Three days later…
It was finally time to meet the Guildmaster and claim their reward.
Akube stretched his arms behind his head while walking through the busy streets.
"So… how much do you think we'll get from those Sky Dragons we defeated?"
Dranexx walked calmly beside him with his hands in his pockets.
"I don't know."
Shirokuyomi's voice echoed softly from the golden blade resting at his side.
"You two might actually receive a very good reward."
Dranexx smirked faintly.
"I hope so… but my top priority right now is my journey to you."
For a brief moment, Shirokuyomi went silent.
"Alright. I'll be waiting."
"Right."
The large guild doors opened.
CREAK.
Guildmaster: "Ah, nice to see you boys again." The old man smiled warmly. "How have you been?"
"We've been good, thank you," Dranexx answered calmly.
Akube suddenly looked around dramatically.
"I'm doing great. By the way…" He placed a hand over his chest. "Where's my favorite receptionist?"
"Asunal: Hello, Mr. Akube. Mr. Dranexx."
The silver-haired receptionist smiled politely as she approached.
"Have you both been well?"
Akube immediately straightened his posture.
"Ahhh, my dear Asunal, I've been wonderful. You wouldn't believe the kind of adventures we—"
Suddenly
GRAB.
"OWWW!"
Dranexx dragged Akube by the ear with a deadpan expression.
"Be quiet."
Guildmaster coughed awkwardly.
"…Right. On that note, let's head to my office. We can talk there."
Both: "Right."
Inside the Guildmaster's office…The old man placed several documents onto the desk before adjusting his glasses.
"After calculating everything, your total reward is two thousand gold coins each." He smiled. "Four thousand in total."
Both of their eyes widened.
"That's huge…!"
"Wow!"
Akube nearly slammed both hands onto the table.
"That's amazing!" His eyes sparkled greedily. "I can finally rent a proper place now… maybe even flex a little."
"Right," Dranexx replied casually.
The Guildmaster suddenly reached beneath his desk.
"There's something else."
He placed two glowing objects onto the table.
"We found these inside the dragons… their cores."
Dranexx picked one up calmly.
"Dragon cores, huh… nice."
"Dragon Haki acquired."
Dranexx blinked slightly.
"Hm?! A new skill?" he thought calmly.
Beside him, Akube suddenly shouted,
"Hey! What's Dragon Haki? I just acquired that skill too!"
Silence.
The entire room froze instantly.
The Guildmaster stared.
Asunal stared.
Even the atmosphere became awkward.
Dranexx slowly turned toward Akube.
"Oh?" He smiled calmly. "Really? That's good."
Shirokuyomi immediately spoke inside Dranexx's mind.
"What an idiot."
"Agreed," Dranexx replied mentally.
The Guildmaster's expression stiffened.
"Dragon… Haki?" His voice trembled slightly. "Surely you're joking. How could a human possibly acquire that?"
Akube shrugged innocently.
"I'm serious. I just got it."
The Guildmaster went silent again.
Dranexx immediately stood up.
"Thanks for everything. We'll be taking our leave now."
"Ah… alright," the Guildmaster answered absentmindedly. "I hope to see you again soon."
Asunal smiled gently.
"Yes. Please stay safe." She placed a hand over her chest. "May the Goddess protect you."
After they left—
The Guildmaster slowly leaned back in his chair.
"Those kids are special."
His eyes narrowed deeply.
"Dragon Haki…? A human obtaining that is unbelievable."
Asunal looked toward the door worriedly.
"I pray the Goddess watches over them."
The moment they stepped outside
SMACK.
"OW!"
Dranexx smacked Akube across the back of the head.
"Can you behave like a mature person for once?" he snapped. "Dragon Haki isn't a normal human skill. Not even heroes can obtain that."
Akube rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Yeah… I slipped up. My bad."
Dranexx folded his arms.
"From my calculations, it's Supreme Dragon Haki."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"So you got one too… You're keeping up, huh?"
Akube grinned confidently.
"Yeah. And one day…"
His gaze sharpened.
