The valley no longer felt like a battlefield.
It felt like a gate.
Everything behind them—the fights, the survival, the narrow escapes—had led to this point. Ahead lay a region where even High Champion trainers struggled to stand.
Lia stepped forward slowly.
"We're really going in…"
Eren walked beside her.
"There's no reason to stop now."
The Land Beyond
The canyon opened into a vast expanse.
No walls.
No narrow paths.
Just an open, fractured land stretching endlessly under a dim sky.
The ground wasn't cracked here.
It was layered—as if multiple battlefields had been stacked on top of each other over time, each one scarred by immense force.
The air itself felt heavier.
Not suffocating—
But absolute.
The system confirmed it.
[Trial Valley — Apex Field]Recommended Strength: Peak Champion (Lv. 80+)]
Lia swallowed.
"We're still one level away…"
Eren nodded.
"Which means we'll reach it here."
Calm Before the Storm
Charizard stepped forward, flame low and steady.
At Level 79, it was on the edge.
Not just of a level—
But of a transformation in combat existence.
Aegislash hovered beside it.
At Level 79, its presence felt almost complete.
The shield no longer needed to react.
The blade no longer needed to hesitate.
It was ready.
The Apex Field Awakens
They didn't have to wait long.
The moment they stepped fully into the open field—
The ground pulsed.
Not cracked.
Not shattered.
Acknowledged.
A shadow fell across them.
Lia looked up.
Her breath caught.
"…Again?"
Eren shook his head slightly.
"No."
"This one's different."
The Sky Ruler
A massive shape descended from above.
Sleek.
Deadly.
Silent.
A jet-black dragon with crimson wings and piercing eyes.
Hydreigon.
Its presence alone distorted the air.
Not as heavy as Tyranitar.
Not as overwhelming as the unknown apex.
But sharper.
Faster.
More aggressive.
No Waiting
Hydreigon didn't land.
It attacked immediately.
Three heads moved at once, each gathering a different form of energy.
"Split!" Lia shouted.
Charizard took to the air instantly.
Aegislash moved below, shield rising to intercept the first incoming attack.
Three beams fired.
One toward Charizard.
Two toward the ground.
Opening Clash
Charizard dodged mid-air, wings adjusting with perfect control.
The beam grazed past it, tearing through the sky behind.
Aegislash blocked one beam—
And redirected the second.
The explosion shook the field.
Eren's eyes sharpened.
"Faster than Salamence."
Lia nodded.
"And smarter."
Adaptive Combat
Hydreigon circled above, never staying in one place.
Each movement unpredictable.
Each attack layered.
Charizard responded with controlled bursts of flight, matching its speed—not perfectly, but enough to stay in the fight.
Aegislash shifted constantly below, positioning itself to intercept attacks or create openings.
The system chimed.
Charizard — Level Increase:Lv. 79 → Lv. 80
Lia felt it instantly.
A shift.
Not in strength alone.
But in existence.
The Breakthrough
Charizard's flame changed.
It didn't grow larger.
It became—
Silent.
The heat no longer radiated outward.
It condensed entirely within its body, making every movement sharper, faster, more precise.
Eren spoke quietly.
"Peak Champion."
Aegislash Follows
Hydreigon attacked again—faster, more aggressive.
But this time—
Aegislash moved first.
The shield intercepted perfectly.
The blade followed instantly, striking upward toward Hydreigon's flank.
The system chimed again.
Aegislash — Level Increase:Lv. 79 → Lv. 80
Equal Ground
For the first time—
They weren't reacting.
They were matching.
Charizard surged upward, meeting Hydreigon mid-air.
Claw met claw.
Energy clashed against compressed flame.
Aegislash followed from below, blade cutting through the battlefield with precise timing.
Hydreigon roared—
Not in dominance.
But in challenge.
The Apex Battle Begins
Lia smiled slightly.
"This feels different…"
Eren nodded.
"Because now we belong here."
The field trembled.
Not from overwhelming force.
But from equal power colliding.
The battle wasn't survival anymore.
It wasn't escape.
It was—
Victory or defeat between true equals.
And for the first time in Trial Valley—
They weren't outmatched.