The Bookkeeper

Though only a few hundred occupied the arena, Zion's presence opposite Raiden held their attention more completely than Noelle and Beeman's fight had drawn from the thousands who'd witnessed it.

Raiden settled into his stance, eyes locked on Zion. The arena lay shrouded in darkness, lit only by pale moonlight, but this worked in his favor. With Ash's Moon Dragon essence flowing through him, the night belonged to him—his vision was sharp, his strength far greater than in daylight.

But before Raiden could act, Zion closed the distance. Confusion flickered across Raiden's face as he watched the strike arc toward his chest. The blow would have shattered ribs if it connected, but to Raiden's heightened senses, it seemed sluggish.

Raiden slipped past the strike by mere inches. Before he could register what had happened, Zion was already following up with another blow—which Raiden barely managed to evade.

Zion kept coming, and Raiden realized he needed breathing room to analyze his opponent's patterns. As another strike whistled past, Raiden countered instantly—channeling mana through his fists, he hammered three brutal hits into Zion's chest. The older fighter skidded backward, hands pressed to his torso.

The attacks had come too quickly for Zion to counter or even fully comprehend. Blood bubbled up from his throat as he doubled over, clutching his chest desperately.

But Raiden's eyes narrowed as he studied his opponent, perplexed. Zion's aura remained as serene as before the fight began—which made his sudden speed all the more puzzling. Even if Zion used a mana technique similar to his own, something was off. Raiden required focus to channel his power, but Zion's explosive acceleration had been seamless, almost casual.

"Exceptional mana control," Zion said, smirking as he turned toward Raiden. "Those strikes pack quite a punch."

Raiden knew better than to get drawn into conversation, so he stepped back, putting more distance between them.

Zion sighed. "I suppose I should take this seriously."

His mana zone erupted outward, golden aura flooding the field and spilling into the closest rows of spectators.

Raiden's throat tightened as he took in the zone's scope. The golden aura rose past his waist, and with each moment, his discomfort grew. He hadn't known a mana zone could be this overwhelming—so dense, so vast.

As Zion casually cracked his knuckles, sweat beaded on Raiden's forehead despite the cold. He was trapped within the zone where Zion would sense his every move. The only escape was speed—he'd have to move faster than he ever had, fast enough to overwhelm even Zion's enhanced perception.

The thought of forfeiting crossed his mind, yet he found himself curious about his own limits in such desperate circumstances. He understood that retreat would only damage him down the road.

Zion closed the distance and attacked. Raiden slipped the first strike with ease, but the follow-up came lightning-fast. He couldn't react in time—the blow hammered his ribs and drove him into the dirt.

There was no rush in Zion's movements now; he carried himself like a man assured of victory. Though Raiden clutched his ribs with gritted teeth, the searing pain held no importance for him.

Alternative after alternative cycled through his mind. Each one crumbled as he examined it—another dead end, another useless option. He could hold his ground for a while with something, anything, and use that time to learn how to counter mana zones in the future.

Invisibility dissolved under scrutiny. His other abilities followed suit, one by one proving themselves worthless.

He began getting to his feet, one hand clutching his gut, smiling. His mana zone wasn't as impressive as Zion's, but he was curious what would happen if he activated it within someone else's zone.

His blue aura erupted from him, spreading three feet in every direction.

Zion smiled. "You can use the mana zone too, huh? Impressive."

Raiden frowned in confusion. His blue mana was still flickering visibly within Zion's golden zone. He had expected interference or complications, but both zones seemed to function normally.

Zion released his mana zone, letting it fade. "Both of us using our mana zones is pointless… there's no clear winner in such situations."

He smirked. "This has dragged on long enough. I'm ending it."

Raiden realized Zion was about to use his ability, but he had no interest in continuing since he'd already learned what he wanted about mana zones. However, before he could forfeit, Zion's golden aura shaped itself into an asymmetrical sphere around him, staying only inches from his body.

Raiden's eyes began flickering in fear, his body trembling, frozen in place. His words struggled to come out as his heart raced beyond comprehension. In that moment he wasn't seeing Zion at all, but rather a giant eye staring at him with a soft gaze.

When the eye blinked, the beam of golden light flashed through Raiden's eyes. All the truth behind reality seemed to slam into his vision at once. His eyes grew heavy as tears poured, his mind spanning dimensions as he collapsed to his knees, screaming and clutching his head.

Noelle hurried down there to check on him, and Ash also woke abruptly from her slumber. Noelle had claimed she didn't care if Raiden died in the duel, but the fear in her violet eyes as she dashed toward him said otherwise.

[Are you okay, Papa?] Ash's voice echoed in Raiden's mind, but he was too far gone to hear her.

At that moment, all Raiden wanted was to tear out his eyes and mind. He screamed as his grip tightened around his skull, crushing it as blood poured down his face.

Noelle and Ash finally reached him, immediately checking on him.

[Bloom, Papa… Say, Bloom.] Ash clearly knew what might help him, but her words went unheard. She began whimpering in fear, obviously feeling what Raiden was experiencing too.

Ash turned toward Zion, but before she could act, Noelle rose to her feet and started walking toward him.

Zion deactivated his ability and gave her a soft smile. "Wow, he's still alive."

"Cut the bullshit… I'm here. You can have me," she said, voice trembling with anger. "Now let him go."

Zion shrugged casually. "There's nothing I can do now. He's a dead man."

Noelle gritted her teeth, clenching her fist in frustration, then turned and walked back to Raiden.

"Rule Domain." Her domain activated and spread across the entire field.

"That will be of no use. He's already dead."

"Shut up!" Noelle gestured at him, and Zion found himself unable to move or speak.

She tried to cancel Zion's ability affecting Raiden, but it was useless. No matter what rule she commanded, Raiden continued screaming in agony.

However, Raiden could think of nothing but the unbearable information being forced into his mind. Ash wasn't giving up on him, though. She lay down next to him and calmed herself to sleep.

Even through the agonizing visions, Raiden sensed the full moon and felt himself in that smoky world. Everything existed in shadowy hues—the air, the earth beneath him as he crouched. The feeling of home was unmistakable, though the pain remained.

[Say Bloom, Papa…] Ash appeared before him as a dark mist in this dream world.

This time, her words broke through, but she had to repeat them over and over. When Raiden's mind finally registered her voice, he forced his eyes open. His gray irises had turned golden, and blood poured from them.

Though his eyes were open, his mind remained partially consumed by the overwhelming universal truths. He had left the dream world, but he saw nothing.

"Bloom." He muttered words through sheer will and determination, fighting against Zion's overwhelming ability.

And just like the dream, everything on the field became enveloped in smoky darkness. The effect lasted mere seconds, yet it was enough to shatter Noelle's barrier entirely and completely purge Zion's ability from his mind.

He collapsed to the floor, too exhausted to move a finger, while Ash lay dormant beside him. Noelle was puzzled by what had happened to her domain, but her main concern was checking whether Raiden was still alive.

She let out a deep sigh of relief when she confirmed Raiden was still breathing.

"Wait, don't tell me he's alive," Zion muttered, bewildered. From his expression, it was clear he'd seen a flash of Raiden's Bloom, but it had happened too quickly for him to understand it.

"Could it be?" he whispered, watching Noelle carefully reposition Raiden to help him rest more comfortably.

Just confusion filled the air. Raiden was still struggling to think and see anything clearly. He had no choice but to give in to sleep.