Multiversal Manifestation System

"Alright, Gyomei," Wang Zi said with a smirk. "Show them what you've got."

Gyomei tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment, murmuring a quiet prayer as he gripped his weapon tightly. Without warning, he lunged forward, the ground trembling beneath his massive steps.

Gyomei swung his spiked flail with terrifying force, the chain rattling as the massive spiked ball hurtled toward the turtle's shell.

BOOM!

The impact rang out like a thunderclap, the sheer power of the blow sending shockwaves through the chamber.

The audience outside gasped.

"Damn!"

"That shell didn't even crack!"

"Gyomei's a monster!"

The turtle didn't flinch. It pulled its head into its shell briefly, then shot it out with surprising speed, snapping its massive jaws at Gyomei. He sidestepped with agility that belied his size, the turtle's jaws closing with a deafening chomp that echoed through the room.

Gyomei countered immediately, swinging his axe downward.

"THWACK!" The blade bit into the turtle's neck but barely pierced its thick hide.

Wang Zi watched intently, analyzing every movement.

"Strong hits," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "His strength is leagues above Mitsuri's... But why?"

He glanced at the faint aura surrounding Gyomei, the subtle way his weapon's movements seemed to connect with the ground itself.

"Hmm."

"ROOOOAAARRR", the turtle roared as its body shifted. It lift up its front legs, slamming them down onto the ground. The impact sent a wave of jagged stone spikes shooting outward, forcing Gyomei to leap back.

Gyomei's prayer beads clinked softly as he landed, his face calm and resolute. He swung his flail in a wide arc, smashing the incoming spikes into rubble. The audience gasped again, amazed at his sheer power.

Gyomei adjusted his grip on his weapon, spinning the chain connecting the axe and flail with increasing speed. The turtle lunged forward, its iron-like shell gleaming as it attempted to ram him.

"Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash!" Gyomei bellowed, his voice echoing through the chamber.

He swung his flail with immense force, the spiked ball slamming into the turtle's shell.

"CRACK!"

The impact was so powerful that the entire chamber shook, cracks spiderwebbing across the shell's surface.

The turtle roared in pain, its amber eyes flaring with anger as it attempted to retreat into its shell.

Gyomei didn't let up. He swung his axe again, the blade finding one of the cracks and embedding deeply. With another loud crack, a large chunk of the shell splintered off.

The plaza erupted into cheers and screams.

"He cracked the shell!"

"Gyomei is unstoppable!"

Wang Zi chuckled softly as he watched the fight unfold.

"Impressive." he muttered. "He's got a lot of weight behind those attacks...They call him the strongest for a reason huh."

He glanced at the subtle aura surrounding Gyomei once again, noticing how the Stone Hashira's movements seemed to resonate with the earth.

"It must be the mana," Wang Zi thought.

"Stone Breathing probably draws in earth elemental mana naturally, even though he doesn't realize it. That's why he's so much stronger here than in his own world. Could the breathing methods that are based on an element work better here? That would explain why Sun Breathing is such a big boost to both cultivation and power." Wang Zi thought to himself.

Gyomei adjusted his stance, his prayer beads clinking softly as he prepared for the finishing blow. Wang Zi leaned back against the wall, watching with a confident smirk.

"Go on, big guy. Show them why you're the strongest."

The turtle tried to box him in with its earthen walls, raising them higher and thicker with every step he took.

Gyomei gripped his flail tightly, the chain rattling as he began to swing it. 

"Stone Breathing, Fourth Form: Volcanic Rock, Rapid Conquest!" he roared, his voice echoing through the chamber.

The flail smashed into the spikes and walls, shattering them to dust as Gyomei advanced methodically.

The turtle, sensing its defenses faltering, focused its efforts on a counterattack.

With a deep rumble, it reared up, slamming its front legs into the ground. Massive stone spikes shot upward in a wide radius, their jagged edges aiming to skewer him.

Gyomei didn't flinch. His prayer beads clinked softly as he tightened his grip on his weapons.

"Stone Breathing, Third Form: Stone Skin!"

The turtle kept roaring fantically, trying to box him in with its earthen walls, raising them higher and thicker with every step he took. Gyomei, however, showed no hesitation.

The flail and axe moved in perfect unison, creating a whirlwind of crushing force. The spikes shattered on impact, reduced to harmless rubble as Gyomei carved a path straight toward the turtle.

Leaning against the wall, Wang Zi watched the fight unfold with growing admiration.

The turtle roared one final time, "ROOOAAARRR!", as it retreated into its shell, the jagged spikes on its back glowing faintly. It spun rapidly, its shell becoming a deadly whirling weapon as it charged toward Gyomei.

