Skyfire Avenue

A pale white light surrounded Lan Jue, making his body seem oddly fluid. He slid around the fiend-crusher attacks, giving Titan no opportunity to land a blow.

This wasn’t a skill that Lan Jue possessed, at least not inherently. This was Zhou Qianlin’s Queen of Heaven. As the most peaceful and supportive of Disciplines, it wasn’t particularly masterful in defense. However, what it did do was greatly enhance the capabilities of her target. Her Queen of Heaven enhancement helped Lan Jue more perfectly join the yin and yang energy he already manipulated, offering him better security.

Titan’s furious attacks slammed against the shields, causing them to quiver. The Epochrion could do nothing but allow her shields to be assailed. They were for the protection of her Northern compatriots. One errant punch from Titan could take out half the Arena.

The other competitors had risen from their comfortable seats and were crowding around the sidelines. The fight had captured their attention, as much as it had the audience. Everyone was taken aback by Titan’s power, but no one – master Adepts included – could believe the explosive power of Zeus.

He’d hidden his true power away for the whole tournament, only pulling it out when faced with this monstrous foe. He was fearless, and for good reason; all along he’d been a peaked-rank Adept, with knowledge of powerful martial arts.

The Pharmacist especially, looked on with a quiet admiration. What skillful use! It looked like the young man was well on his way to true understanding of Taiji.

With each passing moment, the Terminator’s expression soured. He knew the ins and outs of his disciple’s abilities, and the capabilities of his tech. The Paragon manufacturing process had been completed, but his student’s power still wasn’t at its strongest. Nor could he sustain continuous punches, a distinct difference between himself and Qi Mu’s three transformations. His opponent already mastered a good deal of Jue Di’s teachings, as well.

Lan Jue’s two palms pressed in front of his chest, in the same moment that Titan’s next punch landed. He met it face on, and instead of deflecting it the whole of Lan Jue’s body was spun around, guided by the silver and gold energy in his palms. His left arm rolled and forced Titan’s attack up and away. In the same fluid movement, his right fist shot through the sudden opening to deliver its own blast toward the convert.

This wasn’t just deflection. Now he was responding with strength! Thanks to the pressure Titan put him under, Lan Jue was forced to understand his powers even deeper, or be defeated.

“Bang!” The Taiji move rang against Titan’s shield. Even with his protections, the convert was knocked back several steps. His protective shell shimmered.

Titan shook. He was shocked, but refused to let it undermine his faith. His giant hands were pressed together before his chest before another piercing gust of Force burst out from him.

Lan Jue spun like a top, but never left that one spot. The screaming rage of Titan’s power was drawn in to whatever enigmatic powers were at Lan Jue’s command. After a moment, the gold and silver lights surrounding him returned to black and white. They were different now, however; the black rumbled with an incessant peal of thunder. The white energies were a flowing orb of electricity, smooth as water. Trapped right in the middle, was the tempestuous power of Titan’s Fiend-Crusher fist.

This…

Lan Jue made his move. In an instant, all of the powers around him appeared to condense in to a single point. A single beam of blinding light silently shot out, colliding directly with Titan’s defenses.

Boom—-!

The explosion sounded like the whole planet had been cracked down the middle. The floor of the arena collapsed and fell ten meters in to the earth. Although the beam had been directed at Titan, the shields all around the arena warped drastically, like they’d been hit too. If the Epocrion hadn’t been supporting the shield herself, than there would have been a real danger that the blowback would harm the onlookers.

Titan, still covered by his shield, was blasted back like he’d taken a salvo from a battleship. As he flew through the air that golden shell cracked, then fell away.

“Bang!”

Titan struck the far shield then hit the floor. His ten-meter tall figure immediately shrank back down to his normal size. His powerful aura was also perceivably weaker.

Lan Jue stood in the spot Titan had occupied. There was another ragged cough, and rivulets of blood dripped from below his mask. The great Monarch stumbled, but did not fall.

