An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

Willem's wings, black as night with a metallic sheen, erupted from his back. Fully extended, they stretched over 30 feet. With a gentle flap, a storm of wind and eerie howls swept through the air. The sheer force was intimidating to behold.

His appearance had also undergone a drastic transformation. Willem's once- handsface was now gaunt, his skin wrinkled, and his cheekbones jutted out. Fangs protruded from his mouth, and two sharp horns sprouted from his head.

He had grown taller, but his body was unnaturally thin, with his ribs and sternum visible beneath his skin. From a distance, he looked like a towering, monstrous skeleton. It was an unsettling sight that sent a chill down anyone's spine.

This was Willem's ultimate form.

After the transformation, his speed, strength, defense, and reflexes were greatly enhanced. His thirst for blood grew even more intense, turning him into a bloodthirsty demon.

The gods, who had expressed dissatisfaction moments ago, now stood paralyzed in stunned silence. Fear was etched across their faces.

The transformed Willem was more than ten times stronger than his previous form. The savage, bloodthirsty intensity he gave off was enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine. They knew that if Willem desired, he could crush them instantly.

Faced with such a powerful monster, who would dare speak out now? "Old geezer, I'm going to drain every last drop of your blood today." Willem raised his hand, and his sharp claws pointed at Arion.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot down from above, striking Willem with pinpoint accuracy.

However, he didn't dodge and wasn't harmed by the strike. He seemed immune to the lightning. Besides his remarkable regeneration, his physical defense was now on par with Bailey's, making him virtually indestructible.

"Is that the best you can do? It's like someone just tickled me." Willem sneered.

The so-called strongest man in Dragonmarsh and the title, "Sage of Sacred Wrym Summit", didn't seem impressive to him.

The formation above sent down a barrage of lightning bolts, each striking Willem with full force. Yet, he remained unscathed.

"Old geezer, your attacks are useless. Prepare to die!" Willem grinned menacingly before launching his attack. His figure flickered and reappeared in front of Arion with lightning speed. His sharp claws thrust forward like lances toward Arion's heart.

A soft hum filled the air as a burst of golden light flared up and instantly formed a shield before Arion.

Willem's sharp claws slammed into the glowing barrier, causing the golden light to tremble and ripples to spread outward. It was clear the shield wouldn't hold much longer.

"Heh..." Willem grinned. Without hesitation, he struck again with his sharp claws, aiming to break Arion's Glow Incantation.

"Fire!" Arion raised his hand and waved. A red divine talisman shot out toward Willem's chest. With a loud bang, the talisman unleashed a torrent of flames that instantly engulfed Willem.

The flames burned fiercely with an intense heat. But unlike before, Willem didn't scream in agony. He remained still even as the fire consumed him.

As the crowd watched in disbelief, his demonic wings suddenly flapped. A powerful wind stirred the air around him. In an instant, a violent gust whipped through the area, and spiritual energy surged wildly.

The flames on his body were instantly extinguished, and his tough skin showed no signs of injury-only waves of heat rising from his form. It was clear that the fire had no effect on his ultimate form.

"Now, it's my turn!" Willem grinned wickedly, then flapped his wings. His body turned into a streak of black light and slammed into Arion's golden armor.

The collision rocked the earth, and the shockwave shattered Arion's indestructible golden armor into a shower of glowing particles.

"Yes!" Everyone cheered and was thrilled by the sight.

Arion's Glow Incantation had been nearly invincible, with none of them able to break it, no matter how hard they tried. But now, Willem's devastating blow had broken through it. For them, this was a huge morale boost.

"Go to hell!" Willem roared and flapped his wings again. He turned into a streak of black light and charged toward Arion.

"Attack!" Bailey wouldn't just stand idly by. As Willem charged, he moved in from the opposite direction and attacked Arion.

The two closed in from both sides, intending to trap Arion and block any escape route. The other powerful fighters also launched their signature techniques in a relentless barrage.

It was the perfect tto strike. With Arion's golden armor shattered, his defenses were wide open. A continuous onslaught would almost certainly bring him down.

"Soul Annihilation!" Arion shouted.

Despite being surrounded, he remained composed. With a single wave of his hand, a massive and a massive number of divine talismans shot out. They rained down in a dense, unstoppable cascade and were impossible to avoid. "Explode!" Arion made a swift gesture with his hand. The thousands of divine talismans he had just launched erupted like a series of bombs.

The ground trembled, and the air was filled with the deafening roar of thunder. The shockwaves, swept through everything in a 300-foot radius, flattening everything in their path. Massive trees were uprooted, and buildings crumbled into rubble.

The impact sent the elite figures who had charged toward Arion hurtling backward. The strongest managed to land and regain their footing, but the weaker ones were sent crashing to the ground as blood poured from their mouths and noses. With that one move, Arion stopped all the incoming attacks and heavily wounded half of his enemies.