The storm reached its peak.
Thunder split the sky.
Lightning tore through the clouds.
Two battlefields.
Same moment.
Same intensity.
— Maxruell vs Veyron —
The building was gone.
Reduced to rubble.
Maxruell stood at the center.
Changed.
Shadows weren't just around him anymore—
They were part of him.
Flowing across his body.
Merging.
His eyes burned brighter than ever.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
Veyron watched carefully.
For the first time—
No smile.
"…So this is your next step."
Maxruell didn't respond.
He moved.
Faster than before.
Not just speed—
Presence.
He appeared in front of Veyron—
Strike—
Veyron blocked—
The ground beneath them shattered.
The force pushed Veyron back.
More than before.
Maxruell didn't stop.
Attack after attack—
Relentless.
But now—
Not reckless.
Controlled aggression.
Veyron countered.
But his movements—
Slightly slower now.
Slightly delayed.
Maxruell noticed.
"…You're not keeping up."
Veyron exhaled slowly.
"…You're forcing evolution."
A pause.
"But that comes with a cost."
Maxruell's shadows flickered violently.
Just for a second.
But it was there.
Veyron saw it.
"…There."
He moved instantly.
A precise strike—
Targeting that instability—
Maxruell blocked—
But barely.
The impact sent him sliding back.
His form flickered again.
Unstable.
"…Tch—"
Veyron stepped forward.
"…You're strong."
A pause.
"But you're breaking."
Maxruell smirked slightly.
"…Then I'll break you first."
Darkness surged again.
Stronger.
More unstable.
They clashed.
Full force.
— Juvy vs Lyra —
The city block glowed with light.
Juvy stood calm.
Different.
Her power no longer forced.
Flowing naturally.
Lyra watched her.
Interested.
"…You've changed."
Juvy nodded slightly.
"…I stopped fighting myself."
She moved.
Fast.
But smooth.
Light formed around her—
Not as weapons—
But extensions of her movement.
Lyra reacted—
But this time—
She was late.
Juvy struck.
A clean hit.
Lyra stepped back.
"…Impressive."
Juvy didn't stop.
She pressed forward.
Each movement flowing into the next.
No hesitation.
No wasted motion.
Lyra countered—
But Juvy adapted instantly.
A barrier—
Then a strike—
Then another—
The momentum shifted.
Lyra smiled again.
"…Good."
Her presence surged.
Stronger than before.
"Let's go further."
They clashed again.
Faster.
Harder.
— Back to Maxruell —
Maxruell and Veyron collided again.
Shockwaves tore through the ruins.
Each strike—
Breaking the environment apart.
Maxruell pushed harder.
Shadows surging wildly now.
Too wildly.
His form flickered again.
More unstable this time.
Veyron saw it.
"…It's ending."
He stepped in.
Final strike prepared.
— Back to Juvy —
Juvy moved with perfect flow.
Her light expanded.
Covering the battlefield.
Lyra slowed.
Just slightly.
Juvy saw it.
"…Now."
She gathered everything.
All her light.
Not forced.
Not explosive.
Condensed.
A single point.
Two battles.
Same instant.
Maxruell—
Unstable.
Exploding with power.
Juvy—
Calm.
Perfectly aligned.
They both moved.
At the same time.
Maxruell unleashed everything—
A massive surge of darkness—
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
Juvy released her attack—
A precise beam of light—
Focused.
Perfect.
Impact.
Silence.
Then—
Explosion.
The city shook.
The sky cracked.
Everything was consumed.
And then—
Nothing.
Smoke filled both battlefields.
No movement.
No sound.
The outcome…
Unknown.