Inside the fire domain, as the students and teachers tried to protect themselves from the sweltering environment, Zed took action.
A movement of his eyes made the domain spit hundreds of fireballs, like a meteor shower.
"You are angry, kid," Goten Whiteskins lifted a hand to create a shield of hardened, indestructible skin. "Learning about your past must have hurt you like I expected."
"Nothing hurts me more than being forced to see the ugly, burned face of a man!" Zed said in the tone that was out of character for him. "So, yes, I'm angry!"
Goten Whiteskins narrowed his eyes. He found the tone of retort strangely familiar though he couldn't pinpoint to whom.
He rotated the skin shield around him, at such speed that it became a series of blurs.
RUMBLE~
The fireballs violently smashed on the skin shield. Melting heat ripples surged outward and a few fireballs bounced back, smashing on the domain boundary.
BANG
The students and teachers were horrified. They thought Zed was powerful, but seeing the ease with which Goten Whiteskins repelled the attacks, they were forced to conclude Zed was actually weak.
"It's not that zed is weak, but that man is to powerful!"
"Yes! He was able to resist the natural principles of Domain!"
The domain's most powerful aspect was not the attack power it gave to its wielder, but rather the natural principles that reigned supreme within its range.
Like in the case of the fire domain, these principles would weaken the target by making the body lose water. The brain and heart were composed of over 70% water, and even reduction of a small portion would lead to fatal consequences.
Yet despite the overwhelming nature of domain, Goten Whiteskins was unaffected! His body wasn't the least bit dry!
"Zed is going to die!" A female student sadly remarked.
Felicity ignored the conversation and focused only on the fight. Due to the heat distortions and sounds of attacks, it was impossible to hear what was spoken between Zed and the ex-prisoner of Stormseal Island, but she guessed it wasn't anything good.
"If I summon my domain, it would reduce the might of his domain!" Felicity thought. "I can't interfere!"
Meanwhile, Zed pulled a hand back before slashing it out diagonally. In the trajectory he made, the air ignited itself and exploded out, like an arc of fire.
"Kid! You are wasting your strength for nothing!"
Goten Whiteskins said with disdain as the arc swept forward, slashing like the scythe of the grim reaper. He lifted the hardened skin-shield up and the arc smashed on it.
BANG
Sparks flew out like firecrackers, but unlike the previous attacks, the arc of fire didn't repel back or fade. Instead, the potent fire energy in it spread through the shield in the form of threads and seeped directly into the pores.
After coming to the other side, the threads of fire energy concentrated back in the form of an arc and strike Goten Whiteskins. Everything happened in a matter of seconds!
BOOM
The potent force exploded on contact and Goten Whiteskins was blown back by over ten steps. His skin manipulation powers absorbed the explosive force, saving him from the harm.
Still, Goten Whiteskins was astonished.
Not by the power of the attack for it only pushed him back due to the surprise factor, but rather the quick-thinking of Zed to bypass the shield.
"You have rich battle experience!" Goten Whiteskins praised with a grin. "But in front of overpowering difference in strength, it makes no difference!"
"Really? No difference at all?" Zed asked.
"!"
Goten Whiteskins' eyes flickered and he quickly looked up just in time to see a humongous head, made of fire, descending.
"He was distracting me to summon this demonic head of fire?!"
The humongous head opened its enormous mouth and exposed its sharp teeth that were, in fact, spears of volcanic flames.
ROAR
The demonic head roared before swallowing Goten Whiteskins and shutting its mouth. Terrifying pressure erupted inside the mouth, just like the second before the volcano erupts.
Goten Whiteskins' skin dried completely.
"That son of a bitch!"
He cursed as the spears rushed forward to impale him while the entire head exploded into molten lava.
BOOOM
A terrifying explosion blasted through the domain, making its very existence tremble.
Felicity and others protected themselves with everything they got, and yet most of them coughed blood and passed out.
"Zed!" Felicity called out.
"I'm fine."
Zed assured her as he forced himself to stand.
It took all his strength to summon the head of fire. But he knew that would happen as it was the ultimate attack he could use at his level.
Suddenly, the back of his head numbed. His expression changed and he made fire erupt below his feet to jump back.
The moment he jumped back, a sharp blade passed by. Even though he jumped back, the fluctuations from the blade slashed through his chest, cutting so deeply that his bones came in sight.
Zed placed a hand on the wound and cauterized it. He then lifted his head and looked in front to see Goten Whiteskins standing without any injuries.
The teachers and students looked at Goten Whiteskins in plain shock, their faces plastered with dread.
"Wasn't he caught off-guard?! So how could he survive that terrifying attack?!"
"And that too, without suffering a single scratch!"
"He must be hiding his strength!"
***
"You managed to surprise me, again!" Goten Whiteskins said with a vicious smile. "And I should have expected nothing less from her blood!"
"...." Zed turned silent.
"Now let me show you absolute strength that not only you, but no one could ever surpass!"
Goten Whiteskins released the restrictions on his pores.
BOOOM
A frightening aura exploded out of him like a tsunami, destroying everything in its path. The ground toppled while the domain collapsed into lingering streams of fire.
"!!"
Throughout the campus, students and teachers felt a stifling sensation and their knees bend on their own, as if in reverence.
Felicity's heart sank for she knew what this feeling of reverence implied.
Alpha!
A title conferred on the rarest and strongest of mutants!
The ones who have broken through the shackles of humanity and evolved into gods!
Felicity hasn't met Alpha but she has heard from her father what the true presence of an Alpha felt like.
The survival instinct would force every cell to kneel down in reverence, to worship the stronger form of life.
Goten Whiteskins stood in the tempest of his aura. The skin on his body turned into the darker shade of a sharp metal, similar to reclining-moon-blade.
