Chapter 53: The First Gear Shift
The canyon had become a battlefield.
Darkness covered the sky.
Shadow soldiers poured from every cliffside like a living tide, their glowing eyes piercing through the night. Their numbers seemed endless. Every time one fell, two more emerged from the darkness.
The Balance War had begun.
And there was no turning back.
Lee Kung stood amidst the chaos, his red aura crackling around him like living lightning. The Dragon King's Sword hummed in his grip, eager for battle.
Across the canyon stood Lee Kang.
Beside him stood Gin Morino.
The Final Piece.
For a brief moment, Lee's eyes met Gin's.
Questions lingered there.
Questions about friendship.
About betrayal.
About why.
But those questions would have to wait.
The shadows attacked.
Immediately.
Mia thrust her hands forward.
A massive golden magic circle exploded into existence.
"Solar Burst!"
Golden light erupted from her palms.
BOOOOOOM!
Dozens of shadow soldiers disintegrated instantly.
The darkness recoiled.
Sio Jun transformed almost immediately.
Silver markings spread across her body.
Her claws lengthened.
Her wolf eyes glowed bright silver.
Then she launched herself into the enemy ranks.
The impact alone shattered dozens of shadow soldiers.
Her claws tore through darkness.
Her fangs ripped through corrupted armor.
Every swipe left trails of silver energy.
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
Meanwhile...
Lee Kung ignored all of it.
His focus remained fixed on two people.
Gin.
And Lee Kang.
The latter simply watched.
Observing.
Waiting.
As if this entire battle was some sort of experiment.
Lee pointed his sword toward them.
"You two."
The red aura around him intensified.
"We finish this tonight."
Lee Kang smirked.
But before he could answer—
Gin stepped forward.
His dark aura swirled around him.
The corrupted energy surrounding his body became thicker.
More violent.
More dangerous.
His eyes glowed purple.
Then—
He smiled.
Not mockingly.
Not arrogantly.
Almost excitedly.
"Then come."
The ground beneath his feet exploded.
BOOOOOOOM!
A sonic boom shattered the canyon floor.
Gin launched forward.
The speed shocked everyone.
Even Lee Kang raised an eyebrow.
The distance vanished instantly.
Gin's fist shot toward Lee's face.
Lee responded immediately.
The Dragon King's Sword moved.
Steel met flesh.
BOOOOOOOM!
The collision unleashed a shockwave powerful enough to split nearby rock formations.
The canyon trembled.
Mia looked up.
Sio Jun paused mid-battle.
Both girls stared in disbelief.
The force generated by their clash was ridiculous.
Lee's sword pushed against Gin's fist.
Gin's fist pushed against the sword.
Neither moved.
Neither gave ground.
Then both vanished.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The canyon exploded with impacts.
The two fighters blurred across the battlefield.
Every collision generated shockwaves.
Every strike shattered stone.
Every exchange shook the canyon.
Lee threw a slash.
Gin dodged.
Gin countered.
Lee blocked.
The battle intensified.
Faster.
Sharper.
More violent.
Gin launched a barrage of punches.
Lee deflected each one.
The Dragon King's Sword moved like red lightning.
Yet somehow—
Gin kept up.
Every movement.
Every attack.
Every counter.
He matched them.
The realization slowly formed in Lee's mind.
Gin wasn't ordinary.
Not even close.
Their fists collided.
BOOOOM!
Both fighters slid backward.
Dust exploded around them.
Gin smiled.
"You were lying."
Lee tilted his head.
"About what?"
"Your peak strength."
The canyon fell silent for a brief moment.
Even Lee Kang seemed interested.
Gin wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
"You told me that tournament fight was your limit."
His smile widened.
"That wasn't your limit."
Lee laughed softly.
"You're one to talk."
Gin's expression didn't change.
"The funny part?"
Purple energy erupted around him.
"I already know yours."
The statement caught Lee's attention.
Before he could respond—
Gin thrust both hands outward.
A massive wave of dark energy exploded forward.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The attack struck Lee head-on.
The force launched him across the canyon.
He smashed through several stone pillars before finally stopping.
Dust filled the air.