"I'll surpass you."
Dranexx stared at him for a second before smirking.
"I'll be waiting for that day."
He turned away.
"Good luck, buddy."
Akube blinked briefly before smiling.
"So you're leaving now? Going after the Grandmaster?"
"Exactly."
Dranexx's eyes glowed faintly.
"I can't waste time. How dare she think I can't find her?"
A grin spread across his face.
"I'll prove her wrong."
He glanced sideways.
"You'll manage on your own?"
"Of course." Akube waved casually. "Just keep me posted. For now, I've got money to spend."
Dranexx tossed him a small bag.
"Take mine too."
Akube's eyes widened.
"Seriously?"
"Don't go overboard."
Then Dranexx suddenly became cold.
"Oh, and someone's been tailing us for a while now."
Akube's smile disappeared instantly.
"Interrogate him," Dranexx continued calmly. "Do not kill him."
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I repeat. Do not kill him."
Akube nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I noticed too."
He cracked his neck.
"Don't worry. Go handle your business."
Dranexx smirked faintly.
"I'm not worried about you."
He glanced toward the nearby rooftops.
"I'm worried about the kingdom."
Akube laughed loudly.
"Come on, don't tease me like that."
"Bye."
And instantly he vanished into thin air.
Akube stared at the empty space.
"Rude."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Stay safe, man."
His expression softened slightly.
"I know you're strong but take it easy."
"Don't move."
A voice suddenly echoed behind him.
Akube's eyes widened.
"When did he get behind me?" he thought.
Cold sweat rolled down his face.
"He bypassed my barrier… and my universal perception?"
An unknown man stood behind him silently beneath a black cloak.
"Where is your friend going?" the man asked coldly. "Who exactly are you two?"
His eyes narrowed.
"The two of you alone possess enough power to destroy this world."
Akube slowly turned around.
"Don't get cocky just because you slipped past my barrier."
A dangerous aura leaked from his body.
"I can one-shot you anytime."
The air trembled slightly.
"You're alive right now because he told me to spare you."
His gaze sharpened.
"Now answer me who sent you?"
"No one," the stranger answered calmly. "I work alone."
His Appraisal Eye glowed faintly.
"You may have fooled this kingdom pretending to be normal…"
His expression darkened.
"But I can see all the magic you're suppressing."
The man took a slow step backward.
"Holding back that much aura is insane."
His eyes narrowed deeply.
"I'll uncover who you really are."
A faint smirk appeared beneath the hood.
"Trust me."
And the next moment
He vanished.
Akube clicked his tongue.
"He left… huh."
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"He's strong…"
Then he sighed.
"Or maybe I'm still inexperienced."
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
"Next time, you won't catch me off guard."
He stretched casually.
"Well…"
A smug smile spread across his face.
"Time to flex."
Meanwhile…At the center of a vast wasteland.
Dranexx stood alone beneath the dark sky.
"This will do."
He slowly raised his hand.
"I'm far enough from civilization."
Space distorted violently.
"Open Dimension Break"
A massive portal formed before him.
Everything stopped.
The wind halted,Dust froze midair…Time itself ceased to flow around him
Dranexx blinked.
"Wait."
His eyes narrowed.
"Time stopped?"
A look of disbelief crossed his face.
"No way. I used minimum output."
He stared at the portal seriously.
"I refrained from using full output of Dimensional break because it's too powerful. I could cause chaos… maybe even merge realms."
His expression darkened slightly.
"And this weak stage of it stops time?! So when I use it in the heavenly paladin i stop time without even knowing enh or the heavenly paladin was just too powerful to even witness my power "
Silence.
"Damn."
A dangerous smile appeared.
"My skill, Author over Ruin, is too powerful."
He exhaled slowly.
"I need to restrict it."
"Don't."
Shirokuyomi's voice echoed calmly.
"You'll need it soon."
Her tone became more serious.
"The Monarch you're about to face is no joke."
A divine aura faintly leaked from the blade.
"In my full form, I govern the Realm of Divinity."
