Dawn tore through the thin morning mist, equally casting its golden brilliance upon everything in the meadow at this moment.

At this time, bewildered merchants and townsfolk, the poised mages of the HoundGuards, Hati and Skoll who had just awoken from unconsciousness, and Kenneth, whose excitement was gradually building—all their gazes were fixed on the young Nivian. He wielded a half-charred sword, his body wrapped in black and red flames.

"Judgment... Judgment?" Kenneth murmured, savoring the word the boy had just spoken, then suddenly burst into raucous laughter. "Ha-ha-ha! What a judgment! Well then, let me step forward and see what power you have to judge me!"

*Hum*

No sooner had the words left his lips than Kenneth crushed the cigar in his mouth, and from the remnants of the ember, two orange arcane rings, powered by a massive influx of mana, began to flicker rapidly. Four Magestars sparkled upon them, emitting a devastating aura of fire element, making the morning chill turn oppressively hot.

"Ignis Tectum Augeo—Ignis Crepitus Acceleratio!" The dual incantations were swiftly chanted, marking this battle-hardened veteran as unleashing his signature move that had ended countless battles instantly!

In an instant, Kenneth's arms were engulfed in swirling flames that spiraled like a tornado, condensing into a pair of dazzling fiery gauntlets. At the same time, flames also ignited under his boots, compressing into dense fiery orbs, amassing terrifying power, ready to be unleashed.

"Kid, I really do like you..." Clenching his fists, Kenneth's robust body trembled with excitement, "Promise me, don't die too quickly!"

*Thump*

The magic stored beneath his feet exploded, instantly turning a large swath of the lawn to ashes. The shockwave propelled Kenneth's body like a fiery meteor, skimming the ground and leaving a straight trail mixed with gunpowder and ash, hurtling towards Julius.

As for Julius, he stood still, his expression calm, not dodging or hiding. He even raised the half-charred sword in front of his eyebrows, closed his eyes, seeming to disconnect his consciousness from the battle and float away into the skies.

But just when onlookers thought he was about to surrender to his fate—

The half-charred sword in his hand began to tremble as if sentient, casting off sparks of black and red fire...

*Thump*

In the next moment, everyone saw Julius's feet ignite with ominous black and red flames, exploding in almost the same manner as Kenneth's, blasting two overlapping shockwaves behind him. His body, entwined with twisting black smoke and flames, accelerated forward, transforming into a sinister black meteor, unapologetically colliding head-on with the oncoming Kenneth!

*Boom!*

The fiery meteor and the black meteor collided mid-air with fierce force, the scorching shockwave instantly spreading outward, churning the soil and sending dust flying, turning the surrounding turf to ash in an instant!

The rising black smoke and dust obscured the battlefield, leaving the audience gasping and the HoundGuards murmuring amongst themselves.

And then, half a breath later, a figure retreated from the smoke, drawing all eyes once again.

"Done! It's the Vice-Captain!"

"That overconfident kid must have been killed with one punch!"

"Of course! A full-powered strike from the Vice-Captain. Even a Second-Ringed mage skilled in defense like Lex couldn't withstand that!"

Amidst the cheering of the HoundGuards, Kenneth was the first to withdraw. His hands still sheathed in the dazzling fiery gauntlets, his uniform slightly damaged but his body almost entirely unscathed.

As a battle-hardened veteran, Kenneth was enveloped by the thermal fluctuations created by the high-temperature flames, capable of incinerating enemies and defending against attacks—an integrated offensive and defensive mechanism. Combined with his seasoned combat experience and complementing fighting skills, he was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of combat prowess in the entire Ironwood. Just as the HoundGuards reinforced this impression in their minds, another figure leapt backward from the smoke, landing lightly beside some charred weapons planted in the ground.

It was Julius. Although his already tattered cloak was now entirely burned away, and his skin was slightly scorched in places, the fact that he could stand unharmed was enough to stun everyone.

"He can match the Vice-Captain in combat?!"

"How is that possible... Could there be some trick with that sword?"

"But all he has left now is a sword hilt, he's finished now!"

Ignoring the disdain from the HoundGuards, Julius merely raised his hand and gently pulled out a charred pitchfork beside him, aligning it with the remaining hilt of his burnt sword.

*Hiss*

Like ice melting under the sun, the pitchfork quickly dissolved into liquid, reforming and elongating upon the sword hilt, emitting waves of black and red flames.

*Ding*

With a clear ring of a sword, the once worn down burnt sword was reborn in Julius's hand, trembling as if alive, seemingly eager for another clash with its adversary.

"This kid... he's certainly no ordinary foe!" Among the HoundGuards, an experienced scout who had previously clashed with Julius reacted the fastest, immediately ordering, "Form up! Attack in turns with the highest power magic! Give him no chance to breathe!"

With no time left to think, the mages of the HoundGuards summoned their arcane rings, a dazzling array of lights aimed at the solitary Julius, ready to unleash their attack at any moment.

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"Dammit all! Hold your fire!" Kenneth roared, turning back with a fierce glare, sparing his subordinates no mercy, "This is my hunt, and you rookies better not ruin it for me!"

The mages, who had been ready to strike, were halted by his harsh rebuke. No matter their inner turmoil, they retracted the mana flooding into their arcane rings, silenced and reduced to mere spectators.

