Stella hadn't fully grasped the situation—just moments ago, the Black Knight in dark armor had been pounding on the Puppet King, but now she'd suddenly struck at Charles. So Stella dove straight into the fight.
Charles stepped to her side. "Looks like it's two-on-two now."
Stella cracked her knuckles with a sharp crack, calling out, "I know you—you're the world's fourth-ranked Black Knight, right? I don't know why you attacked Charles, but that means you're the enemy now, doesn't it?"
Without waiting for an answer, she charged forward, swinging the Fafnir Guilt Sword down toward Ascalid.
Ascalid didn't try to explain. She simply swung her battle axe to meet the ornate greatsword.
Though the Fafnir Guilt Sword was a heavy weapon, in terms of raw weight it was no match for a long-handled battle axe. But when the weapons clashed, it was Ascalid who was sent flying.
The difference lay in the wielders.
When it came to strength, Ascalid couldn't hope to match someone bearing a dragon's power.
After knocking Ascalid back, Stella smashed the ground underfoot and chased.
Beneath her helm, Ascalid's face flushed red—blood and qi roiling from the earlier clash—then quickly went pale.
Perhaps this was retribution: for betraying her comrades, her Alliance, justice itself, all to help a younger brother destined for hell.
Years ago, under her brother's control, she had slaughtered everyone in her hometown—including their parents—in the church that haunted her countless nightmares.
Ever since, she'd borne the countless sins her brother's existence had caused, and the resolve to one day end him had driven her strength.
But when she saw Charles about to kill the Puppet King, she realized the truth.
She wanted to save her blood kin. Perhaps it was the most foolish decision she could make, but it was the path she chose.
She had accepted that this could be the end of her life—that she might die here to give her brother a chance to escape.
What would happen to him afterward, whether he'd be hunted down, was beyond her control.
Yet after seeing Charles fight, she understood the gap between them was too great.
Even trading her life might not give the Puppet King an opening to run. And now, to her despair, Charles wasn't alone.
She could feel it—the crimson-haired princess she'd never met before had definitely awakened, her power entirely above Ascalid's own.
Her fate was sealed, but she would still struggle, still try to let her brother get away.
So she swung her axe and met Stella head-on.
Stella frowned, displeased.
The battle axe had more than just its crescent blade; the spear-like spike at the top could also be used for piercing strikes.
After a direct clash, Ascalid shifted her grip, angling the axe to thrust.
Stella reversed her greatsword downward, the blade sliding between the crescent edge and the spear tip, the crossguard locking the axe in place.
She raised her fist and slammed it forward.
Though her Device was a sword, Stella's fighting style owed little to the formal Famillion royal swordsmanship she'd learned.
At first she had thought her ability was elemental interference over fire, focusing on ranged flame attacks.
Under Charles's guidance, once she mastered her true power—and perhaps due to the dragon blood's inherent love of violence—Stella had grown fonder of using her fists to show her strength.
This punch was frightening in force, sending Ascalid flying.
But Stella didn't pursue. Instead, she glared. "Hey! What's with you, losing focus in the middle of a fight? Are you underestimating me?"
Though she could be scatterbrained at times, Stella's battle instincts were razor sharp.
Ascalid had long since resolved to die, and Stella had sensed the lack of fighting spirit from the very first exchange.
Ascalid's [Indomitable]—regenerative reinforcement—was tied directly to the will in her heart. In this state, her power had dropped sharply, and even the supposedly unbreakable armor was dented by Stella's single punch.
Stella had learned to respect all opponents in combat, and that was why she was so displeased with Ascalid's current state.
Planting the Fafnir Guilt Sword, she called out, "I don't know why you switched to the enemy's side, but if you've made your decision, see it through! This half-hearted look is pathetic!"
Ascalid straightened, looking at Stella. After a long silence, she spoke for the first time since her betrayal.
"You really are a kind girl. I was discourteous before. To meet an opponent like you at the end… I'm fortunate."
Stella didn't understand what she meant, but she felt the renewed firmness in Ascalid's fighting spirit, and she smiled.
The ornate patterns on the Fafnir Guilt Sword glowed, the blade seeming to grow even broader.
Greatsword met battle axe again, the impact clearing everything around them in an instant.
Charles could feel the massive surge of magic power.
In this world, magic was considered a Blazer's most important attribute not only because it was tied to fate, but because it was crucial in battle—fuel for abilities, armor for defense, and a force to amplify attacks, much like Armament Haki from another world.
The two had poured vast amounts of magic into their weapons, giving them this overwhelming power.
While magic could be trained after awakening as a Demon, Stella had been famed as possessing the strongest magic even before awakening—exceeding that of many Demons.
Against that, Ascalid's magic simply didn't measure up. In the clash, she was driven back, the ground breaking beneath her feet.
She stepped back, drawing her axe in a half-moon arc through the air, cleaving toward Stella.
Her ability meant she couldn't rely on flashy techniques, so she had honed her martial skill instead.
The swing was so forceful the air itself seemed to wail, and her magic sealed off Stella's avenues of evasion.
But Stella advanced instead of retreating, stepping in on Ascalid—and answered the strike with nothing more than her raised palm.
A storm seemed to whip up, blasting everything to her sides away.
Ascalid's surprise was palpable even through her armor—her axe was caught in Stella's grip.
Her palm was covered in crimson scales, steam rising where they met the crescent blade.
Stella grinned; catching the strike hadn't been easy.
But she had her opening. She brought her sword down in a single cleave.
Ascalid staggered back, clutching her chest, blood spattering the ground.
Charles frowned. Instead of weakening, her aura swelled.
Her regenerative reinforcement had triggered—not only healing her wounds, but boosting her base abilities.
It looked like beating Ascalid wouldn't be so simple for Stella.
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Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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