"Human?"
All the Fang Clan’s fairies froze on the spot.
"He’s a human?"
"He’s actually a human?"
"A human dares to stand alone in front of the Fang Clan?"
"Could he be one of those Round Table Army guys?"
Saying all this, the werewolf-looking fairies bared their fangs the moment they snapped out of it, revealing just how furious they were.
Not just the hot-tempered Fang Clan fairies—even Woodwose, who usually held himself back and tried to act like a gentleman, was now staring sharply at Riezel.
"You got a death wish or something, human?!"
What were humans?
Humans were livestock raised in pastures, used for fairy entertainment—a source of amusement in their lives.
And what was the Fang Clan?
They were the strongest warriors in the Fairy Kingdom, warriors who protected the country—an irreplaceable force in Britain.
Whether it was Woodwose or the Fang Clan’s fairies, they all took pride in their clan and their status.
But now, a piece of livestock had actually escaped the pasture and was standing in front of Britain’s pride, blocking the elite force of the Fairy Kingdom?
Needless to say, to the savage Fang Clan, this was something they could not tolerate.
"So that’s it. You’re one of those worthless Round Table Army punks?"
Woodwose let out a cold laugh.
"Figures. In all of Britain, only those leftovers calling themselves the Round Table would dare pull a stunt like this—openly challenging fairies, challenging the Fairy Kingdom’s order, thinking they can stand against us and overthrow Her Majesty the Queen."
"Trash like you, who don’t even have a reason to exist anymore—you’d make a move right away if you heard the Child of Prophecy showed up in the village ahead."
"I see... that fire just now... that must’ve been you Round Table Army storming into Tintagel, fighting the fairies there, and lighting the place up, huh?"
"And you’re here to stall us? Trying to block our way so those punks can take care of the fairies in Tintagel faster and get the Child of Prophecy out?"
Woodwose felt like he had figured everything out.
"Guess that means the news about the Child of Prophecy showing up in Tintagel is true."
As he said this, his expression turned vicious.
"And yet they sent just one human to stop us? What a disgrace. I’ll wash it away with your blood—and the Child of Prophecy’s too!"
Right as these words came out of Woodwose’s mouth, a wave of intense magical energy burst from his body, radiating heat.
*Swish!*
In the next moment, Woodwose vanished on the spot as if he had teleported and reappeared right in front of Riezel—his hand swept out fast toward Riezel’s head.
It was a sweep as fast as light.
A strike so fast, even sound couldn’t keep up.
It was an attack fueled by murderous intent, turning his arm into the sharpest weapon in the world—his hand became a claw that could slice through iron like mud, gleaming as it tore through the air toward Riezel.
Against something like this, even fairies with immense power would have most of their bodies ripped apart if hit, let alone a human.
Needless to say, this was pure, raw violence—the nastiest kind of attack with no hesitation, no words, just killing.
Woodwose was probably thinking he could finish off the weak human in front of him in one hit.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know—another one just like him, a True Vampire named Shalltear Bloodfallen, had made the same mistake, underestimating her opponent before ending up eating a thunderous counterattack.
"Riezel!"
It wasn’t until now that Artoria finally seemed to realize what was happening. Seeing Riezel about to die, she couldn’t help but yell out.
Right then, a bolt of lightning flashed.
*BOOM!*
With a thunderous booming sound, Riezel drew his sword faster than the eye could see, just in time to meet the incoming strike.
Riezel’s black sword, crackling with lightning, moved even faster than Woodwose’s swing as it slashed toward the beast’s arm.
"Wha—?!"
In the flash of lightning, Woodwose’s beast-like pupils shrank to pinpoints as he saw the sword of lightning crash hard into his hand.
*CLANG—!*
With a sound like a massive bell being struck, the black sword and beastly arm collided, setting off a shockwave that blew both Riezel and Woodwose back.
Both of them stumbled back a couple of steps, unable to help it, putting some distance between them as the air exploded like a blast of wind.
"Kyaaa—!"
Artoria, who had been standing closest, only had time to cry out before the gust swept her off her feet.
"YOU BASTARD!"
Woodwose’s face twisted in fury as he roared at Riezel.
Riezel, on the other hand, remained silent, his eyes gleaming.
Did he just get knocked back?
A full-power slash from Thunder Breathing, combined with the cutting force of Hermit, which could easily melt steel and slice through iron, had landed on an unarmored arm. Yet, not only had it failed to slice that arm off, but both his attack and his opponent had merely bounced away?
Even Shalltear hadn’t managed something like that.
Regardless, it wasn’t exactly shocking either.
"As expected of the head of the Fang Clan, the successor to the Archduke of Exhaust Heat, and a Returned A-Rei."
Speaking casually, Riezel gave Woodwose a slight smile.
"Yeah, you’re definitely strong—way stronger than those fairies I could chop down without even trying."
With just this one line, Riezel managed to piss Woodwose off instantly.
