Bang!
The same condensed Authority unleashed its maximum damage at point-blank range.
The superimposed power of Gravity Ejection and his physical strength directly sent End flying backward. A thick layer of ice immediately appeared on Its chest and abdomen, sealing the just-ejected energy inside.
Before the inertia faded, the Crimson Spear shot out like lightning. End didn't bother to annihilate the inertia; It simply vanished while flying backward.
Swish—
As It just reappeared a hundred meters away, the spear rotated and struck, sweeping toward It.
'Dominating threads? No, it's the Sea of Quantum surge. His control is more proficient than before?'
Its mind calculated furiously. It cleaved the spear away with one sword, then, using the momentum, spun and chopped like a windmill toward Its back, slicing the newly appeared Ryan into two halves.
But End felt no joy, seeing Ryan vanish into the sea as a bubble.
'His evasion speed is also faster, and he can create false targets. Is he still growing within this stellar ring?'
It turned its head, seeing Ryan had already grasped the deflected spear and was slamming it down with immense force.
Clang!!
Swords crossed. End's originally straight spine slightly hunched. It lowered Its head, realizing a fact:
In this domain, Ryan's stealth speed was faster than Its Authority of Space. Playing the 'teleport' game carried an extremely low win rate.
Very well. Then let's fight head-on.
The long tail behind Its back shot out from between Its legs, emitting a golden beam of light.
Melt-Down.
The light beam was only the size of a fist, but it fused with the terrifying Authority of Fire. Ryan pulled back his spear and retreated, seeing the scorched mark on his shoulder. He looked up, seeing End charging toward him, spinning like a top.
'What a fast reaction. It immediately realized that close combat is disadvantageous against me.'
Ryan twirled his spear, tapping the tip lightly on the ground at his feet.
Flower of Blood.
Crimson energy surged out from beneath his feet, forming a rose that folded inward, enveloping both of them in the center. A moment later, countless cracks appeared on the flower, shattering it into hundreds of petals.
End used Spatial Severance to break this domain-within-a-domain. Looking ahead, besides the ceaseless fine rain, there was no sign of the man.
"Attracting a fierce attack, then ambushing me with the Authority of Blood?" End immediately analyzed Ryan's sinister intent. It didn't pause for a second, climbing toward the top at full speed.
Since you want to use a rogue tactic, don't blame me for breaking out of this zone. Once It breached the stellar ring and returned to the Cocoon, It would see if Ryan had any more cards to play.
It grasped the crucial point perfectly. Even though Its speed was currently suppressed ten thousandfold, It could still break through this zone. Sure enough, three seconds later, a vortex appeared above its head.
Ryan blocked Its path, squinting. The rotating spear churned the 'fine rain.'
He gathered the Quantum energy, gradually forming a swirling vortex. He then stepped forward, leaned in, and threw—
Sea Spear.
Mobilizing the energy of the Sea of Quanta, the vortex was utterly lethal, subtly resonating with the space and expanding as it flew.
End decisively stopped, showing no intention of dodging. The Authority of Space's movement range wasn't enough to jump out, and being drawn in would cause immense damage.
It simply merged the two greatswords into one.
Sea Split!
The single sword truly cleaved the vortex in half, creating a vacuum zone of Authority and energy in the center. Without pausing, the large mouth on Its abdomen opened.
The Primordial Meltstream!
This time, the crimson light beam shot out with unsuppressed force, filling the gap in the center. Using prediction, it accurately struck Ryan, who was diving through the gap.
Boom—
The energy torrent slammed onto him. Upon contact, the Crimson Helix showed signs of melting. Fortunately, Ryan had already fundamentally grasped the energy of the Sea of Quanta. He clenched his left hand into a fist.
Merge.
The vortex closed inward, annihilating the light beam in the blink of an eye. Looking up again, End had charged in front of him, raising the Sea Split Greatsword.
Cut!
Clang!!
