165 Daniel the Juggernau

…..

The first thing that Daniel did was shift both of his irises into an orange color. He flew down and gently landed some ways away from Gerald. He saluted. "Sir Apolaki."

"Let's start." Gerald was grinning, raring for the fight. "You have an interesting, unique, and versatile Ability. Let me see your capability."

"Gladly." Daniel's eyes sharpened, his irises transforming to maroon. The start announcement blared. When that happened, Daniel stared straight into the eyes of Gerald, blinding him.

"Whoa, you can blind people?" Gerald was caught off-guard by this.

Daniel employed a fast break, changing into eyes of teleportation, teleported in front of Gerald, and set into motion the most surefire way of beating an opponent, his frostbite power. Daniel aimed for the face of Gerald.

Gerald, being the combat expert that he was, instinctively dodged to the right even without the aid of his eyes. He then pushed Daniel back with his shield. Gerald bragged, "Tsk, tsk, this kind of low-level technique wouldn't faze me. You see, I have-"

Gerald was interrupted by Daniel as a huge force of cold air hit his face, sending him flying away. Without any warning, Daniel shot a searing fireball at Gerald. This caused the cold air to rapidly expand and explode.

The arena was filled with a loud silence. Daniel was aware that the fight wasn't finished as no Walong Sinag ng Araw intervened. In the midst of the smoke, a cackle can be heard. A muscular shadow walked out of the explosion. "That's some serious firepower you're packing, Daniel. Unfortunately, you were wrong to use flames or explosions against me. You see, I'm immune to fire."

Daniel��s face wrinkled up. Which contorted further as Gerald's clothes were burnt off, exposing every nook and cranny of his magnificently tattooed and iridescent body. Everybody was stunned by the sight of the glowing Gerald. Even his dong was tattooed and glowing, though the appearance of that will be left to your imagination.

As for Hayden, he was stunned for a different reason. It was that Gerald was able to withstand that attack. If Hayden was hit by that attack, without his Indestructible Devil, he would've been severely injured. Of course, if it was with his Indestructible Devil, then, he could definitely withstand that.

'Still, the fact that he is immune to fire is a surprise…' Hayden was shocked. 'It seems that all High God Ability Wielders are immune to their own respective elements. This is intriguing.'

'Wait, Gerald's surname is Kaloobang-Bakal, right?' Hayden's eyes narrowed, reminded of somebody. 'Could it be…?'

"Come at me, Daniel." Gerald's spear returned to being a bolo knife. "Give me your best shot."

"Best shot, you say?" Daniel's eyes shifted to yellow. His hands produced crackles from the electricity. "I'll give you my best shot."

Daniel generated a fervent amount of electricity, engulfing Daniel, his hair standing up. He then converted his other eye into blue. Gerald was not going to let Daniel hit him.

As Gerald disappeared, a beam of water shot out from Daniel's hands, unlike the expected electricity. Before Daniel even knew, Gerald was already behind him. Gerald was going to hack Daniel when an arc of electricity shot out from Daniel's back, striking Gerald in the chest and sending him backwards.

Daniel didn't stand idly, rotating his body and shooting a blast of water to the Gerald who was mid-air. The water hit Gerald. It shocked Gerald, both literally and figuratively. Figuratively due to Daniel being this ingenious and predicting his movement. Literally because the water was infused with electricity.

Gerald only stopped flying when he was twenty meters away. He was paralyzed, falling on the floor lifelessly. 'Shit. This guy is really apt and adaptable. His skillset is way too broad.'

In Gerald's eyes, Daniel was an absolute monster that surpasses Hayden. Daniel's Ability was seriously overpowered. Needless to say, in the hands of a clueless, the God Eyes would be useless.

For example, that arc of electricity shooting out from the back of Daniel was purely from his skill and wasn't some kind of built-in functionality. Meanwhile, the ingenious combination of water and electricity was perfect for fighting Gerald. He may have been immune to the effects of fire, but he wasn't immune to other elements. On top of this, Daniel was able to think of this solution in an instant.

The more Gerald put some thought into the situation, the more he found Daniel's combat instincts awestriking! The best usage of the God Eyes Ability was innovation and adaptation! Without the talent for thinking up solutions to all sorts of problems, Daniel wouldn't be able to do this much damage to the physically superior Gerald!

'He's improved on his combat technique.' Hayden approved of Daniel's powers. 'Unfortunately, he could have beaten Gerald much faster if he grabbed Gerald with his frostbite when he was struck by the arc of electricity.'

