Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 450 450: No longer bound by rules

The pressure on the battlefield deepened into something suffocating, something that pressed against the senses and made it impossible for anyone present to ignore the sheer disparity that had begun to reveal itself despite the numbers now gathered against Ken. Even in her mature form, even with the domain fully under her control and amplifying every aspect of her power, the Ice Belle found herself facing an opponent who refused to be bound by those advantages, who moved through her territory with a level of mastery and resistance that made each exchange feel heavier than it should have been. Her attacks were sharp, relentless, and perfectly executed, ice and wind intertwining in waves that would have overwhelmed any other Celestial, yet against Ken they seemed to fall just short, not because they lacked power, but because he was always just beyond their reach.

Lucas saw it clearly as he fought alongside her, his spatial abilities pushing to their limits as he attempted to create openings, to distort angles, to force even the smallest miscalculation from Ken, but every attempt was anticipated, every movement read with a precision that bordered on unnatural. He would appear at Ken's flank, striking with a compressed spatial tear aimed at a vital point, only for Ken to already be shifting away before the attack could fully materialize, his body moving with an efficiency that suggested not reaction, but foresight. When Lucas attempted to trap him within overlapping distortions, bending space itself to limit his movement, Ken responded with a surge of flame that disrupted the distortions just enough to slip through, turning defense into counterattack in the same breath.

The Ice Belle pressed harder, refusing to yield control of her domain, her presence intensifying as the cold deepened further, the frost beneath their feet thickening as she attempted to tighten her hold over the battlefield. She summoned jagged pillars of ice to erupt from all directions, layered them with slicing currents of wind, and collapsed the space around him in a coordinated assault meant to leave no escape, yet Ken moved through it all with terrifying calm, weaving between attacks with minimal movement, allowing some to pass by mere inches, deflecting others with bursts of flame that carried just enough force to neutralize their trajectory without wasting energy.

Not a single hit landed.

Not one.

And that truth began to weigh heavily, not just on Lucas and the Ice Belle, but on those watching from the distance, because what they were witnessing was no longer a question of numbers or coordination, it was a demonstration of absolute control against overwhelming odds.

Then the battlefield shifted again.

From the edges of the formation, four figures surged forward, their movements decisive, their intentions clear long before they reached the center of the conflict. Lira led with unrestrained determination, her fear overridden completely by the sight of Lucas being pushed into such a dangerous fight, while Selene followed with quiet resolve, her focus unwavering as she locked onto Ken as her target. Henrietta cast aside the last remnants of hesitation, her earlier shock replaced by action as she joined the charge, and Princess Nyx moved with composed precision, her decision already calculated, already finalized before the others had even begun to move.

They did not hesitate.

They did not ask.

Because there was nothing left to wait for.

This was no longer a duel bound by rules or honor, and the moment Ken had shattered that structure, he had opened the battlefield to all of them.

"Our turn," Lira's voice carried, steady and resolute as she closed the distance.

Selene's gaze hardened, her presence aligning with the others as she stepped into formation.

"We're not standing back anymore."

Henrietta exhaled sharply, her energy rising as she prepared to engage.

"He's not untouchable."

Princess Nyx said nothing, but her positioning spoke volumes as she moved to a strategic angle, already anticipating how best to support and disrupt.

They entered the fight together.

Six against one.

Lucas.

The Ice Belle.

Lira.

Selene.

Henrietta.

Nyx.

The battlefield expanded, the pressure intensifying as multiple sources of power converged on a single target, attacks coming from different angles, different styles, different rhythms, each one aimed to overwhelm, to break through what Lucas and the Ice Belle alone had not yet managed to do.

And yet….Ken remained unchanged.

He turned slightly, his gaze sweeping across them all in a single, measured glance, taking in their positions, their intent, their timing, and for the briefest moment, there was something almost resembling amusement in his expression, not loud or exaggerated, but subtle, cold, and deeply unsettling.

"…So this is how it is now," he said quietly, his voice calm despite the storm forming around him.

