The world turned white for a moment as a massive lightning storm raged. Two beings, wielding unimaginable power, were locked in a tense standoff.

“...” “...”

Hilde lunged forward with her spear, while Offnir raised his blade-like forelimbs, poised for battle. The fight between the massive dragon and the spear-wielding girl was about to begin.

Hilde glared at Offnir, her voice icy.

“<Ratatoskr>...!”

“Oh, who do we have here?”

Offnir exclaimed, pretending to be amused, bursting into a loud, mocking laugh.

“Keuk, Khaha!! The blue and white lightning!! [Blue and White Thunder Spear]─!! So, those incompetent inferior females failed even to buy time?”

“...”

“After all, the useless are just that: useless. No matter how much they borrow the power of the Beast God... if they have no ability, they’ll just be crushed by its weight.”

Offnir continued with a sneer.

“But now... kukuk...! I don’t care about any of that. I’ve gained an interest in information I want to hear, even if I have to cut off the limbs of that pink inferior species!”

“You...!”

Upon hearing those words, Hilde's expression turned cold. Beneath her always icy silver eyes, her veins were boiling.

Crack...

She looked ready to explode at any moment.

“Hilde...?”

I flinched upon seeing that. As a rival and a friend... I thought I had seen all her faces. But it was my first time seeing Hilde so enraged... losing her composure.

Rumble—!

The air shook. The ground trembled. Countless ether boiled over. The incarnation of lightning was angry.

Crash—!

Hilde's shoulders trembled as she lowered her head.

“Again... in front of me...! To harm what’s mine...!”

Endless lightning spilled forth. Her blue and white ether, which always burned calmly, was now shaking with rage. In response to that power, her skill, [Gleipnir], spat out a terrifying lightning storm.

From the overcast sky, the sound of thunder echoed.

Rumble...!

Between her bowed head, her silver hair responded to the lightning, rising toward the sky. The hair, swaying in the fierce pulse of her blue and white ether, appeared like a silver torch.

Finally, Hilde raised her head.

“To think you’d try to hurt my Lara...!”

Hearing that, my face flushed slightly.

‘...Is this just fantasy world vocabulary...? My...?’

Hilde shouted, her voice burning with emotion, as if coughing up blood.

“I’ll kill you─!! I’ll wipe you out completely from this world─!! I’ll eradicate you from the academy city forever─!!”

Rumble─!!

“You cursed beings of this world!! I won’t let you take what’s precious to me anymore─!!”

Rumble─!!

In response to her fury, the lightning flashed.

Offnir seemed to find Hilde’s genuine anger amusing, clapping his forelimbs together and laughing uproariously.

“Khahak...! Bark more!”

“Die──!!”

Hilde charged forward as if she were being launched. Seeing that, my body froze. Her rage, which I had never seen before, was so intense.

“H-Hilde...?!”

Should I join the fight? Or cautiously try to extract more information? In that fleeting moment, all my concerns were forgotten in panic. However, because of that, a clearer solution emerged.

‘...Yes. Now that it's come to this, we have to fight and win...! Even if I try to hold back and ask questions now, it’ll only correct that guy’s vague misconceptions...!’

It was much easier for Hilde to express clear hostility towards <Ratatoskr>.

Just as I resolved to fight alongside Hilde, determined to win, holding my spear firmly...

Tatat! Thunk!

Both beings simultaneously pushed off and charged at each other.

The battle had begun.

Whooosh──!! Boom──!!

The fight started with a black storm. It looked as if blue and white thunder were crashing through a storm of black ether blades. As the two beings’ attacks collided, the ground around the library cracked and exploded.

Boom──!!

And with that explosion, Offnir unfolded his agile wings and took to the sky.

“Kahah! Try hitting me if you can!!”

“You...!”

Booooom—!

With a sound like a helicopter taking off, the massive dragon flew through the debris. Its taunting flight seemed sloppy but reeked of a trap.

Offnir’s boss fight specialty was counter-attacks.

