The room became silent.
Not naturally.
Forced.
The moment the Sovereign-level figure stepped forward, the entire chamber sealed itself automatically. Layers of barriers spread across the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Not to trap Harold.
To protect everything else.
Storm looked around slowly.
"…That's never a good sign."
Frost remained still, eyes fixed on the man walking toward Harold.
"…They're serious."
The figure stopped a few meters away.
Calm expression.
Relaxed posture.
But the pressure around him—
Was immense.
Not wild like Kael.
Not overwhelming like the ancient Titans.
Refined.
Controlled to an absurd level.
"You may call me Lucien."
Harold nodded once.
"…Harold."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"…I know."
The other two remained silent behind him, observing carefully.
The Headmaster watched without interfering.
Lucien studied Harold for a few seconds longer.
"…No instability."
A pause.
"…Interesting."
Harold's voice stayed calm.
"…You came here to inspect me?"
Lucien shook his head.
"To understand you."
Then—
He moved.
No warning.
No buildup.
One step.
And he was already in front of Harold.
A strike followed instantly.
Clean.
Precise.
Perfectly controlled.
Harold raised his hand.
Blocked.
BOOM.
The impact still shook the chamber violently.
Storm nearly lost his balance.
"…What the hell?!"
Frost's eyes narrowed.
"…That wasn't raw power."
No.
It was mastery.
Lucien stepped back smoothly.
"…Good reaction speed."
Harold lowered his hand slowly.
"…Good control."
Lucien's smile widened slightly.
"…You noticed."
Inside—
The Monkey King grinned.
"Oh, this guy's polished."
The Devourer rumbled.
"…Efficient energy usage."
Unity pulsed calmly.
"Stable opponent."
The Counter-Sovereign whispered,
"Combat experience… extreme."
Lucien attacked again.
Not faster.
Sharper.
Every movement minimized.
Every action exact.
No wasted motion.
Harold met him head-on.
Strike.
Block.
Counter.
The chamber trembled with every exchange.
Yet strangely—
Very little energy leaked outward.
Storm blinked.
"…How are they hitting that hard without blowing the room apart?!"
Frost answered quietly.
"…Control."
Lucien's attacks became faster.
Not emotionally.
Not aggressively.
Methodically.
Like he was testing every layer of Harold's existence.
Harold adapted instantly.
Each movement smoother than the last.
Each response cleaner.
Lucien's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Your growth rate truly is abnormal."
Harold slipped past another strike.
"…You're not surprised."
Lucien answered immediately.
"No."
Another exchange.
"Concerned."
BOOM.
Their fists collided directly this time.
The barriers around the chamber cracked slightly.
The two observing Sovereigns narrowed their eyes.
"…He matched Lucien physically."
"…Without amplification."
The Headmaster stayed silent.
But even he looked slightly unsettled now.
Inside—
The Monkey King laughed loudly.
"HAHA! We're bullying professionals now!"
Unity immediately responded.
"Remain focused."
Lucien stepped back again.
Still calm.
Still composed.
But this time—
His aura expanded slightly.
The room darkened.
Not from pressure.
From authority.
Storm froze slightly.
"…Okay… now I can feel it."
Frost's voice lowered.
"…He's finally serious."
Lucien raised one hand.
The air distorted.
Not broken.
Obeying.
The surrounding energy aligned toward him naturally.
A true Sovereign domain.
Perfectly controlled.
Lucien looked directly at Harold.
"…Most people collapse here."
Harold stood still.
Unaffected.
"…I'm not most people."
For the first time—
Lucien laughed softly.
"…Clearly."
Then—
Harold's aura expanded too.
Not explosively.
Naturally.
The room stabilized instantly.
The pressure balanced itself automatically.
Lucien's domain stopped expanding.
Not suppressed.
Equalized.
The observing Sovereigns stiffened slightly.
"…He stabilized another Sovereign's domain."
"…Without conflict."
Inside—
The Counter-Sovereign pulsed steadily.
"Authority synchronization active."
Unity glowed.
"Balance absolute."
The Devourer rumbled softly.
"…No excess."
Lucien looked around the chamber briefly.
Then back at Harold.
And for the first time—
His expression changed.
Not concern.
Respect.
"…I understand now."
The pressure disappeared instantly.
The chamber returned to normal.
Storm blinked.
"…Wait, that's it?"
Lucien ignored him.
His eyes remained on Harold.
"You aren't beyond balance."
A pause.
"You are balance."
Silence filled the room.
Even the other Sovereigns didn't interrupt.
Because they had felt it too.
Harold hadn't dominated the room.
Hadn't overwhelmed anyone.
Hadn't crushed Lucien's authority.
He had simply…
Aligned everything around him.
Naturally.
Lucien stepped back fully.
"…My decision is made."
The second Sovereign frowned slightly.
"…Already?"
Lucien nodded once.
"He is not the threat we feared."
A pause.
"He is something else."
The third Sovereign finally spoke again.
"…And if that changes?"
Lucien looked at Harold quietly.
Then answered.
"…Then none of us will be able to stop him anyway."
Silence.
Storm slowly turned toward Harold.
"…You know, hearing stuff like that should probably worry me more."
The Monkey King burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Harold just stood there calmly.
Because deep down—
He already knew.
This wasn't the end of their attention.
It was the beginning.