Location: Unknown Island
The surroundings were complete chaos. On two sides of the island, entirely different events were unfolding. On one side, a battle of ice and reality was taking place, while on the other side there was sound and a newly born threat. At this very moment Zach and Lucifer were fighting so fast that they were practically invisible. From above, it looked like two lights chasing each other, colliding, drawing circles around each other, or doing whatever they were doing in that blur of movement.
Zach and Lucifer were truly users of techniques on an entirely different level.
While Lucifer was busy enjoying the fight to the fullest, Zach had started to evolve. Ever since he experienced the fiery energy, he had begun to control his energy much better. Both Zach and Lucifer were constantly running while throwing punches at each other. Either they avoided the attack, or they struck the incoming punch to block it. But they were doing it so fast that each collision sounded like a small explosion.
And Zach's thoughts about this fight were the following:
Zach (In his mind):
I can feel it... My energy and my technique... using both of them together... it's becoming easier and easier.
Zach had completely entered the stage of enlightenment. Lucifer, on the other hand, had positive thoughts about Zach's evolution. In fact, he was starting to lose himself in the excitement of the battle.
Lucifer (In his mind):
This brat is terrifying! Ever since he experienced the fiery energy, his growth has accelerated tremendously. He's practically a learning monster!
Lucifer and Zach were both thinking separately while still running, but eventually they stopped at the same line, standing 21 kilometers apart from each other, still able to see one another.
They began running toward each other.
While running, Lucifer started loading energy into both of his fists. Zach was doing the exact same thing. Their eyes were shining differently, but Zach's eyes were slowly turning completely snow white.
As they ran toward each other, Lucifer spoke.
Lucifer: Come on, let's see who can throw punches faster!
When the distance between them dropped to two meters, both of them stopped their speed with their feet, sliding slightly across the ground. While sliding, they prepared their punches. The moment the sliding stopped, they began throwing punches one after another.
Their fists collided.
They quickly pulled them back and threw the other punch.
Again their fists collided.
They pulled back again.
And threw another.
Again.
And again.
And again.
It was happening so fast that it looked as if both of them had twenty arms, constantly striking and colliding with each other. The collisions of their punches created a powerful wind. Everything around them was bending backward from the force of the wind or being ripped off the ground and thrown away.
The sound of the punches clashing was incredibly loud.
Neither of them was losing in this rain of punches. One of them was continuing to evolve, yet seemed uneasy and tense. The other was smiling constantly, enjoying himself so much that it looked almost like he was mocking his opponent.
While everything around them was being blown away, the ground beneath them began to crack. With every punch they exchanged, the ground beneath their feet cracked further and further. Yet they kept punching continuously, as if they didn't care.
The sound of the punches colliding kept getting faster.
And faster.
And faster.
Eventually the ground beneath them could no longer endure it and began to break apart. At that moment the sound of the earth collapsing echoed, and after their fists collided one more time, both of them jumped backward, escaping the crater that had formed beneath them.
Zach (In his mind):
My hand really hurt during that punch clash... but ever since I experienced the fiery energy, I feel like my body has become much more durable.
Lucifer stood in front of Zach, and between them there was now a crater.
The crater was 12 meters wide.
Their punches had collided so many times that even the ground beneath them couldn't withstand it anymore.
Lucifer (In his mind):
I haven't fought like this in a long time. I'm having so much fun! I wonder... if I use a Super Technique, will he survive? And if he survives... will he be able to learn it in a single glance?
Let's find out.
Lucifer slammed his two fists together and left them like that. They looked as if they had merged, but they hadn't.
Zach had only one thing to say.
Zach: What are you planning?
Lucifer began loading energy into both of his fists and started grinning.
Lucifer: As you can see... I'm going to test you. Super Technique.
The moment Lucifer said that, Zach immediately ran toward him. He had sensed the threat. Someone was about to use their second strongest attack.
While running at full speed, Zach began loading energy into both of his hands. His goal was to stop Lucifer before he could use his Super Technique.
But it was already too late.
Lucifer: ...Reality Destruction.
Behind Lucifer, a massive crack in space began to appear, as if the Super Technique itself was creating something.
The sound of the crack breaking echoed loudly.
From within the crack, two hands emerged.
Those hands looked unusual.
Each hand had three silver rings, and both wrists were wearing red bracelets that looked almost like armor. The skin tone of those hands was a very dark crimson red.
Those two hands began slowly lifting Lucifer upward, as if they were treating him like their king.
At that moment something was noticed.
Or rather, Zach noticed it.
Zach (In his mind): Lucifer has the rarest type of Super Technique...
When I first thought about it, I assumed it was a Barrier type.
But it's actually an Anti-Barrier type.
The Anti-Barrier Type was just as rare as the Barrier Type, but there was a major difference between the two.