Hayden was aware of every power that the God Eyes possessed, including his Level 2. As aforementioned, Hayden was the one to teach Daniel how to fight during the six months they were Level 1. Hayden always sparred with Daniel, though Daniel never defeated him as Hayden always predicted Daniel's moves no matter how creative Daniel gets.

With continuous defeats under an undefeatable foe, Daniel was able to refine his techniques ridiculously fast. There was one time that Hayden almost got beaten up, unfortunately, Hayden has mastered seven martial arts by that time and utilized his original combat technique fighting stance that allowed him to shift from one martial art to another.

Down below, Daniel approached Gerald. When Daniel was about ten meters away from Gerald, his hands produced electricity, crunching. Before Gerald can recover from his paralysis, Daniel hurled just the right amount of electricity at Gerald to paralyze him. Daniel constantly did so, so as to not let Gerald move at all.

'I see, he's clever.' Gerald was satisfied of Daniel's performance. 'Instead of rushing to me, he first made sure that I won't be gone or will counterattack the moment he gets close. Good job.'

"I-I give up." Gerald shouted with difficulty. Daniel ceased his attack when he heard those words. Gerald gave him a weird thumbs up and a grin. It was weird as Gerald was buck naked in the present, his dong hanging limp for everybody to see. "Nice job, Daniel."

Gerald approached Daniel, patting him on the shoulder. "Go get 'em!"

With that, Gerald hopped back to the balcony and put on a set of fresh clothes. The next challenger jumped onto the stage. It was Vera. Vera was a beautiful Filipino woman with blue-colored hair that was tied in a ponytail. Her eyes were also blue in color, and her small face was that of your typical Filipino beauty. She was about as tall as the shoulder of Daniel.

As aforementioned, Hayden has had a run-in with her a long time ago. She was Hayden's mentor in Krav Maga. Her Ability was the Star Piercers. Star Piercers was an Ability that changes the hands of Vera to that of two white crab pincers.

One might think that this was rather weak, however, alike the snapping shrimp's snap, she can release a burst of energy that is comparable to a pistol. This was the Level 1.

The Level 2 power of the Star Piercers is that it can continuously release a laser-like energy that can pierce through most defenses. This can be turned into an energy sword as well. Additionally, the Star Piercers' pincers has an extreme hardened shell that can block many different kinds of attacks.

Vera changed her hands into pincers the moment she landed. She didn't charge towards Daniel but shot energy bullets using both hands at Daniel by continuously snapping her claws. Her actions produced loud olden gunshot-like sounds.

Daniel teleported to the side. Out of the blue, Vera stopped firing. 'I can't move… What? I can't move.'

Vera struggled to no avail. She was completely petrified in her spot. 'What kind of an Ability has that kind of movement restriction and, at the same time, extreme offensive power?'

Daniel walked and stopped in front of her. Vera noticed that his left eye was silver, the other indigo. Daniel talked. "Please surrender. I can freeze your head off, killing you."

"I-I give up." Vera was able to mutter. Daniel let her go. Vera returned to her seat without any hard feelings for Daniel thanks to Daniel's harmonious king Supreme King.

At the stands, everybody was in a daze. They couldn't believe how easily Daniel beat Vera. Including the Walong Sinag ng Araw.

Well, anyone who can beat the Level 4 wielder, Gerald, in a Level 2 state can indubitably overcome anybody who challenges him. Unexpectedly…

"I'll challenge you." A man as young as Hayden and Daniel stood up. Hayden was unfamiliar with his face, leading him to the belief that the man was a new recruit.

The man was rather handsome and was of Chinese descent. His body was lankily attractive and his smile was that of your typical bad boy's. His hair was red in color and was spiky.

Hayden saw the Walong Sinag ng Araw murmur. He listened in on them with his Level 3 powers. Rose was conversing with Bryant. "That newbie… Liang Velasquez… He's pretty powerful, right? And he has a delinquent past of fighting. I wonder how he will fare against that monstrous of a Daniel."

"Daniel is a combat genius, but I have to admit that that newbie is rather powerful in his own right." Bryant concurred with Rose's implied point of view that Daniel will have trouble with the man. "His transformation-type Ability is ridiculous. Alike your Demonic Berserker."

"It's probably better than that. We should nurture him, though his personality may become an obstacle." Hayden stopped listening at that part.

An Ability that Rose herself deemed to surpass her own. 'Is it a hybrid? Or maybe a variant?'

Hayden paid full attention to the arena below. Liang was now facing Daniel. They were fifty meters away from each other. "A Level 1, huh?"

Daniel activated his Origin Limiter to put himself on par with a Level 1 wielder. "Okay, my Origin Limiter is active."

