*Rumble!*
On this day, the grand cathedral in Salisbury shook for the first time ever as if it had experienced an earthquake of incredibly high magnitude.
The ground kept shaking.
The air constantly howled in pain.
One building after another swayed and teetered on the verge of collapsing.
As the area struck directly by the white meteor became the center of the destruction, within a few hundred meters, everything collapsed—buildings and streets alike—nothing was spared.
Naturally, the shockwave spread like a massive explosion, blowing away rock layers, sand, fragile man-made structures, and even the fleeing fairies, as though a large-scale air explosion had hit Salisbury, causing overwhelming terror.
Needless to say, this scene was reminiscent of a natural disaster—almost like hell on earth.
"Ugh..."
Amidst the catastrophic scene, Lancelot, who had unleashed all her strength in an attempt to charge through, staggered into the air, trying to escape the disaster.
But just as this strongest and most beautiful fairy was about to accelerate into the sky with her greatest skill, a hand emerged from the smoke and dust, grabbing her foot.
"Wh-What?!"
Exclaiming in surprise, Lancelot’s delicate face turned pale. At the same time, a cold, indifferent voice rang out amid the destruction.
"Sun Breathing - Tenth Form - Beneficent Radiance!"
A spiral slash wrapped in flames as hot as the sun erupted and struck Lancelot from below with tremendous force.
Faced with this blazing and powerful slash, Lancelot, unable to escape due to her foot being caught, hastily raised her armored gauntlets to take the blow.
*BOOM!*
In an instant, the flames exploded, the slash descended, and the dust from the collapsing ground was blown away by the sudden blast of fire, accompanied by a visible splash of blood raining into the sky.
Everything happened so quickly, so abruptly, that Salisbury, once a beautiful tourist destination, now bore the marks of a calamity, as the destruction was something the city hadn’t seen in hundreds, even thousands, of years.
As an unknown amount of time passed, the disaster gradually subsided.
In the crater left by the impact, two figures faced each other, each kneeling on one knee, gasping for breath.
"Really... such a powerful strike..."
Lancelot knelt on the left, her mask had fallen off—or rather, been shattered—revealing a young, yet surprisingly deadly, beautiful face to the open air.
However, this Fairy Knight, notorious for her beauty, was in no good condition.
Her armor was almost shattered, and a burning slash wound marked her body, blood oozing from it, staining the girl’s body red and giving her an unexpectedly heartbreaking yet beautiful look.
"You’re not bad either..."
Riezel knelt on the right, and although he wasn’t covered in blood like Lancelot, his outfit—crafted using Create Greater Item, which surpassed third-class special equipment in terms of defense—had become torn and worn.
Now, his face was pale, and he seemed to have taken some serious damage.
If it hadn’t been for Body of Effulgent Heliodor, a defensive magic spell that completely nullified slash-attribute attacks, Riezel might have already been badly wounded by Lancelot’s blades during their fight.
Nonetheless, being struck head-on by Lancelot’s full-force charge and crashing from high in the sky had left him hurt. Even though his injuries were lighter than hers, he had to admit that he had been pushed to this point by someone incredibly strong.
"Silent Magic - Dia Fratel."
Riezel cast healing magic in an instant, causing magical energy to glow from his body.
"You even have a recovery magecraft?"
Lancelot observed Riezel, her pale face still bearing a cold expression.
"Is the Child of Prophecy this troublesome?"
"Well then, I admit it. If it’s you, there’s indeed a chance you could overthrow Her Majesty’s rule."
As she spoke, Lancelot tried to rise but unfortunately failed.
However, if she couldn’t stand, she could still fly, so in the next second, she took to the air, her bloodied body lifting from the ground.
Seeing this, Riezel couldn’t help but smile.
"You can still fight? You’re truly the strongest Fairy Knight, not bad."
As he spoke, Riezel also stood up.
Just like that, the two of them stared at each other amid the messy meteor crater, their gazes once again burning with intensity.
"Come on! Let’s continue!"
Lancelot exclaimed, rare fighting intent filling her voice.
For Riezel, of course, there was only one answer.
"I was hoping you’d say that."
With these words, the flames of battle were reignited.
A young man and a girl maintained their standoff—one with a sword still sheathed, striking an Iai stance, flames igniting across his body, while the other unleashed magical energy, igniting the power within, her magical energy roaring like a great dragon, filling her entire being.
Undoubtedly, the time to determine the victor had arrived, as the next strike would be their true strongest attack—their ultimate technique without any reservations.
At this moment, only one of the two would remain standing, while the other would undoubtedly fall.
Of course, there was also the possibility that they would both perish, falling together. But in this moment, whether it was Riezel or Lancelot, even understanding this, their hearts still burned with fierce fighting intent, ready to unleash their most powerful attacks on the warrior before them.
"Sun Breathing - Thirteenth Form..."
Riezel whispered, his gaze sharpening.
"Now unknown—"
Lancelot was also preparing to release the true name of her ultimate move.
