Just as Azhan and the Black Dragon King confronted each other at the top of the tower and Bangkok was on the verge of succumbing to purple magical energy, a deafening sonic boom echoed across the distant, cloud-covered horizon.
This wasn't the roar of a zombie, but the rumble of a jet turbine.
Dozens of matte black 'Raptor-X' superhuman fighter jets pierced the purple mist, leaving long white streaks in their exhaust trails. Among this group of fighters, a massive transport plane resembling a small aerial fortress hovered slowly.
'Report: approaching target, Bangkok Tower.'
'Superhuman energy band monitoring: energy level has exceeded critical threshold.'
"Colonel, command inquires: 'Indiscriminate elimination'?"
The transport plane's hatch swung open and a violent, high-altitude hurricane rushed in. A burly man in a dark green military overcoat stood at the edge of the hatch. He wasn't wearing an oxygen mask or carrying a parachute. In his right hand, he gripped a steel alloy cane engraved with gravity runes.
He was the last trump card of the Bangkok military — Colonel Man, known as the 'Immovable Fortress'.
'Eliminate?' Colonel Man scoffed. His hawk-like eyes gleamed with a metallic sheen. 'Before Bangkok becomes hell, drag that self-proclaimed "god" old man off his throne.'
He leapt, crashing straight down onto the 100^(th)-floor platform of the Bangkok Tower like a burning meteor.
[System Monitoring: Detected an extremely high-frequency energy source falling! Identity: Colonel Man (Commander-level)! Ability Polarity: Magnetic Force – Steel Shaping! Combat Power Index: 18,000 (constant state)!
]
Freeze-frame perspective 1: unlike A-Zhan's wildly fluctuating 'zero value', Colonel Man's combat power remained outrageously stable. The number 18,000 remained perfectly still, as if it were not the upper limit of power, but an absolute, insurmountable law of truth.
Boom!
Colonel Man crashed heavily onto the edge of the altar. The once hard composite material of the floor instantly liquefied and reformed into four massive steel chains, which swiftly entangled the purple tentacles that were pulling at Marlene.
"It's military business. All bystanders, clear out!"
"Colonel Man?" Black Dragon King Chen Wu stopped, his tone laced with sarcasm. 'Did you bring your pile of junk to a god's funeral?'
'Chen Wu, according to Article 1 of the Federal Emergency Act, you have been stripped of all human rights.' Colonel Man slowly removed his military overcoat, revealing the mechanical exoskeleton armour beneath. "Now, Bangkok enters 'Clearance Mode.'"
Ultimate Skill:
[Steel Domain – All Soldiers Converge]!
With a slam of Colonel Man's cane, the remaining steel bars, cables and wreckage from the collapsed elevator were instantly stripped away and suspended to converge into a fifty-metre-long steel wave.
Amplified by a constant combat power of 18,000 points, this colossal wave possessed not only physical destructive force, but also a 'superconducting magnetic field' capable of cutting through supernatural abilities.
The steel behemoth collided head-on with the Black Dragon King's purple demonic energy!
Colonel Man erected a steel shield against the oppressive force of a million combatants, standing before the heavily injured A-Zhan and the terrified Marlene amidst a grinding sound that made his teeth rattle. His back remained as steady as a mountain. "A-Zhan, can you still stand?" Colonel Man asked without turning his head.
"Cough, cough… Old man, you're too slow." A-Zhan coughed up a mouthful of blood and managed to stand up, supporting himself with the Black Star Heavy Sword. "And why is your combat power still only 18,000? That level wouldn't even scratch his skin."
'Combat power is just data. I am the law." Instantly, Colonel Man's right arm was covered by layers of steel plates, transforming it into a gigantic steel fist. 'In this steel-covered domain, as long as I don't break, he will never cross this line.'
He looked at the Black Dragon King; his eyes showed no fear, only the almost obsessive calm of a professional soldier.
"Task Force, cover fire!"
At his command, dozens of 'Raptor' fighter jets in the sky opened fire simultaneously. Thousands of armour-piercing rounds, enhanced by spiritual energy, rained down like a storm, engulfing the core of the altar where the Black Dragon King was standing in flames. Although Colonel Man's arrival had temporarily alleviated the desperate situation, everyone knew that, against a Black Dragon King with a combat power of a million, this was only a temporary obstacle.
'Listen, Azhan,' said Colonel Man in a low voice, sparks flying from his mechanical gauntlets. 'My "Steel Domain" can only last three minutes at most. After that, the magnetic field here will collapse. Before then, you must take that girl to the core base. That's the only way to restart the 'Brahma System'."
