I Think... I'm the Third Wheel? (Continued)

Maria gave a nonchalant comment, not even paying attention to the illusory shadows, her sharp gaze fixed on Aifanier hidden among the phantoms.

That calm gaze sent a jolt through Aifanier's heart!

Was it a fluke? Or...?

Can she really tell the difference?

But none of that matters anymore.

"I've said it before, times have changed..."

Aifanier whispered.

At this moment, those phantoms seemed to have taken on a tangible form.

They... they really started attacking Maria!

Upon seeing this, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

Even the Banshees didn't really understand this.

They used such illusions merely as draw enemy fire... but they never expected that Aifanier's ideas would be so radical.

He intends to use the phantom as a means of attack?!

And he actually did it?!

"Sulfone--!"

Sharp, cold glints burst forth from the hands of various 'Aifanier'.

But without a doubt, they only had one target.

Maria!

"That's all?"

Maria frowned.

It's not that the problem is difficult to solve.

But... mere feelings are meaningless.

These attacks were indeed powerful, coming from all directions, each one carrying the real weight to cause harm.

Only...

Would such methods work on her?

The answer appears to be no.

To Maria's surprise, Aifanier's move was actually a decoy!

Just as she was about to dodge these attacks...

The power gathered in the hands of these phantoms suddenly began to stir.

The instant Maria looked over.

"Bang--!"

The explosion erupted instantly.

The surging fog enveloped Maria almost instantly!

Aifanier narrowed his eyes upon seeing this.

In the last second of his vision, he had already locked onto the location of the longsword Maria had left behind.

As long as I rush over... I can get it...

Aifanier pondered for a moment, then acted swiftly.

After rushing into the fog, he remained tense, ready to guard against any enemies that might rush out at any moment.

Even though they kept saying that times have changed, times have changed.

But he still held Maria in awe.

He believed that such a tactic would at most only distract her.

There's no way to truly affect her combat effectiveness.

Fortunately, he had no intention of engaging in direct combat with his opponent; his thinking had always been simple.

He wanted to prove himself, to show his ability!

Only...

"Why haven't we arrived yet?"

Aifanier somewhat puzzled.

He had been rushing into the mist for several breaths... According to his plan, he should be able to reach the location of the longsword within two seconds of entering the mist.

But now, at least three or four seconds have passed, why haven't we encountered it yet?

The fog might affect his sensory perception, but... why hadn't he found anything yet?

Hasn't that taken a bit too long?

Aifanier looked completely puzzled.

Could it be... that Maria moved the longsword?

No, that's unlikely. Maria is definitely not the kind of person who can't take a joke.

There's definitely something wrong!

At that moment, several shadowy figures appeared before him, shrouded in mist.

Um?!

Aifanier was startled and almost retaliated.

Fortunately, Maria stopped teasing the child at this point.

"Wake up."

Her voice was neither warm nor cold, but it came from behind Aifanier.

This sent a chill down Aifanier's spine for a moment.

A flash of light appeared at the tip of the staff in his hand, and the mist was instantly blown away!

At this moment, the identity of the shadowy figure that appeared before him was revealed.

Yes...

Mother?!

Aifanier looked completely puzzled.

Lamaline, however, simply smiled and waved to her child.

The Banshees around them also gave them friendly glances.

Right behind Aifanier, Maria still stood not far from the swords.

On the contrary, he had distanced himself from Maria.

"Your technique is quite good, but your concept is very rough."

Maria spoke up, revealing the truth to them.

Aifanier's idea of sneaking into the smoke to take the necklace is indeed commendable, and this action was clearly based on Maria's initial reaction.

He knew he might not be able to match Maria's reflexes head-on, so he had them fight in the mist.

And at this point, his advantage will increase.

But... he overlooked one thing.

Maria had absolutely no need to move through the fog.

With a simple wave of her hand, she changed the direction of the spreading mist, causing Aifanier to deviate from its original path.

Even at the very end, Aifanier didn't realize what was happening on his own. It was only when Maria saw him about to attack Lamaline that she spoke up to warn him.

In a normal battlefield, Aifanier would have died at least three times.

This disappointed Maria somewhat.

That makes sense, though.

Although the era in which Aifanier lived was still full of strife, and although Rhodes Island, which he joined, would occasionally send him on some dangerous missions, the intensity of those missions could never compare to that of Maria, who had fought her way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

In fact, being able to exchange a few blows was already Maria's highest expectation.

However... as things stand, Aifanier can't even do that.

"..."

After being mocked repeatedly, even Aifanier couldn't hold back anymore.

But at the same time, his vigilance towards Maria also reached its peak.

Admittedly, even though they were tired of hearing the legends, they still tried to hold back when actually fighting Maria.

But they overlooked one point.

Given the absolute disparity in strength, they simply had no room to hold back!

Aifanier has now realized this as well.

He didn't say much, but demonstrated his will through his actions.

He took a deep breath, and once again, a circle of dazzling, curved characters surrounded him.

They surrounded Aifanier, crowding around him as he approached Maria.

Maria, as if deliberately holding back, intentionally abandoned the longsword's defensive range, which was more advantageous to her, and walked towards Aifanier.

Step...

Step...

Everyone watched this scene with tension... Although there was no commentary and no prior knowledge, they all had a feeling.

The next time they face off, the match might be over!

Meanwhile, Aifanier was constantly reflecting on everything that had happened to him so far.

When he was born, the entire Terra had abandoned individual combat... group combat had become the mainstream.

This is not just about technological advancements; it's more about cost.

It's difficult to go from zero to one, and it's even more difficult to go from nine to ten.

The war machines they developed could easily grant a group of people who had never learned Originium Arts the power of seven or eight.

Given some time, they could easily overwhelm a level nine or ten Originium Masters with sheer numbers.

Against this backdrop, people gradually abandoned individual combat power... This does not mean that people no longer have any expectations for individual combat power, it's just that they no longer value individual strength as much as they used to.

But... Aifanier was different.

Born in the Banshee Court, as an extremely rare male Banshees of this race, he inherited the talents of his parents and possessed a powerful foundation, yet he also had the strength to reverse the times!

He may not be able to turn back the clock, but he can certainly delay the era of the group army for a while!

His learning ability and talent were enough to enable him to accomplish something that can only be described as miraculous, allowing this era to once again witness the final glimmer of individual power!

But... such talent is merely the foundation of miracles.

At this very moment, standing before him was the pinnacle of this miracle!

Heroes of the Sarkaz, Queen of the Banshees, Ancient Hermits...

The distance between the two of them... is still very far...

And to get closer...

We have to risk everything!

Aifanier banished all thoughts from his mind, his gaze turning completely bloodshot in that instant.

The surging blood energy rushed towards Maria almost instantly.