Flames and magical energy erupted from both of them simultaneously, rising toward the sky and disturbing the entire battlefield.
Just as Riezel and Lancelot were about to strike—one drawing his sword, the other unleashing her two blades—a sudden voice tore through the battlefield, disturbing their battle.
"GAAAAAAAHHH—!!!"
It was a scream filled with anger and resentment, and with that scream, a figure flashed into view at incredible speed, attacking Riezel without hesitation and slashing at him with claws like a storm.
"?!"
Riezel, who had been preparing to release the Sun Breathing’s thirteenth sword form, had his expression shift slightly before casting chantless magic, Greater Teleportation.
*Swish!*
Riezel, engulfed in flames, suddenly vanished, and almost instantly, the storm-like claws struck where he had been standing just a moment before.
*BOOM!*
In that instant, the place where Riezel had been was instantly shattered by the powerful claw strike, exploding apart, even the rubble turning to dust.
Riezel’s figure reappeared several meters away, his flames retreating, the power of the thirteenth sword form dissipating as he coldly glared at the unexpected intruder.
"Woodwose!"
Lancelot, who had been ready to unleash her ultimate move, finally broke her usual calm expression upon seeing the attacker. Her face was now filled with astonishment and displeasure.
Indeed, the unexpected intruder was Woodwose.
Revealing his Returned A-Rei form, Woodwose appeared as though he were seething with fury, his eyes locked on Riezel, already starting to redden with rage.
"Finally willing to come down?! You bastard!"
Woodwose let out an uncontrollable, furious roar.
In response, Riezel could only send him a cold, indifferent glance.
"Tch, so it’s you, little mutt." Riezel clicked his tongue and said coldly. "Makes sense, though. No one else would rush in like this, ignoring everything, except for you, a mutt pretending to be a gentleman."
Upon hearing this, Woodwose’s eyes turned even redder.
Needless to say, the term ’little mutt’ was undoubtedly the result of their previous confrontation.
In fact, that exchange was still vivid in his mind.
"I can’t let you live!"
"Come on, then. If you can’t take me down, you’re just a little mutt."
Back then, after declaring he wouldn’t let Riezel live, in the end, Woodwose ultimately couldn’t stop Riezel from leaving—the so-called Child of Prophecy, whom he had considered a threat.
As a result, he became the ’little mutt’ in Riezel’s words, unable to retort.
Recalling that conversation made Woodwose’s anger explode.
"I’LL KILL YOU!"
Screaming in a frenzy, the head of the Fang Clan was about to rush toward Riezel and obliterate him, but just as he lost control and fell into a rage, a slash struck him.
It was a slash formed from intense fire—hot as a wave, sharp as steel, heavy and forceful, carrying the power of what seemed like the fire of the sun, where, before it even killed the enemy, it could burn them to nothing.
At first glance, it seemed that Riezel had released the fiery slash, but that wasn’t the case, since the one who swung that slash was, surprisingly, Woodwose’s own comrade.
*BOOM!*
With an explosive sound, the spot where Woodwose had been standing was shattered, leaving clear scorch marks.
Unfortunately, Woodwose wasn’t hit.
Even though he had lost control, he hadn’t lost his instincts or ferocity, as he instinctively leaped backward, dodging the heavy and powerful strike.
"Gawain!"
Recognizing who had launched the attack, Woodwose screamed in one direction.
Over there, a muscular figure clad in armor, with the sound of chains scraping against her body, slowly approached.
It was none other than Fairy Knight Gawain.
"Don’t make me repeat myself, Woodwose..." Gawain said coldly. "Mind your place. Her Majesty’s order is to capture him alive. If you kill him, will you disappoint Her Majesty and all the fairies of the Fang Clan?"
Hearing this, Woodwose was left speechless, his face contorting in frustration.
Gawain then turned toward Lancelot, whose body was drenched in blood, and her expression became serious.
"It looks like you’ve been through a tough battle, Lancelot."
Gawain remarked in a serious voice.
"Considering how things ended up, it could be called tough..." Lancelot admitted honestly, her face still filled with displeasure. "But you all interrupted me."
"You upset?" Gawain asked calmly, towering over Lancelot. "Are you enjoying this fight that much?"
"Obviously. Not many fights can get me this excited." Lancelot replied without hesitation. "And now that you’ve interrupted me, even I’m upset about it."
At this, both Gawain and Woodwose’s faces darkened.
True, Lancelot had spoken plainly, but it was exactly because of that honesty that their expressions soured.
Lancelot’s tone clearly indicated that, at this moment, the opponent in front of her was far beyond what they could offer, unable to provide the excitement she had felt.
Needless to say, the implication in her words was unmistakable.
Upon hearing Lancelot’s words, not only Woodwose, who had always viewed her as an eyesore, but even Gawain couldn’t help but grip her sword tightly.
For Gawain, who was also a Fairy Knight, Lancelot’s reputation as the strongest Fairy Knight was not something so easily accepted.
"I’m sorry for disturbing your fight."
Gawain spoke coldly to Lancelot.
