Chapter 88: The Clash of Fists and Magic

As I stepped out of the massive ice cave, an eerie silence greeted me.

The snow-covered mountains, devoid of even the faintest whisper of wind, seemed frozen in time, like a still painting.

Even the blizzard that had once clouded my vision had disappeared. I gazed down at the vast, open snowfield.

The golden sunlight streaming from the cloudless blue sky glided smoothly across the white ice.

The first to be illuminated by the sunlight were the adventurers, their bodies covered in white frost.

They had frozen mid-step, their final moments preserved just like the figures inside the ice cave.

They, too, had likely perished without realizing their own demise.

As the golden light touched the newly formed ice sculptures, a chilling breeze brushed against my cheek.

The wind that had once seemed frozen alongside this mountain had returned.

Crunch—

At that moment, the sound of snow crunching echoed from a short distance away.

It wasn’t the presence of the boy who had introduced himself as the lingering will of Kashpa.

That immense presence had already vanished from this mountain.

Then, who could it be?

I turned around with Nightmare at my side.

“Hah…”

A cloud of white breath escaped from the mouth of a man. He was slowly walking toward me, his expression weary.

His attire was ill-suited for climbing a freezing mountain. There was no sword strapped to his back or waist. In fact, he carried no visible weapon at all.

He likely had no need for conventional arms. That much was evident, as the man who had appeared before me was a mage.

A thin veil of mana enveloped his body, pushing away the surrounding cold.

“Golden, thread-like hair… shimmering green eyes… shorter than most girls her age…”

As he approached, he muttered a description—of me.

“I’ll ask just in case. Are you Seris?”

There was a strange hostility in his voice. Even if I denied it, he seemed convinced that I was Seris.

Resting my hand on the sword at my back, I questioned him in return.

“…Who are you?”

“Imperial Mage, from the Magic Tower. My name is Leonis.”

“Imperial…?”

Leonis, as he introduced himself, brushed the snow off his coat and pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

The moment it touched his lips, a small flame flickered at the tip, lighting it effortlessly.

A haze of white smoke mixed with his breath, drifting away in the wind. As the smoke thinned, he spoke again.

“I heard you’ve been impersonating a mage from the Magic Tower.”

“That’s…”

“Will you come quietly?”

They say a long tail gets caught eventually.

Swallowing dryly, I drew my sword.

The crisp ring of metal echoed through the air as the blade caught the sunlight, scattering a dazzling white reflection across the snow.

Denying it now would be pointless. After all, I really had been impersonating a mage from the Magic Tower.

Circulating mana through my heart’s mana circle, I asked Leonis,

“If I go quietly, what happens to me?”

“…Are you actually considering it?”

“If my treatment isn’t too bad, I might.”

“You’re shameless.”

“I apologize for the impersonation. But I am a real mage, you know?”

“Save your excuses for the Tower. There is no ‘Seris’ among the mages of the Magic Tower. And there are certainly no mages as young as you.”

Beside me, Nightmare snorted sharply, clearly agitated by Leonis’s hostility.

Gently stroking him, I tried to calm him down.

“This is my final offer, Seris. If you don’t want to get hurt, surrender and come with me.”

“No.”

Leonis’s eyebrow twitched sharply at my rejection.

Another puff of smoke escaped his lips, quickly dispersing into the wind.

A strange silence settled between us, thick with tension.

Watching for an opening, I waited until the swirling cigarette smoke momentarily obscured his vision.

Then, I bolted.

Leaping onto Nightmare’s back, I spurred him forward.

If we could escape now, we had a chance of shaking off Leonis entirely.

Understanding my intent, Nightmare stomped down with force.

With a loud crack!, the snow and ice beneath us shattered, sending a blinding white plume into the air.

At that moment—

Fwoosh!

A sharp whistling sound pierced the air.

A flash of light streaked through the sky and struck the ground beneath Nightmare’s hooves.

The flow of mana in the surrounding air shifted abruptly.

An ominous feeling crept over me.

Acting on pure instinct, I leaped off Nightmare’s back.

Whoosh!

The moment I did, a blue energy barrier erupted from the ground, forming a pyramid-shaped cage that trapped Nightmare inside.

Neigh!

Landing lightly on the snow, I checked on Nightmare.

Enraged by his confinement, he reared up and slammed his hooves against the mana barrier.

But the shimmering walls held firm. No matter how hard he struck, the cage didn’t budge.

“…You have sharp instincts.”

I let out a quiet breath, my gaze locking onto Leonis. He was gripping a small metallic rod, his brows furrowed.

