"I have no choice but to fight...

" Boulder Jack muttered to himself, clenching his teeth before he swung both of his hands.

Souta brandished his sword, generating a massive energy blade in the air.

Boom!

Their respective attacks collided, generating intense friction in the air. Sparks scattered in all directions, and the shockwaves reverberated powerfully across the entire platform.

Boulder Jack was forcibly driven back, leaving a profound gouge in the ground. A streak of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"I can hardly believe it... Even with the elemental energy suppression, he can still dominate in combat. This poses a grave challenge for me. Furthermore, the moment he activated his released form, his debuff skills began affecting me. It's incredible... just how many debuff skills does he possess?

"

Boulder Jack wiped the blood from his mouth and fixed his gaze on Souta, who remained airborne.

Suddenly, he sensed a spatial shift. Without hesitation, he lunged toward Souta. In the following instant, a black hole manifested in his previous location, causing massive devastation.

The entire platform teetered on the brink of collapse. It was an arduous battle, but Souta's Black Hole spell, bolstered by his abilities and artifacts, was a formidable force. An ordinary Black Hole spell would never have the capacity to destroy this platform.

Despite the ongoing collapse, the platform's restoration occurred at a rapid pace. Assorted trees and rocks seemed to materialize out of thin air, absorbing Boulder Jack's energy to effect the repairs.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Boulder Jack and Souta engaged in dozens of aerial clashes, unleashing shockwaves every second. Skills were deployed repeatedly, transforming the entire atmosphere. Dark energy, white light, and a yellowish radiance intermittently illuminated the surroundings.

Boom!

Boulder Jack's form collided with one of the pillars, and he spewed a mouthful of blood.

Souta, his figure enshrouded in white armor, descended to the ground. He glanced at his hand and detected a hint of blood in his mouth.

'The corruption is remarkably strong. Even in my released form, it can still affect me.'

Both of them fell prey to each other's debuff skills. Souta possessed debuff skills such as Negative Land, and even Gravitational Ball was employed as a debuff.

Souta surveyed his surroundings and remarked,

"This will suffice... I can work with this. It'll serve my purpose for now.

"

Boulder Jack raised his head, perplexed.

"W-What do you mean?

"

"I can see that Colosseum Undead Party is a powerful terrain-altering spell, ranking among the top Tier 3 spells. My Black Hole may bring destruction, but the ability to self-repair is quite the asset.

" Souta concealed a grin beneath his armor. He extended his hand, and the hovering orb surrounding him emitted a dazzling radiance.

"Let's bring them together in this location, Colosseum Undead Party!

"

Upon uttering these words, the entire field underwent a dramatic transformation.

Boom!

The platform quaked forcefully as something collided with it. In an instant, a new terrain emerged in the sky, obliterating half of the platform and causing the entire field to tremble. One terrain consisted of trees and earth, while the other was composed of darkness and light. The two merged together, vying for supremacy, eroding each other, and promptly repairing themselves.

Souta's hand remained in the air, and his eyebrows lifted with a touch of surprise.

"Oh, I didn't expend any energy to cast it. It's a real energy-saver.

"

He smiled while marveling at the spectacle of this intricate spell. This spell bore some similarity to the spell used in Lawless City when he tried to save Cluster—both were capable of altering terrain.

Well, with the activation of the effect of Orb of Arcane Seal, he hadn't expended any energy at all to cast this spell. If this confrontation persisted, Boulder Jack would eventually succumb to energy depletion. After all, the Colosseum Undead Party demanded an astronomical amount of energy.

"W-What is this?!

" Boulder Jack's eyes widened considerably. He involuntarily took a step backward, sensing the elemental energy suppression.

"Nothing to be astonished about,

" Souta remarked, grinning as he charged toward his adversary.

Boulder Jack clenched his teeth in frustration. He swung both his hands, releasing hundreds of energy waves.

Boom!

Souta deftly evaded most of them but still caught a few energy beams. He paid no heed to the harm they inflicted and continued closing the distance to Boulder Jack.

Souta could discern it.

He observed Boulder Jack's dwindling energy reserve. Only a quarter remained, indicating that Boulder Jack wouldn't be able to sustain this level of combat for much longer.

Souta extended his finger and invoked Black Hole. Boulder Jack maneuvered away from it while launching barrages of energy beams.

