Silence swallowed the training grounds.
Dust still floated in the air as Matthew's body lay embedded into the reinforced floor, cracks spider‑webbing outward from where he fell. His chest rose slowly—barely—but he was alive. Barely conscious.
The thirty trainees stood frozen.
They had seen Julius fight before.
They had never seen this.
Julius exhaled, the faint glow of Celestial Field fading from his eyes. The invisible domain he had deployed collapsed inward like a folded sky. The echoes of thirty souls—thirty presences—slid back into their owners.
Thirty times power.
Thirty times awareness.
Thirty times responsibility.
He looked down at his fists.
So this is Morteth's gift…
Behind him, boots crunched against the stone.
Daniel staggered into view, clutching his ribs, blood streaking down his side. His eyes widened when he saw Matthew on the ground.
"…You didn't even use Law," Daniel muttered, half laughing, half horrified.
Julius didn't respond. His gaze was fixed on Matthew.
The overconfident aura from earlier was gone—crushed along with the floor. Yet even unconscious, Matthew's soul still burned hot. Not wild. Not corrupted.
Hungry, Mahito's voice echoed calmly within Julius' mind.
That one doesn't fear power. He worships it.
Suddenly—
The air split.
No explosion.
No sound.
Just a pressure so absolute that everyone dropped to one knee.
The sky above the training grounds darkened, clouds spiraling into a massive circular formation. Blue lightning crawled silently across the heavens like veins awakening.
A voice descended—not loud, not soft—
Absolute.
"Administrator authority acknowledged."
A translucent figure manifested above the ground, humanoid yet incomplete—like a concept wearing a body. Symbols of rank and command rotated behind it, glowing gold and azure.
The trainees couldn't breathe.
Daniel forced himself upright, teeth clenched.
"…An Admin…?"
The Admin's gaze locked onto Matthew.
"Matthew Reyes."
"Soul compatibility confirmed."
"Combat instinct: exceptional."
"Ambition: overwhelming."
Matthew's eyes snapped open.
Despite the pain, despite the blood, he smiled.
"…Heh."
The Admin extended a hand. Lightning gathered, forming a sigil shaped like a broken crown.
"Do you wish to ascend?"
"Do you wish to abandon mortality?"
"Do you wish to become a—"
The sky thundered.
"Demigod of Zeus?"
The world held its breath.
Matthew didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The moment the word left his mouth—
Lightning devoured him.
Not struck—claimed.
Bolts wrapped around his body, lifting him from the crater as bones cracked and reforged. His scream tore through the sky—not of pain alone, but ecstasy. Power flooded him, raw and violent, burning away weakness.
The ground shattered beneath him.
The Admin turned its gaze to Julius.
"Witness."
"This is what your war creates."
Julius clenched his fists.
The Celestial Field stirred again—instinctively.
"…So that's how it is," he said quietly.
Mahito's voice sharpened.
Thunder has chosen its champion.
And one day… they will come for you.
The lightning exploded outward.
When it faded, Matthew stood transformed—eyes glowing electric blue, veins lit with thunder, Zeus' mark seared into his back.
He grinned at Julius.
"Round two," he said.
"Next time… I won't lose."
The sky cracked with laughter—ancient and amused.
And far above, Zeus had noticed.