'And what about you?' Marlene asked tearfully.
Colonel Man sneered and raised his cane again. The steel debris behind him frantically reformed, transforming into the ghostly image of a steel giant, tens of metres tall.
'A soldier never retreats.'
[Battle Power Countdown: 00:12:00]
[Colonel Man: Soul Burning Interception Mode (Constant Battle Power: 18,000 -> ??)
[Black Dragon King: True Divine State – Second Stage – Activated]
The gale-force winds at the top of the Bangkok Tower were strong enough to tear flesh apart. Under the frenzied onslaught of purple magical energy, the steel giant constructed from discarded building materials and mecha wreckage by Colonel Man emitted a sickeningly metallic creaking sound.
'Your 18,000 combat power is child's play in the God's Realm,' sneered the Black Dragon King, waving his hand. Dozens of purple demonic whiskers transformed into arrows that pierced the sky and struck straight into the steel giant's chest.
However, Colonel Man did not retreat. His mechanical right arm, etched with medals, gripped the control stick tightly and his eyes flashed with an unprecedentedly cold metallic light.
[System Monitoring: Colonel Man (Status Abnormal)]
Combat Power Index: 18,000… 18,000… 18,000…
Warning: The value has not changed, but the attack power has exceeded 150,000! "What's going on? Why are the numbers the same but the power…" The Black Dragon King's contempt finally vanished. He was horrified to discover that Colonel Man's combat power wasn't increasing, but rather 'solidifying'.
'Black Dragon King, a gambler like you who manipulates data will never understand.' Colonel Man spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with engine oil. 'The will of an army isn't the sum of combat power, but constant "living to the death". As long as I'm alive, every punch I land carries the weight of a million people in Bangkok!"
Ultimate Technique: Fortress Core – Absolute Pressure!
Colonel Man forcibly overloaded his exoskeleton armour. The magnetic field, which was originally evenly distributed, instantly collapsed, compressing the steel within a kilometre radius into a black iron sphere with a diameter of less than one metre. This wasn't combat power, but simply the suppression of physical mass.
Seizing the opportunity while Colonel Man was holding off the Black Dragon King, A-Zhan stood up and leaned on his sword. He glanced at Marin, who was already enveloped in golden spiritual energy feathers and had a resolute glint in his eyes.
"Colonel Mann, I'll remember this favour."
A-Zhan slowly raised his right hand. His right arm, modified by the Cyber Doctor, was now oozing black soot from overuse. Rather than charging at the Black Dragon King, he gripped the 'Black Star Greatsword' in a reverse grip, pressing its hilt fiercely against his heart.
"What are you trying to do?!" Marlene cried out in terror, sensing that something was wrong.
'This sword contains the meteorite core that Cyber implanted, as well as the origin of my "Life-Eating Curse".' Azhan gave a somewhat bleak smile, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light. 'Since 0 cannot defeat 1 million, then I will... utterly destroy this 0.'
[Self-Destructive Awakening: Origin Crushing]
Azhan's health: 20%, 10%, 5%
Azhan exerted tremendous force, snapping the Black Star Greatsword blade in two. Instead of using the sword tip, he slammed the 'meteorite core', brimming with destructive energy, directly into a groove in his right arm.
In an instant, a torrent of black lightning imbued with despair erupted from Azhan's pores — a far more terrifying form than his previous 'Life-Burning State'. His eyes had no longer had pupils; now, there were only two constantly spinning miniature black holes.
"Colonel Man, clear a path!" Azhan roared inhumanly.
"Roger, soldier!" Colonel Man laughed maniacally. Despite his lower body gradually turning to sand due to overload, he unleashed a final punch. 'The final gift — full power deployment!'
The steel giant transformed into a gigantic drill and tore through the Black Dragon King's purple shield with great force. In the fraction of a second that it took for the shield to shatter, A-Zhan transformed into a black phantom and appeared instantly between the Black Dragon King's brows, following the bloody path carved by the steel giant.
"Old man, this is what I prepared for you... 'The End of Zero'!"
Ah Zhan's right fist, carrying all the energy from the shattered core, left an eternal black mark amidst the light of a combat power of a million levels. "Rumble—!"
At that moment, the entire Bangkok Tower seemed to stop shaking. A black, hemispherical force field spread out from the tip of the tower, obliterating the clouds, the witch corpses and those false miracles.