"Thank you." Liang grinned. Hayden sensed extreme malicious intent from Liang. Despite this, as Liang was a Level 1 wielder, this malicious intent didn't stimulate his survival instincts as it wasn't huge enough.

At least that was what should have happened. It shocked Hayden when his Danger Sense was telling him that Liang was at least as powerful as him. The malicious intent worsened this, apprising him that Liang was not a Level 1 at all!

'If he's not a Level 1, then…' Hayden used his essence energy sensing. 'He's a Level 1… What in the world?'

Hayden didn't let his emotions show, yet, internally, he was greatly alarmed. 'This man… His Origin Limiter is activated… Tsk, I can't sense his true Level even if he had his Regularity if his Origin Limiter is activated. Still, is he really more than a Level 1?'

For the second time in his time as a wielder, Hayden felt fear. This time, it was genuine fear, triggered by a mixture of his xenophobia and paranoia. Hayden was speechless. It was an all too familiar sensation for him. It was as if his stage freight was back.

Abruptly, Liang's skin became dark green. His eyes had violet lines crossing vertically across. As for his actual eyes, his sclera became black, his irises violet, and his pupils remaining black. His feet became stomps of hooves. His lips were removed, as his mouth opening stretched to his cheeks, his teeth razor sharp akin to shark teeth. His knuckles now had blue gelatinous-like spheres on it, his nails removed. As for his hair, it became vine-like and moved as if it was Medusa's hair snakes.

In his hands, two spikes with a helical structure identical to the DNA appeared. Liang wielded these two spikes akin to a rapier. He pointed the left one towards Daniel. "I will defeat you, Daniel."

Daniel's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He put up his guard more than before. This was an unknown Ability and his survival instincts was flaring. 'He's dangerous.'

'Hehe, you won't be able to beat me.' Liang's grin widened, which was horrifying as he had no lips and he appeared rather demonic. A demonic plant-like organism. 'My Level may be truly restricted to that of a Level 1's, sure. Howbeit, my combat experience eclipses yours.'

With his Diplomat, Daniel sensed that the man planned on disabling him. Daniel wouldn't want to risk himself, so he planned to not be hit by any attack. 'I have no true movement power as a Level 1 wielder, but I do have my air manipulation and fire and heat manipulation.'

Daniel has learned to manually fly by propulsion of air and fire, which used the same concepts as Iron Man's hand thrusters. In fact, by putting the thrusters out of his feet, he can remove his weakness in terms of speed. The thing with this is that his mind cannot flawlessly keep up with the speed. It was a good thing that wielders' eyes were coated with a small, thin film alike the nictitating membrane of birds that comes through the evolution of wielders.

Anyhow, he has practiced this many times under the supervision of Hayden back when he was a Level 1 wielder, and he has mastered it to the point that it was as easy as eating delicious food.

With this in mind, Daniel changed the colors of his eyes to red and gray simultaneously and stored his shoes into his Space Ring. He was readying to propel himself when he felt that something was holding him back. He looked down and saw vines protruding from the regular cement ground, restricting his movement.

Daniel immediately burned it. The vines loosened after a second. During that time, Liang was already near him, one of the spikes darting at Daniel.

Daniel reacted with a heated air blast from his hands, repulsing Liang away from him and propelling himself backwards. Daniel did a backflip and landed with one fist on the ground. He raised his head to see that Liang was standing upright.

Liang's hair vines stretched outwards, attacking Daniel. Daniel conjured two fireballs and tossed it at the vines. He made the fireballs explode, manipulating the fragments in the air to spread to the hair vines via smaller fireballs.

'What intricate control.' Liang was astounded of Daniel's skill in controlling his own Ability. 'His precision is exceptional. Such talent!'

Liang noticed Daniel was going to attack him with an air blast. As his hair vines was on fire anyway, Liang decided to kill two birds with one stone and pierce the concrete ground with his hair. This extinguished the burning vines and allowed him to root himself on the ground.

The air blast reached him. Liang was correct to implant himself onto the ground. Liang was amazed when he struggled on withstanding the air blast. It was much stronger than he anticipated!

Just as he was going to relax, a surge of air slapped Liang in the face. He almost couldn't keep his footing, needing to pierce the spikes he had at hand on the ground.

Suddenly, the ground shook. It forcefully uprooted the spikes and the vines he planted on the ground to stay grounded. This kind of pincer attack made him lose his footing. The gust of air that was constantly crashing at him finally repelled him.

'Holy shit! I underestimated him!' Liang gritted his teeth and vehemently and skillfully twisted his body in the air, piercing the ground with his two spikes to stop himself from being repelled further.

