On the battlefield, Paulo stood before five vampires, a confident smirk curling on his lips.
Without hesitation, he lunged at one of them, delivering a powerful kick that sent the creature crashing into the mountainside.
"That was barely a warm-up," Paulo muttered, eyeing the vampire with disdain.
Suddenly, the vampire reappeared behind him.
Paulo spun around just in time to block a retaliatory kick, then hurled the vampire back into the mountain with brute force.
In a flash, Paulo vanished, only to reappear above the vampire, aiming another strike.
But before he could land the blow, a second vampire blindsided him, launching him into the rocky cliffs.
Groaning, Paulo rose to his feet. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.
The attacker stepped forward, a smug grin on his face. "I'm Izumi's brother."
Paulo's eyes narrowed, fury igniting in his gaze. "Izumi's brother..." he growled, his killing intent surging.
"Did Izumi wrong you, human?" the vampire asked, still smirking.
"HE DID!" Paulo roared, charging toward him with unrelenting rage.
***
Riku stood before Jack Mori, the formidable leader of the Tengu, recounting the harrowing encounter he had just survived.
"I still can't believe it," Jack said, his voice laced with a mix of scepticism and admiration. "You faced off against a vampire… and won? For someone who is supposed to be just a human, which is no small feat."
Amy, Jack's daughter, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, clearly annoyed by her father's assumption.
"Dad, come on. Do not say things like that," she said, pouting. "Riku is not human. None of Paulo's cosmic soldiers are. They are something else entirely. Unlike you, me, and Rajin, they are not tengu."
Riku then looked at Amy and then at Jack, "Yeah Jack, Shiki Goldheart wasn't just any vampire, he was the king's ruthless right-hand man, feared across the realm for his unmatched strength and cunning."
Riku said with a cocky grin, his voice laced with pride, "And even with Amy fighting beside me, giving it everything we had, I still barely managed to hold my own against him. That guy was a nightmare wrapped in elegance."
Jack's brow furrowed as he turned to her, visibly confused. "Wait… what do you mean they are not human? What exactly are they then?"
Amy's eyes lit up with excitement, eager to explain. "Cosmic soldiers are a new kind of being. A race that only Paulo can create. They are resurrected from the dead, but they come back… different. Enhanced. Transformed."
Jack's expression shifted from confusion to shock. "Resurrected? Do you mean… Paulo brings the dead back to life? That is not something a human can do. Is Paulo even human himself?"
Amy hesitated, her enthusiasm dimming slightly as she considered the question. "Honestly, no one really knows what Paulo is. He is a mystery. He could be human, or something else entirely. There is no clear answer."
Just then, Riku stepped forward, his face serious. "I've heard him speak in his sleep," he said quietly. "He called himself the vessel of the Cosmic King."
The air grew tense.
Rajin, who had been silent until now, suddenly shouted, "The Cosmic King?! Are you serious?!"
Riku nodded. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but that is what he said. It is the only clue we have about his origins. Even Paulo does not talk about how he became what he is."
Before anyone could respond, Riku's eyes widened. He turned sharply, sensing a disturbance. "Paulo… he's in trouble," he said, urgency creeping into his voice.
Amy blinked in surprise. "Wait, you mean Paulo? The guy who ran off the moment he saw us. Why would he need help?"
Riku's tone grew frantic. "Because he is fighting vampires. And not just any vampires, they are hunting tengu. Your kind is being targeted."
Jack's expression darkened instantly. "Vampires attacking tengu? That is an act of war," he growled.
Without another word, he transformed into his full tengu form, his wings unfurling with a powerful gust, and launched into the sky and prepared to find Paulo.
"We need to move, now!" Riku shouted, already preparing to follow.
***
The clash raged near the jagged cliffs of the mountainside, where the wind howled like a warning and the sky darkened with tension.
Paulo stood firm, his breath steady despite the chaos around him.
He had already gained the upper hand against Izumi's brother and the remaining five vampires, his movements sharp and deliberate, his power undeniable.
Paulo narrowed his eyes at the cocky figure before him.
"Who are you really, Izumi's brother?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the air like steel.
With a smirk that reeked of arrogance, the tough man facing Paulo Satoshi replied, "I am Alfie Morningstar, Izumi's brother. And you are about to regret crossing me."
Before Paulo could respond, Alfie vanished from sight, only to reappear mid-air behind him, aiming a vicious kick at Paulo's head. But Paulo was faster.
