I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

Magic operates unconsciously, following the spells almost engraved in the deepest part of the soul, transforming into powerful spells that mediocre spellcasters could never achieve in their entire lives. Lightning flashed and flames blazed, striking the figure in front of them and stirring up clouds of dust.

She stepped back, spread her arms, and hundreds of magic arrays immediately appeared behind her. Before the formal attack was even launched, a chilling aura had already spread.

Wherever the white mist passed, everything froze instantly, turning into thick, mirror-like ice. Her feet glided across the ice, as swift as a fairy born in the dead of winter. Behind her, countless enormous ice spikes, like the most impenetrable phalanx of spears, stood as an unshakeable defensive line. Her red hair fluttered as the woman's figure disappeared behind the frigid icy mist.

next moment.

Amidst the rolling dust and sand, a bright, straight line suddenly flashed by. This line extended out from the dust and sand, like a ray of early winter sunlight passing over the frozen earth, silently splitting the thick ice blocks in two.

Then came a black and red cloak, which left a phantom-like afterimage in the air before fading and disappearing without a trace. The girl, clad in jet-black armor, held a sharp sword, cracked from tip to hilt, each crack now radiating a dazzling light. Without dodging or yielding, she charged straight forward, sword and all, into the jagged, seamless array of ice spikes.

click -

Nearly ten ice spikes struck the seemingly thin armor immediately. The girl did not stop walking, and did not even slow down at all. She actually rushed forward several steps despite these sharp spikes. Then, a series of crisp cracking sounds rang out.

If time were to slow down several times at this moment, one might clearly see those giant ice spikes, each nearly four or five meters long and resembling knight's lances, gradually bending and shattering as the girl moved forward.

Click-click—click-click-click-click!

Fragments of ice spikes flew in all directions, and icy mist exploded in the air. The petite figure looked up and saw the red-haired woman standing dozens of steps away. Between her hands, seven different colored and shaped magic circles overlapped, and the enormous magic power even distorted the surrounding air, making the figure look as illusory and unreal as a mirage.

Almost at the same moment their eyes met, the other person suddenly raised his hand, and a magnificent rainbow-like light came towards them. Before the girl could react, she was completely engulfed.

Rainbow light poured down, cloaks fluttered, and in an instant, the girl faced the incredibly powerful magic attack head-on, step by step, without dodging, and received the terrifying blow directly.

The distance of dozens of steps disappeared in an instant. Seeing the red-haired woman in front of her suddenly change her expression, Guinevere pursed her lips, and with a flash of sword light, the water rippled. The tall, blood-red figure really seemed like a mirage, shattering under this sword!

The girl's expression remained unchanged, as if she had expected this. With a slight flick of her wrist, the thrusting sword drew an elegant arc in the air, blocking behind her. With a clang, it collided with the long spear that came hurtling through the air. The two were locked in a stalemate in mid-air for a moment, then Guinevere turned and spun around, swinging her sword and cleaving the spear in two!

"Why?"

Staring intently at the sword's edge, which was blocked by the shield at the last moment, Macha's eyes were bloodshot, and her voice, as if from the depths of the underworld, sent chills down one's spine: "Why, why did you kill me—"

Why did you kill him?

Although I didn't witness Dreem's death firsthand, the innkeeper's recent strange behavior—his bandaged arm, the lingering smell of blood, and so on—all pointed to a cruel reality.

They devised a plan based on this, intending to seize the opportunity to wipe out the mastermind behind the scenes. However, at this moment, in the midst of the battle, Guinevere suddenly felt a faint sadness.

She hadn't spent much time with Dreem; they weren't exactly friends, not even acquaintances—just strangers who'd met a few times and exchanged a few words. But… he was probably a good person.

A good person, just like that, died...

She was lost in thought, and before her, through a semi-transparent magical shield, Macha's distorted expression seemed shrouded in a thin veil, hardly resembling a scene from reality: "I don't want to die!"

She suddenly roared, as if abandoning her sense of being a spellcaster. Her fingernails suddenly grew several inches longer, and with a cracking sound like bones dislocating, her arms twisted and reached for her face!

