The collision between the crimson beams and our silver palms shook the surrounding void violently, crimson mist exploding outward in massive waves before gradually settling again into swirling currents around us.
The attacks didn’t break through, but the pressure behind them was enough to make the entire region groan as though the Crimson Zone itself disliked our existence moving through it.
Then the mist ahead twisted again. This time harder. The crimson haze folded inward before four figures slowly emerged from within it.
Two of them carried Layla’s appearance. The same flowing black gown.
The same serpent projection behind them.
And the same terrifying Saint-ranked aura leaking outward from their bodies.
The other two were me.
Crimson robes with red hair and glowing scarlet eyes.
Silver essence distorted unnaturally around their bodies while even fragments of my laws rippled faintly through the surrounding mist.
Beside me, Vivi frowned slightly.
"That," she said quietly, "looks significantly more dangerous."
Layla’s eyes narrowed immediately while the giant silver serpent beneath her shifted aggressively.
We looked at each other and understood the situation had escalated. We thought there will be only Layla’s replicas to be dealt with but there were mine too.
I spoke to her first.
"We will have to move fast," I said calmly. "And we hit hard. The only way out is hit and run."
Layla nodded once.
Without wasting another second, I clenched my fist.
Silver essence exploded outward across my arm instantly before compressing violently toward my palm, layer after layer of Absolute laws folding inward until even the surrounding void began cracking under the pressure.
[Absolute Art: Absolute Destruction]
The replicas moved simultaneously but my attack was faster.
I thrust my fist forward.
A gigantic silver beam erupted outward from my hand and tore through the Crimson Zone like a collapsing star, overwhelming pressure flooding the surrounding space while the crimson mist disintegrated instantly wherever the attack passed.
The four replicas tried to counterattack. The beam swallowed them whole. For a brief second their silhouettes remained visible inside the silver light.
Then they vanished completely. Obliterated along with the mist that created them. The silver beam continued hundreds of kilometers farther before finally fading into the endless crimson haze.
Behind us, the other leaders had gone completely silent.
Even the Demon Monarch looked stunned now.
"No wonder the kid declared himself ruler," he muttered.
"We continue," I said immediately.
Then I looked toward Layla.
"Your turn next."
The Matriarch smiled faintly after hearing that.
"Gladly."
The silver serpent beneath her roared silently as its massive body surged forward through the Crimson Zone, silver essence gathering rapidly around Layla while countless ancient runes spread outward beneath her feet.
Then she raised one hand.
The serpent projection behind her split apart instantly into hundreds of smaller silver serpents formed entirely from condensed law energy before they scattered outward through the crimson mist in every direction.
A few moments later, four new replicas emerged ahead.
Two mine.
Two hers.
Layla’s eyes glowed brightly. The countless silver serpents converged instantly.
They wrapped around the replicas from every direction before biting into their bodies simultaneously, and the moment contact happened, silver poison-like essence flooded through the crimson figures at terrifying speed.
The replicas began cracking apart almost immediately. Then the serpent projections detonated. The entire region exploded into silver light while the crimson figures dissolved completely.
We didn’t stop moving.
The deeper we pushed outward, the more violently the Crimson Zone reacted to us. The mist churned endlessly around our group now while new attacks continuously formed ahead, but unlike before, Layla and I attacked before the replicas could even properly stabilize.
Soon, the zone adopted and six figures emerged together.
Three replicas of Layla and three of me.
This time the pressure they released shook even the surrounding void violently. The silver serpent roared again while my laws spread outward around my body.
Then both of us attacked together.
Layla lifted both hands and the entire crimson region around the replicas suddenly transformed into a gigantic silver serpent domain, countless spectral snakes materializing through the mist before constricting inward from all directions.
At the same moment I raised my palm.
[Absolute Art: Boundless Collapse]
Silver cracks spread through space itself and then it folded inward.
The region containing the six replicas compressed violently as though an invisible hand had crushed the void itself, the crimson figures trapped inside Layla’s serpent domain before my collapsing space tore through them simultaneously.
The explosion that followed erased everything nearby.
Then finally the pressure around us lessened.
The crimson mist ahead began thinning rapidly before the dark emptiness of normal space slowly became visible beyond it.
"We’re out," Vivi said quietly beside me.
Behind us the other leaders followed closely, all of them visibly exhausted after remaining trapped inside the Crimson Zone for so long.
The Demon Monarch let out a loud laugh the moment normal space became visible again.
"Finally!" he roared. "I never want to see another version of my face again."
The endless crimson mist remained behind us like a living wall stretching across the void while the leaders silently adjusted themselves after what had clearly been a very long imprisonment inside that place.
Then the Demon Monarch suddenly laughed loudly. The sound echoed across space while flames burst around all four of his arms.
"Well," he said while looking directly at me, "that was entertaining."
He stepped closer before grinning widely.
"I’ll meet you again soon, young man."
Then he glanced toward Layla and gave her a casual nod. The Matriarch simply waved one hand dismissively.
The next instant the Demon Monarch’s body erupted into black-red flames before shooting away through the void like a burning comet, disappearing into the distance almost instantly.
The tiger feran stepped forward next. His massive wings folded slightly behind him while his golden eyes locked onto mine.
"I witnessed your strength," he said calmly. "But strength alone does not make someone ruler of the Blue Spiral."
I simply looked back at him without replying. The feran sovereign snorted softly.
"I will come find you later."
Then with a deafening roar, he spread his wings and blasted forward into the void. The griffon feran followed immediately behind him, both figures vanishing quickly into the darkness of space.
The elemental emperor remained behind only briefly.
The shifting body of fire and lightning crackled softly while he studied me for another second before giving a single quiet nod. Then his body dissolved into pure elemental energy and streaked away through space without saying a word.
Soon only Layla, the old naga warrior, Vivi, and I remained floating outside the Crimson Zone.
Then suddenly, Layla’s appearance began changing.
The flowing black gown vanished in a ripple of silver essence before transforming into fitted black pants and a black shirt with the upper buttons casually left open while she tied her long black hair into a ponytail behind her head.
The old naga warrior immediately facepalmed himself.
"Matriarch..." he sighed tiredly.
Layla ignored him entirely.
Instead she walked toward me while openly looking me up and down with visible curiosity in her golden eyes.
"You really are strong, aren’t you," she said. "You’re not even a Saint yet you already possess strength comparable to one." A faint grin appeared on her face afterward. "That’s incredibly interesting."
I stared at her for a moment, slightly caught off guard by the sudden shift in personality. This was completely different from the calm, ancient aura she carried inside the Crimson Zone.
"Azelea told me a little about you before," Layla continued casually. "But even she didn’t fully understand how unique you actually are."
Then her attention shifted toward Vivi. Layla stepped closer toward her while narrowing her eyes slightly.
"I can feel the connection the Blue Spiral has with you, child," she said softly. "Very interesting indeed."