Arc I: “Apocalypse”
Chapter III: “Armageddon”
Episode VIII: “The Third Level!?”
“So, do you still have something to entertain me with, Rikito?”
Rikito didn’t answer.
He stood motionless, his breath shallow, his vision swimming.
Thick layers of dread pressed against him, smothering him in darkness.
Asuka’s voice cut through the void as she descended from the sky towards the steps of the castle.
“Rikito! You’ve got this! Keep it up, it’s not over yet!”
The sound anchored him.
Despite it being the dead of night, a shallowing sun seemed to pierce the darkness in his mind as he turned his head toward her.
In that single glance, the fog began to clear.
She’s right… I can’t end it here.
The light returned to Rikito’s eyes as he steadied himself and analyzed the situation.
Bowl tilted his head, amused. So… you still have some fight left in you after all.
Dammit. If his body can withstand Abyss Breaker without even guarding… then I’ll have to gamble everything. This is my only shot.
Rikito’s fists tightened, sweat dripping down his chin.
“Don’t keep me waiting too long!”
Bowl’s grin widened as he raised his arm.
“Jack’s Blade!”
The air shredded as Bowl’s energy blades screamed toward him. Rikito weaved between them, narrowly evading each strike.
I’ve never been able to do this… even in training. But I don’t have a choice. It’s this or die here.
“Dark Lightning Cannon!” Rikito roared, launching a beam to disrupt Bowl’s assault.
“That again?” Bowl sighed, blocking the blast without effort.
“Come now. Surely, you’ve got something better.”
Rikito seized the opening to shoot upward, gaining distance.
What is he planning? Asuka thought, glancing between Rikito and the still-unconscious Darc and Rayon.
Her healing hands pulsed as she pushed more energy into them.
“This is it… Here goes nothing!”
Rikito’s voice shook as he began gathering his aether.
His creamy-white aura flared violently, sparks of orange cutting through the glow.
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Bowl’s grin grew.
Another level? This could be entertaining.
Seconds dragged into a full minute as Rikito’s energy built, the ground trembling beneath him.
“How long is this going to take?” Bowl yawned.
Then — suddenly — Rikito’s aura collapsed.
He had dropped his transformation.
“What!?” Bowl blinked. “You weren’t transforming?”
“What the hell are you doing!?” Asuka shouted with panic lacing her voice.
But Rikito wasn’t done.
“HAAA!”
His aura erupted again, now streaked with pulses of deep violet.
He’s still charging! He must be up to something. I should stop him… but realistically, there’s no way he could beat me. I’m curious to see how this plays out.
Rikito’s aura began flaring white and purple as he violently charged his power.
Is he trying to do what I think!? He’s… combining his different aethers? Asuka realized, her eyes widening.
“HAAAAAAAAAA!”
Rikito bellowed as his Spirit Ascension re-ignited, but now his creamy-white aura was marbled with violet streaks, his hair shimmering with purple highlights.
A faint ring of violet light circled his white eyes.
Bowl clapped slowly.
“Impressive. You actually managed to merge your Demonic Base Form with your Kaelithian transformation.
You’ve created something entirely new. Absolutely impressive.”
His grin sharpened.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join me as one of the new generals?”
Rikito bared his teeth.
“Not a chance. I told you I’d beat you here, and I will. Brace yourself.”
Bowl laughed, low and sinister.
“Beat me? Shit… no, I think it’s time you learned the difference between potential and supremacy.
It seems I have no choice but to show you what a real demon looks like.”
“What? You’re already in your second form!” Rikito said, his voice wavering.
“Hehehe… You think that’s my limit?” Bowl chuckled darkly.
“Let me share a little secret. When Dystopians use one of the Demon Forms, their skin darkens.
I’m sure you’ve noticed this.
But here’s what you didn’t know — the darker our skin, the closer we are to our peak. Once it turns as black as midnight… You know we’ve reached the pinnacle of our power.”
Rikito’s stomach sank as his gaze locked on Bowl’s pale gray skin.
Does that mean…
“Our parents and I… are a different breed,” Bowl said, his voice dropping to a growl.
“The three of us alone have reached this state.”
“No…” Rikito whispered.
“Yes!”
