"..."
Upon hearing Ice Maiden's proposition, Riezel's brows furrowed deeply.
He fixed his gaze on the cold woman who stared back at him without expression, and once again, he felt an unexpected sense of surprise.
Her strength was not bad, and it had gradually earned Riezel's attention—enough that he could not help but think about getting serious. Yet just when he intended to fight in earnest, he never expected this woman to actually suggest turning hostility into peace instead.
"You're not just admitting you can't match me—you're admitting defeat? You serious?" Riezel asked flatly, both in tone and expression.
"I just don't think it's worth it."
Ice Maiden replied calmly, her face still showing no expression.
"From what I know, the conflict between you and us first began in the Mavros Territory. A noble kid we cooperated with there had hired one of our magic dolls and ordered it to attack your attendant."
"In other words, the real culprit was that kid, not us, since we were only taking a job. Besides, the magic dolls that laid hands on your attendant never returned, so shouldn't we just consider this matter written off?"
To Ice Maiden's reasoning, Riezel's reply was cold.
"Seems like you never planned to write it off so easily, though. Otherwise, the incident with Yarakulon wouldn't have happened."
In truth, the real cause of enmity between Riezel and these people lay there.
Back then, during his duel with Raven, they had secretly colluded with the Hadyth family—not only did they lure in the Underground Demon Beast Yarakulon and trap him inside its body, but they also sent magic dolls armed with holy relics to ambush him, trying to kill him within it.
It was because of that plot, which had placed his very life in danger, that he became completely hostile toward them—to the point that even after escaping, he had no intention of letting it go.
Even though this encounter was a coincidence, Riezel had already asked the Mavros family to investigate them and had even handed over a confiscated holy relic to aid in the investigation.
In other words, Lizbeth's ordeal was merely the spark that ignited their true enmity, which had begun with Yarakulon.
And yet, at Riezel's statement, Ice Maiden bluntly retorted.
"No, that was nothing but Giga's own stupidity. In fact, when he acted, not only were the rest of us unaware, but half of us disapproved afterward."
"Heavenly Hunt, Giant Soldier, and Fire Princess all held him accountable for that blunder. Even Tyrant and Bashe didn't approve of him making a move on you without telling the others."
"As for me, I didn't care back then, but now, I think that guy was just as stupid as always."
Poor Giga, a hidden schemer of the Mavros Territory, was now being called 'stupid' again and again by Ice Maiden—she scolded him with open annoyance, clearly disgusted by him.
Regardless, that did not change the situation.
"Since you're showing such sincerity, I have a few questions of my own." Riezel said faintly. "Who exactly are you all? Why gather together and act as one?"
At this, Ice Maiden frowned.
"Is that so important to you?" Ice Maiden asked in return.
"Isn't it?"
Riezel's own question followed immediately.
"You've been trafficking huge numbers of people, refugees included, to experiment on and create magic dolls. I don't know what method you used to control Yarakulon, but you could freely enter and exit the ancient city within its body."
"You even fooled that city's guardian and stole the treasures of its temple, all for some unknown purpose. And now you've set your sights on this ancient ruin, willing to risk unleashing an ancient dragon sealed here just to seize part of the sealing structure."
"All of this tells me you're after something big."
"And since you already dared to target Lizbeth and me before your schemes were even revealed, who knows whether you'll go after me—or the people around me—again in the future?"
Riezel lifted his gaze, his eyes growing cold as they locked onto Ice Maiden's.
"In short, I don't trust you."
"Make peace?"
"You think some half-hearted words will make me just let this go?"
"Don't fool yourself."
At this, Ice Maiden's tense brows finally eased.
"…Is that so?" Ice Maiden's voice was calm, neither surprised nor disappointed. "Well, there's no helping it, then."
As these words fell, she slowly drew the weapon at her waist, immediately catching Riezel's attention.
It was a sword of striking beauty.
Its entire body gleamed pure white, the hilt ice-blue, the blade like solidified ice crystals shining with a crystalline brilliance. At the hilt's top sat a blue jewel, looking like an artisan's masterpiece carved with painstaking care.
What stood out even more was the cold air visibly streaming from the blade. In this sweltering place where magma flowed, its presence condensed the surrounding air into falling ice particles.
