MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 970: I don’t lose

Lucian Darkheart Versus Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos

When their numbers flashed onto the display, a fresh hush enveloped the atmosphere, hanging in the air like an enormous presence dropping from the heavens, weighing down on every spectator's shoulders and compelling even the fidgetiest souls into an eerie calm.

Even though many in the crowd had only crossed paths mere hours or days earlier, none were foolish or blind to the vibes around them; they could sense a kind of strain—or rather, something denser and more intricate—lingering between Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos and Lucian Darkheart.

A few sharp minds pieced together that it stemmed from events in the Starborn Tournament, while those who missed the connection simply shrugged it off, eager just for the thrill, since for the average onlooker, the show trumped the backstory every time.

Aaaninja's eyes, resembling rainbows in a clock's design, turned toward Lucian, their multicolored pupils spinning subtly like delicate mechanisms tracking the flow of time, while he returned the gaze with his pitch-black orbs, deep and endless as an infinite void, the suspense and strain thickening with each ticking instant as their stares connected and held firm without yielding.

The katana at Lucian's side quivered slightly in eagerness, as if possessed by its own spirit, recognizing the foe ahead and craving yet another fierce encounter. A gradual grin spread across Lucian's mouth, serene but edged, for the awaited instant had arrived—he could clash with Aaaninja once more, after three full years of development, rigorous practice, and silent readiness for precisely this showdown.

Aaaninja remained seated in tranquility, his whole bearing radiating poised detachment, akin to a serene pond untouched by breezes. Yet he wasn't naive or blinded by overconfidence. Though his main goal in this bout was Null Anthony, that didn't blind him to Lucian Darkheart's prowess; in their previous fight, they'd traded blows in tight exchanges, back and forth, until Aaaninja seized a fleeting opening to tip the scales in his favor.

Since that clash, he'd surged in power—over a hundredfold, truly—via relentless honing and harsh self-mastery, but Lucian had advanced at a frightening rate too; after all, it was ridiculous to think only he could evolve while Lucian stayed put. Advancement never favored just one individual.

A faint smile crossed Anthony's face as his gaze met Aura Nova's, and the instant their azure eyes connected, they exchanged knowing grins, a bowl of popcorn materializing in their grasp as if summoned by pure reflex. No explanation was needed; they knew a massive showdown was about to erupt right in front of them, a spectacle to savor in every nuance, like a myth coming alive.

Altheria and Veronica shared a look, each quietly cheering for their partner, even if they weren't in the fray themselves—their gazes and hearts flared with excitement and honor, viewing this as essentially a contest of the mightiest suitor between them, a strangely intimate feud embedded in the practice match.

Though Lucian Darkheart had been defeated before, history held no sway; the present defined everything, the bygone was irrelevant, and in this realm, power was gauged by current might, not dusty triumphs lost to time.

Across the arena, Zachary and Riven's eyes locked, both once bitter adversaries from youth, pitting Human against Celestial lineages in a savage contest, and now it appeared their offspring had taken up that same feud instinctively, as if it pulsed through their blood. Each harbored total faith in their boy, their stares fixed unwaveringly on the pair below.

Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos stood up with the fluid poise of a sovereign descending a staircase to speak to assembled followers, each motion exact and refined. Silently, he advanced a step, and instantly, gravity pulled him downward in a controlled drop, his hands folded neatly behind him, treating the pull like a mere instrument rather than an overpowering force.

Lucian Darkheart wasted no time; he grinned, then lifted from his chair, surrendering to gravity's tug as his coat billowed gently. For a split second, he materialized next to Aaaninja in the air, flashing a provocative smirk, before blinking out of sight, and soon after, both touched down on the ground, mastering their descent so utterly that they nullified all the speed they'd built.

A few meters separated them as their boots met the earth softly, and they held their quiet vigil, eyes fixed on each other while awaiting Klaus's cue as the match's referee, the gap between them narrow but vast in feel.

"We finally meet again," Lucian's voice sliced the quiet like a blade through fine cloth, soft and steady yet loaded with gravity.

He held no bitterness toward Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos; after all, he saw him as a true companion despite it all, driven only by the urge to face someone who'd bested him once, pure and simple. No shadows lurked beneath. No bitterness. Merely the raw drive to surpass his former self.

Much like Aaaninja's drive to test Anthony, this was his parallel pursuit. They shared the goal, seeking growth via strife.

"It seems so," Aaaninja responded, his indifferent mask fading as a grin lit his features. He felt the pull to echo words Anthony had thrown at him three years back, and what Kingsley had repeated hours earlier, but held back—mimicking another's boast wouldn't fit his style.

"I recognize your resolve, too bad it would get you nowhere," Aaaninja went on, grin intact, posture loose, eyes alert, exuding the assurance of one who foresaw victory from the start.

"You do know that underestimating me could get you killed," Lucian Darkheart shot back with a soft laugh, his tone airy but tinged with subtle caution.

Aaaninja shook his head in response, "that would be insulting to you. While my target is Anthony, it doesn’t mean I’ve become such a fool that I don’t recognize a strong opponent," his reply even and serene, devoid of scorn.

"What will you do when you lose?" Lucian Darkheart pressed, his focus laser-sharp on Aaaninja.

"Me considering the option of me losing means I never once believed in myself, and I don’t lose," Aaaninja countered, shaking his head once more, his trust in his abilities total and immovable, verging on devotion.

Those words drew a smirk from Lucian Darkheart; at times, he truly pondered if Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos was a fellow reincarnator like himself, just masterfully concealing it.

"Confident, huh?" he remarked, flicking his gaze skyward for a moment before his dark eyes returned to Aaaninja, his aura shifting as if he morphed from ally to adversary right then.

"I hope your loss doesn’t affect our friendship, or you in general, after all you are going to lose to Anthony and I," with that final line, his presence transformed fully as combat fervor surged upward in shadowy surges, making the atmosphere wail and quiver, an unseen force expanding like a tempest's howl.

Aaaninja offered no words, just a smirk; Lucian had always predicted his defeat to Null Anthony, a claim he'd dismissed every time. Keeping that grin, his own combat fervor ascended, keen and brilliant, slamming into Lucian's with ferocious impact, their determinations crashing like rival surges, hurling crackling bursts into the sky and warping the nearby space.

In the following instant, the atmosphere froze oddly, then fractured as a thunderous command ripped through the halted air with commanding force.

"Begin."