*BOOM!*
When surging flames and raging ice and snow exploded like ocean waves, the magma-filled underground world instantly turned into the battlefield of two people, as blazing flames and chilling winds burst forth around the rocky platform at the center, suddenly erupting into an extreme clash of offense and defense.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
In the midst of the resounding metallic strikes, a black sword wrapped in flames slashed down again and again upon a raised crystal sword of ice—each strike setting off violent flames and explosive fire, blasting toward the sword-wielding woman and forcing her into repeated retreats through the air.
As Ice Maiden's ice-blue eyes stared fixedly at Riezel, who pressed forward with ferocious slashes, her expression was no longer cold and indifferent as before, but heavy and tense.
Ice Maiden retreated and flashed away, trying to avoid the burning strikes, but Riezel, slashing with his sword, seemed to have completely unleashed himself as he clung to her relentlessly and displayed astonishing reflexes.
Earlier, Ice Maiden had been able to dodge his attacks with her sixth sense almost like seeing the future, but now Riezel relied purely on superhuman reflexes, leaving her no room to escape.
Whenever Ice Maiden tried to evade a slash, Riezel instantly shifted its trajectory, or even changed its rhythm—turning one strike into three, turning a vertical cleave into a horizontal slash—forcing her to halt mid-motion.
Whenever Ice Maiden tried to exploit an opening for a counterattack, a transparent gleam flashed in Riezel's eyes before he suddenly shifted sideways a short distance, as if teleporting, causing her ice-crystal sword to strike nothing but air.
In the end, the two clashed furiously—one a blazing flame pressing forward without pause, the other a raging storm of snow retreating without end.
In this magma-filled underground world's sky, their figures flew back and forth.
*Clang!*
At last, when Ice Maiden raised her sword again to block a burning strike, the overwhelming power sent her plummeting from midair.
"Tch!"
Ice Maiden clicked her tongue—her ice-blue eyes flared even brighter as terrifying cold surged from her body.
*Kacha-Kacha—*
Wherever she passed, the air froze into ice, soon forming a massive icicle plunging down into the crimson magma below.
*Kacha-Kacha-Kacha—*
In an instant, the magma touched by the icicle began to solidify, hardening bit by bit under the sharp sound of freezing.
Before long, centered on the icicle, an icefield hundreds of meters wide spread out, and Ice Maiden crashed down upon it, sliding across its surface.
*BANG!*
In midair, Riezel once again turned into a streak of fire, stepping on bursting flames as he dove straight toward Ice Maiden sliding along the ice.
Now, she no longer dared to let him approach freely.
Before stopping her movement, Ice Maiden swung down her ice-crystal sword, unleashing another torrent of extreme cold that roared toward Riezel—the icy blast froze everything it touched, as if a towering glacier suddenly rose from the ground to meet the falling fire.
"Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"
Riezel's eyes gleamed with a transparent light before he spun his black sword, releasing a blazing dragon of fire.
At once, the fire became a dragon, soaring downward and colliding fiercely with the ice glacier rising upward.
*BOOOOM—!!!*
A thunderous roar exploded above the magma sea, sending waves of molten red surging in all directions.
Ultimately, the clash of fire dragon and ice glacier threw the magma sea into chaos, causing explosive bursts across its surface—the icefield itself cracked and shattered, and at its center, two figures once again collided.
"Riezel Brynhart!"
Ice Maiden, shouting, was no longer cold and detached as she charged toward Riezel with her fighting spirit ignited.
"Is this your real strength?!"
"What new Sword Saint?!"
"You fooled everyone!"
Ice Maiden shouted while swinging her sword, as if wielding an entire frozen world against him.
"Hmph, I never fooled anyone."
Riezel scoffed, advancing instead of retreating.
In the next moment, flames engulfed his body, and his black sword traced a perfect arc as he slashed toward Ice Maiden.
*Clang!*
In that instant, the resounding metallic clash rang out as their blades met, spreading ripples of fire and snow that refused to fade.
As their swords locked, Riezel and Ice Maiden poured strength against each other, their flames and frost colliding endlessly.
"Until now, it was only because no one ever forced me to use this much strength."