Gyomei didn't move, his expression calm. As the turtle closed the distance, he raised his weapons high, his arms bulging.

"Stone Breathing, Fifth Form: Arcs of Justice!"

"HA!"

With a devastating swing of his flail, Gyomei struck the turtle head-on.

"BONK" The impact was deafening. Cracks spread rapidly across the turtle's shell before it shattered completely, pieces flying in every direction.

The beast let out a final, pained roar, before collapsing onto the ground, its massive body lying still.

The plaza outside erupted into chaos, the cheers deafening.

"GYOMEI! GYOMEI!"

"He crushed it!"

"That defense beast didn't stand a chance!"

In the observation room, the silhouettes of the Awakener Academies watched quietly.

"An impressive summon," one voice commented. "But it's still just a summon. The summoner himself remains vulnerable."

"Exactly," another replied. "Without combat power of his own, Wang Zi is an easy target for assassination."

Lulu, however, seemed intrigued. "Maybe," she said thoughtfully.

As Gyomei's form began to fade, his manifestation time ending, Wang Zi pushed off the wall and stepped forward. "Well done, that was pretty fast." he said quietly.

"The strongest Hashira... You lived up to your title."

Gyomei's voice was calm as he disappeared. "I pray this was enough."

"It was more than enough," Wang Zi said, his smirk returning.

The path to the next stage opened, and Wang Zi calmly stepped through.

While making his way to the final stage, he once again asked the system for his SP count.

System Points: 158,466,904

Wang Zi was surprised, it seems even thought the fight was over very quickly, Gyomei made more on an impact than Mitsuri.

"Was it because of the difference in strength? Gyomei's fight was more brutal for sure but still..."

"Well no matter. After this competition is over, my SP will surely skyrocket even more. I still have to put manifesting Rengoku in the real world in my schedule, I'm pretty sure teamwork will be a thing moving forward."

"I have to to start considering what other work to release next. I need so much SP..."

After a little more running, Wang Zi stepped into the final chamber, his footsteps echoing against the stone walls.

Unlike the previous rooms, this one was barren.

No puzzles, no traps, just an eerily empty space illuminated by faintly glowing runes.

At the center of the chamber stood a simple pedestal with a single sentence carved into its surface:

Stage 3: How long can you last?

"That's it?" Wang Zi frowned.

Before he could think further, the last stone door groaned open. From the shadows emerged a familiar figure: a massive porcupine, identical to the one he had faced in the first stage.

Wang Zi raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

The beast growled low, its iron-like quills rattling ominously as it locked its beady red eyes onto him.

"Alright then," Wang Zi said, rolling his shoulders.

"How long can I last huh, that's not a question you should be asking a young man."

"Time to show you I'm different from an 'artist'".

Wang Zi steadied himself, his expression sharpening as he took a deep breath. The air around him seemed to shimmer, and faint embers flickered to life at his feet. He manifested his prized nichirin sword - Rengoku's Nichirin sword- gripped its hilt and drew it in a single fluid motion.

"Phewww" His breathing sped up.

The chamber erupted into light as vibrant flames enveloped the blade, their heat palpable even to the distant observers. But it wasn't just the sword, Wang Zi himself seemed transformed.

As his breathing quickened, tongues of flame seemed to leap in and out of his body, it seemed like he was burning himself alive, inhaling and exhaling fire.

The flames flowed around him like a living entity, weaving through his movements and illuminating his form. His eyes burned with intensity, reflecting the golden glow of the fire.

The audience outside the plaza gasped collectively, the cheers dying down as stunned silence took over.

"Oi oi oi what the hell is that?!"

"Is that... Is he breathing fire mana?!"

Feifei's jaw dropped as she stared at her screen. Her chatroom was also quite lively.

"WHAT IS THIS?!"

In the observation room, the silhouettes of the Awakener Academies leaned forward in unison.

"That's not just summoning," one voice said, its tone sharp with intrigue.

"Those flames... they're not an illusion. He's breathing mana through them," another added.

Down in the audience section, Principal Anton clutched his beard tightly, his eyes wide.

"This boy... Where is he getting this power?"

Principal Gregory Solis from Lumina Nova Academy, standing beside him, let out a loud laugh.

"You've got yourself a little firebrand, Anton! Careful he doesn't burn your whole academy down!"

Anton grumbled, still watching Wang Zi intently.

The porcupine charged, its quills rattling as it lunged forward with surprising speed. Wang Zi's expression didn't falter. He moved gracefully, sidestepping the beast with ease, his eyes never leaving its form.

With a single motion, he raised his sword.

"Sun Breathing, Dance." he said, his voice resonating through the chamber.

