The Fifth Elder finally stood from the upper platform, then stepped one step forward while traces of dust still lingered above the arena, which had once turned into a land full of cracks and craters after Lin and Darn's battle… though now it had all been completely restored.
The Fifth Elder slowly raised his hand… and in a single instant—
Silence fell over the entire arena.
Even the disciples who had been shouting moments ago stopped instinctively when they suddenly felt the heaviness in the atmosphere.
Then the Fifth Elder's voice thundered across the entire arena:
"Let the fighters for the final round step forward."
"Kael."
"…and Faiser."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The moment he finished saying the two names—
A terrifying crimson aura exploded directly from the upper stands.
"Haaaaaaaah…"
Some disciples began gasping unconsciously while everyone turned upward in shock.
Kael stood atop the stone stairs, crimson aura swirling around his body like scarlet flames, to the point that the nearby air itself began to distort from the pressure of the chi pouring out of him.
Then—
He began descending.
One step…
BOOM!!
One of the stone stairs cracked beneath his foot.
Another step…
BOOOOOM!!
The nearby stands trembled slightly while some disciples instinctively stepped backward as the aura passed beside them.
"T-This aura…"
"Damn…!"
"He hasn't even started fighting yet!"
"This pressure is terrifying…!"
Even some first-generation disciples—
Had their expressions genuinely begin to change.
As for Kael—
He descended very slowly, his eyes fixed upon the arena as though a king were descending toward an execution ground rather than an equal battle.
The crimson aura coiled densely around his arms and shoulders while a savage smile gradually appeared upon his face.
On the opposite side…
Faiser rose with complete calmness.
No massive aura. No explosion of chi. No terrifying pressure like Kael.
He simply… stood calmly, then placed his hands behind his back and began descending the stone stairs with extremely slow steps.
But the strange thing—
Was that the noise within the stands gradually began lowering the closer he got to the arena.
Not because of some overwhelming aura…
But because of that strange sensation he left behind him.
Even some disciples who had been shouting moments ago stopped without understanding why.
"Strange…"
"Why do I feel uncomfortable the closer he gets…?"
"His chi isn't as massive as Kael's, but…"
"There's something wrong with him."
Above—
The Third Elder narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Hmmm… this boy truly is strange. If we look deeper into it, that boy's chi is not the most violent here."
But the Fourth Elder replied calmly while observing Faiser with narrowed eyes:
"The problem isn't the amount of chi…"
A brief silence followed.
"…but the feeling he leaves behind."
As for the Fifth Elder—
He silently watched the two before saying inwardly:
"Kael releases an enormous pressure obvious to everyone… but that boy…"
He looked toward Faiser.
"…his pulse hasn't changed… his breathing is steady… even his expression hasn't shifted."
His eyes widened slightly.
"Either he is frighteningly confident… or completely insane."
In the middle of the stands—
Lin watched the scene with his arms behind his head while bandages still covered parts of his body, then smiled faintly and said:
"Haaah… Kael is a straightforward monster."
He raised his gaze toward the arena.
"…the type that crushes everything before him through absolute force without thinking too much."
As for Darn—
He rested his chin upon his fist while observing Faiser with narrowed eyes, then said calmly:
"As for Faiser…"
A brief silence followed.
"…he's the worse type."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"The kind of person whose thoughts you can never understand even while staring directly into his eyes."
Lin laughed lightly.
"Tsk… that's exactly why I hate him, hahaha."
Then his smile widened further.
"Even though the battle will be entertaining… battles between monsters aren't entertaining because of strength alone…"
Darn continued immediately without taking his eyes off the arena:
"…but because you never know which one of them will lose control first."
On the other side—
Mira had been silently watching Faiser ever since he stood up.
Her eyes had not moved away from him even once, to the point that she didn't even notice the disciples shouting around her.
"This man…"
She narrowed her eyes further.
"…why do I feel like he isn't even showing half of what he's thinking? He's strange!"
At that moment—
Faiser calmly passed beside her after she had changed her seat because of Faiser ignoring her.
She then raised her head toward him directly and said seriously:
"…just don't die."
Faiser paused briefly, then half-turned toward her.
"Hmm?"
Mira continued, her eyes fixed on him:
"…because I still haven't fought you yet."
A brief silence followed, then Faiser smiled faintly without fully looking at her.
"Don't worry…"
He returned his gaze toward the arena.
"…people who want to kill me need more than just a wish."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The Book exploded with laughter inside his mind immediately.
"You damned arrogant bastard!"
"I swear you don't know how to speak normally with people!"
As for Mira—
She narrowed her eyes in obvious irritation while watching him continue walking as though he hadn't said anything important at all.
