Everyone froze at Max’s words. His cold dismissal struck them harder than any attack could have. For a mont, the leaders of the Middle Domain—all beings who had lived centuries, so even millennia—were left speechless.
It felt almost as if Max was deliberately pushing them away.
President William finally broke the silence. "It’s not that we fear you because of the infernal energy..." He paused, then shook his head slowly. "It’s just that the current you is very different from the one I knew. You are constantly on edge, with infernal energy spilling from you every second. It doesn’t stop. It never rests."
His gaze hardened, but it wasn’t anger—it was concern. "If I didn’t know you personally, Max... if I hadn’t seen you grow with my own eyes... I would’ve thought you were one of the Ascendants standing here before . Or worse—so high demon who had slaughtered thousands without blinking. The aura you’re giving off right now... is exactly like that."
Max’s expression turned darker, his crimson eyes narrowing. The words stung, not because they were false, but because they were true. He knew the aura he gave off now was not the aura of the boy he once was but slightly different.
But if they couldn’t trust him—if even now, after all he had endured—they still chose to see him as a threat rather than an ally... then what was the point of this eting? There was no deal worth making with those who doubted his very existence.
He said nothing. His silence was colder than any words could have been.
The tension grew thicker, pressing against everyone like a suffocating fog. Then, at last, Aden Fireborne broke it.
"Max," Aden’s voice cut across the heavy silence. Unlike the others, his tone was calm but firm, the voice of a man used to shouldering responsibility. His fiery aura dimd, replaced by seriousness. "Can you return to your normal form?"
All eyes turned to Max. They were curious. They were desperate to know if he still could, or if the infernal energy had consud him entirely.
Max’s gaze flickered to Aden, his face as unreadable as stone. Slowly, he nodded. "I can." His voice was calm. "But I don’t want to."
The air quivered as his crimson aura raged outward like wildfire. His voice grew sharper, heavier with conviction. "Not until I kill those twin demons who destroyed the Valora Continent. Until I tear them apart with my own hands, I won’t turn back. I can’t turn back."
Aden’s smile faded. His fiery presence shifted, his expression turning grave as he looked directly into Max’s glowing eyes. The weight of his gaze was enough to silence even Lady Divine and Emperor Hers.
"Do you really want to fight them?" Aden asked, his tone heavy. There was no mockery in his words, only the seriousness of a man who knew exactly what such a decision ant.
Max nodded slowly, his crimson eyes glowing with a cold, murderous light. He had to. There was no other choice. If he couldn’t kill them—if he couldn’t cut down those twin demons with his own hands—then this hatred buried deep in his heart would never fade. It would fester, grow darker, stronger, and consu him entirely. The urge to kill was not a whisper anymore; it was a roar, demanding blood.
He clenched his fists tightly, the images of the Valora Continent’s ruins flashing through his mind—the endless corpses, the rivers of blood, the people who had been slaughtered rcilessly. All of it, every death, tied back to him. Because of him, they had all been marked. Because of him, they had all perished.
His killing intent surged like a tidal wave, spilling out into the air, suffocating everyone present. ’I don’t know if killing them will bring peace,’ he admitted to himself, ’but I know this—if I don’t kill them, I’ll drown in regret for the rest of my life.’
Across from him, Aden Fireborne remained silent for a long mont. He finally turned toward Lady Divine. "What do you think?" he asked in a asured tone.
Lady Divine’s expression was calm, but her eyes glimred with sothing sharp. She nodded. "Let him fight. If he can kill them, then it will be a great victory for the human race. And if he cannot..." Her voice turned colder. "...then we will intervene and drag him away by force."
Aden’s gaze lingered on her for a mont before he nodded as well. "That’s what I was thinking."
His fiery aura flared faintly as he turned back to Max. "Alright. You can fight them." His tone was firm, decisive.
Max raised a brow, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "That ans the deal is done?"
"The deal is done," Aden confird with a nod. "But there’s a condition. If you win, then you walk free as you please. But if you lose..." His eyes sharpened. "...you will listen to us. No acting alone. No reckless moves. You will follow our orders."
Max’s crimson eyes burned brighter, and then—unexpectedly—he smiled. "It’s a deal then." His voice was low but carried the edge of unshakable confidence.
He tilted his head back slightly, his wings flaring wide as his aura raged higher. "I plan to fight them in a week. Spread the word. Let the twin demons hear it clearly—I want them ready. Ready to be slaughtered by ."
The air shuddered as his infernal energy exploded outward, crimson flas whipping through the sky, pressing down on everyone like a storm of rage.
President William exhaled, shaking his head at the sheer force of Max’s killing intent. "Are you sure about this, Max?" he asked, his voice carrying the weight of worry.
Max’s crimson gaze shifted to him, sharp as a blade. "I have to," he said simply. Then, colder, heavier: "And I will."
William studied him for a long mont before sighing deeply, resignation settling in his eyes. "...Alright. I will spread the news. The world will know that you’ve accepted their challenge. One week from now, it will be decided."
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