As he said this, the flames around him seemed to come alive, enveloping his sword and turning it into a blazing light.

SWISH!

A powerful down slash sent a fiery arc slicing through the air, slamming into the porcupine's side. The flames clung to the beast, scorching its iron-like hide and forcing it to stagger back with a furious roar.

"ROOOAAARRRR!"

The audience outside erupted into cheers, their earlier silence forgotten.

Wang Zi however frowned slightly, lowering his sword as he observed the porcupine.

"About 30% of my strength," he muttered. "Not bad... but not enough to finish it."

The porcupine snarled, shaking off the flames as it prepared for another charge.

Inside the chamber, Wang Zi's expression remained calm, his breathing steady. The flames around him pulsed with his movements, an extension of his will.

With the porcupine still reeling, he dashed forward, his speed betraying his bulky frame.

"Sun Breathing, Solar Heat Haze."

The porcupine hurriedly tried to dodge the slash, but for some reason it couldn't see where the attack was coming from. So it just stood there stunned, his brain unable to process what was happening.

And that was what sealed its fate.

SWOOOSH!

Wang Zi thrust his flaming blade into the porcupine's neck, pulling it upward and decapitating it. Its head didn't even make it to the ground before being incinerated.

Its body , also being consumed by flames, soon followed the head's fate.

The plaza erupted into chaos.

"HE TOOK IT OUT SO FAST!"

"Did you see those flames?"

"Fatty Zi is unstoppable!"

In the observation room, the Awakener Academy silhouettes remained quiet for a moment before one spoke.

"He's not just a summoner," the voice said, laced with astonishment. "He's a fighter."

"Hmm. I'm interested in him now." another added.

Wang Zi stood in the center of the chamber, the flames around him slowly fading. He turned toward the newly opened passageway, his expression calm but satisfied.

"Too easy," he muttered, stepping over the porcupine's charred remains.

As the porcupine's charred body fell to the ground, Wang Zi sheathed his blade, his breathing steady and calm. The flames around him flickered softly before dissipating entirely.

He turned toward the open doorway, expecting to move on, but his steps halted as another sound echoed through the chamber.

"RUMBLE."

From the same door, another beast lumbered into view - a massive turtle with a reddish, spiked carapace that gleamed like polished iron. Wang Zi's eyes narrowed as recognition set in.

"A turtle... again?" he muttered, crossing his arms.

The turtle moved slowly, its amber eyes fixed on Wang Zi as it approached. Its massive form radiated quiet menace, but its deliberate movements betrayed a laziness that Wang Zi couldn't ignore.

"Was this stage really just about endurance?" Wang Zi wondered aloud. His gaze flicked toward the walls of the chamber, as if searching for hidden clues.

Then it clicked.

"Of course," he said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"Endurance. But they're not testing just stamina - they're testing how long I can fight without taking a break. Makes sense..."

"GRRRRRHHHH,"

The turtle rumbled, its spiked shell rattling as it slowly advanced. Its massive head craned forward, its jaws opening wide as it stretched its neck towards Wang Zi with surprising speed.

But Wang Zi didn't flinch. "The same starting move...?"

His movements were fluid, almost casual, as he sidestepped the beast's attack, his eyes perfectly tracing its trajectory.

With his Nichirin Sword already drawn, flames reignited along its edge, flowing like liquid fire in the dim chamber light.

"Sun Breathing, Dance!" Wang Zi said, his voice calm and focused.

With a single, precise motion, his blade sliced downward, a simple yet deadly chop.

The turtle's head separated cleanly from its body, the flames cauterizing the wound instantly. Its massive frame wavered for a moment before crashing to the ground.

Wang Zi exhaled slowly, his blade resting at his side.

"Too easy," he muttered, his tone almost bored.

In his private room, Alexander's golden eyes never left the screen. He leaned forward slightly, his attention fully absorbed by the sight of Wang Zi and the flames that seemed to flow through him as naturally as his own breath.

"That fire," Alexander murmured, his tone laced with intrigue.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, his uncle, Ray, held up a hand, signaling him to stop. The older man's expression was unreadable as he gestured for Alexander to continue watching in silence.

Alexander frowned but complied, his focus returning to the screen.

As he turned toward the next doorway, Wang Zi's smirk faded slightly.

Something didn't feel right. The turtle had been far too easy to dispatch, just like the porcupine before it.

"If this is a test of endurance," he thought, "then there's no way it's over after just two beasts. There's something else coming, something stronger. Maybe even something unbeatable."

He tightened his grip on the Nichirin Sword, his flames still faintly flickering along the blade.

"Well," he muttered to himself, "Let's see whats up then."

And he didn't have to wait long. A screech came from the darkness beyond the opened stone door...