The flames around his body flared, not wildly, but with controlled intensity, rising just enough to signal readiness rather than reaction, as though he had already accepted the shift in numbers and found it insignificant.

His stance adjusted slightly, minimal but precise, his presence grounding itself against the combined pressure of six opponents without strain, without hesitation, without even the smallest sign of being overwhelmed.

"Good," he added, his gaze sharpening as it settled back onto them.

"Come."

And in that moment, despite being surrounded, despite facing six fighters who had already proven their strength against a Celestial, one truth stood out more clearly than anything else.

Ken was not fazed.

Not even in the slightest.

The battlefield descended into a relentless storm of motion and power, six figures converging on a single opponent with everything they had, their attacks layered, coordinated, and driven by urgency, yet the outcome remained unchanged in a way that began to feel almost unreal. Every angle was covered, every opening tested, every combination executed with precision, but Ken stood at the center of it all like an immovable axis, his movements sharp and efficient, his control absolute as he navigated through the assault without allowing a single strike to land cleanly.

It was not that their attacks lacked strength or speed, nor was it a failure of coordination, because Lucas and the Ice Belle had already proven they could push a Celestial to the brink, and the addition of the others only increased the pressure exponentially. Lira struck with fierce determination, her movements fueled by emotion but guided by intent, while Selene maintained a steady rhythm, her attacks calculated and well-timed to create openings. Henrietta brought a balanced approach, combining offense with awareness, and Princess Nyx operated with strategic precision, positioning herself to disrupt and support in equal measure.

Lucas moved among them like a shadow, his spatial abilities weaving their efforts together, closing distances, opening angles, attempting to force even the smallest misstep, while the Ice Belle controlled the field itself, tightening her domain, restricting space, amplifying every attack launched within it.

And still…Nothing landed.

Ken moved through it all with an ease that felt almost insulting, his body shifting just enough to evade each strike, his flames responding instinctively to neutralize threats that came too close, his awareness spanning the entire battlefield as though he could see every movement before it happened. He did not rush, did not overextend, did not waste motion, each step placed perfectly, each counter measured and deliberate.

He was not fighting six opponents.

He was managing them.

The realization began to settle in, heavy and unsettling, as the gap between them became more and more apparent with each passing exchange.

Lira pushed forward again, her determination overriding caution as she saw what she thought was an opening, a brief moment where Ken's attention had shifted toward another angle, and without hesitation, she committed to it, her attack fast, direct, aimed to finally break through the wall that had denied them at every turn.

His gaze snapped to her instantly, sharper than before, and in that single moment, the dynamic shifted completely as he chose not to avoid, but to strike back with overwhelming force.

His hand moved and fire surged.

Concentrated and compressed into a devastating attack that launched toward her with lethal precision, the heat distorting the air around it as it tore forward faster than she could fully react.

Lira's eyes widened.

Too late.

The attack was already upon her.

From the distance, Selene's voice broke through the chaos.

"Lira!"

The impact was imminent.

Death certain.

But…Space twisted.

Lucas appeared In the exact space between them.

His arm extended, his control pushed to its limit as he forced a spatial distortion open at the last possible instant, the attack colliding with the warped space instead of her body, the force tearing through the distortion and exploding outward just enough to deflect its path away from her.

The backlash hit him immediately.

A sharp strain ran through his body as he forced the redirection, his control holding by the narrowest margin as the attack passed them, carving violently into the ground behind them in a burst of fire and destruction.

Lira staggered back, her breath caught in her throat, the reality of what had just happened crashing into her all at once as she realized how close she had come to death.

Lucas remained in front of her, his stance steady but strained, his breathing slightly heavier now, his eyes still locked on Ken as the distortion faded around him.

Then Ken spoke. "…Careless," he said calmly, his tone devoid of urgency, as though what had just happened had been nothing more than a minor correction.

His gaze lingered on Lira for a second longer before shifting back to Lucas, something sharper now reflecting in his eyes.

"That one," he added quietly, "almost died."

And the way he said it made one thing painfully clear.

If Lucas had been even a fraction slower…She would have.