sucked in to feed the furious flames, making breathing almost impossible. Every drop of vapor that rose from the earth gave the feeling of a hell about to engulf everything, the roots and vines were burned along with everything in the forest.

Upon seeing the monstrous fireball approaching, Adam's pupils contracted, he didn't even care when his attack using the roots and vines was countered, he was focused on the authority used by Voban.

Its name was [Red Punishment].

This Authority was usurped by Marquis Voban from the Ancient Chinese God of Fire and the South, Zhurong.

Zhurong, one of the twelve shaman ancestors originating from the blood of Pangu's heart, was the Primordial Fire Shaman Ancestor, a being whose spirit reflected the very nature of fire - explosive and eruptive. His presence was marked by fury and destruction, always lurking, like a flame about to consume everything around it.

During the War between the Wu Clan and the Heavenly Court, under the leadership of Di Jun, the gods cruelly calculated Zhurong, forcing him to fight against his brother, the Primordial Water Shaman Ancestor. This battle not only divided the twelve brothers and sisters but also brought the tragic end of the Wu clan, dissolving what remained of their unity and power. Zhurong, overcome with regret, saw the mistake too late. Ten of his brothers and sisters had already perished due to the conflict instigated by the gods.

With the pain of his loss and the growing hatred for the divine beings who had manipulated their destinies, Zhurong decided to seek revenge. The answer to his fury was desperate: he sacrificed his own essence, his life force, his very existence, to generate a destructive fireball. This flame, generated by the pure force of his hatred, collided with Mount Buzhong - the highest mountain made from Pangu's spine, which was the pillar of the world, supporting the sky above the earth.

With the mountain broken, the sky fell, taking with it the balance of the world. The fire launched by Zhurong, now an echo of primordial chaos, destroyed everything in its path, transforming whatever it touched into an eternal twilight, and thus he became the Twilight of the entire world.

Taking this myth into account, the [Red Punishment] authority was capable of incinerating even gods, turning entire seas into vast hells of flames. In the blink of an eye, this fire could consume an entire metropolis, and it would continue to burn non-stop for at least seven days and seven nights, bringing absolute destruction.

The flames of [Red Punishment], an immense mass of fire hot enough to consume everything in its path, advanced mercilessly, with an intensity that could destroy even the gods.

Despite this, Adam wasn't worried. He deactivated his [Growing Storms] authority, took a deep breath, and spoke the incantation: "Let the world stop when I command, let movement become an ornament before my words..."

With absolute focus, Adam extended his hand, and his Authority responded instantly. The air around him seemed to freeze for a moment, a subtle effect that was soon followed by the movement of his power. The [Twin Stars], in their dominion over movement, did something incredible: he controlled not only the speed of the air but also of the molecules and atoms in the path of [Red Punishment].

Upon activating the authority, the violent flames began to slow down as they touched Adam's sphere of influence. The fire molecules, which were moving frantically with high heat vibrations, began to decelerate, one by one. The essence of the flame, normally fast and fierce, was forced to decrease its vibrations to the point of starting to lose its liquid form, while the oxygen and hydrogen molecules that fueled the fire stopped moving, and the temperature around them dropped abruptly.

The fire that was once a huge incandescent ball, capable of vaporizing everything in its path, now froze little by little, the flames becoming weaker and weaker as his manipulation of movement took effect. Even the most intense heat atoms lost their momentum and, in a matter of seconds, [Red Punishment] transformed into a mass of cold ash, the flame's energy absorbed by his powerful manipulation of movement.

With a smoother movement, he made the remaining fire energy cease completely. The last heat particles disappeared into the frigid air he had created. The sky, which had been laden with the heat of battle, now seemed empty, without the overwhelming presence of [Red Punishment], which had dissipated in a sigh.

Without the storm that had been consumed by the red punishment, he had also deactivated his authority over the weather just like Voban, Adam stood there, the winds now calm around him. The terrain around him, still intact, was safe. He looked at Voban, who watched the scene with a curious expression. His authority had been used not only to slow down the molecules but to interrupt the very essence of fire, something Voban probably wouldn't have expected.

