The air exploded.
Paang!
A thunderous shockwave rippled outward as Seong-jun's fist slammed into Gastovara's massive body, the impact shaking the earth. The Water Emperor's new form convulsed violently, and a thick stream of crimson blood sprayed from his mouth.
"Keep going!"
Before the echo of his scream could fade, Seong-jun's fists blurred through the air, moving faster than sight.
Pavabababak!
Hundreds of blows landed in an instant, each one carrying the weight of divine will. The ground beneath them fractured, stones scattering like sparks from a forge.
Gastovara's body screamed in agony, nerves alight with unbearable pain. His survival instinct forced his senses to sharpen, and in that fleeting clarity, he grasped the truth.
'He's… strong.'
Stronger than any foe he'd faced before. The Demon Emperor's power was far beyond comprehension — his aura ancient and vast, his movements honed by endless battle.
Even that red energy, which had effortlessly dispersed his earlier tornado, was unlike anything Gastovara knew. It wasn't mere spiritual power or Qi. It was something deeper — darker — as if drawn from the very essence of life itself.
'I can't defeat him alone.'
He clenched his teeth. He would need to rely on the others — Gorgon, the Reverse Emperor, and the Legion — to stand a chance.
'If I can just buy some time—'
His thought cut off when Seong-jun's next strike descended from above like a falling star.
Boom!
The ground split open, forming a massive crater. Gastovara's body absorbed the shock, bones cracking and flesh trembling, but Seong-jun's expression didn't ease.
He was scanning the battlefield, frowning.
"Is this… one of your abilities as an Emperor?" he muttered.
His fist had struck — but the sensation was wrong. It hadn't hit flesh. It had passed through liquid.
Gastovara's new form shimmered above him, a glistening mass of water suspended in the air.
"You're quite perceptive,"
came the Emperor's voice, echoing like ripples across a lake.
Without hesitation, Seong-jun kicked off the fractured ground and lunged upward. His eyes were cold, movements precise, reading every shift of the flowing water.
Phew!
Another punch tore through the air — and again, hit nothing.
Gastovara smiled faintly, his watery face forming a distorted grin.
"Impressive, Demon Emperor. You are strong, skilled, and wise. Truly deserving of your title. But you face the wrong opponent."
Seong-jun didn't answer. He raised his hand, crimson energy forming a crescent arc that slashed through the air.
"I am Gastovara, the Emperor of Water. I command the flow of all that moves. Your physical attacks—"
He gestured proudly as the crescent strike passed harmlessly through him.
"—cannot touch me."
Indeed, his body rippled and reformed with each blow. The Water Dragon's liquefaction ability was perfect for defense, making him nearly untouchable.
Gastovara exhaled slowly, regaining his composure. He didn't need to win. He only needed to stall.
Or so he thought.
"Liquefaction, huh…"
Seong-jun's tone was dry, his crimson eyes glinting faintly.
That kind of defense was meaningless to one who had reached the Mythic Realm — a being whose attacks could pierce souls rather than bodies.
He smiled faintly. "Too shallow."
His next strike wasn't aimed at Gastovara's form, but his essence.
Kwajik!
Gastovara convulsed. Pain lanced through him, not in his body — but in his very soul.
"Wh-what—!?"
His mind reeled in disbelief. This ability of his — liquefaction — had never been broken. Not even by other Emperors. Only the gods themselves could—
He didn't have time to finish the thought.
Seong-jun's left fist followed, blazing with blood-red energy.
Gastovara barely twisted away, but Seong-jun was already upon him. His next blow smashed into the Emperor's side.
Paang!
The shockwave shredded the air. Gastovara's body reverted instinctively, water turning to flesh as he was hurled backward. Blood poured from his mouth and ribs — proof that even his divine body could be crushed.
'The gap… it's too wide.'
Gastovara's mind screamed denial. They were both Emperors — how could such a difference exist? Surely, even Seong-jun had limits.
'He can't sustain that power forever. He must fall soon. The fate of this dimension… can't change so easily.'
But the words felt hollow.
"It's not over yet!"
Desperate, Gastovara thrust his hand upward.
Ssaeaeak!
Water surged into a spiraling sphere, its gathered force shaking the heavens. A power capable of erasing mountains formed in his palm.
But Seong-jun merely murmured,
"Reverse Heavenly Sword — Second Form. Bloody Battle."
Kwakwang!
Flames erupted around him, staining the sky red. The inferno surged like a living creature, twisting into the form of an Asura, its blazing arms sweeping across the field.
Gastovara's concentration shattered. His water sphere evaporated before it was even complete, steam rising in ghostly plumes.
"This can't be happening…!"
Panic filled his face. His powers, his defenses, his very essence — all dissolved before Seong-jun's crimson flames.
"Kashas! Epis! Guards! Stop him!"
He screamed for his chimeras, but none answered.
Every last one had already been reduced to ashes.
Seong-jun walked forward slowly through the inferno, each step echoing like a drumbeat of death.
"Water Emperor! I will yield! I swear I'll never touch your dimension again!"
Even Gastovara's voice trembled now, stripped of pride.
"Please… save me!"
There was no dignity left in him — only raw, animal fear.
Seong-jun's gaze didn't soften.
He whispered:
"Reverse Heavenly Art — First Form. Heavenly Soul Field."
Kwajijik!
Blood-red light burst from his hand, swallowing Gastovara whole. The energy wasn't fire or force — it was will.
It pierced not the flesh, but the soul.
Jjiing—!
A piercing resonance filled the air. It began as a faint hum, then grew into a shattering cry.
"No—! Get out—!"
Gastovara's scream was lost in the sound as his soul was torn apart. His body, once mighty and divine, turned translucent, breaking down into gray dust that scattered into nothingness.
His last whisper was a soft, trembling sigh — the final breath of the Water Emperor, once feared as the doom of the Elven and Lusotu dimensions.
And thus, another Emperor fell before the might of the Demon God.