Lux staggered backward after another brutal clash, his boots grinding against fractured stone as he barely managed to keep his balance. His chest rose and fell heavily, each breath rough and uneven as the light energy around his blade flickered weakly like a dying flame. The once-smooth stone of Mount Solmora was now scarred and shattered; deep cracks stretched across the summit where their attacks had struck, and fragments of broken rock slid slowly down the mountain slopes, vanishing into the endless fog below. The wind howled violently around them, tugging at Lux's clothes and hair as if the mountain itself was testing his resolve. Across from him, Aurelion stood perfectly calm with his wooden staff resting against his shoulder, his robes swaying gently in the wind while his expression remained composed—almost indifferent. Watching from several meters away, Rose pressed a hand against her chest, her breathing quick with tension. Her eyes darted between the two fighters. "Lux…!" she whispered anxiously. "He's barely even moving…" Lux clenched his teeth, frustration burning in his chest as he raised his dimming blade. "You keep telling me Umbra is dangerous… that the world could face another Eclipse!" he shouted over the roaring wind. Aurelion didn't respond. The monk simply watched him quietly. Lux tightened his grip on the glowing blade until his knuckles turned pale. "But if that's true…" He slowly pointed the blade at the monk. "…then why don't YOU defeat him?!" Rose's eyes widened at the bold question. "Lux—!" she gasped softly. For the first time since the training began, Aurelion did not attack. The wind continued to howl across the summit, carrying an eerie silence between them. Lux stepped forward, his voice growing sharper. "You're barely trying against me! You dodge everything! None of my attacks even touch you!" He pointed accusingly. "If someone like YOU fought Umbra… you should be able to stop him!" The air fell strangely quiet for a moment. Then suddenly—Aurelion laughed. Not loudly. But the sound carried a strange weight… something tired… almost bitter. Rose blinked in confusion. "Huh…?" Lux frowned deeply. "What's funny?" Aurelion slowly turned his back toward the horizon, gazing out at the endless mountains stretching beneath the clouds. For the first time since Lux had met him, the monk's expression looked serious—truly serious. "Lux…" he said quietly. "You misunderstand something." He tapped the bottom of his staff against the stone. A ripple of soft light spread across the ground like water disturbed by a pebble. Lux frowned. "…Aren't you testing me?" Aurelion shook his head slowly. "No." His voice remained calm. "I am preparing you to survive." Lux blinked, confused. "Survive…?" Rose's brows furrowed as she looked between them. "Wait… what does that mean?" The monk turned his golden gaze directly toward Lux. "The boy you fought… Umbra…" He paused slightly. "…has inherited every technique of Noctyros Umbrael." A cold chill slid down Lux's spine. Aurelion continued slowly. "Not fragments." His voice grew heavier. "All of them." The wind roared louder across the summit, whipping Rose's hair across her face as she stared in disbelief. "All of them…?!" she whispered. Lux shook his head faintly, trying to reject the idea. "But… I fought him." Aurelion's eyes narrowed. "No." The single word struck Lux harder than any physical blow. Rose's eyes widened as she looked at Lux. "Lux…" The monk continued calmly. "You did not fight Umbra." Lux stared at him, stunned. Aurelion's gaze sharpened. "Umbra allowed you to exist in his presence." Lux froze completely. The words echoed in his mind like thunder. The monk lifted his staff slightly and pointed toward the distant mountain range far below. "If he had truly intended to fight you…" his voice remained steady "…that mountain would no longer exist." Lux slowly turned his head toward the distant cliffs far beneath them. The sheer scale of the range made his stomach tighten. Rose followed his gaze and swallowed nervously. "Th-that's impossible…" she muttered. Aurelion continued quietly. "To him… you were nothing more than a distraction." Lux's fists trembled slightly at his sides. Aurelion walked closer, his footsteps calm against the cracked stone. "Right now, Lux…" He gently tapped the center of Lux's chest with the end of his staff. "…you are nothing more than a fly to him." Rose flinched at the harsh words. "That's too cruel…!" she protested softly, looking worriedly at Lux. Lux's jaw tightened. "But you—" He looked at the monk again. "You're strong! You fought the Dark Sovereign before!" Aurelion's expression darkened slightly. "I fought alongside hundreds of others." Lux fell silent instantly. The monk continued. "And even then… we barely survived." Rose's