The ground trembled again, this time not from Arin's summoning, but from the god that had taken notice. A figure of molten stone and fire descended from the sky, eyes blazing like twin suns. Its roar split the air, shaking mountains and flattening hills. This was no mere weapon—it was a living apocalypse, the personal champion of a summoner hailed as unbeatable.
The arena's floor cracked beneath it, and the crowd shrank back in terror. Whispers of awe and fear filled the air. "This is it… the null will finally be destroyed."
Arin didn't move. His army of soldiers, his cities, his fleets—all waited in formation, obedient, precise, and terrifying in their scale.
The god raised one hand, molten rock dripping between its fingers, and hurled a sphere of fire at Arin. The air hissed and burned as it approached, a searing death in motion.
Arin's hand twitched. Not at the fireball, but at the empty space in front of him. With a single thought, a stone wall rose—not a barrier of sandbags or timber, but a fortress hundreds of meters tall, bristling with archers, cannons, and battlements. The fireball struck, shattering mountains, leveling plains—but the fortress held, untouched. Soldiers cheered; the crowd gasped.
"You call that power?" Arin muttered, almost to himself. Then he snapped his fingers. Rivers shifted, encircling the fortress, forming moats and channels. Cavalry charged across bridges that had appeared in an instant. Towers began firing long-range catapults, hurling molten rock back at the god.
The deity recoiled, surprised—not at the army, but at the scale. No summoner had ever commanded such a thing. No god had ever faced an opponent who did not rely on divinity alone.
Arin's lips curved into a small smile. "You wanted a god. I gave you an empire."
The molten giant roared again, advancing with unstoppable force, but every step it took was met by legions, fleets, and cities that moved with uncanny precision. Where it tried to strike, another force intercepted. Where it breathed fire, rivers shifted, and walls rose to absorb the blow.
The crowd could barely comprehend what they were witnessing. One boy, a "null," was holding a god at bay. Not with magic. Not with strength. But with civilization itself.
And Arin knew—this was only the first test. The true battle had yet to begin.