A Barrier type traps the enemy inside the user's world.
An Anti-Barrier type does not trap the world, instead it releases the user's world outward.
Users of Anti-Barrier types spread complete chaos around them.
If Lucifer had used this technique inside a city, the entire city would begin to tear apart because the attack would remain active for a certain time and continue attacking constantly.
But Lucifer's Super Technique, Reality Destruction
worked in stages.
First it released many small attacks.
Then it delivered one final massive strike.
Like throwing ten small stones first, and then throwing a giant boulder afterward.
The same logic applied here.
But Lucifer's ability involved Reality Manipulation and Control.
Which meant this island would descend into complete chaos.
More accurately…
The island itself would be completely destroyed.
And before Lucifer used this Super Technique, Richard had already been blown off the island. If we explain how, we could say that his battle with the newly born Great Demon had dragged him far away from the island itself.
Now let's return to the main battlefield.
Lucifer: You'd better try your best to stay alive, brat.
Zach: Damn it… Ice Armor and Full Energy Coating!
Lucifer: Let the Dance of Destruction begin!
The moment Lucifer said that, the Anti-Barrier activated.
From above, the island looked like it was slightly bending, but in reality space itself was warping.
Invisible slashing attacks that shattered reality began appearing everywhere, as if an invisible swordmaster was cutting everything around him.
Even reality itself was being sliced, which caused secondary explosions.
The mountain behind them began slowly breaking apart. Rocks started falling from above. Their crashing sounds echoed.
But the moment those rocks began to fall, their realities were cut apart.
The already lifeless vegetation became something even worse than lifeless, because their realities themselves were being torn apart.
Zach began receiving many wounds.
None of them were too deep because he had used every possible defense technique he had. If he hadn't, he would have suffered severe damage.
But the environment itself was shattering apart, taking shapes that shouldn't exist and breaking like glass.
Because reality itself was being broken.
And in the middle of that chaos, Lucifer was laughing loudly.
Meanwhile Zach began to think.
Zach (In his mind): It hurts so much… but I have to endure. And he started the Super Technique by channeling energy into his hands... How did he do that?
Zach crouched slightly and covered his face with his arms to prevent damage to his head. It was actually working.
Then Zach noticed something.
When Lucifer transferred energy into his hands, that energy had completely disappeared.
But in reality…
It had been transferred to the hands emerging from the crack.
At that moment Zach thought:
Zach (In his mind):
If I transfer energy into something... does that count as creating a Super Technique?
And if I directly transfer that energy… will it take on a completely new form?
Lucifer's Anti-Barrier was approaching its time limit.
Which meant the final attack was about to be unleashed.
But Lucifer suddenly sensed the massive energy gathering from Zach and began smiling in a terrifying way.
Lucifer (In his mind): No way!
Are you seriously entering the stage of creating a Super Technique!?
Incredible… absolutely incredible!
Lucifer slowly raised his right hand.
It was time for the final attack.
Meanwhile Zach slowly stood up. He had been crouched while gathering a massive amount of energy in his hand.
At that moment Zach's pupils had turned completely snow white.
As all the energy gathered in his hand, a ring appeared behind him. The energy began flowing into that ring.
While still being injured, Zach continued moving toward becoming stronger.
Lucifer was about to unleash his final attack, but suddenly the ring behind Zach transformed.
It became ten three-pronged ice spears, spinning in circles behind him.
At that moment Zach raised his left hand and pointed at Lucifer with his index finger.
Zach:
Super Technique…
Frozen Heaven.
Lucifer was ready to unleash the final attack.
He slammed his right hand downward and shouted:
Lucifer: Bringer of True Destruction!
From the crack behind Lucifer, where the giant hands had emerged, a massive surge of energy burst outward.
A gigantic laser was fired.
Normally it would have destroyed everything in its path, but Lucifer adjusted it so that it would only target Zach.
Because the most important thing in this battle was victory.
Meanwhile all ten of Zach's ice spears shot forward toward Lucifer.
And at that moment…
It was the moment that would prove whether they were truly equals… or not.
Finally, the two attacks collided.
A massive white light erupted.
A gigantic clash of energy exploded between them.
Everything around them froze, shattered, or burned at the same time because the environment simply couldn't withstand the power of those attacks.
Lucifer raised both of his arms at ninety degrees as if he were blocking the attack.
But in reality, he was both blocking and strengthening his own attack.
Zach did the exact same thing.
Both of them were trapped inside the gigantic clash of energy.
Eventually the massive energy sphere formed between them could no longer endure the pressure.
And it exploded.
The explosion was as large as a nuclear bomb.
The waters 80 kilometers away from the island began to crack and split apart because the attack affected reality itself.
From afar it looked like a gigantic mushroom cloud, just like after a nuclear explosion.
And at that moment…
No one could tell who had won the battle.