Eon stood in the center of his domain.
The pressure of matter itself bent around him.
Kaelus, Darius, Rein, and Stellar turned immediately when he appeared between them.
Darius' eyes narrowed.
—Tsk.
I felt the transition…
But I couldn't react.
There was no time to dwell on it.
They attacked again.
All four of them.
Close quarters erupted once more.
Kaelus moved first, Tempest Blade slicing through spirals of wind as he attacked from the right flank.
Rein lunged from the front, golden dominion aura blazing like a miniature sun.
Darius melted into shadow beneath Eon's feet, chains snapping upward like hunting serpents.
Stellar followed with frost-coated strikes, ice forming around her fists as she closed distance.
For a moment—
It looked coordinated.
But Eon moved.
Eight strikes.
That's all it took.
A palm to Rein's chest.
An elbow to Kaelus' jaw.
A shoulder check that shattered Darius' shadow stance.
A spinning kick that cracked Stellar across the ribs.
Four more strikes landed before anyone could stabilize.
Eight hits.
Eight perfect impacts.
The shockwave launched all four of them across the platform.
They crashed into pillars and broken stone.
And before Eon could advance—
Lightning flashed.
Eryndor was already there.
He stepped into range silently.
No theatrics.
No roar.
Just a deep breath.
His life was on the line now.
This wasn't sparring.
This wasn't testing strength.
This was killing intent.
They clashed.
Fist against fist.
Elbow against elbow.
Pure hand-to-hand combat.
Eon's strength was monstrous.
Every strike carried the force of collapsing stone.
But Eryndor didn't block.
He parried.
Each attack redirected.
Palm deflection.
Shoulder slip.
Hip rotation.
The moment the fight escalated—
Something changed inside Eryndor.
Deep in his core.
A strange sensation.
Like a tiny orb.
White and black.
It cracked.
The fracture spread silently.
Energy flowed outward through his body.
His pupils shifted.
One white.
One black.
Eon noticed immediately.
"…What's this?"
The air shifted around them.
"It feels like…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"He's not here."
"But he is."
Eryndor moved.
But now—
His body reacted before his mind.
No hesitation.
No conscious thought.
Only instinct.
He had fallen into something deeper.
A trance.
…This feeling…
Eryndor thought quietly.
I've felt this before.
His body dodged a strike automatically.
When I fought Lysera's brother.
His hand deflected another punch.
When I first entered the academy.
The sensation deepened.
But this…
Eon swung a right hook.
Eryndor shifted his head barely an inch.
The fist grazed his jaw.
He didn't react.
Instead—
He caught Eon's wrist.
Stepped onto Eon's waist mid-motion.
And launched a rising kick from below.
CRACK.
His heel slammed into Eon's chin.
Eon staggered.
Eryndor flipped backward.
Landed lightly.
Then vanished forward again.
The gap closed instantly.
Now Eon attacked faster.
More aggressively.
Because he understood something now.
This opponent wasn't just reacting.
He was flowing.
Punch.
Parried.
Kick.
Redirected.
Elbow.
Turned aside.
Every movement Eryndor made was minimal.
Efficient.
Deadly.
Then—
WHAM.
Eryndor's kick smashed into Eon's face.
The High God was sent flying.
But before hitting the ground—
Eon switched their positions.
Space rearranged.
Now Eryndor was the one flying.
Eon stood calmly again.
But Eryndor flipped midair.
His feet touched the wall.
And he launched himself back with unimaginable speed.
His hand extended.
"Storm Pressure."
Black clouds exploded across the sky above Room One.
Thunder rolled instantly.
The entire battlefield compressed.
Air pressure multiplied.
Gravity-like force descended.
Matter bent under storm authority.
Eon tried to manipulate space—
Nothing moved.
Matter control—
Suppressed.
Teleportation—
Impossible.
The storm had claimed the battlefield.
Eryndor attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Below them—
The others had stopped fighting.
Kaelus sat cross-legged on broken stone.
Eating dried rations.
"Well…"
He chewed slowly.
"This is basically bro's fight."
Darius nodded casually beside him.
"Yeah."
He folded his arms.
"He's immersed."
Rein leaned back against a pillar, bruised but smiling faintly.
Stellar had returned to her base form.
She sat quietly beside them, eating as well.
The four of them watched the battle like spectators.
Above them—
Two monsters fought.
Hours of combat had already drained both sides.
The fight grew slower.
Heavier.
Harder.
Finally—
The storm faded.
Eon's domain collapsed.
Neither of them had energy left for their elements.
No matter manipulation.
No storm authority.
Just two warriors.
Bare fists.
Broken bodies.
They struggled to stand.
Blood dripping onto cracked stone.
Then—
They ran at each other.
One final clash.
Both fists swung.
CRACK.
They punched each other in the face simultaneously.
Eryndor's leg swept low.
His kick struck Eon's foot.
Eon lost balance—
But caught himself with one hand.
While falling—
He swung his leg upward.
The kick struck Eryndor's chest.
Both men fell.
Hard.
Eon rolled on top of him.
His fists came down violently.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Eryndor blocked what he could.
But ribs cracked.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Then Eryndor twisted his hips.
Threw Eon off.
And climbed over him.
His fists answered.
Punch.
Punch.
Punch.
Chest.
Jaw.
Side.
Heart.
Each impact echoed like thunder.
Eon spat blood again and again.
Finally—
He kicked free.
Rolled away.
Both men staggered to their feet.
Barely standing.
Eon swayed.
His heart had taken the shock.
Ribs broken.
Internal bleeding spreading through his body.
He tried to step forward.
His leg collapsed.
He dropped to one knee.
Then—
Silence.
The High God of Atlas fell.
Dead.
Eryndor remained standing.
Barely.
Blood running down his chin.
His chest rising slowly.
Then—
His eyes closed.
He remained upright.
But unconscious.
Standing.
Kaelus and Darius rushed forward instantly.
Darius caught him before he fell.
"He's unconscious," Darius said quickly.
He checked Eryndor's pulse.
"He has internal bleeding."
Rein looked around.
The tower was collapsing.
Stone falling everywhere.
"We have to go!"
They ran.
Rein reached a wall.
His fist ignited with dominion energy.
"Move!"
BOOM.
The wall shattered.
They burst out—
Into open sky.
Eight hundred meters above the ground.
Falling.
Wind roared past them.
Kaelus lifted one hand weakly.
"Got it…"
Wind currents spiraled beneath them.
Their descent slowed.
They landed safely.
Behind them—
The Atlas Tower collapsed.
Stone upon stone.
The entire structure crumbling into ruin.
Kaelus dropped to the grass.
"…Finally."
He leaned back and inhaled deeply.
"Fresh air."
Stellar inhaled slowly beside him.
Darius knelt beside Eryndor.
Kaelus glanced over.
"Hey, Darius."
He stood again.
"Let's channel some energy into him."
Darius nodded.
"Push the bad blood out?"
"Exactly."
They sat Eryndor upright.
Kaelus placed his hand on his chest.
Darius placed his hand on his back.
Wind energy flowed forward.
Shadow energy stabilized his internal flow.
Eryndor's body trembled.
Then—
He coughed violently.
Dark blood spilled from his mouth.
More.
And more.
Finally—
His breathing stabilized.
Kaelus exhaled heavily.
"Whew."
He fell backward onto the grass.
"Now I'm beat."
He stood slowly again.
"But we gotta get back to the academy."
They all rose.
Kaelus lifted Eryndor onto his back.
Rein stretched his shoulders.
Darius adjusted his chains.
Stellar walked beside them quietly.
Without another word—
They began their journey back.
Leaving the ruins of Atlas behind.