But as always, Hilde tried to overwhelm him with the destructive power of her ether skill, [Gleipnir].

‘Hilde! That’s not an attack you can just rush into head-on...!’

I shouted at Hilde, who was recklessly charging in. No matter how perfect a warrior she was, she couldn’t be prepared for a sudden ambush.

“Hilde!! Don’t go in like that!! He can attack from long range—!!”

“...!”

Ssssh—!

Thankfully, Hilde heeded my warning. Even in her rage, she responded to my words with a nod. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation in her actions.

‘She listens to me...!’

Our friendship wasn’t in vain. It shone brightly, supporting us both.

Brünhilde... still trusted me.

‘She’s listening to my plea...’

Not [The Pink Spiral]. Not [The Faded Spiral]. Just a friend, ‘Clara.’ Realizing that stirred something within me.

‘Yes, let’s fight together... and win!’

What I’m good at. What Hilde’s good at. Now was the time to do it without hesitation.

Tatat—!

I ran in a direction different from where Hilde had rushed, watching Offnir’s movements from a distance. From his movements, I picked out familiar attacks and predictable moves.

‘What I can do now is utilize my original game knowledge and perception ability!’

Standing on the spot, I called out to Hilde, who was on guard.

“Hilde☆ That guy specializes in countering anyone who charges at him!! He’s a cunning one who always sets traps behind flashy attacks and movements!!”

“Got it, his specialty is deceit and counters...! Understood!”

Hilde halted her charge, raising her spear while surrounding herself with an ether barrier.

“...Hup!”

Hilde quickly adopted a solid stance. Seeing that, Offnir stopped his mischievous movements and burst out laughing.

“Kahak!! Did your ‘prophet’ tell you that too?”

“Shut up!!”

“Kahak! In that case, I’ll cut off your inferior ears!!”

Offnir’s menacing energy, like tangled threads, concentrated in one place, reminiscent of a bullet-dodging game.

A straightforward, linear movement. But less threatening than unpredictable counters.

Offnir swung his massive blade-like forelimbs in the air.

Sssssh!

Attacks flew in from among the scattered debris.

Ssssh—!!

I deflected one of them with my spear blade.

‘It’s hard to fend off all of them...!’

Dozens of black blades shot forth again. Like guillotine blades, they carried a chilling intent within the black ether gusts.

They came at us like a net, ready to ensnare.

“I can dodge it─☆”

“I can see it too...!”

With my exceptional speed, I evaded. Hilde, capable of nullifying attacks, defended and intercepted. We each countered the incoming blade storm in our own ways.

‘As a creature whose main theme is deception, the real attack will come soon enough...’

Offnir, apparently having prepared his ‘real attack pattern,’ shouted with confidence.

“Kahak!! It’s not over yet!! Scream in agony and die─!!”

The dialogue, reminiscent of a wall pattern I had heard countless times.

“It’s the second blade pattern! It’ll get stronger! You must avoid the thick lines like they’re solid objects!”

“Got it, Lara, be careful!”

“Okay─☆”

“...I really don’t like those ‘prophets.’”

“Shut up─☆”

An unexpected pattern spoiler. But Offnir, who had already gathered ether for his attack, executed his prepared movements.

Ssssh—!

Offnir moved around, continuously hurling black blades. The 20-meter green body moved swiftly like a shadow.

Ssssh—!

Aiming at the shield of the spear-wielding knight clad in steel.

With a chilling wail, the giant green dragon swung its forelimbs, continuously creating blades of wind.

Ssssh—!

Before I knew it, dozens of blades became hundreds, thousands, turning into a massive black blade storm.

In the small mobile screen, it was a clumsy CG animation with a red floor pattern... but seeing it in reality, it was a powerful attack.

I jumped up, using my spear as a pole vault.

“Take this─☆”

In the midst of the storm. The black blade storm drew lines as it approached.

Wheeee—!!

As I squeezed through the narrow gaps in the blade storm, the terrifying noise and chilling killing intent whooshed past.

