"Congratulations! Your son has been selected as one of the participants for the Cave of the Blood Morphosis."

A voice boomed outside a quiet and remote home.

The house looked ready to collapse, the wooden planks barely holding together. A woman stood in front, shielding a small, thin child who clung to her side, wide eyes fixed on the men in black uniforms standing imposingly before them.

The child appeared to be no more than eight years old, his frame painfully thin with sunken cheeks that highlighted his gaunt appearance.

From time to time, his stomach would rumble in hunger.

"....We will come pick up in two days. You may say your goodbyes."

The men left shortly after that.

Still young, Kaelion didn't understand what had happened. He didn't know what the 'Cave of Blood Morphosis' was. He only knew that he had been selected for it, and he had to go.

"Kaelion."

Kaelion could still recall his mom's soft yet warm voice as she called for him.

He innocently blinked his eyes as he looked up.

Their eyes met, and his mother smiled-a fragile, worn smile that barely reached her eyes. Her frame was just as thin, with her bones visibly outlined beneath her skin. She bent down slowly, bringing herself to eye level with him.

"Let's play a game."

She said,

"Join the Cave of Blood Morphosis and take care of yourself. Don't lose to others and make sure to keep your safety as your number one priority. If you do so, I'll have your favorite cookie made for you by the time you come back."

"....!"

The young child's eyes sparkled.

Favourite cookie...?!

When was the last time his mother had made it? He had been asking for it for so long... Slurp!

Wiping the corner of his mouth, Kaelion looked up to see his mother's gaze on him again. "Is that a deal?"

Kaelion nodded.

"Deal."

Two days later, he was brought to the Cave of Blood Morphosis.

***

"Huoo."

As Kaelion breathed in the familiar iron-like scent that lingered in the air, his eyes fully turned red. His breathing grew heavier and more labored with each passing moment.

The ground beneath Kaelion squirmed, a black film slowly coming out of his body and spreading outwardly, covering a small area around him.

The entire Colosseum grew silent, all eyes focused on Kaelion as the eyes of those who understood what was happening shot open in shock.

"W-what's going on...!?"

Karl watched the scene with a stunned look. Although he had been on the scene as a commentator for a long time, the phenomenon that was happening before him was not something that he understood or had ever seen before.

When he turned his head, he was startled to see Johnna standing up from her seat, her mouth agape and her eyes wide in shock, as if she hadn't even realized she had risen from her seat. "Johanna?"

It took Karl's concerned voice to break her out of that state.

Blinking her eyes, she soon sat back down and took a deep breath.

"How unexpected..."

She murmured in a voice that only she could hear. Gradually, her expression calmed as she processed the shock of the situation.

Sitting back down, she finally managed to find her voice again.

"I knew from the start that we're witnessing the most talented youths from all four Empires, and while I had been ready for the sight, I'm still shocked by what I'm seeing."

Her shock was only momentary. The scene before her was undeniably shocking, but as she recalled an event from years ago at a previous Summit, she realized that while this display was impressive, it paled in comparison to the horrors she had witnessed back then.

It was an incident that involved a certain monster who now stood beneath the Zenith.

Back then, she too displayed something similar.

It was just that...

Hers wasn't a 'Concept' but a full-blown domain.

She was a monster, a force of nature that only Caius could somewhat match. Yet, even he fell short when measured against her.

"What Kaelion is currently displaying is a 'Concept'. An incomplete domain that is only at its beginning stages. While the power might not be on the same level as a true domain, it is still a massive step up."

Johanna suddenly sighed, shaking her head slightly.

"If Julien doesn't display something soon, then I'm afraid that the match is as good as o-"

Boom-

A terrifying explosion abruptly cut off Johanna's voice.

It resounded throughout the entire Colosseum, forcing some of the spectators to cover their ears due to the sheer loudness of the explosion.

When all eyes were focused on the platform beneath, they noticed Julien taking several steps back as he coughed a mouthful of blood.

On the opposite end, Kaelion stood, his hair fluttering slightly as his red eyes turned a shade

deeper.

Following his attack, he pressed his foot against the ground and attacked again.

Swoosh!

His movements were faster than they had been before, and so was his strength. Facing the current Kaelion, Julien's expression turned grim.

Boom!

With a single step, Kaelion appeared right in front of Julien, his torso and back tensing as he

threw a direct punch in Julien's direction.

Julien stared at the incoming attack with a serious expression.

The attack was overwhelming, and with only one hand free, he knew blocking it was impossible. Desperately, he jerked his head to the right, but the fist relentlessly tracked his movement, closing in on his face with terrifying precision.

Julien's pupils constricted, but before he could do a thing the fist landed.

Booom-

A pressurized wave of wind exploded from the fist, distorting the air around Julien's face as it

blurred with the force of the impact.

An illusion!

The audience roared in surprise!

As Julien's real head emerged just outside the path of the fist, he slipped forward with precise timing, positioning himself right before Kaelion.

Caught off guard, Kaelion was unable to react in time. Julien's punch shot forward, slicing through the air with blistering speed, and creating a small air funnel that coiled around his

fist like a deadly glove.

Bang!

The attack hit Kaelion straight in the chest, sending him staggering back.

An opening appeared, and Julien didn't waste a single second. Pressing his foot down, he charged forward and attacked with every part of his body.

Bang, bang, bang-! Kaelion immediately felt heavy pressure, his chest pounding fiercely with each blow directed his way. Julien wasn't faring any better.

To maintain the ferocity of his attacks, Julien held his breath, sweat trickling down his face.