At that moment—
Kael finally reached the arena.
BOOOOM!!
The moment his foot touched the arena floor, the ground trembled beneath him while his crimson aura rose even more violently.
As for Faiser—
He arrived only seconds later.
Calm steps. Stable expressions. His hands still behind his back.
But the instant he entered the arena…
Everyone felt as though the atmosphere had suddenly become heavier.
Even the Third Elder frowned slightly this time.
Below—
The crimson and violet chi slowly began rising without either of them moving even a single step.
Ttttttttttttt…
The stone floor between them slowly began cracking.
"Damn…"
"They haven't even started yet!"
"Why do I feel like I can't breathe?!"
Even some disciples were forced to step several paces backward.
As for Kael—
He finally smiled while looking toward Faiser with clear contempt.
"Haaah… so here we are meeting face to face again… you outsider everyone keeps babbling about."
Then he spread his arms slightly toward the stands.
"Watch carefully, everyone."
He smiled mockingly.
"You will witness here and now the difference between a true genius…"
Then he pointed toward Faiser.
"…and someone who reached this point through luck and noise."
Some tense laughter rose from the stands.
As for Faiser—
He simply stood calmly without his expression changing.
That alone caused Kael's smile to narrow slightly.
Kael continued in a louder voice:
"People like you appear every year. A few small victories… then they start imagining themselves at a level they never belonged to in the first place."
Then he stepped one step forward.
BOOM!!
"But the finals…"
His crimson aura intensified further.
"…are not a place for delusions."
Silence spread throughout the arena.
Everyone watched Faiser, waiting for his reaction.
But—
Faiser merely smiled faintly.
"…Finished?"
Kael's mocking smile widened.
"What?"
Faiser answered with complete calmness:
"I thought you were going to say something more interesting."
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"But it seems all you possess is a loud voice just like your aura."
"Haaah?"
Kael's muscles instantly tensed while Faiser continued in the same calm tone:
"You said I was lucky to reach the finals."
The corner of his mouth rose further.
"…and you are lucky."
A heavy silence followed.
"…because the finals haven't started yet."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The stands completely exploded.
"Damn!!"
"Did you hear what he said?!"
"This madman is provoking him on purpose!"
Even Lin burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Damn… he seriously doesn't care about anything around him. His behavior is truly irritating. I went through the same experience with him too, hahaha!"
As for Kael—
His smile froze briefly before… his crimson aura erupted even more violently.
Above—
The Sixth Elder laughed mockingly while looking toward Faiser and shouting loudly:
"Some people go far through luck…"
He tilted his head contemptuously.
"…but the end always reveals their true level."
But Faiser—
Didn't even look at him.
He didn't even raise his eyes toward the elders' platform.
That alone caused veins to bulge slightly on the Sixth Elder's forehead in anger.
"This bastard…"
At that moment—
One of the disciples shouted mockingly from the stands:
"Just don't piss yourself in front of Kael, purple boy!"
Some laughter spread.
But—
Faiser raised his eyes toward him for only a single moment.
A very brief moment.
"…!"
The disciple suddenly froze.
The laughter vanished from his face instantly, and he felt as though something cold had choked his throat for a second.
Even his body trembled for no understandable reason.
"W-What was that?"
He immediately sat down silently, not daring to speak again.
As for Faiser—
He returned his gaze toward Kael as though nothing had happened.
Above—
The Fourth Elder narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Hmmm."
As for the Fifth Elder, he slowly sighed.
"This battle…"
He looked toward the two.
"…will spiral out of control. How are we supposed to contain it then?! What a headache!!"
Inside the arena—
The two auras began clashing without either moving at all.
The crimson scarlet from Kael's side… and the dark violet from Faiser's side.
Ttttttttttttttt…
The air itself began trembling between them, small stones rose from the ground, the cracks spread further, and some disciples truly felt their hearts tightening from tension alone.
As for Kael—
He wore a savage smile while staring directly into Faiser's eyes.
Meanwhile Faiser…
Simply wore that calm, provoking smile as though he had been waiting for this moment from the very beginning.
And at that exact moment…
Everything stopped as though time itself had lost the courage to continue.
No one could see what came before it, nor what would come after it.
Only that small distance between Kael and Faiser… seemed like the most dangerous place in the entire arena.
Then realization came all at once, silent yet terrifying…
That this was not merely the continuation of previous battles, nor the climax of an ordinary tournament.
But rather a collision point between two wills, each refusing to acknowledge the existence of the other within the same world.
And that what would happen moments later… would not merely determine who wins…
But who would emerge from that collision… still treated as a being capable of victory or defeat, instead of becoming nothing more than a lingering remnant of what occurred within the arena.