The Rebirth of Humanity

At the heart of the black-and-purple storm—

Fafnir and Griselda charged toward each other.

There was no room left for retreat.

No room left for testing one another.

All that remained was the final strike.

CLAAAAANG!

The two swords collided.

At the very same moment, an immense force erupted around them.

The heavens cracked.

The clouds split apart across vast distances.

The ocean surrounding the island rose like enormous walls.

Yet neither of them stopped.

Fafnir pushed his sword forward.

Griselda met him with equal force.

Sparks flew between their blades.

Then—

Griselda vanished.

Fafnir appeared where she had been standing a moment before.

But she appeared behind him.

CLANG!

He turned and blocked her strike.

She vanished.

She appeared beside him.

CLANG!

She vanished.

She appeared above him.

CLAAAANG!

Fafnir blocked the strike.

But Griselda gave him no chance.

She continued attacking.

One strike.

Then a second.

Then a third.

Then dozens of consecutive strikes.

Her speed had reached a level that caused the very air to tear apart behind her.

But Fafnir blocked everything.

He no longer relied solely on his eyes.

He was reading her movements before they even began.

The direction of her shoulder.

The movement of her foot.

The shift in her center of gravity.

Even the changes in the flow of her energy.

Then—

He seized a single opening.

CLAAAAANG!

His sword collided with hers with tremendous force.

Griselda was forced backward.

But she spun through the air and charged back toward him.

Fafnir appeared before her.

CLANG!

Behind her.

CLANG!

Beside her.

CLANG!

The swords collided at an insane speed.

Until nothing could be distinguished except flashes of black and purple.

Then something unexpected happened.

Griselda stopped.

She slowly raised her sword.

The purple energy surrounding her body began withdrawing completely toward the blade.

The sword grew brighter.

Denser.

Then the air around it began to collapse.

Fafnir looked at the sword.

He said calmly:

“So that is your final strike.”

Griselda smiled.

“Yes.”

Then she said:

“And you’re not planning to retreat, are you?”

“I haven’t retreated throughout this entire battle.”

“Liar.”

He raised an eyebrow.

She laughed.

“You retreated three times.”

Fafnir smiled.

“I was giving you some hope.”

Griselda’s expression changed.

“You bastard.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

Then—

She vanished.

Fafnir could no longer sense her.

Not in front of him.

Not behind him.

Not to his right.

Not to his left.

Her presence had disappeared completely.

Even the energy surrounding her had vanished.

Fafnir slightly narrowed his eyes.

Then he closed them.

Silence descended.

Suddenly—

Griselda’s sword appeared before his chest.

CLAAAAAAANG!

Fafnir blocked the strike at the last moment.

But the force of the attack sent him flying hundreds of meters backward.

Griselda did not stop.

She followed his movement.

Then attacked again.

CLANG!

He blocked it.

A second strike.

CLANG!

A third.

CLANG!

But the fourth strike—

Broke through his defense.

The sword passed beside his body and opened a clear wound.

Blood scattered through the air.

Griselda stopped for a moment.

Then said:

“This time, I really hit you.”

Fafnir looked at the wound.

Then raised his eyes toward her.

He smiled.

“Yes.”

A brief silence followed.

Then he said:

“But that isn’t enough.”

Griselda vanished.

Fafnir appeared before her.

She did not even see how he moved.

CLAAAAANG!

She blocked his strike.

But she felt an immense force driving her backward.

Then came another attack.

BOOM!

Then a third.

CLANG!

Then a fourth.

BOOOOM!

Griselda began to retreat.

Not because of her speed.

Nor because she was losing control.

But because of the difference in strength.

Fafnir’s strikes were growing more powerful with every passing moment.

Until the ground beneath her began to crack even though she was in the air.

Griselda clenched her teeth.

Then unleashed her aura completely.

BOOOOOOM!

Purple energy exploded around her.

She stopped in midair.

Then raised her sword.

“I won’t lose.”

Fafnir looked at her.

“Then don’t lose.”

Then he charged.

She charged as well.

CLAAAAAAANG!

The two swords collided for the final time.

No explosion occurred immediately.

Instead—

Everything stopped.

The water stopped.

The wind stopped.

Even the clouds seemed to freeze.

Fafnir and Griselda were pushing their swords against each other.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three.

Then—

Griselda’s sword began to give way.

Her eyes widened.

“Impossible…”

Fafnir increased the pressure.

“It’s over.”

“Not yet!”

Griselda shouted and released the remainder of her energy.

Her aura exploded once more.

But Fafnir did not retreat.

The black energy surrounding him grew denser.

Then—

KRAAAAAASH!

The balance shattered.

Griselda’s sword was knocked off its trajectory.

And at that very moment—

Fafnir struck her sword from the side.

CLAAAAANG!

The purple sword was torn from her hand.

It flew away.

Then plunged into the ground some distance away.

Silence descended.

Griselda froze.

Her hand remained extended where her sword had been.

She looked at it.

Then at Fafnir.

He stood before her.

His black sword raised.

Then he stepped closer.

And placed the tip of his sword against her neck.

Griselda did not move.

There was no sound.

No wind.

No waves.

Even the ruined island seemed to have fallen into complete silence.

Fafnir looked into her eyes.

Then said:

“It’s over.”

Griselda remained silent for several seconds.

Then she closed her eyes.

And released a long breath.

When she opened them—

She was smiling.

“Looks like I lost.”

Fafnir raised his sword slightly.

Then smiled.

“I told you.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“That you should start worrying.”

She laughed.

“I knew you were going to say that.”

Griselda looked at her sword embedded in the ground.

Then turned her gaze back toward Fafnir.

“You’ve become stronger than I expected.”

Fafnir looked at her.

“So have you.”

“But I lost.”

“Yes.”

Griselda smiled.

“You really are arrogant.”

Fafnir lowered his sword.

Then looked at the island around them.

Almost nothing remained as it had been.

The mountain that had witnessed their ancient battle had nearly collapsed completely.

The forest had become ruins.

And the ocean was still turbulent.

Griselda said:

“Five thousand years…”

Then she looked at him.

“And yet, you’re still the same.”

Fafnir smiled.

“And you haven’t changed.”

She laughed.

“Liar.”

Then she retrieved her sword from the ground.

She looked at him for a few moments.

Then said:

“This is not the end of our old account.”

Fafnir looked at her.

“I expected that.”

Griselda rested her sword against her shoulder.

“Next time…”

She paused for a moment.

Then smiled.

“I won’t lose.”

Fafnir looked at her over his shoulder.

Then said:

“Then train harder.”

Fafnir vanished from his position.

Griselda stood alone atop the ruined island.

She looked toward the place where he had disappeared.

Then laughed.

“Just as I expected…”

She looked up at the sky.

“He hasn’t changed.”

Then she added:

“He’s only become even more arrogant.”

Far away, Fafnir was crossing the sky at tremendous speed.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The wager was over.

Fafnir had won.

But the old accounts between the two legends—

were far from settled.

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