Satisfied

I don't know how many days passed.

The alien space that had been forcibly created to bear the fierce battle was nearing its limit. Serie stood on a floating crystal fragment whose edges were constantly peeling away into light dust. Her long, golden hair was somewhat disheveled, and there was a tear in the cuff of her white robe.

She raised her hand and casually wiped away a trickle of crimson from the corner of her lips with the pad of her thumb. Her golden, slanted eyes showed no sign of fatigue; instead, Burning with a scorching light as she stared intently at her opponent in the distance. The surging magic around her had not yet completely subsided, like the aftershocks of a storm, creating subtle vortexes of magical energy around her.

"Interesting!" Her voice, slightly panting from the battle, was imbued with a pure, unadulterated joy, like discovering a rare treasure, and a hint of mockery. "Lorenz! Look in the mirror! What 'dislikes fighting'... You enjoy the thrill of battle just as much as I do!"

Before she finished speaking, she raised her hand and struck. A highly concentrated beam of magic, radiating dangerous energy, instantly tore through the chaotic energy flow and shot straight at Lowell!

In the distance, Lowell had long since shed his usual human disguise, revealing his true Demons form. His black hair flew wildly, and a pair of curved demonic horns on his forehead gleamed with an eerie light. There was a shocking, penetrating wound on his right chest, its edges a bloody mess, yet it seemed to have been forcibly sealed by his powerful magic, and it did not affect his movements.

Faced with Serie's fierce attack, he not only did not dodge, but grinned, and his magic power surged out, wrapping around his arms like dark purple flames, and he bravely met the beam of light!

"Boom--!"

The magic and the beam of light collided violently, unleashing a blinding light and shockwave that shattered several smaller floating rocks nearby.

Lowell was jolted back several steps, his magical shield shattering and leaving several new burn marks, but he let out a hearty laugh, "Ha... haha! That's two different things! What I don't like is the act of 'fighting' itself! But... when it really comes down to it, who wouldn't enjoy this kind of evenly matched, exhilarating battle! Facing an opponent like you, wouldn't it be the greatest rudeness not to have a satisfying fight!?"

As he spoke, he waved his hands repeatedly, and several dark purple magic orbs shot towards Serie like a barrage of bullets, their trajectories unpredictable and blocking her escape route.

Serie snorted coldly, her body swirling with magic. Instead of relying on magic to fly, she used her magic-enhanced body to kick the incoming ball of light with her bare feet, her figure as swift as lightning!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The ball of light was precisely kicked and shattered, turning into scattered energy fragments. Using the momentum, she leaped high into the air, her golden eyes filled with inquiry. "Is that so? I can't understand it. You like the act of fighting itself, yet you don't want to fight? What a contradictory person. Besides, you should be able to dodge most of my attacks, right? Why did you choose to take the most mana-intensive blows head-on?"

Lowell laughed, gathering his magic once more. "Haha! Of course, you have to take an attack head-on! If you dodge and weave, you'll just become a low-class pirate... cough, a low-class Demons! Only by taking it head-on can you truly savor its 'flavor'! Dodging is clever, but it's in the moment of blocking that you can most clearly feel your opponent's 'strength' and 'will'!" He seemed to be tasting a strong liquor, savoring the aftertaste endlessly.

"I've never heard of such a thing." Serie deftly flipped in mid-air, dodging a magical impact that swept across the ground.

"So now you've heard! But... in a life-or-death battle, of course you can use any means necessary, as long as you win! But... this is just sparring! Naturally, we'll fight however we feel like!"

Lowell flashed into the air, attempting to close the distance and launch an attack. "If I just keep fighting like a kiter, you'll get bored quickly, won't you? To be honest, I could actually fight you like a warrior, but you still prefer me in my mage form, right?"

"You certainly know how to make me happy!" Serie's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Facing Lowell's close approach, she neither dodged nor avoided, but instead delivered a fierce kick straight for his face. Lowell raised his arm to block, but was struck by another glowing ball that silently gathered beneath her feet. He was sent flying, crashing into several floating rocks and shattering them.

The two High-Speed Movement and clashed fiercely in this collapsing space, the deafening roars of colliding magic echoing endlessly. The concept of time blurred here; only the clash of power was real. After an unknown amount of time, the burning fighting spirit in Serie's eyes gradually settled into a deep sense of satisfaction.