eyes widened in shock. "Hundreds…?!" she whispered. Aurelion turned his gaze back toward the horizon. "Umbra now carries the complete inheritance of that power." His voice became quieter. "And unlike his ancestor…" He paused. "…he carries centuries of hatred with it." The wind roared violently across the mountain as those words settled into the air. Lux slowly lowered his blade, his shoulders heavy. "So you're saying…" His voice sounded distant. "…you can't defeat him either?" Aurelion remained silent for a moment. Rose stared at the monk nervously, waiting. Finally he spoke. "No." The single word struck the air like thunder. Rose's breath caught in her throat. Lux stared at him in disbelief. Aurelion continued calmly. "Even if I faced him… the outcome would not favor me." Lux clenched his fists again, frustration and realization swirling together inside him. Then Aurelion's eyes sharpened suddenly. "That is why you are here." Lux looked up quickly. The monk raised his staff slowly. "If you cannot surpass me…" Light began gathering around him like a growing sun. "…you will not survive a single moment against Umbra." Rose felt goosebumps rise along her arms as the air filled with glowing energy. Lux inhaled slowly, the weight of those words settling deep within his chest. Umbra hadn't even been trying. Not even close. Aurelion's voice cut through the roaring wind once more. "Lux." The monk pointed his glowing staff directly at him. "Your goal is no longer to defeat Umbra." Lux frowned. "Then what?!" Aurelion's eyes glowed faintly gold. "First…" the monk said quietly. "…you must surpass me." Suddenly the air exploded with blinding light as Aurelion attacked! "—!!" Lux barely raised his blade in time before the impact blasted him across the stone. He skidded violently across the cracked ground before slamming to a stop. "Lux!!" Rose cried out in panic, rushing a step forward before stopping herself. The monk's voice echoed across the summit like thunder. "Only then…!" Another strike from his staff slammed into the ground beside Lux, shattering the stone into fragments that scattered across the summit. "…will you earn the right…!" Lux forced himself back to his feet, breathing hard as the light around him suddenly burned brighter than before. "…to stand before the heir of the Eclipse!!!" Lux steadied his stance, raising his blade again as determination slowly replaced the shock in his eyes. For the first time since arriving on the mountain, he truly understood something. He hadn't lost to Umbra. He had simply never been part of the fight. Aurelion noticed the change immediately and smiled faintly. "Good…" The monk lifted his staff once more, golden light gathering around him like a storm. "…now show me how far a fly can evolve." Rose watched the two of them with wide eyes, her heart racing. But beneath the fear… a small spark of belief appeared. "Come on, Lux…" she whispered quietly, clenching her fists. "…show him."
The clash between Lux and Aurelion continued across the shattered summit of Mount Solmora. Each collision of light against staff sent flashes bursting across the mountain, the echoes rolling down the empty valleys like distant thunder. Cracks spread across the stone beneath their feet, fragments of rock tumbling down the cliffs into the white mist far below. Lux lunged forward with everything he had left. "—Haaah!!" His blade of radiant light carved through the air in a brilliant arc aimed directly at Aurelion's chest. The monk shifted only slightly. The attack slid past him. Lux's blade sliced into the mountain rock behind him instead, carving a glowing scar through solid stone. Sparks and fragments burst outward as the light energy faded. Lux dropped to one knee. "Ghh…!" His chest rose and fell heavily as he struggled to breathe. Sweat ran down his face and dripped from his chin onto the cracked ground. The light around his weapon flickered unevenly, its glow unstable. Across from him, Aurelion leaned lightly on his staff. For the first time since the training began… Lux noticed something. The monk's breathing. It was heavier. Subtle. But real. Rose noticed it too from the edge of the clearing. