A calm smile tugged at Hikaru's lips as soon as he heard the answer he had been waiting for.
In the next instant, the rule force he had comprehended surged outward like a raging tide, violently colliding with the power swirling around Feng Baobao—
or rather, the Demon.
Two invisible forces clashed, triggering a sky-shattering explosion.
The shockwave rippled outward in concentric waves, sweeping through the air like crashing tides.
At the epicenter, a drastic change was overtaking Baobao's body.
Energy coursed through her, reconstructing her from the inside out.
Her form stretched and broadened—
feminine traits giving way to a more androgynous, godlike frame.
A divine being—born of nature itself—had finally awakened.
Or rather, fully resurfaced.
The Demon's face went still.
Its gaze locked on Hikaru, devoid now of all prior emotion.
What remained was a bottomless, impassive look—
as if in its eyes, all creation was mere dust, unworthy of concern.
"You… are strong,"
the Demon said. Its voice was serene and commanding—
neither male nor female anymore.
But Hikaru only sneered.
"Cut the crap.
If you weren't afraid, why didn't you show up earlier?
Hiding behind a girl to stall for time…
You think I didn't see through that?"
His smirk deepened, laced with scorn:
"You didn't think you were the only one stalling, did you?"
As his words fell, the air erupted with blinding brilliance.
Countless arcane runes lit up like falling stars, searing the space around the Demon.
They wove into a grand net—radiating pure rule power—
sealing off all escape and suppressing the Demon's strength.
Even more terrifying,
they began pulling on the Demon's very soul—
specifically Feng Baobao's.
The sudden restraint darkened the Demon's face.
Fury and unwillingness flashed in its eyes.
It immediately retaliated, surging with rule force,
trying to break free from the net.
After all, this was its birthplace,
its domain.
It believed no one could trap it here.
But Hikaru had come fully prepared.
Those glowing runes were alive, wrapping tighter and tighter,
ignoring the Demon's resistance completely.
The Demon screamed in rage—a roar that split the heavens—
but it changed nothing.
If anything, it only made the glint of amusement in Hikaru's eyes deepen.
At last, after a long standoff,
a soul glowing with pale blue light was ripped from the Demon's body.
Hikaru snatched it instantly
and transferred it into his private dimension for safekeeping.
At that moment, the rune array disintegrated—its task complete.
Hikaru had succeeded.
"AAAHH!!!
YOU BASTARD!!"
The Demon howled, its aura weakening dramatically without Baobao's soul.
But rage now blinded it.
It charged at Hikaru like a mad beast,
intent on tearing him limb from limb.
But Hikaru was faster.
He weaved a lightning-fast arc through the air and appeared right in front of the Demon.
One punch.
He threw it directly at the Demon's chest,
infused with everything—
his strength, his will, his rules.
A cannon strike meant to end this.
Though the Demon moved swiftly, it couldn't dodge.
The punch landed cleanly.
A tremendous impact rocked its body—
internal organs twisting and shaking.
Yet, it didn't fall.
With sheer will and homefield advantage,
it endured the blow
and countered with a fierce backfist.
Their fists collided mid-air—
and space itself detonated.
Boom after boom, they tore through the sky.
Every strike fractured reality,
then repaired it just as fast.
They became two comets,
clashing in a night sky transformed into a battlefield.
Hikaru, with his refined technique and rule mastery,
kept the pressure on.
Each blow was sharp and punishing,
pushing the Demon back step by step.
But the Demon refused to go down.
With grit and its native territory as support,
it rebounded again and again with terrifying force.
The battle quickly reached its climax.
They soared among the stars—
a deliberate move by Hikaru.
He knew that if they fought on Earth,
even the aftershocks of their fight would bring unimaginable destruction to the planet.
Even though both fighters could recover from wounds quickly,
they had no time to treat their smaller injuries during such high-speed combat.
Their bodies—bloodied and battered—reflected the toll.
Shreds of clothing fluttered as they bled from dozens of cuts.
After one especially savage clash,
the two fighters broke apart again.
Hikaru panted lightly,
a fierce gleam in his eyes.
He tore away the remnants of his shirt,
revealing his hardened body—
muscles gleaming under starlight.
This was the first time he had encountered someone who could truly match him.
And it thrilled him.
His dormant battle instincts awakened fully.
Every cell screamed for victory.
Meanwhile, the Demon's fury had cooled.
It began reassessing the situation.
Despite being in its home domain,
the Demon was only barely matching Hikaru's might.
In a neutral place, it would've already lost.
Worse, it could sense the world itself
withdrawing its support.
The Demon's plan had been to sacrifice the world to boost its power.
But now the world had recognized the threat,
and was pulling back—weakening the Demon's homefield buff.
For the first time, the Demon felt uncertainty.
Doubt.
It had always believed it was unbeatable.
Even sealed or defeated—its will never wavered.
But now… staring at Hikaru…
It wondered.
Could it really win?