Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

As the arena’s surrounding pillars lit up, their beams of light converged, forming a massive protective shield around the battlefield.

“Begin!” The referee’s command cut through the roar of the crowd.

Axel moved instantly. A surge of raw Force erupted from him, sparks flying as his Cloud-Chasing Boots scraped against the ground. In a blur, he charged toward Kenneth.

Simultaneously, Axel poured a massive amount of Force into his Red Flame Blade. The weapon glowed like a living dragon, sweeping across the arena in a deadly arc.

The energy barrier around the field rippled and expanded like water disturbed by a rock.

The referee’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. “This…this is Level 5 Low-Grade Force?! Quick! Ramp up the shield’s power!”

Nigel’s jaw dropped. “Axel…he just advanced to Level 5 Low-Grade?!”

Terrence’s eyes narrowed. “I get it… When Axel fought me, he wasn’t even close to using his full Force.”

Axel’s movements were relentless. From the very first second, he had unleashed his full power, closing in on Kenneth at a terrifying speed. Less than twenty meters now separated them.

Kenneth’s eyes burned with fanatical fury. “Fun… Kill!” he growled, and instantly, his combat machines swarmed the arena, buzzing, shooting, and exploding.

Explosions rocked the air as Kenneth’s hastily deployed shield-bots were shredded into fragments. Axel’s blade cut through the chaos with surgical precision, scattering steel and sparks in every direction. Despite beams of light raining down on him, his expression remained calm, focused.

“Can he actually pull this off?!”

A sharp crack! The Red Flame Blade struck Kenneth, colliding with a pale blue defensive aura. The blade split the light in two, sending Kenneth flying backward from the force.

But he vanished almost immediately, as dozens of combat machines clustered densely around him. Cannons primed, a deadly salvo imminent.

Axel’s plan remained the same as he had envisioned: close in at top speed and strike Kenneth’s core before the battlefield could be fully dominated.

Sergio’s eyes narrowed. “Psionic Shield… a B-grade Original Instrument from the Goldleaf family.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions thundered around Axel, smoke filling the arena, the battlefield transformed into a storm of fire and steel.

Nelson leaned forward slightly, murmuring, “If this kid reached this level solely through military training… he’s a top-tier genius.”

Zayden shook his head slightly. “Unfortunately, he should be exhausted by now.”

When the smoke cleared, Axel was a horrifying sight. His body was charred black, burned skin and coagulated blood sticking together, every inch of him scarred.

“Should we stop the match?” Nelson frowned, watching as Axel’s body continuously recovered from the injuries.

Zayden remained quiet. “Axel possesses a potent restorative awakening technique. He might still intend to fight a little longer.”

The artillery barrage continued. Axel’s speed had slowed from his initial sprint, yet his gaze was unshakable. His wounds reopened and bled profusely, but the injuries healed as quickly as they appeared, creating a gruesome, almost supernatural spectacle.

“It’s time to end this match.”

Sergio shook his head slightly. “No. Let’s wait. If Axel can’t continue, he’ll concede on his own.”

In the arena, Kenneth sat atop a small battle vehicle, his body twitching violently, convulsions wracking him. Strange, guttural noises escaped his lips, yet his gaze sharpened with intense focus.

“A worthy opponent…” Kenneth murmured. The gunfire paused briefly as his mechanical army seemed to await his command.

“Here it comes… the second salvo,” Terrence muttered, remembering the sheer destructiveness of this maneuver from his own battles with Kenneth.

“It’s over… Is he really not afraid of dying?”

“The referee will stop it at the crucial moment,” Zayden said, just as a deafening explosion shook the arena.

Hundreds of Kenneth’s combat machines unleashed another brutal salvo where Axel had been standing. Bright flashes lit up the field, detonations shaking the ground. Kenneth knew Axel’s regenerative abilities were exceptional—so he threw everything he had, without restraint.

“Wait… is Axel dead?” Nelson’s eyes widened. He could no longer sense Axel’s presence on the battlefield.

“No… wait.” Zayden’s expression tightened. He could detect Axel, but barely—a faint, almost lifeless signature.

