Alexander sat slumped on the ground.
The Front Dragon Gate and Rear Dragon Gate were still turning slowly, but he had almost no mana left.
His immortal body's healing had nearly stopped. Only a few strands of new flesh writhed weakly at his wounds. In other words, he could no longer fight.
Yet he seemed to have realized something.
His gaze fell on Hilde's hands.
"Do we keep going? Or..."
Hilde spoke as she walked toward him.
She carried Alexander's severed arm and tossed it in front of him.
Her tone was not mocking, but she showed no surprise at her victory. As she had said, she had believed from the start that she would win.
"I concede."
Alexander admitted it readily.
He had wielded the mighty King Dragon Sword and fought in earnest, yet he had still lost to Hilde.
There was no excuse to make and no result to dispute.
He had only one question.
"You're hiding something on your left hand, aren't you?"
"Finally noticed?"
Hilde gave a soft snort, removed the guard from her left hand, and revealed what she had concealed beneath it.
It was a wristband made from a Mana-Absorbing Stone.
"A Mana-Absorbing Stone..."
Alexander murmured to himself.
So that was it.
No wonder something had occasionally felt off during the fight.
Attacks that should have landed had missed. Strikes that should have been flawless had left openings.
"When I swung my sword, you used the Mana-Absorbing Stone to cancel the boost from Gravity Magic and throw off my swordsmanship," Alexander said.
"Correct. Shame you noticed so late."
Hilde nodded.
No matter how fast or heavy a sword was, its wielder had to judge where it would hit the enemy to make full use of it.
That mattered especially in the North God Style.