The valley roared.
Not with sound—but with force.
Metagross no longer held back.
The ground beneath it fractured in a perfect circle as its body lifted slightly, then slammed forward with crushing intent. The air compressed ahead of it, forming an invisible wall that rushed toward Charizard like a tidal force.
"Don't block head-on!" Lia shouted instantly.
Charizard reacted.
Instead of resisting, it shifted—wings angling sharply, heat redistributing into its lower body. The incoming pressure didn't hit a solid defense.
It slid past.
The shockwave carved through the stone behind them, leaving a deep trench across the valley floor.
Eren's voice was calm."Good. You're learning."
Speed vs Mass
Charizard didn't retreat.
It advanced.
Its claws struck forward in rapid succession—not wild, not desperate, but controlled bursts of force designed to test Metagross's timing.
Metagross responded flawlessly at first.
Block.
Deflect.
Anchor.
But Charizard wasn't trying to break through.
It was accelerating the rhythm.
Each exchange came faster than the last.
Each impact carried slightly more weight.
The gap in raw power still existed—but the gap in adaptation speed was shrinking.
Doublade's Shift
"Now," Eren said quietly.
Doublade moved.
Not as a direct attacker.
As a disruptor.
The twin blades separated wider than before, breaking their usual symmetrical formation. One blade engaged Metagross directly, forcing it to allocate attention.
The other—
Disappeared from its predictable path.
Metagross blocked the first strike cleanly.
But the second blade didn't come where expected.
It angled downward, slicing toward a structural gap near Metagross's rear limb.
For the first time—
Metagross shifted abruptly.
Not perfectly.
Not smoothly.
The valley trembled as its footing adjusted.
The opposing trainer's eyes sharpened.
"Good."
Pressure Climbs Again
Metagross's entire body glowed faintly.
The temperature of the surrounding air dropped suddenly—not from cold, but from energy compression.
Lia felt her chest tighten.
"It's increasing again…"
Eren nodded."This is mid-Champion pressure."
Charizard's wings spread slightly—not to fly, but to stabilize.
Its heat cycle surged—
Then compressed even tighter than before.
No excess.
No overflow.
Just pure output efficiency.
The system chimed.
Charizard — Level Increase:Lv. 64 → Lv. 65
Doublade's spectral bond vibrated sharply under the pressure—then stabilized at a higher density.
Doublade — Level Increase:Lv. 64 → Lv. 65
The Clash of Equals (For a Moment)
Metagross lunged again.
This time, Charizard didn't evade.
It stepped forward.
Claw met steel head-on.
The impact shook the valley.
For a brief moment—
They matched.
Lia's eyes widened.
"We're holding it!"
Eren corrected quietly.
"For now."
The Breakthrough Moment
Metagross shifted its weight.
Just slightly.
But it was enough.
Charizard saw it.
Instinct moved faster than thought.
Heat surged—not outward, but into a single point along its right claw.
"Now!" Lia shouted.
Charizard struck.
The claw connected with Metagross's armored body—not with brute force, but with compressed thermal impact.
A sharp crack echoed.
Not damage—
But displacement.
Metagross's body shifted half a step backward.
The valley went silent for a heartbeat.
The opposing trainer's smile widened slowly.
"There it is."
Doublade's Awakening Signal
At the same moment, Doublade's blades vibrated sharply.
The spectral bond between them flickered—not weakening, but changing.
For the first time since evolving into Doublade—
Its form felt… incomplete.
Lia noticed instantly.
"Eren…"
"I know," he said.
"This is the threshold."
Not evolution yet.
But the beginning of it.
End of the Second Phase
Metagross stepped back.
Not forced.
Chosen.
Its red eyes locked onto Charizard.
Then Doublade.
Then back again.
The opposing trainer raised his hand slightly.
"We'll stop here."
The pressure vanished instantly.
The valley calmed.
Charizard lowered its stance slowly, breathing controlled despite the intensity of the battle.
Doublade hovered beside Eren, its blades still humming faintly.
The system chimed again.
Charizard — Level Increase:Lv. 65 → Lv. 66
Doublade — Level Increase:Lv. 65 → Lv. 66
Recognition
The man walked forward, stopping a few steps away.
"You didn't win," he said calmly.
Lia nodded.
"We know."
He smiled slightly.
"But you didn't get crushed either."
That… mattered more.
He turned away, calling Metagross back.
"You're ready to stay in Trial Valley," he added.
Then he paused.
"And your Doublade…"
He glanced back once.
"It's close."
Lia felt a chill.
"Close to what?"
Eren answered quietly.
"Aegislash."
The Next Step
The man walked off into the valley without another word.
Charizard stood taller now, flame steady and powerful.
Doublade hovered silently—but something about its presence had changed.
Not stronger.
Not yet.
But…
Deeper.
Lia looked toward Eren.
"So what now?"
Eren looked deeper into Trial Valley, where stronger auras pulsed in the distance.
"Now," he said calmly,
"we push to true Champion level."
The valley stretched endlessly ahead.
Battles stronger than this awaited.
Growth beyond simple levels had begun.
And somewhere within Doublade—
A king was waiting to awaken.