"But since this is an opponent even you couldn’t take down, it’s only natural for all of us to join hands, considering how things have developed."
"You must not forget Her Majesty’s orders were for me, you, Woodwose, and Aurora to work together to capture the Child of Prophecy."
"According to Woodwose, not only did the Child of Prophecy appear in the bell tower, but there was also that foreign magus accompanying him. We’ve already let one slip away, so we can’t let another get away."
Finished saying this, Gawain turned her gaze toward Riezel.
Her eyes held the same fighting intent as Lancelot’s, but compared to the calm demeanor of Lancelot, this female knight’s fighting intent was even stronger and more savage.
It was clear she desired strength even more than Lancelot, craving a death battle.
Moreover, the fact that Riezel could match Lancelot so well, without falling behind in the slightest, meant he was the perfect opponent to satisfy her hunger for battle.
In truth, she was growing impatient as well, wanting to fight him as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Lancelot, after hearing Gawain’s words, furrowed her beautiful brows and fell silent.
In the end, Lancelot sighed and, as if feeling regretful, relented.
"Since it’s Her Majesty’s order, I have no objections."
Lancelot decisively gave up on a one-on-one battle with Riezel, even though it made her feel regretful.
Of course, this regret wasn’t something that Gawain and Woodwose, who had never received such treatment from Lancelot, could stomach.
"Damn Fairy Knights..."
Woodwose made a blatant gesture of contempt.
Among the three current Fairy Knights, whether it was Gawain, who had repeatedly humiliated him, Lancelot, who always acted like the strongest and most unbeatable existence, or even the constantly insolent Tristan, Woodwose could not find a single one he liked.
None of them had clear origins, none respected him, none were loyal to the Fairy Kingdom, and none had the manners befitting powerful, high-ranking fairies.
In Woodwose’s eyes, they were all glaringly loathsome figures.
Yet, the Queen placed a great deal of trust in those three, increasingly valuing them while neglecting him, which left Woodwose feeling frustrated.
’I really don’t understand what Her Majesty is thinking, why she favors these dirty fairies with questionable origins.’
’Clearly, Britain still has me and the Fang Clan.’
’Damn it all!’
Eventually, the more Woodwose thought about it, the angrier he became.
He seemed to take his frustration out on Riezel, who was coldly watching from the sidelines and growling at him.
"You’ve earned your life back, Child of Prophecy!"
"Now, I’m giving you a chance!"
"Surrender, kneel, and repent for the death of my clansmen!"
Woodwose’s humiliating demand made both Lancelot and Gawain furrow their brows.
As for Riezel, he only responded with one action.
What action?
Of course, he drew his sword.
"Sun Breathing - Sixth Form - Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
Hermit slashed with a violent arc, instantly creating a vortex of flames that spun and howled as it rushed forward, evaporating the air and tearing through the earth, carrying incredible heat and pressure, blasting toward Woodwose.
"GAAAAAAHHH—!!!"
Woodwose immediately roared, swinging his arms wildly as countless claw-like strikes erupted, meeting the incoming vortex of flames.
*BOOOM!*
In an instant, the vortex of flames and the claw strikes collided, exploding in a shower of sparks.
In the next moment, Riezel’s voice slowly began to echo.
"Make me surrender?"
"Make me kneel and repent?"
"To you? An old mutt whose teeth are about to fall out?"
Riezel flew into the air, appearing in the line of sight of Lancelot and the others.
"Don’t make me laugh."
As his words fell, Riezel disappeared from his spot, and when he reappeared, he was already in front of Woodwose.
"?!!!"
Woodwose was shocked, and his body instinctively tried to jump back, but sadly, what greeted him was a brutal slash.
"Sun Breathing - Ninth Form - Setting Sun Transformation!"
Riezel, who had appeared in front of Woodwose as if teleporting, soared into the air in an inverted posture. With a horizontal slash, his sword, wrapped in fiery, sun-like flames, aimed for Woodwose’s neck.
*Clang!*
As Riezel’s swift and fierce strike hit Woodwose’s neck, once again, it was met with a loud metal collision sound, just like before.
"BASTAAARD—!!!"
Woodwose, now reacting, roared in fury.
Ignoring the sword at his neck, Woodwose swiped a claw toward Riezel, but unfortunately for him, Riezel disappeared again.
"Tch, still as tough as ever..."
Riezel’s voice suddenly came from behind Woodwose.
"Is that arrogant, unwarranted confidence of yours because of your divine protection?"
"I wonder, if that divine protection disappears, would you still talk so tough, so domineering?"
"I’m really looking forward to it."
As Riezel spoke, a surge of crimson energy exploded from behind Woodwose, crashing violently into his body.
"AAARGGGHHHH—!!!"
Woodwose let out a strange, squawking scream as if a duck was being squeezed, as the force of the crimson energy sent him flying through the air.
*Rumble—!*
In the next moment, the crimson energy, like a wave, tore through the meteor crater, the city, and countless buildings, continuing to surge forward—wherever it passed, everything was disintegrated, vanishing without a trace.