Markus and Arnik stepped forward, the tension between them thick, almost suffocating. The others stood in silence, watching. this wasn't just another sparring match. This was the battle everyone had been waiting for.

  Arnik and Markus csped hands, their grips firm, their eyes locked. A brief moment of stillness passed between them, unspoken respect lingering beneath the surface.

  "You ready, Markus?" Arnik's voice was steady, but there was something behind it—a weight, an understanding of the fight to come.

  Markus held his gaze before smirking. "Of course I am."

  Arnik rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles. "Good."

  A pause.

  "I'm not going to hold back, you know," Arnik added, his voice carrying across the battlefield.

  Markus's smirk deepened. His eyes, sharp and focused, held something that sent a shiver down Arnik's spine.

  "If you did…" Markus tightened his grip, his presence pressing against Arnik like an unseen force.

  "I'd destroy you."

  The battlefield shifted around them, transforming into a shattered cityscape.

  Towering ruins loomed in the distance, their skeletal remains casting jagged shadows over the cracked pavement. Fires smoldered in the wreckage, sending zy plumes of bck smoke into the sky. The distant howl of wind echoed through hollowed-out buildings, the air thick with the scent of burning metal and dust.

  A grim reflection of that day.

  Markus pnted his sword into the ground, the dull thud reverberating through the silence.

  Arnik exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders, his fingers twitching at his sides.

  I hate to admit it… but I'm scared to fight him. He tightened his fists, his stance firming. I can feel it—his strength, his presence. His training must have been just as brutal as mine. Maybe worse. He sucked in a sharp breath. I can't afford to hold back.

  Markus remained still, his stare never leaving Arnik.

  So, this is Arnik… a mutant. A rare one at that. His grip on his sword tightened, the familiar weight grounding him. No matter where I go, he's dangerous—close or far. But it doesn't matter.

  The air between them crackled with anticipation.

  Because when it comes to fighting… I know I'm better than him.

  How the hell did he dodge that? He was blinded!

  Markus's grip on his sword tightened, his stance shifting slightly. His mind raced, repying the st second over and over.

  Arnik rolled his shoulders, the smirk on his face widening.

  "Confused, huh?"

  Markus stayed silent, muscles coiled, waiting for the next move.

  I threw that dirt straight into his face… there's no way he saw that coming.

  Arnik exhaled, flexing his fingers.

  "I've trained to fight with my eyes closed." He cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. "Dirty move, Markus. But not dirty enough."

  Arnik threw a barrage of punches, his psma-coated fists slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Each strike was fluid, relentless—aiming for any opening he could exploit.

  Markus weaved through the assault with sharp, precise movements. He didn't waste energy dodging unnecessarily. A tilt of the head, a shift of his stance, a step back just enough to let Arnik's attacks graze past. He wasn't just avoiding hits—he was studying them.

  Arnik feinted a right hook before twisting his body into a brutal left uppercut, the force behind it enough to shatter concrete.

  Markus caught it.

  The moment their fists met, Markus seized the brief opening and countered.

  A devastating right hook smmed into Arnik's head.

  The impact sent him skidding back, his boots carving deep trenches in the cracked pavement. His vision blurred for a split second before he forced himself to refocus.

  Damn… he hits hard.

  He wiped his mouth, taking a deep breath.

  During my training, I've fought multiple demi-wolves. They're strong, but I've always been physically stronger. Even the strongest ones couldn't overpower me…

  His fingers curled, psma fring in his palms.

  But I can't overpower Markus.

  Arnik's muscles tensed. He had to rethink his approach. Sheer strength wasn't going to cut it against him.

  Then—he blinked.

  Where did he—

  A shadow loomed to his side.

  Markus was already there.

  In less than a heartbeat, he had closed the distance.

  A blur of movement. A fist coming straight for his ribs.

  Arnik barely had time to react.

  Arnik's psma flickered, shifting—growing hotter, wilder. The glow around his hands intensified, twisting from bright psma into roaring fmes. His mutation switched seamlessly, and with it, the battlefield changed again.

  The air around him ignited instantly, waves of fire spreading outward, consuming everything in sight. The cracked pavement melted under his feet, embers rising into the thick smoke-filled sky. The fmes danced violently, wrapping around his arms like living creatures waiting to be unleashed.

  Arnik exhaled, steadying himself.

