Shimmon and Johnferd stood facing each other, their bodies coiled in anticipation, ready to spring. Shimmon's gaze was fixed on the colossal orange aura that enveloped Johnferd like a raging waterfall, a tangible manifestation of raw power. In the next instant, the air crackled as both figures exploded into motion, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
Johnferd was the first to strike, his fist a blur as it hurtled towards Shimmon's face. But Shimmon, his senses honed, reacted instantly, his right arm rising to intercept the blow. The impact reverberated through his limb, a testament to Johnferd's strength. Without missing a beat, Shimmon retaliated, his knee rocketing upwards in a lightning-fast strike. Johnferd, however, was not to be underestimated. His arms shot up, forming a solid barrier that absorbed the force of the blow, and he was forced to take a step back.
A tense silence hung in the air for a fleeting moment before both warriors snapped back into their fighting stances, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Then, the clash began anew, a furious exchange of fists that moved faster than the eye could track. The air was filled with the sound of their knuckles colliding, a rapid-fire staccato that culminated in a resounding impact as their punches met head-on, unleashing a shockwave that rippled outwards. Both fighters were forced to retreat, their gazes never leaving each other.
A grin stretched across Shimmon's face, a clear indication of the thrill coursing through him. This was the kind of fight he lived for. Johnferd, on the other hand, remained stoic, his expression grim.
Shimmon launched the next attack, a relentless barrage of punches aimed at overwhelming his opponent. But Johnferd was a seasoned fighter. He crossed his arms, forming an impenetrable shield against the incoming assault, the force of each blow shaking his frame. Seizing a momentary opening, Johnferd spun, his leg lashing out in a lightning-fast spinning kick. Shimmon reacted swiftly, his left hand rising to meet the attack, the force of the impact jarring his arm. Before Shimmon could fully recover, Johnferd followed up with a swift uppercut aimed at his chin. Shimmon leaned back, the blow whistling past his face by a hair's breadth.
Just as Shimmon thought he had weathered the storm, a sudden, inexplicable force slammed into his chest, sending him hurtling backward. Johnferd seized the opportunity, his body a blur as he closed the distance, his fist cocked back for a devastating blow. Shimmon managed to raise his arm just in time to parry, but then, another unseen attack struck him in the face, a phantom blow that made his head snap back.
Regaining his footing, Shimmon narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. An ability that bypasses defenses? Like that opponent back in the VR WORLD… He decided to test his theory, launching himself forward with a powerful punch, abandoning all attempts at defense. But just as his fist was about to connect, a crushing blow landed on his stomach, doubling him over and sending him flying backward once more.
Gasping for air, Shimmon pushed himself back into a fighting stance. A chilling smile spread across Johnferd's face. "You don't get it, do you?" he taunted. "I know you've faced a hunter capable of bypassing defenses, but that's not my style. My power allows me to fuse the pressure from my punches with my aura, creating something like invisible energy fists. You might be able to see them, but you'll never know where they'll land."
A confident smirk played on Shimmon's lips. "You have an interesting power," he conceded, "but my beauty transcends a mere ability!" With a burst of speed, Shimmon lunged towards Johnferd, his fist aimed for a swift strike. But Johnferd was ready. With a punch imbued with his fiery orange aura, he slammed into Shimmon's chest, momentarily halting his attack. In the blink of an eye, Johnferd was in front of Shimmon, his smile widening into a manic grin. A devastating uppercut, crackling with orange aura, connected under Shimmon's chin, launching him into the air. Johnferd followed up with a soaring leap, his leg descending in a rapid flying kick that slammed into Shimmon's head, sending him crashing to the ground headfirst. Johnferd landed gracefully on his feet, his eyes fixed on his fallen opponent.
Slowly, Shimmon pushed himself up, a wry smile on his face. "Not bad," he admitted, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "You have a truly troublesome power, but it's time to get serious. Admin mode install… true dragon form!"
