Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler

Harrison's right hand suddenly flicked open. Something shot out. A hidden sleeve arrow. The dagger was just a feint.

"Shit!" Wesley and the others stiffened. "That bastard fights dirty as hell." Compared to this, the fights they'd been in a few days ago felt like child's play.

Whoosh! The hidden sleeve arrow—a weapon even third-level awakeners feared—missed. By inches.

Axel's head jerked back, the black arrow whistling past his scalp, so close he could feel the air shift.

The dagger was still falling. His focus sharpened. Axel concentrated his mental power, observing every minute detail.

"Tch—" Harrison's brow twitched. He hadn't expected Axel to dodge again. Harrison's eyes flicked—just barely—to his right hand. To anyone else, it would've seemed meaningless. But Axel knew better.

Before Harrison could react, he heard a whisper. "Got you."

Axel's fingers snapped shut around Harrison's wrist—the same wrist that had just fired the hidden arrow. Like a viper coiling around prey. Tight. Unbreakable.

Harrison's expression darkened. "You want to fight me head-on using raw Force?" he scoffed. He activated his Force energy, preparing to wrench his arm free.

But nothing happened. Harrison froze. Impossible.

At level one, with nearly 300 Force, Harrison had never—never—met someone who could physically overpower him. But Axel's grip didn't budge. It was like his wrist had been caught in an iron vise. And then, with terrifying ease—

Axel twisted. Pain flashed through Harrison's arm. "No fucking way—"

Panic shot through him. He miscalculated. This guy wasn't just another first-level awakener.

Axel's face remained cold, unreadable. In this clash of pure Force, he was—just as he'd suspected—stronger. His left hand still clamped onto Harrison's wrist, Axel swung his right arm back—fist cocked.

This punch wasn't just brute strength—it carried nearly 400 Force behind it. A blow like that could shatter bones. But just as Axel was about to land the hit—

A sharp sting. His left palm. Something wasn't right. His instincts screamed at him.

Axel aborted the punch immediately, letting go and springing backward. The second he released Harrison's wrist, the sting erupted into sharp, searing pain.

Harrison leapt back, retreating several meters in an instant. His right hand—now free—had changed. Hair sprouted from his skin, his fingernails stretched and curved, morphing into sharp, predatory claws.

Axel glanced at his own palm. Thin, bloody gashes ran across it. And that was with his soft armor protecting him. If he'd held on a second longer, his hand might've been shredded to the bone.

Axel's breath quickened—not from fear, but from excitement. This guy isn't ordinary.

Across from him, Harrison stood panting, his clawed hand flexing. He was shaken. The speed he prided himself on? Useless.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

His carefully calculated feints? Countered. His beast transformation—his deadliest trump card—had only left a few scratches. His claw should've torn Axel's hand clean off. But instead? A few damn blood marks. And worst of all— His Force… was weaker.

While both fighters took a breath, the crowd exploded with murmurs.

"He's still alive?"

"That guy's not bad at all."

"I can't even tell what the hell just happened. Is Harrison just playing around?"

Most of the spectators below Level One couldn't follow the fight. To them, it was nothing but a blur of movement—a few bloodstains appearing on Axel's hand seemingly out of nowhere.

Everything happened too fast. But the real fighters—the ones above Level Two—saw it all. And they weren't calm.

From the VIP stands, Zachary suddenly stood up, his eyes narrowing. "Is this guy really just Level One?"

Because anyone with a sharp eye could see the truth— Harrison lost that exchange.

Grayson, seated beside Zachary, remained calm on the surface. "It was tested before the match—he's Level One, no doubt." His voice was steady, but his fingers idly twisted the ring on his hand. "Calm down, Zachary. Harrison hasn't shown his full strength yet."

But the moment he glanced at Declan, who sat a few seats away, he knew— They were both thinking the same thing. Regret.

If they'd known Axel had this level of power, they would've recruited him—even if it meant pissing off Zachary.

Declan felt Grayson's gaze and smirked, resting his head on his hand. "Still too early to say," he muttered, his eyes flickering with thought.

But he had already given orders. If Axel wins, protect him. Declan had no interest in openly going against Zachary, but if Axel proved himself?

That was worth the risk. Grayson exhaled and refocused on the fight. Despite Axel's shocking performance, Zachary wasn't panicking yet.

Because they all knew— Harrison hadn't revealed his trump card.

"You're strong." Harrison's voice was low and rough.

"You're not bad yourself." Axel flexed his injured hand, keeping it subtly behind his back. The cuts weren't deep, but drops of blood seeped from his skin.

Harrison noticed. His dull eyes flickered with jealousy. "You're still young," he muttered. "But me? I'm old."

"If nothing crazy happens, you'll probably hit Level Two within the year."

"I've been stuck here for nine." His voice darkened. "You know what pisses me off?"

"I've seen people weaker than me—people who couldn't last a second against me—break through to Level Two."

"But me?"

"I'm always the strongest Level One." Harrison's breathing grew heavier. "No matter how powerful you are... you're still Level One."

A slow, eerie smile crept across his face. "I think... I know why I came back for this fight."

"Maybe God wants me to kill you—and finally break through."

His eyes reddened, his Force surging. The transformation began. His body hunched forward, his muscles stretching and swelling as his limbs thickened. Sharp white fangs jutted from his mouth. Long, bristled hairs spread along his temples.

The sheer pressure of his awakening sent ripples across the arena. And then—

"ROOOOAAAR!"

The sound ripped through the air, no longer human. On the sidelines, Elijah and the others watched in stunned silence. None of them spoke. Some of them had already graduated from the War Academy. They had seen battles between Level One awakeners before. But this? This was supposed to be a fight between rookies. So why the hell did it feel like a goddamn peak-level duel?

Harrison lunged again, and this time—

Even Wesley and the others were shaken. "Is that really the speed of a Level One?"

Harrison's body moved with inhuman fluidity, his limbs carrying him low and fast across the ground. There was something primal, predatory about the way he moved—dangerous, yet almost beautiful in its lethal grace.

Axel hadn't expected this. Even after his beast transformation, Harrison was still getting faster.

Swish! A set of razor-sharp claws slashed inches from Axel's nose— And then the onslaught began.

The attacks came in relentless waves, one after another, striking from every angle at once. Axel could barely track the direction of the strikes, let alone block them all. His clothes tore as fresh gashes opened on his body. Blood ran down his arms.

From the viewing platform, Grayson exhaled. "This is the first time I've seen him like this," he murmured. "Axel's really something."

Even Zachary—who wanted nothing more than to see Axel dead—nodded grimly. Harrison was a terrifying force. Had he broken through to Level Two, he might have challenged Zachary's position.