His muscles tensed. His instincts screamed.
What’s this? I suddenly became so sluggish?!
A frown crossed Max’s face as he felt the space around him constrict. It wasn’t just an illusion—his very movements were being shackled, frozen in time for a brief moment. Space itself had turned against him, binding him in an unseen grip.
Before he could break free, his senses flared with danger. His eyes caught Amelia’s next move.
She raised her sword high, its silver edge gleaming with an ethereal glow. But it wasn’t just light—it was power, an aura of knighthood infused with the laws of space itself. A technique forged for absolute control.
"Knight’s Judgment: Celestial Severance!"
A radiant arc of energy descended, splitting through the air with the authority of a divine decree. The space around them twisted, collapsing toward the trajectory of her blade, pulling Max in as if the very world demanded his defeat.
’Damn it!’
With a burst of will, dark flames erupted from Max’s body. His Black Inferno surged, twisting into a violent storm as he forced himself free from the spatial shackles. His body flickered, vanishing in a black flash—
But he wasn’t fast enough.
Amelia’s radiant arc of light had already reached him, slicing through the air with terrifying precision. Max’s eyes flashed as he sensed the sheer destructive force radiating from it.
He had a feeling—a strong one.
This attack was Amelia’s strongest.
And even though he was confident in his invulnerability, he wasn’t going to take the chance. There were some things he simply couldn’t risk.
’Right! I can use that!’
A gleam flickered in his eyes as, in an instant, black flames erupted behind him, forming into wings of fire. They unfurled, carrying him a step ahead—just enough to keep his distance from the incoming radiant arc.
At the same time, he activated his Omni Guard skill, summoning a green sphere the size of a football.
But he didn’t stop there.
Black flames surged within the sphere, rapidly taking form. Within moments, the swirling inferno shaped itself into a black lotus, its seven petals blooming ominously, pulsing with barely contained power.
Max gazed at the black lotus, encased in the green sphere, and smiled faintly.
Then, his eyes shifted back to the incoming radiant arc of light, its energy slicing through the stage like a divine judgment.
Without hesitation, he threw the sphere.
The green sphere spun through the air, streaking toward the radiant arc with deadly precision.
Crack!
The moment the two forces met, a sharp, eerie cracking sound echoed across the stage. The radiant arc bore down onto the sphere, and under its immense pressure, cracks spread across its surface like fragile glass.
Then—
Shatter!
Like a mirror breaking into countless fragments, the sphere shattered, releasing the black lotus inside.
The moment the radiant arc touched the black lotus—
BOOM!
A colossal explosion erupted, shaking the entire Battle Realm to its core.
Black flames detonated outward, an inferno of pure chaos engulfing the entire stage, swallowing everything in its wake. The force of the impact sent shockwaves tearing through the air, distorting space itself.
From within the inferno, Max stood at the center, his pink eyes glowing amidst the chaos spotting the figure of Amelia.
’It’s time to end this.’
Max waved his hand, and as if obeying his command, the black flames raging across the stage began to recede. They spiraled toward him, merging back into his body, disappearing completely as if they had never existed.
The stage fell into absolute silence.
His pink eyes locked onto Amelia, unwavering.
"Your attacks can’t harm me."His voice was calm but carried an undeniable finality.
He took a step forward, his aura pressing down ever so slightly. "Accept defeat... or should I make you?"
Amelia’s eyes flickered.
She remained still for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she let out a slow breath and took one last deep look at Max before giving her answer.
"I accept my defeat."
The moment those words left her lips, she vanished—reappearing on her pillar as the match officially ended.
But before anyone could react, she spoke again.
"Max, tell me one thing."Her voice carried a rare intensity, her gaze sharp as it met his.
"Are you the strongest in the Adept Rank?"
Everyone’s eyes turned to Max as the weight of Amelia’s question settled over the Battle Realm.
If someone had asked this before Max’s battle, the very idea would have been laughable. They would have thought the person had lost their mind—or perhaps mistaken Max’s rank entirely.
After all, Max was only Level 7 of the Apprentice Rank.
To ask if he was the strongest in the Adept Rank?
It was wild. Absurd.
Before this battle, it would have been nothing but delusional arrogance to suggest that someone at his level could rival Adept Rank geniuses.
But now?
Now, after witnessing the impossible—after watching him obliterate Amelia’s strongest attack, after seeing his defense stand unshaken, his power surpass all logic—
That question was no longer ridiculous.
It was valid.
And for the first time, none of them could confidently say no.
Everything pointed out to one thing.
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Max could very well be the strongest Adept Rank fighter.
And yet—
Max simply smiled at Amelia’s words. He gave a small shrug, his posture relaxed, but his eyes held a knowing glint.
"As I’ve said before," he began, his voice steady, "none of us can claim to be the strongest in the Adept Rank. Saying so would be nothing but arrogance."
The audience listened, hanging onto his words.
"The world is vast," Max continued, "and the Middle Domains are home to countless geniuses. There are surely others—stronger, faster, more terrifying than us."
His gaze swept over the pillars.
"Believing one is the strongest at any rank would only limit their growth... and blind them to the true horizon of the world."
A heavy silence followed.
Some geniuses clenched their fists, realizing how true his words were. Others lowered their heads, their minds racing with thoughts.
On one of the pillar, Crown Prince Aelric grinned. "This guy… he’s not just strong. He understands what true strength is."