Cronus' system: Against the gods

"You made one big mistake," Rex snarled, his voice reverberating like a thunderclap as the air grew dense with an almost suffocating power. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, his body radiating an aura of untamed energy. "You underestimated me."

A voice as ancient as time itself echoed in his mind, dripping with disdain and raw authority. "No blood shall contend with the blood of the Titan god!" Cronus' declaration roared through Rex's consciousness, igniting his veins like molten lava.

Rex's body convulsed violently as if every cell had awakened to the primal rage of his lineage. His blood boiled, a searing inferno rushing through him, and his vision blurred into crimson. His muscles coiled like steel cables ready to snap, and his glare pinned Wallen with an unrelenting ferocity.

"What... what is this?" Wallen stammered, his voice cracking as his previously confident demeanor shattered. Panic seeped into his eyes. "How is he breaking free of my blood manipulation?"

Desperation took hold as Wallen infused more of his cursed blood into Rex, hoping to regain dominance. His fingers trembled, his heart hammering as he funneled his life force into the struggle.

Rex growled, the sound guttural and animalistic. Aether spiraled around his right hand, solidifying into a luminous gauntlet that pulsed with energy. He flexed his fingers, the power humming like a beast ready to pounce. "It's futile!" he roared, his voice a storm of defiance.

With a deafening shout, Rex tore through Wallen's control, snapping invisible chains as if they were brittle twigs. He smirked, "You really don't want anyone messing with your harbinger's blood, do you?" he mused, his thoughts directed at Cronus.

"My blood is pure! That of mortals or creatures shall never tarnish it!" Cronus' voice rumbled, dripping with the arrogance of a deity.

Rex vanished in a blur, reappearing inches from Wallen. His fist, encased in the radiant Aether gauntlet, collided with Wallen's chest. The impact reverberated like a shockwave, sending Wallen flying. Blood spewed from his mouth as he crashed into the ground, coughing violently.

"You bastard!" Wallen snarled, staggering to his feet, his vision swimming. His hands shook as he clawed at his temples, trying to steady himself. But before he could recover—

"Waak!"

Rex's boot drove into his ribs with bone-crunching force, launching Wallen backward. He hit the ground hard, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"I don't have time for this," Rex muttered, his expression darkening. Aether surged around him, coalescing into a spear that brimmed with a deadly, pulsating energy. The spear's edges shimmered with vitality, a weapon forged to pierce not just flesh but spirit.

With a roar, Rex hurled the spear. It cut through the air with lethal precision, aimed deliberately to incapacitate rather than kill.

CLAAANG!

The spear collided with a massive iron slab that materialized just in time, piercing through but stopping short of its target.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Stubborn bastard," Rex growled, his jaw tightening. His mind raced as he observed Wallen, who struggled but refused to fall. His thoughts churned, questions bubbling to the surface. Why are both Noble families targeting me? What's the mystery behind the 'Law of Shadows'?

BAAANG!

Wallen struck the shield, sending it hurtling toward Rex like a missile. Rex slid beneath it, Aether igniting on his knees to propel him forward. Mid-slide, another spear materialized in his hand, glowing brighter than the last.

In one fluid motion, he hurled it at Wallen.

POOKSH!

The spear struck true but Wallen's body disintegrated into shards of iron, scattering like shattered glass.

"What the hell?!" Rex exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. A split second later, a massive blade of iron descended from above, aiming to cleave him in two.

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Rex's instincts kicked in, Aether flaring at his feet. He dashed away in a blur, narrowly escaping the deadly strike.

"Damn it!" he spat, realization dawning. How did I not see it?!

Wallen's voice echoed in his mind, mocking and sinister. "My iron is an extension of my body—a part of me."

"That sneaky bastard left a metal clone behind," Rex muttered, gritting his teeth. "He used himself as the shield while his clone attacked me."

"Your opponent is quite the strategist," Cronus remarked, his tone laced with begrudging respect.

"Yeah... a tough one at that," Rex replied. Aether surged around his fists, crackling with energy like caged lightning. He stood tall, his blood pounding in his ears, the thrill of the battle reigniting his spirit.

"Bring it on," Rex growled, his fists glowing with unrestrained power. His smirk deepened, his hot-blooded defiance searing through the tension.

Wallen suddenly started laughing wildly for some odd reason that Rex couldn't lay his hands on. "Did he watch too many movies and end up trying to imitate the villain of one of em?"