  I've got to give Markus no room to move. If I let him control the pace, I lose. Markus is fast, stronger than most… but now, the entire battlefield belongs to me.

  Without hesitation, he raised his arms. The fire responded immediately, surging upward in a spiral, a tornado of raw destruction.

  Markus's eyes narrowed from his position. He felt the temperature shift, the heat pressing against his skin like a living force.

  The battlefield became an inferno.Markus gritted his teeth as the heat bore down on him. Fmes engulfed everything, the city reduced to an inferno. Smoke coiled in thick plumes, the air dense with ash. He could barely see, barely breathe.

  I can't stay down here.

  His eyes locked onto a glint in the distance—his sword, half-buried in the rubble.

  There.

  Markus didn't hesitate. He sprinted through the fmes, boots smming against the cracked pavement. Fire erupted in his path, forcing him to weave between crumbling buildings, using the destruction as cover. Every turn, every opening was closing fast.

  He's cutting off my options.

  Fmes burst from the ground, forcing him to leap over a colpsed structure. The heat licked at his coat, burning the edges. But his focus stayed on one thing—the weapon ahead.

  With one final push, he lunged forward, sliding across the scorched ground. His fingers wrapped around the hilt.

  Got it.

  The moment he gripped the bde, he didn't stop. Using the momentum, he pnted a foot on a shattered wall and unched himself upward. His body moved with practiced precision, hands gripping onto the ledge of a crumbling building. He pulled himself up in one fluid motion, nding on the high ground.

  Finally, he could see everything.

  Below him, the battlefield was a raging inferno, entire structures reduced to embers. Arnik stood in the chaos, untouched, the fire moving around him as if it were part of him.

  Then—his psma flickered.

  The energy shifted, growing hotter, wilder. In an instant, it transformed into roaring fmes, his mutation switching seamlessly. The air around him ignited, the temperature spiking. Buildings that had somehow remained intact were now reduced to nothing but charred skeletons.

  Markus's eyes narrowed.

  So he can swap between them just like that.

  The temperature climbed even higher, the very air rippling from the sheer intensity. Arnik clenched his fists, and the fmes responded, rushing outward in a devastating wave. Streets colpsed under the heat, stone and metal melting away.

  "You running already?" Arnik called, his voice cutting through the roaring bze.

  Markus tapped the ft of his sword against his shoulder, smirking. "Just needed my weapon." He adjusted his stance, the smirk never leaving. "You didn't think I'd fight you barehanded forever, did you?"

  Arnik grinned. "Not at all."

  Then—he unched himself.

  The ground beneath him shattered, sending a violent shockwave through the burning city. Fire exploded outward as his body shot forward, faster than the eye could track. The air itself cracked under the force, fmes trailing in his wake like a meteor crashing through the sky.

  Markus lunged at the same time.

  Sword high, muscles coiled—he swung down with everything he had.

  Their attacks met.

  A deafening boom erupted as steel cshed against burning flesh, the sheer force sending a visible shockwave through the ruined city. The battlefield trembled under their power, the st standing buildings groaning before colpsing into dust. Fmes surged higher, the inferno feeding off the raw energy released in their collision.

  Markus gritted his teeth, muscles tensing as his bde strained against Arnik's burning knuckles. Sparks erupted between them, steel grinding against raw force.

  A deafening crack split the air.

  Raw power met sharpened steel, and the impact was monstrous. A shockwave bsted outward, tearing through the city remains. Fmes spiraled into the sky, feeding off the energy radiating from their csh.

  The ground beneath them crumbled. The force of their collision sent fractures ripping through the earth, molten stone bubbling beneath the surface. The fire around them surged, casting their locked forms in an eerie glow.

  Neither moved.

  Neither yielded.

  Markus's bde trembled under the strain, but his stance was firm.

  Arnik's fist burned hotter, but his eyes never wavered.

  The battlefield roared with the sound of their strength.

  Arnik's fist and Markus's sword cshed again and again, each impact sending devastating shockwaves across the battlefield. The very air trembled as they refused to give an inch, their strikes faster, stronger, more unrelenting.

  BOOM.

  Fmes erupted with each of Arnik's punches, the sheer force splitting the ground beneath them. Markus countered with brute strength, his sword cutting through the inferno like an unstoppable force.

  BOOM.

  Markus pivoted, smming his sword downward. Arnik caught it with both hands, the steel burning against his palms, but he didn't let go. He twisted, using raw strength to send Markus skidding back through the crumbling city streets.