He ducked with precision, grabbed Alfie's leg mid-strike, and with a surge of strength, hurled him backward.
Alfie's body slammed into the rocky mountainside, sending debris flying.
He coughed violently, blood staining his lips as the realization dawned, Paulo had not even begun to fight at full strength.
One of the remaining vampires, desperate to turn the tide, conjured a monstrous blood dragon that surged toward Paulo with a roar.
But Paulo, unfazed, spun his cosmic three-section staff and blocked the attack with a burst of radiant energy.
In a blink, he teleported behind the vampire, his presence a whisper of death.
With a swift motion, he plunged his newly-forged Vengestone blade into the vampire's heart. The creature let out a final gasp before crumbling to ash.
Paulo glanced at the battlefield, counting. "Four left," he muttered. "Including Alfie Morningstar."
Alfie staggered to his feet, eyes wide with disbelief. "How… how did you kill him? They have ultra regeneration. You cannot kill a vampire by stabbing the heart or the brain. That is impossible!"
Paulo wiped blood from his cheek and gave a sly grin. "You can thank Amelia Silverheart for that. She helped me uncover the secrets of Vengestone, a rare mineral that absorbs magic. That includes immortality, Alfie. Your tricks do not work on me anymore."
***
Just then, a gust of wind signalled the arrival of Jack Mori, who descended onto the battlefield in his tengu form.
His wings folded behind him as he surveyed the scene, eyes landing on Paulo.
"You're late, Jack," Paulo said, his voice strained. "The tengu behind you are worried I won't last against these monsters."
Jack's gaze fell on Paulo's body.
Blood streaked his face and neck, but the wounds had already healed, only the crimson stains remained, a testament to the brutal fight.
"Step back, Jack," Paulo said, his tone edged with urgency. "Stay with the tengu. I need space."
Jack nodded and retreated, sensing the storm that was about to unfold.
Alfie's bravado began to crack. "What are you planning, Paulo Satoshi?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Paulo raised his hands and formed a sacred shrine hand sign.
His voice echoed with power as he declared, "Realm Creation: Shrine of the Death Slice."
Suddenly, a colossal barrier erupted around the battlefield, encasing Paulo, and the remaining vampires, including Alfie, within its shimmering walls.
The air inside the barrier grew heavy, charged with Paulo's energy.
"This is my realm now," Paulo said, his voice calm and final. "And in here… you're already doomed."
Outside the barrier, Jack tried to break through, but the energy was impenetrable.
He paused, watching silently. He did not need to intervene. The outcome had already been sealed.
Victory belonged to Paulo.
***
Realm Creation is a transcendent ability possessed only by the Twelve Monarchs.
Since Paulo is the new Monarch of radiation he can use this ability too.
When invoked, the user conjures a colossal, shimmering barrier that covers them both, severing them from the physical world and transporting them into a sealed pocket dimension.
This alternate reality, known simply as "The Realm," exists outside the flow of time and space, and remains active for exactly five minutes.
The Realm is not merely a battlefield; it is a metaphysical construct shaped by the will of its creator.
Within its confines, the laws of reality bend to the Monarch's command.
The sky may shimmer with auroras of raw energy, the ground may pulse with ancient runes, and the very air may hum with latent power.
No external force can penetrate or influence the Realm once it is formed.
It is a closed system, a divine arena where fate is rewritten.
One of the Realm's most fearsome traits is its ability to nullify all abilities of the opponent.
This includes passive powers, active skills, and even divine traits such as immortality, regeneration, or time manipulation.
Within the Realm, the opponent is stripped bare, reduced to their physical form and instincts alone.
No matter how invincible they may be in the outside world, inside the Realm, they are vulnerable.
The user who creates the Realm is granted a singular boon: the ability to designate one of their skills as "Unmissable" for the duration of the Realm.
This means that regardless of the opponent's speed, defence, or evasive manoeuvres, the chosen skill will always connect.
Whether it is a devastating strike, a binding curse, or a reality-altering invocation, it will land with perfect precision every time it is used within the five-minute window.
This feature turns the Realm into a death sentence for many.
The user can choose their most lethal technique, ensure it hits, and do so repeatedly until the Realm collapses.
After five minutes, the Realm dissolves, returning both combatants to the physical world.
However, the consequences of what transpired within linger.
Wounds that are inflicted in the realm remain, powers suppressed may take time to recover, and psychological trauma from facing the user in their true form often leaves lasting scars.
The victor shall be Paulo Satoshi.