Voban was surprised to see his authority being nullified in this way. He looked at the boy with a serious expression, before, he had been taking this fight more lightly and was having a lot of fun, but now, he realized that the boy in front of him was indeed something like Greenwich's descriptions, a monster who could compare to him and Luo Hao.

Adam turned his gaze to the colossal wolf in front of him, deciding to test something new, he took a deep breath, activated his [Black Lightning] to the extreme alongside [Shundo] and his [Clarity Amplification] helping to increase his speed and moved towards Voban.

He moved with such extreme speed that time seemed to stretch as if the space around him was compressed. He had reached the speed of light, and his body vanished from sight for a moment, leaving only a distortion in the air. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Voban.

The Marquis, who until then had prepared to face a powerful attack, only had time to glimpse Adam's movement - his vision only catching the blur of the approaching figure. The impact was devastating, a punch so powerful that it caused the ground around them to tremble violently. The blow hit Voban's ribs directly, passing through space and penetrating the giant wolf's insides with crushing force.

The crash of the punch resonated like an explosion, and Voban's body was thrown back, dragging trees and rocks in its path, destroying everything it touched. The energy of the blow caused the immense twenty-meter wolf to shatter in a wave of destruction. The wolf was sent flying, his body writhing in pain and spreading across the devastated landscape.

Voban spat blood, his broken ribs making it difficult to even breathe. His expression was a mixture of surprise and pain, while the impact of the blow still reverberated in his body. He had tried to dodge, but the speed and precision of Adam's attack were impossible to avoid.

He had also combined the [Divine Power of a Godslayer] with his still active [Blessing of Protection] and his [Clarity Amplification] to increase his power - he could only amplify something related to himself, like an attack or speed (because it came from the authority), five times a day, with that, it was three times...

He looked towards Voban, feeling that he was like a living cockroach, no matter how much he hurt him it still wasn't enough.

The gigantic twenty-meter wolf slowly rose from the rubble, his breathing heavy and ragged. He took a few unsteady steps forward, each movement resonating like thunder across the devastated land. With a massive paw pressing against his stomach, he tried to contain the pain of the brutal impact he had suffered.

Blood trickled from his lips and dripped onto the ground, mingling with the destroyed earth. Still, his eyes shone with an indomitable coldness, reflecting both pain and determination. He stopped a few dozen meters from Adam, rising to his full lupine height, even though his body showed the signs of the intense battle.

"Is that all you got, old man?" Adam asked with a light and amused smile as he consumed another [Apple of Immortality] that he had cultivated during the fight against Voban, causing a soft green energy to surround his body, he had absorbed enough magical energy from his enemy to cultivate Iddun's apple to the point of recovering all his magical energy, fatigue and injuries, as for his exhausted authorities he couldn't reach this point.

Voban noticed that he was completely fine and seemed somewhat somber, he shrunk and assumed his human form, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, his emerald green eyes shining with predatory intensity despite the evident wounds and exhaustion.

"It was my carelessness," he admitted in a hoarse but firm tone, as he looked up at Adam. "I was completely unprepared for a battle against you. Your power is vast, peculiar, and full of intricate mysteries. I wouldn't be surprised if you still had tricks hidden."

He took a few steps forward, each movement laden with tension, as if assessing every detail of the enemy before him.

"You can laugh at this old man all you want..." Voban continued, bitterness permeating his words. "But know this, boy: you will pay dearly for what you've done."

The Marquis' green eyes narrowed, every fiber of his being ready to react to Adam's slightest sudden movement.

Adam, in turn, tilted his head with a mocking smile. "I'm not the type to laugh at an old man's misery," he said, his voice full of provocation.

A sinister smile crossed the Marquis' lips. "This old body has reached its limit," he declared with a short, menacing laugh. "But my soul... my soul can still keep fighting. It was you who forced me to do this, boy. Don't regret it!"

