Chapter 1721: Fourth Gear!

The next thing Michael saw was a fist smashing directly into his face with such blinding speed and devastating power that the bones beneath his skin cracked audibly.

The impact sent the white stag Deus Behemoth spiraling uncontrollably through the thick, shadow-drenched miasma, pucking blood.

Things only worsened for the Deus Behemoth as this was no ordinary punch. The pain was overwhelming—and not just physical. Cain’s attack had penetrated deeper, striking his flesh, his energy core, and even scarring his soul.

Gritting his teeth through the agony, Michael quickly regained control of his body. He clenched his fists, planting his hooves into the air with practiced poise, and adopted a solid battle stance, even as waves of pain pulsed through him.

“A physical strike capable of burning my energy pool and sundering my soul… How is that even possible?!”

As that thought flashed through his mind, Cain was already upon him again—his body emanating radiant storm-light, his fists cloaked in scarlet fire. There was no hesitation, no reprieve, only killing intent.

Michael silenced all doubts. His sharpened instincts took over.

“Let’s do this!” he roared, his voice shaking the darkness around them.

Even though his opponent had suddenly evolved to a monstrous level of strength, Michael was not the kind of warrior who yielded. He fought with everything he had—driven by survival, pride, and pure will.

Cain, for his part, welcomed it. He smiled with unrestrained excitement at the white stag Deus Behemoth’s resilience. This was what he had longed for—an opponent who could push him to the edge, someone worthy of testing the full extent of his newly ascended power.

“Second Gear!” Cain roared, his heartbeat erupting like a war drum.

His body surged with greater strength, his frame trembling with excitement and nostalgia. The Asura Form had once been among his greatest powers, but the myriad of forces he had come to master had outgrown the limits of his body. Before becoming a Primordial, it had been too dangerous to use it, even for brief bursts.

Now, he could endure it.

With Second Gear activated, the flow of World Strength within Cain’s body skyrocketed, surging through his veins like a tidal wave of molten power. Using The Flow to predict Michael’s next move, Cain twisted to dodge the Deus Behemoth’s punch and countered with a crushing blow to his face, sending him hurtling through the air once again.

Before Michael could recover, Cain was upon him, slamming a vicious kick into his ribs. The force trembled through Michael’s body as blood erupted from his mouth. From one side of the battlefield to the other, Cain battered him mercilessly—each strike more brutal than the last.

Then Michael’s eyes snapped open, filled with madness and unwavering determination.

“Antler Starfall Rampage!” he bellowed.

A radiant burst of soul-fueled power exploded from his body. His figure shone like a celestial furnace, light emanating from every pore—deeper and more beautiful than anything he’d released before.

As Cain prepared another strike, Michael dodged it at the last second and drove his glowing fist straight into Cain’s abdomen, sending him careening through the air like a comet.

Blood sprayed from Cain’s lips—but he grinned through it.

“Third Gear!”

The energy coursing through Cain’s body erupted again, his muscles bulging, veins pulsing with supernatural force. His skin darkened slightly, as though lava flowed beneath it, and a fiendish aura flared around him. With a roar, he launched himself back into the fight.

The battle that followed defied logic—so destructive it would have devastated the landmass of the Endlessdeath Continent if not for the containment of the dark miasma. Without enough psychic power left to enter Liberation Total, both warriors fought with sheer physical force, reaching a cataclysmic level of violence.

Cain moved like a living storm, combining his Astral Supremacy Star, Laws, and raw speed to reach overwhelming acceleration. His strikes cracked the air and distorted space.

Michael matched him, each movement powered by soul-burning starfire. His hooves, fists, elbows, knees, and antlers were all weapons—each glowing with burning energy. He moved like light incarnate, defying inertia, gravity, and every natural law that sought to contain him.

Fist met fist. Elbow clashed with antler. Knee struck against shin. The sound of bones slamming echoed like divine thunder. The two titans collided again and again, blurring into red and gold streaks, their blows distorting reality around them.

Michael’s antlers came down like divine spears. Cain twisted sideways, driving his fist into Michael’s side. The force rippled through Michael’s frame, but he countered with a backhand that cracked Cain across the jaw.

Cain retaliated immediately, slamming his foot down on Michael’s shoulder, and followed it with a downward punch that sent the stag crashing into the ground.

They rose. They clashed. Over and over, neither giving an inch.

Though it looked like a stalemate, Cain was slowly gaining the edge. His body, as a Primordial, was holding under the weight of each gear. Michael, however, was consuming his Soul Bloodline every moment Antler Starfall Rampage was active. It was only a matter of time.

Cain just had to hold out to win, but that was not his style.

“BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!”

They collided once more, fist against fist, triggering a shockwave that knocked both of them back. And then—Cain moved.

“Fourth Gear!” he roared.

Cracks ran across his arms and chest from the sheer power surging through him. His body trembled violently, as if it would shatter from the inside out. But the Royal Rebirth Mark kept him together—barely. With each heartbeat, his power surged, rising exponentially.

Then it happened.

A silver star appeared on Cain’s forehead.

It was small, faint, almost translucent—yet its presence changed everything. Time itself seemed to hesitate. Space quivered. The light it gave off wasn’t blinding, but it pierced through everything, filling the air with a pressure unlike anything before.

Cain’s eyes widened with reverence. Without saying another word, he pulled his fist back—red flames surging around it like a solar flare—and launched a single, devastating punch toward the Deus Behemoth.