Chapter 146: Serious Combat
Outside the city, in the previous woods, Airael and Arthur stood facing each other.
Celia and Aurora, who had followed along, were still on the side acting as spectators and on-site support staff.
Airael’s gaze fell on the traces left from their battle yesterday, especially the scorch marks left by fire, which stood out prominently in the woods.
Seeing that Airael had no intention of starting the fight, Arthur quietly awaited her, not rushing into battle.
After taking in the remnants of yesterday’s clash, Airael looked at Arthur and smiled, saying, “I won’t make the same mistake as yesterday.”
“I hope so; otherwise, this practice match would be utterly pointless,” Arthur replied casually with a smile.
To this, Airael retorted angrily, “Hmph! Then let me see how you plan to defeat me next!”
“Ailia, are you ready?”
Arthur didn’t respond directly but looked at Airael, his expression turning serious as if faced with a great enemy.
Although he had just been lighthearted, he recognized Airael’s strength deep down.
There was no doubt that Airael was a powerful Mage.
Her magic had an incredible impact.
From what Arthur had seen and heard, Airael’s magic could rival the best on the continent.
In addition to her magic, Airael also had impressive melee combat skills compared to other Mages.
Her close combat abilities were not just for self-defense; she could take lives.
Against such an opponent, if Arthur didn’t take it seriously, he was doomed to lose.
Arthur’s serious demeanor pleased Airael.
Looking at Arthur, she replied, “I am ready.”
“Then, let the battle begin!”
With no more unnecessary words, as soon as Arthur finished speaking, he dashed rapidly toward Airael.
What had been a short distance seemed to vanish in an instant.
However, Airael wasn’t sitting idly by.
As Arthur charged, she raised her hand and unleashed a powerful lightning strike.
Thanks to Airael’s exaggerated vision, she could lock onto Arthur’s presence in an instant.
Despite Arthur’s incredible speed that could leave many unable to track him, Airael’s formidable power allowed her to focus on him immediately.
Noticing Airael’s movement, Arthur prepared himself.
When the lightning thundered down, he made a quick leap to the right, dodging the strike.
He then continued his charge toward Airael.
That was the sad fate of a Warrior against a Mage: he must find a way to close the distance to pose a threat.
Of course, Airael wouldn’t let Arthur get what he wanted.
Her close combat skills, though formidable, still paled in comparison to Arthur’s fighting prowess.
Even with magic as a backup, she didn’t dare to underestimate him after their last encounter.
It was better to play it safe.
Especially when facing someone like Arthur, who had significant resistance to magic; being careful was the name of the game.
As another lightning attack came, Arthur continued to evade.
While he had a good resistance to magic, being struck didn’t feel pleasant.
Especially with an attack like lightning that had a paralyzing effect; being caught off guard could turn him into Airael’s target practice.
And Airael would certainly follow up with a powerful magical attack afterward. No matter how resistant he was, he wouldn’t stand a chance against her strongest magic.
Thus, the battle began in earnest, just like the previous morning.
One aimed to close the distance; the other sought to keep the opponent far away.
Arthur remained calm.
He was a mature hunter.
Since there was no opportunity to approach Airael, he would wait.
Airael was currently a stationary artillery piece.
And he had excellent mobility.
While it looked like he was being bombarded by Airael’s magic, in reality, he held a slight advantage.
He was still charging up while Airael had already begun her explosive offense.
Airael couldn’t maintain this level of output forever.
It was surely taxing for her.
In contrast, while dodging Airael’s magic was somewhat exhausting, it wasn’t particularly draining for him.
Additionally, given the current situation, Arthur was wary of getting too close to Airael.
He vividly recalled the image of Airael enveloped in lightning.
In that state, she resembled a prickly hedgehog—totally untouchable!
Touching her would hurt only himself.
So, he would wait.
For the perfect opportunity.
Meanwhile, while Airael continued her attacks, she was also analyzing the combat situation.
From Arthur’s displayed actions, she had picked up on some of his intentions.
However, she was powerless against it.
Magic had great power, but there was a significant prerequisite: the ability to hit the target.
Though her aim was sharp, Arthur was as slippery as an eel, making it hard to predict his movements.
Using large-scale magic attacks required considerable prep time to ensure their effectiveness.
If Arthur noticed this time, it could be a disaster for her.
But this didn’t mean she was at a disadvantage.
After all, her magic power reserves were vast.
That meant she could keep going for a long time.
During this period, anything could happen.
They needed to see who could seize the opportunity and outlast the other.
In this test of patience, neither had been harmed; although Arthur looked disheveled and somewhat dirtied, the nearby woods had certainly taken a beating.
Airael’s magic had ravaged the area again, and this time, even more severely than before.
Celia and Aurora, as bystanders, had to be constantly on guard to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Time slowly passed.
Almost half an hour later, Airael’s magical bombardment finally came to a halt.
By this point, the surrounding area had transformed into utter chaos.
To put it bluntly, it was nothing short of a wasteland.
Amidst the ruins, Airael and Arthur faced each other.
After such a prolonged battle, they were both breathing heavily.
Arthur’s gaze toward Airael was akin to staring at a monster.
After all, since the start of their fight, Airael’s magical attacks had not let up.
Just how rich were her magic reserves?!