The air in the warehouse was filled with tension as Steve and Dravik faced each other. The ground cracked under Steve’s feet as he changed his stance, holding his large combat axe on his shoulder. Across from him, Dravik sneered, his fiery sword pulsing with heat, the flames licking the air like hungry predators.

Dravik lunged, his sword cutting through the air in a blazing arc. Steve moved quickly to the side, raising his axe in defense. The blade clashed against his axe with a loud sound, sending sparks flying and briefly lighting up the dim warehouse.

“Is that all you have?” Dravik taunted, his voice slicing through the chaos.

"Oh. I'm not even using half of my power," Steve replied with a calm voice.

Dravik snarled, his teeth bared. “You’re all bark, old man. Let’s see how long that composure lasts.”

He pressed forward with relentless attacks, his blade moving like a blur of molten fury. Each strike was meant to unbalance Steve, to test his patience, to push him to make a mistake. But Steve remained steadfast, his axe meeting every blow with calculated precision.

“You talk too much,” Steve said coolly, pivoting to the side and slamming the blunt end of his axe into Dravik’s ribs. The force sent Dravik stumbling back, a growl of pain escaping his lips.

Dravik laughed bitterly, wiping a smear of blood from his mouth. “What’s the matter? Too scared to really fight me?”

Steve narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the axe. “Focus less on taunting and more on staying alive.”

Steve charged forward, swinging his axe down. Dravik just had enough time to raise his sword. The blades collided, creating a loud noise that echoed in the room. The force of the impact shook the walls and sent bits of debris flying.

Dravik's fiery aura grew stronger as he fought against Steve's immense strength. "You think you're special, don’t you?" he said, his voice filled with anger. “Five Ghosts of Nemesis? Big deal. I’ll burn you down like the rest.”

“Go ahead and try,” Steve said calmly.

The fight grew more intense, and the ground shook from their hits. Steve moved carefully and firmly, swinging his axe with the precision of a blacksmith shaping iron. Dravik, despite his bluster, began to falter, his attacks growing more desperate as Steve’s relentless assault pushed him back.

Steve finally took a step back, his calm mask giving way to a faint smirk. “Enough playing,” he said before he raised the combat axe high above his head, aiming to strike with full power.

The air around him became thick and full of energy. The ground trembled, cracks spreading outward like veins of destruction. Steve’s axe glowed with an intense earthen light, the energy coalescing into a massive surge of power.

“Mountain’s Wrath!” Steve roared, swinging the axe downward with devastating force.

Dravik prepared himself as he raised his sword, which burst into flames, to block the attack. When their weapons met, a huge shockwave spread out, shaking the entire warehouse.

The impact sent Dravik flying. He hit the wall with a loud crash, and the flames on his sword went out. Blood splattered from his mouth. He slowly crumpled to the ground. His breaths were getting labored.

"Dravik!" Kaida and Verran shouted.

They exchanged glances, their expressions grim. Without hesitation, they stepped forward, their combined auras surging to life.

Kaida slammed her fists into the ground, her earth elemental power rippling outward in a cascade of jagged rocks that shot toward Steve like projectiles. Verran leaped into the air, his wind elemental energy coiling around him as he unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp gusts aimed directly at Steve.

The attacks converged on him from all sides, a deadly combination of earth and wind. But Steve held his ground, his axe moving in precise arcs to deflect the incoming attacks. The earth projectiles shattered against his weapon, the wind blades dispersing under the sheer force of his swings.

'I need to watch out for Lucien or his bodyguards,' thought Steve. Throughout the fight, he tried to scan for the presence of Mike and Taison. After a while, he believed that those two were not present.

Jessica and Jordan watched in awe from the sidelines, their breaths hitching as the battle intensified. The warehouse shook with energy as powerful forces collided.

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Jessica held onto Jordan’s arm tightly and looked worriedly at her father, who was still tied up and slumped on the floor. "What are we seeing, Jordan?"

Jordan could only shake his head. His hand was holding the stabbed area. Blood was still dripping out from the area. It was extremely painful, and his face became paler.

However, because of what he was seeing right now, he seemed to forget about it. This was something of his interest. Superpowers. He looked around and told Jessica, "Look for any opportunity to rescue your father."

Jessica wondered how. With Jordan's condition, it was impossible to go against Donald. Moreover, Lucien was still there. They did not know if Lucien was of a similar existence to the others.

Donald, standing near the edge of the chaos, felt his confidence wavering. The battle was not going as planned. Dravik, his strongest hire, had been overwhelmed, and even Kaida and Verran’s combined efforts seemed insufficient. His mind raced with possibilities, each one more desperate than the last.

'This isn’t working,' he thought, his gaze flicking to Lucien.

Lucien stood off to the side, his arms crossed and a sinister smile playing on his lips. Unlike Donald, he seemed unfazed by the battle, as though the chaos before him was nothing more than a mildly amusing spectacle.

