Erenes felt it clearly the moment her attack was blocked.
'He cut across space.'
It was a technique that defied common sense, an act that ignored the very laws of the world through sheer willpower.
She recognized that technique. It was the power used by the Adversary.
With a voice trembling with fury, Erenes shouted, "Why… why are you here? Adversary!"
Yulian furrowed his brow slightly. She was hurling accusations and spouting incomprehensible words, leaving him utterly confused.
But Erenes was too overwhelmed to notice his reaction.
'How could he resemble him so much?!'
Though his aura and hair color were different, his face was identical to that of the Adversary—against whom humanity had united long ago. And the power he wielded, the one that ignored natural laws, was not something just anyone could use.
Erenes's emerald eyes began to glow with a fierce light.
Fwoosh!
Red flames erupted around her. Spirits danced and circled her, feeding her fury.
Yulian didn't strike back immediately. He didn't know who she was or why she was attacking.
But Erenes had no intention of stopping.
Fwoosh!
Flames surged toward Yulian and exploded.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Simultaneously, spirits surrounded him on all sides. Water spirits encased him, trying to slow his movements. Air spirits hindered his breathing, while earth spirits attempted to root him to the ground.
It was all futile. The spirits' powers had no effect on Yulian.
With a single swing of his sword, he dispersed the wind. The earth crumbled, and the water splattered apart.
Slice!
Finally, Yulian launched his own attack. A gash appeared in Erenes's armor.
But she showed no sign of pain, extending her hand as though nothing had happened.
Boom!
A green flash struck Yulian, forcing his body to stagger backward.
"...."
A glimmer of surprise appeared in his eyes. Few could land a hit on him now that his power had grown to this level.
Yulian gripped his sword tightly. Although his spatial-cutting technique was powerful, a strong opponent like this called for direct engagement.
Like a bolt of lightning, he dashed forward, swinging his sword at Erenes.
Clang!
The light radiating from Erenes's arm intercepted his strike.
The two moved with incredible speed, exchanging relentless attacks.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Neither yielded an inch as their fierce battle continued. The spectators around them were bewildered.
They were supposed to be allies—comrades. Watching them suddenly clash like this was incomprehensible.
Though it was Erenes who had started the fight.
Claude muttered to Wendy, "See? That whole thing about elves loving forests and peace? Lies, all lies. This proves it. Elves, they just swing at people on sight. Ever since I met Ascon, I've been researching elves and—"
"...."
Wendy silently took out earplugs and inserted them. Listening further would only lead to bleeding ears.
Meanwhile, Belinda urgently spoke to Ghislain.
"Young Master! What is going on? Why are those two fighting? Shouldn't we stop them?"
Ghislain nodded, his expression thoughtful. Just as in his previous life, Erenes seemed to be hiding something. She always reacted this way around Yulian, as if triggered by his mere presence.
They needed to calm her down and get to the bottom of this. He had no intention of brushing it off like in his past life.
But now wasn't the time to intervene.
"Not yet… it's just getting interesting—uh, I mean, let's observe for a little longer."
In truth, he wanted to watch. Opportunities to see a fight between two such formidable individuals were rare, and it was thrilling to behold.
The others seemed to agree. Although worried, they watched intently, captivated by the display of incredible skill. Witnessing such mastery was, after all, a valuable learning experience.
Only Alpoi and Claude, oblivious to the tension, were playing rock-paper-scissors to trade off their servitude terms.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The battle between Yulian and Erenes grew fiercer with each exchange. Even someone as formidable as Yulian found it challenging to handle Erenes going all out.
Erenes gritted her teeth, her face etched with urgency.
'His strength hasn't fully returned. I have to kill him now!'
If she didn't kill him now, she would never get another chance. Once he regained his full power, even everyone here combined wouldn't be able to stop him.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Yulian's gaze grew colder, devoid of even a trace of killing intent.
He was simply fighting because she attacked. His curiosity about her motives had already faded.