Naturally, the Fang Clan’s fairies, who had been stunned by what they just saw, also got pissed.
"Go!"
"Protect Lord Woodwose!"
"Kill that human!"
"Kill him!"
Yelling one after another, the werewolf-looking fairies charged forward all at once, turning into streaks of black, like panthers leaping through the dark.
In a blink, they hit full speed and closed the distance to Riezel in no time.
Their claws tore through the air.
Their roars shook the field.
They were the elite warriors of the Fang Clan—the sharpest edge of Faerie Britain—now showing off just how savage they could be.
However—
"Maximize Magic - Force Explosion."
Riezel, as the hunted human, finally used his magic.
Instantly, a chaotic and invisible shockwave burst from his body—a shockwave with power comparable to Shalltear’s Negative Impact Shield.
Like a massive, unseen explosion, the wave erupted and blasted toward the charging Fang Clan fairies with overwhelming force.
*THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!*
*THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!*
With a series of muffled impacts, the Fang Clan’s fairies were struck by the shockwave one by one and were blown away even faster than they had charged in, screaming as they flew.
"I-Impossible! He used the same kind of magecraft as Her Majesty?!"
"No way!"
"We fairies don’t even need magecraft, but this human actually knows how to use it?"
"We’ve never seen a guy like this before!"
Seeing Riezel use magic, the fairies that hadn’t reached him yet were instantly shaken and came to an involuntary stop.
"You fools! Don’t stop!"
Seeing his subordinates panicking, Woodwose roared furiously.
At the same time, Riezel dashed forward toward the Fang Clan’s fairies.
"Thunder Breathing - First Form - Thunderclap and Flash - Eightfold!"
While the fairies were still frozen in shock, Riezel attacked without mercy, turning into a bolt of lightning that slashed straight through them.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Several thunderclaps resounded as Riezel darted forward and changed direction with lightning speed.
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
Sounds of flesh being cut resounded as Riezel’s lightning slash struck down the Fang Clan’s fairies one after another before they could even react.
Like a streak of lightning, Riezel cut through the group of fairies in the blink of an eye, changing direction eight times, slashing eight times, leaving behind streaks of light that hadn’t even faded yet.
"AAAAAAHHH—!"
Suddenly, the fairies hit by the lightning slash all screamed in agony, their flesh torn open and their bodies instantly covered in blood.
"DAMN BASTARD—!!!"
Woodwose’s eyes turned red with rage as he let out a furious roar before magical energy and searing heat exploded from his body, surging out like a shockwave and engulfing him.
"GAAAAAAAAHHHHH—!!!"
Suddenly, the violent roar from the strongest warrior of the Fang Clan shook the air, splitting the ground beneath his feet.
At this moment, Woodwose’s luxurious-looking suit burst apart, revealing his towering, beastly frame. Even though his muscular body was covered in fur, it gave off a strangely divine aura.
"A-A Returned A-Rei..."
Watching Woodwose, Artoria, who had been blown far back, gripped her Staff of Selection tightly, trembling as she spoke.
In this world, there were all kinds of fairies.
Like the classic image of fairies as tiny people, animals, dwarves, spirits, elves, or dragons, fairies took on all kinds of forms and traits.
In Faerie Britain, they were divided into six clans, each with their own appearance and abilities. But no matter the look or form, most of today’s fairies had already drifted far from what they originally were.
Fairies could be born for all sorts of reasons—some came from fallen gods, some from lingering hatred of people or animals, some were clusters of leftover souls, and some were born when old legends, fueled by human belief, gained shape through longing that had nowhere else to go.
Strictly speaking, fairies born from these various causes weren’t truly pure fairies.
True, pure fairies were noble souls born deep within the planet, in the Inner Sea of the Planet, seen as nature’s sense of touch, as extensions of the planet itself, as fragments of the planet’s soul.
Such fairies were the truest form of fairies—their original essence, their most ancient form—while modern fairies were merely degraded versions, no longer authentic or primal, and born much later.
In fact, the founders of the six clans in Faerie Britain had all been fairies born from the Inner Sea of the Planet. In the world of magecraft, they were called ’Great Fathers’ or ’Great Mothers’, and when they accepted a mission and left the Inner Sea of the Planet for the surface world, they were known as ’A-Rei’.
Because the founders of the six clans were all A-Rei, they were beings on the same level as personified-nature gods—fairies born from nature itself, spirits of the planet. Just by existing, they could give rise to offspring.
However, even though most fairies in the Fairy Kingdom today were descended from the six founders and were far stronger than humans, they were still weak compared to the actual A-Rei.
Regardless, sometimes among those descendants, a fairy would be born with a particularly strong concentration of A-Rei blood, or even undergo a reversion to that ancient form.
Such a fairy was called a ’Returned A-Rei’—a fairy whose A-Rei blood had fully awakened, unleashing a terrifying level of power.