Boom! Boom!

Souta manipulated the Black Hole spell to control Boulder Jack's movements. He gradually drew his opponent nearer with each passing second. Boulder Jack couldn't afford to confront additional black holes as he had before; the circumstances had shifted.

Ultimately, Boulder Jack found himself positioned just twenty meters away from Souta.

"No!

" Boulder Jack's eyes widened in realization.

Souta propelled himself through the air, simultaneously weaving a web of red strings.

Ohm!!

The crimson strands moved and converged, enveloping the area around the two combatants like a cage.

Darkness Bite!!

In an instant, darkness erupted with tremendous force.

Souta had already repositioned himself behind Boulder Jack. He seized the webs, gazing back at his opponent.

"You managed to evade a fatal blow!

"

Ugh! Boulder Jack wore a grim expression. He hadn't entirely dodged the attack; he had narrowly avoided a lethal strike to his heart or head. However, in doing so, his right hand had been nearly severed.

Souta narrowed his eyes and swiftly advanced. The webs constricted, reducing the available space for the confrontation. They were now compelled to engage in close-quarters combat.

"Fucking hell!! Perish with me, you monster!!

" Boulder Jack bellowed, facing Souta with unyielding resolve in his eyes.

His energy surged, piercing through the webs and causing the platform to tremble. Then, a radiant light emanated throughout the battlefield.

"You...?! You're altering your magic circle! If you fail, it'll end you!

" Souta's eyes widened.

"That's precisely what I desire!

" Boulder Jack grinned before spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Swoosh!

At that moment, Souta surged forward, positioning a blade against Boulder Jack's neck. Blood spurted out of Boulder Jack's neck. Simultaneously, Souta promptly retreated, enveloping himself in a blend of blood and webs.

However, it was too late.

The entire magic circle crumbled, bathing the surroundings in an intense light.

Boom!!

An immense explosion rocked the area. The repercussions of incorrectly modifying a Tier 3 magic circle were cataclysmic. The violent energy propagated in all directions, breaching the dark and light sphere.

The earth quaked intensely, with shockwaves rippling outward at high velocity, followed by a powerful gale.

All across the nation, people witnessed the explosion above Zone 6.

A sphere of ferocious energy, spanning five kilometers in diameter, laid waste to everything in its path.

It was utter annihilation.

Zone 10...

Genzu was locked in combat with Black Blader when the sudden surge of energy momentarily forced both combatants to halt.

Genzu shifted his gaze, narrowing his eyes. 'Grain Leader Souta's battle has come to an end...' he silently contemplated.

Similar realizations swept over the other top experts engaged in battles across various zones. Observing the explosion, they instinctively grasped that a confrontation had reached its conclusion.

Asfrith, Adel, Shen Yao, Naruse, and the other elites couldn't help but grow somber. Of all the top-tier experts within the country, the first one had fallen. As for the identity of the fallen warrior, they couldn't ascertain it due to the blurring effects of the intense energy. Moreover, their distance from the epicenter prevented them from making a confirmation.

Kasci and his opponent, who went by the name Ice Death, also cast their attention toward the explosion.

Ice Death's eyes flickered as he watched the explosion.

"It seems their battle has concluded... with a casualty.

"

As the explosion gradually subsided, a dense veil of smoke enveloped the entire area. Occasional energy sparks flickered, though less intensely than before.

Finally, the top experts were able to discern who had survived and who had perished.

Kasci turned to face Ice Death, a smile touching his lips.

"It appears one of you has met their end just now. That leaves nine of you.

"

"Indeed, Boulder Jack put up quite a fight, but him dying doesn't mean that you've already won this war.

" Ice Death concisely replied.

A hushed whoosh emanated from the midst of the dissipating smoke. Within it, a sphere formed of blood and webs gradually disintegrated into nothingness. Souta let out a breath as he assessed his surroundings. Boulder Jack's demise had been confirmed. There was no conceivable way he could have survived, having sustained a fatal neck wound and destroyed his own magic circle.

Souta leisurely emerged from the remnants of the smoke, gazing down at the location of the device in the heart of the nation.

All eyes were on him.

The Blood Lightning Monster had vanquished a top expert from the Army of Gluttony.

The first top-tier expert had fallen in this ongoing war.