Before Adam could respond, Voban let out a laugh that echoed like the howl of a wolf under the full moon. In the next instant, his laughter ceased abruptly, and his body fell to the ground as if drained of all life energy. Voban's rigid, cold body lay motionless, an almost supernatural silence enveloping the scene.

Suddenly, a deep, resonant, guttural roar cut through the air, echoing eerily. The sound seemed to emanate from Voban's very corpse, growing in intensity until it filled the entire environment.

"Open, gate of the underworld." A guttural voice proclaimed. "Queen of the underworld, elder sister of Mother Earth, descending into the territory of the fearsome Ereshkigal! The Dragon of the Underworld has come to reap all souls, leaving nothing in its wake..."

A sphere of bluish-black light began to emerge from the Marquis' fallen body, pulsing like the heart of a dark creature. The sphere grew, expanding in a burst of energy that made the air vibrate.

In an instant, the sphere transformed. A colossal form took its place, filling Adam's field of vision. A gigantic black dragon, almost thirty meters tall, rose majestically. Its long wings beat, displacing winds that uprooted trees and made the ground tremble.

Its scales, the color of black agate, shone with a macabre glow, and its emerald green eyes burned with a sinister light. From the dragon's jaws emerged a deep, hoarse voice, laden with menace.

"The rebirth of the underworld ruler of the dragon and serpent Inanna... observe carefully."

That voice, unmistakably, belonged to Marquis Voban. Now, his soul inhabited the dragon's body, while his human body, rigid and lifeless, remained on the ground, clutched by one of the beast's forepaws.

This was his [Dragon of the Otherworld] authority.

This Authority was usurped from the ancient [Mother Earth Goddess] of Mesopotamia, Inanna.

While she was a being who brought good harvests to the earth, she was also a goddess of the Realm of the Dead.

Like many [Mother Earth Goddesses] who rule over death, she was also a divinity with a second true persona, which was the Dragon.

This Authority - [Dragon of the Otherworld] was Marquis Voban's final move.

This Authority granted Voban various exotic powers, overwhelming super strength capable of defeating even the most powerful Divine Beasts with a single movement, and a durability that bordered on invulnerability.

This authority also followed Inanna's legend of crossing Ereshkigal's realm of death. If Voban wished, he could sacrifice his life and cross into the world of the dead through the land of the dead.

Voban in his dragon body was also semi-indestructible. Even if the dragon's body was destroyed, he could return as a ghost. This authority was also capable of performing a resurrection by creating a new body for Voban to enter as long as his soul was still alive.

The only weakness of this Authority was that Voban's sleeping body was extremely vulnerable in this state, and he was weak against an enemy with dragon-slaying attributes. It was indicated that the body would collapse if the soul was damaged.

Adam stood silently, his gaze fixed on the dragon advancing towards him.

He didn't hesitate for even an instant. With the precision of a master, he fully prepared himself in a hundredth of a second.

With a simple gesture of his outstretched hand, he brought the [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] back from his arm, where the sword rested carefully stowed, like an extension of his will. He recited, in a deep and calm voice, the incantation: "O arm of Nuadha, grant me the sword of victory!"

Energy flowed from his body, and the authority he had obtained from Salvatore Doni, the [Silver Tearing Arm], was activated. Adam's sword, already powerful on its own, began to glow in a silvery hue, giving a unique color to the black blade. Each spark of magic poured onto it made it shine more intensely.

Then he murmured another incantation, his voice now soft, but laden with relentless intent: "I seek to end the cursed serpent, through heaven, sea, and earth, it cannot escape nor hide from my wrath!"

Within his mind, Adam felt the power of Perun, the [Serpent Hunter], activate. He had usurped this authority, and it now flowed through him, becoming an extension of his own will.

In the legend of Perun, he frequently battled against Veles, who assumed the form of a dragon or serpent. Perun, relentless, hurled lightning bolts at the dragon, even when it disguised itself as a tree, stone, or even another being. Adam's power now carried this legacy: a hunter who would never let his prey escape.

