My entire body stiffened.

All of that was an illusion? Aubrey walked towards me with slow strides. It was like everything I had done so far had been for nothing.

I was fighting an illusion.

The first backlash came at that moment. Cuts suddenly appeared on my body and spurted out blood. My arms got it the worst. My veins itself burst and sent excruciating pain up my spine.

It felt like arms were being torn off.

Yet Aubrey was still fine.

I looked around. Everything was as it was before. There were no fires, cracks on the walls from battle or craters.

“…..”

I laughed softly.

‘He had become so strong that he can bend reality to his wishes.’

I was fighting a clone that was created from what I wanted to see. Whatever happened there didn’t happen in reality. I looked up towards the arena seats. I saw Clyde look at Aubrey with widened eyes.

If anyone knew what that was, it was him. He and Aubrey shared the same attribute.

I didn‘t know what he used to be able to cast and throw a spell so fast back then. It was so fast that I couldn’t follow what happened at all. He was very vague with what happened when I asked him.

“Have you finally seen the gap between us, little brother?” Aubrey said with a wide smirk on his face. It was like he was looking at someone pitiful.

“….” I lowered my head. But…

“Hoh…”

Aubrey stopped when he saw me lift up my arms again and coat them in lightning.

“You’ll still fight even though what you just saw? I can finish this fight in an instant, you know?”

“Shut up.”

“All those years you spent training was nothing but a waste of time. Mother is probably sleeping every night with regrets of ever having you. That’s why she isn’t here today.”

He was right. Despite the fact that her children would kill each other, she chose to not attend today. When was the last time I ever saw her look at me with a warm gaze and whispered praise to me?

I had always told myself that I didn’t care anymore. That I didn’t need anyone else besides my sister.

The truth was that I wanted a family. A normal one. I wanted to be praised when I impressed my parents. I wanted to be scolded and not beaten with the pretext of respect.

I wanted a normal life and family yet I had always told myself I didn’t need it. Turns out, I did.

‘But it’s not a hopeless dream.’

I looked up at the audience seats. My eyes landed on Laurielle. She was looking at me with tears in her eyes, begging me to stop fighting. I lowered my head and clenched my fists. My daggers turned into thin air.

‘A normal family…’

If anyone could give that to me then it’d be Laurielle. We’d get married, have children and grow old together.

There was no way that I’ll give up here.

“In the end, you were nothing but a fool wishing to be above the ones that influenced your growth the most….” Aubrey’s words cut deep into the depths of my mind. They were the words I never knew I needed to hear.

However, not out of his mouth.

“Shut up!!” The cry of birds rang out even louder than before. The scraping of metal sounded when the black lightning coated my entire body. My vision was blackened but then a thin slit appeared where I could see through. I could feel my body being filled with more power than I had ever felt before in my life.

A long black sword appeared in my hand. On its hilt was the drawing of a black dragon. The helmet that came with the black armour was shaped into a dragon’s head.

It was like I had gotten stronger. Yes. There’s no way that all this time was for nothing.

I’ll show you brother. I’ll definitely show you!

◇◆◇

“Black Lightning God armour!?”

Indra stood up from his seat with astonishment. Throughout his life, he had never heard of anyone capable of wielding the power of the gods.

It was said that the book of forbidden techniques that Damian stole was left behind by a foe that threatened the entire world.

He was known as The Omniscient and all-powerful One. The deity that could compare to the Demon Battle God, Rodion. And the one who almost killed the Dragon God.

Yes, he was the first ever immortal to arrive in this world.

‘But if that is really the power of a deity...’

Indra had a guess but he didn’t know if he was correct. He thought that it wasn’t completely absurd.

‘Is Damian a subject of that being...?’

Meanwhile, Clyde was clutching his head as if he was remembering something unpleasant.

It was his first time seeing such power but it felt like he had seen it before. Multiple flashes overlapped in his head. He wasn’t able to make out what they were since they went by too fast.

‘Is this...the old man’s memories? No, all of my other five lives?’

Up until he saw that armour and black mana, nothing strange had happened. However, immediately after seeing it and feeling the deadly malice surrounding that power, those strange visions overlapped in his head.

“C-Clyde?” Brielle looked confused at Clyde who was clutching his head. He suddenly groaned and looked back towards the arena.

Damian was slowly walking towards Aubrey. Even with that immense power-up, Aubrey was still expressionless. That pissed Damian off.

–...!!!!

A loud roar of a beast rang out as he jumped towards his brother. The people who were at his back felt the strong shockwave from his jump.

Damian swung his large sword but Aubrey was able to dodge it easily. The wind from the slash caused the arena to rumble.

Damian clenched his armoured hand which caused a large bolt of black lightning to form. He threw it at Aubrey who was fleeing.

‘At this rate, the entire arena will collapse.’