But he couldn't keep this up forever. He had to decide—subdue her or kill her.
Drawing on more of his strength, he moved decisively.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
Several cuts appeared across Erenes's body in an instant. Yet, she continued moving as if unscathed.
The spirits healed her wounds, and her armor, made of wood, repaired itself.
BOOM!
A brilliant green light emanated from Erenes again, forcing Yulian back.
With each movement, the force of their clash intensified. The ground around them had already been torn apart, left in shambles.
Shockwaves from their power collided, creating violent gusts of wind. Even the onlookers had to retreat further.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
As they fought, Erenes felt a growing sense of confusion.
'Why isn't he using his real power?!'
Despite everything, the cursed energy she feared so much hadn't surfaced. There wasn't even a trace of it.
Only the pure, refreshing blue mana continued to envelop his sword—a testament to skill earned through training, free from external influence.
'Could I have been mistaken? Could he just be someone who resembles him?'
His face and name were the same, but Yulian lacked the searing hatred and rage that had defined the Adversary.
Even the power he wielded, while similar, was distinctly different.
Was it all a mistake caused by what Artherion said?
Her mind turned to the Saintess.
'Why hasn't the Saintess reacted?!'
Parniel, more attuned to the aura of the Salvation Church than anyone, was merely watching with her arms crossed. She hadn't detected anything unusual.
If she didn't suspect him, it meant Yulian truly had no connection to the Adversary.
'Could I really have been wrong?'
But Erenes shook off her doubts.
'There's no way someone with the same name and appearance is just a coincidence!'
Gritting her teeth, she leaped back.
Whether Yulian was the Adversary or not no longer mattered. For humanity's sake, she couldn't allow her doubts to linger.
It was her conviction—her sense of justice.
Whoosh!
As she retreated, a dazzling emerald bow materialized in her hands.
The Elven Serenade—a weapon of ultimate destruction.
The gathering energy around it made the spectators gasp in horror. Its power far exceeded anything seen so far.
Even Yulian's eyes gleamed with recognition. For the first time, he thought to himself that it would be difficult to handle.
Thud!
He stepped forward, pouring every ounce of mana into his sword. Its blade shone an icy, brilliant blue.
With this, he would cut through everything—space, time, and the very person standing before him.
His resolve spread like an unyielding force.
One of them was going to die. Neither showed any intention of backing down.
BOOM!
Just before their powers could collide, Ghislain stepped between them, raising his hands.
"Whoa, whoa. Stop right there."
Screech!
BOOM!
Yulian's blade veered off course, slicing through the ground and triggering a minor earthquake.
Erenes's emerald arrow shot skyward, piercing through the clouds.
Both turned to look at Ghislain, who stood there with a wide grin.
"Now, now, why all the fighting the moment you meet? If you're going to fight, at least know why! I keep saying this—I'm a pacifist, you know."
"...."
"...."
Neither spoke. Yulian had no idea what was happening, while Erenes simply didn't want to respond.
But Ghislain wasn't about to let it go.
He walked up to Erenes and asked, "So, what's this all about? Care to explain why you suddenly attacked someone, calling him the Adversary?"
Ghislain already knew who the Adversary was. But since he'd learned it through dreams, explaining it to others would only make him sound insane. So, he feigned ignorance.
Erenes took a deep breath, her armor dissipating. Her cold gaze met his as she finally spoke.
"The Adversary is the one who leads the Salvation Church and brings the world to ruin."
"The Salvation Church is led by Gartros."
"And the king he seeks… is him."
Erenes's shocking declaration left everyone wide-eyed with disbelief.
The king sought by the Salvation Church is Yulian?
While he was indeed a prince destined to become a king, the claim was absurdly over the line.
Claude leaned over and whispered to Wendy, "She must be really bored with life. The Salvation Church is gone, so now she needs a new enemy. You know the type—people who can't sit still without stirring something up."
"..."
Claude's nonsense felt oddly convincing, given how outrageous Erenes's claim sounded.
