In the Euralups, Shikiya falls backward after dodging Candro's attack and stands up after wiping the blood from her mouth.
Itsuro runs towards Candro to punch him, but he effortlessly dodges it and counters with an attack equal in power.
Itsuro crouches and aims for Candro's chin, but he blocks it and kicks Itsuro in the gut. Candro teleports behind him and aims for Itsuro's face.
Itsuro grabs his arm, sits down, and pulls Candro forward. Candro jumps, rotating, and lands a kick on Itsuro's head, but he blocks it and throws him away.
Candro stands in front of Daigo — he instinctively tries to punch him but Daigo grabs his arm and punches him in the face.
Candro falls backward. Itsuro and Daigo both teleport near Candro — both try to punch him, but he grabs their hands at the same time and jumps — lands on the other side and pushes them down.
Candro puts his hands in his pockets and stands there, as Shikiya runs to attack him.
He dodges her attack and kicks her. All three of them have fallen mid-air. He looks at them with dead eyes and says:
"At this rate, this battle is far from over. Is this the limitless power you all were bragging about before?"
All three of them stand up without saying a word. Candro closes his eyes — while his hands are in his pockets.
Candro starts moving to dodge their attacks. His movements are a pure work of art — as he dodges every attack without breaking a sweat.
Candro crouches and lands a kick on Daigo, throwing him away. He jumps and rotates to grab the head of Itsuro and throws him down.
Shikiya tries to punch him, but he slightly moves and dodges it. He teleports behind her — even before she realizes it. He kicks her in the back and says:
"Too slow."
Candro calls out a technique:
"Goecha!"
A small Eki Eki circle appears in front of him and moves towards them. Even before they move or dodge — the circle blasts and releases immense energy.
The immense pressure moves the sand, breaking the ground and sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
Shikiya lies under a rock and mutters to herself:
"We've been fighting him for almost two days now. Should we let him enter the Skyward Society so others can fight him? No... We can't."
Candro says to them:
"What happened? Are you all so tired that you can't stand up anymore? But why? I'm not even fighting at my peak, I'm still fighting in my base."
All three of them are in shock — the only thought echoes in their mind is:
"WH-WHAT? Fighting in the base? But he said something else before."
The line of Candro which echoes through in their minds is:
"Very well, now I must respond with infinite strength too."
Shikiya says to herself:
"Was he playing with us the whole time?"
Candro lands in front of them and says:
"In case any of you forgot, I'd like to remind what I said two million years ago."
"A Reeger's peak is something that makes them greater than their own king — as he was never able to achieve it even after being a supreme entity."
They all hear him as he looks at them and continues:
"A Reeger can achieve what we call a title that makes him stand at the very pinnacle of his own species, and trust me, for some reasons, not even I was able to achieve it till now. So in short... I can't fight any of you in my prime because I still don't hold that title."
Itsuro says:
"Title, you say? I guess you did reveal it back then."
Candro calmly replies:
"Hmph! So when I said I'll respond with infinite strength. I initially meant that I won't hold back in my current state and I'll actually fight back."
Shikiya asks:
"... And what if you held back and didn't fight?"
Candro replies:
"I'd have stood there for ages. No matter the effort, no one would be able to move me... That's for sure."
In the timeline, Aeonic Dusk, Marshal is sitting eating his lunch in the cafeteria of his high school. He takes the last bite of his sandwich and says:
"THAT WAS... DELICIOUS! Somehow I've managed to be the best cook, hehe!"
He stands up, starts walking, but stops midway and speaks to himself:
"Hmph? What is this phenomenal presence I feel..."
"A Reeger? I don't think so... As far as I remember, I've fought some Tyrneks and Varkyns only... They didn't have such immense pre-"
A thought passes through his mind which cuts all other thoughts, as he says:
"Could it be..."
He snaps his fingers and instantly teleports into the air. He closes his eyes and tries to sense the pressure.