The sword struck the middle of the spear. The resulting ring cleared the rain curtain. The Supreme Authority condensed on the sword actually caused cracks to appear on the Divine Key. It pressed the spear down with all its might. Its lower head, the purple rhombus face, seemed to be pressing against Ryan's forehead.
"You are the one who asked for a fair fight."
Gravity Collapse.
Strong Magnetic Field.
Two Authorities in a row glued It and Ryan together. At the same time, the tentacles on Its neck grew madly, and the mouth on Its chest and abdomen opened again.
Death Torrent.
Ink-like mist dyed the seawater black, capable of annihilating any life form at the cellular level.
Crack.
The Divine Key broke in two. The black mist enveloped him, but a moment later, ripples flashed across Ryan's body, as if he were about to merge into the endless rain curtain.
Clone?
End first abruptly turned its head backward, thinking Ryan was attempting an ambush again, but quickly realized something was wrong.
No, it's the Sea's Reflection. He can do that too!?
This was a quantum illusion, using the sea to interfere with Its perception. His body hadn't moved at all.
Gurgle gurgle.
The ripples continued to spread. Ryan was indeed in his original position, having only retreated half a step. He watched the greatsword slice down, grazing his nose and tearing open his shirt. He watched the black mist of death being blocked by the suddenly denser rain curtain on the periphery.
He gripped the two broken halves of the Crimson Helix, using the Authority of Blood to resonate with the Divine Key. With a forceful squeeze, he crushed it into powder.
Hundreds of crimson fragments floated in the air. He pointed his index finger at End, whose neck tentacles had regrown.
Maximum Rated Output: River of Blood.
The fragments merged into the sea, adding a streak of crimson to the blackness. They surged forward, engulfing the seawater.
The Crimson Tide surged. This Authority had no direct lethality, but it wiped away the Gravitational Singularity, Strong Magnetic Field, and Death Black Mist, finally concentrating the combined energy into a single force that slammed violently onto End.
"Take that back!"
Using the opponent's methods against them. Ryan watched End being swept away, watched It deploy the Constraint Halo to erase the energy. A rhombus-shaped step appeared under his foot. He stomped down with all his strength, piercing the black and red 'rain curtain.'
The heavy rain splashed onto his face, but the Quantum energy raindrops didn't hinder Ryan. Instead, they seemed to carry him forward. They actively gathered, making Ryan look like he was riding a rampant dragon, charging straight toward End.
Boom!!
Ryan slammed head-on into the force field covered with rhombus light points. He watched the surrounding ripples churn, saw the hand blade, condensed with the Authority of Constraint, halt and compress inward at an incredibly slow speed.
The hand blade closed into a fist, drawn back. Ripples formed ring after ring on the forearm, and then, using the stored energy, It smashed down fiercely.
Crack.
The force field shattered. Ryan passed through the flying fragments. His raised fist grazed End's head. His eyes dropped, seeing End raise Its greatsword to slash. Before It could hit him, he slammed his leg down fiercely.
"Get down!"
A halo-like shockwave appeared. A cloud of dust erupted tens of thousands of meters away on the lunar surface. If not for the stellar ring's constraint, End would have smashed through the entire satellite and emerged from the far side of the Moon.
But even so, It was in pain. Defensive and destructive power were decreasing simultaneously.
'As expected, his control over the sea is slowly improving.'
End glanced at the dense cracks on Its chest. They were still filled with Quantum energy, preventing instant healing.
More troublingly, It was getting further and further away from the 'Cocoon.' If It didn't break out, the imbalance would only worsen, and the odds of victory would rapidly decline.
Boom—
The first shockwave in the cosmos had not yet dissipated. The second shockwave had already appeared on the lunar surface. Large amounts of rock were thrown into deep space, only to be annihilated along with the dust in the rain.
Ryan charged out with a side-step. He clenched his hands in the void, grasping a spear made of Quantum energy as he neared End. Without a word, he stabbed forward.
Stab, press, strike, thrust.
The two figures moved swiftly on the lunar surface. Occasionally, a bright spark would burst forth. Ryan's spear followed his movements, pressing relentlessly, never giving End time to gather its Authority.
