The serious and direct battle between Mary and the Masked Man begins.The Masked Man says it has been a long time since he used this face, but Mary calls him a liar.
"I've seen it before, when I was dodging the attacks of the Red Face. Alright, I'm starting to understand his techniques a little. But does he have elements in his arsenal that I can't even think of? What a complicated person... Now, let's begin."
The ground cracks, and magma erupts from below, shocking the Masked Man. It surges toward him, accompanied by a barrage of fiery punches. I strike, then strike again, but he surprises me—countering with a blow to my face. I stagger back slightly. Summoning a sword, I charge at him. He continues to parry my attacks relentlessly. It seems he is in an extreme defensive state.
"Damn it... If we were fighting in the daylight, I could use the sun's heat to finish him off. Right now, the advantage is his. What should I do? I don't even know what element he's using... Since the Kingdom's Parliament hasn't registered him as a powerful being, that means I should be stronger. But there's a problem—I've never encountered someone like him before. Alright, I'll enhance my firepower. Though there are multiple gaps he might exploit, it doesn't matter. That mask of his has lasted too long... he's being extremely cautious. And he's reinforcing his power as well. I wonder—what is the source of his strength? If I can figure it out, this battle will turn in my favor."
With that thought, I deflect his powerful attacks. We've entered close combat—exchanging punch for punch. Suddenly, his mask shifts into a laughing face.
"Damn... looks like he's on the offensive now."
But I'll attack first. An idea flashes through my mind. I unleash a dual assault—hot iron defense and a fiery sword strike. Summoning the magma beneath the earth, I prepare multiple attacks with an absolute defense. There's no way he can stop me now. With my full-speed flame charge, I strike his face with a searing punch. I forge a sword and a dagger simultaneously—throwing the dagger toward him before rushing at him with my sword. At blinding speed, I stab him in the back.
He tries to strike me, but I counter with an uppercut to his chin, disorienting him. I follow up with another punch, sending him crashing to the ground.
"This next punch will end it. I'll focus most of my strength into a single point."
Just as I prepare to strike, I sense something—so I hold back, waiting for his next move.
He bursts into laughter. "How exhilarating! Everett Arrow—Maximum Strike!"
I hesitate for a moment. "Where's his attack?"
Then I see it—an enormous arrow heading straight toward me. I barely manage to dodge it, rushing toward him to strike. But under my shock, I realize something strange—his own attack has hit him instead. He's impaled against a massive tree.
Not wasting a moment, I punch him in the face at high speed, igniting everything around him in flames. As I catch my breath from the battle, his mask shifts into a crying face.
Then, a whisper: "My lord..."
"Looks like I finally finished him off."
But before I can react, countless masks manifest around me, all chanting the same words in an overwhelming, echoing voice:
"He has finally appeared.He has finally appeared.He has finally appeared.He has finally appeared.He has finally appeared."
They repeat it a hundred times.
Then, suddenly—a powerful roar from afar shakes the entire battlefield. I can't hear properly. "What's happening...?"
The Masked Man appears out of nowhere, as if he has been reborn. He punches me directly. The force of the blow sends me flying several miles, crashing through numerous trees.
I activate my maximum burst energy to regain my natural speed.
As I return swiftly, the Masked Man claps his hands. "You came back quickly."
I ask, "What did you do?"
He smirks. "I gained an ability when I was young. I can summon a version of myself from a parallel world into the present moment. The version of me from three minutes ago will always reform. The one you killed two minutes ago? That was just an illusion."
"I move through the Transparent World."
Mary frowns. "What do you mean by the Transparent World?"
He grins. "I will win this battle. Each summoning decreases my power by fifteen percent, but in exchange, I gain increased battle experience.
"As for your question about the Transparent World—I won't explain directly. You wouldn't understand. I created it through my own unique element: Oniyum."
"The Transparent World is an invisible dimension beyond human perception—a veil between reality and the unknown. No one can enter or sense it without a special medium. That medium... is me. Many people attempt to reach it, but of course, at the cost of their power. One of the keys to this world is Oniyum.
"This realm holds hidden secrets and mysterious entities that govern incomprehensible laws. Even I have not explored them all. That's why my masks will ascend to another level of power due to this world's density."
Mary narrows her eyes. "And how did you create these masks?"
"By emitting directed electromagnetic waves. My masks release electromagnetic radiation at controlled frequencies. These waves can be used to disrupt communications or alter the enemy's perception—causing distorted visions and auditory illusions.
"But... that won't work on you, dear Mary. My mask reflects the emotions of my opponent.
"The masks also generate an electromagnetic defense field, shielding me from energy-based attacks. That's why I'm still standing despite your strength."
Mary smirks. "Thanks for your little speech, but you still haven't explained how you revived yourself. Are you suffering from memory delay? I asked you that a while ago."
In her mind, Mary thinks: Damn... I've never met someone as mentally unstable as this guy.
"Alright... you sacrificed your power to increase your experience, and you're confident in your victory. Let's put your theory to the test. I still have plenty left in store."
She forms an iron shield around her entire body.
Iron Fusion Armor— the ability to merge iron and fire under extreme conditions, forming an indestructible metal with both maximum durability and intense heat.
At this moment, the Masked Man releases electromagnetic radiation from various locations. Mary dodges swiftly.
"I expected this... His masks exist within the Transparent World, meaning all of this is just an illusion."
As Mary analyzes his movement patterns, the rays continue to fire from different directions.
"So, they follow the same frequency as his wavelength... Fine. I have an idea. I'll pretend to lose focus so he attacks me—then, I'll act accordingly."
She summons instantaneous swords and shields—launching them to counter the beams for a moment.
The air trembles. Then, blades of light explode outward, intertwining like a storm of flying swords, rushing toward the enemy at impossible speed.
This is my first move.
From a core of energy, the shields emerge—flowing like molten metal—before launching forward like magnetic lightning bolts, striking the enemy before he even has time to react.
The Masked Man's electromagnetic field wavers before shattering into fragments of burning swords, spiraling through the air before descending upon their prey.
Shifting from defense to full offense, Mary grips him tightly. She sheds her shield and rushes in with Intensified Firestorm Attack.
Heat surges, transforming the air itself into a volatile fuel. Fire erupts from nothingness—a wild beast devouring everything in its path. The ground cracks under the immense pressure, flames rising like molten pillars, twisting into a hellish vortex.
Suddenly, the world shifts. Color drains from the scene. The air hums with unseen frequencies. Then, without warning—pain strikes. No sound. No flash. Just a searing agony.
The unseen world has awakened. And something beyond reason is devouring everything.