At that moment, Daniel caught up to Liang, his hands blazing. Daniel whispered, "You want to hurt me? Train more."

Liang, who was in the midst of stopping the force of the air with his body, was in a state of disbelief. How the hell did Daniel know that Liang wanted to hurt him? What in the world was this?

Daniel imitated the motions of the classical Kamehameha. Liang saw his entire life flash. He was going to unseal his Origin Limiter but stopped himself. There was no way he was going to do that. This will be a much more lenient way out than being captured by the Walong Sinag ng Araw.

The fire blast was going to leave Daniel's hands and was going to hit Liang at close-range when Gerald appeared in front of him. "That's enough, Daniel. You win. That attack will obliterate your opponent."

Daniel ceased his attack whilst Liang fell on the ground. Liang didn't look at anybody. He has never experienced such a humiliating defeat in anybody's hands. He was absolutely mortified of the situation. At least that's what's written on his face.

Gerald rotated his head to look at the downed Liang. He oriented his body to face Liang and offered his hand to help. Liang changed back to his human form and smacked Gerald's hands away, causing a round of gasps around the stage.

Liang stood up and stared at Daniel with rage. He closed his eyes, put his hands inside his pocket, and left. Hayden watched Liang as he left the arena.

When he left the arena, in the bathroom of the secret facility, out of the surveillance of the cameras, Liang smiled. 'Did I put on a good act?'

'You did better than those who received the Zeniths Award (1) Best Actor.' A woman's voice echoed inside the mind of Liang. 'Your job for the moment is complete. You should stay in that Puting Araw for spying activities. You're a true Filipino anyways.'

'Roger that.' Liang let out a small laugh.

Back in the arena, the competition continued. Two more people challenged Daniel, to which Daniel won with ease. Harper also challenged. Harper's invisibility was counteracted by Daniel's omnidirectional attack.

Ayesha and Courtney deemed themselves to not be powerful enough to even endeavor on challenging Daniel. As for Julius and Tyler, they were all passively watching, as if waiting for something.

'Well, if they're not going to move…' Hayden sighed. It was already nine minutes. If he didn't want to participate in the next rounds, he has to win this event. 'I guess it's my turn.'

Hayden stood up, activated his essence energy enhancement, and jumped onto the arena. The Walong Sinag ng Araw's interest was piqued by Hayden's appearance. Scarlet, Harper, Ayesha, Courtney, Noah, and Zeke all gulped. As for Sophia, she didn't exhibit any emotion as usual.

"Hayden's finally going in, huh?" Rose faintly smiled.

"I wonder how Hayden will fight." Bryant muttered in wonder.

"HOOO!!!!' Gerald ran to the edge of the balcony, shouting. "Why are you going out only now! You should have gone out to challenge me!"

"Finally, something interesting." Juan Tamad got out of the room and leaned on the guardrails.

"You've been keeping an eye on him, too, Juan?" Mahiwagang Mangkukulam (Illusive Witch), whose real name was Heather Roxas (Ro-has), verbalized herself. "He's a truly attention-grabbing person, isn't he?"

"Of course he is! That's a genius!" Jasmine laughed. "All geniuses will unknowingly surround themselves with geniuses of the same generation! Hayden is at the very center of the storm!"

"He has been attacked by the Pangkat Anino too many a time, that is true." Kataas-taasang Gwardiya (Supreme Guard), shared their sentiments.

"I can't deny that." Ace, the Itim na Kabalyero (Black Knight), bobbed his head.

Down below…

"Daniel, I guess it all comes down to the two of us, huh?" Hayden stretched his body. "Should we finally see who's the stronger one?"

"Gladly." Daniel was determined to beat this version of Hayden due to him not being able to beat Hayden once even without Indestructible Devil. "I will do my best to mop the floor with you."

"Then we'll see." Hayden's combined Supreme King was oozing out, planting subconscious fear and feelings of inferiority in all the distant spectators and Daniel. Hayden licked his lips. "I hope you can give me a challenge this time, Daniel."

...

1 World Lore Time: The Zeniths Awards is the new Oscars of the celebrity industry. It has been replaced to be more 'global-friendly' as stated by the World Government. This Zeniths Award is always held on the third week of March, Monday. Zeniths Award has tons of categories and is basically the exact same as the Oscars with a few special additions. It is always held on the World Convention Center at Geneva, Switzerland. The trophy for the Zeniths Award is a winged golden epicene human with no hair, a crown, holding a laurel wreath with both hands, which was leveled at the chest area, and straightened legs.