The street was empty.
Too empty.
Juvy stood still.
Her light flickered softly around her.
Not aggressive.
Not unstable.
Controlled.
Across from her Lyra smiled.
Calm.
Elegant.
Almost… gentle.
"…You feel different," Lyra said.
Juvy didn't respond.
Her eyes stayed locked.
"…And you feel wrong."
Lyra laughed lightly.
"Wrong?"
A pause.
"I prefer… perfected."
Without warning—
Lyra moved.
No wind.
No sound.
She appeared directly in front of Juvy.
A hand raised Juvy reacted instantly.
A barrier formed.
Perfect timing.
Lyra's strike hit and the barrier cracked.
Not shattered.
But cracked.
Juvy's eyes narrowed.
"…That shouldn't happen."
Lyra tilted her head slightly.
"…That's what makes this interesting."
Juvy stepped back.
Light gathered around her hands.
Focused.
Sharp.
She fired—
Not a blast—
A beam.
Clean.
Precise.
Lyra moved slightly—
The beam missed by inches—
Cutting through a building behind her.
Lyra smiled wider.
"…Beautiful."
Then She disappeared.
Juvy's instincts flared.
She turned Too slow.
Lyra struck her side.
Juvy was sent flying Crashing through a wall.
Dust filled the air.
Silence Then Light burst out.
Juvy stepped forward again.
Unshaken.
Her breathing steady.
"…You're fast."
Lyra nodded slightly.
"…And you're disciplined."
A pause.
"But discipline… can be broken."
Juvy raised her hand.
Multiple constructs formed instantly.
Not large.
Not flashy.
Precise.
Blades.
Barriers.
Traps.
Lyra moved again but this time Juvy predicted it.
A light construct intercepted her path.
Lyra blocked Another struck from the side, Then another Juvy wasn't attacking randomly.
She was controlling the entire battlefield.
Lyra stepped back.
For the first time She stopped smiling.
"…You've changed."
Juvy's voice stayed calm.
"…I had to."
Light spread across the ground.
Forming a grid.
A controlled zone.
Lyra noticed instantly.
"…You're restricting movement."
Juvy nodded slightly.
"…You're not the only one who adapts."
Lyra exhaled slowly.
Then Her presence shifted.
Heavier.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
"…Good."
A faint smile returned.
"Now I can stop holding back."
Juvy's eyes narrowed.
"…Same."
Both of them moved.
Light vs something unknown.
Precision vs perfection.
Juvy attacked first Controlled strikes Layered traps Forcing Lyra into a corner Lyra responded, Breaking through each one not with brute force, But efficiency.
They clashed.
Fast.
Clean.
Deadly.
Juvy landed a hit.
Lyra countered instantly.
Lyra struck.
Juvy blocked.
Neither gaining ground.
But slowly Juvy noticed it.
Something was off.
"…You're not getting stronger…"
Lyra smiled.
"…No."
A pause.
"I already am."
Juvy's eyes widened slightly.
Too late Lyra vanished again.
Faster than before.
Beyond what Juvy could track.
A strike Juvy barely blocked, The impact shattered multiple constructs.
Sent her sliding back.
Lyra appeared again.
Right in front of her.
"…You rely on control."
A whisper.
"But what happens when you lose it?"
Juvy steadied herself.
Light flickering Still controlled.
But pressured.
"…I don't lose it."
Lyra smiled.
"…We'll see."
The battlefield cracked.
Light surged.
Energy warped the air.
And just like Maxruell, Juvy was now facing something that might be beyond her.