As Rex stepped inside the Locke family mansion, a sense of unease crept over him. The ornate halls were shrouded in a cold stillness, as though the walls themselves held their breath. He opened a heavy oak door and entered a dimly lit room. A man stood in the shadows, his arms crossed and a sneer curling his lips.

"Oh, so you’re the famous Rex," the man said, his voice dripping with disdain. "The one stealing our abilities. You look... awful."

Rex’s gaze didn’t waver. "So, you’re Durno. They let me into this mansion to retrieve a machine known as Remus. Where is it?"

Durno chuckled darkly, stepping into the faint light of a flickering chandelier. "Cold, just like the other Dark Flame users in our family. You’re nothing but a weapon. You know that, don’t you?"

Rex turned on his heel without another word. Durno’s sneer faltered as the sound of Rex’s boots echoed in the corridor beyond.

Descending deeper into the mansion, Rex entered the underground chambers. The air grew heavier, the scent of damp stone and mildew filling his nostrils. Flickering torches lined the walls, casting eerie shadows. At the end of the hallway stood an old woman, her gnarled hands resting on a cane. She blocked the path, her piercing eyes studying him with a mix of suspicion and disdain.

"You can’t enter this part," she said, her voice brittle but commanding.

"The machine is here, and I need it," Rex replied, brushing past her without slowing.

She turned slightly, watching him with narrowed eyes. "You’re just like Griffin," she muttered. "I’m still not proud of giving birth to him."

Rex paused for a heartbeat but didn’t look back. Her words echoed in his mind as he continued down the corridor, his resolve unshaken.

At last, he arrived at a massive iron door. Its surface was etched with intricate designs that seemed to pulse faintly with energy. Rex pushed it open, the hinges groaning in protest. Inside, an old man stood waiting, his grip firm on a gleaming sword. His eyes were cold and unyielding.

"Rex Jones," the old man growled, his voice like the scrape of steel on stone. "Your death is here, for daring to wield the Dark Flame style."

Rex drew his own blade, the weight of it familiar in his hand. His stance shifted, ready for battle.

Meanwhile, in the upper levels of the mansion, tension brewed. Durno leaned against a polished desk, his expression unreadable. Across from him stood Glade, a man with a sharp gaze and an air of authority.

"You should have told me about Rex Jones coming to the mansion," Glade said, his voice edged with irritation.

"Huh? Why is that, Glade?" Durno asked, his tone dismissive.

Glade stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Because Rex is making connections with people around the world. He’s good friends with the Ivanov family and now has ties with a member of the Sora family. We could use this to our advantage."

Durno scoffed. "Who cares? After all, Rex Jones is using a technique from our family—the strongest one. He should be dead."

Glade’s lips curled into a thin smile. "That’s why I arranged for the old man to deal with him."

Durno’s eyes widened slightly. "Griffin and Natalia’s father? That’s... cruel."

Glade’s smile didn’t falter. "Necessary."

Back in the underground chamber, the sound of blades clashing echoed as Rex and the old man engaged in a fierce duel. Sparks flew with each strike, the air thick with tension. Rex’s mind raced as he parried another blow, the old man’s strength and precision relentless.

"You think you can defy the Locke family?" the old man snarled, his attacks growing more ferocious. "The Dark Flame style is not yours to wield."

Rex gritted his teeth, channeling the fiery energy that coursed through his veins. "I don’t need your permission to use what’s mine."

With a surge of power, Rex unleashed a blazing arc of dark flame, forcing the old man to step back. The heat of the attack seared the air, and for a moment, the old man’s resolve seemed to falter. But the battle was far from over.

As Rex and the old man faced each other, their swords poised for battle, tension filled the air. Both charged simultaneously, their blades colliding in a flurry of swings and parries. Sparks flew as steel met steel, the sound echoing through the chamber.

“Dark Flame Style: Dark Slash,” Rex thought, channeling his energy into his attack. The old man’s sword shattered upon impact with Rex’s blade. Undeterred, the old man swung the broken weapon, releasing a burst of green flame that struck Rex’s head. Pain seared through Rex as his body stiffened, leaving him paralyzed. He collapsed to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.

“How pathetic. I can’t believe my son entrusted you with the Dark Flame Style. What a fool,” the old man sneered. He grabbed Rex by the collar and dragged him to a staircase, throwing him down with a thud.

“This room is a training ground filled with Yeagers,” the old man said coldly. “Die here, Rex.” With that, he shut the door, leaving Rex alone.

