The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

How exactly Nine Hell lost might have confused the general audience, but among the gods watching from above, there was no mystery.

It was a pure and absolute difference in power. Yoru's magical energy far surpassed Nine Hell's—so much so that the outcome of their battle had been decided before it even began.

"I leave it to you now, Ais."

As Nine Hell stepped down from the arena, her pretty face still held a faint blush. She glanced at Ais and lowered her head, speaking softly.

"I've been waiting for this moment."

Ais responded with clear anticipation, her excitement barely concealed in her voice.

She had long dreamed of having a proper match against Yoru. What she hadn't expected was to fight him under such circumstances, in this kind of setting, and from opposing sides.

Whether it was to resolve the knot in her heart or to defend the honor of the Loki Familia—Ais Wallenstein would not allow herself to lose.

"This isn't a spar or training session anymore, Yoru-kun!"

"Ah… Please go easy on me."

Seeing Ais radiate such intense fighting spirit, Yoru couldn't help but feel the pressure.

Unlike Nine Hell, Ais was a swordswoman—and one who excelled in speed. An immensely powerful swordswoman.

And battles between mages and swordsmen often came down to a single instant.

The moment Yoru's words left his mouth, Ais moved. In an instant, she vanished from his sight.

Wind howled past his ears with a sharp tearing noise. Yoru instinctively turned his neck to the side. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a slender blade frozen in the air, inches away in the ice-coated space around them.

"You really didn't hold back… You actually trusted I could block that?"

Yoru let out a bitter smile. That strike had gone straight for his neck. If not for his near-instinctive reaction, he might've been skewered on the spot.

Ais's delicate face came into view before him. She scrunched her nose cutely and replied:

"If you couldn't dodge it, I would've redirected the blade at the last second."

"I see... In that case, to repay your surprise—allow me to return the favor."

Yoru smiled. Ais sensed something was wrong and tried to retreat—but it was already too late.

In normal circumstances, when a mage is approached by a swordsman, it's a huge disadvantage.

Casting spells required time to chant—and those precious seconds were more than enough for a swordsman to land a fatal blow.

However, Ais had long understood this from fighting alongside Nine Hell. Every competent mage had a backup for this situation:

Close-range mana burst.

In a single moment, a mage would forcefully erupt mana from their body without any chant or guidance. This was a mana burst—a raw explosion of energy.

Its destructive force was comparable to point-blank spellcasting. But unlike casting, where a shield could be pre-applied and spells were released from the hands, mana bursts were different.

Mana bursts didn't count as spells. They involved violently ejecting magical energy from every pore in the body, unleashing a massive wave of destruction.

It was almost a self-destructive move. But in critical moments, it could be incredibly effective.

As for Yoru—he had never learned proper spellcasting techniques. One could even say every time he used magic, he was brute-forcing a mana burst.

Crude and direct, forcing magic from within his body into raw power!

Ais tried to back away, but in the next instant, she felt a strange sluggishness take hold of her—her very thoughts slowing down. A pale, white mist enveloped her vision, followed by an intense, bone-chilling cold.

It was here again… that feeling. That suffocating despair and powerlessness.

Unbidden, Ais remembered the first time she met Yoru—how back then, too, she was caught off-guard and instantly frozen, unable to resist.

But this time was different. This time, she stood here as a Level 6. There was no way she would be defeated by that frost again!

The wind began to blow.

In the nearly frozen air, Yoru—who moments ago wore a confident expression—visibly flinched. His magic had actually been disrupted?

This was the first time since arriving in this world that anyone had ever shaken his magic head-on.

Vast and terrifying mana compressed to its absolute limit—then detonated in a sudden burst.

It started as a breeze, then grew stronger and stronger, until finally, the fierce wind shattered the frost that had trapped Ais!

Glittering shards scattered through the air. Under the gusting wind, Ais's skirt and golden hair danced wildly. She stood suspended in the air like a valkyrie, gazing down at Yoru with the dignity of a goddess of war.

She had broken through Yoru's frost with her own power. She had cast off the shadows that had haunted her heart. Now—Ais had finally achieved the peak of her power since becoming Level 6.

"Thank you, Yoru. But for the sake of Loki Familia's honor… I must defeat you!"

Floating mid-air, Ais declared coldly and firmly. Yet as Yoru scratched his nose and gave a wry smile, Ais added with a mischievous wink:

"And as for you and Big Sis Riveria—I'm definitely not letting that slide. I'll help the two of you elope later, okay?"

Atop Babel Tower, just as Loki was preparing to proudly boast about Ais's brilliant display, that final line from Ais made her nearly cough up blood on the spot.

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