The Ex-Machina on a Dimensional Journey

Just before the collision.

His opponent spun around in an instant, dodged sideways, and threw a punch with a fist that looked small and frail.

Agony shot from Rider's face to his brain. His mount let out a terrified shriek, and his consciousness plunged into endless darkness.

Before it faded completely, he faintly heard the first words his opponent had spoken since their encounter began:

"Don't even think about leaving. All of you are staying."

The Clash

Boom!

Countless searing lasers swept across the earth. Over a hundred-mile stretch of flatland, every patch they touched turned to molten lava.

With the ground beneath him largely stripped bare, the white-haired figure floating in the air watched it crumble below.

He was the one responsible for this infernal scene.

Karna hovered in the air. With every obstruction on the ground below gone, he had an unobstructed view.

His eyes were wide, darting about as he searched for a target.

Whoosh—

A faint breeze stirred behind him.

He did not turn. He swept his spear backward without hesitation.

Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal rang out.

The weapon in his hand suddenly grew heavy, then light again. Only then did he whip around, his other hand closing swiftly around the shaft just below the disc-shaped section near the spearhead.

He had caught his enemy's lance neatly in a gap in that disc.

For the moment, his enemy could no longer wield her weapon freely.

Whatever she did next, Karna had no intention of letting such a rare opening go to waste.

The chance would vanish in an instant. Red magical energy surged over his body—Karna's Mana Burst.

The tip of her enormous lance was trapped by his weapon. Her only option was to let go.

And losing her weapon would put