“Lucien,” Donald hissed, his voice low and strained. “Do something!”

Lucien’s smile widened, his sharp eyes gleaming with eerie confidence. “Relax,” he said smoothly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small silver pill. "Don't order me around. I'm your superior."

Lucien's gaze changed slightly. Donald could feel his hair stand. It was a death stare. However, what caught Donald's attention was the pill in Lucien's hand. He had heard about what the LaRues was up to.

Donald’s eyes widened in recognition. “Wait. You’re not—”

Before he could finish, Lucien popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed. A sudden surge of energy erupted from his body, his aura exploding outward with a force that sent even Donald staggering back.

Lucien’s calm, calculated demeanor shifted as his aura darkened, taking on an oppressive, almost otherworldly quality. His eyes glinted with a dangerous light, his entire presence transforming in an instant.

"Perfect," Lucien said. He was smiling confidently.

“What… is this?” Donald muttered, his voice trembling.

Lucien rolled his shoulders, the creepy smile still plastered on his face. “Let’s even the odds, shall we?” he said, his tone laced with malice.

Steve, still holding his ground against Kaida and Verran’s attacks, felt the sudden shift in energy. His sharp eyes darted to Lucien, his expression hardening.

“This just got complicated,” Steve muttered under his breath. But despite the growing danger, his resolve didn’t waver. He held his axe tightly, ready for whatever happened next.

Steve did his best to quickly assessed the situation. The combined attack from Kaida and Verran was relentless, but it wasn’t beyond his ability to handle. However, the oppressive aura radiating from Lucien made his instincts scream.

Whatever Lucien had just consumed, it was no ordinary enhancement.

Steve couldn’t afford to waste time. He planted his feet firmly on the cracked concrete floor, channeling the remainder of his Earth elemental energy into the axe. The ground beneath him trembled as his power surged, jagged rocks and debris rising into the air.

“Crushing Divide!” Steve roared, swinging the axe in a wide, horizontal arc.

A massive shockwave erupted from the blade, the energy tearing through the warehouse like an unstoppable force of nature. The ground split open, fissures racing toward Kaida and Verran with terrifying speed. The jagged energy engulfed them before they could react, the sheer force of the attack sending them flying backward.

Kaida was slammed into the far wall, her earth armor cracking under the impact. Verran, caught midair, was thrown violently into a stack of rusted crates, his wind energy dissipating as he hit the ground with a groan.

Jessica and Jordan watched in silence, shocked by the power of the attack. Jessica looked at her father, her heart racing as she tried to understand the chaos happening around her. Jordan, despite the pain from his wound, couldn’t tear his eyes away from Steve.

“That… was insane,” Jordan muttered, his voice weak but filled with awe. His thoughts raced, trying to piece together what he had witnessed. ‘If this is just one of Ethan’s men… Does it mean Ethan is a monster himself?’

Steve exhaled sharply, his shoulders rising and falling as he steadied himself. The energy reserves in his core felt noticeably diminished, a reminder that even for an Ascendant, there were limits to how much elemental power could be unleashed.

‘Two more,’ Steve calculated grimly. He could only unleash his ultimate attacks twice more before he risked exhausting his reserves entirely. Against opponents like these, every ounce of energy mattered.

As the dust settled, Kaida groaned, struggling to push herself to her knees. Her body trembled; her earth armor cracked and barely held together. Verran clutched his side, blood trickling from a cut above his brow. The combined effort of their attack and Steve’s counter had left them battered and vulnerable.

Donald’s face twisted with frustration as he watched his hired Ascendants falter. His gaze darted to Lucien, a spark of desperation flickering in his eyes. “Lucien, do something! They’re losing!”

Lucien's dark presence filled the room, making it feel heavy and tense. He gave a threatening smile as he stepped forward, moving in a careful and almost hunting manner.

“Be quiet,” Lucien said calmly, but his tone showed anger. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

Steve’s sharp eyes locked onto Lucien, his instincts screaming at him to stay alert. The aura radiating from the younger man was unlike anything he had encountered before—dark, unnatural, and brimming with raw, unrestrained power.

“Whatever you’re on,” Steve said, his voice steady despite the tension in his stance, “it’s not going to save you.”

Lucien chuckled, rolling his shoulders as his energy flared once more. “We’ll see about that,” he said with an arrogant tone. “You’ve already used up most of your energy, right? Two more, maybe one, and you’re done.”

“Is this another evil research from your family?” Steve asked, trying to avoid the question and hide his nervousness. He tightened his grip on the axe, ready for whatever came next. "It'll change nothing, Lucien."

Lucien grinned wider, his silver eyes shining with menace. “Let's find it out,” he said, his voice echoing in the warehouse. The heavy presence he gave off increased, spreading a new wave of discomfort through the room.