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Driven by the explosive power of his terrifying musculature, Kael's speed surged to its peak in an instant.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
But Xerneas was not so easily cornered.
Brilliant multicolored light flared across its magnificent antlers.
Soft pink psychic energy rippled outward in structured waves.
"Light Screen."
HUM—
A translucent barrier, like polished glass, materialized before Xerneas.
Its faint golden surface shimmered with radiant brilliance, radiating formidable defensive power.
And that was only the beginning.
As the first Light Screen formed, five or six identical barriers layered themselves one on top of another.
Under precise psychic control, they overlapped seamlessly—
Forming a true wall of light.
Its solidity was extraordinary.
Even a rampaging Rhyperior charging at full force would likely fail to budge it even a fraction.
Though the Nightmare Seeds had plunged Xerneas into greed and madness, they had not reduced it to a mindless beast.
Its combat instincts, honed over countless ages, still remained.
Its fighting style had become extreme—
But not incompetent.
Xerneas' blackened pupils locked onto Kael's approaching form.
Instinct whispered danger.
If it allowed him into close range—
The battle would tilt unfavorably.
It might not die.
But it would suffer.
It had to stop him.
The thick scent of surging blood and battle intent in the air only drove the Nightmare corruption further into frenzy.
Xerneas raised its forehooves slightly.
Dark energy gathered at the hardened golden tips.
Then—
They slammed down.
"Gravity."
BOOM—
An invisible shockwave spread outward.
The force of gravity shifted.
Kael felt an immense weight descend upon him.
As if an entire mountain had been strapped to his back.
The ground beneath him cracked violently under the sudden increase in pressure.
In the games of his previous life, Gravity merely grounded Flying types and nullified Levitate.
But this was reality.
Under the control of a Legendary Pokémon, Gravity became an attack rooted in one of the four fundamental forces of the universe.
True gravitational manipulation.
For most Pokémon—
This pressure would crush them instantly.
Pin them to the ground.
Render them immobile.
But Kael—
Had trained for this.
Long ago, as a Machop, he had endured intense gravity training in Ignis City's Fighting Dojo.
The blood and sweat he shed on Blazing Peak were etched permanently into his memory.
The sudden increase in gravity surprised him only briefly.
Then—
He adapted.
His evolved Machamp body, vastly stronger and denser than before, shrugged off the pressure.
It was far from his limit.
A savage, unstoppable dark-purple form barreled forward like a freight train charging through the forest.
BOOM!
The layered Light Screens shattered upon impact.
They burst apart like fragile glass.
Golden fragments scattered across the forest floor.
The destruction was so swift and overwhelming that even Xerneas reacted a fraction too late.
A violent gust swept across its face.
Kael was already upon it.
His crimson eyes burned with battle lust.
His right fist rose high.
Muscles bulged like stone under his skin.
Pure force gathered within it.
No elemental energy.
No technique.
Just raw, unfiltered strength.
Enough to shatter space itself.
He swung downward—
Toward Xerneas' head.
"BOOM!!!"
The air exploded.
A deafening sonic crack echoed.
The shockwave uprooted grass and tore branches apart.
Leaves and debris were scattered violently.
This was the first time since his evolution that Kael had unleashed his full physical power.
Everything—
Every ounce of strength—
Condensed into one strike.
He felt it.
If this punch landed—
Xerneas would be severely wounded instantly.
But Xerneas knew it too.
Psychic mist burst from its radiant antlers.
In less than a heartbeat, it enveloped its entire body.
"Teleport."
The blue-black form vanished from Kael's sight.
And in the next instant—
His fist struck the earth.
BOOOOOOM—
From the point of impact, a massive radial crater split the ground apart.
Trees, roots, and vegetation were obliterated.
Reduced to fragments.
A vast fan-shaped scar tore through the forest.
For the first time in ages—
Sunlight pierced through the canopy.
Warm golden rays streamed down upon the devastated clearing.
And across Kael's dark-purple skin.
He lowered his gaze.
Warmth spread through his body.
"…So close."
If fortune had favored him just slightly more—
That single punch might have ended it.
But missed was missed.
There was no undoing it.
That strike had been everything.
Overflowing power released at its absolute peak.
A product of perfect alignment—
Emotion.
Momentum.
Environment.
Opponent.
Replicating it again—
In this battle—
Would not be easy.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
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