Her voice deepened slightly.
"But he is the pillar that oversees and guides it."
Silence.
"That is the role of Monarchs who serve the Grandmasters."
A brief pause followed.
"Good luck."
Dranexx smirked confidently.
"I don't need luck."
His crimson eyes glowed.
"I'll defeat him."
And without hesitation he stepped into the portal.
Dranexx stepped through the portal.
A massive divine realm stretched endlessly before him. Golden skies. Floating temples. Rivers of pure mana flowing through the heavens themselves.
"So this is the Divinity Realm, huh?"
"Yes," Shirokuyomi answered calmly. "Are you ready?"
Dranexx looked around casually.
"I hope this Monarch is challenging."
"I'm warning you… you might die."
Dranexx smirked.
"All the more reason to fight him. But if he isn't worthy…" He sighed. "I swear I'll leave you here and return to the mortal mortal realm where we are came from just now."
Silence.
Dranexx frowned slightly.
"She didn't answer… why?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Fine. I won't use my skill. Lend me your power instead."
"No."
Dranexx blinked.
"What do you mean no?!"
Suddenly, Shirokuyomi became impossibly heavy. A divine force field surrounded the blade completely.
Dranexx tried reaching for her but failed.
"So it's like that, huh?"
"Apologize."
"For what?!"
Silence again.
Dranexx stared at the floating blade.
"She's ignoring me…"
He sighed.
"Fine. I don't need you. I'll use my own abilities the ones I was avoiding. Don't blame me if I destroy this realm."
"Good luck with that, brat."
Dranexx froze.
"Brat? Did she just call me brat?!"
"You overestimate yourself. Let us see how you fare against my Monarch."
Dranexx went silent.
A moment later Shirokuyomi spoke again.
"You're quiet."
The divine skies suddenly trembled.
"He's coming."
A monstrous divine pressure descended from above.
The clouds split apart.
Golden lightning covered the heavens.
"Who dares disturb my Lady's Divine Realm?"
A massive armored figure descended slowly from the sky, radiating overwhelming divine power.
Dranexx looked at him calmly.
"Quiet. I need to see your master."
The Monarch's eyes narrowed.
"Insolent creature… how dare you?"
Dranexx sighed.
"I said… quiet."
The world froze.
Mana stopped flowing.
Even the divine winds became still.
"One Thousand Divine Cuts."
instantly Dranexx vanished.
Not moved.
Vanished.
The Monarch's eyes widened.
Before thought.
Before reaction.
Before time itself could process movement
Dranexx struck.
A slash from the front.
Another from behind.
Above.
Below.
From impossible angles that shouldn't exist.
Every strike ignored distance.
Every slash bypassed defense.
Space itself shattered apart from the attacks.
The Monarch roared but the roar itself was cut apart.
A thousand slashes.
A thousand fatal trajectories.
Every source of magic within the Monarch's body was dissected completely.
The divine aura surrounding him shattered instantly.
Silence
Then Cracks spread across the Monarch's body.
Divine blood scattered across dimensions themselves.
Dranexx reappeared behind him, lowering his blade.
"You relied too much on power."
The Monarch's body collapsed.
"Impossible"
His knees slammed against the ground.
"How can a mere human possess such power…?"
Blood spilled from his mouth.
"This cannot be real. I am a proud Monarch born to serve the Grandmaster of Divinity…"
His voice trembled.
"And yet… my knees fall before a lowly human?"
Dranexx looked disappointed.
"I wasn't even serious and you've already fallen?"
He clicked his tongue.
"What a joke."
The Monarch slowly raised one hand.
"You did well…"
A massive divine force gathered into a single point.
"But this is as far as you go."
The entire realm trembled violently.
"Argus Doom."
A sphere of catastrophic divine destruction formed before him. Space distorted around it. Magic itself began collapsing.
Dranexx looked unimpressed.
"Don't make me laugh."
He raised one hand casually.
"If this is all you've got, you're not worthy to call yourself my opponent."
The divine sphere expanded violently.
Dranexx spoke calmly.
