A dull thud erupted as a sharp weapon struck thick leather. A violent blast wave spread wildly from the two of them, cracking the hard rocky ground below inch by inch. The coat at Dawn's shoulder exploded instantly, black scraps of fabric fluttering through the air, yet he remained standing tall in place without taking even half a step back.
Gerd looked at the faint red mark the axe blade had left on his shoulder. Her axe halted at once, the frost in her eyes melting away and giving way to panic and heartache.
Yet the resentment in her heart had not faded. She bit her lower lip and raised the giant axe again, but no longer dared bring it down on Dawn. Instead, she lightly struck the ground around him again and again.
Dull impacts rang out one after another as shattered stones flew everywhere. She hacked the hard rock floor into a field of craters. Only when her arms ached, sweat soaked her entire body, and she was nearly exhausted did she throw the giant axe to the ground with a clang. Panting heavily, she collapsed onto the ground, her eyes red as she turned away from Dawn. She looked exactly like a little beast that had been wronged.
Dawn could not help smiling at her puffed-up expression. He activated Life Return, his body continuously expanding until he took on a giant form roughly the same size as Gerd. His torn clothes enlarged proportionally with him, fitting perfectly.
He slowly walked over, bent down, and effortlessly lifted Gerd into a princess carry.
"What are you doing?! Put me down!"
Gerd cried out and instinctively struggled twice, but she still wrapped her arms around Dawn's neck without truly resisting. Her cheeks immediately turned bright red, even the tips of