He eyed Zed and was surprised to discover him still standing. The natural reverence that came for an Alpha was missing.
"You astonish me again and again," Goten Whiteskins said, impressed. "But how could you surpass the urge to worship my existence?"
Zed wiped the blood from his lips and didn't say anything.
"It must be your father's blood!" Goten Whiteskins guessed. "Truly, a bloodline originating from Celestial Elysian Plane couldn't be underestimated!"
Zed's eyes constricted.
Bloodline from Celestial Elysian Plane?!
"No! That would be impossible!"
Zed reminded himself.
Having knowledge of advanced science, he has studied his genes in detail. Thanks to this, he knew he inherited his ability to wield fire from his mother and the ability to sense danger from his father.
He also discovered his genes came from two sets of impressive parents, but none of their bloodline originated from an alien source.
"Goten Whiteskins must be mistaken or lying... unless...!!"
Zed's expression turned grim. He knew what has happened to him as a newborn.
Gritting his teeth from a rage he has never felt before, he said, "One of you must have toyed with my genetic source and wiped out most of the genetic inheritance!"
Goten Whiteskins was startled.
What was this kid saying?!
Genetic inheritance!?
It could be wiped out?!?
"It was really well done, without leaving any clues!" Zed's eyes turned bloodshot. "But no one had the right to do that! Neither my parents nor you cheap assassins!"
Chilling murderous intent surged out of him. Every characteristic unique to his personality disappeared and his expression twisted into that of a bloodthirsty demon.
"!" Goten Whiteskins didn't knew why but his face paled from alarm.
This greatly shocked him.
How could an Alpha like him be alarmed by a kid?!
Some distance away, Jessica and others couldn't listen to what was spoken due to the aura of Alpha, but they noticed the change in Zed's expression.
They unconsciously trembled while Felicity turned worried...
"And you fucking imbecile, you have the guts to provoke me with that impotent face of yours?" Zed asked coldly.
Goten Whiteskins turned angry but even before he could think of taking action, his eyes flickered from the scene ahead.
Crimson blood erupted from Zed's mouth and spread through his body. The blood ignited his skin, making him wreathe in crimson flames.
RUMBLE~!
The ground shook and debris exploded into the sky.
The fluctuations from the crimson flames made everyone feel as if they were looking at the sun, forcing them to shut their eyes or risk turning blind.
"You are igniting your blood source to summon Blood Flames!" Goten Whiteskins said, surprised. "But that wouldn't make a difference against me!"
"We will see!"
Zed tapped on the ground and charged forward, leaving behind a trail of flames. Like a meteor, he directly smashed on the all-powerful Alpha.
BOOM
The entire campus trembled violently. The windows and walls cracked apart while cracks snapped through the ground.
On the place of collision, a large crater appeared and the crimson flames exploded into the skies, like a crimson pillar.
A kilometer away, two police helicopters rapidly flew towards the academy when they noticed the illumination of the crimson flames. The helicopters paused, while the police unit inside wondered what was responsible for the crimson flames.
Similarly, on the road, police vehicles were quickly closing to the academy when the sudden burst of flames sent them into confusion.
"The children of important persons study there!" The police captain said in a commanding tone. "So hurry up!"
Inside the surging crimson flames, Goten Whiteskins stopped Zed with a motion of his hand. He didn't suffer a single scratch despite the price Zed paid by burning his lifeforce.
"This is the difference between our powers!"
Goten Whiteskins said as he slashed on Zed's chest. Like a fountain, blood splashed out...
But contrary to what he expected, Zed smirked. There was no painful grunt, despair, or fear... just a smirk.
"You could still smile after failing?" Goten Whiteskins asked, annoyed.
"Failed? I succeeded!" Zed answered as his facial skin scattered out of existence.
"!" Goten Whiteskins was startled.
He wasn't using his ability to pull Zed's skin so what was going on?!
"Impossible! This couldn't be happening!"
Goten Whiteskins muttered in absolute shock as the lethal wounds on Zed's chest rapidly filled up.
"What the hell!?"
He hadn't even blinked and in that time, the wounds disappeared, as if they never existed.
"Hey, impotent bastard, tell me something."
A new voice awakened him from thoughts. He looked up and was stupefied by what he saw.
Someone else was in Zed's place!
It was that unpleasant man from the beauty pageant!
Kiba!
How did he appear inside the crimson flames?! And where was Zed?!
As he tried to make sense of things, Kiba asked.
"My mom ruined your face to such an extent that you could never show it to any woman... and since you say how similar I'm to her... don't you think I should outdo her?"
Mom?!
Goten Whiteskins was so shocked by what Kiba's words implied that he couldn't even think, much less respond.
"I take your silence as a yes!"
Kiba grabbed a strand of crimson flames and twirled it with an invisible strand of power Cosmic. He then crushed the fused flame strand on Goten Whiteskins' crotch.
"!!!!!"
Goten Whiteskins broke out of the trance. At an indescribable speed, he brought his hands down to extinguish the flame.
But much to his terror, the crimson flame that earlier couldn't harm in the slightest, grew strong to such an extent that by the time he was able to extinguish them, his crotch has turned into charred flesh.
And he could feel... the flames have burned him on the cellular level, just like his face! The damage was irrevocable!
Still, despite the damage to his face, he could show it to others... either by masking it with fake skin or donning another person's skin...
But his crotch?!
It was burned to such an extent that even he could not bear to look at it! And unlike with his face, using fake skin or another man's skin would prove useless!
So, even if a woman wanted to be with him, he could never show his destroyed treasure to her! Forget about using it!
Kiba observed Goten Whiteskins with a warm smile.
"My mom would be so happy! I outdid her!"
Like a filial child, his eyes erupted with tears of happiness.
"I don't know her, but you do! So tell me, how proud would she be of me?"