Riezel continued indifferently to the woman before him, then suddenly pushed harder.
*BOOM!*
As flames erupted in an explosion, blasting Ice Maiden violently backward, Riezel pressed in once more, his black sword unleashing flurries of burning strikes that poured down upon her without restraint.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
Amidst the furious clashing, Ice Maiden could only retreat, desperately swinging her national artifact to block slash after blazing slash that grew ever faster, ever stronger, leaving scorched marks across the frozen ground wherever Riezel's blade fell.
In this fierce battle, Riezel clearly held the absolute advantage, suppressing Ice Maiden completely and giving her almost no chance to fight back.
As time passed, his offense became not just relentless strikes but a flowing cycle of forms.
"Dance!"
"Clear Blue Sky!"
"Raging Sun!"
"Fake Rainbow!"
"Fire Wheel!"
"Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
"Sunflower Thrust!"
"Solar Heat Haze!"
"Setting Sun Transformation!"
"Beneficent Radiance!"
"Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"
"Flame Dance!"
Riezel unleashed the twelve sword forms of Sun Breathing one after another, round and round, as if without end.
Soon, he drove Ice Maiden back to the edge of the icefield, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.
"HAAAAAHHH—!!!"
Even though her face was tense, Ice Maiden did not surrender as she released an overwhelming surge of cold with a loud cry, unleashing a blizzard that swept across the battlefield.
*BOOM!*
During that moment, Riezel had just finished one cycle, ending with the twelfth sword form, Flame Dance, and was about to connect into the first sword form, Dance, when the blizzard struck him head-on, hurling him uncontrollably into the sky.
*Kacha-Kacha—*
Under the extreme cold, even the outline of Riezel's body began to freeze, as though he were turning into an ice statue.
"Huuhh... Haahh..."
Riezel quickened his breathing, intensifying Sun Breathing until flames burst from his mouth and nose, causing his body temperature to rise sharply and halting the freezing.
*BOOM!*
However, just as Riezel resisted the ice, Ice Maiden unleashed another storm, avalanches of snow pouring upward to engulf him.
"Clear Blue Sky!"
Riezel spun his sword without hesitation, releasing a fiery ring that shot straight into the oncoming snowstorm.
*BOOOM—!!!*
Another explosion tore through the battlefield, flames blazing above while the snowstorm raged below, the sight overwhelming.
Riezel and Ice Maiden met each other's gaze through the clash of fire and ice, their eyes erupting with fierce intent the instant they collided.
One dove downward through fire, while one soared upward through snow—they finally met at the point of impact.
*BOOOOM—!!!*
In that instant, the loudest explosion yet shook the heavens and earth, lingering without end.
"Master!"
Lizbeth, locked in her own battle against the magic dolls, could not help but cry out in worry as she saw the battlefield transformed into twin realms of fire and ice by Riezel and Ice Maiden.
Even she had never seen Riezel fight with such terrifying strength, a sight that seemed like the end of the world. Not even during his fight with Raven in Mavros Territory had he unleashed such power, nor had the battle reached such an apocalyptic scale.
It was far beyond Lizbeth's ability to endure and comprehend, beyond her vision to discern which of the two held the advantage.
As for Sigmund, though he barely kept up with their ferocious battle, he felt no pride at all.
"Damn it!" Sigmund cursed as he sweated coldly. "Don't they fear waking the sleeping dragon?!"
He was both shocked and angered by their true strength, and terrified that their clash would awaken the dragon. He feared their power itself, and he feared even more the greater terror it might rouse.
"In a place like this, how can they fight so recklessly?!"
Step by step, Sigmund retreated.
He glanced at the slumbering dragon and then at the ever-growing chaos between Riezel and Ice Maiden, until finally, unable to withstand the pressure, he turned and fled.
"I'm not sticking around for this madness!"
Sigmund justified his escape to himself, then bolted into the passage leading back to the surface, vanishing from sight.
"..."
Meanwhile, on the rocky platform, beneath the rune pillar, the dragon remained curled in slumber, as if oblivious to everything, as though it would never wake.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
[Support me and read next chapters early at: patreon.com/VALRRR]