"You really think you’re better than me, don’t you...?" His face twisted violently. "Fine then. I’ll beat it into your skull."

Vaelor shot forward, erasing the distance. Multiple brutal punches exploded toward Zephyrion at once.

Zephyrion blurred through every single one, evading effortlessly. The blows carved through the air, unleashing violent gusts that swept across the arena and whipped Zephyrion’s hair wildly. Even so, Zephyrion’s expression remained utterly indifferent.

Yet Vaelor’s frenzied attacks never stopped. His composure had shattered completely.

His face twisted with rage, every attack savage and overflowing with violence. As it continued, he slowly began forcing Zephyrion back.

"How do you like it now!?" Vaelor roared. "You still think you’re above me!? You’re wrong! I’m better! Stronger! Smarter! I’m the prodigy here! ME! I’ll make the entire South see it!"

BOOM!

Vaelor stomped forward. Force exploded beneath him, sweeping across the arena and kicking dust from the coliseum ground into the air. Even the thousands watching felt the pressure burst past them.

Vaelor slowly drew his arm back, the air around it warping and vibrating violently.

Steam and gales spiraled around his fist, forming a storm of compressed air. Wild winds ripped across the coliseum alongside dense choking steam, swirling around him in a violent tempest.

In the middle of the chaos, Vaelor fixed Zephyrion with a burning glare as he declared,

"Atmos Break."

He flashed before Zephyrion, the punch crashing into him.

BOOM!

A violent blast erupted from the point of impact, sweeping across the coliseum and slamming into the watching crowd.

Steam clawed into the sky in the shape of a massive mushroom cloud, swallowing the entire coliseum in thick haze. Even seated in the stands, people could barely see beyond their surroundings.

"...What happened!?"

One of the spectators shouted impatiently. Their vision had to be blocked now of all times!

However, a blast erupted from atop the highest platform.

Kastor.

The thick steam dispersed instantly, allowing the eyes of the thousands within the coliseum, and the millions watching across the South, to finally land on the scene.

The entire coliseum fell into silence.

"I-impossible..." the broken sound escaped Vaelor as he stared ahead in disbelief.

His cataclysmic punch had been stopped by Zephyrion’s outstretched palm.

He hadn’t moved an inch from his position. Not a bead of sweat. Not even the slightest strain in his eyes. Instead, the air around his body trembled continuously, faint wisps of steam curling around him.

Somehow, the sight erased every shred of anger within Vaelor. He swallowed hard before stuttering,

"Y-you copied it?"

What he had spent months mastering... what even his siblings had failed to master... had been copied within seconds.

Vaelor felt his entire world collapsing around him. A grim realization slowly settled into his heart.

"I see..." he murmured, the light in his eyes dimming. "I never stood a chance."

"Yes."

Zephyrion slowly drew his hand back. A vibration so intense it completely dwarfed Vaelor’s rippled out. Wild winds mixed with steam poured from it, engulfing the entire coliseum.

Zephyrion’s purple eyes glowed as he declared,

"Atmos Break."

His fist closed the distance.

BOOOOOOOM.

A violent shockwave mixed with air and scalding steam blasted out, flooding the coliseum before surging far beyond it to swallow parts of the Calderalth estate itself. The mushroom cloud clawing into the sky was so massive it engulfed the entire estate.

This time, the haze was so dense it became impossible for anyone in the crowd to even see the person beside them.

A stronger blast rippled out, tearing through the haze and revealing the scene.

Garrick now stood between them, having stopped Zephyrion’s attack with a single palm.

"You fucking brat..." Garrick grinned with twitching eyes, staring at the scalding smoke still curling from his hand. "Were you trying to win the match or erase the bloodline!?"

"...I was simply fighting back."

Garrick stared at Zephyrion’s calm expression in silence. Then he slowly lowered his hand and glanced toward the steam choked sky, the corner of his eye twitching.

"...Right. Because vaporizing the poor bastard was clearly the only option."

Thud.

Behind him, Vaelor crashed to his knees, staring blankly downward with hollow eyes.

"I-I lost. I-I lost. I lost..." he muttered repeatedly like a broken man.

Garrick couldn’t help glancing at the boy with pity.

’How unfortunate.’

To have been paired against his monstrous nephew... the kid must’ve offended the universe in his past life.

Garrick quickly motioned for the overseer to announce the results immediately.

As the overseer stepped onto the stage, the thousands within the coliseum, as well as the entire South, fell utterly silent. Everyone stared with held breaths.

"In the finals of the Proving," he spread his arms wide, "the winner of the battle between Zephyrion Calderalth and Vaelor Ocren... the one who becomes the Prime of the Generation. Ladies and gentlemen... I give you..."

The silence stretched for several moments. And when the people were practically at the edge of their seats, the overseer finally shouted,

"ZEPHYRION CALDERALTH!"

WOAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

A violent roar thundered across the entirety of the South. Clothes were torn, strangers embraced one another, many kissed, while others openly wept in joy. The people cheered with different emotions, yet there was no denying the overwhelming excitement in the air.

It wasn’t long before a single title began echoing across the entire South.

"LIGHTNING PRINCE!"

"LIGHTNING PRINCE!"

"LIGHTNING PRINCE!"

"LIGHTNING PRINCE!"

Zephyrion calmly looked around the raging crowd. Despite the intensity of it all, his expression remained completely unchanged.

"Come on, brat." Garrick said, gesturing toward the crowd. "At least pretend to enjoy it. One tiny smile won’t kill you."

Zephyrion threw him a deadpan look.

"Alright, alright... what about a raised hand? Give them something before they riot."

Zephyrion narrowed his eyes slightly, genuinely considering it. It wouldn’t hurt the overwhelming image he was trying to build. If anything, it would only strengthen it.

A moment passed. Then slowly, Zephyrion turned toward the crowd and raised his hand.

The effect was immediate. An even more deafening roar exploded from the coliseum. The chants only grew louder and more violent.

"LIGHTNING PRINCE!"

"LIGHTNING PRINCE!"

"Haha... good." Garrick laughed before turning toward the city lord’s platform.

There, he caught sight of the ashen expressions on Ociden and Selmira’s faces.

Garrick’s eyes twinkled with delight.

"...Hmm. I’ve got some business to handle. See you later!"