"Are you sure you want to fight alone?"

"You’re doing the same," I shot back.

Shimizu’s warning carried little weight, especially since we both stood as solo combatants. Thanks to the Princess’s orders, Nagai seemed confined to purely defensive magic.

Above us, the sky grew darker, heavy clouds churning with flashes of lightning.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you," Shimizu muttered.

He looked every part the accomplished fighter, clad in polished gear befitting someone known for tearing through dungeons with ease. Wielding a broad, glowing greatsword and adorned in metallic armor that shimmered somewhere between silver and green, he cut an imposing figure. I appraised his equipment, but the names weren’t enough to divine their effects.

"Force Field!"

Behind him, Nagai cast a barrier spell that created a protective field against both physical and magical attacks. She wielded advanced magic with a practiced ease. At least the field didn’t obstruct visibility like some wall spells.

"Here I come," Shimizu warned before lunging forward in a single, decisive leap.

I dodged the lateral slash with a quick backstep, then aimed a counter with a right hook at his now-exposed torso. But Shimizu anticipated my move, twisting his body to evade and bringing his sword around to target my back as he passed.

I rolled forward to avoid the strike and swiftly turned to face him again.

"Do your best, Shu!" Rio’s cheer rang out.

I waved lightly in response, earning a derisive snort from Shimizu.

He wasn’t faster than the master I had trained with, but his skill was undeniable.

Lowering his stance, Shimizu channeled a surge of magical energy into his weapon. I could feel the power building. It seemed like he was preparing some kind of projectile.

I edged subtly toward a position where the Princess was behind me, curious if the slave collar’s restrictions would prevent him from attacking. It appeared Shimizu had no intention of holding back, even if his shot could potentially hit her. Perhaps the collar’s limitations required direct intent to harm.

"Hah!"

A faintly glowing projectile sped toward me. I exaggerated my dodge, twisting dramatically to the side. In the same motion, I launched a magically enhanced Ice Javelin toward the Princess, making it as translucent as possible to avoid detection.

The sound of something shattering echoed behind me as I pressed the attack on Shimizu. I infused both gauntlets with magic, marveling again at how smoothly the power flowed.

Leading with my right fist, I advanced. Shimizu brought his sword down in a sweeping arc, forcing me to sidestep while countering with a left punch at a safe distance. Mimicking one of his earlier tactics, I cast Blast Ball—an explosive spell combining fire and earth—toward him. But he narrowly dodged the attack.

Before I could recover, he closed the gap. Acting on instinct, I drove my right fist into his armor-clad torso.

"Gah!"

Shimizu let out a small groan as the impact sent him flying several meters. I had augmented the punch with an Air Hammer spell, boosting its force significantly.

"Force Field!"

Nagai’s incantation reached my ears, likely renewing the barrier I had just shattered with the Ice Javelin.

"What do you think you’re doing, Masayoshi! That was dangerous!" the Princess scolded.

"Wha—? What are you talking about—?"

I wasn’t about to give them time for idle chatter. Now that I had gauged Shimizu’s abilities, it was time to finish this.

Shifting gears, I quickened my movements. This slight increase in speed was enough to overwhelm his reactions. Circling behind him, I landed a devastating left punch, intent on smashing through his armor.

At the moment of impact, I triggered a Blast Ball spell. The resulting explosion hurled Shimizu through the air, slamming him into Nagai’s Force Field.

"Masayoshi!" Nagai’s panicked cry filled the air.

Shimizu groaned, struggling to rise, but his movements were sluggish.

"Masayoshi Shimizu. Failure is not an option," the Princess demanded coldly.

Despite his evident exhaustion, he pushed himself to his feet.

"Limit Break...!"

The words left his mouth like a declaration, and an aura flared to life around him. His wounds began to close, and the magical energy radiating from him intensified.

"Impressive skill," I acknowledged.

Still, my resolve to end the fight quickly remained unchanged.

Upping my power another two levels, I unleashed a flurry of floating Ice Javelins around me. As Shimizu charged, now faster than before, I launched the spears at him. But his aura deflected each one, shattering them mid-flight.

"Raaaaaagh!"

He brought his greatsword down in a massive overhead swing. I conjured a smooth, slippery boulder on my left gauntlet, deflecting the blow and redirecting it into the ground. Exploiting the opening, I drove my right fist, now brimming with magic, into his side.

The enhanced punch, bolstered further by my magic, sent Shimizu hurtling through Nagai’s barrier, crashing into the Princess’s side.

"Extra Heal!"

Nagai’s advanced healing spell enveloped Shimizu, but while his wounds were treated, it didn’t revive his consciousness.

"Masayoshi! Wake up! ...Water!"

Nagai conjured a splash of water, reviving Shimizu with a coughing gasp.

But it was too late. I had already surrounded the Princess and her group with floating Blast Balls, each ready to explode.

"This ends now."

With a clenched fist, I commanded the spheres to converge on their position.

"Magic Barrier!"

An advanced defensive spell flared into place at the last second. But how much could it really hold back?