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the monk carefully. "…Wait." Aurelion straightened slowly, adjusting his grip on the staff. The movement looked natural at first—but Lux noticed the faint stiffness in his shoulder, the slight delay in his step. As if his body resisted the motion. Lux frowned. "You dodged that slower than before." The monk gave a small smile. "Observant." Rose blinked, looking between them. "…Lux noticed that?" Lux pushed himself back to his feet, still staring carefully at Aurelion. "You're holding back." The monk shook his head calmly. "No." He tapped the ground lightly with his staff. "I am old." The wind swept violently across the summit as the words hung in the air. Lux blinked in surprise. "…Old?" Aurelion continued as if it were obvious. "My body is not what it once was." He slowly stretched one arm, rotating his shoulder as if easing stiffness from the joint. "My techniques have dulled with time." Rose's eyes widened slightly. "Wait… seriously?" Lux stared at him. "…Then how strong were you before?" Aurelion chuckled softly, the sound carried away by the wind. "Strong enough to survive the Eclipse Era." Lux's mind instantly returned to the monk's earlier words. Hundreds of warriors. One man. Lux spoke slowly. "You said it took thousands of technique users to defeat the Dark Sovereign." Aurelion nodded once. "Yes." Lux swallowed. "And only fifty Light warriors survived." The monk's expression grew distant, as if he were staring into memories buried deep in the past. "Fifty…" His voice softened. "…out of thousands." Rose's hand slowly covered her mouth. "…That's insane." Lux felt the weight of the number settle into his chest like a stone. His mind began calculating something he almost didn't want to understand. Thousands of elite warriors. Against one man. And they barely survived. Lux looked up again. "…Just how strong was he?" Aurelion's gaze drifted toward the endless horizon beyond the mountains. "Strong enough to make the world unite in fear." Lux clenched his fists tightly. "And Umbra…" His voice lowered. "…has inherited all of that." The monk nodded slowly. "Yes." The wind roared violently across the mountain, tugging at their clothes and hair. Lux felt the scale of it pressing down on him. Umbra hadn't just inherited power. He had inherited the techniques of someone who nearly destroyed the entire world of technique users. Rose swallowed nervously. "…Lux…" Lux suddenly realized something else. If the monk had once fought in that war… And if the monk was now weaker than his prime… Then the man standing before him was only a shadow of what he used to be. Lux whispered almost to himself, "…Then how strong were you in your prime?" Aurelion heard him clearly. The monk smiled faintly. "Strong enough that you would not have lasted a second." Rose blinked. "…Wow." Lux blinked too. But before he could react, Aurelion's expression hardened again. "But even in my prime…" He paused slightly. "I would still have needed thousands beside me to face Noctyros Umbrael." Lux's stomach tightened. The scale of that power was almost impossible to comprehend. And Umbra carried those same techniques. Aurelion suddenly raised his staff again. Lux instantly lifted his blade to block. But the monk did not attack. Instead, he spoke. "You believe your strength is impressive." Lux hesitated. Rose glanced toward him. "…Well… it is." Aurelion continued calmly. "You believe your control over Light is rare." The monk's voice grew colder. "In the Eclipse Era…" He tapped the ground with his staff. "Children wielded power like yours." Lux's eyes widened. "…What?!" Rose stared at him in shock. "Children?!" Aurelion looked directly into Lux's eyes. "The strength you are proud of…" His voice cut sharply through the roaring wind. "…was considered basic training in our age." The words hit Lux harder than any attack. He froze completely. Rose looked at him nervously. "…Lux…" Aurelion stepped closer. "Technique users of the past did not train for victory." His staff pressed lightly against Lux's shoulder. "We trained knowing that death was the most likely outcome." The monk's gaze became intense—ancient, heavy with experience. "If you want to face Umbra…" He lifted the staff again. "You must abandon the limits of your body." Lux stood frozen. Aurelion's voice became merciless. "Train until your bones break!" The staff slammed violently into the ground. A shockwave of light burst outward across the summit, rattling the stone. Rose stumbled slightly. "Whoa—!!" "Train until your muscles tear!" The pressure pushed against Lux like a storm. His boots scraped across the stone as he struggled to hold his stance. The monk finished quietly. "Train as if every day might be your last." The wind screamed across Mount Solmora. Lux slowly tightened his grip on his blade again. Rose watched him carefully, her eyes full of worry. "…Lux…" Aurelion pointed the staff directly at him. "Because if you do not…" His eyes glowed faintly gold. "It will be." For a moment, Lux saw something different in the monk's gaze. Not doubt. Not arrogance. But the certainty of someone who had already seen the end of worlds. Lux slowly raised his blade again. The light around him burned brighter than before. Rose's eyes widened slightly. "…He's still standing." Aurelion noticed it too. The monk nodded faintly. "Good." He shifted his stance again, his robes rippling in the wind. "Now show me…" His staff spun once in his hand with practiced ease. "…whether you can survive the training of the Eclipse Era." Rose suddenly shouted from behind. "Lux!! Don't hold back anymore!!" Lux glanced back at her for a brief second. "…I never was." Then he turned back to the monk. Before he could react— Aurelion attacked again.
