Chapter 16

-Kwan-

The Phantom Nebula Arena had cheers booming all around.

Cheers, shouts, and ghostly wails filled the air as the tournament raged on. It had been hours since the opening matches, and the fights had only gotten more intense. Kwan sat near the front row, his fingers gripping the edge of his seat as another battle came to an explosive finish.

The screen above the arena flickered, displaying the results:

Spectra vs. Tyrant Wisp – Winner: Spectra

Skulker vs. Vortex – Winner: Vortex

Walker vs. Ember Siren – Winner: Ember Siren**

Each battle had been different—some won through sheer brute strength, others through cunning tactics. Some had been brutal, others elegant. But all of them had been terrifying in their own way.

Different from all the times he had seen ghost attack in Amity Park.

Kwan exhaled, still processing the last match. Vortex vs. Skulker had been especially intense. The storm ghost had wiped the battlefield clean with his weather manipulation, forcing Skulker into a defensive retreat. It wasn't often that Kwan had seen the self-proclaimed greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone on the run like that, back in the day Skulker was someone the most Amity pakers ran from.

To see him so overwhelmed was scary.

Other fights had been just as wild. Spectra had twisted Tyrant Wisp's own emotions against him, slowly draining his energy until he collapsed. Ember had outmaneuvered Walker, her hypnotic music bending the battle to her will before delivering the final blow. Kryos, as cold and calculating as ever, had turned Xiorax's own bone-forged weapons against him, freezing them mid-attack and shattering them like glass.

And now, the crowd's attention was on one final name.

The ground trembled as another ghost took the stage, and Kwan could already feel the tension in the air shift. This match wasn't just another round. It was the moment everyone had been waiting for.

The King of the Ghost Zone was about to fight.

And he would be lying if he said he wasn't excited.

-Danny-

Danny sat on his chair, gaze straight forward but he wasn't looking at the arena.

Have you ever wondered what omniscence felt like, how it would be to see and know everything. Well it wasn't all what it was hyped up to be.

Maybe fro those born with it, it was normal and unfelt, but for him it was like puting his mind in a blender.

After he became the Ancient of space, he had become space itself. He was everything and Nothing, everywhere and Nowhere, he saw all and even time became meaningless.

But that was the problem he was too powerful. It was the reson he kept a lid on his powers and only used them sparingly. Clockwork said he would grow acutom to them and he was getting better but somtimes when he was like this he could often overlook things closer to him.

Turing off his starry gaze he turned his attention to the arena. It was time for him to fight.

....

Danny cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders as he stood in the preparation chamber beneath the arena. The air hummed with energy, ghostly power radiating through the walls. He could feel the excitement of the crowd above, the anticipation thick enough to cut with a knife.

Varian was waiting for him.

The four-armed juggernaut had made his intentions clear from the moment he won his first match—he wanted to fight Phantom. Not just to win, but to challenge him, to see if the so-called King of the Ghost Zone was truly worthy of the title.

Danny took a slow breath, stretching out his arms. He could already tell this was going to be a pain to deal with. It wasn't like the battles he fought protecting Amity Park, where the goal was containment or survival. Here, there were no rules, no restrictions. No holding back.

And that was what Danny was trying to do. To be honest he didn't think most of these ghosts understood the power of an ancient. But it's not like he too understood it when he first became a ghost and he fought and won against some of them.

But after watching and studying all these fights it was a clear answer already.

His mind drifted to the fights that had come before him. He had watched every match, memorizing tactics, strengths, and weaknesses. He had noted how Ember had used misdirection and how Spectra had broken her opponent mentally before even striking a physical blow. Even Kryos had shown an almost artistic approach to battle, using precision rather than raw force. And then there was Varian—unrelenting, methodical, devastating.

But over all compared to him they all lacked the power.

The announcer's voice echoed through the arena.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The reigning champion of the Infinite Realms, the King himself, Phantom!"

Danny grinned as he stepped out onto the battlefield, his aura flaring as the crowd erupted into a deafening roar. The weight of their expectations pressed down on him, but he didn't let it shake him. He had fought too many battles and faced too many threats, to be fazed now.

Across from him, Varian stood tall, his molten veins pulsing beneath obsidian armor. His four arms flexed, each claw twitching in anticipation. He radiated sheer power, his presence commanding attention even in an arena filled with titans.

Danny let his power rise, white rings flashing over his form as he fully embraced his ghost half. The air between them crackled as their energies clashed, the sheer force of it sending ripples through the battlefield.

Varian grinned, baring sharp teeth. "Let's see if you're as strong as they say."

Danny smirked, taking his stance. "Hope you can keep up."

The bell rang, and the battle began.

Varian surged forward, his four arms moving in tandem, a blur of motion aimed straight at Danny's center mass. But before his claws could connect, Danny was already gone.

A sonic boom echoed through the arena as Danny reappeared behind Varian, his speed near-incomprehensible. With a flicker of movement, he delivered a single, devastating kick to Varian's back. The impact sent the larger ghost flying across the battlefield, his body carving a deep trench into the ground before he managed to roll to his feet.

The audience gasped.

Varian barely had time to recover before Danny was on him again. A flurry of ghostly energy blasts rained down, each strike connecting before Varian could react. He raised his arms in an attempt to block, but it was useless—Danny's attacks were too fast, too precise, his mastery over his abilities far beyond what Varian had prepared for.

Danny darted forward, his form shifting between tangible and intangible in rapid succession, slipping past Varian's defenses with ease. His fist crackled with condensed ectoplasmic energy as he drove it into Varian's stomach, the force sending shockwaves through the arena.

Varian choked, eyes wide with shock. 'He had expected a challenge. He had expected a fight. But this… this was domination.'

Still, he refused to go down without landing a single hit.

Using his extra limbs, Varian spun wildly, molten energy surging around him as he lashed out in desperation. One of his strikes connected, grazing Danny's arm with a searing burn.

Danny paused, glancing down at the wound before giving Varian a small nod. "Not bad."

Then he vanished again.

Before Varian could react, Danny reappeared directly above him, both hands glowing with raw energy. With a final downward strike, he sent Varian crashing into the battlefield, the sheer force of the attack shattering the ground beneath him. A deep crater formed where Varian lay, his body twitching as he struggled to push himself up.

The bell tolled. The fight was over.

Silence filled the arena for half a second before the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.

Danny floated above his downed opponent, arms crossed. He wasn't even winded. The difference in power had been absolute.

Varian groaned, rolling onto his side, coughing as he forced a grin. "Hah… Guess you really are the King."

Danny offered him a hand. "Took you long enough to figure that out."

Varian took it, letting Danny pull him to his feet as the crowd continued to roar.

Danny had won—overwhelmingly. As he headed back to his chair he watched as Sam made her way to the Arena.

"What the Hell is she doing".