Confrontation!

The Great Elder was momentarily caught off guard. He had expected the fighters in Malian City to be nothing more than an annoyance; weak, disorganized, and easily handled by the combined strength of the Black Council's elders. After all, with four elders and several powerful dojo master Level fighters like Howard on their side, how could a ragtag group of city fighters possibly challenge them?

Yet now, the situation was far from what he had anticipated. The outer defenses had crumbled in a way that didn't make sense. They couldn't even delay the fighters for a moment. It was as if something had shifted, something unexpected was at play here.

The Great Elder's mind raced. *Was there an outside force involved?* *Had they misjudged the city's strength?*

As his thoughts swirled, his eyes caught movement in the distance. A figure was slowly walking towards him through the chaos, moving with purpose and quiet determination.

It was a sturdy middle-aged man dressed in a fitted red robe, his presence overwhelming and unmistakable. His aura seemed to ripple around him, crackling with a thunderous intensity that made the air itself feel heavy. Each step he took seemed to reverberate with a terrifying power, as if the very ground beneath him trembled with every motion.

The Great Elder's expression changed in an instant. He felt the immense pressure emanating from the figure. This wasn't just any fighter, this was someone powerful, someone whose presence could not be ignored.

"Red Bird Martial Arts Dojo… Steven?" The Great Elder's voice was sharp, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

Standing before him, a calm smile playing on his lips, was none other than Steven, the owner of the Red Bird Martial Arts Dojo. But this wasn't the same man the Great Elder had once fought and defeated. Steven's appearance had changed drastically. His face was still pale, as though the injuries from his previous defeat had not fully healed, but his aura, his presence; had grown exponentially. It was as if he had been tempered by fire, his power now more refined, more dangerous.

"Old friend, long time no see," Steven said with a smile, though there was a hint of something darker in his eyes. "I've always remembered the gift you gave me last time."

The Great Elder sneered, his cold eyes flicking over Steven with a mix of disdain and wariness. "I didn't expect you to survive. I thought I had finished you off for good."

Steven's smile widened. "Well, you know what they say. As long as there's breath in my body, I'm not going anywhere." His tone was calm, but beneath it lay an undeniable confidence.

The two locked eyes, each one assessing the other. The tension between them was palpable, like the calm before a storm.

Months ago, when the Black Council first arrived in Malian City, it was the Great Elder who had personally confronted Steven. In that battle, Steven had been decisively defeated, outmatched at every turn. He had only managed to escape with his life through a combination of sheer luck and a few secretive techniques. Since then, he had remained hidden, recovering within the walls of his martial arts dojo.

The Great Elder had assumed that Steven was dead, or at least, broken beyond repair. But now, seeing the power radiating off him, it was clear that not only was Steven alive, but he had grown stronger. Much stronger.

The Great Elder's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a cold smile. "Do you honestly think you can defeat me now, after everything that's happened? You've survived, sure. But do you think that means you can stand against me?"

Steven's gaze hardened. He remained silent for a moment, his breath steady, before responding. "There are too many powerful forces in this world for anyone to claim invincibility. There will always be someone stronger, someone you can't defeat. What will you do when that day comes?"

A mocking laugh escaped the Great Elder's lips. "Really? You think someone like that exists?" He chuckled darkly, his eyes flashing with malice. "I don't think that day will ever come. We—*I*—am invincible."

The air around them seemed to freeze as the Great Elder spoke those words. He stepped forward, his movements deliberate and swift. Without warning, he unsheathed a long, curved sword, the blade gleaming menacingly in the dim light. He swung it with a brutal arc, the sword cutting through the air like a razor.

Steven barely had time to react. The blade tore through the air, slicing across his chest with a sickening crack. Blood splattered as the cut ran deep, the life energy within Steven surging in response to the attack. His movements slowed, his body faltering under the weight of the injury.

The Great Elder sneered, watching as Steven's strength began to wane. "What a pity," he said with a cold smile. "You were lucky to survive the first time, but now you've come to seek death again. You've already lost."

Steven's breath came in shallow gasps, his body battered, but his eyes remained fierce. He struggled to keep his footing, refusing to fall. "You… are wrong," he whispered through clenched teeth. "I haven't lost yet."

But just as the Great Elder raised his sword for a final, decisive blow, something shifted. A new presence, dark and overwhelming; suddenly descended upon them.

