The palace buildings were old and creaking, as if they could collapse at any moment under the weight of the pressure in the air.
It was the terrifying magical pressure unleashed by a Demon Lord-level powerhouse!
If a fierce battle were to break out with Granstar here, the royal palace would surely be reduced to rubble.
And if that happened—how could King Gazel's dignity and prestige remain intact?
Granstar muttered to himself, his expression hardening. Was this so-called Hero King really planning to fight seriously?
"Hissss~ Ning!"
Suddenly, a sharp, ear-piercing cry of a magical beast rang out in Granstar's ears.
He looked up instinctively, his keen eyes locking onto the direction the sound had come from. With his powerful magic perception, he sensed an A+ level magical beast approaching at high speed.
The creature landed with a heavy thud, its wings vibrating gently as it came to a halt beside King Gazel.
Granstar stared in curiosity at the unusual mount—it resembled a Pegasus, yet radiated an aura unlike any he had encountered before.
The beast had a majestic, imposing form, on par with Rimuru's Ranga. Its sleek figure and fierce presence naturally commanded attention.
This was the legendary Winged Dragon, a creature rumored to possess traces of dragon blood, and said to have fought alongside the Hero King for many years.
Gazel calmly stroked the beast's neck, then mounted in one smooth motion. With a single flap of its wings, they shot into the sky.
"Follow me!" he called, his voice fading into the wind.
Granstar, who had enjoyed aerial superiority just moments ago, was stunned. After a brief hesitation, he spread his wings and gave chase.
With a flash of blue light, he streaked across the sky, hot on Gazel's trail.
Two beams of light—one black, one blue—cut across the skies above the Armed Nation of Dwargon Kingdom, trailing sparks as they raced through the air.
"Wow, look up there! What is that?"
"Wait—that's our king, King Gazel!"
"Who's that chasing him?!"
The dwarves below erupted in excited chatter. Their king was locked in aerial combat!
High above, Gazel glanced back at the figure pursuing him. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile.
"Elf—tell me your true name!"
Granstar narrowed the distance between them and replied with calm clarity:
"Granstar Tempest."
"…Good. Then let the battle begin!"
Granstar blinked. What?! Now? In mid-air?!
Before he could react, Gazel and his mount suddenly disappeared from view—only to reappear behind him, a giant sword already swinging downward.
"Damn—an ambush!"
Granstar instantly conjured an Ice Wall behind him, just in time to soften the blow of the massive weapon.
He reinforced his arm with Armor Enhancement, its ice-crystal hue shimmering as he barely managed to catch Gazel's strike.
Clang! Ding!
Sparks flew as steel clashed with magic, the sound echoing in the skies.
Even with his finely honed magic perception, Granstar could barely track the giant sword's trajectory.
He rapidly activated skills—Ice Armor, Ice Thorns—as the two continued to trade blows, each exchange draining their magical reserves.
From below, dazzling flares of magic illuminated the sky.
"I didn't expect a king to use underhanded tactics like ambushing," Granstar spat, fury on his face even as his hands stayed in motion. "Have you no shame, Gazel?!"
If he'd reacted even a second slower, that sword might've cut him clean in two.
"Haha! There's no such thing as a fair fight on the battlefield," Gazel replied, laughing. "Besides, who can see clearly from this height?"
The power in Gazel's blade surged again, cleaving through Granstar's ice spells with ease.
So he even has an excuse ready for an ambush, Granstar thought bitterly. But those dwarves down there can't even tell that their king used speed and height to strike first.
In close quarters, Granstar was clearly at a disadvantage.
Suddenly, Gazel's movements began to slow. He looked down to see frost creeping across his armor.
Granstar's eyes narrowed. His Frost Erosion trait had activated.
This was his chance.
With a quick burst of motion, he widened the distance between them.
"Oh? An erosion-type characteristic?" Gazel said with a smirk. "Interesting."
A flash of cyan light swept across Gazel's body—the effect of Frost Erosion was negated. He moved his wrist slightly, loosening it with ease.
Turning his gaze toward Granstar in the distance, who now wore a wary expression, Gazel let out a hearty laugh.
"Unfortunately, your combat awareness is still a bit lacking."
Granstar didn't deny it. Ever since his reincarnation into this world, he had relied almost entirely on his overwhelming strength to instantly crush his enemies.
To him, "combat awareness" had never really mattered. Fortunately, his racial advantages made him extremely adept in magical control.
But this was different.
This was his first time facing Gazel, a man with the strength of an Awakened Demon Lord—and the pressure was immense.
"Combat awareness, huh… Seems like I still have a lot to learn," Granstar muttered to himself, a memory of an old, white-haired swordsman flickering in his mind.
But now wasn't the time for reflection. Gazel's attacks were relentless, and he couldn't afford to be distracted.
"Extreme Cold Domain—!"
The surrounding temperature plummeted below zero, and the mist in the air crystallized into fine ice particles.
Don't forget, he reminded himself, I'm an elf magician. Magic is my forte!
"Wait! Granstar! Don't release that Ice Giant of yours!" Gazel suddenly shouted, halting his advance. "If you use that skill here, the people below will suffer."
Granstar froze, stunned.
How does he know what I'm about to cast?
"Gazel… Do you have the Mind Reading skill?"
In response, Gazel raised his longsword—and burst into laughter.
"Of course! Haven't you heard? The Dwarven King possesses the innate skill Mind Reading! I usually don't bother using it against weaker opponents."
He pointed his sword forward.
"As long as you don't summon Ice Giant, you can use anything else. I won't hold back."
Without another word, he charged, sword gleaming with lethal intent.
Granstar's expression darkened.
So that's why he's been a step ahead this whole time… He's already seen through all my skills!
"Master, is there any way to block the effects of mind reading?"
"Report: With the host's current capabilities, it is not possible. Resistance to mental-type skills can only be developed after reaching the Awakened Demon Lord level."
Granstar grit his teeth.
Not yet...
Snapping back to the present, he saw Gazel's lightning-fast strike closing in.
"Isn't it just mind reading? Then watch this—Ice Burst!"
A blast of frigid energy erupted outward. The ice particles in the air surrounding Gazel detonated with violent force.
BOOM—!