That must have been the device he used to trap Nightmare. A quick glance at the ground confirmed my suspicion—a similar rod was embedded in the snow nearby.

Just as I registered this, I felt a sudden gust of wind against my cheek.

Leonis had closed the distance in an instant.

Our eyes met in midair. His fist, coated in crackling blue mana, was already drawn back, poised to strike.

For a brief moment, I saw my own reflection in his green eyes—a small girl, her expression tense as she raised her sword.

Boom!

His fist shot toward my chest, but I managed to block it at the last second with my blade.

The impact sent a sharp jolt up my arms. The sheer force pushed me backward, lifting my feet momentarily off the ground.

Just then, thin strands of mana stretched out from Leonis’s hand, weaving into a delicate but sturdy barrier around me.

An unexpected attack pattern.

Most mages in this world relied on long-range bombardment. But Leonis…

He was different.

Even now, he wasn’t stopping.

With explosive speed, he lunged forward again, his fist swinging toward me once more.

As if in response, I also threw a punch.

The mana enveloping my body reinforced my physique, and just before my outstretched fist met its target, the insignia of the Great Warrior activated, further enhancing my strength.

Boom!

The moment our fists collided, I realized that my strength was slightly superior.

Seeing Leonis’s surprised expression as he was pushed back, I smirked in victory.

However, at that moment, a sudden impact struck my head.

My vision wavered, and my strength momentarily drained away. Leonis didn’t miss that opening.

His fists came hurtling toward me without hesitation.

The attacks seemed to target my defenseless state, but I managed to recover from the shock just in time.

Lifting my head, I immediately propelled myself backward.

Wham!

Leonis’s fist swung through empty air.

His mana-infused punch, glowing blue, was a force to be reckoned with.

His relentless assault resembled a storm.

As I widened the distance slightly, gauging his strength, he too exhaled a short breath, scrutinizing me.

Then, mana began to gather on either side of Leonis.

The condensed energy formed into long, rod-like shapes.

“There’s nothing new under the sky, after all…”

I let out a brief sigh and rubbed my throbbing head.

That strange impact that had struck me earlier—it must have been that magic missile.

Raising my sword, I concentrated a small amount of mana in the air.

Starlit mana gathered, stretching into a long shape.

The spell I had just completed was the very same magic—one I called a magic missile.

Leonis’s eyebrows twitched sharply. He seemed quite shocked to see me using a spell identical to his own.

“You’re a suspicious one…”

The moment his voice dissipated into the white expanse, his body shot forward.

Snow exploded beneath his feet. As he arrived, we simultaneously swung—my sword against his fist.

Leonis lowered his stance to evade my wide slash.

In response, I released my mana, forcibly twisting the trajectory of my sword.

Clang!

The instant our weapons clashed, a powerful shockwave erupted.

At that moment, two magic missiles, conjured by Leonis, came hurtling toward me. I immediately countered by launching two of my own.

Boom!

The opposing energies collided, creating a swirling storm of blue mana.

As the spells canceled each other out and the wind grazed my cheek, a new projectile streaked through the chaos.

A third attack—one I hadn’t seen.

I swiftly formed another magic missile in response.

Boom!

For the first time, a flicker of surprise crossed Leonis’s face, but I could tell it wasn’t genuine.

Beyond the hazy remnants of dissipating mana, I sensed more magic missiles forming in quick succession.

This guy… He’s far too natural at deceiving his opponents and concealing his full abilities.

Without hesitation, I drew more mana, matching the pace of his spells.

The fourth and fifth magic missiles clashed and vanished.

Even as the magic duel continued, our physical combat didn’t cease.

Fists and blades cut through the air, chipping away at each other’s mana barriers. Finally, the fifteenth magic missile was extinguished.

Beyond the dissipating blue energy, Leonis’s face was set in a cold expression.

He seemed incapable of conjuring more magic missiles, but I still had plenty left.

Mana coalesced in the air as the sixteenth and seventeenth magic missiles took form.

Their numbers kept growing—eighteen, nineteen, twenty.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The barrage struck Leonis, wearing down his mana barrier and forcing his body backward.

Seizing the opportunity, I thrust my hand toward his chest.

The moment my small, gauntleted palm touched him, a massive surge of mana poured into his body.

When two different types of mana clash, they violently repel each other. This time was no different.

Kwoom!

With a resounding shockwave, Leonis was sent flying, a thin trail of blood scattering through the air.

Yet, instinctively, I knew—it wasn’t over.

Realizing this, I immediately dashed after him, conjuring blue lightning in both hands.

As soon as the electricity surged from my fingertips, the bolts rained down upon Leonis’s airborne form.

Krrrraack!