A figure appeared from the shadows, moving with terrifying speed and force. The air around them crackled with power as an unseen force crushed down on the battlefield in an instant. The ground trembled, and the Great Elder froze, momentarily distracted by the crushing weight of the new arrival.

The fight was about to take a dramatic turn.

The golden sword was like a flash of lightning, swinging down in an instant with a blinding brilliance. The sheer force of the strike seemed to split the very air around it.

In an explosive clash, the two swords collided, the sound ringing out like a thunderous crack. The Great Elder staggered back, his eyes widening in surprise. For a moment, he was caught off guard by the unexpected strength of the young man before him.

He looked up, his gaze narrowing as he assessed his opponent. A young man stood there, confidently holding a gleaming golden sword, his eyes fixed on the Great Elder with a slight, knowing smile. The energy in the air shifted, and for the first time, the Great Elder felt a flicker of doubt.

"Zack," the Great Elder muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.

From the side, Steven's face registered shock. He stared at the newcomer with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by his presence and, even more so, by the formidable power he had just demonstrated.

"Teacher, I'm a little late," the young man—Harry—said, his voice light, as he offered a brief nod to Steven. "But it looks like we still caught up."

Steven couldn't help but smile, a mix of relief and admiration in his eyes. "You're not late. In fact, you've arrived just in time."

The Great Elder's gaze flicked from Steven to Harry, his expression hardening as he tried to gauge the situation. "Is this your new student?" he asked, the tone in his voice skeptical yet curious.

Steven's smile deepened, and he stood a little straighter. "My student is not only stronger than me, but also stronger than you."

The Great Elder's eyes narrowed with disdain. "Really?"

A sneer crossed his lips as he took a step forward, his confidence undeterred. "Then let me try."

In an instant, the two fighters were locked in a flurry of motion, their swords flashing in the dim light, a deadly dance of strikes and counters. The Great Elder pushed forward, eager to crush his opponent, but what surprised him the most was the speed at which Harry moved.

Every time the Great Elder aimed a blow, Harry was just a fraction of a second faster. His movements were fluid and precise, as though he knew exactly when and where to strike. The Great Elder felt the growing pressure as Harry's speed surpassed his own, leaving him struggling to keep up.

"What's this...?" The Great Elder's voice was a low growl, a hint of frustration seeping into his tone. "Your speed…"

Despite their similar strength, Harry's agility was far superior. It wasn't a huge difference on the surface, but in combat, it was enough to give him the edge. At every critical moment, Harry would accelerate, using his speed to outmaneuver the Great Elder just in time. It was like trying to catch the wind.

Harry's expression remained calm, almost disappointed. "Is this really all you've got?"

His words struck a nerve with the Great Elder, and the older fighter's face twisted with anger. "Don't get too proud of yourself!" he snarled. "It's just a little speed. Do you think you can win like this?"

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone unshaken. "Is that all you have to offer? Any other tricks?"

The Great Elder's fury only deepened. "You'll see."

With a roar, the Great Elder surged forward, his sword drawn in a wide arc. Life energy surged through his body, pouring into the blade, which began to glow with an intense, radiant light. The sword shimmered with an otherworldly brilliance, illuminating everything around them. The light was blinding, almost holy in its intensity, and Harry felt his focus sharpen instantly.

The Great Elder was clearly not holding back now. His strike carried with it the force of his accumulated energy, and it was clear that this was a move meant to finish the fight.

Harry's expression remained unchanged. He observed the brilliant light of the Great Elder's sword with a calm that bordered on indifference. "Are you really planning to end this now?" he asked, his voice even and steady.

He nodded slowly, as if in acceptance. "Alright."

Without hesitation, Harry took a step forward. Instead of retreating or dodging, he moved toward the attack, his golden sword rising steadily in his hand. The air seemed to hum with the force of his energy, a quiet pressure building around him. Then, with a fluid motion, his sword fell.

The blade descended with such speed and force that it was as if it was catching the very essence of the air. A light burst forth from Harry's sword, not dissimilar to the Great Elder's own, but its intensity was focused, controlled, and seemingly endless. The collision of the two swords sent a shockwave through the air, as if the entire battlefield had been struck by a lightning bolt.

Harry's sword carried a terrifying power, as though it could explode with sheer force at any moment, matching the brilliance of the Great Elder's attack with an explosive might of its own. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the world seemed to hold its breath as the two forces collided, the outcome still hanging in the balance.