The Return of The Demon Emperor karsu!

The embodied one's gaze at Karso's emergence this time was different. Usually, the remnants of Karso's previous body would fade away, and Karso would reappear randomly in a nearby location close to the embodiment.

"Hooo, what is this time?" he said while stroking his chin.

Karso returned to the same stance. Although this time felt strange, nothing truly remarkable had happened. At that moment, Karso's gaze was sharper than ever, his expression hardened, and his sword had changed—from Pale Pearl, the one he had wielded since the beginning, to one of the twelve strongest swords in the world!

It was the Crimson Sword, ranked seventh.

(To be explained in the notes)

The Demon Emperor looked at Karso and said, "Hmm? This? What is this sword? I've never seen it before!"

At that moment, Karso thought to himself, "Exactly! I chose this sword specifically—even though there are stronger ones—because you don't know its properties or abilities. I only ever faced it once when I was on the mountain fighting, so you must be completely ignorant about it!"

The Emperor had already prepared several strategies for unpredictable occurrences like this from Karso, so he wasn't truly surprised. Instead, he wanted to test Karso's ability to deal with the unknown with precision and efficiency.

Thus, instead of using his Qaz abilities or his Aura, he attacked using his sword, Dimensional Conqueror, one of the twelve swords—ranked third, though some argued it deserved second place.

(To be explained in the notes)

The fiery battle between Karso and the Emperor began, unfolding like a dance mesmerizing even the finest artists! Every strike, every clash, every contact between their blades erupted in massive sparks of fire, illuminating the battlefield.

"Hahaha! What's this? You, my future self… I see that you're no longer like the old you. I mean, you're not like me anymore!"

The Emperor laughed, swinging his sword and sending Karso flying back dozens of meters.

Karso remained calm, unshaken. His sword had already begun merging with his Aura, emitting a strange white light. This was because it had only absorbed the Primary Aura—the raw, unrefined form—making it less effective. However, despite that, the enhancement granted by the fusion increased the user's strength sevenfold.

If fused with one of the five fundamental branched Auras, its power could reach seven hundred times the user's strength.

Even so, Karso, in his normal state, had yet to fulfill the conditions to activate his fundamental Aura, preventing him from utilizing the sword's full potential. He was only drawing out 1/1000th of its true power.

Yet, even with such a limitation, he was still performing exceptionally well against the sword of his embodied counterpart, Dimensional Conqueror.

That sword, in turn, posed a danger to the embodiment itself, for he was unsure whether wielding it—being a weapon born from the void—would allow him to unleash its true power.

If that were the case, then it would be his end, for cutting through the void itself would mean his annihilation.

"What's wrong? Have you grown weaker over time? I still haven't used any of my true Auras—I've only relied on the Primary Aura! And yet, you're still retreating? My counterpart?!"

The Emperor grinned, laughter escaping him, the thrill of battle evident in his expression.

Despite his enjoyment, he had not neglected his calculations. From the very start of the fight, he had been analyzing, deducing—who created this place? Was the truth truly that he was just an embodiment?

At that moment, Karso began regaining his old abilities.

Even though the Demon Emperor had the upper hand, Karso had not retreated more than ten steps since his last counterattack. That alone was proof of his rapid adaptation.

On the other hand, the Emperor relentlessly pressed the attack, showing no concern for defense. It may have seemed reckless, but in reality, he was following a strategy:

"The best defense is a good offense."

He refused to relinquish the initiative.

It is said in the world of chess:

"Whoever holds the initiative controls the board. And whoever controls the board never loses."

This does not guarantee absolute victory for the one with the initiative, but it does ensure they never suffer defeat—a draw at worst.

Both Karso and his embodied counterpart understood this principle well.

Neither was willing to overextend.

A player who loses the initiative must hold their ground, waiting for their opponent to make a mistake.

Conversely, the one in control of the initiative must create chaos, apply relentless pressure, and break through their opponent's defenses—devouring their pieces, one by one…

Until they reach the King!