After several brutal exchanges, Lux's movements began to slow. The flashes of light that once cut through the air with precision now flickered unevenly. Aurelion struck once more with his staff. Lux tried to block— But his arms trembled. The impact forced him down to one knee. Dust rose around him as his blade of light faded slightly. Lux gritted his teeth and pushed himself up again. He stepped forward. Another attack. Another attempt. But his legs gave out. He dropped to both knees, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell violently as sweat dripped onto the cracked stone beneath him. Still, he refused to lower his guard. Aurelion watched him quietly for a moment. The wind whistled across the mountain peak. Lux tried to stand again. His body trembled violently. He barely managed to lift his weapon. Aurelion sighed. "Enough." His voice was calm but firm. "We're done for today." Lux looked up immediately. "I can still—" "No." The monk lowered his staff. "You've reached your limit." Before Lux could argue again, footsteps rushed across the stone. "Lux!" Rose ran toward him and dropped to her knees beside him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "You idiot… you're going to collapse!" Lux gave a weak laugh. "I'm fine…" Rose tightened her grip. "You're not fine." Aurelion turned away slightly, pretending not to notice the moment. After a moment he spoke again. "There is a small cottage beside mine." Lux and Rose looked up. "It isn't far from the mountain path." The monk rested his staff against his shoulder. "You can stay there tonight." Rose blinked. "You're sure?" Aurelion nodded. "It belonged to my wife." His voice remained calm, but something in it had softened. "No one has lived there for ten years." A brief silence followed. "That was also the reason I stopped teaching." Lux didn't say anything. But Aurelion noticed something. Even now, exhausted and barely able to stand… Lux's eyes still held that stubborn fire. Determination. The monk quietly turned away. "…Come." That night the mountain air grew cold. Inside the small cottage, warm light from a lantern flickered gently against the wooden walls. Aurelion prepared a simple meal. Rice. Vegetables. Soup. Rose insisted on helping, carefully cutting vegetables while the monk cooked. "You don't have to do this," Aurelion said. Rose smiled. "I want to." After a moment she glanced toward the other room. Lux was already asleep. Completely exhausted. His breathing was calm and steady, the tension finally leaving his body. Rose lowered her voice. "He pushed himself too hard today." Aurelion stirred the soup quietly. "Yes." Rose frowned slightly. "…Will he really be able to fight Umbra one day?" The monk didn't answer immediately. Instead, he placed the bowls on the table. "We'll see." The mountain grew silent as night deepened. The wind whispered through the trees. Inside the cottage, Rose slept peacefully. Lux rested quietly, recovering from the brutal training. Hours passed. Then— Aurelion's eyes slowly opened. He sat up. The old monk listened carefully. At first it sounded like distant thunder. Then again. A faint explosion of light. Another. Another. Aurelion stood and stepped outside. The cold air brushed against his face as he looked toward the mountain peak. Far above… The darkness of the night flickered. Bursts of brilliant light illuminated the summit again and again. The monk began walking slowly toward the mountain. When he reached a high ridge, he finally saw it clearly. Lux. Standing alone beneath the stars. His blade of light flashed again and again as he practiced relentlessly. Each strike cut through the air with fierce determination. Golden light illuminated the entire peak, pushing back the darkness around him. Lux was training again. Even after collapsing earlier. Even after barely being able to stand. Aurelion stopped walking. From the distance, a faint smile appeared on his face. He crossed his arms and watched quietly. "Kids nowadays…" He murmured softly. "They don't even know when to stop." Another burst of light exploded across the mountain as Lux unleashed another technique. The darkness retreated for a moment. Aurelion's eyes reflected the glow. His smile deepened slightly. "Let's see…" His voice carried calm belief. "…where this determination of yours takes you, Lux." Above them, the mountain peak shone brightly against the endless night.