When Charles unleashed his magic domain, the others—Ikki Kurogane and the rest—felt it imdiately.
"What is… this?"
Shizuku trembled in Ikki's arms, though whether she was truly too afraid to stand on her own was… questionable, to say the least.
Arisuin Nagi offered a wry smile. "That must be Charles's power. I heard he's a concept-type Blazer tied to dragons… he's every bit as terrifying as a mythical dragon."
Ikki nodded. He was the least affected of the three. His fear had never been of strength—his fears were always colder, deeper.
Supporting Shizuku, he said, "Looks like Charles alone is enough. I don't think he needs our help anymore."
The Rebellion disciples—being ordinary people—couldn't even stand up inside Charles's Dragon's Nest.
The only possible threat left was Smile, and Ikki had zero doubts that Charles would defeat that disgusting bastard.
Even now, they didn't know the full extent of Charles's power.
Smile's face twisted—not just from fear brought on by the domain, but from seething frustration.
He was furious with the intelligence departnt. How could soone this powerful have appeared with no report? And now he was stuck facing a completely unknown—but clearly superior—opponent.
Still, because of that fury, he montarily pushed fear aside. Unlike most lunatics, Smile could think.
And after weighing his options, he didn't believe he'd necessarily lose. The key would be his ability.
Charles watched as Smile slowly stood. The man exuded a surprising calm.
Charles didn't know where his confidence ca from, but he stayed on guard. Still, that didn't an he'd let him walk away.
"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"
Empowered by the magic domain, Charles's fist was wreathed in blazing flas. To Smile, it looked like the claws of a beast reaching for his throat.
But Smile simply raised his left hand.
Even just the raw power behind Charles's punch should've snapped his arm bones and seared his flesh. And yet—he caught it.
Stella stared in shock. How did Smile block that?! Smile offered no explanation. He simply threw a counterpunch into Charles's abdon.
Charles skidded backward, dragged by the force.
"What the…?"
Stella couldn't believe Smile had the power to knock Charles back. Sothing was up. He must have used a special trick.
Smile sneered. "So, how's that? You've seen my strength. In other words, you can't beat ."
Charles glanced at the hole burned through his shirt and replied, "I see. I've figured it out. Your rings—those are your Devices, right? Your ability must be so kind of causality-based interference: absorbing attacks and returning them."
He'd figured it out quickly—because he felt the energy in Smile's punch. It was his own Dragon Slayer magic, reflected back at him.
After all, a Fire Dragon Slayer couldn't consu their own fire.
Smile had hoped to end the fight before Charles caught on, but it was too late now.
Still, he believed that even if exposed, his ability was tough to counter.
"Ah, so you noticed. That's right—my Device is this pair of rings: Judgnt Rings, and my power is called Cri and Punishnt."
He raised his hands, showing off the rings glowing with ominous red light.
"The ring on my left hand absorbs damage as 'sin.' The one on my right converts that sin into 'punishnt' and returns it to the attacker.
Which ans—the stronger my opponent, the stronger I beco!"
Charles curled his lip. "My adoptive father once told : 'The stronger an ability, the heavier its price. There's no such thing as an invincible power.'
Absorbing and reflecting, huh? I can think of at least three ways to beat you."
Charles vanished, reappeared in front of Smile, and threw another blazing punch.
Smile grinned and blocked it again—only to strike air. Charles's afterimage vanished as his real self appeared elsewhere.
Their combat skills weren't even on the sa level. Now that Charles knew the trick, he'd never be hit again.
Standing at a distance, Charles called out, "See that? Your counterattacks can't land. How much magic do you have? How many attacks can you absorb before you run dry?"
Smile's face darkened. Charles was right—the stronger the attack, the more energy it took to absorb and convert it.
And if the counterstrikes kept missing, he'd eventually be out of magic. That would be the end.
Charles waved dismissively. "Relax. I did say I wouldn't be kind."
He advanced slowly toward Smile.
"Get away from !" Smile scread, drawing a pistol and firing.
The bullets lted in Charles's aura—harmless.
"You said your strength depends on your opponent's strength. So without an enemy, you're basically powerless."
Charles smirked. "If I don't hit you, you can't fight back. But that would just drag things out, so here's thod number two…"
He gently brushed Smile's arm aside—and struck.
Only a distorted dent was visible in Smile's chest. The crack of bones echoed loudly. Smile's eyes nearly bulged out, blood spurting from his mouth as he was sent flying.
"It worked?! But… how?" Stella muttered, stunned. Wasn't he supposed to absorb damage?
Charles explained, "His ability isn't causal interference—it's concept-based interference related to damage.
The difference is that causal interference is automatic. Conceptual interference requires active processing. So, if my strike exceeds his reaction ti, he can't absorb it."
Smile coughed up more blood as he staggered to his feet. Charles had hit the nail on the head. That was the weakness.
But still—how many fighters could launch attacks faster than the enemy could react? Not many.
Charles stared him down coldly. "Now for thod number three."
"W-Wait!" Smile was convinced now—Charles could kill him. He had to try bargaining.
"Let's talk! We can work sothing out!"
Charles ignored him. "Abilities still rely on the people using them. And humans… have limits.
So if I just overpower your absorption capacity, that's the simplest way."
Charles walked up, grabbed Smile by the throat, and lifted him into the air.
"Let's see what your limit really is."
Flas erupted from Charles's hand, engulfing Smile's entire body.
Smile desperately activated his ability to absorb the damage. He couldn't even counter now—if he stopped absorbing for even a mont, he'd be incinerated.
But the flas kept coming—relentless, endless. Smile's eyes widened in horror as cracks began to form in his left-hand ring.
Devices were manifestations of the soul—magic made real. They weren't supposed to break. This ant… he had reached his limit.
In a storm of fear and regret, the ring of "sin" shattered. The pain of the flas surged through him.
But he never even got the chance to scream. His body was reduced to ashes.
From the distance, Arisuin Nagi murmured, "To think Charles could be so…"
His surprise wasn't from the kill itself, but from how Charles had broken down Smile's ability in three different ways before finishing him.
Ikki shook his head. "Looks like Charles was really pissed."
Arisuin chuckled knowingly. "Better not get on his bad side, huh?"
Ikki smiled. "He's usually pretty easygoing… but yeah, I agree."
Charles exhaled a puff of white breath, the weight in his chest finally lifting.
But then he turned, eyes still sharp, his lingering killing intent locked on a new target.
"You've watched long enough. Co out!" he barked.
"There's more?!"
Stella raised her Dragon Sin Sword, looking in the sa direction as Charles.
The air shimred—and a man with his hands raised stepped out of hiding.
After witnessing how Charles had obliterated Smile, there was no way he was going to test his luck.
"Don't get the wrong idea! I'm a student at Pojun Academy!" the man cried quickly.
"It's you!" Ikki exclaid, approaching.
Apparently, the man who'd been hiding this whole ti… was soone Ikki knew.
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