Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

The brothers’ eyes lit up as they turned to Axel.

“Yes,” Axel said frankly. “Mr. Walter told me that giving it everything was the greatest respect I could show you. That’s why I didn’t hold back. But… why do you all look so unmotivated?”

The brothers were momentarily ashamed—then stood up in unison.

“That actually makes us feel better,” Boyd said seriously.

“Having someone like him ahead of you is a good thing,” Walter added. “I’ve invited Axel to visit Ancestral Flame’s Havoc Division anytime. You can consult him whenever you want.”

The brothers straightened visibly, a faint yellow glow flickering across their foreheads.

Axel sensed the shift immediately.

So this is their talent activating…

Walter was clearly delighted—and deeply grateful. He handed Axel a small USB drive.

“This contains information on Ancestral Flame’s twelve advanced combat techniques. I’ve made a copy for you. Don’t share it.”

“Thank you, sir,” Axel said sincerely.

Pocketing the drive, Axel left the arena at once—his attention already turning toward the next match.

......

The Everton branch was far stronger than the Rutherford branch—and Lilith’s two teammates had already been eliminated.

Now, she stood alone against three opponents.

Pillars of blood roared skyward, like crimson dragons tearing across the arena, crashing down toward the Everton trio.

One of them was an assassin-type Awakener. The slender man twisted and slipped through the chaos, his movements awkward but effective, narrowly avoiding the blood pillars again and again.

Warren, however, stood completely still.

His eyes had turned a deep, pitch-black, fixed unblinkingly on Lilith.

Under that gaze, Lilith’s body shuddered ever so slightly. Fine beads of sweat formed along her forehead.

Warren’s Awakened Talent—Bewitching Eyes, Sequence 17—was terrifying. It allowed him to erode and dominate an opponent’s mind. The longer his gaze held, the heavier the mental burden became.

“Drink!”

The final Everton member—a tall, unnaturally thin man whose body looked almost rubbery—lurched forward. Just as Lilith’s attack threatened to reach Warren, his limbs stretched grotesquely, interposing himself in front of the blow.

Blood soaked his body, his skin turning a strange purplish red. Yet his resistance to toxins was astonishing. Though pain twisted his face, he endured.

While shielding Warren, he constantly coordinated with the assassin-type teammate, harassing Lilith from multiple angles.

“So you’re not as easy as I thought,” Lilith muttered, frowning as she tilted her head.

The moment she shifted, the assassin struck.

For the first time, he closed the distance at full speed, his body trembling violently.

Awakening Skill — Shattering Slash.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Lilith, blade arcing toward her throat.

Buzz.

A dull vibration rippled through the air, something flashing briefly from Lilith’s body.

The next instant, the assassin collapsed, helpless, his body torn apart by countless invisible cuts.

“Watch out, Clyde,” Warren whispered too late.

The stretchy-bodied man lunged forward, trying to shield Warren from the next incoming pillar of blood—but halfway through extending, a section of his arm was severed cleanly.

“Ah—!”

He screamed, clutching the severed limb as he staggered forward.

That movement left Warren completely exposed.

“Your turn,” Lilith said coldly.

The blood pillar surged toward him.

Warren didn’t flinch.

Buzz!

A far stronger mental shock erupted from him. Blood streamed from his eyes, nose, and ears as he pushed his talent beyond its limits.

“Are you insane?!” the referee shouted, already moving to intervene.

Thud.

Warren’s mind shattered under the strain. The darkness in his vision collapsed inward, and he fell backward like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Match over! Medical team, now!” the referee roared.

“Clyde, are you okay?”

Clyde picked up his severed arm, reattached it with a sickening squelch, and exhaled. “I’m fine. As long as it’s not crushed, it goes back on.”

The assassin-type Awakener lay unconscious, far worse off.

Lilith waved away the medics, her gaze settling on Warren as he was treated.

“You’re stronger than I expected,” she said quietly.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Axel walked alone toward one of the now-empty arenas.