Yulian had been at the forefront of the fight to annihilate the Salvation Church. Without him, the allied forces would have faced a much tougher battle.
He alone had slain more than ten superhuman members of the Salvation Church. If he were their king, he would have effectively destroyed his own forces.
Those who had fought alongside Yulian adamantly rejected Erenes's claim. Her words were nothing short of an insult to the honor Yulian had earned through his sacrifices.
Finally, Lumina stepped forward and spoke.
"Grand Chieftain, I think there's been a misunderstanding. That man has worked tirelessly to eradicate the Salvation Church. He's destroyed countless rifts. If he were the Church's king, none of this would make sense."
"..."
Erenes had no response. She alone remembered the Adversary.
But even she was beginning to waver. Yulian, who appeared so clearly to be the Adversary, had done nothing that aligned with his supposed identity.
The Adversary's goal was the annihilation of humanity. If Yulian were truly the Adversary, his actions made no sense.
'Could I really have been mistaken?'
She felt trapped, suffocated. He didn't seem to be hiding anything, yet his resemblance to the Adversary was so striking that seeing him drove her to the brink.
No one else could understand, of course. Only she knew the past.
Ghislain observed Erenes closely.
'She's clearly confused and frustrated.'
In his past life, Ghislain hadn't known why Erenes acted this way. But now, he had a better understanding.
In his dreams, Yulian and Erenes had fought together against the Salvation Church. Seeing someone identical to that Hero would naturally throw her into turmoil.
But her immediate aggression puzzled him. Yulian and the Hero from his dreams looked alike, but they were clearly different people.
Why would she act this way when she should know better?
And the Adversary wasn't Yulian, either.
In his dreams, Yulian was called the hero and fought against the Adversary. If the dreams were accurate, it was Erenes's memory that was wrong.
Ghislain spoke to her.
"It seems we have a lot to talk about. How about we move somewhere else to discuss this?"
"......"
In his past life, Erenes had fought Yulian and then left the allied forces. It had been a similar situation.
However, back then, she hadn't mentioned the Adversary. She'd only been bent on killing Yulian.
That made this situation slightly different.
'Is it because of me?'
Having fought alongside him in Lutania, perhaps she'd developed some level of trust.
Back then, everyone had sided with Yulian and tried to stop her, which ultimately drove her away.
Erenes closed her eyes and took a moment to gather her thoughts.
'I was too hasty.'
It seemed she'd been too influenced by Artherion's words. Couldn't it simply be a series of coincidences?
Still, those coincidences were unnerving. There were just too many similarities.
She no longer wanted to stay. Even if Yulian wasn't the Adversary, his face brought back painful memories she wished to avoid.
Distancing herself seemed the better option. She could reassess everything from afar. Yet, another thought came to mind.
'Artherion!'
The dragon intended to destroy human kingdoms. If it didn't find the Adversary, it would turn to other kingdoms and eventually clash with the allied forces.
If that happened and Artherion discovered Yulian...
'Everyone here would have to fight Artherion.'
Dragons were supreme beings, far beyond what even superhumans could handle.
Confronting a dragon without preparation would result in countless deaths.
Erenes wrestled with her thoughts.
'Yulian would eventually die at Artherion's hands.'
That would rid the world of its most ominous seed. She saw no need to stop it.
After all, such an outcome would benefit humanity.
But she also didn't want those with Yulian to suffer because of it.
After much deliberation, she finally sighed deeply and spoke.
"Duke Fenris."
"Yes?"
"You must prepare for a new battle."
"What kind of battle?"
Erenes's face grew grave as she explained.
"A dragon will soon appear. It will destroy human lands and…"
She pointed at Yulian.
"It will stop at nothing to kill him."
Ghislain's expression hardened.
In his past life, only one dragon had suddenly emerged to massacre humanity.
The combined might of most of the continent's Seven Strongest had been needed to bring it down, so he remembered it well.
However...
This time, the dragon was appearing far sooner than it had in his past life.
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