At the center.
Two figures remained.
Lucien's blade pressed forward, his arm steady, unmoving despite the force trying to tear everything apart.
Hero's body stood firm, both hands locked in position, holding.
Redirecting.
Cracks spread beneath his feet.
His body trembled.
Blood ran down his arm.
Lucien's eyes flickered.
For the first time.
A slight shift.
"…You held it."
Hero's lips curved faintly, though blood traced down from the corner of his mouth.
"Not just held…"
His grip tightened.
"…returned."
?!!
His hand shifted, Lucien's eyes widened.
And in a split second, Lucien saw it.
A blinding light came from Hero's palm.
The force rebounded.
—BOOM!!!
Lucien was pushed back for the first time, his feet carving deep lines into the ground as he slid across the fractured terrain, the pressure finally forcing him to give ground.
Silence followed.
The battlefield was unrecognizable.
A massive crater stretched outward, the surrounding area reduced to ruins.
From afar, trembling voices whispered.
"…What… was that…?"
"fuck, that explosion destroyed most of the buildings here!"
No one dared move closer.
Hero stood tall.
His sleeves were torn, robes scorched and split in several places, clinging to his body in uneven folds.
His feet were planted deep into the shattered ground, as if rooted there, two unmoving pillars holding against everything that had just passed.
For a brief moment, his gaze lowered.
Blood slid from the corner of his mouth, tracing down his chin before dripping onto the broken earth beneath him.
He adjusted his stance.
Palm shifting.
Center dropping.
A faint hiss escaped as steam blew from his nostrils, his breathing finally releasing the pressure he had been holding.
Then he lifted his head.
Through the drifting dust and scattered debris, his eyes locked forward.
"So…"
His voice was steady, though roughened.
"What now, Lucien?"
His gaze sharpened, cutting straight through the haze.
"Do we fight to the death in this… joyful battle?"
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"Or do you give up on killing me?"
Boom…
A collapsed wall shifted.
Stone slid aside, pushed outward as a figure stepped through.
Lucien.
He walked out slowly, unhurried.
His cloak was torn, strips of fabric hanging loosely. Blood seeped from a wound across his right shoulder, staining the dark cloth as it ran down his arm.
His right hand still held the sword, though it trembled faintly, the aftershock of the earlier clash was still lingering.
He lowered his gaze briefly, looking at that trembling hand.
A quiet acknowledgment.
Then.
He raised his head.
Their eyes met.
"Magnificent…"
The word came out low.
Hero's brow lifted slightly.
Lucien's expression remained calm.
"You've shown me something today."
A pause.
"And I've learned… the price of arrogance."
For a moment, the battlefield fell into an odd stillness.
Two people who had just tried to kill each other.
Speaking without hostility.
Hero let out a short breath, then laughed, though the motion sent a dull pain through his chest.
"You're a sword maniac," he said, straightening slightly despite the strain.
"Through and through."
He lifted a hand weakly, gesturing.
"And I'm a body technique maniac."
Another laugh followed, lighter this time.
"But I get it now."
His eyes sharpened again.
"The extreme path of simplicity… you showed me that."
"That even the most basic movement—"
He clenched his fist slightly.
"—can become the strongest attack."
Lucien said nothing.
He exhaled quietly, then turned his body to the side.
As if preparing to leave.
Hero didn't move.
Didn't try to stop him.
He understood.
The result had already been decided.
Lucien.
Was still standing properly.
His breathing steady.
His aura stable.
He could continue.
The external injuries were superficial, it wasn't anywhere near fatal. And Lucien so far has barely used any other techniques.
But Hero was already at his limit.
Lucien took a step.
Then paused.
"The card…"
He spoke without turning back, his hand moving as the broken sword disappeared into his storage ring.
He glanced over his shoulder, giving Hero one last look.
"Use it well."
A brief silence followed.
"At first… I hated the idea of sharing it."
His lips curved slightly, almost self-mocking.
"But now…"
He shook his head faintly.
"You've proven yourself."
Another pause.
"An unyielding will… even against someone stronger."
His gaze lingered for a moment.
"That's rare."
Then.
His body shifted.
Darkness broke apart.
A mass of crows burst outward, scattering into the night.
"I hope you grow stronger," his voice echoed faintly from all directions, fading with the flapping wings. "So we can have a proper battle next time."
Silence returned.
Dust settled slowly.
The ruined landscape remained.
Hero stood there for a moment longer.
Then.
.
"Yeah…"
His voice came out softer now.
"A battle."
His legs finally gave in.
He fell backward onto the broken ground, staring up at the dim sky beyond the shattered dome.
His eyelids grew heavy.
"Old man…"
A faint breath.
"Take care of me…"
His eyes closed.
And everything went still.
Elsewhere, Liam watched the entire battle from beginning to end.
He sat quietly, his eyes gleaming under the sunlight.
it wasn't exaggerated, nor was it obvious, but it was there, clear enough for him to acknowledge it himself.
"The two of them…" he murmured under his breath, fingers resting lightly against the armrest.
They were quite exceptional. Really exceptional...
Not just in strength, but in nature.
Lucien's precision, his clean and refined execution, paired with that almost obsessive pursuit of efficiency.
Hero's unyielding drive, reckless at times, yet anchored by a stubborn will that refused to bend even when facing someone stronger.
"They can grow faster together."
He nodded faintly, as if confirming his own thoughts.
"Rivals."
Not enemies.
The distinction mattered.
A small smile formed on his lips as he leaned back slightly, "Well... That was fun