Let's talk about WATER today.
It is a known fact that you can block the flow of water by adding a dam, move between shores from one point to another, or perhaps cut through the land to create new route and even change the course of that water current.
However, you can never erase its existence entirely.
Eventually, One day, it will break the dam you built, its flow will throw you back to where you came from, it will tear through the land and move where it wants, and it will create its own path.
A natural force may seem under control, but it isn't—just like time.
Time flows like water; one can attempt to stop it, travel through it, or even alter future events by making changes in the past.
However, it will keep moving, regardless of how many changes are made. You might find it under your control until it reveals its true power.
Time is almighty; one can win battles against it but never fully conquer it.
Yet, there was one individual who attempted to gain complete dominance over this force, with an end result being his very existence lost somewhere in the time loop.
There's a saying: History always repeats itself.
And it proved true again when the same individual's descendant, his own blood attempted to manipulate this force by traveling back 21 years in time.
Meeting the same fate was inevitable.
By repeating the same actions, time also tried to erase the legacy of the person who once challenged it.
Gradually, branches known as the butterfly effect began to emerge, forming a colossal tornado strong enough to shake the very foundation of everything, which was predetermined.
But the stubbornness of that human always kept him beyond its reach.
Seeing its defeat, the wheel of time moved once more, causing several variables to hinder the human's clear path.
In the end, time seemed to win in its game by sacrificing two pawns and burying the soul that went against its laws.
At least, this should have been the predestined story.
The only variable standing in the way of destiny, fate, or time—whatever one calls it—is Will.
A small word that is nothing but a self-consolation for mere ant-like creatures called humans, created thinking it is their hidden strength.
The amusing part was their belief in it, which kept them moving forward.
Time passed through them, destroying their bodies and souls, but their Will never succumbed and finally was lost with them.
After all, no one can win against death with just some mere words of will to live.
But.
There are always exceptions in this world.
Standing in front of more than a hundred powerhouses, Ryuk's amber eyes reflected even the slightest movement in their expressions, their body language, and heartbeats, accompanied by frowns forming on their faces.
"You know what you just did!" Dreck's eyes turned completely red, small nerves visible inside the white of his eyes, gritting his jaws now that everything was much clearer to him.
The man in front of him could kill them without moving and have no effect on bloodline retaliation; instead, his amber eyes seemed much purer than anyone present.
WHOOSH
They may have been taken by surprise, but not anymore.
Each of them started to channel their mana, their glares filled with killing intent, looking towards the young man standing just a distance away.
SWOOSH
"" Young Master, Please Command!""
All Crawfords shouted in unison, already channeling their energy, which seemed much denser than others, evident of their Perfect Legendary level.
'These bastards,' Dreck gritted his teeth, already acknowledging Ryuk's strength.
He could guess he was stronger than anyone here, but battles are never won alone.
Seeing how the Crawfords were also taking Ryuk's side, his anger raised even more.
All the real original branch families of the Devereaux family had Perfect Level Legendary Powerhouses.
Even though Dreck was one himself, the issue was his method to rise in rankings was by using mana crystals he snatched from smaller continents, making his energy core less dense than others of his level.
Even though mana was enormous at his level, the output was broken.
On the other side, the Crawfords had all of them at Legendary Early or Middle with Perfect Ranks.
Their methods were solely based on training, even rumored to be taught by Alisia Devereaux herself.
'I will bury all of you here!' Dreck was not threatened in the least.
He had one hundred and thirty people on his side, each having ranks above Epic, with 24 of them being Early Legendary Imperfect and 6 Middle Legendary Perfect.
Chances of a kid, seven veterans, and a butler winning against them were zero.
Of course, engaging in battle right now would be treated as treason against the main family, only if the head of the family accepted this young man as part of their family.
But seeing how even now none of the guardians arrived to stop all this, Dreck was sure, this kid was abandoned.
It was a battle in their favour with having this much Powerhouses on their side.
Observing all of them, Ryuk recalled about the huge problem with this world's power system, where energy and strength were both placed in the same category, without any sense of one's ability or a clear idea about which, strength or energy, was at the Imperfect level—a messed up system.
Not that it mattered to him right now.
His eyes reflecting Crawfords glaring towards the hundreds, while they too glared back, Ryuk could feel the thousands of other members of the Devereaux Bloodline approaching from the same direction as the Crawfords, each with ranks above Apex, but somewhat blocked by something.
If he wanted, this could be a war.
Only if he wanted, that is.
"So, Chandlers and other branch families want a war?" Narrowing his gaze with a soft smile, he calmly looked towards all those hundreds of people, their stances set for battle.
Finding it amusing that none of them seemed aware that this was a setup from the Direct family to get rid of all of them, including himself.
After all, he could sense a whole army with battleships on standby just above their heads.
"Shut up, bastard! You just killed one of our members!" One of them screamed, pushing others aside to come forward, feeling frustrated by the young man in front of them.
A chicken who had just come out of its eggshell today was now barking at them—a confusing thought coming from their level of mind.
SPLASH!
THUD
'!?'
Before that individual could cross the line, his head burst into pieces, just like the other one who had tried to lie a moment ago—both being in the Epic Rank.
tap tap
Several footsteps backing away resonated; they were battle veterans, but one always fears the unknown.
And right now, the consecutive event of those headless bodies shook their mentality to come forward due to not understanding the method this young man was using.
They couldn't see him moving; at least the first time they could see his body shrouded in that amber and amethyst aura, but right now, everything was out of their understanding.
"You bastard!" Dreck shouted but didn't take a single step forward, trying to understand the method used to kill those two individuals.
"Woah, Dad, this toy is very smart!"