Chapter 148: White Dragon VIII
The White Dragon Princess began to release a tremendous amount of mana force.
In response, Ophelia also expressed her hostility toward her opponent by emitting her own mana force.
This opponent had always been regarded as the greatest danger to her master and the biggest reason she had devoted all her strength to honing her swordsmanship and mana until this moment. To Ophelia, the White Dragon Princess was such a being, and now she was preparing to confront her with all her might.
“Is this the third time we’ve faced each other? Come to think of it, this is quite an unfortunate relationship, isn’t it?”
“…”
Aside from the overwhelming life force, Princess Elios spoke pleasantly, as if meeting an old friend. Ophelia, however, did not respond, simply staring at the woman in front of her.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of people so far, but you’re definitely an interesting one. In some ways, even more than that guy behind you. How about it? That man refused, but I’m willing to accept you if you’re interested.”
Thud!
In response, Ophelia showed an eagerness to rush at Elios at any moment.
Elios let out a small sigh, tinged with regret.“Haa… Well, you can’t betray the one you love for someone else. Oh, but would it be different if I k!lled that man right here? Maybe it would be fun. A female warrior who couldn’t protect the man she loves… like the main character of a tragedy.”
Visrrrrr!
Ophelia swung her sword before Elios could finish speaking.
Defending the blow, which carried deep emotion, the composure on Elios’ face faded slightly.
‘What… what? It’s only been a little over a year since then…’
The attack carried more mana and power than expected, brought on by light provocation. The White Dragon Princess started to feel a little uneasy. Originally, she had planned to toy with Ophelia as she had before and then eliminate her. But the situation wasn’t going as expected. Ophelia had grown much stronger than Elios could have imagined.
Kwaguawang!
Ophelia swung her greatsword with terrifying power. Although the attack didn’t involve any special mana techniques, relying instead on pure condensation and body reinforcement, it surpassed the power of many explosive spells.
‘This girl… she’s not playing around. She’s really strong. There’s still a bit of roughness, but in terms of pure force, she’s stronger than Andersen!’
The shock from each sword collision was immense. For the first time, Elios felt herself being overpowered.
‘Am I… being pushed back? By a human who’s lived just over 20 years?’
She had known for a long time that Ophelia’s talent was anything but ordinary. That was why Elios had spared her life earlier, even though she could have k!lled her. Like Andersen, she had seen potential in Ophelia, hoping for someone who could challenge her fully. However, Elios was now realizing that her assumptions had been gravely mistaken.
It had taken Andersen 13 years to catch up to her, and even though he was already regarded as the strongest in the Holy Empire, that amount of time had been required.
Yet…
Three years ago, when Elios first met Ophelia in Benessa, her skills were… honestly, below even those of the elite soldiers under Elios’ command, let alone Andersen. Ophelia’s abilities were impressive for someone her age, but she had been far from a serious threat. Even when they fought again in Hangury, her growth had been noticeable, but nothing extraordinary for someone who had only learned mana a few years ago.
Based on Elios’ judgment, Ophelia would need at least 10 years to reach Andersen’s level. But Elios had made significant errors in her assumptions.
For one, Ophelia had only been learning mana for a few weeks when they first met in Benessa. The starting point for Elios’ evaluation had been completely wrong. Additionally, in their first battle, Ophelia hadn’t been going all out, even though Elios thought she hadn’t been holding back.
Even at that level, Ophelia’s talent had been exceptional, growing faster than Andersen. But now, she was surpassing all expectations, launching an enormous offensive and pushing Elios back.
“Kukh!”
Bang!
Though Ophelia’s greatsword made her a bit slower than Elios, who attacked quickly with dual swords, each of Ophelia’s strikes was heavy and difficult to defend against.
Whenever Elios tried to attack, Ophelia used her greatsword as a shield, swiftly defending herself.
Observing Ophelia’s swordsmanship, which combined superior strength with a flawless balance of offense and defense, Elios began to feel both bewildered and impressed.
‘Amazing… this girl is truly a genius. It hasn’t even been that long since she started using a greatsword, yet she’s already mastered the technique best suited for her and wields it with ease.’
In hindsight, Elios regretted not k!lling Ophelia earlier. But now, she found herself filled with joy. Ophelia’s remarkable growth… felt like watching a play set to debut in 10 years unfold right before her eyes.
Pajijijik!
A tremendous shock resonated between the greatsword and Elios’ twin swords. A smile of pure delight spread across Elios’ face at the electrifying sensation.
‘Ah… this… it’s fun. Really… so much fun!’
Aside from Andersen, she had grown bored with battles, as she always fought to win. Even though she fought for her nation’s interests, it had become merely a job, bringing no pleasure. She was too strong to find joy in combat anymore.
But now, the White Dragon Princess felt the thrill of battle once again, as if the risk of death ignited a passionate fire within her.
‘Yes! A little stronger! A little faster! Good! Very good! That momentum! That power! This is what I’ve been waiting for! I’ve always wanted to fight someone like this!’
A person who could challenge her more than Andersen and fight her as an equal. The fact that such a person had finally appeared in front of her filled Elios with overwhelming joy.
***
‘I’ll win this time. Certainly!’
Ophelia unleashed powerful blows repeatedly, her eyes fixed on the opponent before her.
There was no room for retreat, as losing here would mean the death of her beloved master. She couldn’t afford to back down even an inch. Fortunately, she had already anticipated this to some extent after her battle with Andersen and from the advice her master had given her. Unlike in the past, there was almost no difference in fighting power between herself and the White Dragon Princess.
Additionally, Ophelia had already closely observed the battle between the White Dragon Princess and Andersen before arriving. She had learned what kind of mana the opponent used and how they wielded their sword. This knowledge allowed her to prepare.
Ophelia, in particular, had an innate ability to grasp the principles of mana and predict its activation timing simply by watching. This informational advantage had now become a considerable asset in the battle.
At that moment…
“Cheh!”
As soon as what she had been wary of came into view, Ophelia quickly retreated.
But then…
‘This… might be hard to avoid even if I know it’s coming.’
Dozens of blue mana circles appeared before her eyes.
Ophelia frowned instinctively, sensing that evasion might be nearly impossible.
Meanwhile, Elios’ lips curled into an ecstatic smile.
And then… the lights began pouring out from the blue mana circles simultaneously—brilliant, beautiful lights of death that evaporated everything in their path.
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