The [Serpent Hunter] authority granted Adam a tremendous increase in his parameters when facing any creature linked to dragons or serpents of the earth. His attacks gained the properties of [Dragon-Slaying Steel], making them lethal even to the most imposing creatures. Furthermore, he could now instinctively sense the location of his opponent, as if he was in tune with the battlefield itself. Illusions, like the ones Veles used in the myth, did not affect him. This authority could only be activated when fighting or "hunting" dragons, serpents of the earth, or beings with significant ties to them.

Adam's power coursed through his body like a gale, the energy of the [Serpent Hunter] merging with the strength of his authorities, intensifying each movement. He advanced without hesitation, his reflexes unflinching, and soon he and Voban were in a frantic exchange of blows.

The exchange was intense and uninterrupted.

When the two collided, it seemed as if the very air shattered, as if the world around them was unable to withstand the force of their blows. The exchanges of attacks were not only fast, but devastating, each one altering the course of the battle and leaving deep marks on the surrounding environment.

Voban, with his immense body of black scales, roared furiously as he attacked. His sharp claws sliced through the air, but Adam moved like lightning, dodging with the speed of a predator on his own hunt. Each of Adam's movements was a dance of precision, anticipating the dragon's attacks with his [Mind's Eye] and his speed amplified by his movement technique and his authority usurped from Alec. His sword, [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi], flowed through space with the force of thunder. The blade became an extension of his will, delivering deep and fulminating cuts.

The first blow exchanged with the dragon was a direct clash of claws against sword. When the two met, the force of the impact was such that the sound echoed like an explosion. The surrounding air distorted, creating a vortex of energy that uprooted trees and made the ground tremble. Adam, with his sword enveloped in silver and black energy, pushed Voban back, the blade cutting through the dragon's claws as if they were made of paper.

The dragon roared furiously and tried to retaliate with a claw strike, but Adam, without missing a beat, used his speed to momentarily disappear, reappearing beside the dragon.

With a fluid movement, Adam advanced, leaping onto the dragon's back. The blade sliced through Voban's scaled flesh, but it wasn't enough to stop him. Voban retaliated with a devastating blow from his tail, which swept through the air and tore entire mountains from its path, creating a wave of destruction that made the earth tremble beneath their feet.

The impact was so strong that the clouds in the sky parted, and the sunlight was obscured by the dust and smoke that rose from the destroyed mountains.

This was how they exchanged over a hundred blows.

The impact of the battle was catastrophic.

The surrounding terrain was completely ravaged, with entire mountains being erased from the face of the earth, while cities in Hungary, in the distance, were devastated by the shockwave that spread through the region. The force of the fight not only destroyed nature but also wreaked havoc in populated areas, with the impact generating seismic waves that spread for hundreds of kilometers.

Clouds of dust and smoke obscured the horizon, and the sound of battle resonated throughout the country. Where there was once life, there was now only the void of a destroyed land.

When they reached over a thousand blows in just two minutes of battle...

And that's when the opening appeared. In a fluid movement, Adam landed a precise blow, his arm not wavering for a second, the blade of [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] cutting directly through the dragon's right foreleg. The sound of the impact echoed like thunder, and the scene seemed to slow down for a moment as the severed limb fell, still clutching Voban's sleeping human body.

"What the hell!?" Voban's voice roared from the dragon's jaws, his disbelief evident. He hadn't anticipated that Adam would be capable of such a feat, even more so with the overwhelming force of Adam's blade, which now seemed to have cut through the very essence of his resistance.

Voban's severed limb was still attached to the Marquis' human body, a grotesque image of Voban's immortality being divided. However, Adam knew that Voban's resistance was monstrous. His authority came from a [Mother Earth Goddess], a power of immortality connected to the cycle of dragons and serpents, in addition to dominion over the Underworld. It was gigantic, almost incomprehensible resistance.

