Ten Days to Leave My Stepbrother (Beatrice) novel Chapter 364

**Across Shadowed Lakes We Find Strength Buried Deep Within by Eren Vale Frost**
**Chapter 364: One Punch**

The divide between the Blaze Stage Transcendent Realm and the Infernal Crown Transcendent Realm was not merely a gap; it was an immense chasm that loomed ominously. In this vast expanse, however, lay a solitary stage—the Burning Stage Transcendent Realm, a realm that, while not as fearsome as the Infernal Crown, still radiated an aura of dread and reverence.

Greed, the embodiment of ambition and desire, remained firmly entrenched at the Blaze Stage. In stark contrast, Enderman and Ares, two names etched into the annals of the International Combat Units, had already ascended to the Burning Stage, their power palpable and formidable.

As they stood upon the undulating waves of the ocean, their presence was monumental, their feet rooted as if they were ancient titans. The very air around them trembled, bending to the sheer force of their might, distorting the horizon into a surreal tableau of power.

Greed, having consumed the essence of Doomlight, felt his aura surge like a tempest, a chaotic blend of fire and smoke swirling around him. His flesh felt taut, his bones knitted together with newfound vigor. He was no longer the same; he had ascended, his strength reaching heights previously unimaginable.

Above the Southern Ocean, three colossal figures loomed, casting long shadows that enveloped the shore in a cloak of foreboding.

Greed’s eyes sparkled with a malevolent light, a cruel glint that promised chaos. His voice, a whip of sound, lashed out across the waters, slicing through the tension like a knife.

“Jeff, do you truly believe you can end this with a single strike? That doesn’t signify courage; it signifies folly,” he taunted, his tone dripping with disdain.

He had tasted defeat when he fought alone, a bitter pill that led him to shatter the comms crystal in desperation. Summoning Enderman and Ares had been his salvation; they were legends, warriors whose combined might could challenge even the Infernal Crown itself. Leander, in comparison, was still a fledgling, unable to withstand the tempest that was about to be unleashed.

Leander’s lips curled into a sardonic smile, one that spoke volumes of the confidence he exuded.

Without uttering a single word, he lifted his fist, a gesture that seemed deceptively simple yet carried the weight of impending doom.

Even with hundreds of yards separating them, his strike cleaved through the air with an uncanny precision. There was no flash of flame, no brilliant light; instead, the very fabric of space tore open, as if an invisible tunnel had been carved through the world itself.

“What?” Greed gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief as he instinctively raised his fists to deflect the oncoming force.

The impact was cataclysmic.

The ocean roared beneath the sheer force of the blow, a primal sound that reverberated through the very core of existence. Greed’s body trembled violently, as if it were being pulled apart at the seams. His organs twisted in protest, blood surged violently through his veins.

Pain erupted in his arms as bones cracked like dry twigs underfoot. He was thrust backward, skidding across the surface of the ocean, each movement a testament to the overwhelming power of Leander’s strike.

“This is impossible!” he screamed, blood spraying from his lips, mingling with the remnants of his flesh that fell away like petals in a storm. His arms hung limply, shattered beyond repair.

His gaze remained fixed on Leander, a mixture of disbelief and horror etched across his features.

That punch, so unadorned, so devoid of any flourish, had carried the weight of a mountain crashing down upon him. It was a force of nature, a deluge that he could not withstand.

Enderman and Ares exchanged glances, their expressions darkening with shock. They had not anticipated this outcome, the sheer ferocity of Leander’s strength.

Ares, his voice taut with urgency, broke the silence. “This boy is not an ordinary foe. We must set aside our pride. Now is the time to strike and finish this!”

Enderman nodded curtly, determination flickering in his eyes.

“Agreed.”

With that, his gaze ignited, a fierce light emanating from him as he unleashed a blade of energy that screamed through the air toward Leander.

Years prior, Tsaric had transformed his very being into a sword to unleash a single strike powerful enough to rival a Transcendent. Now, Enderman, with nothing but a flicker of his gaze, sent forth an attack that eclipsed even that legendary moment.

The sky shrieked in response.

The sound of the blade tearing through the air echoed ominously across the rolling waves, a harbinger of destruction.

The strike descended, aimed directly at Leander’s skull, a lethal intent woven into its trajectory.

Leander, however, merely snorted in derision, a short, mocking sound that belied the gravity of the situation.

With a casual flick of his finger, he tapped the descending blade.

The strike shattered.

It burst into a tempest of silver shards that scattered like stars across the sky.

As the glow began to fade, thunder cracked the heavens apart, a violent herald of what was to come.

A bolt of lightning, thin as a finger, shot forth, swelling with every passing yard until it was as thick as a tree trunk, a violet arc screaming toward Leander’s chest.

Reginald, watching from a distance, felt his complexion drain of color. His voice trembled as he spoke, “They say Ares can command the very essence of lightning. They say he bends thunder to his will. That’s why he’s known as the King of Thunder, and it appears to be true.”

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, and darkness—these were the elements that shaped their world. Among them, fire and thunder stood supreme, reigning as the most devastating forces of offense.

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