As Puck fully gathered his magic power, preparing to fight seriously, Shendu showed no sign of urgency. She intended to handle it casually from the start.
After several exchanges, Shendu discovered a fatal weakness in Puck—his casting wind-up was far too long.
Compared to her vast reserves of magic power, Puck possessed his own magic, but his capacity was limited. He had to constantly draw upon the magic in the atmosphere, known in this world as mana.
"Big Sister definitely won't lose to Puck!"
Felt watched the battle with excitement written all over her face.
"Probably not. But Puck is very strong too. He's been by my side for a long time."
Emilia answered honestly, which did not provoke any jealousy or displeasure from Felt.
"That woman is incredibly strong. Even my wind magic might not compare to hers."
After witnessing Shendu's basic attacks, Ram was deeply shaken. She had never possessed magic power of that intensity.
Moreover, such dense attacks were nearly impossible to evade. It counted as large-scale destructive force—truly terrifying.
Each person harbored different thoughts, but for the first time, they had glimpsed just a fraction of Shendu's strength.
While they observed the battle, Puck did not disappoint. After several seconds of channeling his immense magic, an even more extreme wave of icy energy formed around him.
This time, it was not countless small spikes, but more than a dozen massive ice lances, each roughly a meter long. Infused with frigid energy, they gleamed with razor-sharp brilliance.
"Careful now, Miss Shendu. The real battle begins here!"
Having absorbed sufficient magic, Puck smiled confidently as the massive ice lances shot forward with unstoppable force.
Their hardness surpassed steel. Under Puck's control, they launched one after another, all aimed directly at Shendu.
Boom!
The ground trembled as though struck by a magnitude-ten earthquake. Dust and debris exploded outward, and the violent shockwave caused nearby trees to sway violently.
When the smoke cleared, to everyone's astonishment, Shendu still stood exactly where she had been—completely unharmed. The massive ice lances around her had been shattered to pieces, scattered shards of ice serving as silent proof.
"How is that possible? Aren't mages supposed to have weak bodies? Fine. I'll test her again."
Seeing his attack destroyed, Puck conjured another five or six massive ice lances and hurled them toward her once more.
"Tch. The same trick won't work on me."
Shendu had no intention of dodging. She did not even cast a spell. Instead, like a close-combat mage, she smashed every incoming ice lance apart with her bare hands.
The shattered fragments littering the ground left everyone staring in stunned silence. Emilia suddenly recalled how Elsa had once slashed at her with a blade—only for Shendu to catch the blade with her bare hand.
Could it be that Shendu's physical strength was absurdly high, enough to confront magic head-on?
"Interesting. But the battle isn't over yet."
Seeing Shendu casually neutralize his attacks again, Puck felt even more shocked. He immediately condensed a dense barrage of ice spikes.
At the same time, he hurled two enormous ice spheres and formed a towering ice pillar nearly three meters in diameter, eager to see how Shendu would respond.
Releasing three spells at once drained a considerable portion of Puck's magic, but their power was tremendous. A single mistake could spell disaster.
...
Not far away, the three onlookers were all startled. Watching Puck unleash three spells in succession filled them with awe—and concern for Shendu's safety.
Unfortunately for their worries, Shendu was far from fragile.
She merely lifted her slender hand, and a fireball the size of an apple formed at her fingertips.
"Fireball!"
Though only apple-sized, the fireball shot forward at incredible speed. Just as the massive ice pillar approached, it collided head-on.
Neither Puck nor the others paid it much mind. Facing so many overwhelming attacks, why would she cast such a small fireball?
Yet the moment the fireball struck the ice pillar, a violent explosion erupted. The apple-sized flame instantly transformed into a raging sea of fire.
Wherever it spread, whether ice pillar, ice spheres, or the countless smaller spikes—everything melted completely. A fierce shockwave and scorching steam blasted outward.
"Not good—we're in trouble!"
Realizing the danger, Ram was about to mobilize her magic to block it when Felt suddenly raised the ring on her finger. A magical barrier formed instantly.
After the shockwave and searing steam swept past, every tree within a hundred-meter radius had been severed cleanly at the trunk and left utterly withered.
Shendu's Fireball was terrifying beyond belief.
When the explosion subsided, layers of ice shields surrounded Puck, having fully absorbed the blast's impact.
As the smoke dispersed, Puck floated upward and quickly said, "That's enough. We can't keep fighting like this. Let's call it a draw!"
Hearing this, Shendu smiled faintly, her expression calm.
"All right."
She agreed readily. She knew Puck had held back part of his strength and had not revealed everything.
However, she herself had used only about twenty percent of her power—barely one-fifth.
Besides, this was merely a spar. Victory or defeat was meaningless. Understanding each other's strength was enough.
Once the aftereffects of the battle faded, Emilia and Felt rushed forward, their eyes filled with excitement and awe as they looked at Shendu.
It was incredible. Her clash with Puck had been clean and decisive. She had used few moves, but that did not mean she was weak.
"Sister Shendu, you're amazing—just like I thought!"
Emilia clasped her hands near her neck, her face glowing with delight.
"Big Sister, that ring works great! Give me a few more!"
After using the ring's magic to block the explosion, Felt looked at Shendu with undisguised excitement.
"Mm."
Shendu simply smiled and nodded at the two girls.
"Very well. Guests, please return and rest. There's no need to worry about the forest—this is Roswaal's territory after all."
Seeing the battle conclude, Ram gave Shendu a long look before speaking politely.
"All right. Let's head back. It's a good chance to meet the noble of this place as well."
Shendu smiled without saying more, her mood unusually calm.