But Adam's Authorities came from [Gods of Steel] - the [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] from Susanoo, the [Silver Tearing Arm] from Nuadha, and the [Serpent Hunter] from Perun.

All these Authorities specialized in slaying [Mother Earth Goddesses], destroying [Serpents] and [Dragons].

If that wasn't enough, the Amplification of his last attack made by [Clarity Amplification] from his [King of Purification and Lust] authority usurped from Tlazolteotl, made his move even more deadly.

"My arm was cut off?" Marquis Voban spoke incredulously.

Adam, with his imperturbable expression, wasted no time seeing Voban still trying to react, stunned by the force of the previous blow.

The black dragon, now aware of Adam's strength, tried to prepare himself, but he had already failed to perceive what was about to happen.

In the blink of an eye, Adam advanced towards Voban, his speed incomprehensible, a manifestation of absolute acceleration. He moved as if floating in space, crossing the distance of hundreds of meters in mere instants, his figure just a blur of light. The air around him distorted with the speed, creating a line of condensed energy in his wake. His eyes shone with an almost supernatural intensity, as if pink lines of power flowed through his being.

With a fluid movement, he raised the [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi], its hilt, now two meters long, seeming like a natural extension of his arm. The blade, which had grown to over thirty meters, emitted an aura of absolute destruction. It was as if the sword was made of an almost ethereal substance, yet incredibly heavy and sharp, with the same immeasurable resistance of the [Silver Tearing Arm]. Despite its colossal size, Adam wielded it with a dexterity that defied all logic.

"O Sword that pierces enemies with a single blow. To plunder all life from creation, shine brightly!" Adam proclaimed aloud, his magical energy pouring into the blade with force, enveloping it in a dazzling glow. The blade began to shine with a silver-black light, an icy glow that reflected the fusion of his powers.

"I swear, I forbid the existence of things I cannot cut!" The promise echoed like an ancestral oath, like a primordial force breaking space-time itself.

This was his strongest blow, combining the [Silver Tearing Arm], the [Serpent Hunter] with the last use of [Clarity Amplification] on his [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] which had absorbed his [Balor's Evil Eye] authority to form a blow capable of severing all "lines of death" of a target in one attack. He poured all the rest of his magical energy into this attack while feeling his [Blessing of Protection] authority weakening as if its battery was running out, something he didn't care about...

This attack would decide everything.

When the sword descended, Voban barely had time to make his final move. His dragon form was split in two and then into pieces, not by physical cuts, but by the very concept of his existence being severed. As if a line was being erased from a book, Voban simply ceased to exist as he was.

The battlefield seemed to tremble with the force of the blow, as distortions of space and the sound of the impact reverberated through the surrounding world. The mountains in the distance exploded into pieces, the earth trembled with the intensity of the force applied, if he hadn't held back at the last moment he feared he would have cut the world in half...

Everything began to calm down.

Suddenly, the air around Adam seemed to have become dense, almost impossible to breathe, his [Ame no Murakamo Tsurugi] was automatically stowed inside his arm after being chosen and the silver glow disappeared. The mystical runes, which had glowed with intense magical energy along his body, began to vanish, slowly fading as if succumbing to the force of their own exhaustion, his [Blessing of Protection] authority being deactivated due to lack of magical energy, along with the rest of his authorities.

The energy that had flowed so easily until then now drained away, leaving him with a feeling of emptiness, as if the very air was being drawn from his lungs.

Adam's body, which had previously displayed an unbreakable vigor, now felt heavy as if made of lead. His muscles were tense and exhausted, and his skin had turned pale, almost cadaverous. He bent slightly, feeling gravity like never before, and before he could even process what was happening, his body failed him. He fell to his knees, gasping for air, air escaping his lungs as if he had stood still for an hour without breathing.

The feeling of exhaustion was indescribable. The power he had used, the Authorities he had activated, had drained his magical energy and his very life force in the last attack. His body seemed not to understand what had happened, struggling against the weight of absolute exhaustion. The pressure on his chest made him bend further, as if the world around him was trying to crush him.

