Inside the grand hall.
"Professor Luster, it is truly an honor to meet you."
Claudius held a glass of wine, greeting Luster Xander with a polite smile.
With his intellectual features and hair color strikingly similar to Lyxander's, this man was the father of Lyxander, Violet Xander, and Pigeon Xander.
As the dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Faulust University of Technology, it was only natural for Luster Xander to be invited to the welcoming banquet for the second prince of the Hell Empire.
"Hahaha, no, Your Highness. I should be the one honored to meet you."
"No." Claudius shook his head. "Perhaps you do not know this, Professor, but your son, Pigeon Xander, is one of the most respected individuals even among the Twelve Princes of Hell."
Claudius smiled faintly before continuing.
"Besides, I am also a close friend of Lyxander."
Luster took a sip of wine, a small smile he could not hide forming on his lips. He was deeply pleased by the accomplishments of his eldest son.
"Wait... Ugh. What?!" At the mention of his youngest son's name, he rudely spat out his wine.
"No... how do you know Lyxander?"
Before Claudius could answer, a tremor shook the entire hall.
BOOM!
Above the mezzanine, a wall exploded apart, throwing out a man who looked utterly battered.
Then, a crow emerged and leaped over the railing.
Those two figures were Lyxander and Winter Ghost.
"What?! Lyxander, what is he doing here?!"
Luster looked utterly shocked to see his youngest son appear so suddenly.
It was not only Luster. Claudius was equally shocked, though for a very different reason.
"Forgive me, Professor, I should not have given him such terrible advice... Wait!"
Claudius turned and stared at the man from before. "Winter Ghost!"
Thud!
The two men landed squarely atop a table. Without giving anyone time to react, they both vanished, shooting forward like two colliding bullets.
No one could see—or even tell—when they had moved.
Above the hall, Vivi lifted her blindfold, revealing bright blue eyes shaped like scopes.
Her usually expressionless face twisted into something strange, her lips slightly parted and her eyes wide.
Natanael, standing beside her, was just as stunned. In disbelief, he asked, "Has Lyxander always been this strong?"
Vivi remained frozen in shock, not because Lyxander was moving so fast, but because she could actually see what was happening in this battle of speed.
"No... I had no idea he was this strong!"
From table to table, they darted without the slightest care for the food in their way.
At last, they clashed atop the central table. Ghost spun his knife and slashed at Lyxander, but Lyxander pulled a fork into his gauntlet and effortlessly blocked the strike.
Ghost's right side was left wide open. Without hesitation, Lyxander struck Liver Ghost. The enhanced strength from Lyxander's gauntlet not only shattered Ghost's ribs but also sent him flying straight into a towering stack of wine glasses.
The tower of wine glasses collapsed and shattered across the table. Ghost, drenched in red wine, rose back to his feet and licked his lips.
Wine ran from his blue hair down his handsome face, revealing a thrilled grin.
"Hahaha, I never expected a 1-Star to be this strong. You are truly incredible, Lyxander."
Lyxander merely smiled and tossed the fork from his hand.
"LYXANDER!"
He turned and saw Luster Xander with a panicked expression.
"Wait! What is Father doing here?"
Ghost's pupils widened. "An opening!"
He leaped from another table, kicking up a dining knife and catching it with ease.
While Lyxander was still distracted, Ghost appeared directly before him, close enough that there was no room to punch. His hands formed a scissor shape with the dining knife and kitchen knife.
To Lyxander, time seemed to slow, yet his life was still in danger—not because he was slow, but because Ghost was also fast, even if not as fast as him.
'I'll leave matters with Father to Peter... For now.'
"Reflex Limit—Release!"
THUD!
"Ugh!" Ghost spat out part of his breakfast.
He was launched straight through the hall doors, shattering a window and flying out of the building.
"1 inch punch."
Ghost rolled his eyes and regained his senses. His mind was nowhere near as fast as Lyxander's, but he was still quick enough to think.
'What just happened? I had already closed the distance so there was no room to punch... Only one inch, yet he still managed to hit me from that range.'
Ghost's pupils trembled. Unconsciously, he began mimicking Lyxander's sarcastic grin.
'Monster... He has the potential to become a 7-Star.'
Ghost had many strange habits, one of them being the tendency to judge a person's potential. In his entire life, there had only ever been one person he believed could become a 7-Star.
That was the current 7-Star, Sigma the Loner.
But now, there was one more.
Before Ghost could sink deeper into awe, a mocking voice came from above him.
"Looks like you need to watch Bruce Lee."
THUD!
Ghost was slammed downward, crashing into one of the cars in the parking lot.
He exhaled sharply. Both of his arms had been broken trying to block Lyxander's strike.
"Hah... I'm taking a vacation after this job."
Lyxander slowly descended from above and landed in front of the hotel lobby. For a moment, he stared at Ghost.
Without hesitation, Lyxander clenched both fists tightly. The cars on both sides of Ghost suddenly trembled... and the moment Lyxander crossed his arms—
THUD!
The two cars slammed into the car Ghost was standing in. But before they could crush him, Ghost had already switched positions.
Using the explosive force of the colliding cars, Ghost lunged forward and drove Lyxander straight into the hotel lobby, shattering the same glass wall Lyxander and Quartz had crashed through before.
But instead of bringing Lyxander down, Ghost gritted his teeth.
His neck was trapped beneath Lyxander's armpit, now being squeezed so tightly he could barely breathe.
"Guillotine Choke."
Unable to breathe, Ghost immediately switched positions and dropped to one knee far behind Lyxander.
"Hah... Ha... Ugh!"
Before Ghost could take another breath, Lyxander's kick slammed into his stomach, sending him straight into the elevator.
Lyxander casually walked into the elevator, allowing Ghost a brief moment to breathe.
"You're awfully kind," Ghost sneered.
Lyxander only gave him a sarcastic smile.
"I am a kind person... But it seems we need to end this soon."
Lyxander paused for a moment before continuing.
"Releasing two limiters is exhausting. I'll hit my limit soon."
Ghost smiled and looked at Lyxander, ready to mock him.
But then—his eyes caught the flicker of flame from Zirkon's lighter, stolen by Lyxander.
As always, Lyxander was a highly calculated fighter.
First, he soaked Ghost's body in wine, though wine alone was not strong enough to carry fire like alcohol.
So he continued by heating the wine covering Ghost's body with the intense heat from the car explosion.
Once heated, the wine would begin releasing alcoholic vapor. To maximize combustion, Lyxander trapped Ghost inside the elevator.
And finally, he lit the lighter.
Leaving Ghost to burn alive.
"UAAAGGHHHHH..."