Colonel Man's steel remains dissipated in the wind. He took one last look at the top of the tower, a veteran's satisfaction playing on his lips. After throwing that punch, Ah Zhan's right arm armour was completely shattered and his body fell like a kite with a broken string.
"It's not… over…" came the Black Dragon King's ferocious roar from within the smoke, like a demon from hell.
[Combat Power Countdown: 00:08:00]
[Black Dragon King: True Form – Final Form – 'Black Dragon Returns to One']
The rooftop platform of the Bangkok Tower had mostly collapsed in the explosion, and fierce winds whipped up metal debris, whistling past Ah Zhan's ears.
Colonel Man was kneeling amidst the rubble; only his upper body was supported by a few twisted hydraulic rods, his lower body having been blown away in the explosion. His prized mechanical right arm was sparking as its internal gears were worn away.
'Ah Zhan, come here.' Colonel Man's voice was barely audible, yet it still exuded an undeniable military authority.
Ah Zhan, dragging his numb right arm, staggered over to him.
'Bangkok Military Region... Number 001... Man... Requesting resignation.' With his last ounce of strength, the colonel pulled a blood- and engine-oil-stained gold lion medal from his pocket. He trembled as he slammed it tightly onto Ah Zhan's tattered trench coat collar. 'From now on, you're not a guinea pig or a thug anymore, but Bangkok's night watchman.'
'Hey, old man, I never agreed to join the army,' Ah Zhan said, gritting his teeth. His eyes were bloodshot, but he forced a roguish smile.
'This is an order.' Colonel Mann took one last look at the city shrouded in purple mist below, his resolute gaze gradually fading. 'See tomorrow's sun for me.'
[System monitoring: Colonel Mann's vital signs disappeared.]
[Sacrifice of Heroic Soul: 18,000 points of Willpower converted into pure Willpower Essence.]
'Truly a deeply moving last word.' The Black Dragon King slowly emerged from the dust of the explosion, his body now pure purple crystal. His three pairs of bony wings blot out the sky, and the magical energy ring above his head sucks the air out of the area within a ten-mile radius.
'But a dead lion is less than trash.' The Black Dragon King sneered as he raised his hand, sending a devastating magical energy ray straight towards Colonel Mann's remains.
'I told you... get lost.' Azhan lowered his head, his voice chillingly calm.
The instant the ray was just a centimetre away from Colonel Mann's body, time seemed to freeze. The purple demonic light suddenly and eerily reversed, then vanished without a trace as if swallowed by an unseen maw.
[Despair Threshold Breakthrough: 100%]
[Host Consciousness: Complete Sinking/Awakening to the Void State]
[Combat Power Index: No longer displayed]
[Warning: Activating 'Null Domain'].
Azhan slowly raised his head. In that instant, his hair turned from black to silver and his eyes became completely empty — no pain, no killing intent, only a deathly stillness that sent shivers down one's spine.
The space around his body began to crumble like a shattered mirror. Any matter that touched these fragments — whether demonic energy or steel — would return to the primordial void.
With each step Azhan took through the ruins, a grey halo spread out beneath his feet. Wherever he passed, the 'All-Encompassing Demonic Array' laid down by the Black Dragon King rapidly faded and disintegrated, like graffiti wiped clean with a rag. Terrified, the Black Dragon King launched the final attack: 'Black Dragons Return to One'. Tens of thousands of demonic dragons roared and charged towards Azhan. Azhan merely raised his skeletal right arm and gently closed his five fingers.
'Disperse.' With that simple word, the dragons, which were numerous enough to destroy a nation, froze in mid-air and then vanished like sand art — not destruction, but a logical 'erasure'.
A-Zhan appeared before the Black Dragon King; the two were almost touching. The Black Dragon King's battle power, which was at the million level, surged wildly, only for him to realise that it was like a firefly crashing into a black hole compared to A-Zhan's power. "What exactly are you?" he asked.
'I am the "0" you desire most.' A-Zhan pressed his hand against the Black Dragon King's amethyst-like chest. 'And also the greatest retribution of your life.'
[Battle Power Countdown: 00:03:00]
[Bangkok Tower Core: Self-destruct program initiated]
As the 'Void Domain' expanded, the entire Bangkok Tower began to collapse in on itself, and the cursed, twisted and tormented souls were finally purified.
A-Zhan looked at Marin, who was struggling in a pillar of light in the distance. A brief glimmer of clarity returned to his eyes. He knew that the price of activating the 'Void Domain' was that he would be completely erased by this power.
'Marin, live.'
He turned around and took the Black Dragon King with him into the grey-black abyss that he had created with his own hands.