"Well, I guess I failed," Nevin said, his void cracked with rage.
He then took out a dagger, which began to release red tendrils of lightning all around it. Only a moment later, pure red lightning coated the dagger in Nevin's hands.
Max gripped his sword and said softly, "Nevin, we don't have to fight to settle things, you know."
"Humph, I know that very well," Nevin's face twisted with rage and anger. "But it doesn't matter anymore. If I don't bring your head, then my head will roll down as a result."
He added with a ruthless sneer, "At first, I was hesitating whether to kill myself over killing my brother when I got the order to bring your head, but your answers have made me realize you never treated me as your brother."
"There is no need to hesitate anymore." He smiled ruthlessly and lunged forward toward Max.
Max sighed. "Then so be it." His voice turned cold.
Just then, Nevin's legs turned red with lightning, and he suddenly shot forward toward Max.
"Storm Fang!" Nevin shouted and slashed at Max with his lightning-infused dagger.
Max positioned himself and simply thrust his sword forward with both hands.
Clang!
The tip of his sword collided with Nevin's dagger, sending bursts of red lightning in all directions before a figure was pushed back several steps.
The figure belonged to Nevin. He looked at Max, his eyes showing only shock. "How could you be this strong when you haven't even used a skill? And most importantly, my strength is at level 3, one level above you, so I shouldn't be losing this badly."
Max shrugged. "You know me better than anyone, right? So you should know when it comes to combat, nobody in the academy comes close to me—and you are no exception."
Nevin gritted his teeth in frustration. He once again zoomed toward Max with lightning in his legs.
"Storm Fang!"
He slashed his dagger at Max again, but this time, the dagger was aimed at Max's neck.
Seeing the attack, Max just placed his sword in front of his neck.
Clang!
Lightning once again began to dance around as Nevin's dagger collided with Max's sword, but the sword in Max's hand didn't budge no matter how strongly Nevin pushed his dagger.
"You are simply not my opponent, Nevin," Max said softly.
"It doesn't matter," Nevin shouted and gulped down a red-colored pill.
Just as he ate the pill, the red lightning around his dagger went berserk, sending countless tendrils of lightning all around the dagger.
Bang!
As a result, Max was sent flying back this time, though he managed to stabilize himself shortly after.
"What did you do, Nevin?" Max asked, wide-eyed, seeing red lightning cover almost every part of Nevin's body.
"I have just unlocked the full potential of my class," Nevin sneered darkly as he vanished from his position and appeared just before Max, swiping his dagger at him.
Max reacted swiftly with an upward slash.
Clang!
Boom!
The sword and the dagger collided, sending lightning flying in all directions before both Nevin and Max were pushed back by a resounding boom.
"Damn, you really are a monster," Nevin said in frustration, seeing that even his full strength after awakening his full potential could only make him fight to a tie with Max.
"Nevin, we don't need to fight," Max said softly, trying to persuade him. "We can think of a way where both of us would benefit. You tell me which organization is behind you, and I will think of a way to help you."
"Hahahaha," Nevin laughed madly at Max's words. "You think I want help? You are wrong! What I want is your head."
"Nevin, don't be stupid," Max scolded. "I know you better than anyone in this world. You came close to me because you wanted to kill me; I can't deny that. But along the way, you changed. You treated me like a brother in a way I couldn't. Therefore, I know this isn't what you want, and you are being forced to do all of this. So, please stop, Nevin; otherwise, it won't end well for you."
"Hehehe," Nevin laughed, staring at Max with a mocking expression. "It won't end well for me? Don't tell me you are going to kill your best friend with your own hands?"
Max stared at Nevin right in the eye and said sharply, "I won't be killing my best friend but an assassin who is after my life if I have to."
"I see… I understand now," Nevin sneered as he realized something. "That's how you've been deluding yourself for the past two years. You made yourself believe that I am your friend and at the same time forced yourself to maintain an indifferent expression throughout the academy and everywhere you go."
Nevin stared deeply at Max and continued, "You are either a two-faced bastard, or you have some serious problem in the head to live like that for two years straight, deluding yourself into thinking I am your friend."
Max frowned deeply at Nevin's words, an unfamiliar wave of disgust rising within him. Yet, it wasn't Nevin himself he detested. No, the revulsion he felt was directed at the words—two-faced bastard, problem in the head.
Something about those phrases stirred an inexplicable hatred deep in his core, a visceral rejection that gnawed at him from the depths of his being. It wasn't just irritation or annoyance; it was an intense, almost primal loathing that he couldn't quite understand, as though those words scratched at a scar buried deep within his soul.
"Why the long face?" Nevin sneered. "Let me guess, my words made you question your beliefs? Or made you recall something?"
"Yeah, something like that," Max said, looking at Nevin, and asked, "So you won't stop until you have my head?"
"You are right. Only one of us can leave the dungeon alive," Nevin nodded with a sneer. "So, let me ask you, my friend, are you willing to trade your life for my well-being?"
Max shook his head. "Sadly, I can't do that. I have many important things pending that I must do, so I can only give you a painless death if you will."
"Good. Neither am I," Nevin laughed and appeared in front of Max with a lightning-shaped sword in his hand.
Max narrowed his eyes at the sword. It appeared entirely made from red lightning condensed over the dagger Nevin was holding.
"Die!" Nevin swung his lightning sword at Max vertically with a crazed expression on his face.
Max positioned himself and just thrust his sword upward.
Clang!
The tip of his sword collided with the edge of Nevin's lightning sword.
Bang!
But only a moment later, Nevin was pushed back several steps, but this time Max followed.
He used his skill Swift Dash and arrived before Nevin, who had just stopped. Max gripped his sword tightly with both hands before slashing diagonally at Nevin.
Nevin, who hadn't even stabilized from their last encounter, could only bring his sword in front for defense.
Clang!
His lightning sword immediately broke and dissipated, and Nevin himself fell to the ground, blood seeping from his mouth. He was heavily injured.
Max stared at Nevin lying on the ground and felt his heart writhe in pain.
"Do it!" Nevin shouted with blood-red eyes. "Go ahead and kill me, Max."