Woodwose, as the head of the Fang Clan, one of the six fairy clans of Faerie Britain, was one such Returned A-Rei.
Because of this, he dared to call himself the queen’s most loyal servant.
Because of this, he had the guts to contend for the title of strongest fairy.
He was the current Archduke of Exhaust Heat—a being whose body functioned like one of the planet’s own organs, carrying the essence of the planet’s Exhaust Heat—and at this moment, driven by rage, he had called upon the power of the planet.
"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY PEOPLE?!"
Woodwose yelled in anger and finally moved.
It was a storm—an invisible storm.
Once Woodwose revealed his true nature, he vanished without a trace, like an unseen storm tearing through everything in its path before sweeping away the surroundings and swinging his claws toward Riezel.
Riezel had to admit, if it weren’t for the Transparent World and a development ability like Fast Attack, there was no way he could’ve seen Woodwose’s attack—though even if he had seen it, he probably wouldn’t have been able to react in time.
Fortunately, thanks to the Transparent World and Fast Attack, Riezel managed to react just in time.
*BOOM!*
With a heavy push from his body, Riezel turned into a flash of lightning, shattering the ground beneath his feet as he shot upward into the sky.
None of the claw strikes from Woodwose’s storm managed to touch the sudden burst of lightning as it darted back and forth through the air, slipping through his deadly swipes.
"YOU CAN’T RUN!"
As Woodwose roared, the heat radiating off him sent him shooting out like a missile, and with a deafening sonic boom, he rushed in front of the lightning bolt.
*BOOM!*
Woodwose’s strike this time landed solidly, blasting the lightning down to the ground.
*BOOOOM!*
With a deafening explosive sound, the bolt of lightning crashed into the earth, shattering the ground and sending rubble flying in every direction.
"Riezel!"
Artoria couldn’t help but cry out again.
Gripping the Staff of Selection tightly, she fought her fear and tried to rush over, but—
"Don’t come!"
A voice suddenly rang out inside Artoria’s mind.
"Don’t worry about me. I’m fine."
It was, of course, Riezel’s voice using ’Message’.
"Stay back. I might not be able to protect you next time."
Before Artoria could even react to his words, something strange began happening in the crater filled with debris.
*BOOM!*
With a loud roar, a surge of wild flames erupted from the crater, unleashing a wave of heat no weaker than Woodwose’s.
"Huuu... Haaa..."
As a deep, steady breathing sound resounded, a figure slowly rose from the crater, walking out step by step.
"You?!"
Woodwose, who had landed back on the ground, looked on in shock, his pupils shrinking sharply.
Riezel walked out of the crater, wrapped in heat.
Flames burned along the blade of the black sword in his hand, making the already blazing sword even hotter, even more powerful.
"You are strong..."
With eyes glowing in a transparent light, Riezel stared at Woodwose, a wildly excited grin spreading across his face.
"In terms of raw strength, you might even outclass Rubedo, the so-called strongest in the Great Tomb of Nazarick."
"Not bad. Seriously, you’re not bad..."
"Coming all this way for a warm-up wasn’t a waste after all..."
Hearing Riezel’s rumblings, Woodwose’s face turned grim.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Woodwose yelled and growled.
"Human? Bullshit! There’s no way a human like you could exist!"
"Even that brat who got the holy spear wouldn’t have this kind of power!"
"Speak! Who are you?!"
"Don’t tell me... are you the Child of Prophecy?!"
Woodwose actually started to suspect it.
Honestly, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
Even though Woodwose thought the so-called prophecy was laughable and believed the queen he served would never be defeated by some savior who appeared out of nowhere, Riezel’s strength made one thing clear—he truly had the power to threaten the queen.
Moreover, Woodwose had come here specifically because he got word that the Child of Prophecy might show up.
Now, this stranger had suddenly appeared and unleashed such immense power, it was only natural for Woodwose to start doubting—maybe this young man was actually the Child of Prophecy.
If that were true—
"I can’t let you live!"
Woodwose raised his claws as the magical energy pouring out of them flared into power, flashing like a deadly gleam.
At Woodwose’s guess, Riezel didn’t bother giving any explanation.
"Come on, then."
Riezel lifted his sword and pointed it at Woodwose.
"If you can’t take me down, you’re just a little mutt."
Such a childish insult made the fierce light in Woodwose’s eyes flare even brighter.
*BOOM!*
In the next moment, Woodwose turned back into a formless storm and lunged at Riezel with another claw strike.
*Pu-chi!*
Riezel, radiating an even more terrifying aura than before, didn’t even react this time as his upper body was blown apart on the spot.
"What?"
Woodwose was stunned by what he saw.
"NO—!!!"
Artoria, who had just been about to run from the battlefield, screamed.
Just then, however, a figure flickered like a mirage and appeared behind Woodwose.
"Sun Breathing - Fourth Form - Fake Rainbow!"
A blazing slash, imbued with the power of the sun, came down hard on Woodwose’s neck.