In an instant, her aura surged sharply, forming a protective layer around her body. With Ariel active, all her physical attributes drastically increased, including speed, strength, reflexes, and more.
Charlie could feel a different level of pressure than before.
Without warning, Aiz shot forward like lightning.
*WHOOSH!*
In the blink of an eye, she was in front of Charlie, her rapier slashing at a speed impossible to track with the naked eye.
*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
Charlie managed to parry the attacks, but each collision created shockwaves that shook the air. The ice sword in his hand began to crack under the relentless barrage of powerful and swift strikes.
However, before the sword completely shattered, Charlie formed a new one in an instant.
*CRACK!*
The old ice sword shattered into glittering fragments, but within a fraction of a second, a new sword had formed in his grasp, as if he had simply switched weapons without a moment's pause.
Aiz frowned. Charlie's speed in creating ice swords mid-battle was extraordinary.
But she had no intention of holding back.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Aiz vanished from sight. With Ariel's assistance, she moved at a speed that even ordinary people would struggle to follow. From all directions, her afterimages flickered, creating a confusing array of illusions.
"..."
Charlie remained calm.
His Six Eyes glimmered, capturing every movement of Aiz in perfect detail. It was as if time had slowed down, and the intricate patterns of Aiz's movements unraveled in his mind.
When Aiz appeared behind him with a swift thrust—
*DING!*
Charlie flipped his sword with one hand, accurately deflecting the attack.
But Aiz had already disappeared again.
From the left, right, above, below—her slashes came relentlessly.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
Charlie parried every strike, but his body was gradually being pushed back.
Feeling the mounting pressure, he knew passive defense wouldn't be enough.
He changed his strategy.
*SHUA!*
In one smooth motion, Charlie twisted his body, swinging his sword with tremendous force, leveraging Aiz's momentum.
*BANG!*
Aiz, mid-slash, was forced to redirect her attack, but the sheer force of Charlie's strike still pushed her back.
However, she didn't let the opening pass.
*WHOOOSH!*
With Ariel's enchant, she dashed forward again, green wind swirling around her rapier.
This wasn't just an ordinary slash—it was an attack enhanced with wind magic.
*SWOOSH!*
Charlie didn't have much time to think. He plunged his ice sword into the ground.
*CRACK!*
From the tip of the sword, a thick layer of ice spread rapidly, forming a barricade to dampen Aiz's attack.
However, the wind-infused slash was strong enough to shatter the ice in a single strike.
*BAM!*
The ice broke into pieces, but in that brief moment, Charlie had already leaped back to create distance.
Unlike in anime where fighters keep chatting during battles, in the real world, talking would only disrupt focus and concentration. That's why, in general, people fight in silence.
However, Charlie noticed Aiz standing still, not immediately attacking.
"What's wrong, Aiz?" He asked.
Aiz remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"This is unbalanced. Your ice sword will break quickly after clashing."
She looked straight at Charlie. Her cold eyes showed no emotion, but there was something in her gaze—a plea.
"Charlie, use a real sword. I know you're not serious. Please, fight me seriously."
"..."
Charlie fell silent.
Honestly, he hadn't intended to reveal all his cards in this sparring match. But seeing the emotionless yet hopeful expression in Aiz's eyes, he knew he couldn't ignore her request.
'A woman's intuition is truly unscientific.' He complained inwardly.
With a long sigh, he finally relented.
"Sigh... Alright, I'll get serious."
"Physical Enchant."
Charlie tossed his ice sword to the ground, letting it shatter into fragments. Spirit Arts began to flow through his body, enhancing all his physical attributes in an instant. Then, he turned to Est.
"Est. I ask of you, lend me your strength."
Hearing the request, Est—the petite silver-haired girl sitting on the terrace—slowly stood up. Her eyes glimmered softly, like the surface of a lake under moonlight.
"I am your sword. I will do as you wish."
She walked toward Charlie, her cold yet gentle hand gripping his tightly.
Charlie looked at her for a moment, then thought, 'No one here can keep a secret. It shouldn't be a problem to reveal a bit of my power. Besides, keeping a low profile will only bring endless trouble.'
'Really, why do protagonists in Chinese novels love pretending to be pigs to eat tigers?'
Shaking off his thoughts, Charlie began to incantation.
"Dispassionate Queen of Steel, the sacred sword that destroys evil—now form my sword!"
*SHUA!*
In that instant, Est's body transformed into particles of light, vanishing in a flash. A silvery-blue light enveloped the air, swirling with a sacred aura that dominated the courtyard.
Then, a sword appeared in Charlie's hand.
A double-edged sword, white and blue with a partially golden hilt.
This was the strongest Elemental Waffe that had once defeated the Demon King Solomon—now, for the first time, the sword made its debut in the world of Danmachi.
"...!!!"
Everyone witnessing Est's transformation could no longer remain calm.
"Damn, that's... a Sacred Sword!" Loki exclaimed in shock.
"Where did this kid contract a spirit that powerful? Spirit races haven't appeared since the Age of Heroes ended! Did he find their hiding place?"
Even though her Arcanum was sealed, as a goddess who had lived for hundreds of millions of years, Loki knew exactly what she was seeing.
"No mistake... That's a Sacred Sword."
On the other hand, Astraea's eyes shone with interest.
Tiona watching the scene with sparkling eyes, couldn't contain herself.
"Wow... Charlie is like the heroes from the Age of Heroes! Those who contracted Spirits, fought alongside them, and slayed monsters emerging from the Dungeon! And even his Spirit can transform into a Sacred Sword!"
Her face was filled with enthusiasm and admiration.
Beside her, Tione couldn't hide her doubts.
"I'm starting to doubt he's only Level 2... Even with Ariel's enhancement, Aiz only gained a slight advantage... If he's really just Level 2, that doesn't make sense!"
Meanwhile, Lefiya was growing increasingly frustrated.
'W-Why does he keep drawing Aiz-san's attention!?'
The longer she watched Aiz, the clearer it became that Aiz was showing interest in Charlie.
'This can't go on. I need to find a way to make that man stay away from Aiz-san. The more impressive his performance, the more Aiz-san will be captivated by him!'
Lefiya glared at Charlie with hostility.
Meanwhile, Aiz, being a Half-Spirit, felt something deeper.
As the light from the sword shimmered, the silhouette of someone long buried in her memories began to resurface.
—Her father, Albert Wallenstein.
It had been a long time since Aiz remembered him so clearly.
The figure of that man, with his upright posture and sword in hand.
As Charlie stood with the sword, the way he held it, the aura he emitted, even his calm expression...
All of it reminded her of Albert.
'Father... Could this man be a hero for me?'
The thought surfaced unconsciously, and her heart began to race.
In front of her, Charlie stood, his figure overlapping with her father's.
For the first time in a long while, Aiz felt something she couldn't quite understand.
Was it nostalgia? Admiration? Or something deeper?
She didn't know.
All she knew was...
She couldn't take her eyes off Charlie.