Such chilling cold was terrifying.
Worse still, when the girl drew the sword, her body began to emanate a tangible chill—her ice-blue eyes gleamed, her long ice-blue hair lifted as if blown by an unseen wind, and the air around her turned into a cutting gale of frost.
"Hmm, that sword…"
Riezel's eyes, shimmering with transparent light, narrowed.
Through the Transparent World, Ice Maiden appeared one with her sword, her entire being radiating lethal cold as her magical energy surged higher and higher.
It was nothing like Sigmund's temporary bursts.
Sigmund relied on swordsmanship to draw out his amber blade's magical energy, burning it rapidly to gain explosive power before it was spent.
Ice Maiden, however, had merged completely with her weapon, making them truly one, their powers multiplying beyond simple addition.
At this moment, her strength enhanced the sword, and the sword in turn enhanced her—the synergy was terrifying.
Moreover, since both Ice Maiden and the sword were already formidable on their own, the resulting power, in Riezel's view, was no less than that of a Fairy Knight like Gawain or Lancelot.
*Clack—*
Ice Maiden's aura swelled as she stepped toward Riezel.
"You should feel honored."
Her voice turned cold and mechanical, devoid of emotion.
"Since becoming a Sword Saint, I've rarely used this national artifact."
"Two years ago, I used it to defeat a veteran Sword Saint in my country."
"One year ago, I used it to defeat two Sword Saints at once."
"And now, you've forced me to draw it for a third time."
"I hope you can make its unsheathing meaningful."
As soon as her voice fell, Ice Maiden raised the so-called national artifact high and swung it lightly toward Riezel.
*BOOM!*
In an instant, the air roared as a torrent of extreme frost surged forth, blasting outward like a tsunami while spreading in all directions, engulfing the rocky platform.
The temperature in the air plummeted.
The platform, once scorched red by magma, froze solid in an instant.
The chilling air turned into a raging blizzard, sweeping across both land and sky.
"!!!"
Sigmund, his expression changing drastically, bolted away in panic, scrambling to escape the reach of the raging blizzard.
"KYAAA—!!!"
Lizbeth, still locked in battle with the magic dolls, was caught off guard and let out a startled cry before leaping away moments later, shards of ice clinging to her body.
As for Riezel, he looked upon the avalanche of ice and snow with eyes glowing brighter with transparent light for a moment before his breathing shifted.
*BOOM!*
Blazing flames surged from Riezel's body, scattering the cold around him and forcing heat back into the air.
"Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
Hermit flared with scorching heat, and with one turn and one slash, Riezel unleashed a vortex of flames that soared skyward, crashing against the oncoming blizzard.
*BOOOM!*
In that instant, the vortex of flames and the raging blizzard collided violently, producing a deafening explosion.
As red and white, heat and cold, fire and ice clashed and tangled on the platform, the temperature swung wildly—one moment searing hot, the next freezing cold—each force fighting for dominance.
Even the surrounding magma churned like waves under a storm, giving the whole battlefield a world-shaking atmosphere.
"Huh?"
Ice Maiden looked faintly surprised.
'Fire? Riezel Brynhart... could actually wield this kind of swordsmanship?'
Not just her—Sigmund, who had barely escaped, was also full of shock.
'Fire? But wasn't that guy using thunder-element swordsmanship before? And swordsmanship that could unleash powerful cutting winds? He knows a third one? And it's strong enough to clash evenly with the Valkyrie wielding a national artifact...?'
As Sigmund reeled in disbelief, Riezel's figure blazed like a rising sun, slowly lifting into the air.
"Is this your full power?"
Riezel's calm voice carried a faint edge of battle intent, echoing all around and reaching Ice Maiden's ears.
"Good—this makes things interesting."
With a sharp explosion, Riezel, looking like a sun, stepped upon firewaves, transforming into a streak of flame that shot toward Ice Maiden.
Seeing this, Ice Maiden's ice-blue eyes widened, and without thinking, she raised her sword to block.
*DING!*
A black sword wreathed in noble flames clashed against a crystalline blade of cold ice, the impact echoing like a bell across the magma field.
Flames and frost erupted outward like shockwaves, swiftly engulfing the entire platform.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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