The explosion from their last clash had not yet faded.
A storm of dust and broken stone filled the battlefield, swallowing the sky in a grey haze. The ground trembled beneath the pressure left behind by their power.
For several seconds, nothing moved.
Only the sound of wind passed through the ruins.
Then—
A faint figure appeared through the dust.
Asher.
His breathing was heavy. Small cuts covered his arms and face, and blood slowly ran down his shoulder. Yet the fire in his eyes had not faded.
Red energy still burned around his body like a living flame.
Across the shattered battlefield…
Another silhouette slowly stepped forward.
Lord.
But something was different.
His body was still intact, but the calm aura around him had begun to change. The air around him had grown heavier, darker, more concentrated.
Asher immediately noticed it.
"…What are you doing?"
Lord looked down at his own hand.
For the first time since the battle began, he seemed to be examining himself.
The faint crack in his armor slowly widened.
Then—
The armor shattered.
Small fragments fell to the ground.
But underneath it was not weakness.
It was something else.
A deeper layer of energy.
Lord spoke quietly.
"Interesting."
He slowly clenched his hand.
Dark energy gathered around his arm like flowing smoke.
"I can feel it now."
Asher narrowed his eyes.
"Feel what?"
Lord raised his head.
"The pressure."
He looked directly at Asher.
"Your resistance."
The wind intensified as his energy began to rise.
"For centuries, power has followed the same rule."
His voice remained calm.
"Those who cannot adapt…"
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
"…perish."
The dark energy around his body began to expand.
It crawled across his shoulders like living shadows.
Asher stepped forward.
"You're changing."
Lord nodded slightly.
"Yes."
He raised his hand slowly.
"And so must the world."
Suddenly—
The energy around Lord exploded outward.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive shockwave ripped across the battlefield.
Asher slid backward several meters, digging his feet into the broken earth to stop himself.
Dust scattered across the air again.
When it settled…
Lord looked different.
The dark energy around him had condensed into sharp, armor-like structures along his arms and shoulders.
Thin lines of glowing black energy ran across his body like veins.
His eyes had also changed.
They were colder now.
Sharper.
Almost endless.
Asher felt it immediately.
The pressure had increased.
"…So this is your real power?"
Lord tilted his head slightly.
"No."
He answered calmly.
"This is simply adaptation."
The ground beneath him shattered as he vanished.
Asher's eyes widened.
Too fast.
Lord appeared behind him instantly.
BAM!
The punch landed directly into Asher's side.
The impact launched him across the battlefield like a cannonball.
He crashed through several massive rocks before finally stopping.
The ground cracked beneath him.
For a moment, Asher remained still.
Then he forced himself to stand.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
"…You got faster."
Lord appeared several meters away.
"Speed is not the change."
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Efficiency is."
He slowly raised his hand again.
The air around them began to distort.
Black fragments of energy appeared around him.
But these were different from before.
They were denser.
Sharper.
More precise.
"Your strength forces adaptation."
Lord looked at Asher.
"So I will adapt."
The energy fragments suddenly shot forward.
Not hundreds.
Thousands.
They moved like a swarm of black lightning.
Asher instantly activated his power.
"Compression Field!"
Invisible pressure crushed many of the incoming attacks.
But Lord's new energy constructs were stronger.
Several pierced through the field.
One cut across Asher's shoulder.
Another struck his leg.
Blood splashed into the air.
Asher gritted his teeth.
Then he moved.
With explosive speed, he charged straight through the storm.
Energy tore at his body as he pushed forward.
But he did not stop.
Within seconds—
He reached Lord again.
"Push the Limit!"
Red energy erupted violently around his fist.
BOOOOOOM!
The punch slammed into Lord's guard.
But this time—
Lord did not move.
The shockwave still exploded across the battlefield, but Lord remained standing.
Asher's eyes widened.
Lord looked at him calmly.
"You see?"
His voice was quiet.
"Adaptation."
Suddenly—
Lord grabbed Asher's arm.
And crushed it downward into the ground.
BOOOOM!
The impact shattered the earth.
Asher coughed as the air left his lungs.
Lord looked down at him.
"For the first time…"
His voice carried a faint curiosity.
"…I feel something similar to excitement."
Asher glared up at him.
"Don't get comfortable."
Energy exploded from his body again.
The ground cracked.
The red aura around him grew even stronger.
Lord watched carefully.
"…Interesting."
Asher stood up again.
Blood ran down his arms.
But his eyes burned brighter than ever.
"I told you already."
He wiped the blood from his mouth.
"I'm not falling."
For a moment…
Lord said nothing.
Then slowly—
He smiled.
Just slightly.
"Good."
The dark energy around his body surged again.
The sky above them began to twist with violent winds.
The battlefield trembled once more.
Lord took one step forward.
And spoke quietly.
"Then let us evolve."
The ground exploded again as both of them launched forward.
Their next clash…