The preceding dozens of rounds had familiarized him with End's moves. No matter how many Authorities and abilities it possessed, once they became known, he would be prepared.
As for attrition, Ryan wasn't afraid. The Sea of Quanta was becoming increasingly familiar. He was fighting and furiously upgrading his tech tree at the same time.
Every minute, every second, he was sending more unknown to End.
The spear thrusts grew faster. This was no longer a head-on clash but a stubborn slide toward close-quarters combat. This was nothing to End, which possessed all human combat data. The key was that Ryan kept delivering surprises.
Swish.
The spear grazed past Its neck. The severed greatsword quickly approached Ryan's ribs. A fiercer attack was brewing. Just then, the spear next to Its neck suddenly exploded, piercing through the Honkai energy defense.
Like a forceful slap to the face, it didn't pierce the surface of the strongest beast, but it knocked Its body off balance, causing the greatsword to graze Ryan's chest.
In the bombardment battle thousands of kilometers apart before, a mere loss of balance was negligible. End, with Its unlimited Authority, had ten thousand ways to correct it.
Teleportation, Constraint, Time Stasis, Space Collapse...
But not now. The distance between them was too close. It also disliked its own 'slow' body, forcing It to jump backward using calculation. It watched Ryan's right leg fiercely slam between Its legs.
Thud.
It dodged the stomp but couldn't evade Ryan's knee thrust, which slammed heavily into the just-sprayed energy torrent, turning it into a crimson splash.
'Deliberate reinforcement. Did he anticipate I would use this move?'
Its body flew backward uncontrollably. Less than a hundred meters away, it was pushed back by a wave. It had already adjusted its posture, the long tail hidden behind it, but the next moment, It had to release a crystal-like shield.
Raindrops like Needles.
Ryan held up his left index finger, manipulating the endless energy rain curtain. He watched the approaching crystal burst into countless sparks, knowing this Authority was very tough.
But so what? I will exceed your calculation power!
He spread his legs and raised his right fist. Energy roared, gathering in his forearm, slamming with all its might toward the oncoming End.
Extreme Force: Heavenly Cannon!
The simplest straight punch, loaded with the most ferocious energy. A vortex was clearly visible at the point of contact, shredding the crystals into powder.
Clang, clang, clang...
Layer after layer of crystal was punctured. End, using all its might, saw the fist slow down, finally halting just before the last layer of crystal on Its chest. The tail hidden behind Its back shot out with extreme malice.
Melt-Down.
"Trying to force me to yield the initiative?" Ryan knew what End was trying to do. He had committed all his power to the attack. If he defended now, he would give up the initiative.
A storm is not that easy to stop!
He took another step forward. His chest burned, knowing he had been pierced. Before the tail could rip him open with a swipe, he opened his fist, shook his body, and concentrated his power into his palm.
Inch Punch: Sky-Opener.
Boom!!
The last layer of crystal was shattered. His palm slammed heavily onto End's chest. The force penetrated the entire body, forming a ring behind It.
This attack was heavier. It caused Its mind to pause for an instant. Its body flew backward, and when It regained consciousness, It had already smashed several craters.
The furrow plowed across the lunar surface extended into the distance. Its chest was covered with spiderweb-like cracks. Its body flickered, using a teleport to shed the inertia, then raising its head, seeing Ryan waiting above It.
"Do these 'fine rains' have an early warning function??"
Ryan had no habit of explaining. He didn't even look at the large hole in his chest. He simply raised both hands and opened his palms.
Rain to Spear.
Spears made purely of Quantum energy condensed. Ryan grasped one, twisted his waist, threw it, turned, grasped another, and threw again.
Clang, clang, clang!
The Quantum spears were deflected by the Gravity Sword. But as Ryan's throwing speed increased and the distance closed, End became somewhat flustered. Just as It prepared to teleport for the second time, It felt space being constrained.
The surrounding water droplets, torn apart by gravity, made the rain curtain around It exceptionally dense. But what astonished It was the familiar energy emanating from the rain curtain.
