The flame giant, after its attack was blocked, launched another assault.
This time the momentum was clearly different. The roar it released was deafening, like thunder rolling across the sky!!
The next moment, the flames burning on its iron fist turned purple as it smashed down at Abel with full force! An obvious all-out strike!
Even Prim, standing some distance from the center of the battlefield, turned pale.
If this punch landed, it seemed it would not only kill him?! She herself far away might not escape either!
She regretted it a little. She should not have let herself be angered by that guy’s stupid words. If they had fought together, they might still have had a chance to win…
However, Abel showed no fear at all. With a low shout, he actually punched forward and clashed fists directly with the flame giant!
“Are you an idiot?!”
Prim could not help crying out when she saw this.
No technique, only pure speed and power.
The instant their fists collided, an unprecedented energy clash erupted, whipping up a raging gale.
Prim let out a scream and was blown straight away!
In mid-air, she saw the flame giant’s earth-shattering punch being knocked back by Abel.
Cracks spread from the giant’s fist across its entire body!!
One-hit kill?
Her eyes widened in utter disbelief, as if she had witnessed something impossible.
If he possessed such strength, then the incident a week ago—slaughtering his way through a crowd of assassins to save her—might really have been true…
A person with this level of power would be valued by her father the king, and it would absolutely not be because of any schemes or tricks.
The entire kingdom—no, every nation across the continent—would fight to recruit him!
While she was thinking this, the flying princess let out an “Ow!” scream.
She slammed into a stone pillar beside her, her eyes spinning into dizzy spirals.
As for Aruma, she stabbed her sword into the ground and used the weapon’s weight to barely steady herself.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the green-haired man walking slowly toward them.
The flame giant remained frozen in its punching posture, motionless like a giant statue.
Cracks spread across its body starting from the fist. Under her incredulous gaze, it shattered with a boom.
Aruma’s attention was entirely on Abel.
She did not notice that beside her, Ingrid’s eyes, fixed on Abel, were filled with unwillingness and resentment.
The flame giant’s body scattered into countless ice-crystal fragments that drifted away with the wind, like a heavy snowfall mourning the victims of this disaster…
Amid the swirling snow, Aruma heard Abel’s voice ring out:
“That little blonde over there, come help dig this white-haired female knight out of the rubble!”
“Ah, yes!”
She answered instinctively, then realized the address was not very friendly.
‘You called who little blonde?! This young lady is called Aruma…’
She swallowed the words back after seeing Abel easily lift a stone pillar taller than several people with one hand.
Even though Aruma had always prided herself on her strength, she absolutely could not do that, and certainly not so effortlessly! This had already far exceeded her understanding…
‘Is this guy even human?’
Could he be one of those legendary humanoid weapons called ‘Gundam’ developed by the church?!
Recalling his terrifying feat of one-punching the flame giant, she could only make that association.
Still, this guy had looked a bit cool during the fight earlier, hadn’t he?
While moving rubble, she glanced at Abel for no reason. A faint blush flashed across her face but vanished instantly.
This brief moment seemed to be caught by Sutis standing behind Abel.
The little girl’s brows furrowed imperceptibly.
“…This woman is heavily injured. Surviving is already a miracle. Little blonde, hurry and call some reliable priests over!”
Abel dug Ingrid out of the rubble, picked her up, and spoke to Aruma beside him.
As for the fainted cleric who could not heal, she was directly ignored by Abel.
But this woman’s right eye and left leg were probably unsalvageable. She was covered in blood from nearly half her body.
If not for a holy knight’s thick HP bar, she would have died long ago, right?
Although she was very unhappy with the “little blonde” nickname, Aruma knew this was not the time to mind such things.
She was about to trot off to find the kingdom knights in charge of rescue when she heard a very weak but resentment-filled voice from behind—Ingrid, leaning in Abel’s arms:
“Why… did you come so late?” Ingrid’s honey-golden eyes stared straight at Abel.
There was not the slightest gratitude for being rescued in those eyes.
Only bottomless hatred.
“…If you had come a little earlier, this… wouldn’t have happened…”
Ingrid looked at the ruined arena and the crystal fragments drifting like snow in the wind, speaking slowly. “Look at what you protected?”
Aruma’s steps halted. A drop of cold sweat slid down her forehead.
What… what was this woman saying?!
She could feel it. With Ingrid’s words, the temperature of the entire arena seemed to drop several degrees.
The smile that had still been on Abel’s face earlier was now covered in dark clouds.
Aruma thought, Oh no.
“W-wait, Sir Knight, this girl’s brain was crushed by stones! Don’t take her words seriously!!”
As she spoke, Aruma rushed over like a gust of wind and snatched the ‘heavily injured near-death’ Ingrid from Abel’s hands.
As a berserker, Aruma was extremely sensitive to killing intent.
Just now, she had clearly sensed the killing intent Abel had released!
If they angered this monster-strong guy, who knew what he would do!
“Miss Aruma, I suggest sending this woman to the church’s isolation area first. She was so close to the silver giant—she might be infected. If she suddenly goes mad and starts biting people, it will be troublesome.”
Ah, this…
Aruma recalled the infected spectators she had seen madly biting uninfected people and could not help shivering.
She nodded.
But Ingrid in her arms angrily said, “…I’m perfectly clear-headed! I am not infected!”
Abel smiled.
“Who would admit they are infected?”
These words left Ingrid momentarily speechless.
She was about to accuse Abel again when she saw the murderous look in Aruma’s eyes as she held her!
Only then did Ingrid obediently shut her mouth.
‘It’s all your fault!’
Before losing consciousness, she thought while looking at Abel.
If you had come earlier, Father, Mother, and everyone else would not have died.
You clearly had the power to save everything—why could you be so late?
Only after the disaster happened, when everyone was helpless, did you want to play hero?
Just for fame, you refused to save lives when you could?