Two hours later..

  Zero steadied his stance, bare feet curling into the dirt. His breathing slowed, his aura calm—too calm for someone standing in front of Borschmack.

  Borschmack cracked his neck. “Zero. Permission to begin?”

  Zero nodded once.

  Borschmack didn’t strike with finesse—he struck with dominance. His first blow was a straight punch to Zero’s chest that sent dust exploding outward in a circle. Zero skidded back several feet, sandals tearing trenches through the dirt.

  Before he could recover, Borschmack grabbed Zero by the collarbone and slammed him into the ground hard enough to bounce him.

  Zero tried redirecting the next hit, but Borschmack’s strength simply overwhelmed the technique. His forearm crashed into Zero’s ribs, launching him through a wooden post that snapped like chalk.

  Zero groaned, coughing blood, but smiled anyway.

  “So this... who is going to defeat the Demon Buddha.”

  Borschmack grabbed Zero’s shirt front, lifted him effortlessly, and headbutted him. Zero dropped instantly, unconscious before his body hit the ground.

  Four days later..

  Odina was hoping to transcend her second encounter with Borschmack. She doubted this method, telling me that it was impossible. But then she was faster and stronger than before. Now, she was looking forward to the pain.

  Odina wiped sweat from her brow. “Alright, big guy. Just don’t break anything crazy.”

  Borschmack nodded and stepped forward, the earth trembling slightly beneath his weight. He waited for her to notice his movement, but she did not.

  He blurred.

  A massive fist slammed into her abdomen like a battering ram. The impact folded her in half around his knuckles, knocking the wind from her before she even realized she’d been hit.

  Her vision whitened.

  She flew back across the clearing, skipped once on the dirt, and skidded unconscious against a tree trunk.

  But then—

  Her body emanated killing intent. Veins pulsed. Her breathing steadied.

  She had transcended.

  Unconscious, but transcended.

  Two days later..

  Ewan rolled his shoulders, dual axes strapped to his back. “Don't hold back.”

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  Borschmack didn’t.

  His first punch hit Ewan’s forearm guard with a metallic thud. Ewan grunted but didn’t budge an inch.

  “Good. I felt muscles tear.” Ewan growled. “Again.”

  Borschmack obliged. A series of heavy blows collided against Ewan’s arms, ribs, and legs. Ewan tanked them, every single one. Blood ran from his eyebrow, his lip, his elbow, but he kept standing. He was the third strongest. Borschmack switched angles.

  A left hook crashed into Ewan’s liver. Ewan choked, knees buckling. The follow-up uppercut lifted him off the ground and dumped him flat on his back.

  Ewan gasped, reaching for a guard.

  “No... one more...”

  He blacked out before finishing the sentence.

  Three weeks passed on Mount Sinai.

  Three weeks of being broken, rebuilt, and broken again.

  By the time dawn broke over the clearing, everyone stood ready—scarred, hardened, and radiating immense power. It was time we saw the fruits of our labor.

  Odina stepped forward first, now wearing a quiver packed with ten shimmering lightsteel arrows—Zero’s private stash, the ones he’d sworn he’d never let anyone touch, unless they deserved them.

  She drew her bowstring. The sound wasn’t a twang—it was a whine, sharp and electric. “Watch close.”

  She released one arrow.

  Then another. And another.

  Her arms blurred. Ten arrows fired in less than half a second, streaking through the air like beams of steel sunlight. Each one hit a separate tree trunk with explosive precision, carving perfect circular holes straight through the wood.

  The trees creaked… then toppled in perfect unison.

  Odina lowered her bow, breath steady.

  To accomplish such a feat, means the only threats to her were the Flames.

  Kaguya stepped out next.

  Or rather—he didn’t.

  One blink, he stood fifteen feet away.

  Next blink, he vanished again.

  His footsteps made no sound. No air disturbance. No presence. Nothing. Even my senses couldn’t track him.

  Suddenly, Kaguya appeared behind Ewan, whispering. “You left an opening.”

  Ewan jumped. He hadn’t even felt Kaguya approach.

  Kaguya smirked. “I'm old, so my speed isn't as impressive as yours, but with my technique, I can hide my presence completely."

  Zhen and Kaiguya wanted to defeat Ewan on their last day, to prove themselves as equal.

  Zhen cracked his neck and stepped into the clearing beside Kaiguya. “Let’s go. Two on one.”

  Ewan grinned, axes already in hand. “Forgive their insolence, great one.”

  Zhen moved first—his punch blurred, carrying a whip-like shockwave. Kaiguya appeared on Ewan’s flank at the same instant, kicking for his ribs. Ewan crossed his axes and blocked both attacks with one fluid motion. Dirt exploded under his feet. Kaiguya countered, striking Ewan in the nose. It was broken.

  Ewan raised his axe to bisect Kaiguya. Zhen saved him, clawing a chunk of flesh from Ewan's arms. Ewan was still in a condition to fight.

  Then Ewan’s killing intent surged.

  He raised both axes overhead, the pressure alone forcing Zhen and Kaiguya back. “One."

  They froze from the killing intent. That meant Ewan was leagues above them.

  He swung downward, and stopped the blades an inch above their skulls.

  The wind pressure alone knocked both to their knees.

  Ewan smiled. “Know your limits.”

  Borschmack was only able to be hurt by Ewan and I. We could only beat him twice in our time. That was enough to increase his power twofold.

  Borschmack walked toward a line of trees, placed his massive hand on the closest one... and backhanded it.

  The tree snapped like a twig. The force rippled outward, hitting the next tree, and the next, until ten trees fell like dominos—each one severed.

  “For you.” Borschmack muttered.

  The air shifted.

  Heat rose from the ground.

  Vellin stepped out from the treeline, his right hand already transforming. The dreaded spear hand. It looked scarier now that he was six one.

  Jane, Hematite, and I didn't care to showcase our gained power. She wasn't a genius, Hematite was too secretive, and I was too old.

  “Step back.” he warned.

  Borschmack, Ewan, Zhen, Kaguya, and Odina all moved without question.

  Vellin thrust his spear-hand at a nearby tree, and moved it like whips. Only one arm.

  The tree disintegrated—splinters, dust, and ash swirling up into the air in a violent cyclone. Nothing remained except a crater where its roots once stood.

  Vellin lowered his arm, letting his spear hand relax.

  He looked back at us, proud.

  “We’re ready.”