"......"

  Silabain’s gaze grew heavier, then was replaced by murderous intent. He tightened his grip on the Mithril Sword and tensed his lower body.

  At the same moment, Hulim Heyerar raised her wand.

  "【????????????????????????????????????????????????????】"

  "Freeze——!!!"

  "！！？"

  Watching the ice spread rapidly around his feet, Silabain’s eyes widened. He canceled his impending attack, leaped upward with all his strength, shattered the ice, and soared into the air.

  Hulim Heyerar’s gaze followed him skyward—this was the chance she’d been waiting for.

  She pointed her wand at Silabain in mid-air.

  Silabain noticed her movement and held his Mithril Sword horizontally in front of him. No matter what long-range attack she launched, he’d shatter it the moment it approached.

  But——

  "【??????????????????????????????????????????????】"

  "Thunder Strike——!!!"

  By the time the thunder roared from the sky, Silabain knew he was in trouble.

  It was too late. Moreover, thunder could never be blocked by a sword.

  "Ah——!!!"

  Thunder erupted around him instantly. Unlike the stinging pain of external wounds, this was a paralyzing agony that numbed his entire body. Instead of keeping him alert, the pain made his consciousness fade. The thunder amplified the drowsiness he’d fought so hard to suppress, and his vision blurred.

  Boom——!!!

  Silabain’s smoldering body plummeted to the ground.

  "Cough! Damn it...... My consciousness is......"

  He lay there, straining to clench his weapon with trembling hands.

  But before he could grip it tightly——

  "Thunder Strike!"

  Boom——!

  Another bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky.

  Then a second, a third......

  "Thunder Strike!"

  "Thunder Strike!"

  "Thun......"

  Boom! Boom! Boom......

  The sound of thunder spread from the docks to the surrounding districts of Langard......

  "It’s thundering. Do you think it’s going to rain?"

  "Probably. The sky’s been overcast all night—rain wouldn’t be surprising!"

  "Hurry up, let’s get home......"

  People still out and about hurried back to their houses, driven by the thunder.

  But some noticed something was off.

  "......No. That’s not natural thunder—that’s Lightning Magic!"

  "Third-Rank Lightning Magic, Thunder Strike? Interesting......"

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  "Hmph! Who dares to cast magic recklessly in the royal capital!!! Knights, assemble!"

  ......

  Zap~! Zap~!

  Residual lightning sparked on the ground from time to time. Silabain now looked like a charred cinder, smoke curling off his body. Even the ground around him showed signs of melting.

  "......"

  Hulim Heyerar stared at him warily.

  Is it over?

  After all, he’s human—his life force can’t be as strong as a monster’s.

  But at that moment, the "cinder’s" fingers moved.

  What!!!

  Hulim Heyerar’s eyes widened in shock. She raised her wand again at once.

  "Y-you...... you little brat...... don’t underestimate me——!!!"

  His charred right hand grabbed the Mithril Sword lying nearby. Silabain roared as if using every last ounce of his strength:

  "Berserk Aura——!!!"

  "Thunder Strike!"

  Boom!

  Flame-like red battle aura surged from Silabain’s body. At the same time, another Thunder Strike crashed down on his head.

  But the dazzling lightning was blocked by the red aura—unable to harm him like before.

  "Ughhhh——!!!"

  Silabain stood up, roaring meaningless rage toward the sky. Enveloped in the red aura, he looked as if he were on fire.

  Then he lowered his head, his scarlet eyes locking onto Hulim Heyerar:

  "I’ll kill you——!!!"

  "Wings of Wind!"

  Boom——!

  The ground was split open with a single sword strike.

  In the nick of time, Hulim Heyerar successfully cast Wings of Wind, soaring into the sky to dodge the fatal blow.

  "Don’t run——!!!"

  Silabain seemed to have lost his mind, his thoughts consumed entirely by murderous intent.

  Boom——!

  He slammed his foot into the ground, shattering it instantly. His body shot toward the sky like a cannonball.

  Hulim Heyerar quickly raised her sword to block.

  Boom!

  In the next moment, she was sent flying by the immense force.

  "Storm Surge!"

  Whoosh——!

  Just as she was about to hit the ground, she unleashed a Storm Surge toward the earth. The rising gale lifted her back into the sky.

  Stabilizing her posture, Hulim Heyerar sheathed her wand behind her back and gripped the Mithril Sword with both hands.

  "He’s too fast. I don’t have time to cast magic......"

  Boom——!

  The cannonball-like figure appeared in front of her again.

  Hulim Heyerar didn’t flinch. She swung her sword with all her strength.

  Clang!

  After the collision, she was sent flying again—but much slower than before. She flipped several times in the air before regaining her balance.

  "Whew——!"

  Hulim Heyerar took a deep breath, holding her sword in front of her, her focus razor-sharp.

  "Heyerar Swordsmanship: Fourth Form——"

  Silabain, his eyes bloodshot, dragged his Mithril Sword diagonally with one hand, closing in on Hulim Heyerar step by step. In the next instant, he shattered the ground, vanished from sight, and brought his sword crashing down with the force to split the earth.

  "——Star Flash!!!"

  At the same moment, Hulim Heyerar unleashed her strongest swordsmanship with all her might.

  Her Mithril Sword transformed into streaks of shooting stars, meeting the giant meteor plummeting from the sky.

  Boom——!

  After the violent shockwave, Hulim Heyerar was sent flying again by the opponent’s overwhelming strength, while Silabain stumbled backward several steps.

  Boom! Boom!

  Without warning, two more cracks echoed as the ground shattered. Both figures launched themselves forward.

  Shooting stars and meteors clashed again, then bounced apart—only to stabilize and charge back at each other.

  Then they were sent flying once more......

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  The two Mithril Swords clashed repeatedly—mid-air, on the ground, inside and outside buildings—sparks bursting in the dark night.

  On one side: the immense power of Berserk Aura, a Fourth-Rank Non-Attribute Magic.

  On the other: the combination of peak flying ability and Heyerar Swordsmanship.

  Their speeds were extreme—only afterimages could be seen darting across the docks. The entire area, whether sky or ground, became a battlefield.

  The once-neat docks were reduced to chaos by the aftermath of their battle. The warehouse that had served as the underground organization’s base was completely reduced to ruins......

  "What’s wrong? What’s wrong! Why aren’t you using your magic——!!!"

  Silabain grew more and more maniacal.

  By now, his goal in battle seemed to have shifted from killing Hulim Heyerar to destroying everything.

  "Use it!!! Use your magic!!! You were using it so well earlier!!!?"

  Boom——!!!

  Hulim Heyerar’s figure was smashed into the air again.

  The last intact building on the docks had its outer wall shattered by her impact. She didn’t stop until she crashed into the opposite wall.

  Boom——!

  The figure engulfed in red aura landed inside the building. He looked at Hulim Heyerar, still pressed against the wall, twisted his neck, and said in a regretful tone:

  "How boring. Is that all you’ve got?"

  "......Never mind. I’ll just kill you——"

  Hulim Heyerar slowly lifted her head. Even though her body was covered in wounds, her eyes remained as calm as ever.

  "You want to see my magic?"

  "Then wish granted——!"