“Mr. Axel, this area’s being closed for cleanup,” a staff member said nervously, awe evident in his eyes. “Can I help you with anything?”

“I’m just looking,” Axel replied.

He reached out, lightly touching the arena floor, then turned and walked away.

Where no one was watching, Axel raised the finger he’d used.

A thin line opened across his skin. Blood welled up—and then flowed back into his body.

A tingling itch spread through him, alternating with sharp discomfort. Whether it was due to his abnormally strong physique or the small amount of blood involved, the reaction was mild.

Axel activated his Awakening Skill.

Return to Origin.

Warm restorative energy surged through him, washing away the residual sensation.

His expression eased slightly.

“Good. I can purge the negative effect.”

Returning to the Virelia branch area, Axel approached Ynez, Christopher, and the others who had been waiting.

“Axel, what were you doing just now?” Ynez asked.

“If she doesn’t have some absurd hidden trump card,” Axel replied calmly, “I’ve already figured out a way.”

He turned to Christopher and Otis.

“You two—come here.”

After a long silence, Christopher finally looked up, eyes wide.

“Axel… can I really do it?”

“You’re underestimating yourself,” Axel said, meeting his gaze. “But yes—this will go exactly as I say.”

Christopher clenched his jaw.

“…Then I’ll do it.”

Once the plan was set, Axel motioned for everyone to leave the venue.

......

“Something feels off.”

That night, Axel logged into the Awakener Forum and searched for “Level 5 High-Grade.” After digging through countless threads, he finally found a post that explained things clearly.

> “Strictly speaking, there’s no official concept of ‘Level 5 High-Grade.’ There is only Deep Awakening.”

> “As long as one Awakening Skill reaches Tier 3, an Awakener can be considered Level 5 Mid-Grade.”

> “Only after fusing with a rare treasure of heaven and earth, or after all three core attributes exceed 10,000, can one truly enter the Deep Awakened state.”

> “Once Deep Awakening is achieved, the Awakener may use Origin Force to nurture their natal treasure.”

> “However, because Deep Awakening is extremely difficult, many Awakeners stagnate for years—sometimes over a decade. As a result, people unofficially created the term ‘Level 5 High-Grade’: Awakeners whose skills have all reached Tier 3, but who have yet to achieve Deep Awakening.”

The post was authored by a Level 6 Mid-Grade Awakener.

After reading it, Axel finally exhaled.

“So that’s what it means… If this is Level 5 High-Grade, then I’m fine.”

He took a Level 5 Life Crystal from his space capsule and slipped it into his pocket. He didn’t want to rely on bug-like recovery items like this, but if things went south, he’d need insurance. More importantly—

He needed a B-grade Original Instrument.

Axel sat down and entered meditation.

.....

Inside the VIP viewing room, William and the others took their seats.

“Mr. William,” Philip said with a grin, twirling two walnuts in his hand, “we’ll know the result soon. Don’t forget our bet.”

“You seem very confident,” William replied calmly.

Philip chuckled. “Maurice, you’re awfully quiet. Not worried at all?”

Maurice’s sharp features relaxed into a faint smile. “They’re both Krythos Awakeners. I win either way.”

The others burst out laughing.

“Maurice’s political instincts really are something else.”

......

“Christopher, Otis,” Ynez said gently, “don’t put too much pressure on yourselves. I’m already satisfied with how far we’ve come.”

Christopher recalled Axel’s instructions from the previous night. He took a deep breath.

“I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

“Both competitors, please enter the arena!”

Unlike before, the smaller arenas merged into a single massive battleground. As the announcer’s voice faded, thunderous music erupted, and the crowd’s roar surged like a tidal wave.

“I never imagined,” Lilith said from across the arena, stretching lazily, “that less than a year later, I’d be fighting a kid like you in an official match.”

Axel didn’t reply. His mind was replaying his plan step by step.