Selene looks around her hospital room. She sees various personnel walking around. Ran is the only person next to her. Ran is right; it seems that they don’t let anyone see the injured fighters. This is because they don’t want any retaliation from fans of the person they killed. Ran is only allowed because he literally brought Selene there. Selene has some things she wants to talk to Ran about.

  [Selene: I heard you are pretty strong. Strong than me. Why did you act like you were dying out there when I saved you.]

  Ran looks up for a second to think. He smiles and looks back to Selene.

  [Ran: I see why you would think that. However, I was indeed on the verge of death. Victor is quite popular in the kingdom. Sensory abilities like his are extremely rare among specialists. His ability has one downside, though. It can’t take into account the condition of someone. Victor's ability only registers someone's current peak. So if I was in the hospital, sick, and dying. I would still register higher than you guys.]

  [Selene: Oh? So, are you trying to tell me you were, in fact, on the verge of death?]

  Selene still does not believe Ran. She thinks he is too shady.

  [Ran: Yes. You see, I lost something very important to me. While I was looking for it, I met a monster around three villages away from where I met you. Well, he was a human. His name was Zane. When I got to that village…]

  Selene appears stunned. Ran trembles with paleness. He pauses for a moment to catch his breath before proceeding.

  [Ran: That bastard. I won’t forgive him for what he did to those poor villagers. I tried to save them. I tried to fight Zane. He destroyed me. I thought it was over until Mimiko saved me. Zane killed her parents. In a last-ditch effort, I was able to escape with Mimiko. I kept going until I couldn’t move anymore. I am so lucky for Mimiko, she is such a good healer. That Orc caught us mid-heal. I would have definitely been killed if you had not saved me. So again. Thank you!]

  Ran bows to Selene. Selene sighs and makes a motion for him to stop.

  [Selene: You shouldn’t bow to people weaker than you.] It was a simple reply. It still made Ran smile, though.

  [Ran: I'm going north now. Do you want to come along?]

  [Selene: Sorry. I have an obligation to stay with my team. I will not leave with you.]

  [Ran: In that case…]

  Ran pulls out a red and blue button and hands it to Selene.

  [Ran: We are probably not going to meet naturally again. Here is a button. Pressing it will send out a signal that lets me know if you are in danger. I will make my way over as fast as possible!]

  With those words, Ran leaves. Selen looks down at the button.

  *Selene: I will keep this for now. It might prove useful in the future.*

  ____________________________________________________________________________

  The teams are returning to the Colosseum, where they are seated in their stands. Zealith has returned from the infirmary and sits next to Shifter and Hiroto.

  [Zealith: Where is Sorato?]

  Shifter looks over to him.

  [Shifter: I don’t know, and I don’t care.]

  [Hiroto: Come on, bro. Don’t be like that! My man Sorato didn’t spectate the previous fights either. I guess he really wants to prepare!]

  [Zealith: I do feel bad for the kid that got put up against Kai.]

  On the other side of the arena, all of the vassals were seated. Selene is still in the infirmary, so she is not here.

  [Peak: Pax is fighting someone really strong, right??? I want to fight someone that strong!]

  [Blake: I gave Pax a bunch of potential strategies before this fight. I hope he follows them.]

  Harpstein is looking at the arena.

  [Harpstein: Still, though. I am a little nervous.]

  Azarath is smiling.

  [Azarath: I wouldn’t worry! He is like a cockroach. He won’t lose so easily. Plus, if he does, I wouldn’t be able to call him my rival!]

  With both sides hyped up, the announcer gets on.

  ____________________________________________________________________________

  [Announcer: Welcome to round three of the Ascended Crucible! Our first participant is someone very intimidating! He is a serial killer who has killed over 50 nobles across his career! One of only 28 negators in history! His controversial history all came to a front when King Valerian picked him as a Vassal! Give it up for… Pax Stone!]

  Pax walks into the arena. Pax looks around and takes in the layout of the arena.

  [Announcer: On the other side, we have the strongest person currently enrolled in the tournament! He is known for being one of the youngest Grade 1s in the country! Five years ago, he participated in the last Ascended Crucible. He killed his enemy in one hit! Give it up for… Kai Kurogami.]

  Kai walks into the arena. He looks exactly the same as when Pax met him before.

  [Announcer: Let the fight between Kai Kurogami and Pax Stone… Com-]

  [Wait!]