Constraint Field? Has he mastered it to this extent?
This stellar ring had gathered a vast amount of 'seawater,' but it was also filled with Honkai energy. It had initially thought this would make it easier for Ryan to familiarize himself, as the Sea of Quanta was naturally more foreign.
But now It realized It was wrong, terribly wrong. The opponent wasn't using the Imaginary to control the Quantum; he was—
He is trying to master the entirely new form of existence born from the violent collision of these two fundamentally opposite energies?!
End's database contained no information about the fusion of Quantum and Imaginary, nor did It possess the imagination to conceive it.
It only knew the guess was highly probable. After all, It was unlikely that any other End would willingly act as a training partner, or that any Honkai creature would be foolish enough to engage in a prolonged confrontation with the Sea of Quanta.
Bang!!
A fierce kick caused Its mind to stall again. Ryan's whip-kick heavily slammed onto End's crossed arms. Then, It saw him glow, instantly merging into the rain curtain.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Hundreds of severance cuts crisscrossed Its body. Ryan dodged just in time, only to snap his fingers lightly as he reappeared.
Fire Burst.
Boom—
A massive pillar of fire enveloped End, rising on the lunar surface. The bright cross illuminated Ryan's face, along with a slightly savage smile.
"You guessed right. I never intended to fight the Imaginary with the purely Quantum."
The seawater he brought was finite, primarily intended to cut off End's infinite energy. The Honkai energy from the Moonlit Throne was also finite, merely a bonus.
This stellar ring battlefield, which dragged both sides into a fight to the death on the same level, had already exceeded the limits of human imagination.
Ryan tore off his torn shirt, revealing his muscular chest and the blood hole in the center. "But to defeat you, the same level is not enough!"
Within the stellar ring battlefield, the intense collision and fusion of Quantum and Imaginary were gradually giving birth to a more unique form of energy.
Ryan, immersed within it, did not regard this as a mere battlefield. Nor was he just borrowing End's power to restore Earth's ecology to a state fixable by the Fourth Divine Key. He regarded this as a research platform, intending to step on End one step at a time, moving toward the Path of Trailblazer into the unknown.
"This is the so-called Path of Trailblazer?" End forcefully constrained the flames. Its originally pure white body turned scorched black.
That was more than just the Authority of Fire. The energy of the Sea of Quanta was like pouring oil on the fire, making the burning even hotter.
Thud—
The answer was a heavy punch. Gravity Collapse was constrained the moment it appeared. Then, a palm strike hammered Its chin, sending It flying upward.
Ryan instantly appeared above the Moon. Seeing End no longer counterattacking, only gathering thicker crystals to wrap Its body, he smiled darkly.
"You used your Authorities so many times on my turf. Did you think I was a pig-brain who couldn't learn?"
He raised two fingers. Gray severance cuts appeared. This was slightly different from the Authority of Severance used by End, at least the base energy was mixed with a lot of impurities from the Sea of Quanta.
Sever!
He sliced down with his fingers. The rain curtain, space, and crystal were all segmented. This caught End off guard. It quickly brought its crystallized hands together above its head. The next moment, a powerfully descending whip-kick slammed onto them.
Woosh—Thud!!
The entire Moon trembled. In the center of the crater, End knelt on one knee, appearing strangely absent-minded.
"Is he replicating? No, is he learning my Authorities?"
"What kind of energy will the fusion of Quantum and Imaginary produce? What kind of combat power can be generated based on that?"
End suddenly felt that Its calculations and database were meaningless. Even though Its footsteps had traversed the nine planets, even though It had restarted human civilization countless times, even though It had witnessed all sorts of strange confrontations.
The answer was zero. And all calculations extending from that zero were also zero.
It lowered its head, seeing a cheetah-like figure dart in front of it. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the surrounding space. If it had facial features, it would look utterly bewildered.
Authority of Space?
Ryan suddenly leaped up, locking his hands onto End's shoulders. He looked directly into the rhombus-shaped face, seeing his own slightly savage face reflected in the purple crystal.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The crystal was severed, gravity was constrained, ice was shattered...
