An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

“What?”

As Caleb stared at the disintegrated Soul - Bind talisman, his expression changed tically. He hadn't

expected that a sword descending from. the sky would disrupt his plan at such a critical moment.

When did this sword appear? How had he failed to notice it?

Before he could react, the black sword moved again.

With a soft hum, the black sword seemed to have a mind of its own as it turned in midair and struck the Summit

Shift talisman at lightning speed. The talisman in the air exploded in a brilliant flash of yellow light and scattered

into tiny sparks.

Dustin finally relaxed as the overwhelming pressure lifted. He slowly opened his palm, and the black sword

circled him before landing precisely in his hand.

“No wonder they call it a legendary Divine Talisman. I've finally experienced its power firsthand today.”. He

gripped the sword with one hand and flashed a faint smile, but his expression turned serious.

While the Summit Shift talisman hadn't fully immobilized him, it had slowed his movements and reactions. As a

result, he probably wouldn't be able to dodge the Soul-Bind talisman.

He had witnessed the power of the Soul -Bind talisman before. Despite his confidence in his abilities, he didn’t

dare take unnecessary risks. Hence, he had chosen to draw his sword. This decision marked his commitment to

the fight.

“Yet, you still managed to counter it.” Caleb shook his head. He set aside his usual nonchalance, and his

expression grew somber.

Although Dustin wasn’t exuding any intense energy at that moment, Caleb felt an overwhelming sense of

danger. The pressure weighing down on him was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

He was calm and unshaken when he faced Sam and the Dawson Clan’s thousand-talon coffer. But now, he felt an

unexpected tension creeping in. It was like he wasn’t facing a man but sprehistoric beast.

“I remember you have another ultimate move-the Eight Trigrams of the Divine Talisman, right?” Dustin raised his

sword slowly. “Better use it now while you have the chance.”

There was a stark difference between fighting with a sword and without one.

He knew he couldn’t counter the Glow Incantation with just punches and kicks in such a short time. But the

Celestial Blade, one of the top-ten deadly weapons on the Divine Weapon List, had a natural advantage over this

internal energy protective shield.

“In that case, | won't hold back.” Caleb wasted no tand unleashed his ultimate move. He knew that Dustin

was much stronger than Sam.

If he had allowed Dustin to strike first, he wouldn't have had tto use the Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman

and any hope of turning the tables would have been lost. With Dustin granting him this opportunity, he couldn't

afford to pass it up.

“Heaven, Earth, Gale, Thunderstorm, Abyss, Inferno, Peak, Torrent!” Caleb waved his hands repeatedly.

Eight brightly colored Divine Talismans shot into the air and spun rapidly. Dust and stones flew everywhere as

the wind instantly picked up. A terrifying energy surged through the air and crackled with unrestrained force.

“Damn! It's the Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman again. Caleb is serious this time.”

“Caleb previously defeated Sam, who ranked ninth on the Legendary List, using this move. Now that he’s using it

again, Dustin is in danger.”

“If this move takes him down, he’ll have no regrets.”

The spectators pointed and whispered as they watched the eight talismans floating and spinning in the sky.

They had already witnessed the power of the Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman. Even Sam, who possessed the

Dawson Clan’s sacred weapon, couldn't withstand its might. So, what chance did the newly rising star, Dustin,

have?

Caleb and Dustin had previously been evenly matched on the battle ring. However, once Caleb used the Divine

Talisman, the tide of battle began to turn decisively in his favor.

Now, when he unleashed the Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman, the match’s outcwas no longer in doubt.

“Sage Foyer, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Hadley, which do you think is more powerful- the Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman

or Dustin's sword?” Penelope, who had been silent up until now, spoke suddenly. Her voice was low and grating.

“The sword would certainly be superior in a surprise attack.” Alloy narrowed his eyes and analyzed, “But

unfortunately, Dustin has grown too arrogant and allowed Caleb to use his ultimate move. This negates any

advantage his speed might have had.”

“That's not arrogance but confidence,” Cyrus replied calmly. “Facing the Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman with

composure shows he has immense faith in his sword. It is a quality every great swordsman needs.”

“A true swordsman kills with one strike, right? Giving an opponent tto use their ultimate move is arrogance,

“Alloy countered dismissively.

“You don’t understand what it means to be a swordsman. Plus, you're clueless about the honor and pride that

comes with it.” Cyrus glanced at him disdainfully. “With your attitude, you'll probably hit a wall and never rise

above this level.”

“Ha! | guess | just don’t get what it means to be a swordsman since I'm not as good at playing the part as you

are.” Alloy smiled sarcastically.

The ideas of honor and pride seemed ridiculous to him. In the battle ring, victory was claimed by the one that

was still standing. Any method was fair play as long as one could defeat their opponent. But giving the opponent

a chance to turn the tide was foolish.

“It's starting!”

Just as Cyrus and Alloy were bickering, the situation on the battle ring changed again.

Caleb's Eight Trigrams of Divine Talisman had finally gathered its full power, and its force surged with an even

greater intensity than before.