MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 968: Big Brother
Anthony and Kingsley could be seen blurring through the battlefield as time itself blurred slowly around them, although they could only keep sparring for two minutes, such a short fragment of time seemed like an eternity to them because of the dimension they had both entered, the state they had both achieved, a realm where perception stretched endlessly and every instant elongated into something immeasurable, where each movement carried the weight of countless exchanges compressed into a single breath.
Soon, the two-minute time limit was over and they both came to a stop at a point in space, just a few meters away from the other as they stared into each other’s eyes with smiles on their faces as though they had just fallen in love at first sight, the kind of quiet, understanding smile only those who had crossed fists and souls simultaneously could share, a silent acknowledgement of growth, respect, and something deeper than rivalry, something almost sacred.
Reality fell silent, the wind seemed to cease its flow, light itself seemed to pause, sound vanished completely, mana flow halted, oxygen and molecules all froze as though Existence, Law, and Order had paused this very moment just to take a picture and keep evidence of such an impossible scene, as it seemed as though Anthony had awakened something in Kingsley, something that wasn’t supposed to be awakened yet, something ancient and buried beneath epochs of time, a power that belonged to forgotten eras and extinct legends.
"I honestly don’t know what to say, or exactly how to feel, thank you isn’t enough at this moment," Kingsley broke the silence as he spoke, his voice quieter than usual yet filled with overwhelming sincerity, "how can I repay you?" He asked as he felt what he received was simply too much and too immense to quantify with mere gratitude.
Yes, Aaaninja had helped the First Supreme Monarch earlier, but Kingsley doubted even that level of generosity could compare to this, after all, Anthony himself had stated that Martial Rhythm was a power of ancient times, and wasn’t even within this level of the Galaxy, something that transcended conventional standards entirely.
"You don’t have to repay me, if you ever did, then this becomes a transaction, and not a present from a big brother," Anthony replied, a gentle smile resting on his face as his long white hair danced softly to the rhythm of the wind, each strand glowing faintly beneath the light like threads of silver silk, his tone calm, warm, and almost teasing, yet undeniably sincere.
Kingsley smiled again, then closed his eyes for a moment as he buried himself within the sensation he had felt and seemed to come to understand more within the past four minutes than he had in decades of training and countless battles. His eyes opened once more, his golden irises focusing on Anthony with newfound clarity and steadiness, he wanted to say another thank you, but at this point, words meant nothing, only actions carried weight, only growth could serve as proper repayment.
’With this, his attacking power would climb to a whole new level,’ Anthony thought to himself as he remained silent, calmly observing Kingsley’s presence stabilize, another idea popped into his head, wild and tempting, yet he shook his head lightly as he didn’t want to help Kingsley too much, it was best he discovered things himself, because true strength that was handed over too easily rarely rooted itself deeply within one’s foundation.
’I wonder what effect this power would have when Concept Of Destruction is combined with Martial Rhythm,’ he mused to himself with a small smile.
Anthony himself hadn’t tried it, he had simply conceived the idea in passing. With that, he levitated, his feet leaving the earth as he floated effortlessly, then shot towards the position where the spectators sat, his movement smooth and noiseless like a drifting feather suddenly carried by an invisible current.
Kingsley stood in silence, his heartbeat still pounding heavily against his chest like distant thunder echoing within a cavern. One might simply expect him to calm down and move on, but he couldn’t.
’Big brother, huh?’ he mused to himself as he recalled Anthony calling himself the Big Brother, ’I guess that makes me the younger brother,’ he shook his head faintly at the thought, yet strangely, he wasn’t bothered at all, instead he felt an unfamiliar warmth settle in his chest, something he hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Although he was over a century old and Anthony was barely twenty, the reality of the Acarnis Galaxy didn’t function based on age, but on power, presence, and will, and Anthony certainly possessed all of that in terrifying abundance, enough to overturn common sense and redefine what talent truly meant.
Kingsley’s head tilted upwards as he glanced at the drifting white clouds, yet his eyes seemed to go past them as though he were seeing something deeper and beyond the visible spectrum of reality itself. ’Thank you,’ he thought, but this time, his words weren’t directed toward Anthony, but toward the Universe.
The Universe had been there for him for years, silently watching, guiding, and allowing him to survive some death situations, because without the Universe, he would be nothing but a corpse laid in the puddle of his own blood, forgotten and erased by time. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
As though sensing Kingsley’s sincerity, the sky seemed to brighten ever so slightly as though the Universe was smiling back at him, a quiet and subtle acknowledgement that only someone at his level could perceive. The Universe itself was happy for his advancement, after all, it knew Anthony was an anomaly, and so were his friends, beings that didn’t neatly fit within the rigid structure of fate.
The sky returned to normal after a few seconds as though nothing had ever happened, yet everyone who was present didn’t miss even a single moment or second of everything that was happening. With a thought alone, Kingsley floated into the air, then shot forward as he flew toward the position where the spectators were, his speed controlled yet far faster than before, his presence noticeably sharper.
Vega, Aura Nova, Lucian, Aaaninja, Zachary, Collins, Mitchelle, and the rest of the observers stood in absolute and unadulterated shock. They had all heard Anthony’s words and had all listened carefully, trying desperately to understand or gain something from them.
They had witnessed the brutality Kingsley had endured for the sake of the Martial Rhythm. They had also seen the sudden spike in strength and combat efficiency within Kingsley the very moment he awakened the Martial Rhythm, a transformation so drastic it almost defied logic.
I want it.
They couldn’t help themselves. And it was understandable, because who wouldn’t want such an ability. Anthony himself had said the requirement to use the Martial Rhythm was to be rid of all energies, yet paradoxically, Anthony himself could use it effortlessly. Yes, he possessed an ability to wield all energies, but again, the Martial Rhythm wasn’t an energy at all, it was something entirely different, something purer, something closer to the fundamental pulse of existence.
Another thought flickered into their minds. If Anthony could achieve it, why not them? They all had their own ways to cheat the rules and force their paths toward awakening the Martial Rhythm, and all that remained was to try. Although some might say their efforts were fated to be futile, how would they ever know that if they didn’t attempt it themselves, if they didn’t struggle and fail with their own hands.
But what they didn’t know, and would soon come to understand with painful clarity, was that no matter how much they tried, no matter how much effort, sacrifice, or desperate measures they took, they were destined to fail at awakening that Martial Rhythm.
