Genzu found himself in a vast desert, facing a man named Anti-Mage, a notorious spellcaster hunter.

"So you're the one who's here with me,

" Genzu remarked as he observed Anti-Mage's movements.

Anti-Mage looked at the wounds on Genzu's body and commented,

"Berserk War Axe, you're injured. You wanted to fight me in your current state.

"

"If you know my title, then you should also know my strength,

" Genzu laughed.

"Besides, I don't think you should be worried about the mythical-grade mana fruit when I'm here. You will not be able to get it.

"

Anti-Mage sneered at Genzu's words.

"Do you really think that the mythical-grade mana fruit is that important for us? It's a bit unexpected, but our goal has never changed from the beginning. The mythical-grade mana fruit has become our secondary objective. It will be our prize for completing this mission.

"

"Then try to get past me,

" Genzu said in a cold tone.

Anti-Mage's face turned serious as he approached Genzu, adjusting his sleeves and clenching both of his fists tightly.

"So you want a brawl. I'll let you have it,

" Genzu said as he let go of his weapon and raised both of his fists.

"You let go of your weapon?! Quite arrogant,

" Anti-Mage remarked.

Both fighters stood in front of each other, the distance between them just a foot wide. Anti-Mage's spell-dismantling abilities were useless against Genzu, who never used spells to begin with.

The atmosphere was tense as they stared at each other. This battle would revolve around their martial arts skills, a fistfight between two high-tier SSS-rank experts.

With a burst of their aura, both of them threw their fists at each other.

Boom!!

The entire space shook.

Li Guan glanced at the slash on the fabric of space. The cut grew larger, and the energy burst from the other side passed through it. He could see what was happening on that side.

"Blood Lightning Monster is fighting the top expert of the Deadly Sins.

"

Even the people hiding in the building could feel the intensity of the fight in the air. The vibrations alone were enough for them to understand that some incredibly powerful beings were battling.

Boom!!

Souta and Nine Yin exchanged hundreds of blows. Nine Yin was using a strange weapon this time: a pair of knives bent forward and connected by chains below the handles.

Clang! Clang!

Souta was pushed back. He narrowed his eyes while defending himself from Nine Yin's furious assault.

'He sticks his arms together, and I didn't even notice it. He's fast and strong, but his elemental power isn't as strong as mine.'

Souta thought to himself. Though he was confident in his skills, he still wasn't sure if he could defeat this guy without sustaining heavy damage.

Nine Yin was strong, far stronger than Souta had initially imagined. If he were to categorize his recent opponents:

At the bottom were the seven Wingless Crow members he fought in the sub-world, and Fendal was stronger than them. Even if those seven worked together, Fendal would dismantle them. Boulder Jack surpassed Fendal. Then there was Red Mist, who should be on par with Nine Yin. In fact, if Red Mist utilized her full power, she would likely surpass Nine Yin.

Among the top ten experts of the Deadly Sins, Ice Death was at the top. The second position was a toss-up between Red Mist, Anti-Mage, or Thousand Earth. Man-Eating Tamer could also contend for this spot, as he had a wide variety of monsters at his disposal. He was the most unpredictable, having a weaker physique but numerous powerful minions. For the third tier, it would include experts like Nine Yin, Spatial Whisperer, and Black Blader, with Boulder Jack and Poisonous Vine at the bottom in terms of strength.

"I have limited information about this guy compared to Red Mist, Anti-Mage, Man-Eating Tamer, and Thousand Earth, so unless he uses his full strength, I won't be able to gauge him accurately,

" Souta thought to himself. He landed on the ground and conjured his doppelgangers once more. The doppelgangers charged at Nine Yin.

Swoosh!

Nine Yin didn't fall back. He tightly gripped his weapon, and a series of lines appeared in the air. In the next moment, the doppelgangers exploded.

"You're getting annoying, Blood Lightning Monster!

"

Nine Yin roared as he swung down both of his weapons. A red and black energy blend flew out, swirling together in the air.

"I could say the same to you,

" Souta replied as he slashed down the red and black energy. He then dashed towards Nine Yin, swinging his sword, but his opponent skillfully blocked the attack.

Clang!

