**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 70: Infinite Horizon**

  January 3rd, 6:43 p.m. – Central Arena (Sky vs Josh)

  The dome was alive with 500 million voices — a sea of faces crammed into every seat, every aisle, every standing room spot. Tickets sold out in seconds, scalpers making fortunes, live streams crashing servers worldwide. The air was thick with sweat, smoke from demon cigars, and the sharp stink of fear. Floodlights burned down hot, turning the central pit into a glaring white stage where blood looked brighter than it should, like paint spilled on canvas. The crowd wasn’t cheering anymore. They were screaming — raw, animal sounds — as Josh stood there grinning, black aura swirling around him like smoke from a dying fire. Tray’s body lay crumpled at the edge, neck gaping, blood pooling dark and sticky under the lights. Troy was raging — eyes wide, gravity already warping the air around his hands.

  Sky stood in the center — blue shirt torn open at the chest, baggy white pants ripped at the knees, blood dripping from his mouth and the eight soul gun holes that hadn’t healed right. His light blue aura flickered weak, like a candle in wind. The 500 million watched him — some hoping for a miracle, some betting on his fall, some just wanting more red on the stone. He walked forward — slow, one foot in front of the other — no strength left, just will.

  Then he ran.

  The crowd gasped — a collective inhale — as Sky closed the gap. His fist swung — weak, no power behind it — clipping Josh’s jaw barely. Josh laughed — short, mocking — but Sky’s aura grew. Light blue light flared brighter, hotter, filling the pit with a soft glow that cut through the floodlights. The crowd murmured — 500 million voices whispering "what’s happening?" across streams and seats.

  Sky moved fast now — fists blurring, punching Josh hard and quick. Each hit landed with a wet thud — jaw, ribs, gut. Josh staggered back, black aura cracking like glass under the assault. Sky didn’t stop — kicked Josh in the chest with will energy boosting the blow — light blue surge exploding on impact. Josh flew — boots leaving the ground — slammed into a metal bar at the arena edge. The bar bent with a groan, Josh’s back arching from the force. He coughed blood — red splashing the stone — but grinned through it.

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  Sky couldn’t afford to lose any more energy. His vision blurred at the edges, soul gun wounds throbbing like they were alive, pulling at his will. He moved at 600 fps — so fast the crowd saw only blurs, afterimages stacking like ghosts. He appeared behind Josh — knife in hand — but Josh spun, black aura whipping out like a blade.

  Troy ran then — saw Tray on the ground, neck gaping, body still. The announcer’s voice echoed: “Tray — eliminated.”

  Troy’s eyes widened — gravity flaring wild around him. He tried to open his realm from outside — hands clapping — but the system barrier held. He couldn’t get in. Couldn’t help.

  Inside the pit, Sky moved faster — slow-motion for him, normal for the crowd. He thought: *The only thing that matters right now in this realm is speed. I need to focus on speed right now.*

  Josh clapped — sharp.

  **Maximum Technique: Upper Hand.**

  He got a boost of his choice — will energy — black aura surging thicker, stronger, like shadows turning to ink. He ended the realm with a snap — space snapping back, pit returning to normal.

  Sky started moving faster — light blue aura glowing steady — and in slow motion, he did **Azure Flash**. The punch built — delayed detonation — then normal speed exploded. Josh moved hard into the metal bar — body slamming with a crunch that echoed through the dome. The 500 million gasped — a wave of sound — as Josh slid down, blood on his lip, grin faltering for the first time.

  Sky started to walk — slow, deliberate — knife in hand. The crowd watched — silent now — 500 million eyes on him, hoping, fearing.

  Troy tried to hit Sky — lunged from the edge — gravity hand reaching.

  Sky moved — sidestepped — did **Azure Pull**. Six little blue things formed — orbs of will energy — hovering around him. He grabbed all six, mixed them into a ball the size of a fist — blue light swirling violent — then threw it at Troy. It went through him — chest exploding out in a spray of red — took off his arm at the shoulder. Troy screamed — high, broken — dropped to his knees.

  Sky didn’t stop.

  He did his realm — new one — **Infinite Horizon**. Opened it for 0.1 seconds — fast as he could — and took Troy’s head off with a single knife swing. Troy’s body dropped — headless — blood fountaining in colorful arcs that caught the floodlights like red rain. Sky breathed hard — chest heaving — light blue aura flickering.

  Josh kicked him — hard — into a wall. Sky hit — back-first — stone cracking, air knocked out. Pain flared — soul gun wounds reopening, blood pouring fresh.

  He got back up — slow — legs shaking.

  “I won’t die to you,” he said — voice cold, broken. “I’ve lost many times… but got to live out of pity.”

  His aura grew — light blue light brighter, strength surging through him like cold fire.

  “I won’t let my friends down… and I can’t.”

  He started walking — slow steps — until he was halfway across the pit. The crowd watched — 500 million breaths held — as his aura color showed fully after all this time. Light blue. Steady. Cold.

  Josh stood opposite — black aura swirling, smiling with joy — eyes wide, almost happy.

  Sky stared back — serious face, no more tears.

  The chapter ended.

  To be continued…