Rex lay motionless, his body refusing to respond. As his consciousness wavered, his surroundings shifted. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself on a serene beach. The sound of waves lapping at the shore calmed his racing thoughts. Standing in the water was a woman with a gentle yet commanding presence.

“So, you’re Rex Jones. It’s good to finally meet my newest successor, even though we’ve already crossed paths in Japan,” Amelia Locke said with a warm smile.

Rex struggled to his feet, his movements slow and labored. “I don’t deserve to be your successor. I’m weak. I’ve been losing every fight. I should just… die.”

Amelia approached him, her expression softening. “You haven’t been losing, Rex. The flux energy in your body has grown so much that it’s overwhelming you. That’s why you feel weak. You’ve become exceptionally strong.” She paused and gently removed the bandage from his eye. “That’s why I’m giving you this.”

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Placing her hand over his eyes, she infused him with new power. When she stepped back, Rex’s eyes glowed a vivid red.

“This ability allows you to copy other techniques,” she explained.

As she walked back into the water, Rex called out, “Even with this power, will I be able to win?”

She turned, her smile unwavering. “Of course. But in return, destroy my family name. They are horrible people.” With that, she disappeared beneath the waves.

When Rex reopened his eyes, he was back in the training room. The Yeagers were closing in, their movements swift and deadly. Drawing his sword, Rex moved with newfound speed and precision, cutting them down with ease. The room grew silent as the last enemy fell, and the door above creaked open.

The old man, sensing a change, hurried back to the chamber. His heart raced as a familiar fear gripped him. “This presence… I’ve only felt it once before,” he thought, his mind flashing back to a figure from his past.

Standing amidst the carnage was Rex, his red eyes glowing ominously. The sight sent a chill down the old man’s spine.

“Die, you demon child!” the old man screamed, his sword erupting in green flames. He charged, but in a split second, Rex’s blade moved with blinding speed. A clean slash split the old man’s forehead, and his body crumpled to the ground.

Rex turned, his voice calm but commanding. “Everyone, let’s get started.”

An alarm bell went off.

“Master Glade, Rex has gone mad! He killed Master Abeni,” a student shouted, bursting into the room. Glade’s eyes widened in shock.

“Of course he would, Bane. Rex is a changed man,” Durno said, his tone calm but laced with tension.

“We’ve sent our second-class fighters after him,” Bane added, his voice uncertain.

The second-class fighters moved swiftly through the mansion, their weapons drawn. As they turned a corner, they found Rex walking calmly through the corridor. All fifty fighters surrounded him, their faces grim with determination.

Rex paused, his mind racing. "I'm sorry to everyone I couldn’t protect. Dad, Nicholas, Daisy, Fadia, Ash, Akira, Malin," he thought. But then, he remembered Amelia’s words and the promise he had made to her.

“Attack!” a man yelled.

Rex tightened his grip on his sword. “But I can make it up for this,” he thought.

The fighters charged. Rex moved like a whirlwind, slicing through the air with precision. He severed a man’s arms with a swift strike, rolled backward, and eliminated two more in a single motion. Their swords, lit with flames of various colors, lashed out at him, but Rex dodged each attack effortlessly. One by one, they fell, unable to match his speed and skill.

Suddenly, blue flames erupted from the ground, encircling Rex. The heat was intense, but Rex stood unfazed within the fiery ring.

“So, this is Rex Jones,” an old man said, stepping forward. His voice carried a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

“Yes, Ori,” Glade replied, joining him. Bane stood alongside them, his eyes burning with determination.

The three stood together, prepared to face Rex.

Rex leapt out of the flames with a burst of speed, charging directly at Ori. The old man sidestepped his attack, but Rex’s sword swung with relentless ferocity, slicing through the air in rapid arcs. Ori countered by appearing above Rex, aiming to strike him with an elbow. In a blink, Rex vanished and reappeared above Ori, slamming an elbow into his face and snapping his neck with a sickening crack.

Before Rex could land, his body froze mid-air. Bane’s eyes glowed with a sinister purple fire, paralyzing him.

“Hold him still, Bane,” Glade ordered, charging at Rex. But as Glade closed the distance, Rex’s glowing red eyes locked onto him. In an instant, Rex mimicked Bane’s ability, paralyzing Bane in return.

“He can copy abilities?!” Bane thought in horror as blood began to drip from his eyes.

“Hurry, Glade! Kill him!” Bane yelled.

Glade leapt high into the air, unleashing a torrent of fire from his mouth. The flames engulfed the entire area, reducing everything to ash. Bane collapsed to his knees, his body trembling and his vision fading.

“You did it, Glade. You killed him,” Bane croaked, his voice barely audible.

