The sheer power of the Ice Blast was simply unimaginable.
Even a mighty warrior like Gazel dared not face such a terrifying attack head-on. Helpless in the face of overwhelming force, he had no choice but to temporarily abandon his charge and focus entirely on defense.
"[Earth Power], [Steel Blockade]…"
A series of deep incantations echoed as layers of solid magical shields formed around him. Yet, even with this protection, Gazel could still feel the crushing pressure radiating from the blast.
Only after the residual energy of the Ice Blast had finally dissipated did Gazel manage to exhale a faint sigh of relief.
He sat quietly atop the Twin-Winged Flying Dragon, his body trembling slightly—clear evidence that the defense had drained a significant portion of his strength.
"Hissss~ roar!!!!…"
The dragon let out a low, pained hiss, visibly shaken by the harrowing ordeal it had just endured.
Meanwhile, far below, dwarves and members of other races gazed up at the spectacle in the sky.
Unfortunately, the distance was too great.
All they could make out were vague figures clashing high above—unable to witness the full intensity of the battle.
Suddenly, the once-clear sky turned gloomy.
Countless ice shards fluttered down from above, some stained with streaks of blood and tinted blue.
It was as if a sudden blizzard had swept through the city, blanketing it in a chilling, foreboding silence.
At that very moment, Rimuru—who had been happily reuniting with Ranga and the others at the city gate—suddenly turned his head sharply, eyes locking onto the darkened sky above the kingdom.
Within his magical perception, two overwhelmingly powerful auras were colliding furiously in the distant heavens.
One of them felt eerily familiar to him—a cold, domineering presence that sent a shiver down his spine.
Rimuru's heart sank.
Granstar was in battle.
Judging from the magical turbulence, his opponent was no ordinary foe—their strength was monstrous, perhaps even beyond expectation.
Without hesitation, Rimuru made his decision.
"Ranga, come with me—now!"
With a flash, Rimuru shot toward the source of the magical clash, his urgency evident.
Ranga immediately followed, not a moment's delay.
At the same time, Rimuru called out to Gobta.
"Gobta! Take Kaijin and the others back to the village—make sure they get there safely!"
"Yes, understood!"
Gobta responded with a rare seriousness in his tone.
"Please don't worry, Lord Rimuru,"
Kaijin added solemnly.
The others nodded in agreement, ready to follow the order without question.
Although they didn't fully understand what was happening, Rimuru's expression said it all—something serious was unfolding.
And the only one who could make Rimuru this anxious… was undoubtedly Lord Granstar.
"Cough… cough…"
Gazel's armor was in tatters, revealing his bronze-hued skin beneath.
Crisscrossed wounds left by razor-sharp ice blades covered his body—gruesome, but not fatal.
"Heh… Granstar, your power didn't disappoint me. But now—it's time I got serious."
He glanced down at his injuries.
It had been years since anyone had wounded him. The pain… was nostalgic.
Granstar, however, was far from amused.
"You monster…" he muttered grimly.
Ice Burst was one of his most powerful spells—and it had barely scratched Gazel. If that wasn't monstrous, what was?
And now Gazel was actually getting serious.
Granstar's expression darkened.
He extended his magical perception to its fullest. He knew Gazel's strength could rival that of an awakened Demon Lord.
The magical power emanating from the Dwarven King was vast, like a bottomless sea—calm on the surface, but capable of surging forth like a tidal wave once provoked.
A glowing aura of magical armor enveloped Gazel's body.
The massive sword in his hand crackled with black lightning.
"[Thunder Strike]—activated."
"Granstar… brace yourself. This strike will be powerful."
After launching his strike, Gazel didn't forget to warn Granstar—a clear display of confidence in his own skill.
Granstar's face remained calm and handsome as ever, unfazed even by the blade crackling with terrifying lightning.
He didn't panic. Instead, he coolly calculated his next move.
"[Ice Armor]—full coverage!"
Granstar first layered himself with a defensive spell, but he knew that defense alone wouldn't be enough.
"[Frost Breath]!"
A towering blue magic circle formed in front of him. With a flash, it erupted in a massive wave of frost.
Boom—Bang!
The frost collided head-on with Gazel, who charged forward on his Pegasus, wielding a thunder-infused greatsword.
Even as the icy blast roared around him, Gazel's [Thunder Strike] didn't falter—it pierced through the chill.
Gazel's beard was tinged white from the frost as he closed in. Raising his greatsword once more, he slashed at Granstar and continued unleashing [Thunder Strike] at close range.
Only then did Granstar realize the true force of Gazel's attack.
Could he really block this?
"Warning: Host's body disntegration at 90%. [Self-Regeneration] trait activated."
"Recovering... 90%, 95%... 99%."
But the pain he expected never came—thanks to his [Pain Immunity] trait.
If he hadn't reacted in time, the damage would've been far worse.
"Huh? That's odd..." Gazel muttered, puzzled. He had clearly landed the hit—so why didn't it feel like it?
More importantly, Granstar had vanished at the last second. Gazel was sure he hadn't detected any teleportation skill in Granstar's abilities—not even under mind reading.
Something wasn't right.
He turned and stared at Granstar—and his eyes widened. Granstar had shrunk.
He now resembled the Queen of the Elves in chibi form.
Unbelievable!
A knowing look came over Gazel's face.
So that's how he minimized the damage from [Thunder Strike]—he'd transformed into a Q-version at the last second!
"Granstar… That little guy who attacked my subordinate before—was that you?"
Gazel pointed his sword at Granstar, his voice booming with accusation. He had long let go of that incident, but now it seemed Granstar had another crime added to his name.
"Hmph, that guy had it coming!" Granstar scoffed with disdain.
Just then, a voice rang out from below.
"Stop it!"
Rimuru, riding Ranga, soared into the sky. Water spheres floated beneath them, serving as platforms for Ranga's steps as they ascended through the air.
They had finally arrived.