MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Anthony's form sliced through the fabric of space itself, his kill count already soaring into the millions.

Yet he pressed onward without hesitation, never once faltering or glancing back. Long ago, he had distanced himself from his teammates, moving alone once more.

The acrid scent of blood failed to disturb him. Infinity, a force that shielded him, halted every drop from ever making contact as he advanced.

Anthony's instinct screamed in awareness, Sense Dome flared and his All Seeing Eyes pierced the shadows, warning of an imminent strike.

Without a fraction of hesitation, he vanished from his spot, leaving only the echo of his presence behind.

In the instant he disappeared, a searing beam of pure chaos energy rended the horizon, obliterating the very ground where he had stood moments before.

The blast tore mercilessly through the landscape, reducing kilometers of terrain to shattered rubble.

Dust billowed skyward as stones and boulders were hurled violently into the air, a testament to the devastating force of the impact.

Anthony reemerged at a different vantage point, his gaze snapping toward the origin of the devastating beam.

In a flash of blinding speed, a figure surged into his sight, so swift that even his Sense Dome barely had time to register the threat.

From above, a gleaming sabre descended with lethal Intent, poised to cleave him in two.

Knowing he lacked the time to raise his katana in defense, Anthony vanished once again, his form flickering out of existence before materializing yards away.

As Anthony vanished once more, another devastating impact shattered the earth beneath him, sending tremors rippling across the battlefield.

His gaze fixed on the attacker emerging from the swirling dust storm.

Anthony's eyes narrowed to sharp pinpricks, instinctively recognizing the overwhelming presence radiating from his foe.

'Exarch rank'

Anthony thought silently.

'The demons are truly exerting every effort to end me'

Despite the looming threat, his entire being remained composed, focused and unshaken.

His grip on the katana tightened as his eyes locked onto his opponent's. Every fiber of his senses stretched to the utmost limits, sharpening his perception to a razor's edge.

The Exarch demon suddenly vanished in a blink. Anthony's muscles coiled instinctively, tightening as he braced for the imminent strike. His katana moved fluidly, barely revealing the trajectory of the incoming assault.

CLANG.

The clash of steel erupted with ferocious intensity, ringing through the air.

The ground beneath Anthony's feet trembled violently, and his arm quivered as the overwhelming force rippled through his body.

The Exarch demon wasted no time allowing Anthony to recover, his sabre sliced again, this time aimed mercilessly at Anthony's ribs.

Anthony's balance shifted chaotically, his mind barely processing the assault; instinct and reflex alone commanded his body.

With a thunderous clash, their blades met once more. The force sent Anthony hurtling backward like a cannonball, his body propelled through the air by the brutal impact.

'He's faster and stronger'

Anthony thought as his body streaked backward, spinning with fluid grace.

His feet slammed into the ground with a heavy impact, skidding across the battlefield.

During the Starborn Tournament, Anthony had ascended his abilities to the Transcendent rank in his battle against Aaaninja.

Though he had trained rigorously for an entire year under the military's watchful gaze, it still wasn't enough to breach the threshold of the Exarch Rank.

And even if it were, the demon before him was no ordinary opponent, he was a peak Transcendent ranker.

The demon closed in on Anthony with frantic speed, his Sword Intent coiling around the sabre.

The blade descended, poised to cleave Anthony in two, just as the Hyperion had done before.

Anthony barely retreated a single step, before a sickening tear of flesh echoed through the air, crimson blood splattering across the ground beneath him.

Agonizing pain surged through his body and mind, yet he remained unmoved. His infinite regeneration already knitting the wound seamlessly, as if it were nothing.

Anthony vanished once again, his mind sharpening as he activated a skill.

[Thought Acceleration]

A skill that heightened his cognitive speed and mental capacity.

The world around him seemed to decelerate, every detail crystallizing as his perception expanded.

Until now, Anthony had wielded this ability solely to accelerate his thoughts. But this time, he required far more than mere speed.

[Temporal Acceleration]

Another skill activated in swift succession.

A colossal, ethereal clock materialized behind Anthony before dissolving in an instant.

Time itself bent to his will, swirling in shimmering particles that danced around him, accelerating his every movement.

Calling upon his elemental affinity, earth particles clung to his skin, fortifying his strength with their raw power.

As the earth element surged through him, the Exarch ranked demon reemerged, his sabre now faster, slicing fiercely toward Anthony's neck.

But Anthony responded flawlessly.

His body and mind moved as one, perfectly synchronized to match the demon's blinding speed.

BOOM.

A cataclysmic wave of Sword Intent erupted outward as their blades collided head-on, shaking the very air around them.

With that, they both surged into motion, their afterimages trailing like shadows lingering in the wake of their previous positions.

Sound waves erupted violently, sonic blasts detonating as the intensity of their clash escalated.

Despite Anthony's activated skills striving to keep pace, his efforts proved futile.

His body trembled, struggling to adapt to the relentless stress and strain coursing through him. The force was overwhelming.

But Anthony remained unshaken, his gaze steady and composed.

He focused intently, seeking to anticipate his opponent's next move, responding with calculated precision his Sword Intent surged, amplifying his speed.

BAM.

The Exarch's foot crashed against Anthony's temple, snapping his head violently to the left from the sheer inertia. Flesh tore where the impact struck, but Anthony's infinite regeneration swiftly sealed the wound as if it had never existed.

Before Anthony could be sent hurtling sideways, the Exarch demon moved again. His fist came swiftly from the left, crashing into Anthony's cheek with a heavy bam, jerking his head violently in the opposite direction.

His cheeks and lips split open, crimson blood flowing freely.

Without pause, another fist thundered upward from below. The sickening echo of impact reverberated as the blow connected with Anthony's jaw, launching him skyward like a shattered puppet.

Seizing the moment as his body was left vulnerable, Anthony vanished from sight, reappearing behind the Exarch demon.

His katana ignited with blazing Sword Intent, aimed straight at the demon's neck.

With a swift whoosh, the fiery blade sliced through the neck, but there was no blood, no sound of flesh tearing, no splatter.

'An afterimage'

Anthony realized, his Sense Dome and All-Seeing Eyes immediately detecting a presence closing in behind him.

Before Anthony could react, the demon's foot crashed into his side with the force of a cannonball.

Pain exploded through him as if his ribs had been pulverized to dust, his organs shattered in kind.

His body was hurled sideways, tumbling violently over the ground and crashing through trees before slamming against the base of a mountain.

Broken and battered, blood dripped from his many wounds.

But Anthony's infinite regeneration was already working overtime, weaving flesh seamlessly back together. His heart pounded fiercely, pumping fresh blood to replace what had been lost.

The Exarch ranked demon stood tall, exuding an aura of supreme authority, his expression cold and unreadable as he watched Anthony with detached scrutiny.