Carter stared at the jade ring on his finger and felt absolutely nothing. There was no pulse of power, no surge of energy, no connection.

Just… emptiness.

Slowly, almost mechanically, he lifted his gaze and locked it onto Rune. "What did you do?" he asked, his voice low and dangerously controlled.

Rune met his eyes, and then... he smiled. It was the same smile Carter had worn moments ago - victorious, cold, and unapologetic.

A flicker of something dark passed through Carter's gaze as Rune only shrugged lightly.

"The ring isn't something you can just take," Rune said calmly. "It responds to its master. If it doesn't accept you…" He tilted his head slightly. "Then maybe it just doesn't want you."

Carter didn't move, didn't even blink for a moment, and then... his expression twisted.

"Don't insult me," he snapped.

The air around him shifted violently as his power surged.

"I can feel it," he continued, his voice sharpening. "There's nothing in this ring. No power. No energy. No essence."

His grip tightened.

"You didn't just give me a ring that rejects me…" His eyes burned. "You gave me an empty shell."

Behind them, the battlefield strained under tension. Carter's warriors had already begun attacking again, but they were being held back, contained behind a massive, shimmering barrier erected by the High Lord.

Blows struck against it and magic collided with it, but it held.

Inside the barrier, the Magik warriors stood ready... waiting, watching.

Rune let out a soft chuckle and spoke lightly, "Guess you are not as stupid as I thought."

Carter's expression darkened further.

"You dare-"

"You figured it out," Rune cut in. "That's more than I expected."

The mockery was subtle. But sharp.

Carter took a step forward. "You handed me a fake," he said, his voice cold. "You deceived me."

Rune's smile didn't fade as he spoke, "Deceived you?" A faint scoff left him as he added, "That's rich coming from you."

His gaze hardened slightly.

"You destroyed the book the moment you got what you wanted," Rune continued. "You broke your word before the exchange even settled." His voice dropped further. "And you were about to wipe us out right after."

His smile was cold and so was his gaze. "You don't get to complain about deception."

The silence was heavy and charged as Carter's eyes flickered with something dangerous. But then he let out a short and sharp laughter.

"Fair enough," he admitted.

And just like that, the last thread of pretense snapped.

"Enough games," Rune said, his voice carrying across the battlefield.. clear and commanding.

"It's time."

That was all it took.

The High Lord's eyes flashed, and in the next instant, he dropped the barrier.

The explosion of force was immediate. Carter's warriors surged forward and the Magik Realm's forces met them head-on.

Weapons clashed, magic roared, and the wide and long corridor erupted into chaos once more. But this time, there was no restraint, no holding back, and no illusion of weakness.

The Magik warriors moved like unleashed storms - pecise, fast, and overwhelming. Their every strike carried lethal intent, every movement was sharp, efficient, and devastating.

The difference was immediate and visible, and Carter's forces felt it instantly.

"What-?!" one of them staggered back as his attack was not just blocked, but completely overpowered.

"They are stronger than before!"

"No…" another whispered as realization started dawning too late. "They were holding back."

On the other side, the High Lord moved straight toward Carter. Their powers collided again, but this time, there was no restraint on either side.

The clash sent shockwaves tearing through the base. Stone cracked as energy flared, making the very structure tremble under the force of two Supreme Warriors fighting at their full strength.

"You planned this," Carter said, his voice laced with fury as he met the High Lord's attack head-on.

"Yes," the High Lord replied simply. There was no denial, no hesitation.

Carter's eyes burned. "You let me believe-"

"You chose to believe," the High Lord cut in.

Their powers surged again, colliding with explosive force.

As for Rune, he was moving fast. His moves fluid and deadly as he took down a few low level warriors before rejoining his team. And his presence instantly shifted the tide of the battlefield around him.

But this time, there was something different. The power within him had changed. It flowed through him naturally now. It was no longer coming from the ring, but existed as a part of him.

His each movement carried enhanced precision. Each strike landed with amplified force. His senses were sharper, his reactions faster.

He cut through the enemy ranks, looking unstoppable.

Carter's forces began to falter. They weren't collapsing yet, but the strain was clear. Because now, they were fighting an opponent that was no longer pretending.

The truth became undeniable - they had been lured, tricked, and played.

"They used us," one of the masked warriors growled, barely blocking a strike in time.

"To get the book," another added grimly.

"And now-"

"They are done playing."

Even so, the battle didn't tip completely. Because Carter's army was not weak, actually far from it. They adapted quickly, regrouped, and pushed back.

The battlefield stabilized - blow for blow, force for force. Neither side was yielding, neither was breaking.

It became clear this wasn't a fight that would end quickly. And if left unchecked, it could drag on indefinitely. Or worse... destroy everything around them.

At the center, Carter and the High Lord were still fighting. Power surged violently around them, but Carter's focus shifted just slightly.

His gaze flickered past the High Lord and toward Rune. He took barely two seconds to calculate and assess the situation and made up his mind to take him out.

Not only it would let him take out some of his anger, but the balance of the fight would shift again.

Without hesitation, Carter moved. His attack against the High Lord didn't stop, nor slowed. But within it, he formed a hidden strike. A deadly one.

It slipped through the chaos silently and unseen, aimed directly at Rune.

Rune didn't notice and his attention was on the battle in front of him.

The attack closed the distance, and then... it struck.