With a surge of power, Shimmon activated his trump card. His body began to transform, his skin hardening into what looked like black rock, the reality being scales of an obsidian dragon, each one as tough as steel. Multicolored lines of energy pulsed across his form, tracing intricate patterns from the tips of his draconic wings to the very lines of his face. His limbs thickened with muscle, his hands and feet elongating into razor-sharp claws. His hair darkened, his eyes swirled with a kaleidoscope of colors, and his teeth sharpened into lethal fangs.
In his transformed state, Shimmon was a whirlwind of motion. He appeared beside Johnferd in an instant, his fist a black blur as it slammed into his opponent. Johnferd managed to raise his arms in a desperate parry, but the force of the blow sent him skidding backward. Without hesitation, Shimmon unleashed his next attack, his head snapping back as a deafening roar erupted from his throat. A massive beam of multicolored energy, the Divine Dragon's Roar, blasted forth, forcing Johnferd to brace himself with both arms against the overwhelming power.
Johnferd, ever the strategist, used the ensuing explosion as cover, attempting to surprise Shimmon with a swift punch. But Shimmon's enhanced senses were more than a match for the tactic. He effortlessly intercepted Johnferd's fist, his grip like iron, and with a flick of his wrist, sent his opponent sprawling. Shimmon then launched himself into the air, a cloud of green smoke erupting from his mouth, engulfing the entire battlefield. With a mere spark of fire, he ignited the volatile gas, unleashing a colossal explosion that engulfed Johnferd. Yet, when the smoke cleared, Johnferd stood his ground, though clearly shaken.
Shimmon descended like a black thunderbolt, appearing directly in front of Johnferd. A torrent of flames erupted from his maw, but instead of burning, the fire froze upon contact with Johnferd, encasing him in a prison of ice. With a roar of defiance, Johnferd shattered the ice with a single, powerful punch. "You might be the strongest melee fighter I've ever faced," he growled, his eyes burning with intensity, "but it's time I showed you my true power! Fragment… Phantom Fist!"
An immense wave of yellow aura erupted from Johnferd, his eyes blazing with an incandescent light. His muscles swelled, tearing through his remaining clothing, revealing a physique honed to its absolute peak. Yellow aura crackled around him, expanding outwards to dominate the battlefield. Behind him, a wheel of eight glowing yellow handles materialized, a testament to the raw power he now wielded. Johnferd settled into a battle stance, his gaze unwavering.
Shimmon didn't hesitate. He shot forward, a black dragon intent on ending the fight with a single, decisive blow. But Johnferd was ready. A barrage of phantom fists materialized from every direction, striking Shimmon with blinding speed. Overwhelmed by the sheer number and velocity of the attacks, Shimmon found himself unable to dodge, each blow landing with concussive force.
Johnferd pressed his advantage, appearing in front of Shimmon in a flash and delivering a powerful punch to his stomach. Shimmon gritted his teeth, refusing to be sent flying. He tried to retaliate with a powerful counterattack, but Johnferd's relentless assault continued, slowing his movements. With a swift sidestep, Johnferd evaded Shimmon's blow and retaliated with a devastating punch to his face, finally sending the Dragon God hurtling backward.
Yet, Shimmon landed on his feet, his draconic resilience evident. He launched himself forward once more, aiming a point-blank Divine Dragon Roar at Johnferd. But with incredible agility, Johnferd dodged the multicolored energy beam by a hair's breadth. "Tell me, Shimmon," he said, his voice laced with intensity, "what is strength to you?"
Shimmon, even in the heat of battle, paused for a moment. "For me, strength is beauty, and beauty is strength," he declared, his multicolored eyes gleaming. "But I have also learned in my many battles that strength can take many forms. Beauty, therefore, is not singular. Each of us possesses our own unique beauty, not just physical, but more importantly, the beauty of the soul!"
