The moment the condition appeared—The air shifted again.
Only One Candidate Will Advance
No ambiguity.
No hidden meaning.
This wasn't a race anymore.
It was elimination.
Alex steadied his breathing.
His body was already strained from the previous fights, the evaluation, and the fragment integration.
And yet—He couldn't afford to slow down.
Not even for a second.
The man across from him stretched his neck slightly, as if preparing for something casual.
"…You feel it too, right?" he said.
Alex didn't respond.
But his grip tightened.
"Yeah," the man continued, smiling lightly.
"…This is where it actually starts."
Then—He vanished again.
This time—Alex was ready.
He didn't wait.
Didn't react.
He moved first.
Their blades collided mid-air—A sharp explosion of force bursting outward as both of them met in motion.
No surprise.
No hesitation.
Just speed.
Alex pushed forward, chaining his attacks immediately. Fast. Precise. Controlled.
But the man matched him effortlessly.
Every strike—Met.
Every angle—Covered.
"…Good," the man said quietly.
"…You're not slowing down."
Alex didn't answer.
Because now—He was certain.
He's adapting at the same level…
The system pulsed.
Combat Sync Intensifying
That wasn't good.
Because it meant—The longer the fight continued—The closer they became.
Equal.
Alex broke the rhythm suddenly.
A sharp step to the side—A delayed strike—A shift in timing that made no sense.
The man reacted—But not perfectly.
A shallow cut appeared across his shoulder.
For the first time—His movement stopped.
He looked down at the blood.
Then back at Alex.
And smiled wider.
"…There it is."
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Excitement.
Real excitement.
Bren cursed from the side.
"…Why is he enjoying this?!"
Kael didn't answer.
Because he saw it too.
This wasn't survival for that man.
It was entertainment.
The man rolled his shoulder slightly, ignoring the wound completely.
"…I was wondering when you'd start doing that."
Alex's eyes narrowed.
"…Doing what?"
The man stepped forward slowly.
"…Breaking yourself."
The words hit differently.
Because they were true.
Alex wasn't fighting cleanly anymore.
Wasn't following logic.
Wasn't preserving himself.
He was pushing past limits—Even when it damaged him.
The system pulsed again.
Warning: Self-Damage Increasing
Alex ignored it.
Because that was the only way forward.
The man tilted his head slightly.
"…You know what's funny?"
Alex didn't respond.
"…Most candidates try to survive."
A pause.
"…You're not."
Their eyes met.
"…You're trying to win."
That difference—Was everything.
The man's smile faded slightly.
Not completely.
But enough.
"…Good."
Then—He moved again.
Faster than before.
No more holding back.
Their clash exploded again.
But this time—The pressure doubled.
Alex was pushed back immediately.
The man's strikes came faster—Sharper—More aggressive.
Each one aimed to end it.
Alex barely kept up.
His body lagged behind.
His reactions were just enough—But only barely.
Another strike—Too fast—Alex blocked—But the impact shattered the ground beneath him.
He dropped to one knee.
Pain shot through his arms.
He's getting stronger…
Not just adapting.
Accelerating.
The system pulsed again.
Combat Sync: 78%
Alex's eyes widened slightly.
If it hits 100…
Then there would be no difference left.
No edge.
No advantage.
Just two equal fighters.
And in that scenario—Experience would decide it.
And Alex knew—He didn't have that advantage.
The man stepped forward again.
Calm.
Controlled.
"…You feel it, don't you?" he said quietly.
"…We're getting closer."
Alex slowly stood up.
Ignoring the pain.
"…Yeah."
The man raised his blade again.
"…So what are you going to do about it?"
A challenge.
A real one.
Because this wasn't something he could outfight.
He had to outthink it.
Alex exhaled slowly.
Then—He changed.
Not his stance.
Not his speed.
His intent.
He stopped trying to match him.
Stopped trying to keep up.
Instead—He stepped forward.
Directly into the next attack.
Kael's voice snapped.
"Alex, don't—!"
Too late.
The blade cut into his shoulder.
Deep.
But Alex didn't stop.
Didn't react.
Didn't retreat.
He kept moving forward.
Closing the distance completely.
The man's eyes widened—Just slightly.
Because this—Didn't make sense.
Alex grabbed his arm.
Locked it.
And drove his blade forward—Point-blank.
Unavoidable.
The man twisted at the last second—
But not enough.
The blade pierced through his side.
A real hit.
A serious one.
They both froze for a moment.
Then—The man laughed.
Actually laughed.
"…That's insane."
Alex's grip tightened.
"…Yeah."
Because this—Was the only way.
The system pulsed violently.
Combat Sync Disrupted
Alex's eyes sharpened.
That's it…
He pulled the blade free—Preparing to strike again—But the man moved first.
A sudden burst of force—Alex was thrown back.
Hard.
He crashed into the ground, rolling several meters before stopping.
His vision blurred for a second.
Then—Cleared.
The man stood where he was.
Breathing heavier now.
Blood running down his side.
But still smiling.
"…You almost had it."
Alex slowly stood up.
"…Not done yet."
The man nodded.
"…Good."
Because now—This wasn't just a fight.
It was a breaking point.
For both of them.
The system flashed again—
Critical Condition Triggered:
Next Strike May Decide Outcome.