The ultimate techniques of the Ultra Beast warriors take many forms; they are far more than the simple convergence and explosion of Hetero-Energy.
Having pushed his own power to the level of 1.5 Black Holes, the Whale Shark King had given everything. Strength and weakness are often interchangeable states. When he stood as the strong, he despised the weak. But as the tides of battle shifted and he found himself cast into the role of the weak, the Whale Shark King accepted his identity with stoic indifference.
He launched his challenge against the superior foe with the resolve of the vanquished.
When conviction shines, the light is blinding, but the end came with profound simplicity. Shendu's Nebula Body merely flicked a single finger, striking the sphere of light that embodied the Whale Shark King's life-long resolve as it hurtled toward him. That single strike contained enough power to annihilate him instantly.
But at that very moment, a voice echoed in Shendu's mind: "Shendu, defeat him, but do not kill."
Shendu's eyes flickered. He drew back the overwhelming majority of his power, and with that same flick of his finger, he extinguished the blast. There was no explosion, no flash of fire. Only a swirl of yellow sand, burying the battlefield in its wake.
As the dust settled, the Whale Shark King reverted from his Ultra Beast and armored forms, falling to his knees. Shendu's voice, laced with a hint of satisfaction, resonated across the silence.
"A worthy opponent," he said coldly.
In an instant, the Nebula Body receded, and Shendu stood proudly amidst the desert. This was his first battle since arriving in this reality. His opponent had not been truly powerful, at least, not compared to what Shendu was capable of, and the fight had been maintained under his own deliberate suppression to maximize his enjoyment. Yet, unexpectedly, the sensation was sublime. He felt as though he had begun to grasp the peculiar essence of this world.
As his thoughts drifted, he silently observed his own Hetero-Energy. The worthiness of the opponents in this world did not lie in their Black Hole metric; it lay in a certain mysterious, profound sense of conviction. Be it the Whale Shark King or the fleeting contact with Hades, they each harbored a resolute, unwavering faith, one they were willing to uphold even unto death.
"Interesting. I am already looking forward to the future," Shendu murmured as the smog of war dissipated.
"Is it... over?"
Back on the Black Tortoise, Kino stared in disbelief.
"My, how the mighty have fallen! A Whale Shark King that massive, just beaten into submission like that?" Thales exclaimed, his tone tinged with a humorous sense of awe.
The way everyone looked at that quiet, standing figure in the center of the battlefield shifted, subconsciously imbued with a trace of dread.
"Nebula Body..." Master Wyatt whispered to himself, seemingly providing the answer.
The Nebula Body. The undisputed pinnacle of this world, the very apex of the pyramid. Each one possessed the competitive potential to unify the seven parallel universes.
The sky over the Whale Shark Tribe had collapsed. In a world where one man could rival an army, their hegemon, the Whale Shark King, had been defeated and laid low; their past status had vanished like smoke. And now, the enemy who had just vanquished their leader was walking slowly toward them.
The Whale Shark warriors initially retreated in terror. If even the Whale Shark King couldn't withstand a single blow from Shendu, what use were they? But as they retreated, one soldier suddenly raised his weapon and stood his ground. Then another. Then many more. Realizing there was no escape, the Whale Shark warriors steeled their resolve, brandishing their weapons as they waited for Shendu's approach.
Conversely, the Golden Elephant slaves fled with haste, even though the Shendu approaching them had just struck down the oppressor who had ruled them for eons.
As Shendu drew nearer, the tension within the clustered Whale Shark warriors grew palpable. But when he reached them, Shendu ignored the soldiers entirely. He merely stooped slightly, looking down at an old man among the slaves who had not fled.
With a flick of his hand, the Whale Shark warriors were sent flying backward, buried deep into the desert sands. As an entity of the Nebula Body class, he naturally held no interest in mere grunts. Even if Shendu stood perfectly still for ten thousand years, they would never be able to pierce his defenses.
In the eyes of the strong, there is no seat for the weak. Shendu's gaze was fixed on Galvas. As a fellow Nebula Body, no matter how well concealed, he could not escape Shendu's eyes.
Cough, cough… Galvas faced Shendu and coughed twice.
"What are you going to do to my master?" A muscular giant suddenly blocked the path between them, looking at Shendu with a grim expression.
"Tyler, step aside," Galvas commanded.
Hearing his master's words, Tyler the Ultra Beast warrior hesitated.
"He told you to move. Are you deaf?" Shendu exhaled a breath of scorching heat. It struck Tyler like a sudden gale, blowing his massive frame backward until he collapsed to one knee in the sand.
In an instant, Tyler's face was etched with horror. He had witnessed the battle, he knew Shendu was strong. But this was excessive. By all accounts, Tyler was a warrior of immense physical strength, yet he couldn't withstand even a single breath from his opponent.
"Alas..." Galvas shook his head helplessly, letting out a deep sigh.
"Your master is far stronger than you," Shendu stated seriously.
"Long ago, I decided to seal away my power and refrain from combat. You have found the wrong person," Galvas said, looking up at Shendu. He could tell that Shendu was a battle-crazed fanatic, and that his own latent power had piqued the demon's interest.
"Is that so?" Shendu stared at Galvas, and suddenly, a colossal palm descended from the heavens. He had not yet exited his giant form; in the blink of an eye, the palm bore down like a falling mountain.
The sky above Galvas instantly turned dark, yet he showed no fighting spirit, nor did he make a single movement. He merely closed his eyes quietly.
The palm stopped abruptly, a mere hair's breadth from Galvas's head. The sheer pressure caused the ground beneath them to sink.
A flash of disdain crossed Shendu's eyes. He withdrew his hand, his body instantly shrinking back to normal size, and turned his back to walk away.
"To possess such power yet treat it like refuse... you are nothing but rotting wood."
"I have not the slightest interest in crushing ants."
Shendu's tone was filled with displeasure and a trace of disappointment. He did not look at Galvas again as he vanished into the sandstorm he had just kicked up. He reappeared once more before the Whale Shark King.
"Why... did you not kill me?" The Whale Shark King was in a wretched state; having been battered out of his Super Beast form, he had lost all ability to resist.
"A battle without consequence? Are you pitying me?!" Anger burned in the Whale Shark King's voice.
He possessed the pride of the strong; he would rather die.
"Only the weak crave pity, and only the weak yearn for failure without cost. As for me, I am willing to accept all that failure brings."
"Kill me, or I shall kill myself!"
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