Dôma and Sorento stood facing each other, motionless, like two predators waiting for the precise moment to strike.
Dôma didn't hesitate.
With a simple sweep of his arm, the water beneath the beach responded to his call. A towering column of water burst from the sand, surging upward before crashing toward Sorento.
Sorento sidestepped swiftly, his body slipping out of harm's way. In the same motion, he raised his hand and fired several golden energy spheres. They shot toward Dôma, but he evaded them all, moving with almost insolent precision.
Without wasting a second, Sorento charged, aiming for close combat.
But Dôma leapt backward in a powerful bound, landing near the shoreline. He raised both arms skyward… then slammed them down.
The sea roared.
A colossal wave formed and came crashing down toward Sorento, swallowing the beach beneath a torrent of raging water. Sorento planted his feet into the sand and focused. His golden aura flared, blazing around him like a burning sun.
Then he jumped.
In a single leap, he pierced straight through the wave.
The water split apart in a violent explosion of foam.
Dôma's eyes widened in disbelief.
He went straight through the wave…
Sorento appeared in front of him an instant later and threw a devastating hook. The blow struck Dôma head-on, sending him flying backward. His body slammed into the water with a deafening crash.
Sorento advanced calmly.
"I've got you now," he said.
"It's the other way around," Dôma replied.
With a flick of his hand, dozens of ice spikes erupted from the water. Sorento dodged most of them, but a few grazed him, slicing into his skin. He sprang backward to regain solid ground on the sand.
Dôma followed immediately.
"So you can control ice as well?" Sorento asked.
"Who knows?" Dôma replied with a faint grin.
He crossed his arms.
Above Sorento, dozens of icy spears formed in midair. With a sharp motion of his palm, they crashed down, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
When it cleared, Sorento was still standing.
His golden aura had absorbed the impact.
He stared at Dôma with a mocking smile.
"Your little ice tricks won't hurt me."
Dôma placed both hands on the ground.
"Level 4 Mantra: ZALZALA!"
The earth shook violently around him. The ground cracked and trembled. Sorento leapt into the air to keep his balance.
But new spikes immediately formed around him.
"You still haven't learned your lesson," Sorento said as his prana blazed brighter.
"Oh, I have," Dôma replied.
He crossed his arms once more.
A massive volume of water surged up and closed around Sorento, trapping him completely. The enormous sphere of water hovered in midair, Sorento imprisoned at its core. Dôma remained on the ground, arms extended, watching closely.
"Your arrogance will be your downfall, Sorento. All I have to do now is let you run out of oxygen. This is what happens when you dare challenge Nexus."
Inside the sphere, Sorento struggled, swimming desperately, but the water moved with him, always forcing him back to the center. His movements slowed. The air was running out.
Dôma narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like you've finally accepted your fate."
But Sorento raised his head.
He was smiling.
His prana was shining brighter and brighter.
A chill ran down Dôma's spine.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…"
He clenched his fists. The water sphere froze instantly, locking Sorento inside solid ice.
"I'm sorry, but you're too dangerous. You may have noticed, the ice isn't cold. I lied earlier. I'm a positive-type. I can alter water pressure. You won't die from hypothermia… but from suffocation. That should give you plenty of time to reflect on your mistake."
Dôma stared at Sorento's frozen body.
Another Nexus soldier joined him.
"Dôma! You trapped him, but it won't hold for long."
"What do you suggest?"
"Hit him with everything we've got, from long range."
Dôma watched Sorento closely.
His eyes were glowing brighter by the second.
"It's too late. Everyone, fall back!"
The ice began to shake, then shattered in a thunderous explosion. Dôma raised his arms to shield himself from the flying shards.
This guy is a complete monster…
When the mist cleared, Dôma froze.
His arms slowly dropped to his sides.
Standing before him was a gigantic humanoid, nearly thirty meters tall. It wore armor, but its body was composed entirely of radiant golden prana.
Inside it, at the level of the abdomen, stood Sorento.
"Well done, Sulsa," Sorento said. "Allow me to introduce my Brand… Luminos. From the moment it appeared, your fate was sealed."
"Damn it…" Dôma muttered. "All or nothing…"
He unleashed every ounce of his spiritual energy. The sea answered.
A titanic wave, far larger than the giant itself, rose and crashed toward Luminos. But the humanoid released an overwhelming surge of prana, dispersing the wave in all directions.
Dôma collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.
"Even that… ha… ha… did nothing…"
"Nice try," Sorento replied. "But against me, all your efforts are meaningless."
Luminos raised its hand, blazing with blinding light.
"This time… ha… I guess this is the end," Dôma said with a crooked smile.
"Disappear!" Sorento shouted.
A massive sphere of energy erupted forth, far greater than before, hurtling toward Dôma at incredible speed.
"DÔMAAA!" Zéno shouted, still trapped alongside Myu.
Ikku watched helplessly.
Damn it… Even with Turbo, I won't make it in time.
The energy sphere was about to strike—
Then it vanished.
Silence fell.
The ground began to shake.
No, the entire island was trembling.
"The ground… no…" Sorento muttered. "The whole island… what does that mean?"
"Hahaha…" Dôma laughed, forcing himself back to his feet. "It's finally time for the counterattack."
Sorento looked up.
At the center of the sky, a figure was descending slowly, levitating, arms crossed. It stopped directly in front of him.
"How is he here?" Hypsen whispered.
"That old fool and his instincts," Zéno said, relieved.
Sorento stared at the man, his focus sharpening.
"Well, well," the old man said. "I leave for a few hours, and the island's already in chaos."
"I was waiting for you," Sorento replied. "So you've finally arrived… Ryu."