Wester unleashed several Spells, but Shang just kept dealing with them.

If Wester used energy-based attacks, Shang just used his Domain of Entropy and blocked them with several swords.

If Wester used physical attacks, Shang just used his body, Void Break, and Sword Focus to parry them.

If Wester used Domains, Shang just canceled their effect with his own Domain.

What else could Wester do?

There wasn't much left.

As Wester kept attacking him, Shang kept accelerating.

In the beginning, Wester was faster than Shang, but when Shang started to use Void Break and Sword Focus, Wester became slower.

And when Shang used his Concepts to increase his speed even more, Wester couldn't retreat anymore.

He would need to use Mana Step, but Mana Step cost a terrifying amount of Mana!

That was when Wester got an idea.

When Shang came close, Wester readied his most powerful Spell again.

From this distance, Shang wouldn't be able to block the Spell with his swords.

It was simply too fast!

When Shang arrived in front of Wester, he moved his tentacles.

Meanwhile, Wester was about to unleash his Spell.

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

In a single instant, over 30 swords hit Wester's Mana Shield!

Even more, all of these swords used extremely advanced and terrifying techniques specific to the kind of sword.

Naturally, Shang had easily comprehended Impose for all of these swords.

The sables moved in graceful arcs.

The sabers moved with aggression.

The huge swords unleashed terrifying power.

The small swords unleashed several attacks.

The rapiers stabbed forward.

And Shang's body supported all of this.

Shang's tentacles had been made to unleash just as much power as when he used an arm.

In just an instant, Wester was hit by every kind of sword imaginable.

It was a meat grinder!

And when Wester tried to unleash his Spells, he realized something that chilled him to the core.

He didn't have enough Mana left to finish the Spell!

The next moment, Wester's Mana Shield broke under Shang's Domain of Entropy.

Naturally, Shang's thinnest tentacle moved forward and wound itself around Wester's neck, keeping him from falling.

Another tentacle just slapped Wester's Focus to the side, destroying it.

This hadn't even been a fight.

The sheer power of Shang's body was ridiculous.

"I no longer have a human body, Wester," Shang said.

"You can barely win against an Abomination King as you are, and compared to Abomination Kings, I actually know how to fight."

"Trying to kill me with just a four-level advantage is akin to suicide."

Wester just looked with anger and spite at Shang.

"You weren't this powerful earlier!" he shouted.

Shang smirked.

"You're right."

"Because, back then, I was still a human."

Then, Shang moved Wester so that he faced Aterium.

"Look one last time at the world, Wester. In the future-"

CRK!

"Whoops," Shang said as he saw Wester's head fall off his body. "Sorry, squeezed too hard."

Within seconds, Wester's perception vanished, and he died.

"Well, you would've died soon anyway," Shang shouted after the falling head. "Don't take it to heart, okay?"

A moment later, Wester's head appeared beside Shang, and Shang just looked into the dead eyes.

Somehow, this scene reminded Shang of the end of his first trial.

God had done something similar back then.

"Except that I was still alive back then," Shang said. "I don't have God's power yet."

The next moment, Shang looked up at the sky.

"I wonder, was Lucius that powerful back then?" Shang asked with a smirk.

Of course, Shang didn't receive an answer.

"I hope you're looking forward to our battle in the future."

"I sure am."

After a couple of seconds, Shang took out his pin.

"Gregorio, it seems like Wester has fallen ill. He can't come to work tomorrow."

Silence.

"Did you wish the roles were reversed?" Shang asked.

Silence.

"There was never a going back," Gregorio answered with a helpless sigh.

"Shang, I have felt your power."

"It's not of this world anymore."

"Abaddon's power is still of this world. His power might represent the peak, but it is still part of this world."

"Yours isn't."

"I knew from the very beginning that you would win."

"Oh?" Shang uttered with a grin. "Then why did you let him come to me?"

Silence.

"I didn't want to kill my friend," Gregorio said. "He was a danger to our plans, but I still didn't want to kill him."

"If he simply did nothing for his remaining 15,000 years or so, I would have happily let him be. Receiving a peaceful end was the last I could have given him for the long service he had provided."

Shang heard a sigh come through the pin.

"But he just couldn't help himself investigating. If he had simply ignored the Mana disturbance, nothing would have happened"

"Sadly, Wester was too principled."

"And I guess that was why I had such a high opinion of him."

Sflence.

"Shang, it's important that you know that I genuinely anticipated that you would win. I am honest when I say that I didn't want Wester to win this fight and that I fully support you."

"We've been in this together for around 20,000 years now, and I will not betray you."

"My only wish is to leave the world and visit the greater worlds. You told me that Earth had something like a universe. If Aterium has something similar, I want to see it."

"I want to see people that can destroy a world with a sneeze."

"I want to see beasts bigger than the entirety of Aterium."

"I want to see mountains that are so high that I can't even climb them."

"I want to feel young again."

"I want to experience and discover the wider universe."

"If you need to consume or destroy Aterium for that. so be it."

"But Shang, if there is a way to let Aterium survive, please consider it."

"Yet, even if there isn't, I will follow you."

As Shang listened to Gregorio's speech, he couldn't help smirking.

'Indecisiveness is a bad trait, Gregorio,' Shang thought

'However, I believe you.'

'Since you didn't intend to kill me, we can still work together.'

"I'm glad to hear that," Shang answered.

'But don't try anything else!'