Titan struggled to pull himself up, but couldn’t. For some inexplicable reason his powerful arms seemed incapable of lifting his girth. Three times he fought to stay in the fight, until in the end he collapse face first in the ruins of the ring – unconscious.

There was no electric voice this time, calling the winner. The ring, and all the installations for the tournament – had been destroyed in their conflict. Lan Jue looked up to the Epochrion, just as his golden armor fell away.

“Zeus has won.” The Epochrion’s calm determination hung over the arena.

Beneath the mask, Lan Jue smiled. He took a step back then fell promptly on to his backside. The golden mask concealing his features crackled, then became dust and disappeared. His face revealed for all to see.

ζ

Planet Skyfire, National Eastern University. A.R.C. lecture hall.

“Hey, teach is pretty handsome!”

“Why does he look familiar… ”

Tan Lingyun stared at the projected image, with eyes big as saucers and her mouth hanging open. All the cameras were focused on the Adept, a man younger and more handsome than the crowd had guessed. But that face…

No. No no no. This is wrong – all wrong! How can it be him?!

The first time she’d met him, he was lounging outside of her class like some sort of pedophile. She’d dragged him like a beaten dog right to the Director. He never fought back.

Taihua! And then there was Taihua. That blue mecha was him! It must have been! Yes! This was the only explanation, and that means that blue mecha was Thor. Zeus’ Thor. He had saved me, and so many other lives during that attack.

Then the competition with Lyr, that enigmatic and unbeatable Lei Fang? Him as well. He’d turned that desperate loss around, and she had been on his lap watching the whole thing. She thought she had him that time.

And the A.R.C. class? The mask was to make sure I didn’t find him out. No wonder they’d progressed so far in only three months.

The break-neck race through the asteroid field was also a clue. She should have figured it out months ago, she chastised herself.

Always at the last minute, Lan Jue – that etiquette teacher, the one she’d long ago labeled trash – came to the rescue. He was Zeus, the great Monarch of lightning, who just beat the strongest fighter the North could manufacture.

Him! Him! Him!

She just sat there in her chair, lost.

Tang Mi fared no better. She might have suspected something was off, but who would guess that their idol wa standing right beside them the whole time? And it was all for Qianlin, from crashing the wedding to taking a teaching position.

No wonder her friend always acted so strange when she brought it up, she thought. No wonder they seemed to get along so well whenever she saw them together! He was Zeus, always has been!

ζ

Northern Alliance. Planet Luo, Luo City. The Great Conclave Arena.

The tournament had no choice to be put on a temporary hold. The damage to the arena surpassed ts own ability to heal, and would need a great deal of manpower to restore. After some consultation, the organizers announced that the day’s events were finished. All tickets would be good for tomorrow’s fights as well.

Titan had to be carried out. Lan Jue managed to walk off the ring, but only with the Pharmacist’s help. His face was drawn and pale, but his eyes were ablaze with excitement.

I won… in the end I actually won. Man has triumphed over machine – I succeeded!

When they got back to the resting area, he collapsed in the Pharmacist’s arms. He’d used up too much. No one in the audience had anything to say – witnessing such a dramatic upset was exactly what they’d come to see.

But Zeus’ name, his real face, was now known to the whole of humanity.

The whole of the East was in celebration. Skyfire Avenue cheered their victory. But more than anyone, the NEU A.R.C. class was uncontrollable. Names could be repeated, but barring surgical trickery there was only face like that.

When the news spread, Wu Junyi’s communicator was blowing up. Most of the callers were desperate for more information about Lan Jue. Several others were parents desperate to get their kids to sign up. Overwhelmed, he had to ask Principle Xi Renjian what to do. He was told to turn the thing off.

They’d really struck gold! Wu Junyi’s self-satisfied smirk stretched from ear to ear. He could see the future of his beloved university, lauded as one of the best in the East. Who gave a flying shit about Lyr, those assholes didn’t stand a chance.