Another wave of the blade storm approached.

“...!”

Wheeee—!!

I twisted in midair, dodging.

‘Unlike the game pattern that only moved north, south, east, and west, this three-dimensional movement is truly challenging...’

A deadly jump rope.

If I didn’t have either perception or speed, it would have been an impossible attack to dodge.

But I managed to evade.

“...!”

Tatat—!

Another blade storm passed by.

Wheeee—!!

Within the storm’s movement, I slipped through, dodging everything. When I glanced at how Hilde was handling it...

Clang! Thunk!

Hilde, admirably, stood firm with her massive spear infused with lightning ether, holding her ground amid the blade storm. She appeared stronger than what I remembered from her first-year combat prowess.

“Hyaat─!”

And following my words, she doggedly avoided the thick lines of the blade storm.

“...!”

Watching that, I felt an overwhelming sense of hope. I wanted to give Hilde a ten-point kiss for her efforts after the battle.

‘But first, I need to ask about that forehead kiss...!’

We were still in the middle of combat. Kiss talk would have to wait.

Most of the black blade storm around Hilde was being shattered by the lightning.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The lightning of the academy city’s protector. The blue and white ether, part of the noblest [Destiny] attribute, shone brighter than ever, shattering the blade storm. It was the lightning of protection that flared up when truly trying to protect someone.

Rumble─!!

“...”

Seeing that, I suddenly became curious about what was in Hilde’s heart.

‘Protecting the academy city...? Or maybe...’

But that thought was interrupted by a sharp cry.

“Shaaa—!!”

Offnir continued to swing his forelimbs, shouting. As he repeated the swings, the black walls of wind collided, resonated, and grew even larger.

Boom—!!

Offnir, amid the blade storm, raised his forelimbs, trembling, about to shout something.

“The source of [Conflict] is distrust! Even your shadows...!”

Another infuriating line.

Tatat—!

Hopping around as if playing jump rope within the raging blade storm, I shouted to Hilde.

“Watch the ground! Clones coming─☆”

“Got it! Lara!”

Hilde broke her barrier for an attack, disregarding the wounds she sustained due to her slightly inferior evasive skills.

Sssht!

Blood splattered from the wounds. It was the result of a forced breakthrough, trusting my command.

“Hilde─!!!”

Seeing that, I screamed. My mind threatened to go blank.

‘Ah... so this is how it feels.’

Seeing her hurt... hurt more than being hurt myself.

Hilde, still glaring at Offnir with murderous intent, responded.

“I’m fine!!! Avoid it!!”

“...!”

Realizing the attack she was about to make, I distanced myself as much as possible. Then Hilde’s maximum output [Gleipnir] emitted a flash.

“Kahak!! Do you think I’ll just let you?!!”

“Yes☆ You will─☆”

I channeled an ether skill into my spear and threw it at Offnir with all my might. My ultimate move, [Red Flower Darjeeling], now effective even against boss-level enemies.

Whoosh—!! Thunk!!

“Khak?!”

With Offnir momentarily hesitating.

Rumble—!!

Hilde slammed her spear into the ground, shouting.

“Die!! All of you!!”

Rumble—!!

A blinding light of annihilation. In an instant, hundreds of lightning bolts struck through the black storm and exploded.

Now.

And going forward.

Forever.

Among all the students who passed through this academy city, one of the most dazzling ether skills shone brightly. It swept the ground, rapidly annihilating Offnir’s clones that had begun to take shape.

The clones perished before they could even form, letting out their final cries.

“Keugh...?!”

“Kuk...!”

Rumble—!!

As the brilliant flash subsided, the black blade storm was completely consumed by lightning. A vast lightning bolt painted everything white.

“...”

“...”

And when it all vanished, Offnir’s main body was gone, and the presence hidden by countless clones was quickly retreating underground.

-“Kukuk...! Well... since you know everything, I’m outta here!! Khaha!!”

“...”

“...”

The boss had executed a strategic retreat.