Johnferd's expression remained hard. "Eloquent words," he sneered, "but will they save you?" With a burst of supersonic speed, Johnferd closed the distance, his fist slamming into Shimmon's throat. He followed up with a rapid-fire series of punches to Shimmon's chest, stomach, and legs, each blow precisely targeting his meridians. Shimmon staggered, his movements becoming sluggish, his balance wavering. Johnferd then unleashed a relentless barrage of yellow energy punches, each one slamming into Shimmon's body. Finally, with a focused strike, Johnferd delivered a powerful blow to Shimmon's heart meridian, sending him flying backward once more.
Despite the brutal assault, Shimmon landed on his feet, though a stream of blood trickled from his lips. "Not bad," he gasped, wiping his mouth. "Those energy punches are truly potent, but know this… I am not finished!" A powerful aura erupted from Shimmon, blowing away the dust and debris that littered the battlefield. "From a young age," Shimmon continued, his voice resonating with newfound power, "I was someone who didn't like to stand out. I always kept to myself and was even afraid to speak. I didn't know how to make friends. But one day, I had an idea – to try being ridiculous, to start saying nonsensical things and acting in bizarre ways to get noticed. That's why I came to think of beauty as something personal to everyone, and I talked about it constantly, even at inappropriate times. Many ridiculed me for it, but I managed to make my first friends. And before I knew it, beauty became my reason for living – not physical beauty, but the beauty of the soul of every living being. Each of us is different, and each of us possesses a unique beauty. That's why, when I entered this game, I was truly happy to be able to see the 'beauty of the soul' of all the players. I can see its color and its size… and yours is utterly corrupted!"
As Shimmon spoke, words materialized above him: "The sphere of fate has been bestowed upon the five chosen. Now, Shimmon is a GAME MASTER, THE DRAGON GOD." An enormous multicolored aura engulfed Shimmon, and his transformation accelerated. His entire body became even more draconic, his skin shimmering with a golden-yellow hue. His arms, torso, and legs bulged with even greater muscle, covered in intricate golden scales. Lines of pure, multicolored energy pulsed from fissures that seemed to tear through his very being. Powerful claws adorned both his hands and feet. Behind him, two magnificent golden draconic wings unfurled, radiating multicolored energy. Shimmon's eyes now possessed white sclera, multicolored irises, and black pupils. His once-dark hair flowed long and wild, and his teeth were now as sharp and menacing as those of a true dragon. He settled into a stance, radiating an aura of immense power.
Johnferd stared in stunned silence at Shimmon's new form, but his fighting instincts took over. He launched himself forward, aiming a powerful punch at the newly ascended Dragon God. But Shimmon, without even a flicker of movement, casually intercepted the blow with a single hand. Johnferd followed up with a flurry of yellow mana punches, but as they made contact with Shimmon's golden scales, they simply vanished, as if absorbed by an invisible force.
An enormous multicolored aura erupted from Shimmon, effortlessly throwing Johnferd backward. Johnferd watched intently as Shimmon's aura expanded, a boundless energy that seemed to encompass the entire VR WORLD. With a single step, Shimmon vanished, reappearing in front of Johnferd in a supersonic blur. A devastating punch landed, and the force of the impact created a shockwave that ripped through the ground, leaving a massive chasm in its wake. Johnferd was sent reeling, but somehow managed to land on his feet. He unleashed a desperate barrage of punches, but Shimmon simply blocked each one with a single hand.
"Roar of the Dragon God!" Shimmon declared, and a colossal beam of golden energy erupted from his mouth, engulfing Johnferd in its incandescent light. Johnferd was sent hurtling through the air, a burning projectile against the sky. In the next instant, Shimmon teleported above him, his form a golden blur against the azure canvas. Two powerful fists, crackling with divine energy, slammed into Johnferd, sending him plummeting towards the earth.
Johnferd, even in his weakened state, tried to retaliate, unleashing a massive punch of yellow aura. But Shimmon was relentless. With a final, earth-shattering blow, he slammed his fist into Johnferd's stomach, creating an enormous crater in the ground. Johnferd lay broken and defeated, his body flickering and dissolving into golden pixels, the remnants of his once formidable power.
Shimmon stood victorious. The beauty of Shimmon had prevailed!