The shadows cheered.
Lee Kang smiled.
But then—
A laugh emerged from the dust.
A calm laugh.
A confident laugh.
The dust slowly parted.
Lee Kung stepped forward.
Unharmed.
The red aura around him flickered softly.
Then he smiled.
A genuine smile.
Gin frowned.
"Why are you smiling?"
Lee rested the sword across his shoulder.
"Because."
His smile widened.
"That wasn't funny."
The canyon became quiet.
Even Mia stopped fighting.
Even Sio Jun looked over.
Something had changed.
The atmosphere around Lee felt different.
Dangerous.
The kind of dangerous that made even monsters nervous.
Lee pointed the sword toward Gin.
"You said you know my peak strength."
The red aura intensified.
"You don't."
The ground beneath him cracked.
Lightning erupted around his body.
The Dragon King's Sword glowed brighter than ever before.
Then Lee spoke words that made Gin's smile disappear.
"I was only using five percent."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The statement echoed throughout the canyon.
Even Lee Kang's expression changed slightly.
Five percent?
Gin stared.
Waiting.
Expecting a joke.
None came.
Lee slowly lowered his sword.
Then shifted his stance.
Everything changed instantly.
His posture.
His breathing.
His aura.
His eyes.
The air itself seemed heavier.
More focused.
More refined.
The chaotic power surrounding him suddenly became controlled.
Condensed.
Sharp.
Like a blade.
Red lightning spiraled around him.
His aura became thinner.
Yet somehow far more intimidating.
Gin felt it immediately.
His instincts screamed.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
Lee smiled.
"Ten percent."
The canyon trembled.
"This stance sharpens my reflexes."
Red lightning crackled.
"My speed."
The air warped around him.
"My defense."
His eyes locked onto Gin.
"So..."
The Dragon King's Sword vanished behind his back.
"...get ready."
Then he began walking.
One step.
Gin tightened his fists.
Two steps.
The ground cracked beneath Lee's feet.
Three—
He disappeared.
Not moved.
Not dashed.
Disappeared.
Even Lee Kang's eyes widened.
Gin's pupils shrank instantly.
Where?
His instincts exploded.
Too late.
A hand suddenly appeared on his face.
Gin froze.
Lee Kung stood directly in front of him.
One hand pressed firmly against his face.
The Dragon King's Sword remained strapped to his back.
He hadn't even used it.
Gin's eyes widened.
Impossible.
The speed was absurd.
Then—
Lee slammed him into the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The canyon exploded.
A crater hundreds of feet wide formed instantly.
Shockwaves tore across the battlefield.
Shadow soldiers were vaporized.
Stone shattered.
The entire canyon shook.
Gin's body crashed through layer after layer of rock.
The impact alone nearly knocked him unconscious.
Before he could process what happened—
Lee moved again.
Gin bounced upward from the crater.
Instinct alone keeping him conscious.
Then he saw Lee above him.
Waiting.
Calmly.
A kick descended.
And for the first time since this battle began—
Fear entered Gin's eyes.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Lee's foot slammed into his stomach.
The impact folded Gin's body around the strike.
Every ounce of air left his lungs.
The force launched him across the canyon like a missile.
Stone formations exploded upon contact.
Cliffs shattered.
The battlefield paused.
Everyone watched.
Gin crashed directly at Lee Kang's feet.
Dust and rubble erupted around them.
The Final Piece lay there coughing blood.
Stunned.
Broken.
Barely understanding what had just happened.
Lee Kang stared at him.
Then slowly looked toward his brother.
For the first time since arriving at the canyon...
The smile disappeared from his face.
Because standing across the battlefield wasn't the younger brother he remembered.
This was something else.
Something stronger.
Something far more dangerous.
Red lightning danced around Lee Kung's body.
The Dragon King's Sword hummed behind him.
His eyes glowed crimson.
And he hadn't even reached twenty percent.
Lee slowly began walking forward.
Each step echoed across the canyon.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Now."
The shadows retreated instinctively.
Even the darkness seemed afraid.
Lee stopped several feet away.
His eyes moved between Gin and Lee Kang.
"Who's next?"