Asta swallowed hard—he had a bad feeling he knew what kind of training Charles and reoleona were talking about.
Yami puffed on his cigarette. "No way... Is that kid really gonna fight that violent lioness?"
Though still wearing his usual calm expression, Yami was genuinely surprised. As soone who had been trained by reoleona himself, he knew better than anyone how terrifying she could be. He couldn't believe the kid was using actual combat with her as his training.
"reoleo big sis, please take care of !" Charles said respectfully.
Under everyone's shocked gazes, the two collided.
"You talk too much, brat!"
Without a greeting or warning, reoleona threw a punch.
Charles crossed his arms to block it and launched a countering kick.
Her upraised arm blocked the kick, but the resulting explosion of flas blew lava high into the air.
Instead of separating, the two beca fully entangled in hand-to-hand combat. Though they exchanged only simple strikes, each one carried the force of an earthquake.
They were serious.
Everyone watching felt it—this wasn't sparring. It was a brutal exchange, with each move aid at taking the other down.
"Fla Magic: Scorching Arm!"
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
After over a dozen rounds of close combat, the two unleashed their magic at the sa ti.
Their magically-enhanced fists clashed, triggering a colossal explosion of fire.
The platform beneath reoleona shattered, forcing her to leap to another outcropping. She looked over at Charles, who had done the sa, and smiled.
"Not bad! You've gotten a lot stronger in a short ti."
Charles returned her smile. "Of course I have. Otherwise, how could I make you go all out?"
"You've learned how to talk back. But if that's all you've got, it's not enough for !"
Flashing a sharp grin, she and Charles vanished from sight, only to reappear midair above the lava lake, clashing once more. The resulting explosion of fire displaced even the magma below, revealing the rocky bottom.
Asta gaped. "Did Charles piss off the new Crimson Lion captain or sothing? Why are they fighting like this?!"
Yami slapped the back of Asta's head. "Idiot. Can't you see they're both smiling?"
Asta looked again—sure enough, both fighters wore excited, delighted grins.
Yami exhaled. "Watch carefully, all of you. Not just Big Sis Leo, but Charles too. They're both mages beyond what you can imagine right now. Study their fight well.
Damn it... It's one thing for Leo to be that strong, but when did that brat Charles get so powerful?!"
While they spoke, Charles and reoleona exchanged countless more blows. She took a punch to the shoulder and returned one just as heavy, sending Charles flying.
"What's wrong? Weren't you gonna show your new moves? Let's see them!"
Wiping a bit of blood from his mouth, Charles said, "Then I won't hold back!"
He activated his Dragon Blood Mode, bursting forward at incredible speed toward reoleona.
"That's more like it!"
Just as she finished speaking, reoleona suddenly pivoted and punched right at Charles—he had appeared in front of her mid-sentence.
Her reflexes were extraordinary—faster even than Vetto at full awakening, whose Beast Magic gave him reaction speeds dozens of tis faster than a normal human.
Even Charles in Dragon Blood Mode couldn't move faster than she could react.
"Fla Magic: Scorching Arm!"
Both her arms ignited. Her left blocked Charles's strike, while her right lashed out with a fiery lion's claw.
Charles twisted out of the way.
Asta blinked. "Wait... he dodged? But can't Charles eat fire magic?"
Yami replied, "Of course he dodged. That's fire he can't eat."
He was right. Charles couldn't absorb reoleona's fla magic.
To him, normal fire magic was like drinking water—easy to consu. The flas of elite mages with refined mana were like chewy gelatin—manageable, if a bit difficult.
But reoleona's fire, honed to a tallic sharpness, was utterly indigestible. It burned.
For the first ti since learning Dragon Slayer Magic, Charles felt the pain of being burned in battle.
As more flaming lion's claws chased him, Charles launched a relentless counterattack.
But despite the torrent of strikes, reoleona blocked them all with her Scorching Arm.
"This won't satisfy at all!"
With a roar, she struck Charles with a full-power punch just as he lunged forward.
Charles spun through the air and slamd into a cliff wall. Coughing, he dragged himself free and returned to stand across from her.
Deactivating Dragon Blood Mode, he said, "Looks like there's no room for reservation with you, Big Sis. Ti to use my strongest move!"
reoleona laughed. "You've got sothing stronger? How delightful! Then I won't hold back either—co at with everything you've got!"
"Mana Zone!" ×2
They spoke in unison.
Their mana surged outward, clashing in the air.
From Charles's grimoire flew a spirit of fla.
"That's...?" Yami's eyes widened. "So Salamander's new master is that brat."
Asta looked at Yuno's wind spirit on his shoulder and turned green with envy.
Even Yuno tensed. He knew just how powerful spirit magic was.
Among the four elental spirits, Salamander didn't communicate like Sylph or Undine, but its destructive power was unmatched.
Charles, already powerful, now had the might of a spirit behind him. Though it had only recently bonded with him, the sheer volu of Charles's mana had helped Salamander mature rapidly.
Maybe it was the influence of his dragon blood, but Salamander's new form closely resembled Igneel.
Charles said, "I'll call you Fal from now on. Let's go!"
As his Dragon's Nest clashed with reoleona's Mana Zone, Charles realized she had seized partial control of the mana in his own domain.
"As expected from the undefeated lioness—stealing prey right out of a dragon's jaws!"
He was amazed—no technique was invincible. It still ca down to the user's power.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Salamander's Breath!"
Without delay, Charles launched his strongest attack. Above him, Fal spread his wings and attacked as well.
Their flas fused into a massive pillar that swept toward reoleona.
"Fla Magic: Scorching Arm—Flurry!"
She neither flinched nor dodged—instead, she charged head-on.
Dozens of fiery lion's claws flew out to et the pillar of fire.
Her flas could burn even fire itself.
reoleona's magic repelled the fire pillar blow for blow.
Charles couldn't maintain that level of output for long. Soon, his flas died out. reoleona, having cast dozens of spells in return, was also nearing her limit.
Wiping sweat from her brow, she grinned. "You really are sothing else, kid. Let's keep going!"
Charles, panting, smiled bitterly. He had just thrown out his trump card. It looked like he was going to get beaten again.
As the flas reignited, Charles said, "But I won't give up. I'll break my limits right here!"
...
Leopold reached the mountaintop just in ti to see his sister with a look of complete satisfaction—and Charles lying on the ground like a dead dog.
_________________________________________
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