Barol swiftly raised his sword and charged towards Aeroxia, his movements so fast that they left behind a fleeting afterimage in her eyes.

  In comparison to Aeroxia, who was barely at the second-tier, Barol had already reached the peak of the third-tier.

  In a normal fight between opponents of the same tier, there are subdivisions: low-tier, mid-tier, high-tier, and peak. As long as both combatants are within the same tier, it is not excessively difficult for the weaker to overcome the stronger.

  However, when there is a gap of one tier, even if one reaches the peak of their tier, the difference between them and an opponent in the low position of the tier above is far more significant than the difference between a low-tier and a peak-tier in the same rank. This difficulty in cross-tier battles is particurly apparent between the third and fourth tiers, and the seventh and eighth tiers, where power divides sharply.

  If defeating an opponent one tier higher is a dispy of exceptional talent, then overcoming one in the midst of such a power divide is beyond monstrous—those capable of such feats would, if they grew, surely rise to the pinnacle of the world.

  Cng!

  Suddenly, Barol's sword was blocked by something.

  "...I didn't expect you had this kind of talent," he muttered, his eyes narrowing with recognition. "I must have underestimated you."

  Before him stood a giant praying mantis, its sickle-shaped forelegs gleaming like metal—sharp and unyielding. Its rge, triangur head bore two massive, glimmering compound eyes, staring intently at him. Despite its intimidating appearance, it was slightly smaller than him.

  “A beast tamer... No, considering its sudden appearance, a summoner?”

  Summoners were a profession very simir to beast tamers, though they were seen as superior. Both needed to forge a deep bond with their “allies” and command them in battle.

  The difference y in the fact that a beast tamer's creatures were always with them, often animals or magical beasts, while a summoner could form a special contract with their summoned creatures, calling upon them at will through summoning magic. These summoned beings didn’t have to be animals or magical beasts—they could even be “spirits of nature” and the like.

  And what exactly were these “spirits of nature”? Originally, they were referred to as “sprites,” but to avoid confusion with the elf race—who were depicted with long ears and humanoid features—they were renamed to reflect their origin from nature itself.

  These “spirits of nature” were formed from the pure magical essence present in their surroundings, differing from magical beasts in that their magical essence was cleaner, resulting in bizarre, often otherworldly bodies. These could range from humanoid forms to animals, mythical creatures, and more. Essentially, “spirits of nature” were living embodiments of the natural world.

  Now, standing in front of Aeroxia, protecting her from Barol’s bde, was a giant mantis—a spirit of nature.

  Hissss...

  The mantis hissed, warning Barol away. To it, Aeroxia might not be its contract holder, but the affinity she radiated made it feel an unusual kinship with her.

  This was Aeroxia's innate ability, a gift that made her a natural fit for the role of a beast tamer, as Lynne had pointed out. She could exude an aura that made creatures with no hostility towards her feel a sense of closeness, even allowing her to communicate with them on a subtle level—this included “spirits of nature.”

  Even though Aeroxia had merely summoned the nearest willing spirit of nature, something that would usually anger most summoned creatures, the mantis had still offered its aid.

  "Seems like... you're a tough opponent after all."

  Barol's gaze sharpened as he observed the mantis.

  Insects, by nature, were incredibly powerful creatures, though they were usually suppressed by other races due to their small size. But once they reached a size comparable to humans, the situation changed dramatically.

  Imagine the terror if pests—mosquitoes, cockroaches, spiders—grew to over a metre in size and retained their reproductive and aggressive tendencies. The sight would be truly nightmarish.

  And this was no ordinary insect, but a mantis, renowned among insects for its prowess. Barol had to remain cautious—one wrong move, and its sickle could sever him in an instant.

  “Lidolu Kingdom Swordsmanship, First Form.”

  Barol’s eyes remained locked on the giant mantis, the scenery around him slowly fading as he focused entirely on his target.

  “...Ssh!”

  With a shout, Barol's body exploded into motion, accelerating to his top speed in an instant, sshing his sword towards the mantis.

  The mantis was not one to back down, however. Its forelegs spread wide, the inner serrated edges of its scythe-like bdes swinging towards Barol in a deadly arc.

  Barol's downward strike cshed with the mantis’s horizontal sweep. The two attacks met in the centre, creating a cross-shaped fsh of light.

  Pshh!

  In an instant, the outcome was decided.

  Crimson red and pale yellow blood spttered into the air. It was clear that the mantis had bled more, its blood surging in greater quantity.

  “Cough! ...Not bad. As expected, summoners are troublesome, rare professions.”

  Barol coughed up a mouthful of blood, gncing back at the mantis, whose body was nearly cleaved in half.

  Hissss...

  The mantis emitted a sound that seemed to carry regret, yet also admiration. As its pale yellow blood continued to spill, it vanished in a fsh of white light, taking its bloodied body with it.

  This was one of the features of summoners: the creatures they summoned were protected by the summoning magic. If severely wounded, they would be forcibly returned, and any injuries sustained would be healed. However, the summoner would be unable to summon again for a period of time. This mechanism all but eliminated the risk of their summoned beasts perishing in battle.

  Of course, there were drawbacks. Once summoned, the summoned creatures couldn't perform at their full strength. To unlock more of their original potential, the summoner had to deepen the bond with the summoned being—their “connection.”

  Moreover, due to the nature of summoning magic, it pced a high demand on the summoner’s magical energy.

  “Hah... Hah...”

  Having summoned a spirit of nature strong enough to contend with Barol, Aeroxia had expended almost all her magical energy. She was left pale, weak, and struggling to stand, barely able to hold herself upright.

  “...Aeroxia, you did well.”

  “...”

  Aeroxia struggled to lift her head, her gaze meeting Barol’s soft, concerned expression.

  At that moment, she was overwhelmed by a sudden, painful memory. Back when they were children, she and Barol, along with Dorol, had shared a bond of deep camaraderie. Barol, though rash, had always been concerned for his younger siblings. Dorol, too, had held deep respect for their older brother.

  But something had shifted, and that bond had slowly begun to break.

  Yet, she couldn’t recall exactly when it had started…

  ‘...Why... Why can’t I remember?’

  Aeroxia was gripped by an eerie sense of disconnection, as though the exact moment of their rift had slipped from her memory without her even realising it.

  “It's over.”

  But reality had no time for her thoughts. With a swift motion, Barol's sword descended towards her.