Nine Yin gritted his teeth and kicked Souta on the side. Souta was blown away but managed to fire several Bestrou beams using the four spider limbs on his back.

Swoosh!

Nine Yin widened his eyes but reacted quickly. He evaded the beams and sent out several energy blades at Souta. In response, Souta moved his other hand and conjured a black hole, effectively dismantling all the energy blades sent by his opponent.

He stopped in the air but continued to cast the Black Hole spell. With every new black hole that appeared, the entire scenery changed. The surroundings were slowly being crushed into nothingness. The spell was warping space, time, and all objects in this place.

"Annoying tricks!

" Nine Yin snorted as he deftly avoided the black holes.

It was easy for him to predict where the black holes would appear, as he could feel the changes in the fabric of space. The space in this realm wasn't as strong as the Imperium, so it would distort before the black holes even manifested.

Souta also noticed the problem and decided to stop using the Black Hole spell for a while. The black holes were too powerful for this world. He kicked the air and charged toward Nine Yin, and his white armor swiftly transformed into a black one.

Blood Armor: Great Black Orc!

Nine Yin didn't back down. He collided with Souta, and the two of them wrestled in the air.

Nine Yin's body was engulfed in purple flames. His speed and strength grew, and he overpowered Souta.

Souta was pushed back, but he gritted his teeth and continued to slash his sword in different directions. The intensity of his energy formed a massive platform beneath his feet.

Colosseum Undead Party!

At the same time, Souta activated Possession and the blessing of the God of Hunt. The pressure around him decreased as he started to fight back against his opponent.

"Good!

"

Nine Yin roared as he increased his firepower. The purple flames around his body intensified, even though he was experiencing elemental suppression from the field.

Burning Heaven's Earth Yin!

Souta moved his body to the side, but the flames still managed to burn his armor. The heat of the flame was directly transmitted to him, causing even more pain.

Boom!

The battle between the two shook the entire space as if it was about to collapse. The massive platform in the sky served as the foundation holding everything in place. Various cracks appeared in the space, severing the boundaries of this mashed world.

In the space where Li Guan was, connected to the other fragmented worlds, the battle between the two powerful individuals was visible through these space cracks. Their energy seeped through these fissures, causing the connected worlds to vibrate.

For the locals of these worlds, it was like witnessing a battle between gods. But for Li Guan, it was a battle between top-tier SSS-rank experts.

"I didn't even know that a fourth-stage monster could possess this kind of power... There's a significant gap between the peak of the fourth stage and the weakest fifth stage, but Blood Lightning Monster's strength seems to exist within that gap. If he isn't the strongest fourth stage, I can't imagine any fourth-stage monster surpassing this level of strength,

" Li Guan muttered to himself.

Boom! Boom!!

"Blood Lightning Monster!! I, Nine Yin, will kill you!!

" Nine Yin roared as both of his hands flashed. He swung both of his weapons as fast as he could.

"Nine Yin!!

" Souta roared as he repeatedly blocked Nine Yin's barrage of attacks.

Both of their auras soared through the sky, sending rippling waves in every direction. The platform trembled as Souta and Nine Yin engaged in fierce close combat. Neither of them was backing down.

The intense battle continued as Souta and Nine Yin clashed, their power shaking the very fabric of space. It was a brutal, no-holds-barred battle, and neither of them was willing to back down. The air was thick with tension and the sound of clashing energy and weapons.

As the battle raged on, both fighters pushed their limits, using every ounce of their strength and skill. Blood continued to spurt from their wounds, and their bodies were battered and bruised. It was clear that this was a battle for survival, and neither of them was willing to give an inch.

AHHHHHH!!

The battle between Souta and Nine Yin reached a fever pitch. Both combatants were pushed to their limits, and the raw power they displayed was staggering. It was clear that Nine Yin was a formidable opponent, and Souta had to dig deep to keep up with him.

The absence of Anti-Mage's dismantling ability provided a small respite for Souta, but the battle was still intense. Every clash of their weapons sent shockwaves through the space, and the platform they fought on trembled under the immense energy being unleashed.

Souta knew that he had to find a way to gain the upper hand in this battle. His determination to protect the Tears of Divine Might and emerge victorious was unwavering. The outcome of this battle hung in the balance, and he was ready to give it his all to secure victory.