“Those people you killed…” Guinevere blocked with her sword, watching the sharp, long fingernails strike the blade and break off cleanly, splattering bright red blood: “They probably didn’t want to die either.”

"no the same!"

"What's the difference?"

"It's different...it's different!"

She leaped up, unleashing a ferocious and primal attack like a wild beast. After several exchanges, she was forced to retreat in a sorry state. The girl could tell that this "goddess" was not in a normal state. Throughout the battle, she sometimes appeared extremely calm, like a wise mage, while at other times she would suddenly use magic to create weapons and begin close combat. Sometimes she seemed to have completely lost her mind, scratching and tearing at the enemy like a madman, driven only by instinct.

But no matter the attack—even the most powerful magical rainbow light—it couldn't break through the dragon armor's defenses. From beginning to end, aside from the swordsman's instinctive reactions, Guinevere never took the initiative to defend herself once, always pressing her opponent. Besides the exhilaration and surprise, a strange feeling also lingered deep within her heart.

It's like... having an invincibility cheat...

The one-sided battle was dragged on for a long time due to Macha's ever-changing magic. Guinevere's original goal was not to kill her opponent here—she initially just wanted to restrain him and create opportunities for Lily, Gawain, and the others. However, as the battle continued and she realized the power of Fafnir's "gift," the girl couldn't help but have other thoughts.

"Klausolas..."

"My lord?"

"You said before that she was just a remnant soul?"

“Yes,” the neutral voice answered in my mind. “Although it is somewhat different to be precise, my lord can generally understand this Macha as a ‘remnant’ that remains in the world for some reason after the death of the real Macha.”

"A residual image? That means... the real Macha is already dead."

"nature."

"In that case..."

Thoughts raced, the mental exchange lasting only a moment. Within the arena of fate, Guinevere's gaze flickered slightly. She parried with her longsword, blocking the red-haired woman's frenzied claw attacks, then swept her hand back, forcing her opponent back several steps.

This retreat exposed three weaknesses; if she wanted to, there were far more than three ways to kill her opponent—

"I don't want to die, I can't die, I can't die..."

Macha's tone was angry, yet mixed with barely concealed fear. She stared fiercely at them, then suddenly whimpered a few times, tears still on her face, before grinning and letting out a strange, eerie laugh.

Without a doubt, the other party is a ruthless villain with blood on his hands.

Moreover, killing her here would also help Lily and others in the real world...

In a flash, the girl's gaze sharpened, and she made her decision: "Klausolas—" she called out in her heart.

"My lord."

As if in response to this determination, the sword in the girl's hand suddenly shone brightly, transforming into a blazing torch. Macha let out a low growl, arched her back, and leaped back several meters. But when she straightened up, the madness and ferocity on her face had vanished without a trace.

Guinevere suddenly felt that, at least for this moment, the one standing there looking at her should be the real Macha goddess.

"The invincible sword..."

After a moment, the red-haired woman let out a deep sigh.

"Alright."

With that whisper, her body shifted from solid to ethereal, instantly appearing not far away. However, she did not continue to move away, but maintained a delicate distance that was too long for a swordsman and too short for a spellcaster, and said, "Although it is not complete, you are still the new master of the invincible sword."

"Then let me see for myself—"

"Just how much of the power of this treasure can my husband's successor unleash?"

The voice just fell.

Before her, seven completely different magic circles appeared one after another. Although their overall spell operation and methods of gathering magic power were completely different, even conflicting with each other and seemingly impossible to coexist, at this moment, under Macha's control, they were like tightly meshed gears, teetering on the edge of collapse, condensing and compressing magic power in an unbelievable way, transforming it into a breathtakingly brilliant light.

Although it seems to be the same move as the one used just now.

But Guinevere knew that Fafnir's strength alone would probably not be enough to withstand this attack unscathed.

"Just to my liking..."

She spoke softly, her fingers tightening around the sword hilt, and then she adopted a somewhat strange starting stance.

It was not a pair of swords taught by the King of Scotland, nor is it any swordsmanship that is still practiced in Britain today.

"Oh?"

Macha had clearly recognized him.

"This is... Nuada's sword?"

This time, the girl did not answer.

Magical energy, so powerful it seemed to shake the very air, gathered and the two figures stood facing each other at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. Macha was completely absorbed in weaving the magic in his hands, while Guinevere simply waited quietly.