Clyde wanted to do something to stop Damian but he was too injured and exhausted to do anything. His mid-section was in pain since his core was unable to release any mana. Maybe with spirit magic....

Clyde saw Barbara look at him. Despite the fact that her grandson was putting his life in danger to maintain that immense power, she had a relaxed smile on her face.

Clyde averted his eyes and sat back down.

‘No...I can’t interfere in his fight.’

It would be an insult to Damian who steeled himself for this battle. He decided to come despite knowing that he’d probably lose his life.

Clyde wouldn’t have the courage to face Damian after that. The two might even lose the relationship they currently shared. He didn’t want to lose a friend. In his previous life he had nothing. Every one in this life was precious to him.

The repeated shockwaves, vibrations and gusts of wind of the fight continued to shake the entire arena. Many feared for their life so they quickly fled the arena. Only about ten or more of them remained. The battle was reaching its climax. There was no way they’d miss it.

They were crazy enough to witness that at the price of their lives.

“....!”

Damian continued swinging that giant sword coated in black lightning. Aubrey parried it masterfully without a change in his expression.

The current battle was so amazing that none of them wanted to blink to even miss a second of it.

“---!” Aubrey dodged one of Damian’s swings and ducked. He slipped under his brother’s arm that swung the sword and punched him in the side. Despite it being his bare fist, he managed to carve a dent in the armour. Damian felt his insides scream in anguish. The vibration itself was felt in his organs.

‘So heavy!’

“Guh...!” Another punch came to the dragon-shaped helmet. It caved in and Damian was sent staggering backwards. He almost fell on his knees from the sheer power behind those punches.

However, his brother wasn’t done. He appeared before Damian in a blink of an eye. That was the speed Clyde witnessed in his Lightborn World. The speed that could go against all common sense and break space-time.

He shuddered remembering that day.

‘Is he thinking of finishing this?’

Aubrey threw away his sword and grabbed Damian’s helmeted head with both hand.

“!!!”

Aubrey kneed Damian right to the head.

A loud dull sound shook the arena. Blood dripped down from the holes on Damian’s helmet. He fell on his knees.

But he didn’t lose consciousness. He grabbed his brother’s face as well and screamed.

A loud thunder clap followed soon after. He had sent thousands of volts through his brother’s head. The black lightning engulfed Aubrey’s entire body. He was surrounded by a white and black haze.

“...Hahaha...Take that...”

Smoke gathered as Aubrey staggered backwards. His head was leaned to the back. His entire body was covered in burn marks.

Damian’s eyes widened when he saw his brother lift up his head as if nothing had happened. His aura covered his body again.

“Damian.” He grabbed his brother by the neck and lifted him up. “Did I not tell you?”

He sent all his aura into his right hand. Everyone thought that this was the endgame.

“That you are still that helpless little boy that thought crying would solve everything. You sacrificed your own life fpr this power. That is what I find pathetic."

Damian will die.

‘No!!!’

Laurielle screamed in her heart.

“Let go of me!!” Two knights grabbed her when she was about to jump down. She struggled helplessly in their arms.

“Tch. Crying for trash. You really are a bitch.” Duncan said unpleasantly as he signalled them to make her sit down.

Clyde’s entire body trembled as he watched his friend get punched like a helpless doll. Each punch packed tremendous power. The arena was in shambles. Every punch sent a piece of Damian’s armour flying. The same could be said for the debris on the ground.

Right hook.

Left hook.

Right hook.

Left hook.

Only a small part of his helmet remained. The bloody mess his face was in appeared.

Aubrey’s fist suddenly stopped.

“What’s going on?”

“I-Is it over?”

The audience shakenly looked back at the arena. Aubrey stopped attacking for some reason.

They expected him to blow Damian’s head off. However, all he did was tear off the armour from Damian’s body. After he was done, they saw that he was holding a black gem in his hand and silently looking at it.

Indra recognized that it was the catalyst that gave Damian control over all that power.

'The boy is still not ready for that power.'

Without it, Damian wouldn’t have been able to handle that power alone. The backlash would’ve been greater as well.

A rare smile surfaced on Aubrey’s face. He crushed the gem which made all the black lightning disappear. He leaned down to tell Damian something.

His mouth moved.

No one could tell what he was telling his brother since they were too far away.

Damian’s eyes widened.

Tears dripped down his eyes as if he was told a truth that goes against all common sense.

His elder brother stood up and looked straight at his father.

“I forfeit."

Aubrey’s words made his father’s brows twitch. Even the crowd was dumbstruck by the event that just took place.

Aubrey threw down his sword and broken armour and left the arena with his hands in his pockets.

Damian was blankly lying on the ground and staring up at the ceiling of the arena.

‘What did Aubrey tell him...?’

Clyde thought as he headed towards Damian with the help of Brielle.