The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

Searing Irony

As the silence between the two opponents deepened, something shifted.

Before Xavier could react, Haruki moved.

A blazing red palm rocketed across Xavier's face with terrifying speed. The force of the slap cracked like thunder, and Xavier's body shot through the air like a missile. Trees blurred past him before he crashed violently into the side of a distant mountain, the impact booming like an explosion across the land.

Coughing through the dust, Xavier staggered to his feet, blood gushing from his nose. A searing handprint burned across his skin, stretching from chin to neck, shaped perfectly like an adult's palm. The pain wasn't just physical—it spun his world. The moment he tried to move, vertigo sent him crumbling back to his knees.

Did he just slap me out of RealmHeart? Xavier thought, dazed. His vision twisted and blurred, like the world itself was warping around him. I didn't even see it coming... His heart sank. Don't tell me I have to survive another monster. My life really can't get any worse.

Every nerve in his already-broken body screamed in agony. The internal strain from his battle with Reginald had never truly healed. Worse, the ethereal energy that powered him barely trickled through his veins now. His body was still feeling the relentless strain of early-stage Core Corruption—a creeping affliction that twisted his internal energy channels, disrupting the natural flow of ethereal power through his veins. It was like trying to breathe through cracked lungs, every draw of energy unstable and painful. Now, he was paying the price, caught in a battle his body was barely holding together for.

I should've rested... He clutched his head as a wave of cosmic pressure slammed into his skull. And now my mind's overtaxed from using my Cosmic Eyes...

How the hell am I supposed to beat this guy? he thought bitterly, doubt crawling into his gut.

Then, angrily, Xavier slapped his own face—only to recoil as his fingers struck the fresh burn mark, sending a jolt of pain through him.

"Tch... that hurts," he muttered.

Still, he gritted his teeth, planting Excalibur into the ground and using it to push himself upright.

Alright... No more relying on Master's techniques. They're too draining, and my focus is wrecked. If I try to use them again, I might just drop dead.

He glanced at his blade, its surface dim but unbroken. I have to use my own gifted abilities. Even if they're weakened... Even if they're not enough.

Sweat dripped from his brow. Still, he smirked.

"Guess I got too comfortable hiding behind Master's powers," he whispered. "This is my fault... for forgetting how strong I actually am."

Before he could finish the thought, the air grew heavy.

A silhouette emerged from the shadows nearby. Silent. Sudden.

Haruki.

Xavier's instincts screamed. Danger. Lethal danger. His muscles reacted on instinct alone.

"Why so tense?" Haruki mocked, his voice low and needling.

Xavier didn't answer. Instead, he blurred forward, invoking Vector Acceleration—twisting gravity, bending momentum. His figure snapped through space, closing the gap in a flash.

Steel sang.

Haruki met him blade-to-blade.

The clash detonated the forest.

A shockwave erupted, ripping apart the terrain in every direction. The mountain behind Xavier cracked and crumbled. Trees splintered, and earth tore like paper.