Bowl threw his arms up into the air in revelation.
“Our father found a way to steal the blessing of Utopia from another Utopian using his mysterious dark energy!
It was with this ability that he planned to steal the Heart of Utopia, and with that ability that he graced me with a stolen blessing!
Now, combining that with the second level, only the three of us can reach this third state!”
Bowl’s grin stretched unnaturally wide.
“Now, behold! Demon Form Level Three!”
Bowl’s yield spiked immensely as his hair flared up.
His energy erupted in a cataclysmic burst, forcing Rikito and Asuka to shield their eyes.
His hair sharpened, his aura became a swirling mix of black, crimson, and violet, and his skin darkened to the color of the void.
He wasn’t joking… this is hopeless.
Rikito trembled as the sheer weight of Bowl’s power pressed against him.
“Rikito! Don’t quit now!” Asuka cried from below the steps.
She’s right… As long as I’m still breathing… THIS FIGHT ISN’T OVER!
OBLIVION BREAK: BLACK PSALM OF DESOLATION:
“DARK ABYSSAL CANNON!”
Rikito screamed, releasing his most devastating attack.
A large blast of violet darkness swallowed the black-sand beach.
“Hmph. King’s Crown.”
An infinite halo of black-red beams erupted from around Bowl’s body, converging like a storm of spears.
They obliterated Rikito’s blast and buried him in an explosion that tore open the ground.
“Did you enjoy that? Like the extent of a great king, this technique has complete control over everything in my domain.”
“Argh.”
“Oh, right, you probably can’t hear me after sustaining so much damage.”
Bowl landed beside the crater, his shadow swallowing Rikito’s broken body.
“Get up.”
He kicked him.
“I said get up!”
Another kick dug into his torso.
Rikito twitched but didn’t rise. His form flickered, reverting to his natural state.
“Pathetic,” Bowl spat, “Then sit there and watch as I destroy your sister.”
“No!”
Rikito’s hand shot out, clutching Bowl’s ankle with all his remaining strength.
“I’m… your opponent!”
He forced himself back into Spirit Resonance, his grip locking like a vice.
Bowl grinned, amused.
“Haha! That’s more like it! Fighting to your last dying breath… that’s the Kaelithian spirit. King’s Crown!”
The beams rained again, consuming Rikito in a blinding blast of explosions until nothing remained.
“NO! Rikito!” Asuka’s voice cracked as she screamed.
“Hehehe… now, I just have to finish you off.” Bowl returned to his natural state, strolling toward her.
“Stay back!” Asuka’s tears streamed as she flared into Spirit Resonance, her aura wild.
Her aether was snappy and boiled the air, tears streaming as she screamed — if she was going to die, she’d take Bowl with her.
“Oooh. You can use that, too? I knew adding you two to our ranks was a great idea.”
His grin grew cruel.
“It’s unfortunate that your brother was too much of a fool to join me.”
“Don’t you dare insult my brother!” Asuka roared.
“He was a greater man than you’ll ever be!” She gathered a blast of water-based aether and tossed it at Bowl.
“Hahaha! Greater? Let me send you to meet him then. King’s Crown!”
The beams tore through her and the blast, her body vaporizing as Bowl turned toward the castle.
“That was simple. Now for those two Earthlings—”
A shadow flickered across his vision.
“What!? Who’s there!?” Bowl spun, his aura flaring.
“YOU!”
A figure stepped from the smoke, carrying Rikito and Asuka over his shoulders like they were weightless.
“Hey.”
The man’s voice was calm, but his presence made the air tremble.
“Who are you!?”
“Who me?”
He raised his head, his black hair glimmering gold as it caught the fractured sunrise.
“My name is Akira… and you must be the Tenth General.”
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “Return of The Chosen One! Akira vs. Bowl!”
[Yield Levels]:
Rikito: 100m
- SR: 10b (Physical)
- SA: 20b
- SA + DBF: 40b
- Dark Lightning Cannon: x10
- Dark Abyssal Cannon: x500
Asuka: 5m
- SR: 500m (Physical)
Bowl: 1b
- DFL2: 10b
- DFL3: 100b
- Jack’s Blade: x10
- King’s Crown: x1000
Akira: ???