Adam, with his eyes closed and breathing raggedly, slumped to the ground. He didn't care about the surrounding scenery; everything seemed distant and irrelevant now. Every breath seemed like an effort, as if he had run a marathon and was simply trying to stay conscious.

He looked at Voban's human corpse, or what was left of it, which was now disintegrating into particles of energy that dissipated in the air.

He had done it!

It took a few minutes to return to normal and for some of his weakness to dissipate, while this was happening, he looked at his [Usurpation Circle], which had usurped Voban's authorities, [Red Punishment], [Dragon of the Otherworld], [Legion of Starving Wolves], and [Book of Sung Spells].

Three of them had not been obtained, but there was a reason that surprised him greatly. They were sacrificed to obtain a general upgrade to his [Dragon of the Otherworld] authority, now, he could physically transform and not with his soul as the Marquis had done, this eliminated the weakness of the old Campione's best authority, he could also transform parts of his body into a Dragon, strengthening those said parts by a huge factor. This raised the question, was his [Usurpation Circle] gaining sentience and favoring him? Or was it just in his head...?

While looking at his necklace and wondering about this, he let out a sigh before putting away the [Usurpation Circle] and standing up as he looked at all the devastation in the area, his body was still tired and he was unable to use his authorities, but it didn't matter much. He began to cultivate an [Apple of Immortality] since he consumed the last one, it was almost complete, he could recover his tiredness and return to his peak in a few minutes, but he wouldn't be able to use the authorities he had exhausted during the fight.

Well, he had new ones now and might as well use them for his next plan. Kill the Fifth Campione, he had waited too long and let his older brother live long enough.

After recovering a little, finishing cultivating and using the [Apple of Immortality], Adam used his authority, [Twin Stars], to teleport to Los Angeles.

...

..

.

Los Angeles, United States.

Adam emerged from the shadows of a dirty, poorly lit alley in Los Angeles, the city that never sleeps, but which in its dark corners still held unrevealed secrets.

The air was heavy, and the echo of Adam's steps seemed to make the concrete beneath his feet vibrate, as if the very buildings around him felt his presence. The alley was narrow and stuffy, full of scattered garbage and graffiti that told stories of a city trying to hide from the world. Street lamps flickered faintly, illuminating the contours of a city that never rested, yet always seemed to be in constant struggle against the very chaos it generated.

As he walked, Adam lost himself in thought. He thought of his older "sister," the Fifth Campione, and the information he had about her.

She, Annie Charlton, or rather, John Pluto Smith, had a past as complex as her own authorities. About ten years ago, when she was still a teenager, she was involved in a series of complicated events that led her to defeat Tezcatlipoca, the Heretic God. This was not a simple victory. She had acquired the fallen god's Authorities, and her rise was meteoric, another legend in the making. How she obtained these Authorities was a mystery, but the echoes of her battle still reverberated in the darkest corners of the world.

Her victories over Tezcatlipoca, then over Artemis and Oberon - although the time and order of their defeats were hazy - made her one of the most powerful figures of her generation.

And yet, she was hidden under a cloak of normalcy. As Annie Charlton, she was a graduate student, apparently a simple research assistant at Samantha University. But at night, she transformed into John Pluto Smith, the masked superhero of Los Angeles, known to the population as a mysterious force that emerged from the shadows to solve the problems that even traditional heroes couldn't face.

Adam didn't care much about that, he came to this world to reach the peak and enjoy everything it had to offer, and with a blade under his head from the [King of the End], unfortunately, he would have to kill the Campiones to weaken such a near-invincible existence.

He smiled slightly as he used [Perception Without Eyes] to locate the Fifth Campione, his eyes glinting with an icy hue.

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Los Angeles was unrecognizable.

