The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2143: Seventh Ring — the Final Arena

The golden light in Cain’s crimson eyes burned so intensely that it illuminated the entire sector. He could feel it; his understanding and mastery of Synchronization, Divergence, Resonance, Redirection, and Unity had all ascended once more.

The sensation of growth was intoxicating. Yet even through the euphoria, Cain’s gaze sharpened as he turned toward the entity that ruled the Sixth Ring. He still had no idea what it truly was. It showed no malice, no emotion, no intent he could read.

It acted as some sort of machine, following protocols and showing not even the least inclination to interact with him or respond to his question. And thus, no clue as to how he might leave this place.

For a moment, the idea of fighting it crossed his mind. But now, with his deeper understanding of the Flow, he sensed the truth: the entity and the Sixth Ring were one. They were not master and realm, but a single, unified lifeform. Destroying it would mean destroying the dimension itself — something far beyond even his power.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to try.

As the baptism’s radiance faded, the entity raised a hand.

"You have surpassed the Nineteenth Petal of the Golden Lotus. Thus, you are granted access to the Seventh Ring — the Final Arena."

A stream of crimson energy enveloped Cain, pulling him upward through the void. Light engulfed him once again.

When his vision returned, he stood upon a vast expanse of metallic obsidian, its surface smooth and dark as glass. Above him stretched the sky of the Sacred Dimension, and far in the distance, the shadow of the Red King loomed — still imposing, still vast beyond measure.

But those thoughts vanished the instant he noticed the figures standing not far away.

Three of them.

And one he recognized instantly.

"Braldy..."

Cain’s instincts screamed danger. In an instant, his energy erupted outward, the air around him shimmering with crimson heat. Though the power of his bloodline had grown immensely, he knew that understimating the Neo-Angel would be suicide.

The Neo-Angel reacted just as quickly, his expression twisting into cold fury. Although the Neo-Demon had changed, Braldy would not forget the aura of the man who humiliated him twice. The hatred burning in his heart reignited, sharp and measured, the kind that sought blood.

The tension grew heavy. One heartbeat more, and the arena might have erupted into war —

"Enough. There’s no point in wasting time. We can’t fight each other."

The words sliced through the air like a commandment.

Both warriors turned toward the voice.

A young woman stepped forward, white-haired, her eyes bound in crimson bandages. Though his sight was hidden, Cain knew immediately who he was. The aura, the tone, the very rhythm of his existence, were exactly as Meylin described him.

The Crimson Exarch.

And there, gleaming faintly upon his forehead, bloomed a Golden Lotus with twenty-four petals, just like his own. The similarity did not end there, as above it shimmered a strange, regal red crown that pulsed faintly with power.

Cain’s mind flooded with questions.

How? Why? What was the true link between them?

But he pushed them aside for now, focusing instead on his words, especially the last.

Something about his tone told him this wasn’t a request. It was a law.

Cain narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, and at once, the world changed.

An overwhelming pressure crushed him to his knees. It felt as if the gravity of an entire cosmos had turned against him, trying to compress his bones into dust.

Every breath became agony. His skull and spine felt moments away from shattering.

Cain was vulnerable, but Braldy did not move; he dared not. The Neo-Angel understood that the same fate would strike him if he acted.

Then, as suddenly as it came, the pressure vanished.

Cain coughed, blood splattering across the obsidian floor. He gasped for air, trembling, and turned toward the source of that cosmic weight.

And then, he saw it.

A towering figure, nearly seven meters tall, cloaked in a mantle of dark crimson light, standing in the air.

Its armor was sharp and infernal, forged of overlapping plates that seemed alive, pulsing faintly as though made of molten blood and iron. Every surface was edged with jagged detail, organic yet perfect, as if crafted by a will older than creation itself.

From within the tall, spiked helm, faint red lights burned like distant stars. Floating beside the being was a massive double-edged polearm, brutal yet ceremonial, radiating restrained devastation.

Embers drifted across its surface, and for a heartbeat, Cain thought the armor reflected the movement of galaxies themselves — as if it were forged from a cosmic phenomenon.

This was no mere warrior. This was a force of nature.

And yet, Cain felt nothing.

No aura. No energy. No life signature at all.

He had grown powerful enough to sense the strength of Alpha–Omega Overgods with precision, yet this being was beyond measurement, beyond understanding.

That, in itself, said everything.

He wondered why the entity had reacted the moment he had prepared to attack Braldy, and then, the answer came.

The being’s eyes flared faintly as it spoke in a melodic, toneless voice that seemed to echo through the soul rather than the air.

"In the Final Arena, only combat against the Overseer is permitted.

Only individual challenges are allowed."

The voice faded, leaving silence. The being, the Overseer, drifted back into the air above them, waiting, motionless, as though carved into the fabric of the dimension itself.

The Crimson Exarch exhaled softly and smiled.

"You see? Fighting here is impossible. So, the least we can do is show some manners."

Cain said nothing. He glanced between them all and then turned away.

There was no point in pretending at friendship.

If combat was forbidden for now, then patience was his weapon. Of course, he would like to ask a lot of questions to the Exarch, but he doubted the man would speak of their connection while the Neo-Angel was present.

For now, he would wait for Meylin and the others.