The west side of Tartarus was already collapsing.
Monsters roared in the distance.
Buildings burned.
The skies of Tiamat flickered under the pressure of multiple monarch-level battles happening simultaneously.
At the top of a massive black tower—
Nyk Vandamson and Serion Bane stood facing each other.
The wind howled between them.
Nyk rested Destroyer on his shoulder casually and said:
"So what are you guys anyway? Bioengineered people or something?"
Serion smiled faintly.
"We are the greatest project of the constellations—The Zodiacs."
His dark blue eyes narrowed slightly.
"And provocations won't work."
Nyk grinned.
He stabbed Destroyer into the rooftop.
CLANG.
The blade pierced straight through the black stone.
Nyk rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.
"Enough talking then."
The next instant—
BOOOOM!!!
Both of them vanished.
Their fists collided in the center of the rooftop with monstrous force.
A shockwave exploded outward instantly.
Nearby windows shattered across multiple buildings.
The rooftop beneath them cracked apart.
Serion threw a vicious left hook toward Nyk's head.
Nyk blocked using his right forearm.
BANG!
The impact bent the air.
Without stopping—
Serion launched a left straight punch toward Nyk's abdomen.
Nyk leaned his body to the left narrowly avoiding it.
Then he swung his right foot upward toward Serion's jaw.
WHAM!
Serion twisted using the rhythm of the kick itself.
His body spun sideways unnaturally in midair.
And—
BOOM!
His heel smashed toward Nyk's temple.
Nyk took a step backward from the impact.
The rooftop split behind him.
Serion landed smoothly.
"Your good."
Nyk smirked.
"Just warm up."
He rushed forward again.
This time he jumped upward and kicked downward at Serion.
Serion blocked with both arms.
BOOM!
The building beneath them sank slightly from pressure.
Serion immediately retaliated with a punch toward Nyk's abdomen.
But Nyk caught the fist with his left palm.
Then—
Nyk moved instantly.
He slipped beneath Serion's arm.
Wrapped both legs around Serion's neck—
And flipped backward violently.
CRASH!
Serion slammed into the rooftop on his back.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Nyk jumped backward creating distance.
Serion slowly stood up.
Then he flashed hand signs rapidly.
A strange zodiac symbol appeared behind him.
Serion spoke calmly.
"Strength of Taurus."
His body expanded slightly.
Muscles hardened.
Veins glowed beneath his skin.
The pressure around him increased drastically.
His endurance and physical strength rose to another level entirely.
Nyk inhaled slowly.
Then his monarch energy spread outward.
Blue ruin energy crackled around his body.
He smiled faintly.
"Axis of creation."
The air froze for a second.
Serion narrowed his eyes immediately.
"…What?"
Nyk remembered Azelar's teachings.
The rhythm of Tiamat.
Its rotation.
Its gravity.
Its movement.
Everything in existence rotated around an invisible axis.
Azelar merely learned how to touch it.
Nyk slowly raised one hand.
The world shifted slightly.
Serion immediately reacted.
He dashed sideways at extreme speed.
His sensory mastery allowed him to perceive the rotational currents of Tiamat itself.
Left.
Right.
Forward.
Backward.
He moved unpredictably while preparing a counterattack.
But then—
Something felt wrong.
When Serion moved back toward the right—
The world suddenly flipped upside down.
His eyes widened.
From Serion's perspective—
The world began rotating violently.
The skies became the ground.
The ground became the sky.
His balance disappeared instantly.
CRASH!!!
Serion slammed headfirst into the rooftop upside down.
The entire building shook violently.
Nyk stood calmly above him.
His eyes glowing faintly blue.
And in his head—
Nyk smiled.
"Let's try the technique of master."