  The announcer stops as Kai steps up.

  [Kai: Pax. Before the fight starts, I will give you another opportunity to surrender. If not, I will kill you.]

  Pax laughs.

  [Pax: Is that your version of kindness? You can shove it up your ass because I won’t surrender.]

  Seeing that he won't surrender, Kai tells the announcer to start the fight.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  [Commence!]

  Kai jumps forward for a jab. Pax dodges and counters with a punch to his head. Kai blocks with his steel arm and jumps back.

  [Kai: You are quite skilled. As expected from someone nicknamed “The Noble Nightmare.”]

  Pax takes a stance.

  [Pax: That is the first time I have heard that nickname. I am proficient in military fighting.]

  *Pax: Still, though. He is fast. I barely saw him. My body reacted instinctively. This is going to be tough.*

  Kai covers his mouth with his hand, and tattoos emerge on it. Pax attempts to leap toward him, but something seizes his legs. Looking down, Pax discovers two demonic hands rising from portals to grasp his legs.

  『Vengeful Spirit』

  Kai jumps at Pax. Pax goes to block.

  『Stop』

  Pax can’t move. His body is frozen completely. Kai crunches in front of Pax and grabs the sky. The sky distorts around Kai's fist.

  *Pax: Huh? What is going on?*

  Kai’s fist shatters through the layers of the sky, making it go at extreme speeds.

  『Thin Ice Breaker』

  The steel fist embeds itself into Pax. Pax's eyes go white, and blood pours out of his mouth. The spirit lets go, and Pax falls to the ground. Kai starts to walk away.

  ____________________________________________________________________________

  [Peak: Huh? What happened?]

  The entire team of the vassals is looking on in disbelief.

  [Blake: No way… One hit?]

  [Azarath: That is impossible!]

  [Harpstein: Wait! Look!]

  Harpstein points back into the arena. Pax is slowly getting back up. The crowd starts cheering.

  ____________________________________________________________________________

  Kai turns around to see Pax slowly rise to his feet.

  [Kai: If you can barely take one attack from me, you should just let it happen.]

  Pax smiles, and his eyes glow.

  [Pax: Shut the hell up!]

  『Unstoppable』

  Pax appears in front of Kai at unheard speeds. The tattoos appear on Kai's mouth again.

  『Stop』

  Kai smiles. Nothing happens.

  *Kai: Huh?*

  A fist connects with Kai’s face and sends him flying into the wall of the arena. Creating a huge crater. Pax bangs his chest.

  [Pax: Sorry, man. Nothing can stop Unstoppable!]

  Sound of disbelief can be heard all around the Colosseum. Kai gets up and looks at Pax in disbelief.

  [Kai: Maybe I underestimated you too much.]

  *Pax: I would like to say I can just spam Unstoppable but it seems like he took no damage.*

  Pax launches another Unstoppable. He heads in a straight line directly at Kai. In response, Kai grabs the sky.

  『Sky Manipulation』

  By turning the sky around himself, he changes Pax's trajectory. Pax turns around and flies into a wall. After the smoke clears, Pax looks back and smiles. A giant demonic spirit manifests in front of Pax and goes to slam down on him.

  『Unfair: Perfect Barrier knife』

  Pax quickly dodges the hand of the spirit and slices its neck in one motion. Pax quickly makes barriers around Kai's hands and hits him with another Unstoppable. It hits Kai directly in the chest. Kai spouts a little blood and smiles. Both of Pax's knuckle braces break with Unstoppable.

  『Get Back』

  Pax's body involuntarily jumps back. Kai falls a little but picks himself back up. The tattoo on Kai's mouth gets smaller. Pax smiles.

  [Pax: I see now. You have a limited number of times you can use that mouth power two more times! I would say things are looking good for me!]

  Kai just smiles.

  [Kai: You are right about my Cursed Speech. Will you live long enough to exploit that, though? I think it’s time I stopped playing around.]

  Suddenly, Pax looks down, and Kai is under him. Kai sends a fist forward. Pax activates Unstoppable in his legs and dodges.

  *Pax: He was holding back? Shit! With my current speed, I can’t dodge him! I have to rely on the speed boost of Unstoppable to dodge! I killed that vengeful spirit. That is one less thing to worry about.*

  『Thin Ice Breaker』

  Pax feels something on his back. It is a fist. Pax screens in pain as a Thin Ice Breaker directly hits his spine. Pax flies into the side of the arena. As the smoke clears, Pax is standing up.

