The battlefield had become a graveyard.
Broken land stretched in every direction.
Cracks ran across the ground like scars.
The air was heavy with dust… and the scent of blood.
Bodies of the fallen lay scattered across the battlefield.
The wind passed slowly through the ruined land.
And in the center of it all…
Two figures stood facing each other.
Asher.
And…
Lord.
Asher's eyes burned like flames.
His hair had turned completely red, flowing slightly in the wind.
The energy radiating from his body distorted the air around him.
Every step he took caused the ground beneath him to tremble.
Across from him, Lord stood calmly.
His posture relaxed.
But his eyes…
For the first time since the battle began…
Contained something new.
A faint…
Fear.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
They simply stared at one another.
Then Lord finally spoke.
His voice was calm.
"So… the broken boy finally woke up."
Asher didn't respond immediately.
His gaze was steady.
Cold.
Focused.
"I'm not running anymore."
The wind grew stronger.
Dust swirled between them.
Lord tilted his head slightly.
"How admirable."
He slowly stepped forward.
His boots crushed the shattered ground beneath him.
"I slaughtered thousands of people."
His voice was emotionless.
"Right in front of you."
He looked directly into Asher's eyes.
"And you couldn't stop me."
Another step forward.
"So tell me…"
His lips curved into a faint smile.
"What exactly do you plan to do now?"
Asher's fists slowly tightened.
The veins in his arms tensed.
Energy flickered around him like rising flames.
His voice came out low and steady.
"I'm going to take…"
The ground beneath him cracked.
"…revenge."
BOOM!
The ground exploded beneath Asher's feet.
He vanished.
In the next instant—
BAM!
His fist slammed directly into Lord's face.
A shockwave erupted across the battlefield.
Dust and debris blasted outward in every direction.
Lord slid back several meters, his boots carving deep lines into the ground.
The earth behind him shattered.
But he didn't fall.
Slowly, Lord straightened.
A small drop of blood rolled down from his lip.
He wiped it away with his thumb.
Then looked back at Asher.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Interesting."
Before the sound of his voice even finished—
WHOOSH
Lord disappeared.
The air distorted.
And suddenly—
BOOM!
His fist slammed into Asher's stomach.
The impact blasted Asher backward.
He flew across the battlefield and crashed into a broken stone ridge.
CRASH!
Rocks exploded.
But before the dust could settle—
Asher stepped out of the rubble.
Completely unfazed.
Lord was already standing in front of him again.
Their eyes locked.
Then both of them moved.
BOOM!
Their fists collided mid-air.
The impact shook the battlefield.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Punches flew faster than the eye could follow.
Asher struck.
Lord blocked.
Lord countered.
Asher dodged.
Asher spun and delivered a powerful kick.
The ground shattered beneath the force.
Lord leaped into the air.
The two collided again high above the battlefield.
BOOOOOOM!
The clouds above split apart from the shockwave.
Asher gritted his teeth.
"You…"
He threw another punch.
"…killed all those people…"
Another strike.
"…just to prove your strength!"
Lord caught his fist mid-attack.
The air froze around them.
His expression remained cold.
"They were weak."
Asher's eyes flared violently.
"Shut up!"
With explosive force, Asher drove his knee into Lord's chest.
BOOM!
Lord was slammed straight into the ground.
The earth collapsed into a massive crater.
For a moment—
Silence.
Dust slowly rose into the air.
Then Lord stood up from the crater.
Completely calm.
His expression slowly changed into a smile.
"So this is your limit?"
Asher said nothing.
He simply stared.
Lord tilted his head slightly.
"…I may have underestimated you."
Suddenly—
A massive surge of energy exploded from Lord's body.
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
The ground trembled violently.
Even the air seemed to struggle under the pressure.
Asher felt it immediately.
This power…
Was far greater than before.
Lord stepped forward slowly.
"Asher."
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"I have a question for you."
Another step.
"Can you truly carry the weight…"
His eyes darkened.
"…of all those deaths?"
Asher froze for a moment.
Images flashed through his mind.
Myron smiling while bleeding.
Wang screaming in pain as his arm was cut off.
Lance fighting with everything he had.
Sebastian's calm voice.
"Humanity needs you."
Asher's fists trembled.
Then slowly—
He lifted his head.
His eyes burned brighter than ever.
"I'm not alone."
Flames of energy exploded around him.
The wind roared violently.
"They're all standing behind me."
The ground beneath Asher shattered again.
And in the next moment—
He charged forward.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The two forces collided once more.
Shockwaves tore across the battlefield.
The sky roared like thunder.
The land continued to break apart.
And the battle between them…
Had only just begun.