  BOOM.

  Markus didn't even stop moving. He unched himself forward the moment his boots found traction, closing the distance in an instant. His sword came crashing down again, but Arnik met it head-on, fists colliding with sharpened steel. The impact sent another explosion of force across the battlefield, reducing nearby structures to nothing but rubble.

  And still, neither fell.

  Outside the domain, Takashima narrowed his eyes.

  "Well… this isn't something I foresaw."

  Aric raised a brow, sipping his tea. "What is it?"

  Takashima's gsses glinted as he studied the unstable energy before them. "They're breaking the domain with sheer force."

  Aric exhaled through his nose, setting his cup down. "Really? That doesn't happen very often."

  Crowne let out a manic ugh, leaning forward with wild excitement. "HA! You two went so hard you broke the damn battlefield! Now that's what I call a fight!"

  His grin stretched wider. "But come on! No winner? That's just boring!"

  Takashima shook his head. "The domain breaking was already an issue. Be grateful they didn't reduce the entire training hall to rubble."

  Crowne scoffed, crossing his arms. "Tch. Lame. Next time, I wanna see someone hit the ground!"

  The st of the domain shattered, the energy dissipating into nothing. The battle had ended, but neither warrior had fallen.

  Aric took another sip of tea, calm as ever.

  The domain shattered. One moment, Markus and Arnik were locked in battle, their attacks shaking the very foundation of the space. The next, the world around them flickered—then colpsed.

  The battlefield vanished.

  In an instant, they were back in the training hall. The energy of the domain dissipated like mist, leaving only silence in its wake.

  Markus and Arnik stood there, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from their bodies. Their fists were still clenched, their muscles tense, as if their bodies hadn't registered that the fight was over.

  The others stared in stunned silence.

  "What… happened?" Arnik asked, gncing around, his brows furrowed.

  Markus exhaled sharply, adjusting his stance. "I'm… not sure."

  Takashima adjusted his gsses, stepping forward. "You broke the domain."

  Arnik blinked. "We what?"

  Crowne let out a loud, almost manic ugh, throwing his hands up. "That means none of you win!"

  Markus and Arnik exchanged gnces—then smirked.

  Markus rolled his shoulders. "Guess we'll have to finish this another time."

  Arnik smirked back. "Fine by me."

  Rose stepped forward, her tail flicking behind her. "That fight was amazing."

  Kai adjusted his gsses, his expression unreadable. "It just goes to show how outmatched we are compared to you two."

  His tone was even, but the slight slump in his posture gave away his thoughts.

  Crowne barked out another ugh, shaking his head. "THEY AREN'T AS STRONG AS YOU THINK!"

  Kai, Rose, and Aika blinked in confusion.

  "Eh?"

  Crowne grinned wildly, pointing at them. "They may be the strongest in raw power, but don't go thinking you're not just as important!"

  Aika, now fully awake, sat up, tilting her head slightly.

  Crowne jabbed a finger at each of them in turn.

  "ROSE! AIKA! KAI! MARKUS! ARNIK!"

  His grin widened.

  "A team!"

  Aric sighed, shaking his head with a smirk. "That might be the most elegant thing I've ever heard… coming from you."

  Miu csped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "RIGHT?!"

  Crowne grinned wider. "Gd you all agree."

  Then, with a sudden cp of his hands, he straightened up. "Announcement time!"

  The group tensed, waiting.

  "I'm pleased to inform you all…" Crowne dragged out the words, enjoying the anticipation.

  Aika yawned. "Just say it already."

  Crowne smirked. "I'm deploying you to Mars's Great City."

  A pause. Then—

  "Really?!" Rose's ears perked up.

  Kai raised an eyebrow. "You sure that's a good idea?"

  Crowne gave a nonchant shrug. "Yep, yep!"

  Takashima stepped forward, adjusting his gsses. "We won't be stationed together, will we?"

  Crowne's grin softened. "Nope. We're going to be assigned to different sectors. Having our entire team concentrated in one pce at a time like this… isn't ideal."

  A heavy silence settled over them.

  Markus crossed his arms. "So, this is it then?"

  Arnik exhaled. "Looks like it."

  No one said anything for a moment. Then, Aric lifted his teacup, taking a slow sip before exhaling.

  "Well then," he said, his tone calm but final. "Let's make the most of it."