''Hmmm...'' Kido thought to himself as he observed the golden orb that shrouded Kuzon.


    It served as ayer of protection that prevented his highly destructive projectiles from touching him. Not only was the cocoon defensive, but it served as a blot of interference that Kido found displeasing.


    ''I can sense and see everything within this Realm... everything except what is within that sphere.''


    It felt like the orb had be Kuzon''s little domain within Kido''srger, all-epassing territory.


    ''Well, it really doesn''t matter...''


    All the boy could do was buy time anyway. He knew fully well his limits, and that it wouldn''t be nearly enough to win. [The Emperor] couldn''t work in his domain, which was one of the rules he set within this world.


    The Aether within the Realm Of The King was made ording to his desires, so they were different from the ones capable of being ruled by the [The Emperor] Arcana. All of this was thanks to fusing his Arcana with his Original Magic.


    ''It''s immune to practically any attack, and it is absolutely within my control. The ultimate realm in which I am god.''


    Kido didn''t mean to underestimate Kuzon, but he knew full well that he couldn''t lose.


    An omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent being in a world that waspletely under hismand. What could possibly stand against him?


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<


    Kido felt his territory tremble, and he was amazed by the cause.


    "So, you decided to use that trump card of yours, eh?" He grinned from where he watched.


    He could manifest anywhere he desired, but what good would that do now? That was his thought as he watched Kuzon emerge from his golden cocoon.


    The young boy was doused in golden light from top to bottom—like a sculpture made from the finest of gold. He had a crown hovering around his head, and several, golden, ss-like shards floated around him.


    Wings were still behind him, and a halo dwelled beneath his feet. His attire was that of a king—no, an emperor.


    "Emperor''s Transfiguration. I''ve only ever heard of it or seen images. Seeing one with my very own eyes really is something else."


    The area around Kuzon oozed with his glory, and it seemed like the newly transformed boy had be a walking aberration in Kido''s realm. This was, of course, within the older man''s expectations.


    "What will you do now, Kuzon?"


    *


    *


    *


    ''I can see him...'' Kuzon''s thoughts trailed.


    The sight of his Familiar exceeded his expectations. Not only could he clearly see the strangely structured Aether that pervaded this world, but he also saw the influence of [The Empress] on each and every particle.


    The world seemed to stretch infinitely, but Kuzon was able to see its borders. If perhaps he could get there, he would be able to escape, but the boy would do anything but that. He had already made his resolve, and his currently transcended state proved that.


    "What will you do now, Kuzon?" He heard Kido''s voice echo throughout the world, but he was able to trace his location—not like that did him any good.


    ''We''re inside him... his Core.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Kido''s Original Magic was the ability to transform the Core within his body into an indefinitely expanding domain that waspletely under his control. He was able to manifest this domain as a seemingly physical world, trapping Kuzon''s physical self within it.


    In short, Kuzon was within Kido.


    ''He really is omnipresent. As for omnipotent, that checks out too.''


    Kido could do and undo in this world. The only thing Kido couldn''t control was Kuzon himself.


    "I now understand why you didn''t kill me even when you had the chance to. I know why you brought me here. You want to absorb my power, don''t you?" Kuzon whispered.


    "Spot on!"


    Not only was Kido''s reply instant, but it also didn''t contain any hesitation. His confidence showed how impossible it was for Kuzon to escape.


    A smile formed on the young boy''s face, regardless. A hint of mischief, and even far greater confidence settled within him.


    ''Who said anything about escaping...?''


    "Your tools have a mechanism of automatically reacting if an unregistered person attempts to collect them. To prevent the hassle of bypassing the mechanism—assuming I''m even able to—I decided to bring you here and directly absorb you once you''re susceptible."


    Kuzon remained stationary, listening to his uncle''s rant. He still hadn''t changed his perspective of the man. Kido still seemed like the epitome of insanity.


    "We have all day, you know? Time is basically nonexistent here. We''ll be long done before any of your allies even think of rescuing you. Moreover, I don''t think I''ll have to wait very long to get what I want. It seems... the side effect of using that power has already begun to have its impact."


    Kuzon''s eyes twitched a little. Kido was incredibly observant—as expected of the man who brought down the Midas Race.


    "Your body is slowly getting petrified, isn''t it? If you remain in that form, it''ll cause irreparable damage and you''ll slowly turn into a golden statue. You''ll die if you keep this up, though I understand why you''ll want to remain in it."


    Kido was overwhelmingly powerful. The only way Kuzon could handle both offence and defence was for him to be practically indestructible and invincible. That was what this form offered him.


    "As long as you remain like this, nothing can harm you. You also have ess to as much Aether as you want without expiring. The perfect form for unleashing power. That''s why I''m so confused. Why aren''t you doing anything?"


    Kuzon''s grin grew much broader once he heard his uncle''s amused, yet confused statement. He remembered how he had asked the same question a few moments earlier.


    At this point, they were both at a stalemate. Kuzon and Kido were indestructible. They also possessed nigh-infinite power. The only determinant was TIME.


    "You''ll expire long before I even break a sweat, Kuzon. If you want to turn this into a battle of attrition, you''ll be losing big time."


    *


    *


    *


    Will Kuzon die?


    Will Kido lose?


    Will the team arrive on time?


    The answer will be revealed in the next chapter as this confrontation reaches its closing phase.