"Kid! Fighting you has truly made me realize my full potential and for that....I am truly grateful!" Wallen's smile widened into something sinister and...maniacal

"Uh uh...." Rex could only stutter out. He was at a loss of words for Wallen's new shift in tone. Heck! He knew he had been acting maniacal but this was just too much. "Is he going crazy?"

Rex watched in wary fascination as Wallen's body began to transform. The iron fragments fused seamlessly to his flesh, forming an intricate armor that pulsed with crimson light. Spikes jutted from his shoulders, and a crown-like helm materialized, giving him the appearance of a living war machine. His aura thickened, oppressive and suffocating, like the weight of an entire battlefield compressed into a single being.

"Oh, great," Rex muttered, rolling his eyes. "He's gone full megalomaniac. Just what I needed."

"Mock me while you can," Wallen growled, his voice reverberating like metal grinding against stone. He raised his arm, and a massive blade of pure iron formed in his hand, jagged and humming with a sinister energy. "You're about to face the Iron Sovereign!"

Rex arched an eyebrow. "Iron Sovereign? Really? You just made that up, didn't you?"

"Laugh all you want" Wallen's blade slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling through the earth. "But your insolence ends here!"

The ground beneath Rex erupted as iron spikes shot up like a forest of deadly thorns. He leaped into the air, flipping effortlessly as Aether surged into his legs. The spikes chased him, twisting and coiling as if alive, but Rex twisted his body mid-air, spinning like a gymnast, and landed gracefully on a nearby ledge.

"That all you got, Wallen?" Rex taunted, his fists crackling with Aether. "Because if this is your grand transformation, I've gotta say… it's kinda underwhelming."

Wallen roared in fury, his blade swinging in a wide arc. A torrent of iron shards rained down, each piece razor-sharp and aimed directly at Rex.

"Time to stop holding back," Rex muttered under his breath, a grin spreading across his face. The Aether around him flared brighter, shifting from a steady glow to a blazing inferno. He slammed his fists together, and the shockwave alone sent the iron shards scattering harmlessly away.

"Now we're talking!" Rex charged forward, his body a blur of motion. Aether surged into his fists, forming twin gauntlets that shimmered with raw, untamed energy. The first punch collided with Wallen's blade, shattering it into a cascade of molten fragments. The second punch was aimed squarely at Wallen's chest, the impact sending him skidding backward despite his iron armor.

Wallen grinned through the assault, his teeth bared like a wild animal. "Good! Show me more! Let me see the full extent of your power!"

Rex obliged, unleashing a flurry of punches that struck like meteors, each blow chipping away at Wallen's armor. Sparks flew with every impact, illuminating the battlefield like a fireworks display. But Wallen was relentless, countering with swipes of his reforged blade and eruptions of iron spikes that forced Rex to stay on the move.

The clash of Aether and iron reached a fever pitch, the air around them shimmering with heat and raw power. Rex's mind raced, analyzing Wallen's movements with surgical precision. He noticed the subtle delays in Wallen's attacks, the faint flickers of instability in his armor.

He's overloading, Rex realized. All that power—it's too much for him to handle.

Rex smirked, his hot-blooded determination burning brighter than ever. "You're falling apart, Wallen. Guess you're not cut out for the 'Iron Sovereign' gig after all."

Wallen snarled, his voice laced with desperation. "Don't you dare mock me! I'll show you true power!" He raised his arms, and the ground beneath them began to quake. Massive iron constructs rose from the earth, hulking giants with glowing red eyes and spiked limbs.

"Oh, come on!" Rex groaned, but his grin never faltered. "You're just full of surprises, huh?"

The constructs charged, their thunderous footsteps shaking the battlefield. Rex braced himself, Aether swirling around him in a tempest of light and heat. His fists crackled with energy, brighter and hotter than ever before.

"Let's see how well you and your tin cans handle this," Rex growled, his smirk widening. With a roar, he launched himself into the fray, his fists glowing like miniature suns. The first construct swung a massive arm at him, but Rex ducked under it, delivering an uppercut that obliterated the construct's head in a single strike.

The battle raged on, the clash of metal and energy echoing into the night. Wallen watched with a mix of rage and awe as Rex tore through the constructs like a whirlwind of destruction.

And then, as Rex stood amidst the wreckage, his fists blazing with unrestrained Aether, he turned to Wallen and smirked.

"Ready for round two, Iron Sovereign?" Rex taunted, his voice dripping with hot-blooded confidence.