  *Kai: He killed my Vengeful spirit. If he had military training, I should have expected him to use a knife. I will have to take one of his abilities. That Unstoppable seems nice.*

  Kai appears in front of Pax and touches his body. Pax goes in for a punch. Kai grabs something and starts to drag it out of Pax’s body.

  *Kai: After I grab Unstoppable, I will use it to dodge his attack!*

  A shock makes Kai let go of Unstoppable. It goes back into Pax.

  *Kai: Huh?*

  Kai gets punched across the arena.

  『Analyzing』

  A prompt appears in front of Pax.

  『Analysis failed: Not enough information』

  *Pax: That is a new message. I guess I can’t copy, and he can’t steal. Maybe…*

  Kai appears at Pax’s side and sends a katana slash at him. Pax blocks with his knife.

  [Pax: You got a katana now?!?]

  Kai laughs.

  [Kai: I just grabbed it from my storage!]

  『Explode』

  Kai jumps back as Pax explodes in a huge blast. The tattoo is now very small. Kai only has one more use of Cursed Speech. The smoke from the explosion clears, and Pax is on one knee. He is still conscious, and his entire body is covered in ash.

  [Kai: You are durable. I commend the fact you have fought me for this long. As respect, I will give you a glorious death.]

  Kai puts one of his hands out and balls the other. Making a hand sign.

  『Territorial Encroachment: Unyielding Soul Union』

  The arena transforms into a massive castle. The surroundings shift to reveal what appears to be the lobby of a medieval castle. Pax glances around and notices a chain attached to his chest. Meanwhile, Kai stands across the room.

  [Pax: What the hell is this?] Pax is confused. He has never seen anything like this before.

  [Kai: This is my Territory. I bet you are wondering what the sure hit is!] Kai looks at Pax, who is still very confused.

  [Kai: You are already finished. So, let me explain Territories. Territories represent the highest level of one's capabilities. To activate them, three elements are essential: 1. A formidable barrier technique. 2. Once you have mastered your ability, you can infuse it into the barrier, thereby creating the territory. 3. A sure hit refers to an attack that will hit without fail within a territory.]

  Realizing his situation, Pax runs to the wall and starts punching at it. Nothing happens.

  [Kai: It is impossible to escape the inside of a territory. The barrier that keeps you in is way too strong. Now, die.]

  Kai grabs the chain connected to Pax.

  [Kai: My sure hit is this chain. Normally my Steal technique is limited to touch and can only steal up to three abilities. In my domain, your chain will always be my hand. It is connected to your soul. Meaning that if I pull this chain, I can steal your soul!]

  Kai starts to pull the chain. Pax tries to grab the chain, but he can't interact with it. His hands just go through it. Kai fully pulls the chain, and it pops out of Pax's body. Pax's eyes go white as his body falls to its knees. Kai closes his eyes and laughs a little. He opens them expecting to see Pax’s soul. However.

  [It seems you disturbed my slumber.]

  Kai looks at a giant eldritch entity. It has one giant eye that is staring down at Kai.

  [Kai: What the hell…]

  [Riga: My soul is connected to the one you just tried to pull out. I don’t like people touching my soul.]

  Riga extends his hand and unleashes a powerful blast that utterly destroys the domain. The force propels Kai into the wall, nearly rendering him unconscious. This attack inflicts severe damage on Kai. They find themselves back in the arena. Slowly, Kai gets back on his feet and gazes at Pax. The entity has vanished, and Pax has regained consciousness.

  [Kai: You didn’t tell me you had a monster in you!]

  Pax thinks for a second.

  [Pax: I don’t know what you are talking about, but I want to try that domain thing.]

  Kai looks in disbelief as Pax slams his knuckles together.

  『Territorial Encroachment: The Train』

  The arena turns into a huge desert. Kai is looking around in pure confusion as these events unfold.

  *Kai: No way! He pulled off a Territorial Encroachment! This is not real!*

  Kai looks down. He and Pax are on a railroad track. Pax prepares an Unstoppable.

  *Pax: I guess I got lucky. This is truly the Perfect barrier technique. It even has a feature that lets me automatically imbue something in it! I wonder why Fin didn’t use a Territory?*

  Pax unleashes his Unstoppable. A giant visage of a train appears behind Pax as he gets closer to Kai.