Ryan performed a single movement, slamming his knee repeatedly into End's chest. Each blow was filled with hatred. Each blow brought different scenes flashing across Ryan's mind.
The lightning-struck Sea of the Abyss, the boy in the neon village whose family died, the girl in the northern town selling her body, the burning concert, and the charges that embraced death...
Countless people wailed and screamed, as if using Ryan's body to return all that death, pain, and despair—
"I return all of it to you!"
His left foot anchored into the lunar surface. He stretched his body. A beautiful roundhouse kick formed the final strike. This time, there was no Authority, but his right foot pierced through the large mouth on End's chest and abdomen, emerging directly from the back.
His will boiled like fire. He felt his calf trapped as if in a mire, fiercely clamped down. He watched End's rhombus face brighten suddenly. Dazzling purple light surged from the lunar surface.
Has the critical point finally arrived? Are you finally pulling the Cocoon into this fight?
Ryan showed no intention of retreating. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time, even feeling a hint of excitement. He felt a gaze from beyond the heavens, as if It was saying:
Kid, that works too? You dared to calculate that?
Forcing his waist, Ryan straightened his body, using his left foot as a pivot. His knee slammed heavily into End's face, snapping Its entire neck a hundred and eighty degrees to face the sky.
But End did not resist, nor did It defend. It let Ryan rage on its body, striking the hard body. Within the stellar ring, the lethality of both sides was reduced by several orders of magnitude. It could only raise Its cracked arms—the arms of the strongest beast—and inject all its energy, condensing a black and red gigantic black hole above its head.
This was completely different from pulling down meteorites. It was pulling down something else—
Final Program Initiation: The Fall of the Old Era.
The rhombus face emitted a blinding glow. Simultaneously, outside the stellar ring, a flash of purple light appeared. Ryan, fighting the black hole's gravity, looked up.
The identical rhombus pattern on the Cocoon of End also burst into purple light. As if resonating or being pulled, it slammed down with an unstoppable momentum.
"Pulling down the Cocoon of End. You intend to die together?" Ryan quickly lowered his head, feigning a movement to withdraw his leg.
"Your existence carries infinite danger, enough to cause alarm to my Creator. Even if it means executing the final program."
Even as Its body was being shattered, End showed no fear, becoming even more mechanical than before, as if a fundamental piece of data had been triggered.
"Human civilization has overcome End, but you must also perish."
At this moment, there was no longer any concept of Honkai, nor any 'test.' The Cocoon of End was backed by the Heavenly Beings, who logically would have embedded a program:
If a high-dimensional existence should meddle in the test, potentially threatening the Creator, then destroy the Cocoon along with it, preventing any blowback.
Coincidentally, Ryan was, in the Cocoon's eyes, a high-dimensional existence, someone who refused to heed warnings and insisted on interfering. At least in terms of identity, he was fundamentally different from Kiana.
That girl was a native who rose up. Even if she fused with the Cocoon, she was within this leaf. But Ryan was different. Setting aside his Path, what if the big shot behind him decided to settle accounts with the Heavenly Beings?
"You... don't seem as afraid as I imagined?" The faceless being tilted its head. Instead of fear or regret, It even showed a hint of anticipation.
I crossed it? By this unique method, I guess I also Trailblazered a path never conceived before.
Ryan felt a momentary daze. Forcing End to mutual destruction, forcing It to smash down the Cocoon—while short on beautiful energy—this tenacity surpassed everything.
"Did you think I worked so hard for all these years, enduring countless hardships, just to cross you?"
He looked at the distant azure star, then abruptly straightened his back, pressing down on the faceless being's head. He felt Its clear astonishment. Even if Its calculation failed, the enemy had surpassed every script It had written.
"It's far from enough, because from the very beginning—"
Ryan's face was filled with craving and greed. He injected all his bodily strength, cracking the head he was gripping. Then, he twisted and pulled it out.
Snap.
He pulled out the head along with the spine, crushing it like a rock.
"I am your End!!!"