Darkness stretched endlessly.
Not empty.
Watching.
Harold stood within the corruption, his authority holding the unstable Titan energy frozen around him.
Yet the deeper presence beneath it all—
Remained untouched.
The voice echoed again.
"…Interesting."
Cold.
Calm.
Ancient.
Not unstable like Kael.
Not broken like the experiments surrounding them.
Controlled.
Far too controlled.
Inside—
The Counter-Sovereign pulsed sharply.
"Sovereign-class entity confirmed."
Unity dimmed.
"Foreign authority detected."
The Devourer rumbled low.
"…It hides beneath corruption."
The Monkey King growled.
"I knew this smelled suspicious."
Harold's gaze sharpened.
"…Who are you?"
Silence followed briefly.
Then—
The darkness shifted.
Not outward.
Parting.
A figure slowly emerged from within the sea of corruption.
Human.
At least in appearance.
Dark robes.
Calm eyes.
A faint smile.
No visible aura.
Yet the corruption around him moved obediently.
Like living servants.
"…Names are unnecessary."
The figure stopped a short distance away.
"But if you insist…"
A faint smile appeared.
"…Call me Morvain."
Storm's voice echoed faintly from outside the connection.
"…Harold? Can you hear us?!"
The connection remained unstable.
Harold ignored it.
His attention stayed fixed on Morvain.
"…You created this."
Morvain glanced at the frozen corruption surrounding them.
"Not entirely."
A pause.
"…I simply perfected it."
The Devourer surged violently.
"…Abomination."
Morvain's eyes shifted slightly.
Almost amused.
"…Ah."
"You carry awareness deeper than expected."
Harold stepped forward slowly.
"You experimented on people."
Morvain's expression didn't change.
"I evolved them."
The frozen corruption trembled slightly.
Dozens of distorted Titan forms shifted within the darkness around them.
"Humanity is weak."
Morvain's voice remained calm.
"Titans are incomplete."
A pause.
"…Combining them is the natural path forward."
Unity dimmed sharply.
"Balance rejected."
The Counter-Sovereign whispered,
"…Forced transcendence theory."
The Monkey King scoffed.
"Yeah, and it looks disgusting."
Harold looked around at the twisted remains trapped within the corruption.
"They're suffering."
Morvain tilted his head slightly.
"…Growth is painful."
Silence.
Then—
Harold moved.
Instantly.
His fist crossed the distance between them in less than a moment.
BOOM.
The corruption exploded outward violently.
But—
Morvain caught the strike calmly.
The entire corrupted realm shook.
Outside—
The Academy barriers cracked instantly.
Storm stumbled backward.
"…WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THERE?!"
Frost's expression darkened.
"…Something strong."
Back inside—
Morvain's faint smile remained.
"…Excellent."
Then—
The corruption surged.
Harold's frozen authority was suddenly resisted from every direction.
The distorted Titan remains screamed silently as they rushed toward him.
Not attacking blindly.
Controlled.
Directed.
Morvain raised one hand casually.
"Show me."
The corruption attacked.
Thousands of twisted Titan fragments crashed toward Harold at once.
Inside—
The system activated fully.
Unity expanded instantly.
"Authority reinforcement engaged."
The Counter-Sovereign spread countless threads.
"Corruption pathways mapped."
The Devourer roared.
"…Consume the false."
The Monkey King grinned viciously.
"Finally."
Harold raised one hand.
The corruption stopped again.
But this time—
It fought back.
The entire realm trembled violently as Morvain's authority collided directly against Harold's.
Two Sovereign authorities.
One based on balance.
The other—
Forced evolution.
Morvain's eyes sharpened slightly for the first time.
"…You truly have surpassed the system."
Harold stepped forward.
"…And you abandoned it."
The corruption screamed louder.
The unstable Titans fused together rapidly into massive distorted forms.
Limbs.
Eyes.
Mouths.
Countless failed lives merged into one horrifying wave.
Storm's distant voice cracked through again.
"…Harold!"
Outside—
The creature connected to the corruption began mutating violently once more.
The Academy shook.
The Headmaster's eyes widened slightly.
"…The internal battle is affecting reality outside."
Frost clenched his fists.
"…If this keeps escalating…"
The entire region could collapse.
Inside—
Morvain finally released more of his presence.
The corruption expanded endlessly behind him.
Not chaotic anymore.
Organized.
Like an army.
"…Do you know why the Sovereign Council fears you?"
Harold remained calm.
"…Because I'm stronger?"
Morvain laughed softly.
"No."
The corruption around him twisted into perfect synchronization.
"Because you prove balance is possible."
A pause.
"And if balance exists…"
His smile widened faintly.
"…Then people like me become unnecessary."
The darkness exploded outward.
The corrupted army charged.
And Harold stepped forward to meet it.