Splash.

The flames covered Armad's body and filled him with so much pain and agony. This time around, he felt dizzy and vomited blood even after using his lightning to extinguish the flames.

Armad struck with the lightning arm while Uznu struck with black flame. Soon, Armad gave up on dodging and just took his opponent's attack head-on. He focused on reciprocating the attacks but so far, no luck. It seemed more like a contest between an adult and a stubborn child with the adult beating up the child.

His defiance and stubbornness were what kept Armad standing even after twenty-seven hits with the black flame. His blood was spattered everywhere. He should have died from blood loss already, but he still stood albeit with an unusual gait that looked like he was drunk.

"He's finally giving up."

"Ah... I thought he'll never do that."

"What a stubborn bastard."

"Didn't he think too highly of himself by attacking Uznu?"

"You're right. Uznu is one of the jinzidal commanders. Even a jinzidal King will hesitate to fight him. Armad is just a boy. He thinks he can just defeat anyone by having a good bloodline. Haha..."

The spectators thought Armad was just reckless by continuing his 'useless' attacks and refusing to give up. A few felt bad for him as well.

And Armad seemed to have given up. He took several steps back and distanced himself from his enemy.

"The world is never fair. I don't dare to imagine what Armad's fate will be now that he's lost."

"Hmm. You're right. He's a boy, after all."

Armad didn't mind the spectators. His opponent could see the future and that was why he evaded his attacks. But how 'far' could he see?

Two lightning humanoids emerged from Armad's body. They created swords of lightning from their hands and pointed them at Uznu.

"Look, he didn't give up. He's still attacking."

"What can he do when his opponent is so good?"

"You may not believe it but Uznu's subordinates claim he can see the future. If they are right and he can see the future, then Armad is as good as dead. His Wilberforce blood doesn't matter."

While the surrounding soldiers speculated, the two doppelgangers and Armad surrounded Uznu. They struck at the same time. Uznu disappeared from his position and reappeared a couple of meters away where their swords could not reach him. But his attackers also vanished only to reappear around him and attack again.

Uznu dodged the first lightning sword. He also dodged the second doppelganger. But then Armad came from behind him.

Without warning, Armad's sword hit the target on the back. The sword broke in half and left only a white mark on Uznu.

That still left everyone, Uznu and Yarsaira included, with wide eyes and slack jaws. The duo didn't expect Armad to solve the riddle of Miss so easily.

"Stop being surprised, it is not a big deal," Armad said. He cleaned the blood from his face. It was his turn to be smug. "I realized you can see the future for two seconds. So I just delayed my attacks. My first doppelganger will delay his attack by two seconds. The second doppelganger will delay his attacks for four seconds. I will delay mine for six seconds. Three attacks will begin at the same time and have the same trajectory but each will be delayed. All I need is the doppelgangers and a speed Bend that can delay or speed up my attacks. And I have the Sikai summon and photon jump." Armad smiled derisively. "I do what I can to evade your tricks. You can't foresee what happens in six seconds, can you?"

"And you," Armad said, turning to the woman. "You think I am too young to fight you? I'll fight even Eyrion for my family."

The woman just stared at Armad in amazement.

Meanwhile, Uznu unbuttoned his robe and said, "Seems you have matured from the boy I met a few years ago. You are now a Bender. So I'll show you how we got rid of Eyrion."

Uznu was now stripped to the waist and was muttering some indistinct incantations. A few seconds later, a colossal statue with huge black eyes materialized behind him. The sky was suddenly split into two colors, red and black. Armad's side was filled with red lightning and Uznu's side was filled with billowing black smoke.

A foreign song began playing. The singer was unseen.

[THE KING OF URURU]

[FROM THE FIRST OF URURU]

[TO THE LAST OF URURU]

Then a moment later, the men realized the song was coming from their mouths, unbidden. Anyone whose ancestors had ever bowed before the Black-eyed had the song stored in their genes. And so they sang it now, unable to stop themselves however much they tried.

[THE KING OF URURU]

[FROM THE FIRST OF URURU]

[TO THE LAST OF URURU]

Two eyes, one moon-like, and the other sun-like emerged above Uznu.

Yarsaira raised her hands heaven-wards, seeking forgiveness for her cousin's soul when he died.

Bihanzin and Daljari ordered their soldiers to stay out of range.

Armad wasn't fazed. He quickly summoned four lightning humanoids and surrounded Uznu.

But the closer he got to Uznu, the more his vision turned blurry. Smoke filled his vision. He felt a chill go down to his bones as his world was filled with smoke and grey ice. His lightning humanoids froze in place and ignored his commands to attack.

"Begone!" Uznu said smugly. His words were imbued with so much pol that the ice reacted by turning dark grey.

Armad roared in defiance. He cut his palm and rubbed the blood on his forehead and body. A ritual that summoned his Daikirin statue from Maikironomada.

Back in Maikironomada, the small town of Khan, Armad's Daikirin began to sparkle and glow.

From red, Armad's lightning form turned black. The heat emitted from the lightning multiplied, causing the earth beneath his feet to melt into lava. It wasn't another evolution but an enhancement caused by the Daikirin.

The ice thawed and the smoke cleared.

On the other hand, it burned so hot that everything around Armad melted, even his precious ring, along with what it held.

Armad was now in a dilemma: the lightning was working and dissolving the ice and protecting him from Uznu, but it could destroy his precious ring and kill his family inside the ring dimension. But extinguishing it would freeze him to death. Besides, Uznu stood with a black-flamed sword, ready to deliver the killing blow.