They remained where they stood, separated by several meters of fractured ground that still carried the aftermath of their last clash.
Dust drifted slowly through the air between them while the battlefield continued to move beyond that space. But none of it seemed to matter within the invisible boundary that had formed around the two of them.
Their gazes stayed locked. Neither looking away nor making the first move, as the tension stretched and settled heavier with each passing second.
Red did not advance crazily this time. His posture remained firm, but the shift within him had already taken hold as the confidence that once drove him forward without hesitation now mixed with a growing sense of apprehension.
The power of the Blood Sun still burned around his body. Its crimson aura pulsing with heat and intensity. But it no longer felt absolute in his own mind.