But from the thick smoke, Rex emerged unscathed. His eyes glowed fiercely as he held Glade’s severed head in his hand. Without a word, Rex walked past Bane and, in one swift motion, slit his throat. The mansion fell silent, the echoes of battle replaced by the haunting stillness of death.

Duren emerged from the house, a cocky smile playing on his lips. “Damn, Rex. Don’t you have a heart?” he taunted.

Rex’s expression remained cold. “I lost it years ago,” he replied.

With a burst of speed, Duren lunged at Rex, his hands glowing with an intense pink flame. Rex raised his sword, expertly deflecting the fiery strikes. The two exchanged blows, their movements a blur.

“You… you’re not them,” Duren thought as he weaved around Rex’s attacks. In a flash, he appeared behind Rex and struck him with a surge of pink flames, sending Rex hurtling into a nearby wall. The impact cracked the stone, and Rex fell to his knees.

“Those flames… they damage the soul,” Rex thought, his body trembling from the blow.

Duren’s voice broke through the silence. “You’re not Amelia, Carlos, Malin, or Griffin. You’re not the one who stands with them. It’s me,” he declared, his conviction burning as brightly as his flames.

Slowly, Rex rose to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination. He steadied himself, ready for another round. “A head-on conclusion,” Duren thought, a flicker of respect in his gaze.

Rex’s mind raced to when he learn about Omniadapter abilities. Through relentless effort or trying to mimic its abllites, he had learned to make his body denser and more durable, a skill that had saved him from losing any limbs in his battle against Shadow.

Duren struck again, darting to Rex’s blind spot. But Rex, anticipating the move, turned and intercepted the attack. His red eyes glowed as he copied Duren’s abilities. With a roar, Rex unleashed a punch infused with the pink flames, striking Duren square in the stomach. The force of the blow caused the earth to tremble, cracks spidering out beneath their feet.

Duren staggered back, clutching his abdomen, his cocky smile replaced with a grimace of pain. “You… really are something else,” he muttered, as the ground settled beneath them.

After this, Rex left the mansion with the machine.

As Rex approached the gates, Shadow was waiting for him.

“Shadow,” Rex said, his voice cold.

“So, you killed them all, didn’t you? The entire Locke family. That’s what makes me sick about humans,” Shadow said, his tone dripping with disdain.

“Can you shut up? I’ve been waiting to kill you,” Rex replied, gripping his sword tightly.

Without hesitation, Rex charged at Shadow, who summoned his sickle and swung it with deadly precision. Rex blocked the attack, sparks flying as their weapons clashed.

“Dark Flame Style: Dark Shockwave,” Rex thought, his focus sharpening. “Puncture!” he yelled.

Holes appeared in Shadow’s body but regenerated almost instantly. Shadow countered by stabbing Rex in the chin, the blade piercing through, only for Rex’s wound to regenerate just as quickly. Shadow followed up with a brutal kick, sending Rex sprawling.

“I think we both know how this is going to end,” Shadow said, his voice calm but menacing.

Both combatants threw their weapons into the air and formed intricate hand symbols. Simultaneously, they activated their palaces, a dome of energy forming around them. Shadow’s body became enveloped in complete darkness.

“Eternal Forge Palace,” Rex declared.

“Hodr Palace,” Shadow countered.

Within the dome, a dim forge lit up, casting flickering shadows across the battlefield. Shadow’s body, now cloaked in pure darkness, seemed almost ethereal.

Rex charged, creating missiles out of thin air and launching them at Shadow. Shadow dodged the projectiles with fluid movements, but as they exploded, Rex appeared behind him and drove his blade into Shadow’s back.

“How did he…?” Shadow thought, stunned. Before he could react, Rex delivered a powerful kick to his head, sending him flying.

Shadow regained his footing and summoned a dark cloud that enveloped Rex. “Yeager Ability: Swarm of Darkness,” he thought.

But the forge within the palace flared to life, creating a giant beam of light that illuminated the entire field. Shadow squinted, realization dawning on him.

“I see… That’s how he killed Natalia. His palace allows him to create anything he wants. Those missiles weren’t just weapons; they let him teleport behind me to deliver that strike,” Shadow realized.

Rex snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the dome dissolved. They were now standing on a quiet hill. Shadow looked down and saw he was wearing his old uniform from when he was human. Confusion washed over him as he took in his surroundings.

“What… is this?” he muttered.

From the distance, he saw Amelia walking toward him, her figure bathed in a warm glow.

“Follow me, Shadow,” she said softly.

“Amelia?” he whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.