The sky above the academy was no longer calm.
Storm clouds churned violently as if the heavens themselves were preparing for war.
At the center of the battlefield, Shade stood like a mountain of darkness.
His enormous arms were raised toward the sky.
Above him, a massive sphere of lightning descended like a falling star.
Raizen's ultimate attack.
Thunderfall.
The energy crackled so violently that the air itself screamed.
Students watching from the academy walls stepped backward in fear.
Some covered their ears.
Others simply stared in disbelief.
Lyra's hands tightened on the railing.
"That attack…"
Her voice trembled.
"It could destroy the entire academy."
Captain Kael's eyes were fixed on the battlefield.
"Yes."
"But Ren isn't running."
On the battlefield, Ren stood behind Shade.
Calm.
Focused.
His eyes followed the falling sphere of lightning.
The shadows beneath his feet moved slowly like living creatures waiting for his command.
Above him, the lightning sphere grew larger and brighter as it descended.
Raizen floated high in the sky.
Lightning danced wildly around his body.
His grin had returned.
"Block this if you can."
The sphere struck.
BOOOOOOM.
The moment Thunderfall collided with Shade's raised arms, the battlefield exploded with light and sound.
Lightning spread across the ground like wild snakes.
The shockwave blasted dust, rocks, and broken stone into the air.
The academy walls trembled.
Students screamed.
The impact created a massive crater beneath Shade's feet.
For several seconds—
Nothing could be seen.
Only blinding light and violent electricity.
Lyra could barely see through the storm of dust.
"Did he…"
But before she could finish the sentence—
The lightning began to fade.
The dust slowly settled.
And the battlefield became visible again.
A massive crater covered the training grounds.
The stone courtyard had been completely destroyed.
Cracks spread across the ground like spider webs.
At the center of the crater stood Shade.
Still standing.
But his massive arms were damaged.
Parts of his shadow body had been torn apart by the lightning.
Dark energy leaked from the wounds like smoke.
Students gasped.
"He stopped it."
Raizen slowly descended from the sky.
He landed at the edge of the crater.
For the first time since the battle began—
His expression was serious.
"So you actually blocked it."
Shade lowered his damaged arms.
The giant shadow remained standing.
But the injuries were clear.
Ren stepped forward.
The shadows beneath his feet moved again.
Dark energy slowly flowed toward Shade's damaged body.
The wounds began to close.
Raizen noticed immediately.
"You can repair him too."
Ren answered calmly.
"As long as shadows remain."
Raizen laughed softly.
"You're ridiculous."
Lightning flickered around his body again, though weaker than before.
He studied the battlefield.
Then he looked back at Ren.
"I think I understand now."
Ren said nothing.
Raizen pointed toward the shadow giant.
"You're not strong because of raw power."
He pointed toward the darkness spreading across the battlefield.
"You're strong because your power never stops growing."
Ren's eyes remained calm.
Raizen smiled slightly.
"That's dangerous."
He rolled his shoulders.
"Very dangerous."
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Raizen suddenly turned his back.
Students watching were confused.
"He's leaving?"
Lyra blinked.
"What?"
Raizen began walking away from the battlefield.
His lightning aura slowly faded.
He raised one hand casually.
"Relax."
"I'm not running."
He glanced back over his shoulder at Ren.
"This fight already gave me the answer I wanted."
Ren asked one question.
"What answer?"
Raizen smiled.
"That the Shadow King is real."
He continued walking toward the academy gates.
"But this wasn't a death match."
His eyes glowed faintly.
"When we meet again…"
Lightning sparked across his fingers.
"I'll come prepared to kill you."
With that, Raizen leaped into the air.
A bolt of lightning shot across the sky.
In seconds, the Storm Hunter had disappeared beyond the mountains.
The battlefield fell silent.
Students slowly began whispering again.
Lyra exhaled deeply.
"That guy is insane."
Captain Kael crossed his arms.
"He's also one of the strongest hunters alive."
Ren looked at the destroyed battlefield.
Shade's massive body slowly shrank as the shadow energy stabilized again.
The giant servant knelt beside him.
"Master."
Ren looked toward the distant mountains where Raizen had vanished.
Shade spoke again quietly.
"The world has begun to notice you."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
And somewhere far away—
Raizen landed on a cliff overlooking a ruined battlefield.
He looked back toward the direction of the academy.
A small smile returned to his face.
"This is going to be fun."
Because the rise of the Shadow King had only just begun.