It struck.

Or at least... it should have.

Carter felt the impact, felt the moment his power collided with something.

But it wasn't Rune.

The realization hit him instantly. His attack hadn't pierced flesh, hadn't shattered bone, hadn't erased its target like it was meant to. Instead, it met resistance.

An invisible force stood between his strike and Rune - foreign, immense, and terrifyingly absolute. It didn't just block his attack, but consumed it.

The energy dispersed like mist under sunlight, unraveling into nothingness before it could leave even the faintest trace behind.

Carter's pupils shrank. And for a split second, he forgot to breathe. Because that... was impossible.

His gaze snapped toward Rune.

Did he do that?

It had to be the ring's power he had somehow stolen. It was the only explanation that made sense.

But the moment Carter truly looked, he realized Rune hadn't even noticed his attack.

The man was in the middle of combat, cutting through Carter's forces with ruthless precision. His movements were fluid, focused. He was completely engaged in the battlefield around him.

There was no sign of distraction. No indication that he had just blocked a Supreme Warrior's killing strike.

Which meant... it wasn't him.

Carter's mind raced.

Then who?

His gaze flicked across the space.

Could it be the High Lord?

No.

It was almost impossible. The timing didn't match. The angle didn't align. And more importantly, he would have felt it.

And he could tell... this wasn't the High Lord's power. This was something else. Something... stronger.

A chill crept up Carter's spine. Because that realization carried a terrifying implication - there's someone else here. Someone who could casually erase his attack. Someone who held power beyond a Supreme Warrior.

But how?

How could such a being exist?

There were only two Supreme Warriors in existence in their galaxy - him and the High Lord.

No one else should even come close.

And yet... that force had not just resisted him, but had overpowered him.

For the first time tonight, uncertainty crept into Carter's mind.

And that single moment of distraction was all it took for the High Lord to make his move.

He had been waiting, watching, calculating. And the instant Carter's focus wavered, he struck.

A precise, devastating blow landed squarely against Carter's defenses. Power surged through the impact, bypassing his outer protections and striking directly at his core.

Carter's eyes widened as a sharp crack echoed - not from the environment, but from within.

That one blow from the High Lord was so lethal that it fractured Carter's meridians.

"—!"

Carter staggered back, a sharp breath tearing from his chest as pain exploded through his body. His energy faltered for a brief but critical second.

The High Lord didn't give him time to recover and followed with another strike. Then another.

Each one controlled. Each one deliberate. Driving Carter further off balance.

Outside the base-

Grace stood still, her gaze fixed on the projection.

Her expression remained composed. But her fingers had curled slightly at her sides.

If she hadn't stopped Carter's attack in time, that man would have heavily injured Rune who was fully focused on taking down the enemy force.

"Are you going in?" Dr. Kian asked, his voice low but tense as he watched the battle unfold.

Grace shook her head.

"No."

The answer came without hesitation. Even though a part of her wanted to step in and end it faster, she didn't move.

"This isn't my fight," she said quietly. And it was the truth.

She had come for Carter. For the book. For the information needed to save Earth.

The rest belonged to the Magik Realm.

Her gaze softened slightly as she watched Rune and the High Lord press forward.

"They'll finish this," she added.

Inside-

The tide had shifted.

Carter tried to recover, forcing his energy back into alignment despite the damage to his meridians. His power flared again... but it lacked the same stability as before.

And that was enough.

The High Lord raised his hand and power surged outward - not as an attack, but as something far more precise.

An ancient and complex formation.

Runes ignited across the battlefield floor, spreading outward in intricate patterns. The air itself seemed to solidify as the structure took shape.

Carter's eyes snapped downward. But it was already too late.

"Now!" the High Lord commanded.

Rune moved instantly. He broke away from the surrounding fight, appearing before Carter in a blur of motion. Their weapons clashed, energy exploding outward as Rune engaged him directly.

Carter snarled, forcing himself to respond, to counter, but Rune didn't give him space. Didn't give him time. His every strike was calculated and relentless.

It was a perfectly executed distraction. Because behind Carter, the formation completed within seconds.

Light surged upward as the barrier snapped into place, trapping Carter before he even realized it.

Rune stepped back just as the formation snapped into place. It locked around Carter like a cage, sealing his movements, restricting his power.

His eyes widened.

"No-!"

He surged against it, his power erupting violently as he tried to break free.

But the High Lord stepped forward and added a second layer of seal, binding Carter in place, cutting off his ability to draw in external energy.

The air stilled, the power settled, and Carter froze as he realized he's completely trapped.

For a moment, silence fell as both forces witnessed Carter's being captured.

Then... the battlefield erupted again. But this time it was one-sided.

With their leader sealed, Carter's forces faltered instantly. Some fought harder as desperation drove them forward. Others hesitated. And some... broke.

"They have captured Lord Thown!" one of them shouted.

"Fall back-!"

But there was nowhere to go.

The Magik warriors pressed forward, coordinated and relentless. And in no time, the remaining resistance crumbled under their assault.

One by one, enemies fell. Some injured, some dead, and some just dropped their weapons entirely.

"I surrender!" one of them shouted, collapsing to his knees.

Others followed.

Because now it was clear they had lost, especially when they saw more Magik warriors entering the base. They seemed to have backup all this time, waiting for this very moment.

The enemy forre realized there was no escape, no chance of victory... only defeat.

Minutes later, the fighting stopped completely as the last of Carter's forces were subdued.

The battlefield fell into a heavy, exhausted silence.

And at its center, Carter Thown stood trapped within the sealing array - powerless, furious, and defeated.

The High Lord approached slowly, his presence calm but absolute.

Around him, the warriors of the Magik Realm stood victorious. Though not without cost, but undeniably victorious.

Carter's gaze burned as it locked onto them, filled with hatred, rage, and something deeper... realization.

He hadn't lost because he was weak. Actually far from it.

He had the strength to rival the High Lord. The power to dominate this battlefield. To win.

But he hadn't.

Because he underestimated them. Because he let greed cloud his judgment. Because he believed victory was already his... before the battle had truly begun.

And in doing so, he handed them the advantage.

The Magik Realm had won. And Carter Thown... had fallen.