He threw punch after punch with extreme ruthlessness, each strike aimed at his vitals. Kaelion's resistance waned under the relentless barrage, blood spilling from his mouth as internal injuries mounted, and his body was slowly forced backward.

The audience stared at Julien's relentless attacks with bated breaths. They were especially shocked to see his hand turn purple from time to time.

Bang! Bang! Julien's face grew paler and paler with each one of his attacks. He had been holding onto his breath since he had started his barrage of attacks, and it was slowly taking a

toll on his mind.

'More...!'

Kaelion's expression turned paler and paler as the fight went on.

Swoosh!

Julien constricted his right leg and flicked up, aiming it directly at Kaelion's exposed temple.

The attack was lightning-fast, and with the growing number of injuries that had accumulated, Kaelion couldn't evade it. Julien's foot struck cleanly against Kaelion's temple,

delivering a crushing blow.

Bang!

Many spectators winced at the sight, their faces contorting with discomfort. Some turned

their heads, unable to watch the brutal fight any longer, overwhelmed by all the blood that

spilled onto the stage.

Unknowingly, a carpet of red had formed on the stage beneath.

At the same time, the faces of many of those who were watching turned strange.

'Didn't they say that he's used a concept? Why does it seem like he's gotten weaker?'

'Right... What was the hype all about?'

The murmurs of the crowd spread throughout the entire stands as everyone looked at each

other in confusion.

Since Kaelion had revealed his 'Concept,' he had inexplicably grown weaker rather than

stronger.

Julien, who had initially seemed outmatched, now dominated the fight. This unexpected turn

of events left many spectators bewildered, struggling to understand how the dynamic had

shifted so dramatically.

But not all of them.

The faces of a few turned more and more solemn as the fight continued. This was especially so

for Gael and Elysia who took turns to look at the imposing Lucian who stared at the fight beneath without much of a reaction. However, if one looked closely, they'd notice that the

corner of his mouth was pulled slightly upward.

Bang!

Another explosion resounded, and Kaelion was pushed back several steps, arriving right at the

edge of the platform.

"Huff... Huff..."

Both sides were breathing heavily.

On one side, Julien's head grew light from the prolonged strain of holding his breath. On the

other, Kaelion gasped heavily, his breaths heavy and labored from the relentless beating he had endured.

His entire body was drenched in blood.

His eyes bled, his ears bled, his mouth bled-every part of him seemed to seep blood. His

once-bright crimson eyes had darkened to an even darker shade, glowing intensely beneath the cascading blood.

Kaelion's figure was a mess, and the audience had a hard time looking at him.

In the eyes of many of those watching the fight seemed to be over, but things took a sudden

turn as Kaelion's eyes closed and let out a long breath.

"Hooo..."

When his eyes opened again, they had darkened to a deeper shade of crimson. The blood

pooling from his wounds began to retract, flowing back into his body.

Within seconds, his wounds sealed themselves, and his body trembled violently. Muscles

twisted and popped as an overwhelming pressure surged outward from him, his momentum suddenly becoming extremely overwhelming.

His momentum was so powerful that Julien felt his expression change.

He didn't waste a single second and attacked Kaelion.

With threads weaving through the air, he clenched his fist and unleashed a massive net that

cascaded down. Simultaneously, he launched his purple-colored fist forward, and a translucent purple hand materialized, reaching out toward Kaelion's thigh.

Kaelion looked at all of this and grunted.

"Hmm."

He stomped his foot down once, and the entire arena shook violently.

Boom!

The threads that floated in the air stopped while the purple hand shattered before it could

even reach him. Turning his head, Kaelion looked at the stunned Julien before bending his

knees.

Julien's pupils constricted as he saw Kaelion close the distance in an instant. Before he could

react, Kaelion's fist crashed into his abdomen.

Bang-

Like a broken kite, Julien's figure flew back, bouncing against the platform as he skidded

against the ground.

By the time his body stopped, he turned around and gagged.

"Uekh!"

He was so close to puking, but just barely managed to stop himself from doing so. He also

didn't have time to puke. Feeling a shadow cast behind him, Julien rolled to the side, narrowly

avoiding Kaelion's stomp.

Bang!

The platform shattered as pieces flew out everywhere.

Now it was Julien's turn to be on the defensive as Kaelion pursued him relentlessly, not giving

him any breathing space.

Each of Kaelion's attacks came faster and harder, his strength and speed magnified beyond his

previous limits. The spells he cast were executed with such speeds that they blurred together,

making it nearly impossible for Julien to keep up.

Xiu! Xiiuuu-!

Kaelion didn't even seem to need to think before the spells appeared.

Not only that, but his physical body was on an entirely different level than it was before. In his

current state, he was simply... invincible.

Be it the studio, or the audience, everyone was quiet.

Staring at Kaelion whose strength had reached a whole new level, nobody had any words to

say.

Nobody but Johanna finally managed to find her words.

"Blood..."

She mumbled,

".... His concept his blood."

Her mouth suddenly grew dry, and just as she was about to speak again, a terrifying explosion

echoed throughout the entire platform.

BOOOOM-!

It was unlike anything that had ever happened before, and when she cast her gaze down, her

breath left her body.

Fist matched against fist, two crimson eyes locked.

At that moment, the entire audience fell silent, while the faces of a few others changed.

Lucian stood up.

Gael stood up. Elysia stood up.

Theron stood up. Caius stood up.

Johanna stood up. Several other figures stood up.

All eyes were fixed on the two figures standing in the middle of the stage.

In the silence that took over the entire Colosseum, someone murmured, "Another Concept..."