Chapter 42: The Iron Maiden’s Fury

The battle did not stop.

Above the deserted island, the sky had become a battlefield between two tremendous forces.

Explosions continued to erupt everywhere.

The waves of the Great Ocean rose dozens of kilometers into the air before crashing back down with tremendous force, while the forests trembled violently beneath the pressure of their surging auras.

As for the barren mountain at the center of the island…

it had begun to lose its ancient shape.

Its summit was splitting apart, and enormous cracks spread down its slopes, as though the mountain itself could no longer withstand the power unleashed by the battle.

Amidst it all—

Griselda and Fafnir continued to fight.

Their swords collided.

BOOOOM!

Griselda was knocked backward.

But she did not stop.

In the next instant, she vanished from her position.

She appeared behind Fafnir.

Raising her sword above her head, she brought it down with all her strength.

But Fafnir turned at precisely the right moment and raised his black sword.

CLAAANG!

Their swords collided.

A wave of energy spread in every direction.

The two separated.

Then Griselda vanished again.

Right.

Left.

Above.

Below.

Dozens of illusory images of her appeared throughout the sky, each one wielding a sword and charging toward Fafnir from a different direction.

Yet Fafnir remained still.

His black eyes moved calmly.

He could see the truth hidden among the illusions.

His sword moved.

CLAAANG!

One of the illusions shattered.

Then another.

Then a third.

And in the next instant—

the real Griselda appeared directly before him.

The distance between them was less than a meter.

There was no time to evade.

She thrust her sword directly toward his chest.

Fafnir moved swiftly.

He shifted his body slightly.

But the sword passed dangerously close to him, slicing through part of his clothing.

In the next instant, the two separated.

Griselda looked at Fafnir.

Then at his torn clothes.

She smiled.

“You’ve gotten slower.”

Fafnir looked at the torn section of his clothing.

Then he raised his eyes toward her.

“Rather, you’ve gotten faster.”

Her smile widened.

“So you admit it.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Fafnir raised his sword.

“I never said that would be enough to win.”

Griselda’s smile disappeared.

Then her expression changed.

She had realized something.

Throughout the battle…

Fafnir had been treating her with an almost unsettling calm.

He had not used any complicated techniques.

He had not released his full energy.

Even his speed…

was lower than she remembered.

She spoke seriously.

“You’re testing me.”

Fafnir did not answer.

She narrowed her eyes.

“From the very beginning.”

Fafnir smiled.

And his silence was answer enough.

Griselda tightened her grip around her sword.

“You bastard.”

Fafnir laughed.

“And you haven’t changed either.”

Griselda’s aura suddenly dropped.

Then—

it surged upward.

BOOOOM!

An enormous torrent of energy exploded from her body.

The sky trembled.

The waves of the ocean rose.

The trees bent across vast distances.

Even the rocks scattered across the mountain were reduced to dust in an instant.

Fafnir looked at her calmly.

“So that’s how it is…”

Griselda stood in the sky.

Her black hair whipped violently behind her, while her purple eyes gleamed with intensity.

There was no trace of amusement left in her smile.

Every hint of playfulness had vanished.

She spoke.

“Five thousand years have passed, Fafnir.”

She raised her sword.

“And I did not spend those years simply waiting for your return.”

Energy surged around her body.

“I trained.”

Then she charged.

BOOOOM!

She vanished from the sky.

Fafnir appeared before her at the exact same moment.

CLAAAANG!

Their swords collided.

But this time…

the outcome was different.

Fafnir was pushed backward.

He retreated several meters through the air.

He steadied himself.

Then he looked at Griselda.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“That’s better.”

Griselda charged again.

A horizontal slash.

Fafnir blocked it.

A direct thrust.

He dodged it.

A downward strike.

He raised his sword.

CLAAANG!

Then an attack from the side.

Fafnir moved backward.

But Griselda gave him no opportunity to breathe.

Her attacks flowed into one another with astonishing precision.

Every strike paved the way for the next.

Every movement concealed another.

Her fighting style had become far more refined than it had been in the past.

She attacked as she spoke.

“What do you think?”

Fafnir blocked a strike.

“Acceptable.”

A mocking smile appeared on her face.

“Acceptable?”

She struck him with tremendous force.

BOOOOM!

Fafnir was forced backward.

She said,

“I’ll make you say something better than that.”

She charged toward him.

This time, Fafnir did not retreat.

His aura rose.

Suddenly—

he vanished.

Griselda froze for a moment.

Then she sensed him behind her.

She turned swiftly.

But his sword had already reached her.

She raised her sword.

CLAAANG!

She was thrown dozens of meters backward.

She looked at him in surprise.

Fafnir remained as calm as ever.

He said,

“You’re not the only one who has grown stronger.”

Griselda smiled.

“Finally, you’re taking me seriously.”

“I never said that.”

“Your face says otherwise.”

Fafnir laughed.

Then he charged.

In the next instant, neither of them could be seen clearly anymore.

Nothing remained in the sky but flashes of black and purple light.

Every flash was followed by a tremendous shockwave.

BOOM!

CLAAANG!

BOOM!

KRAAASH!

The battle moved at a frenzied speed.

From the sky to the mountain.

From the mountain to the forest.

Then back into the sky.

The earth cracked beneath the pressure of their auras.

And the mountain that had witnessed their ancient battle began collapsing piece by piece.

A massive section of rock fell from the summit.

Then another.

Then an entire side of the mountain collapsed.

And in the midst of it all…

Griselda was laughing.

Her laughter was filled with genuine excitement.

“This is how it should be!”

Fafnir blocked a powerful strike.

“Looks like you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Of course!”

She attacked him again.

“How long have I waited for this moment?”

He blocked her strike.

“Five thousand years?”

She smiled.

“Longer than you can imagine.”

The two withdrew from one another.

For a moment…

silence fell.

They were hundreds of meters apart.

Each stared at the other.

Then Griselda spoke.

“Fafnir.”

“What?”

“There’s something I want to know.”

“Ask.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“How much of your strength are you using right now?”

Silence descended.

Fafnir looked at her.

Then smiled.

“Why?”

“Because I know you.”

She raised her sword.

“And I know you’re still hiding something.”

Fafnir did not answer immediately.

Then he said,

“And you?”

Griselda smiled.

“I haven’t used all of my strength either.”

Fafnir’s smile widened.

“Then we agree.”

“On what?”

He raised his black sword.

“That the real battle hasn’t begun yet.”

Their eyes met.

Then—

their auras rose simultaneously.

BOOOOOOOM!

An enormous wave of energy exploded around them.

The shockwave spread across the entire island.

Waves of the Great Ocean rose into the sky.

Massive sections of the mountain collapsed.

The forests bent completely beneath the pressure.

And in the sky…

Griselda stood with her sword in hand, her purple eyes blazing with excitement.

Fafnir held his black sword, his aura growing denser by the second.

Griselda spoke.

“And now…”

Fafnir smiled.

“Yes.”

His grip tightened around his sword.

Then he said,

“Let us see which of us deserves to remain standing.”

Griselda vanished.

Fafnir vanished.

And in the next instant—

a tremendous explosion resounded above the island.

The true stage of the battle between the two legends had begun.