When Mereoleona heard Yuuki call out her name, a trace of surprise surfaced on her face.
"You know me?"
Her dark crimson brows lifted slightly.
Yuuki didn't answer. Instead, he spoke in a calm, indifferent tone.
"If I want to leave, it wouldn't be easy… right?"
"Of course not." Mereoleona smiled as if it were only natural. "Since you can recognize me, your identity only makes me more curious. Unless you take off that mask yourself and tell me who you are."
"Still as domineering as ever," Yuuki replied coolly.
A steady wave of pain pulsed through his arms from the fractures, but he straightened his back and met Mereoleona's gaze head-on.
"You could also just knock me flying again," she said with a wide grin.
"Then in that case…"
Yuuki paused mid-sentence. Suddenly, flames surged up around his body, wrapping him completely.
"Flame Recovery Magic — Phoenix Feathered Mantle."
Crimson fire flowed across his body, rapidly mending his injuries. His broken arms reconnected in moments, bones knitting together as if they had never shattered.
Before long, Yuuki raised his arms and clenched his fists tightly—no discomfort at all.
Against Mereoleona, holding back was impossible.
If he didn't go all out, he really might die here today.
Thankfully, he now possessed captain-class mana. Without it, he wouldn't have had even the slightest chance.
"Flame magic? A dual-attribute mage?"
For once, Mereoleona froze for a brief moment.
Earlier, Yuuki had used mineral-type magic. Now he was casting flame magic—two completely different attributes. Her first thought was of the exceedingly rare dual-magic mages.
After that split second of surprise, the curve of her lips rose even higher.
This is interesting.
"Mineral Magic — Nemean Armor!"
Yuuki released another spell. Solid mineral plates formed instantly, covering his entire body in heavy armor. He tore off the already-damaged black robe and tossed it aside.
At this moment—
Yuuki stood fully encased in sturdy mineral armor, while Phoenix Feathered Mantle transformed into a blazing crimson cape flowing behind him.
From a distance, he looked like a knight clad in armor and flame.
"Then let's fight, Mereoleona!"
Yuuki's eyes were sharp and resolute. This was the perfect chance to see the gap between his current strength and that of a Zero Domain mage.
"You really are from the Clover Kingdom," Mereoleona said, noticing the clover emblem on Yuuki's grimoire. "But I don't recall any Magic Knight, noble, or royal who wields dual magic."
"Well, no matter. Once I catch you, everything will be clear."
She clenched her fist, her face brimming with excitement.
There was no helping it—the grimoire had to be revealed.
Fortunately, Yuuki had prepared for this. Using the properties of Replication Magic, he altered the silver glow emitted by the grimoire into a crimson hue, partially obscuring the changes around the three-leaf clover emblem.
"Enough talk!"
Mereoleona stomped the ground—
Boom!
Her figure vanished instantly, reappearing in front of Yuuki like a black afterimage.
"That kind of armor won't stop me!"
Bang!
Her powerful fist shot forward, the air exploding with a sonic boom along its path.
Yuuki's perception and focus were pushed to their limits. This time, fully prepared, he managed to catch Mereoleona's movements.
And because of that, he could clearly see—
She wasn't using any magic at all.
This attack relied purely on her physical body, strengthened to an absurd degree.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Yuuki's face darkened as he threw his own punch.
Boom!
A dull explosion rang out as their fists collided.
The mineral armor around Yuuki's fist shattered instantly—but it also successfully blocked the blow.
"Oh? You blocked it," Mereoleona said excitedly.
"Not even using magic—just brute physical enhancement…" Yuuki's voice was icy. "I really am being underestimated."
Boom!
The ground beneath them suddenly ruptured. A thick, razor-sharp pillar of ice burst upward, stabbing straight toward Mereoleona's chest.
Ice Magic — Heaven-Piercing Ice Fang!
"Ice magic?" Mereoleona showed surprise once more as she flashed away, reappearing more than ten meters behind.
"I never said I only use two types of magic," Yuuki reminded her calmly.
"Heh—now this is getting even more fun," Mereoleona laughed loudly. "To think I'd run into a surprise like this."
"For once, I really did underestimate you, mysterious guy."
A strange glint flickered in her eyes—non-single-attribute magic reminded her of someone.
Then she laughed again, flames erupting across her entire body.
Seeing this, Yuuki knew—
Mereoleona is finally getting serious.
Good.
Show me, then—
The power of the "Uncrowned, Undefeated Lioness."
"Wind Magic — Gale Blade Downpour!"
Yuuki raised his arm and slashed it forward, shouting.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Hundreds of wind blades materialized in an instant, raining down on Mereoleona like a violent storm.
"Another attribute."
"But it's too weak! Far too weak!"
Wrapped in blazing flames, Mereoleona charged forward without dodging at all, letting the wind blades strike her body uselessly, dealing no damage whatsoever.
Flash!
Her figure leapt through the air.
"Water Magic — Ravine Flow!"
Yuuki dissolved into flowing water, sinking into the ground and vanishing as he rapidly widened the distance.
Engaging a pure brawler like Mereoleona in close combat was sheer self-destruction.
Yuuki's true advantage lay in magic.
Keeping distance was the only correct approach.
Boom—!
The spot where Yuuki had just stood was instantly blown into a massive crater.
"Water magic?" Mereoleona muttered, pulling her fist out of the ground. Her crimson eyes swept across the terrain, quickly locking onto Yuuki's fast-moving presence beneath the earth.
But before she could act—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The ground erupted repeatedly as thick, jagged ice pillars burst upward, slamming toward Mereoleona in succession.
"Hahahaha!"
She threw punch after punch, shattering each ice pillar into fragments. Ice shards filled the air.
Under the searing heat of her flames, the shattered ice melted rapidly, producing vast clouds of white mist that spread outward—
Completely engulfing Mereoleona within dense fog.
(End of Chapter)
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