The storm returned.
Wind howled through the broken building.
Rain poured through the open floors.
Maxruell stood still.
Shadows compressed tightly around him.
Dense.
Heavy.
Across from him—
Veyron adjusted his stance.
For the first time—
Serious.
"…That pressure," Veyron said quietly.
Maxruell's eyes burned red.
"…You feel it now?"
No smirk this time.
No arrogance.
Just focus.
Then—
They moved.
No warning.
Maxruell struck first—
A condensed shadow blade—
Sharper than anything before—
Veyron blocked—
But this time—
The impact pushed him back.
A step.
A single step.
Silence.
Maxruell noticed.
"…So you can be moved."
Veyron looked at the ground briefly.
Then back at him.
"…Barely."
Maxruell didn't stop.
He pressed forward.
Relentless.
Strike after strike—
Each one more precise—
More refined—
Not wild anymore.
Every movement had intent.
Veyron countered.
Perfect timing.
Minimal motion.
But now—
He was reacting.
Not just predicting.
Maxruell saw it.
"…Got you."
He feinted high—
Switched mid-motion—
Shadow spike from below—
It pierced Veyron's side.
Clean.
Blood hit the ground.
Veyron stepped back.
Looked at the wound.
No shock.
No anger.
Just… analysis.
"…Your output increased."
Maxruell exhaled.
"…I told you."
His shadows pulsed again.
"…I adapt fast."
Veyron lifted his head.
And for the first time—
He smiled properly.
"…Good."
The air shifted.
He stepped forward.
And vanished.
Maxruell's instincts screamed—
He turned—
Too late.
A strike hit him—
Not heavy—
But precise.
Targeting a weak point.
Maxruell staggered.
Another hit—
Then another—
Each one placed perfectly.
Not overwhelming—
But dismantling him.
"…Tch—!"
Maxruell forced distance.
Sliding back.
Shadows flaring defensively.
"…You changed."
Veyron reappeared.
Calm again.
"…No."
A pause.
"I adjusted."
Maxruell's eyes narrowed.
"…So did I."
He raised his hand.
The shadows didn't explode.
Didn't spread.
They sank.
Into the ground.
Veyron paused.
"…Interesting."
The floor beneath him—
Moved.
Shadow constructs erupted upward—
Not random—
Calculated.
Trapping angles.
Limiting movement.
Veyron dodged But this time He was being controlled.
Maxruell stepped forward slowly.
"…You're not the only one who can think ahead."
Another trap triggered Veyron blocked But Maxruell was already there A direct hit Cracked his guard.
For the first time Veyron was pushed on the defensive.
But only for a moment.
"…Good."
His voice dropped.
"…You're finally worth testing."
Maxruell froze slightly.
"…Testing?"
Veyron looked up.
Eyes sharper now.
Different.
"…Yes."
A pause.
"I haven't used everything yet."
Silence.
Then—
A pulse.
The entire building shook.
Veyron's presence exploded outward.
Not controlled.
Not subtle.
Raw.
Maxruell's shadows reacted violently.
Pulling back.
Almost… rejecting it.
"…What the hell is that…"
Veyron stepped forward.
And this time Even the air distorted around him.
"…This is the difference."
A pause.
"Between reaching your limit…"
He disappeared.
"…and being built without one."
Maxruell's eyes widened—
Impact—
A single strike—
And the entire floor collapsed.
Maxruell was sent crashing down again—
Deeper.
Harder.
Faster than before.
Dust filled the air.
Silence followed.
Veyron stood above the collapse.
Looking down.
Waiting.
"…Get up."
A pause.
"…Red King."
Below—
Darkness stirred.
Slowly.
Violently.
Then It surged.
Maxruell rose again.
Different.
His shadows weren't just surrounding him anymore They were merging with him.
His voice came out low.
Unstable.
"…Don't… look down on me."
The red glow in his eyes flared Brighter than ever before.
The storm intensified.
The city trembled.
And for the first time—
Veyron's smile faded.