“Referee, suspend the match temporarily…” Zayden began, but Sergio interrupted. “Mr. Zayden, let’s review it once more.”

“Sergio, I know how much you value Axel. His combat ability speaks for itself. Bringing him along won’t hurt.”

“There’s still a chance,” Zayden murmured, saying no more.

Terrence glanced at Sergio, then at the smoke-filled arena. Memories of his own battles with Axel flashed through his mind. “He was…”

Even Kenneth’s face had paled. His mental energy stretched out, searching, sensing that Axel was lifeless.

“Killed… by me?” Kenneth’s lips twitched, his neck cracking unnaturally as if his bones were rebelling. Exhausted, he ceased firing.

Whoosh! In the instant Kenneth’s machines paused, a charred figure leapt out from the smoke and debris. A crimson blade of light shot toward Kenneth like a comet.

“He’s alive??”

“Feigned death… What kind of Awakened One is he?!” The referee’s eyes went wide.

Activating the combat machines required commands, and those previous volleys had drained Kenneth’s Force reserves. Now, only weaker, faster-firing units could respond in time to block Axel’s advance.

Axel’s body, riddled with wounds, was regenerating at an astonishing rate. Every slash of his blade lit up the arena like neon fire, relentless, unstoppable.

“How much Force does he have? Is this really Axel?!” Kenneth’s face turned ashen as he poured more firepower into Axel. Each strike inflicted new injuries, yet Axel continued, letting blood and flesh fly, blade ever moving forward.

“The Serpent King Scale Armor!” Kenneth’s self-destructing robots surged, but Axel activated his C-grade Original Instruments, slicing through the smoke and debris unscathed.

Crack! The Psionic Shield flared, weakened from previous hits, but Axel’s strike landed squarely on Kenneth’s chest.

Kenneth convulsed violently, like a man in epileptic seizure. Blood dribbled from his mouth, yet his eyes sparkled with exhilaration.

Bang! The strike shattered the shield but failed to pierce Kenneth’s armor.

“Another B-grade Original Instrument…” Axel’s gaze flickered to the knife-marked armor and the cracked Red Flame Blade in his hands. He grimaced. In terms of resources, he was outmatched.

Still, Axel pressed on, letting the Red Flame Blade slash in a sweeping, almost slapping motion.

Pfft! Kenneth, unable to evade, took the blow squarely in the chest, coughing up blood.

“Match over!” The referee rushed in, stopping Axel as the tip of his blade hovered near Kenneth’s eyes.

“Is it… over?” Axel wearily sheathed his Red Flame Blade, glancing at the cracks in the weapon with a grimace. Even after advancing to level five, these C-grade Original Instruments were clearly insufficient.

“Of course it’s over. Did you still want to kill him?”

Kenneth stood, sparks and fragments from his machines swarming back to him as if drawn by some invisible force. His complexion regained color, his armor self-repairing.

Axel frowned. What was this? Absorbing the energy from war machines to replenish his Force? Kenneth had been holding this ability back… why hadn’t he used it sooner?

Kenneth shuffled forward, twitching slightly, a manic grin stretching across his face. “Alright… you’re the one. Sizzle Ha.”

“Axel actually won…”

“I’m damn glad I came today.”

Nelson exhaled slowly. Despite his status—and despite being a peak Level Five Awakened—he had been away from real combat for far too long. The sheer ruthlessness Axel had shown in that fight was something rarely seen among the younger generation of the family.

Terrence was practically vibrating with excitement, pounding his chest again and again. “I’ll train my ass off when I get back. No way I’m losing to both of them. Ha!”

Axel and Kenneth descended from the arena, Sergio and the others moving forward to meet them.

“This should shut everyone in the family up,” Sergio said, finally allowing himself to relax.

“Man, you’re insane,” Nigel laughed. “But you should heal up properly. If that face gets ruined, you won’t even be able to hit the bars and pick up girls.”

At that moment, Zayden approached, Nigel trailing behind him.

“Axel, have you considered joining the Havoc Division?”

Axel froze. Join the Havoc Division? Zayden should know he was military.