Facing the Blade of Miquella once again, Nolan's emotions did not waver much. But when he saw that every strike was aimed straight at his vitals, he could not help feeling a little annoyed.
He had helped her so much. Even if she was not going to be deeply grateful, there was no need to come at him with killing blows right away.
Fortunately, this woman had not recklessly bloomed without a care. Otherwise, Nolan would have had to seriously reconsider the state of her mind.
Nolan felt that he was not only Trina's Lord, but also something like Malenia's physician.
Only this "patient," tormented by illness, did not seem grateful at all. Not the slightest trace of appreciation could be seen on her face.
Just then, a tremendous clang rang out.
Nolan swiftly raised the Promised Claymore and struck the middle section of the Hand of Malenia with perfect precision.
In an instant, sparks scattered everywhere. Sword and blade collided violently, letting out a deafening crash.
At that impact, Malenia's pupils contracted slightly. Nolan's performance had clearly surprised her.
And in that same instant, Malenia flashed to Nolan's side like a ghost.
A cold gleam came stabbing in at once, slicing past the side of Nolan's face.
The blade wind swept through like a gale, lifting his long hair and sending it flying wildly through the air.
Hilt braced against hilt, blade grinding against blade in a shower of sparks, Malenia felt her body pushed back several meters, her arm faintly numb.
Malenia slowly raised her head. Her flame-like hair drifted gently with the motion.
Through the gaps in the man's silver hair, her gaze burned sharp and bright, falling straight upon those blue-green eyes.
They were deep and calm, yet beneath that quiet surface hid a keen edge.
Malenia stared into those eyes, and the doubts in her heart gradually faded.
She was finally certain that her earlier unease had not come from nowhere.
This man had become terrifying. Or perhaps he had always been terrifying, just never as dangerous as he was now.
In that case, there was nothing left to hold back for.
"Your sword moves like water. Too bad you're not much like water yourself!"
Nolan turned his sword, pinning the Hand of Malenia against the ice, then slammed the hilt in his hand heavily into Malenia's abdomen.
She was sent flying, but adjusted her posture in midair and drove her long blade into the ice, leaving a long gash behind.
Malenia steadied herself. When she looked up again, Nolan was already in front of her.
He raised the Promised Claymore high, bringing it down at Malenia like a violent storm.
Waterfowl Dance!
Seeing this, Malenia swept her long blade into motion, as if creating layer after layer of flowing water to block Nolan's attack.
But Nolan's strikes grew heavier with every blow. Though Malenia's curtain of blades moved as fluidly as water, it was soon smashed apart under his fierce assault.
The ice beneath her feet suddenly cracked with a crisp sound. The powerful current of air raised by the Claymore swept out like a gale, violently tossing her hair aside.
Her body, light as a feather, drifted backward through that powerful gust.
Malenia was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, she was a hundred meters away. But Nolan was not slow either. The instant her toes touched down, he followed like a shadow.
Whoosh.
The Claymore tore through the air with a sharp whistle.
In the next moment, Malenia thrust out the Hand of Malenia without the slightest hesitation, its edge flashing.
Clang!
Sword edge and blade clashed fiercely, ringing out with a clear sound, like two mountains of steel colliding.
The two weapons met in an instant like streams converging between mountains, grinding against each other and spraying countless brilliant sparks.
This guy really was not so easy to push around anymore.
Malenia felt the dull ache in her arm. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her gaze grew solemn.
In the Lands Between, she feared no powerhouse of the same level. But how many had honed their martial skill to such a realm?
"This battle won't end so easily!"
Malenia took a deep breath, quickly steadying herself while keeping her eyes fixed on Nolan.
Just then, she saw the sword light rapidly expand in her vision. Startled, she immediately bent low to dodge.
The Claymore brushed past the ends of her hair, cutting loose a few strands of red. Malenia used the motion to lower herself further, her long blade going straight for Nolan's waist.
But the returning Claymore was already blocking her path.
There was a sharp clang as metal struck metal, the sound echoing through the air.
Malenia reacted with astonishing speed. She quickly turned her wrist, letting her long blade slide along the surface of the Claymore and thrust straight toward Nolan's throat.
Nolan lowered his head slightly, watching the flash of the blade approach his chest, then simply lifted the Claymore and slammed it toward Malenia's body.
Boom!
Malenia placed her left hand at her right side to block, but her entire body was still blasted into the air by that tremendous force. Her tall frame, however, was in no hurry to fall.
Waterfowl Dance!
Malenia thrust forward with unreasonable force, her blade moving so fast that Nolan felt his hands sink. Yet that raging torrent of attacks seemed to have crashed against a reef.
But the seemingly immovable reef moved.
Feeling the force transmitted through the Claymore grow weaker and weaker, Nolan tightened his grip on the sword and swung it out hard.
Clang!
That strike carried no small amount of strength, but he was not in a hurry to take the Valkyrie's life.
Malenia had already been raising her blade forward, and now she used that force to leap, landing on the broken ice from before.
This time, Nolan did not pursue her relentlessly as he had earlier. He paused for a moment, raised his head, and looked ahead, watching the Valkyrie stand on the bobbing floes as if they were solid ground.
"So this is your full strength? I've finally experienced it."
Aside from demanding that the sword move like flowing water, the core essence of the Waterfowl Dance Sword Style was speed. But the Valkyrie's current speed seemed unable to keep up with him anymore.
"Still, compared to eighteen years ago, your swordsmanship really has improved a great deal. Looks like you've truly worked hard."
Nolan thought back to the chain of slashes that had cut through the air a moment ago. It was not that he found the technique difficult, but this woman could indeed be called a master of the sword.
Faced with Nolan's praise, Malenia showed not the slightest surprise. She knew very well that much of her progress in swordsmanship had come from the man before her.
By chance, she had once seen Nolan practicing his sword a few times. Those sword movements, smooth as drifting clouds and flowing water, were impossible to forget after just one glance.
Nolan slowly raised the Claymore and rested it on his shoulder. The blade was smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting his blue-green eyes, like two deep gemstones.
"It's not time to stop yet."
Before his words had even finished, the flash of a blade appeared in his eyes faster than the Valkyrie herself.
One slash cut open the ice and severed even the flowing seawater. The second raised the blade upward, cutting the empty sky in two.
Heaven and earth seemed to have been split apart. The Hand of Malenia was only a fingernail's width from Nolan's cheek, yet it never managed to touch him.
Malenia did not hesitate at all. She stepped in close, her long blade showing the true meaning of speed. Strike followed strike as she locked Nolan down without letting up.
Nolan did not retreat. He stood where he was, raising the Claymore again and again, precisely parrying every blow. Not a single move slipped past him.
Neither side backed down. Neither admitted defeat after realizing the difference in strength was too great. The Lord and the Demigod were both unexpectedly unwavering in their resolve to see this battle through.