How far can you go when your opponent is a monster several levels above you?
Krauzer Moonlight, an S-rank Awakened, wielded the power of water—just like Professor Luka Bonatiro.
Frey found himself facing an opponent as powerful as his own mentor.
Water serpents came at him from every direction, relentlessly aiming to take him down.
"Don't worry, kid. I won't kill you."
Frey barely managed to keep going, either dodging the lightning-fast strikes or blocking them with Balerion.
"The honor of killing you belongs solely to Young Lord Frost… Haha! But there's no harm in having a little fun before he arrives."
It was clear Krauzer was holding back; otherwise, Frey would have been dead by now.
Yet despite being trapped like a rat, he remained calm.
He knew it—no matter how much he gave, he could never defeat Krauzer.
"Is this how you treat your students, Krauzer?"
"Student? You were nothing more than a punching bag, kid."
Krauzer laughed as he continued controlling his water serpents.
"And you still are."
The serpents kept destroying everything in their path, trying to catch Frey as he moved faster than someone of his level should.
Hearing Krauzer's words, Frey smirked mockingly. A punching bag…
"Can't argue with that."
"Of course not."
Suddenly, Krauzer appeared right in front of Frey, swinging his fist straight at him.
Fortunately, Frey blocked it with the back of Balerion, but the impact still sent him flying into a nearby wall.
Krauzer examined his fist for a moment, noticing a slight tremor.
Then, shifting his gaze back to Frey, he noticed the black sword fused with his arm.
"Hah… That explains how you got this far. You've got quite the sword."
Krauzer sneered before charging again.
"But do you think it'll be enough to save you?"
The punch that was about to crush Frey's skull sank into the wall instead—his body had vanished into a shadowy void.
Thanks to Ghost's intervention, Frey had narrowly avoided the worst. But it was only a temporary escape.
"Petty tricks."
Now that he had seen it once, Krauzer wouldn't let Ghost save Frey the same way again.
Yet despite the overwhelming pressure, Frey remained calm, observing his opponent.
"Frey, what now? We can't beat him."
Ghost pointed out the truth.
Would they fall here before Frost even arrived?
Frey suddenly smiled as he realized something crucial.
"It's fine… We don't have to beat him."
At that moment, the entire place trembled.
It was a faint vibration at first, but everyone in the room had senses far beyond those of normal humans.
Little by little, the tremors intensified, followed by the constant sound of destruction from above.
"What's going on up there?"
Krauzer frowned.
On the other hand, Frey finally let out a relieved sigh.
"She's here…"
Wherever chaos and destruction followed, you'd find Carmen.
The ceiling shattered into countless pieces as a wild figure burst through.
Dust coated her silver hair and covered her entire body.
Cough… Cough…
"Ah, damn it. I thought this would never end."
Emerging from the wreckage, Carmen scanned her surroundings.
Meanwhile, everyone else stared in disbelief at the strange tunnel she had just created.
"Hah… Took you long enough."
Frey smoothly retreated to Carmen's side.
She, however, was visibly irritated.
"Damn it, kid. You have no idea how many wrong turns I took to get here… Let's never do this again."
Thanks to their master-servant bond, Carmen had been able to sense Frey's location.
But it wasn't precise enough to guide her straight to him.
As a result, she had to dig randomly, making countless wrong turns.
In fact, Carmen had just created an entirely new network of tunnels beneath Moonlight Castle—turning it into something resembling a giant anthill.
The entire journey had been a pain in the ass for her.
So, to say that Carmen wasn't in a good mood would be an understatement.
And the first person she laid eyes on… was Krauzer.
"Damn it."
Krauzer cursed the moment he laid eyes on her.
His thoughts and stance shifted completely.
How did she get here so fast?
That was surely the question running through his mind.
He already knew—his chances against her were close to nonexistent.
But before he could even blink, Carmen had already lunged at him, streaking through the air like a ray of light.
"So, you're the first!"
Krauzer felt it—the overwhelming aura Carmen had condensed into her fist.
Water frantically surged around him, forming layers of defense in a desperate attempt to soften the blow.
But it wasn't enough.
Her punch shattered through his defenses with ease, driving him straight into the ground. A terrifying grin stretched across her face.
"Ahh, finally… something other than rocks to break."
"Damn you!"
From beneath her feet, the colossal head of a water dragon took shape.
This time, Krauzer was fighting with everything he had.
Carmen, on the other hand, leaped high into the air, dodging the attack with ease.
From above, she saw it clearly—the massive dragon, coiling back before launching toward her with lethal force.
"That won't help you, brat."
Seven radiant stars spun around Carmen's core, unleashing the full power of the Starlight family's most devastating technique—"Stardust."
Every ounce of that energy condensed into her fist.
Below, the dragon's maw gaped wide, ready to obliterate everything in its path.
Had this attack been used against Frey earlier, he would have been erased instantly.
But Frey was Frey.
And Carmen was Carmen.
The brilliance of the strongest star enveloped her as her fist met Krauzer's ultimate strike.
Water clashed against starlight.
Without hesitation, Carmen crushed his strongest attack.
Then, just like before, dozens of colossal fists materialized around her, each infused with her star energy and lethal aura.
Without mercy, she rained down an unrelenting barrage, pounding the ground beneath Krauzer.
At first, he tried to resist.
But his defenses crumbled.
And in the end, Carmen carved a new tunnel—this time, using his body.
---
"Her fighting style is as brutal as ever."
Frey watched alongside Ghost, shaking his head.
What he had just witnessed reminded him of one thing:
Their master-servant bond meant nothing in terms of power.
She was far beyond his reach.
Standing atop Krauzer's battered body, Carmen scowled down at him.
Despite the brutal beating—despite the blood and shattered bones—he was still alive.
"Impressive that you lasted this long."
She clenched both fists, ready to finish him off.
"Now, perish."
Carmen was about to crush his skull—
—but then she froze.
The pressure around her had suddenly intensified.
Frey felt it, too.
"This presence…"
In the blink of an eye, a spear of ice tore through the air at terrifying speed, aimed straight at Carmen's chest.
But a woman like her wouldn't fall to something so simple.
She swiftly dispelled the oppressive force and dodged at the last moment.
Landing a few steps back, her expression darkened.
Her entire demeanor shifted.
She had become deadly serious.
She recognized that aura.
From the same dark passage where Krauzer had emerged, new figures arrived.
Frey stepped forward as well.
"This is where it all begins."
"No~"
The main branch of the Moonlight family had arrived, led proudly by Frost himself.
Wearing his usual confident smile, he ignored Carmen completely, his gaze locking onto a single person.
"This is where it all ends."