Arkion was calm that night.
Lights glowed softly across the skyline, traffic moved in steady rhythm, and the hum of civilization carried on like nothing beyond its borders could ever disrupt it.
But for those sensitive enough—
Something had already arrived.
Alzwalt stepped through space and reappeared a few blocks away from Tessandra's estate, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
He exhaled lightly.
"…That went well."
His pace was unhurried as he began walking toward his mansion.
The streets around him were quiet.
Normal.
Ordinary.
But as he approached his home—
He stopped.
His expression changed.
Just slightly.
"…?"
A faint pressure lingered inside his domain.
Not hostile.
Not chaotic.
But foreign.
And more importantly—
It wasn't Kael's energy.
Alzwalt's eyes sharpened.
"…Interesting."
He disappeared.
The front door stood open.
Alzwalt didn't remember leaving it that way.
Inside—
A man sat comfortably on his couch.
Relaxed.
Uninvited.
Beside him—
Kael stood tense, a knife pressed forward, pointing directly at the intruder's throat.
The air was heavy.
Silent.
Alzwalt walked in.
His expression was calm.
But his voice—
Was not.
"I don't remember inviting anyone into my house."
His eyes locked onto the stranger.
"…You dare enter my domain, insufferable swine?"
The man didn't flinch.
He smiled slightly.
"Now, now…"
"I heard you were strong."
"So I came to see for myself."
He leaned back casually.
"I am Barak."
"A Void Walker."
Alzwalt's gaze narrowed.
"I don't care who you are."
"If you don't explain yourself this instant…"
"…it won't end well for you."
Barak's smile widened.
"My master has a simple request."
"Submit to him."
A pause.
"And if you refuse…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"…I'll have no choice but to kill you."
Alzwalt vanished.
No warning.
No buildup.
Just—
Gone.
He reappeared instantly in front of Barak.
And kicked.
The impact was brutal.
Barak's body was launched backward, crashing through the wall and out of the mansion in a violent explosion of force.
But Alzwalt was already outside.
Waiting.
Barak barely recovered before—
BOOM.
A punch struck him clean in the face.
He was sent flying like a meteor toward a distant mountain in a nearby forest.
Trees shattered in his path as he tore through the air.
Before Barak could collide with the mountain—
He stopped midair.
Completely.
He cracked his neck once.
Then twice.
"…Alright."
"Let's see."
He descended slowly toward the ground.
At the same time—
Alzwalt was already there.
Standing in the forest.
Waiting.
The two began walking toward each other.
Step by step.
Barak's voice broke the silence.
"I'll enjoy ripping you to shreds."
"How dare you defy my master."
Alzwalt smiled faintly.
"How dare you try to make a god submit."
His tone turned colder.
"Know your place."
"Your punishment will be death."
Barak's eyes sharpened.
"Void Commandant."
"—No being weaker than myself shall be able to move."
The world froze.
Sound vanished.
Motion ceased.
Even the wind stopped.
Everything locked in place under Barak's command.
Barak stepped forward and swung a punch at Alzwalt's face.
But—
Alzwalt blocked it.
Perfectly.
The shockwave alone cracked the ground beneath them.
Barak staggered backward several steps.
"…Impossible!!"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"You shouldn't be able to move!"
Alzwalt began walking forward.
Unhindered.
Unrestricted.
Six golden wings unfolded behind him.
Radiant.
Majestic.
Divine.
His presence expanded instantly.
"…Is it that hard for you to believe?"
His voice was calm.
Measured.
Almost amused.
"Why would I be weaker than you?"
"You're merely a moth…"
"…before a god."
Barak gritted his teeth.
Alzwalt raised his hand—
And stepped forward.
Then struck.
A single punch.
From Barak's perspective—
The attack wasn't just a punch.
It was massive.
Like an entire force of existence compressing into a single point.
His body couldn't respond.
Couldn't move.
The void around him attempted to resist—
But the sheer pressure of Alzwalt's strike overwhelmed it.
Barak reacted instinctively—
Using the void to shift his position.
The punch still connected.
But only partially.
It struck his shoulder instead of his face.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the forest, tearing apart nearby trees and splitting the ground beneath them.
Barak skidded backward, stabilizing himself.
Breathing heavier now.
Barak straightened slowly.
"…I see."
His expression changed.
Serious now.
Focused.
"I never wanted to use this…"
"Not until I was sparring with my master."
He raised his hands.
Forming a precise ninja hand sign.
His aura began to surge.
Dark.
Expanding.
Distorting space around him.
"…But now's the time to test it."
His energy multiplied.
Exponentially.
His body became wrapped in void essence, reshaping itself.
His presence intensified rapidly—
Climbing beyond normal limits.
The atmosphere warped under the pressure.
Alzwalt's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Oh?"
Barak's form stabilized.
His power now comparable to—
A Stage 7 Circuit User.
A level capable of devastating multiple continents.
The ground beneath him fractured from sheer output.
Barak's voice echoed, deeper now.
"Now…"
"…let's see how you handle this."
Alzwalt slowly raised his hand.
Light gathered.
Condensed.
Formed.
A sword of pure radiance manifested in his grasp.
He tilted his head slightly.
Then smiled.
"A circuit from the First Circuit Beings era, huh?"
His golden wings shimmered behind him.
"…It's been a while since I had some fun."
The air between them grew still.
Two forces.
Two systems.
Two ancient powers—
About to collide.