However, during what seemed like an ordinary attack and defense, an unexpected change occurred.

Lowell waved his hand, unleashing a dark purple sphere of light that was even more solid than before. Perhaps due to a relaxed mind after a long battle, his control over his power became slightly off; the sphere did not dissipate at a safe distance as he intended, and the energy it contained far exceeded expectations.

"Snap--!"

A crisp, heart-stopping cracking sound rang out! The sphere of light directly annihilated a large section of the spatial barrier, tearing open a huge gap! The fresh light and forest scenery of the outside world instantly poured in!

Worse still, the ball of light continued its trajectory, passing through the gap, and right below its path Frieren, who was sitting and resting with her eyes closed under a giant tree in the forest!

"Damn it!" Lowell's pupils shrank, all his fighting spirit instantly replaced by a chilling panic. His magic surged, and he rushed towards the gap without regard for anything else.

Serie frowned and subconsciously raised her hand, magic already gathering at her fingertips. But the next moment, as if sensing something, the magic at her fingertips quietly dissipated, and her golden pupils looked down with a hint of understanding.

In the forest below.

Frieren was awakened by the violent fluctuations in space and the approaching aura of destruction. Her emerald eyes opened, and what came into view was a rapidly enlarging sphere of light, exuding an aura of death.

She showed no sign of fear, but it was clear that she had no time to cast any spells.

"Whoosh!"

At the critical moment, an orange figure appeared beside her as if by teleportation—it was Flamme. She grabbed Frieren and unleashed a powerful teleportation magic glow. Their figures blurred for a moment, and the next instant they were dozens of meters away! Without pausing, Flamme, like a light bird, carried Frieren towards a safe distance.

Almost simultaneously, the ball of light crashed down on the spot where Frieren had just been resting!

"Boom--!"

A deafening explosion rang out, and the earth trembled violently. Smoke and dust billowed into the sky, and when the dust settled, only a charred crater hundreds of meters in diameter remained. The soil and rocks around the crater had been melted by the high temperature, emitting wisps of smoke.

"Phew... thank goodness..." Lowell finally arrived, hovering at the edge of the giant crater. Seeing Frieren and Flamme unharmed, he let out a long sigh of relief, his heart still pounding. He deactivated his Demons form, reverting to his human appearance, his face showing clear fear and apology. He landed beside Frieren, "Are you alright, Frieren? I didn't control my power well, I almost..."

Frieren looked up at him, then at the huge crater, her face still expressionless. She simply brushed the dust off her clothes and stated in a flat but pointed tone, "Three days of fighting. I'm hungry. Flamme's cooking isn't good."

Hearing this, Flamme gently tapped Frieren's forehead with her finger, saying with a hint of exasperation, "This child, she's so picky about the food I cook for you."

Lowell was relieved to see that Frieren was indeed alright.

He looked up and shouted at Serie, who was still standing on the fragment of another dimension at the spatial rift in the sky, "That's enough, isn't it? We've been fighting for almost three days, the children are hungry, and we even accidentally damaged the flowers and plants. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Serie looked down at the charred crater, her gaze sweeping over Frieren, who was rubbing her belly in dissatisfaction, and Lowell, who looked like she wanted to get this over with. After a moment of silence, she uttered softly, "That was quite enjoyable."

Lowell, feeling like he'd been granted a pardon, quickly nodded, then looked at Frieren, his tone carrying a hint of compensation. "Alright, alright, it's over. I'll treat you tonight, make you a super-sized hamburger patty with double the sauce, and buy lots of dessert! Plus extra jam on the bread! Just to calm your nerves."

Frieren didn't speak, but her emerald eyes lit up almost imperceptibly. She reached out her small hand and took Lowell's outstretched finger, obediently letting him lead her as they turned and walked towards their temporary lodgings. It was as if the thrilling scene just now was far less important than the dinner that was about to begin.

Flamme glanced at Serie in the sky and smiled slightly, "Master, after you've finished cleaning up here, come and have something to eat." With that, she turned and followed Lowell and Frieren.

Serie did not respond, but stood quietly on the gradually dissipating fragment of the alternate dimension. Her golden eyes watched the three figures disappear into the distance. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Lowell and Frieren's clasped hands, then she looked into the distance, lost in thought.