Lira's fist moved.
There was no build-up.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Just—
Punch.
The air collapsed.
The ground split.
The world itself seemed to recoil as her arm cut forward—
A strike that had already erased forests…
Shattered magic…
Broken a Demon General.
Liren's eyes widened.
He knew.
If that hit landed—
He would die.
Not wounded.
Not defeated.
Gone.
And yet—
CLANG.
The sound didn't belong.
It wasn't the sound of impact.
It wasn't destruction.
It was—
Resistance.
Everything stopped.
The shockwave froze mid-burst.
The ground cracked—but no further.
The air trembled—yet held.
Lira blinked.
"…Huh?"
Her fist—
Was stopped.
Not deflected.
Not dodged.
Stopped.
A single hand gripped her wrist.
Firm.
Unmoving.
Steam rose from the contact point.
The earth beneath them shattered from the pressure alone.
Between her and Liren—
Someone stood.
Tall.
Broad.
Unshaken.
A man with wild, dark hair and burning red eyes.
His body covered in scars that refused to fade.
Yuwen.
The General of Wrath.
"…You almost broke him," Yuwen said calmly.
Liren staggered back, clutching what remained of his arm.
"…Tch… took you long enough…"
Yuwen didn't look at him.
His gaze remained locked on Lira.
"…Interesting."
Lira tilted her head.
"…You stopped it."
"…Yes."
She pulled her arm slightly.
Yuwen didn't move.
She pulled harder.
The ground beneath them cracked deeper.
Still—
He didn't move.
"…Strong," Lira said.
For the first time—
Someone said it about someone else.
Yuwen smirked slightly.
"…You too."
Behind them, Kael's eyes widened.
"…Another one…" he muttered.
This presence—
Different from Liren.
Heavier.
Denser.
Not deceptive.
Not manipulative.
Just—
Violent.
Pure violence given form.
"…Wrath…" Kael whispered.
Yuwen's grip tightened.
"…That punch," he said, almost thoughtfully,
"…would've killed most of us."
Lira blinked.
"…Most?"
Yuwen grinned.
"…Not me."
The air around him ignited—
Not in flames—
But in pressure.
A crushing force exploded outward—
Blowing away ash, fire, and debris.
Even Lira's hair shifted slightly.
"…Again," Yuwen said.
Lira smiled.
"…Okay."
She swung.
This time—
Yuwen met it.
BOOOOOOM.
The collision shattered everything around them.
The ground collapsed into a crater.
Trees were erased.
The battlefield split open—
But neither of them moved.
Fist against fist.
Power against power.
For the first time—
Lira's attack…
Didn't go through.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Oh."
Yuwen's grin grew wider.
"…Finally…"
His voice dropped.
Excited.
Alive.
"…something worth hitting."
He pushed forward—
And Lira—
Pushed back.
The earth beneath them gave way completely.
And in the distance—
Even the burning forest paused.
Because something had changed.
The unstoppable force—
Had met something that refused to break.