The black sphere vibrated with unbridled happiness, its essence practically glowing with pride at Aaron's overwhelming display of dominance.

"Right. All that matters is that we showed them who's boss." Aaron laughed heartily, choosing to brush aside any regrets and bask in the triumphant glory of the moment, mirroring the black sphere's infectious joy.

[You are the most shameless person I know.]

"I'm the only person you know in depth."

General Maxwell stared at Aaron in stunned silence, disbelief etched deeply into every line of his weathered face, his chest heaving from exertion.

"You have been holding your strength against me?" General Maxwell stood in shocked surprise, his voice cracking slightly with the weight of realization.

"Obviously. Can't have you dying on me. You have a purpose to serve." Aaron answered casually, folding his arms across his chest in a posture of relaxed confidence.

He sighed in quiet relief, convinced at last that General Maxwell was finally poised for a reasonable dialogue.

"Should have just gone all out from the beginning and had the conversation from the very start," Aaron grumbled inwardly, shaking off the lingering frustration.

"So can we have a conversation like civilized people now, right?" Aaron asked General Maxwell directly, walking slowly toward him with measured steps, hands open in a gesture of non-threat.

"Even if you are stronger than me, I won't cower and give my best in bringing you to justice. Even if it means my death." General Maxwell stood his ground firmly, gripping his twin blades with knuckles white from tension, his resolve unyielding as forged steel.

Aaron stared at General Maxwell speechlessly for a long moment, utterly baffled by the man's unshakeable determination.

He couldn't comprehend the whirlwind of thoughts racing through General Maxwell's mind, the ironclad sense of duty that defied all logic.

"He certainly has a loose screw." Aaron finally concluded, shaking his head in a clear sign of exasperated defeat.

"Knight battle form. Sixth form. Eclipse crescent!" General Maxwell resumed the assault without hesitation, his voice a thunderous command.

He swung his swords toward Aaron in a synchronized arc of fury. From the blades, elemental darkness crackled violently with embedded lightning, unleashing crescent-shaped waves of destruction hurtling toward Aaron at blinding speed.

"This guy just doesn't know when to give up. And he's not even giving me the opportunity to try." Aaron grumbled in annoyance, hefting the black sphere which had transformed into a massive sledgehammer, its head heavy and imposing.

With a surge of brute force that made the air whistle, he shattered the incoming crescents into harmless sparks and fading shadows.

"Seventh form. Celestial devourer!" General Maxwell roared with primal intensity, invoking the seventh form as power coursed through him like a storm.

From his blades, now held together in a unified grip, General Maxwell unleashed his devastating attack.

Darkness fused seamlessly with crackling lightning, coalescing into the awe-inspiring depiction of an ancient dragon—scales of shadow, eyes glowing with electric fury, wings implied in the swirling energy.

The ancient dragon opened its gaping maw wide, poised like a mythical beast ready to unleash its apocalyptic breath.

From the yawning mouth, a torrent of darkness merged with lightning erupted forth, barreling toward Aaron with terrifying velocity; the sheer magnitude of the assault sent involuntary shivers rippling through the bodies of distant onlookers, their hearts pounding in primal fear.

"This is honestly getting boring," Aaron commented dryly, extending his hand lazily toward the oncoming merged lightning and darkness breath.

The black sphere fitted snugly into his palm like a custom-forged knight's glove, its surface adapting perfectly to his grip.

The attack finally reached him, making first contact with Aaron's outstretched hand in a blaze of chaotic energy.

Using just that single hand, Aaron held the breath at bay effortlessly, as if it were nothing more than a playful ball of yarn.

Closing his palm with deliberate slowness, Aaron crushed and destroyed the attack utterly, reducing it to wisps of dissipating smoke and faint crackles.

General Maxwell was left utterly at a loss, his hope of victory beginning to erode slowly like sand through fingers, doubt creeping into his steadfast gaze.

But still, his deeply ingrained beliefs propelled him forward, compelling him to fight on and defend the empire even in what was clearly a losing battle, his spirit unbroken.

Realizing the utter futility of continuing against such overwhelming power, General Maxwell steeled himself to deploy his ultimate battle form, clinging to a slender thread of hope for victory.

General Maxwell drew a deep, steadying breath, calming the turmoil within as the final form demanded complete, utter, and unwavering focus, any distraction could spell catastrophe.

"Knights battle form. Final form." General Maxwell pronounced each word in measured pauses, his voice as calm and serene as a gentle ocean breeze whispering over waves.

He stabbed his two blades deep into the trembling ground with resolute force. Standing upright once more, he fixed his gaze upon Aaron, unblinking and solemn.

"I have only used the final technique once before. And the damage it caused forced me to swear never to wield it again. Using it right now fills me with mixed feelings, because a part of me desperately wants you to stop it and minimize the devastation it will unleash." General Maxwell addressed Aaron directly, his face draining of color, pallor spreading like frost over his features.

"Equinox." He uttered the name, and the very earth quaked in response, fissures spiderwebbing outward from his position.

The fabric of space itself warped and twisted upon itself, groaning as if on the verge of being torn to irreparable shreds.

Once more, light ceased to exist within the Truy region.

But this time, it extended far beyond the sun or any celestial body. All forms of light were extinguished. Natural, artificial, every photon snuffed out, plunging the entire planet into absolute, pitch-black darkness that swallowed everything in its void.

Equinox. In astronomical terms, there are only two times of the year when a planet's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes.

General Maxwell's form mirrored this cosmic balance in a terrifying way. But instead of daylight and darkness, the entire planet was inundated with an equal, unrelenting infusion of lightning and darkness elements.

One that permeated every path, every corner, every hidden crevice of the world.

There was no escape from the onslaught. No sanctuary, no way out.

One had to confront the wrath of lightning and darkness alone within this enveloping, merciless world.

"The last time I used this ability, it claimed the lives of countless souls. One that shattered my heart into pieces. A guilt I will carry with me until my dying breath." General Maxwell's voice echoed through the suffocating darkness, reaching Aaron clearly despite the chaos.

"It's also one that I wish to never allow to happen again. That's the reason I created a ninth form. One not yet perfect." He continued, his tone heavy with the burden of memory.

"Equinox convergence." General Maxwell whispered the activation, his voice barely audible yet amplified miraculously.

His words resonated across every part of the planet, as if the darkness and lightning themselves acted as conduits, carrying his declaration throughout the entire world.

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