Arena District – Morning of the Match
The Vault had never held its breath for so long.
A battle between Rio Ryunn, the underestimated TIER-2 enigma, and Lucien Vane, the brutal TIER-4 dark elementalist, should've been predictable.
> "He's too reckless." "He'll try the forbidden lineage art." "The Ryunn bloodline has gone too far."
But what unfolded… would be etched into planetary history.
Most political leaders and other powers were curious about this match ....
---
The Battle – Grace Unleashed
Rio stepped into the arena with his dual obsidian swords strapped tight, eyes glowing with internal fire. The coliseum roared—and then fell eerily quiet when Lucien summoned the Oblivion Field, black mana swallowing the sky.
Rio closed his eyes.
> "Grace of Ultimateness," he whispered. "Unleash!"
Blue-white light tore from his chest, and a searing pulse echoed across the city. His veins ignited. His spine surged. His TIER-2 body ascended, momentarily stabilizing at TIER-5—the highest form of the Ryunn bloodline's secret art.
> "Confirmed. Ryunn Lineage—Grace of Ultimateness: Awakened Stage."
Cheers erupted. The Vault shook from the aftershock.
He charged—blades flashing, parrying Lucien's void chains, turning magic into mist. The arena was a stormfront of technique and speed.
But Rio was still losing. Against a TIER-4 who have overpowered abilities.
Lucien's Mana Decay slowly ate through his enhancements. His Grace chipped. His time was burning fast. Blood started to trail from his lips.
> "Damn it..." he muttered, as his vision blurred. "This isn't enough."
---
The Evolution – Beyond Ancestry
And then—Rio whispered something no one heard.
> "...I'll borrow it."
[D.M.Voice_"Using my powers to push the threshold of your Lineage's ultimate ability.....
Not bad but wrong timing.]
The Vault trembled again.
Not from Rio.
From something inside him.
The Grace of Ultimateness, long thought to only cap to push Five TIERS , began to spiral. A deeper root in his lineage took hold—an ancient variant never seen before.
The sky cracked like glass. Rio's heartbeat broke its rhythm—then realigned.
> "Lineage Overload Detected." "Blood Resonance Level: TIER-11."
Everyone watching—from the commoners to the satellites in orbit—froze.
Lucien collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest. "What the hell is this?!"
Above Rio, a ghostly figure flickered—a towering Ryunn ancestor, eyes closed, arms crossed—acknowledging him.
> He wasn't borrowing power from a mentor. He was using his power to push his Lineage's ability and legacy.He was unlocking the true apex of his own bloodline.
TIER-11 GRACE OF ULTIMATENESS.
---
Domination
Lucien launched his ultimate hex.
It vanished before reaching Rio.
Rio moved like inevitability. Like gravity. His strikes bent mana laws, his presence melted magic logic. He cleaved through Lucien's core—without a single wasted motion.
Lucien collapsed, unconscious. The Vault floor beneath him fractured.
> "Winner: Rio Ryunn," the system confirmed weakly.
No one moved. Not the medics. Not the king. Not even Rio's friends.
Only Mary, his mother, dropped to her knees in the stands—sobbing uncontrollably.
Lython Ryunn, proud patriarch of the bloodline, stood breathless.
> "My Grace… never reached that height," he whispered. "He has surpassed even the First Ryunn."
---
Back at the Ryunn Estate
Rio lay in his room—surrounded.
His shirt was gone, chest scarred by energy veins. Medical patches blinked in quiet red.
Mary Ryunn wept silently beside him, her fingers trembling on his brow.
Lython Ryunn paced with a gravity unseen even in his war days.
Theo, rigid, leaned against the wall, trying not to shake.
Erame had removed his armor, unsure what to say.
Sam kept re-reading the energy diagnostics, then re-reading them again.
Ana stood quietly near the door, eyes red. She'd screamed at the medics before they finally let her in. Even though she was seduced by Rio's transformation and his status but she loved him to heart.
Slix, arms folded, scanned Rio's pulse data with AI precision. "He should've died. No human system with this weak body should've stabilized post-TIER-11 resonance."
And King Arnold Mavi stood by the window, overlooking the courtyard. "The boy didn't just win. He's now a continental threat and power if he uses again this ability."
[D.M.Voice_ "Kid.... You'll not die this easily. But stay to my guidance and be strong. Don't use that power again till grave urgency...but it was good . Quite entertaining!]
The room went silent.
Except for Xanthia Solaris, sitting at Rio's side, her hand in his.
She smiled softly. "Hey. You're safe."
Rio opened his eyes, barely. "Did I… do too much?"
Xanthia kissed his hand. "You did what you wished for..."
But inside, behind her perfect expression—
> Something was breaking.
She had felt it—the moment his power peaked. It wasn't just strength. It was alien. Her heart, once fluttering with love, now trembled in fear.
(Xanthia: He didn't borrow power… He is the storm now. And I… don't know if I can keep up.)
---
Later That Night – Cracks Beneath the Surface
In her private chambers, Xanthia sat before a cold black mirror.
Her hand hovered over a secure comm-link.
> "He's not stable," she said quietly. "If he activates that Grace again, the collateral damage could be planetary."
A distorted voice replied. "Proceeding to contact the Dark Child?"
Xanthia's voice cracked.
Then firmed.
> "Yes. Contact him."
She ended the call, wiped her tears, and went back to Rio's room.
He was still asleep.
She kissed his forehead. Smiled.
> "Sleep well, love."
But her heart knew something bitter:
> She was preparing for the day she might have to stop him.