The black-red haired guy, who entered the Aeonic Dusk last night, appears behind him and speaks:
"Are you looking for someone, kid?"
The number zero on his cloak shines, as he speaks while maintaining his sinister grin:
"I'm already standing in front of you."
Marshal slightly tilts his head as he looks at him and says to himself:
"Why can't I move?"
"Why does he have that zero written?"
The guy says:
"C'mon... Let's not stand here for multiple chapters — let's start our battle."
Marshal mumbles:
"B-battle?"
The guy asks:
"What? Aren't you the one they call... what the name was, oh yeah... Marshal Unegai?"
Marshal replies:
"But who are you?"
The guy says:
"Really? No one told you about us?"
Marshal replies:
"Us?"
The guy says:
"My name is... Xirandro El Xandro Del Appeirro and I'm Astryn number zero."
Marshal says to himself:
"So this is how Astryns look? They're significantly different from Tyrneks and Varkyns — human-like bodies and possibly minds too?"
Xandro says:
"Let's begin... It's been a long time since I entered this timeline."
Marshal furrows his brows as he replies:
"Sure! If you want to fight me so badly then let's... FIGHT!"
Xandro grins menacingly:
"That's the energy I was looking for!"
Marshal takes on his alien form, and Xandro stretches his body before running towards him.
They both run towards each other mid-air before they attack Geko stops them by appearing in the middle:
"STOP!"
Xandro says:
"Hmph?"
Marshal stops and says:
"This isn't the time for jokes, Geko-san... Move aside!"
Geko closes his eyes and calmly says:
"You move aside, Marshal... Let me fight him!"
Marshal mumbles:
"Wh-What? But why?"
Geko says:
"Do you think you can fight him in your current state?"
Marshal comes back in his normal form and asks:
"I can!"
Geko replies:
"Astryns are the apex of Reegers even if they aren't in their prime — they're too overwhelming."
Marshal says:
"Then Arai Sensei should be the one fighting this guy..."
Geko shakes his head and replies:
"He too isn't familiar with Astryns. Throughout history, Astryns have invaded our timeline — Millennia — the most. I am familiar with their fighting style."
Xandro says:
"Oh, really?"
Geko replies:
"Your brother — Candro — always had his eyes on our timeline."
Xandro says:
"Because you and your so-called Elders of the Skyward Society never finished their battles with him — they were never settled at all."
Marshal mumbles:
"C-Candro?"
Geko says to Marshal:
"Stand behind and let me fight him."
Xandro says:
"I'm cool with it."
A burst of energy surrounds Geko — his grey-black robe transforms into a white cloak and the green flames appear on its edges.
His skin becomes more radiant than any sparkles, more vibrant than anything, and smooth with no flaws.
His snow-white hair turns ashen platinum and his eyes start to glow a little. A string with small, carved stone beads appears on his left wrist.
As the burst of energy stabilizes, three silver rings which appear on different fingers of his left hand and shine.
Marshal looks at Geko and says to himself in awe:
"What is that form?"
Xandro grins looking in the eyes of Geko and says:
"Full-Blown State, huh?"
Geko replies:
"Oh! Trust me it's not every day that I get to show it off, because most of the work is done even if I stay below my base form."
Marshal says:
"What the heck is he trying to say?"
Geko says to Marshal:
"Take notes, Marshal... This is what we call a Full-Blown State — it can be mastered pretty easily but maintaining it is the real deal."
"And yes, all this time I was below my base form. Life doesn't have much action these days every day feels like filler now."
Marshal rolls his eyes and asks:
"Do you plan on yapping the whole day?"
Geko gasps and says:
"A-Alright! Let's get back to work now."
Xandro says:
"Are you ready?"
Geko replies:
"Yeah, I am..."
Xandro runs towards him while grinning menacingly:
"Cool... Because I want you to be properly ready for your death."
Geko runs towards him as well while smiling warmly:
"We'll see about that..."
(TO BE CONTINUED)