"Absolute Cancellation."
instantly the entire attack vanished.
Complete silence filled the realm.
The Monarch's eyes widened in horror.
"Impossible… how?!"
"Simple."
Dranexx pointed toward him.
"I am superior to you."
A smirk appeared on his face.
"That attack was nothing more than a parlor trick."
A massive sphere of divine destruction formed above Dranexx's hand.
"Argus Doom."
The Monarch froze.
"He copied my skill…?"
Fear filled his expression.
"No… impossible…"
He lowered his head.
"Forgive me, my Lady… I have failed you."
"You did well, Liberty."
A calm female voice echoed across the heavens.
"I will take it from here."
BANG.
A massive divine barrier appeared instantly, blocking Dranexx's Argus Doom.
The entire realm shook violently.
Dranexx narrowed his eyes.
A woman slowly descended from the heavens holding Shirokuyomi.
Long blonde hair.
Golden eyes.
A divine aura powerful enough to erase weaker beings merely by existing.
"You are troublesome… honestly."
Her voice remained calm.
"If I hadn't stopped that attack, my Monarch would have been completely annihilated."
Dranexx stared at her silently.
"What a presence…" he thought.
"Her aura alone could kill demon lords, heroes, monsters even humans just by existing."
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
"I guess I've become OP myself if I can stand in this overwhelming presence."
"You finally show yourself, huh?"
"Quiet."
Dranexx twitched.
"Great. Now the attitude."
"I dislike your tone."
She raised Shirokuyomi slightly.
"Divine Slash."
She swung the blade once.
Dranexx's eyes widened.
"Damn it… Blein Guard!"
A massive defensive barrier appeared instantly.
SLASH.
The barrier shattered immediately.
Dranexx activated another.
Then another.
Both were sliced apart effortlessly.
Blood scattered through the air.
One of Dranexx's arms fell to the ground.
"Looks like you're not that powerful after all."
She laughed softly.
Dranexx looked at his missing arm.
"Don't be so sure"
"World of Cavalry."
Two swords materialized from thin air.
"Grant me a weapon of Immortality…"
A silver blade appeared.
"And a weapon of Erasure."
A black sword formed beside it.
His severed arm regenerated completely.
His aura exploded.
The entire Divine Realm trembled from the sudden increase in power.
The Grandmaster's eyes narrowed slightly.
"My… you are truly intriguing."
She raised her blade again.
"Very well."
Their swords collided.
BOOOOM!
A shockwave spread across the realm capable or shattering stars
Galaxy-level destruction spread from every clash.
Sword against sword.
Divine power against overwhelming force.
Everything froze.
Time stopped.
Laws halted.
Reality itself became suspended.
Yet the two of them continued fighting normally.
The Grandmaster's expression finally changed.
"Impossible…"
Another collision shook the Realm.
"I suspended my world… and yet you still move?"
Dranexx smirked.
"You don't want to know how much power I'm hiding."
Their blades collided again.
"I'm thrilled."
A grin spread across his face.
"Thank you for the entertainment."
The Grandmaster narrowed her eyes.
"But my patience has reached its limit."
"Dimension Warp."
Dranexx disappeared.
To the Grandmaster, reality itself skipped.
Eight beams of energy struck simultaneously from different directions.
She blocked four.
Three landed directly.
Her divine aura weakened slightly.
A final blade appeared inches away from her neck.
Dranexx stood behind her calmly.
"I win."
Silence.
Then the Grandmaster smiled faintly.
"So it seems…"
She looked at him carefully.
"You're freakishly awesome, Dranexx."
"You're not bad yourself."
Dranexx rested his sword on his shoulder.
"I swear, you gave me a workout."
The Grandmaster sighed softly.
"I noticed something during our battle."
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"You were negating every law activated in my realm"
Silence filled the realm.
Her gaze shifted toward the black blade in his hand.
"And if that sword had touched me…"
A brief pause followed.
"It would have been the end."
She exhaled slowly.
"Not only that… it grants you unimaginable power."
She sighed calmly