To defeat a spellcaster, the key is to interrupt their unfinished spell by any means necessary.

This is common sense, something everyone knows.

However, this place is an arena of destiny, not bound by worldly norms, a trial ground that exists solely for challenges—the moment Guinevere obtained the Sword of Light, she also learned the only rule here.

Once the trial begins, retreat is not permitted.

Those who preside over the trial are not allowed to be timid.

Seeking fighters, not allowing defeat.

"bring it on--"

Constantly adjusting her own state, as the Macha magic was about to be completed, she also concentrated all her energy and spirit into the next sword she was about to unleash. The girl raised her head, and beneath the helmet in the shape of a dragon, were a pair of eyes as sharp as swords.

She let out a breath.

Recalling Nuada's swordsmanship, sometimes like raging waves, sometimes like whirlpools, and sometimes like deep, still waters, the string in my mind is gradually tightening.

suddenly.

The restless magic around them vanished in an instant. Guinevere blinked in surprise, only to see the seven magic arrays in front of Macha collapse one by one. The uncontrolled, powerful magic exploded in an instant, and an astonishing shockwave swept out, causing the entire Arena of Destiny to shake and teeter on the brink of collapse!

"This is……"

"What a pity." The red-haired woman could not be seen in the rolling waves; only her sigh could be heard.

"I never imagined that in this era, someone could actually destroy the body of the Wave Beast. If I had known..." She paused, the entire space was constantly collapsing, but having had this experience before, Guinevere wasn't too panicked.

"Lily...did they succeed?"

"probably."

What was originally just a simple self-talk unexpectedly received a response from Macha.

"It seems I shouldn't have underestimated you."

The other person seemed to chuckle: "Never mind, it's not a big deal. I was hoping to see Nuada's sword again... even if it was just a poor imitation. What a pity."

The tone of these words was far too calm for a loser, especially considering that just moments before, the red-haired woman had been frantically shouting that she didn't want to die and couldn't die. This contrast only highlighted the strangeness of the situation.

"you……"

Smoke filled the air, and the space seemed on the verge of collapse. Guinevere hesitated, unsure how to ask a question, how to begin. Should she ask, "You were acting like a madwoman just now, and now that you're about to die, why have you suddenly become so quiet?"

Even if the other person was someone she had been fighting to the death with until just now, she felt she couldn't bring herself to ask such a question.

"Surprised?" Instead, the other person took over the conversation: "Nothing surprising. I don't want to die. To live, I'll do the dirtiest and ugliest things. But since I can't change the outcome of death... why make myself ugly? People always love beauty... of course, goddesses too."

"Well then, goodbye..."

In the thick smoke and dust, for a fleeting moment, Guinevere seemed to feel a strange gaze fixed upon her.

……

Amidst the swirling dust, a gray mist spread silently from beyond the shattered space, engulfing the tall, red-haired woman.

In the last moment before she disappeared, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

"...I'll be waiting for you in another world."

……

"...Daddy, Daddy!"

The overwhelming stench of blood assaulted her senses, yet carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. The girl struggled to open her unusually heavy eyelids; for a moment, her vision remained blurry and unsteady.

It seemed as if someone was standing in front of her, and a voice was calling in her ear. She couldn't hear clearly, but it made her feel safe and comfortable. After a while, she seemed to open her eyes, and the voice gradually stopped.

“Nimia…”

"I'm here."

On that same somewhat high and steep cliff, the sea breeze blew in gusts, carrying a unique, sweet, and slightly fishy scent. Leaning against the little girl's chest, I looked out and saw the sea and sky merging into a straight line at the horizon. The wind was calm, and the waves were still.

Where is Lily?

"do not know……"

"Where's Gao Wen?"

"do not know."

"Where's Kai..."

"who knows."

"I see." After a pause, he asked again, "What about the...monster?"

"Dead... I was blasted to smithereens by Lily!"

"Oh……"

A moment passed again.

"It seems like it's getting dark again..."

"Yes. After all, it's nighttime." She blinked. "But, Dad, look..."

The little girl said happily.

"It's dawn—"

In the hazy night, sunlight began to fall...