Kye lunged first, his whip slicing through the air like a comet.
Paulo dodged with ease, enhanced by the Copy ability mimicking light manipulation.
He parried with his staff, deflecting the whip's metallic tendrils with rhythmic precision.
But Kye was relentless.
He spun, channelling metal from the arena floor into jagged spears that launched toward Paulo.
The monarch sliced through them with Death Slice, his katana glowing with cosmic energy.
Each slash tore through the metal like paper, sending shockwaves across the arena.
Still, Paulo struggled. Kye's control over the battlefield was overwhelming.
The whip wrapped around Paulo's ankle, yanking him into the air before slamming him into the ground.
Dust and debris exploded outward. Antares narrowed her eyes, "He's holding back," he whispered.
The taste of blood was sharp on Paulo's tongue.
He groaned, his body trembling as he pushed himself to one knee.
The arena around him was chaos, cracked stone, scorched earth, and the distant roar of the waterfall behind Antares.
he stood like a sentinel, wings of flame folded behind her, her gaze unreadable.
Paulo's vision blurred, then sharpened.
He looked past Antares to the cascade, its thunderous rhythm pulsing through his bones.
It was not just water, it was memory.
The roar reminded him of the storm within, the dormant power he had feared for years.
The Zone.
He had glimpsed it once, in a dream of fire and stars, but never dared to enter.
Until now.
He closed his eyes.
The ground trembled.
A pulse erupted from his chest, green flames spiralling around him.
Sparks burst from his eyes like supernovas.
The Zone had been activated.
Time slowed.
Kye's whip froze mid-air, suspended like a serpent caught in amber.
Paulo vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Kye, his katana humming with cosmic fury.
His aura surged, a walking fortress of speed, strength, and defence.
The transformation was complete.
Kye turned, eyes wide, but it was too late.
Paulo struck.
The Death Slice cleaved through Kye's armour, sending him flying across the arena.
He crashed into the waterfall, the impact vaporizing part of the cascade.
Steam hissed into the air, veiling the battlefield in mist.
Paulo did not stop.
He reached into Kye's aura, copying his metal manipulation for a moment.
Iron shards erupted from the ground, swirling around Paulo like fireflies.
He raised his hand, and the shards formed a cyclone of blades.
Kye groaned, summoning a wall of titanium.
Paulo punched through it.
The wall shattered like glass, fragments scattering across the arena.
Kye stumbled back, his whip flickering with unstable energy.
Antares watched, his expression unreadable.
Beside him, Riku Masusa whispered, "He's beyond his normal power now."
Paulo's aura intensified.
The green flames turned white.
His eyes glowed like twin stars.
He dashed forward, each step cracking the arena floor.
Kye swung his whip.
Paulo caught it mid-air, twisted it, and used it to pull Kye into a devastating Light Dragon Kick copied from Riku's arsenal.
The kick sent Kye flying into the sky, his body trailing sparks and metal fragments.
Paulo leapt after him.
In the air, he became a blur of motion, slicing with his katana.
Each strike echoed like thunder across the cosmos.
Kye tried to block, but his armour was in ruins.
His whip shattered. His aura flickered.
He fell.
Paulo descended slowly, his aura fading as The Zone's five-minute limit approached.
He landed beside Kye, kneeling.
"I didn't want this," Paulo said softly. "But I needed to understand."
Antares descended from his platform, his wings folding behind him. She looked at Paulo, then at Kye, who groaned in pain but nodded in respect.
"You've awakened," Antares said. "But power is only the beginning. Now, you must learn control."
Paulo stood, his aura flickering out. The waterfall resumed its roar. The arena was silent once more.