Part one hundred eighty eight — The Wrong Words

　The fight ground on.

　Null-Subconsciousness fed Kai's own adaptation in real time. His evasion probability climbed with every exchange, his movements becoming smoother, faster, and more exact with each passing second.

　Vorath's frown deepened with every wasted attack.

　"He's adapting," Vorath said.

　"Then we finish this before he completes it," Skorne answered.

　Both attacked at once.

　The resulting collision made the dimension itself buckle.

　Mountains had already vanished.

　The ocean had boiled away entirely.

　The artificial sky hung in tatters.

　Kai's own creation was barely holding together beneath the weight of what he'd invited into it.

　Then Skorne spoke, almost casually.

　"You really think you can take us alone?"

　Kai went still.

　"Once we're finished with you," Vorath added, glancing toward Ashley, "we'll head for her next."

　Something in Kai's expression changed completely.

　"What did you just say?"

　Neither answered.

　"I didn't hear you clearly."

　Kai's voice dropped, turning cold.

　"Please. Repeat that."

　"Kai."

　Ashley spoke from behind him.

　He looked over.

　"Tell me something," she said.

　Her expression was calm.

　"Are you still holding back?"

　"I'm not holding back, Mom."

　"Oh, really?"

　Her smile vanished entirely.

　"If you lose to those two..."

　She paused.

　"Don't call me your mother ever again."

　Silence.

　Kai turned back toward Vorath and Skorne.

　Something inside him settled into place with terrible finality.

　"You made my mom mad at me," he said quietly.

　His hand tightened around the hilt of his blade.

　"I don't give a damn anymore."

　He drew his blade fully.

　"I'm ending this."

　"We were thinking the same," Vorath said.

　Kai closed his eyes.

Null.

Turn off the limiter.

　A brief pause.

"Limiter disabled."

　Nothing happened.

　For one full second, there was absolute silence.

　Then—

　The dimension screamed.

　Energy erupted outward in a wave that split the sky, cracked the ground, and tore the remnants of the ocean into the air.

　Reality itself fractured at the seams.

　Vorath's eyes widened.

　Skorne's expression froze.

　Neither could properly process what had just entered the fight.

　Ashley felt a genuine chill run through her.

　Then she smiled.

　"Yes."

　Her eyes shone with pride.

　"This is the son I gave birth to."

　The Kai standing there was no longer the same one they'd been casually trading blows with.

　This was something even the Infinity of his own dimension could barely contain.

　Cracks spread across reality itself.

　Far beyond the battlefield, Nyxara, Nero, Mirella, Vados, and Enzo all felt it simultaneously.

　The sheer weight of Kai's aura staggered them.

　"That aura..." Nyxara said.

　Something rare had entered her voice.

　Mirella could barely breathe.

　"Is that really Demon Lord Kai?"

　Nero only smiled.

　His eyes gleamed.

　"Yes."

　He looked toward the distant source of the overwhelming presence.

　"Magnificent."

　Reality began collapsing outright around Kai's escalating power.

　Four dimensional authorities activated simultaneously.

　Nyxara's.

　Nero's.

　Mirella's.

　Ashley's.

　Rather than colliding, their authorities merged.

　A single, boundless new space formed around them.

　The Infinity Dimension swallowed them all.

　Kai.

　Vorath.

　Skorne.

　Nyxara.

　Nero.

　Vados.

　Enzo.

　Mirella.

　Ashley.

　Only Nao, already unconscious, remained safely outside in the real world.

　Nyxara stared at Kai.

　"Are you sure that's your son?"

　"Yes," Ashley answered proudly.

　"That's my lovely son."

　Vorath and Skorne finally understood.

　Too late.

　They had pressed exactly the wrong button.

　"He's changed," Vorath said.

　"Then we change too," Skorne answered.

　Their auras erupted.

　Vorath's body darkened.

　Scales spread across his arms and chest. Horns curled from his skull, and his eyes bled into pure Void.

　Space itself began unraveling around him.

　Skorne's transformation followed.

　Frost-covered scales formed across his body. His hair bleached white, cold mist pouring from him in waves as the ground beneath his feet crystallized on contact.

　"Better," Kai said, studying them both.

　"Now we'll show you what a True Dragon actually is," Vorath said.

　Kai raised his blade.

　"Come."

　They vanished.