The battlefield was silent.
Not the silence of peace, but the silence before a storm.
The ground beneath them trembled, cracked, and burned with residual energy from the battles before. The sky above remained dark, covered with thick clouds that refused to part. The very air was charged, filled with unseen pressure that made it hard to breathe.
**Ryan Jim, Dain, and Liora stood side by side, facing Vinay.**
He was not just standing there.
**He was waiting.**
His presence was suffocating. A single step from him sent shockwaves rippling through the earth. His very existence was bending reality around him. He had yet to even **lift a finger,** and already, the pressure was enormous.
Ryan Jim clenched his fists. His entire body screamed at him to act, but he knew. **This wasn't a fight they could rush into.**
Liora's sharp eyes flickered. She tightened her grip around her blade. **"We have to strike together."**
Dain exhaled slowly, his hands lighting up with energy. **"No mistakes."**
Vinay simply smirked.
His golden eyes gleamed like a predator staring down its prey.
Then—
**BOOM!**
The battle **began.**
Ryan Jim vanished.
**A blur of motion.** A force faster than the eye could track.
He appeared above Vinay, fist cocked back—
**And struck.**
The air split apart with the force of his punch. The impact should have shattered bones, should have sent Vinay flying—
**But it didn't.**
Vinay raised a single hand, catching Ryan Jim's punch effortlessly.
**Silence.**
Ryan Jim's eyes widened. **"What—?!"**
**BOOM!**
A shockwave erupted from the sheer impact, splitting the ground beneath them. Mountains in the distance **collapsed.** The force of their collision sent tremors across the battlefield.
But Vinay didn't move.
He held Ryan Jim's fist like it was nothing.
Then, with a single motion, he **hurled him across the battlefield.**
**CRASH!**
Ryan Jim **tore through stone,** his body colliding with massive rock formations, reducing them to rubble.
Blood dripped from his mouth. He barely had time to breathe before—
**Vinay was already in front of him.**
**Too fast. Too strong.**
Ryan Jim's instincts screamed. He barely dodged as Vinay's fist **sliced through the air,** missing his skull by a fraction of a second.
The force alone **split the clouds apart.**
**BOOM!**
Another shockwave sent Ryan Jim **flying once more.**
Before Vinay could advance, **Liora was already there.**
Her sword **glowed with divine energy.**
A single swing—
**"Celestial Crescent Slash!"**
**A wave of destruction.**
The moment her blade moved, an **arc of pure, compressed energy** sliced through the battlefield, warping space itself.
It crashed into Vinay—
But he **caught it with his bare hands.**
**"What—?!"** Liora gasped.
Vinay clenched his fist—
And **shattered the attack into nothing.**
Before she could react—
**Vinay was in front of her.**
A single **punch to the stomach.**
**"Guh—!!"**
The impact was brutal.
Liora's vision blurred. Her body was **launched skyward,** piercing through clouds as she gasped for air.
Vinay wasn't done.
He appeared **above her.**
**And kicked her back down.**
**BOOM!**
She **crashed into the earth,** her body leaving a massive crater.
Blood spilled from her lips. Her bones felt like they were breaking apart.
Vinay landed effortlessly, staring down at her with **amusement.**
**"You call that an attack?"**
Liora struggled to stand, gripping her sword.
Her eyes burned. **"Damn it…"**
**"You're wide open."**
Dain's voice came from behind.
Vinay turned—
**Too late.**
Dain's **fist** connected.
For the first time—
**Vinay actually moved.**
The punch sent him skidding backward, tearing apart the battlefield beneath his feet.
Dain didn't stop.
He blurred forward, **unleashing a relentless barrage.**
Punch.
Kick.
Elbow.
Knee.
Each attack **shook the earth.**
Dain **wasn't holding back.**
His blows were precise, **ruthless.** Every hit carried the force of a mountain collapsing.
Vinay blocked, dodged, countered—**but Dain didn't let up.**
Then, Dain **roared.**
**"Limit Break: Titan's Wrath!!"**
His aura exploded.
A massive **shockwave** burst forth, covering his fists in a golden glow.
He struck—
A single, devastating punch aimed at Vinay's chest.
**BOOOOOM!**
The entire battlefield **erupted.**
Mountains disintegrated. The land **split apart.**
A **pillar of energy** shot into the sky.
Smoke covered everything.
Liora and Ryan Jim coughed, trying to regain their footing.
Did it work?
Did Dain land a finishing blow?
The smoke slowly cleared.
**Vinay was still standing.**
Completely **unscathed.**
**"Not bad."**
Vinay **smiled.**
Then—
He **struck back.**
A single palm to Dain's chest.
**BOOM!**
Dain **flew backward,** tumbling across the battlefield like a ragdoll.
Blood splattered across the ground.
**"D-Damn…"** Dain gasped, struggling to rise.
Ryan Jim, barely standing, clenched his fists.
Liora, blood dripping from her forehead, gritted her teeth.
Vinay…
Was **on another level.**
And yet—
Despite everything—
They still stood.
Vinay tilted his head. **"You three are impressive."**
Ryan Jim exhaled. **"You're… insane."**
Liora wiped the blood off her lip. **"And you're still standing there, mocking us."**
Dain steadied himself. **"We're not done yet."**
Vinay **laughed.**
A deep, **thunderous laugh.**
**"Good."**
His golden aura flared.
His **true power** had yet to be revealed.
**"Then let's see how long you last."**
The **real battle** was about to begin.