The Overbearing Grandmaster

"With your abilities, you should have been able to sense my presence nearby just now, right? Yet you still dared to attack here. Did you really think I wouldn't kill you?"

The cold words were slowly uttered from Serie's mouth, each one seemingly filled with murderous intent.

This great Mage, who has survived since the Mythical Era, is now truly enraged.

Galan had never seen such a terrifying expression on Serie's face before; there was not a trace of emotion on her face, as if she were about to strike and kill her opponent at any moment.

"Ha, it's been hundreds of years since our last duel, hasn't it? I really miss you."

On the contrary, Rivale showed no surprise at Serie's appearance, but simply gave his usual gentlemanly smile.

He said this to her in a joking manner.

"Miss me? Looks like you really want to die."

Who can say for sure?

"From the very beginning, you've clearly come here for Galan. It seems you've noticed something interesting. In that case, why don't you tell me what you're thinking?"

"If it were you, you should be able to read other people's thoughts directly, right? Why don't you guess what I'm thinking right now?"

Serie glared fiercely at Rivale merely pursed his lips, seemingly in a good mood, as if he was about to hum a little tune.

Given his current stubborn behavior, he didn't seem worried that Serie would kill him immediately, or... did he still have a backup plan?

After overhearing their conversation, Galan gleaned some interesting information: Serie was actually in the vicinity?

Why didn't she respond when I called out to her in my mind?

Or does she have some other reason for pretending to be absent, delaying her appearance until now?

Or perhaps... the Serie in front of me isn't the real Celia at all, but just a Copy of her!

Galan couldn't help but gasp. He knew about this [Clone Creation Magic]. As long as the Mage powerful enough and had sufficient control over magic, the clones created would be indistinguishable from the real ones.

If that's really the case, then it seems that Serie, far away in the Imperial Capital, left some contingency plans here, perhaps precisely to guard against Rivale.

But... if it's just Copy, can it really possess the same strength as Serie?

After realizing this, he looked at the two people in front of him again, and seemed to understand why Rivale could still remain calm in front of "Serie".

Perhaps he knew from the very beginning that this Serie was not the real one.

"Speaking of which, can [the Clone Creation Magic] achieve a perfect replication of the original? Aside from Water Mirror Demon?"

Aside from its ability to replicate, it seems that no more perfect means of replication has emerged so far.

What are you trying to say?

"I want to ask you, if it's just a clone, are you really confident you can handle me?"

Serie remained unmoved, her eyes lowered, her golden hair dancing in the wind. Despite not being particularly tall, in terms of physique alone, she looked like a helpless infant in front of Rivale.

But everyone present knew just how terrifying the power contained within this golden-haired Elf was.

"Theoretically speaking, [the Clone Creation Magic] can be done almost perfectly, but due to my overwhelming power, the clones I can create cannot possess the same strength."

"Really? It seems your situation is similar to mine. Congratulations!"

But you don't think you can defeat me like this, do you? Although my clone didn't meet my expectations, it doesn't mean it's weaker than you... And... are you so sure that the one standing in front of you is just a clone?"

She gave a half-smile, and her plain white robes began to flutter even without wind, causing Rivale to drop his previous nonchalant demeanor.

He knew that Serie was serious now.

Even if this isn't her in person, just her clone, the power it can unleash is unmatched by ordinary Demons.

"It seems the lesson learned last time wasn't enough; you still want to experience the taste of death for yourself again."

Suddenly, Rivale's eyes widened, and he threw a punch at Serie with terrifying speed.

This punch, delivered without reservation, contained almost his entire understanding of martial arts and the profound mysteries he had mastered. As he threw this punch, the surrounding space visibly trembled, as if the void itself could no longer withstand such terrifying pressure. Even Galan had retreated to watch the battle from a distance, felt his scalp tingle upon witnessing this scene.

"That's terrifying! Was that Rivale's full-force attack? If I were standing on the other side, I'd probably be blasted into nothingness!"

Rivale clearly chose to go all out from the start. Regardless of whether the opponent was a clone or not, Serie was not an opponent who could give him any leeway. In fact, even if he unleashed his full power, he might not be able to hurt her.

Hundreds of years ago, he never believed that anyone other than the Demon King could achieve this, until he met Serie. The Elf's power far exceeded his imagination; even after using all his strength, he couldn't harm her. In the end, it was the Demon King who intervened and saved him from Serie's clutches...

"[Defensive Magic]"

"[Body Enhancement Magic]"

"[Wound Transfer Magic]"

"[Magic That Makes the Fist More Powerful]"

"Since you enjoy throwing punches so much, then let's have a go at it. Let me see if you've improved since a hundred years ago."

Instead of choosing to evade, they confronted it head-on using the same methods. It's safe to say this is exactly like the original character's temperament...

Serie's seemingly slender arm collided head-on with Rivale's fist without any hesitation.

The powerful Mana impact nearly overturned the entire area; the surrounding forests swayed backward in their respective directions, and the deep roots hidden underground slowly broke through the soil, as if the entire tree would be sent flying at any moment.

Was this initial collision enough to cause such a terrifying situation?