  『Sure Hit Unstoppable』

  It hits Kai with the force of a train. Kai briefly loses consciousness as the domain is dispelled. Kai quickly gets back up and looks at Pax.

  [Kai: You know nothing about Territories, right? Including the price?]

  *Pax: Price?*

  Kai jumps at Pax to slice him. Pax tries to activate Unstoppable to doge. Nothing happens. Pax gets sliced across the chest and kicked back into the wall. Kai follows up with a barrage of punches that all land on Pax.

  [Kai: The price is that your ability goes into a refractory period. Until it comes back, you won't be able to use it. It seems like mine is back!]

  Kai grabs Unstoppable again. He wants to see if he can steal it while it is in refractory. It fails again. [Tsh!] Kai clicks his tongue in dissatisfaction.

  『Analyzing』

  *Pax: I see Unstoppable is unable to be used right now. I can still use Unfair, though! He gave me all the details about his ability in the territory!*

  『Kill Yourself』

  The tattoo around Kai's mouth disappears completely. Pax tries to resist. However, he brings his barrier knife closer to his throat. As it gets closer, a message appears in Pax’s head.

  『Analysis Complete. Copy “Steal”? This will replace “Perfect Barrier Creation”.』

  Pax smiles. Pax plunges the knife into his throat, but because of the switch, the barrier knife disappears before it touches Pax’s throat. Kai goes in for another barrage. Pax grabs Kai by the shoulders and pulls something out. Kai jumps back.

  [Kai: You bastard. I can’t believe you took…]

  『Sky Manipulation』

  Pax flies around the arena while getting used to the ability. Using the speed boost from the sky, Pax launches a punch at Kai. He layers the sky on his fist to replicate Kai’s attack. Kai goes to block with his steel fists.

  *Kai: Thin Ice Breaker is strong. However, it should still be weaker than Unstoppable. My steel arms should be able to tank this!*

  『Thin Ice Breaker』

  Just as Kai expected, Thin Ice Breaker is stopped by the steel arms. Pax doesn’t stop. The fist keeps going. Kai sees something as his steel fists start to break.

  *Kai: Black Sparks?*

  『Black Flash』

  The steel arms get annihilated by Pax’s attack. Both of Kai’s real arms are broken from the impact, and Kai flies into the wall. He makes a huge crater in the wall. The crowd goes wild. In Truth’s chamber, he is standing up in surprise.

  [Truth: I see now why you picked him Riga! Pax might actually have what it takes!]

  As the smoke clears again, Pax sees Kai standing. Pax is on his last legs; he can’t even attack anymore.

  [Pax: You are still standing. What are you, a monster?]

  Kai laughs.

  [Kai: I should be saying the same thing about you!]

  Suddenly, the head of the vengeful spirit appears behind Kai. It opens its mouth, and a giant pink ball of energy starts to form.

  [Kai: Pax. It is an unwritten rule that you have to bring a grade 1 and have the ability to destroy an entire city. This is the attack that lets me do that.]

  Pax readies himself. He only has enough energy for one more move.

  [Kai: Rejoice, Pax! You have earned my undying respect! To show you that I will hit you with my strongest attack!]

  『Pure Love Beam』

  A giant beam of pure energy is thrown at Pax.

  『Sky Manipulation』

  Pax responds by moving the sky around himself. Twisting the beam around himself and sending it hurling back at Kai.

  [Kai: So that is your move? This fight was fun. Thank you, Pax!]

  [Pax: Any day, you bastard!]

  Kai closes his eyes as the beam hits him directly. The arena is filled with a bright pink energy. So powerful that it would have killed some of the spectators had Truth's barriers not been in the way. Just as fast as the light came, it disappeared. Everyone looks in disbelief as the smoke clears for the final time. Revealing Pax on his knees by himself. The blast evaporated Kai. The residual energy from the explosion still hit Pax. He is on the verge of death, and his eyes reflect that.

  The crowd is silent. Kai's team and the vassals have no clue what to say. They had all been on the edge for the whole fight; no one had any time to say anything. As if on cue, Pax slowly raises his fist to the sky. Signaling his victory.

  [Announcer: Impossible… T-The winner is… Pax Stone!]

  The crowd goes wild. Breaking into extreme amounts of cheers at the unexpected result.

  To be continued…