As Mordred and Atalanta surrounded Morgan.
Inside the hotel.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Arthur swung his sword wildly, unleashing one black sword aura after another, effortlessly tearing through everything in their path. Walls, ceilings, pillars—all shattered to pieces under Arthur's relentless assault.
The entire ground floor was on the verge of collapse.
Amid the dozens of chaotic sword auras, Naoki's figure, dodging frantically, looked utterly disheveled, like a willow branch battered by a storm. Forget taking a step forward—he was using all his strength just to avoid getting hit.
Like the building being demolished by Arthur, Naoki was also just a matter of time away from being completely defeated.
"Not entirely."
Leaning on her staff, Merry arrived at the hotel entrance, watching the chaotic figure darting through the sky. What reflected in her eyes wasn't worry, but relief.
"Seems I was too concerned. You've adapted to the situation so quickly, Naoki."
Since one hit would mean death, rather than fighting head-on, it was better to focus on survival. Without Avalon, Naoki had lost the confidence to trade blows. This was indeed the tactic he should take.
But dodging at his current speed was impossible. The limits of Summoning Magecraft depended on Mana. Human-level Mana couldn't unleash a fairy's full power. So, in this situation, Naoki concentrated all the power he could muster into dodging.
"Focusing flames in both hands to boost propulsion, achieving speed comparable to his peak, plus the reflexes trained for counterattacks… You haven't forgotten a single thing I taught you, Naoki."
"But if this continues, you won't be able to defeat the current Arthur."
The situation looked like a stalemate, but the balance of victory was gradually tipping toward Arthur. The main reason was the fatal Mana disparity between them.
Arthur, with his enhancements and Morgan as his Master, had an inexhaustible supply of Mana. Just swinging sword auras, he could fight all night without issue.
As for Naoki—
"The rune's power, Lancer's doing. But even as the Queen of the Land of Shadows, keeping you active all night is her limit, especially since you're unleashing all your power without hesitation… You should have about ten minutes left."
After ten minutes, Naoki, with his strength completely drained, would return to a state where he couldn't even move a finger.
He had to defeat this Arthur within those ten minutes.
(What will you do, Naoki?)
"By the way… why does it feel a bit cold?"
Merry instinctively clutched her clothes, and as if answering her thoughts, Naoki's figure, previously dodging chaotically amid the sword auras, suddenly stopped in midair, the flames in his hands extinguishing completely.
"Out of Mana? This fast?"
"Was my estimate wrong?"
"AAAAARRRRRR—!!"
Seeing Naoki motionless, Arthur, not about to miss this chance, roared. A massive, unprecedented sword aura surged from his blade, shooting like a crescent moon at high speed toward Naoki!
Merry instinctively moved to help Naoki block—the runes losing power so quickly was beyond her expectations. This wasn't something the current Naoki could handle!
But standing at the entrance, watching from afar, she couldn't reach Naoki's side in time. Even if she tried to negate it with an illusion, Arthur's full-power attack couldn't be casually nullified.
(No, I won't make it—)
Outrageous!
That thought flashed through Merry's mind, but the next moment, Naoki's action left her stunned.
Naoki reached out toward the sword aura!
"Naoki! Don't! You can't—"
*KRAK!*
Amid Merry's shocked cry, Naoki's hand met the sword aura. But, against all expectations, his fragile body wasn't torn apart, not even scratched. Instead, the unleashed sword aura—
"Frozen…?"
A sturdy layer of ice instantly encased the entire sword aura! As the ice spread rapidly, Arthur's whole body was frozen within it!
Landing from the air, Naoki panted slightly. "Switching from fire fairy to ice fairy used to take just a thought, but now I need a pause. So unfamiliar. And the consumption… quite heavy."
"By the way—"
Turning to Merry, whose face still showed a mix of panic and shock, Naoki strode forward and, without hesitation, threw a punch at her face, sending her flying out of the hotel entrance!
The intense pain snapped Merry out of her shock.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch… Pretty strong, King."
"You deserve it, you jerk. Keep clenching your teeth."
Before Merry could stand, Naoki pinned her down, his fists raining down relentlessly.
Merry hurriedly covered her face. "Wait, wait, slow down! Don't hit my face, it hurts! Hit softer!"
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
One punch landed on the ground beside her face, creating a small crater. Merry's face paled instantly!
Raising his fist, Naoki no longer wore a friendly smile. He grabbed Merry's collar. "I told you earlier—before I meet you, find a freezer and harden your bones. Back home, that means when I see you, I'll beat you half to death."
"So hold on, I live by my face, and is now the time to hit me?"
Merry quickly pointed to the massive ice block behind Naoki. "Arthur back there isn't done yet!"
As Merry said, mere freezing wouldn't hold Arthur for long. Cracks were already appearing on the ice's surface, and in about ten seconds, he'd break free.
Glancing at Arthur, Naoki sighed slightly and stood up from Merry. "You're right. I need to deal with Arthur first. After that, I'll beat you half to death."
"Ugh… half to death is a bit…"
"Hmm?"
"I didn't say anything!"
Under Naoki's threatening glare, Merry quickly shut her mouth, already thinking about preparing something to treat her injuries. This time, she genuinely felt she wouldn't get home unscathed—Naoki's look was dead serious!
"AAAAARRRRRR—!!"
The ice block suddenly shattered from within. Arthur, radiating pitch-black Mana, emerged, raising his head with a deafening roar!
*SZZT!*
Flames ignited as Naoki faced Arthur.
"Wait a moment, Arthur. I'll free you from this state."