The city that once pulsed with life was now reduced to ruins, with shattered skyscrapers and their broken glass structures scattered across the ground, reflecting a red light that came from a hazy sky, as if the firmament itself was burning. The streets were covered in debris, and the air was thick with the smell of destruction, a fragrance of death.

At the center of this carnage, Adam stood imposingly, his body upright at the epicenter of a massive crater that seemed to swallow the very earth. He seemed completely relaxed, not caring that he was the cause and end of everything around him. The crater extended in all directions, as if the ground had been crushed by a titanic blow.

Around the crater, two giant wolves, the size of horses, circled with insatiable hunger. Their thick black fur gleamed under the red light, and their sharp jaws closed over the body of a young woman. She had fair skin and short red hair, which looked like living flames reflecting the destruction around her. Her glasses were broken, and her feminine business suit was torn, what remained of her composure a stark contrast to the brutality of the moment. She was the Fifth Campione, a warrior of immense power, but now she lay fallen and lifeless, devoured by the wolves as if she were insignificant prey.

The [Legion of Starving Wolves] was quite useful; he made the wolves disappear.

Adam watched, impassive, as the wolves continued their feast, his vibrant blue eyes reflecting the scene with calculated coldness.

The Fifth Campione, John Pluto Smith, was not weak by any means. But it was a shame she had encountered him; he had usurped her authorities.

[Metamorphosis], the first Authority Annie obtained from Tezcatlipoca, an Aztec God associated with many concepts such as the Night Sky, Jaguars, Governance, Sorcery, etc. Each form could only be used once before becoming unusable for a week. Each transformation required a specific sacrifice.

The forms are as follows:

[Archmage], which transformed her into a 15-meter-tall giant, possessing a well-proportioned body with pitch-black skin and horizontal facial markings striped black and yellow. The right foot alone seemed to be made of obsidian rather than flesh. The giant body was covered in brightly colored cloth in red, orange, and black with bird feathers. It carried a wooden cylinder on its back with a pair of spears, she could use weather manipulation in this form. And to use it required the sacrifice of a large man-made object.

[Jaguar], which could transform her into a Jaguar. Granting superhuman speed (covering hundreds of miles in tens of seconds). It required the sacrifice of artificial light, such as the light from street lamps.

[Flames of Annihilation], which was the embodiment of the sun that burned the enemy with black flames. The required sacrifice was rain (local rainfall stopped in the short term), and herself, but she would be incinerated by the flames unless she was in a resilient form beforehand.

And [Pitch, Black Demonic Bird], which transformed her into a giant bird with black feathers. The sacrifice for this form was earth (causing a 3 to 4 Richter scale earthquake in the area). It could release smoke that, if inhaled, caused a magic paralysis effect.

As for the other authorities, they were [Arrows of Artemis]. Authority obtained from Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. It could only be used with the large-caliber revolver weapon forged by a dark elf metalsmith who lived in the Astral Realm. Something he also had in his possession. When using this authority with a revolver, he was even able to shoot a target on the other side of the planet, such as in Europe, from North America.

The only limitation was that it could only fire six arrows over a lunar cycle. They replenished after the New Moon.

And the last authority he had usurped from the dead girl in front of him was [Lord of the Elves], an Authority obtained from Oberon, European King of the Fairies. It granted him the ability to travel to and from the Netherworld with great concentration, along with control over the Astral Plane and its inhabitants besides the Gods. He could even summon living beings from the Astral Plane for short periods, but the location had to be suitable land for Astral beings. He also inherited the duties and obligations of a king, giving him rule over a section of the Netherworld.

This ability would allow him to visit Oberon's former territory in the astral world as easily as taking a stroll where she was able to act arrogantly as "the new fairy king."

Adam cracked his neck and let out a long sigh, he had completed his objective, only Madame Aisha and theoretically Luo Hao remained, but Luo Hao was complicated, he didn't want to kill someone he felt a certain sentiment for.

Shrugging off life's complications, he vanished into the shadows, returning to his territory.

While the world turned upside down because of his deeds.