With his subordinates held back, Kenneth's gaze returned to the still-standing youth, too young for a warrior, his fingers covered in fiery gauntlets opening and closing as if savoring their recent clash—a sensation long missed, the thrill of a hunt where hunter and prey were evenly matched.

And the burning rage, the hate and the desire for revenge he felt under those black and red flames... all intoxicated Kenneth.

"Kid... no, what's your name?" Uncharacteristically, Kenneth chose to restrain his desire to continue the fight, instead striking up a conversation with his "prey."

"Julius." The young swordsman's response was simple and direct, as if the fierce clash had done nothing to disturb his composure.

"Good... very good, I will carve that name into your skull." Lowering his stance, a murderous frenzy returned to Kenneth's expression, "Continue to show me your anger and hate, let me savor it!"

As Kenneth's words faded, the fiery gauntlets around his arms swelled dramatically, scattering sparks in all directions, seemingly raising the temperature of the entire meadow by several degrees.

*Boom*

Simultaneous explosions, like the ringing of a bell signaling the resumption of combat, erupted beneath their feet. Both men harnessed the explosive force, accelerating into nearly indistinguishable blurs as they charged towards each other!

*Bang!!!*

The two collided fiercely in mid-air once more, the fiery gauntlets clashing with the dark flame sword. Orange-red magical flames intertwined instantly with the sinister black and red tongues of fire, tearing and consuming each other like wild beasts in a relentless struggle.

This time, the seasoned and cunning Kenneth quickly adapted, switching his punch into a claw to firmly grasp Julius's charred sword, while his other fist, heated by a scorching wind, smashed violently towards Julius's chest.

Yet Julius neither dodged nor retreated. Instead, he closed his eyes on the spot and swiftly plunged his consciousness into the charred sword he held—

*Whoosh*

Suddenly, a burst of black and red light exploded from the sword, freeing itself from confinement. Then, in a mysterious arc through Julius's hands, the sword struck first, piercing directly into the gap in the gauntlet of Kenneth’s attacking fist!

"Hahaha! Good move!" Kenneth laughed heartily, his smile even wider, "I'm really becoming too fond of you, young beast, to end you so early!"

Amid his laughter, Kenneth completely disregarded the blade piercing his body, driving the flaming gauntlets to accelerate with a fiery propulsion. He allowed the charred sword to stab deeper, swinging another fierce punch with mad momentum!

*Crack*

Under such a hysterical, sacrificial punch, the newly formed blade of the charred sword immediately shattered under the strain, scattering black and red brilliance. Julius's body was knocked backward, his black and red flames scattered by the impact, his feet dragging through the soil for several meters before finally stabilizing next to a charred lance.

"Lend me your power once more..." His hand on the lance, his whisper directly caused it to dissolve and reforge, once again transforming into a new blade for the charred sword, refilling his body with strength.

"Boy, are you really okay with recklessly consuming what little remains of your weapon? Ignis Tectum Stimulo Regeneratio." As the chant was sung, Kenneth's hand, deeply stabbed by the shattered blade, was immediately enveloped in a twin-headed serpent of flame. The wound rapidly regenerated, even ejecting the black fragments to fall to the ground, and within a few breaths, the injury on his entire arm was completely healed and crusted over.

"For you, the fight ahead will only get tougher!"

*Click*

Kenneth's fiery gauntlets briefly dissipated, and he fiercely clapped his fists together, smashing all ten rings on his fingers simultaneously, releasing a terrifying burst of amplified power.

*Ding Ding*

Immediately, two additional temporary Magestars were engraved on Kenneth's second arcane ring, the light flaring up even more intensely.

"Let's see how much use this can really be—Ignis Tectum Augeo-Maxima!"

*Sizzle—Boom!*

With that chant, which had been silent for so long, Kenneth's body emitted a plethora of swirling sparks, which then reignited into an even more brilliant and dancing flame tornado than before. Following this, all the flames condensed and solidified along the spiraling momentum around his body, and as the flames dissipated, Kenneth was clad in a full set of thick, fiery armor.

"Is this... the signature move named by the Duke himself?" a middle-aged member of the HoundGuards exclaimed in awe. "Wasn't it said that he couldn't use it anymore after the severe injuries he suffered ten years ago?"

"The origin of the title Ashwarden, the supposed strongest Second-Ringed fire-based spell of the coverage type—Ashwarden? Are we not in..."

"Retreat quickly! Don't get caught in the firewave!"

The members of the HoundGuards and the civilians scrambled frantically to distance themselves. Regardless of their understanding of the so-called ultimate move, their survival instincts screamed warnings inside their heads—not to foolishly stand still, lest they face unimaginable consequences.

"Ahahaha! Yes! This is the feeling! The power... all the power has returned!" Bolstered by ten prototype-level Artifact rings, Kenneth felt his strength surge unceasingly, returning him to his peak form of yesteryears. His signature move emerged effortlessly, as if water flowing into a channel, showcasing the elite demeanor he once displayed during military expeditions.

"Round two, begin!" Turning his head, Kenneth's gaze locked onto Julius once again. In the next moment, a series of explosions erupted beneath his feet, and waves of fire enveloped his body, speeding close to the ground towards Julius!

Even without visual confirmation, Julius's seasoned combat instincts had already sounded the alarm. The black and red flames at his feet exploded prematurely, propelling his body sharply to the side.

"You won't dodge this easily this time!"

Just as he narrowly avoided a direct punch, the waves of flames wrapping around Kenneth closely followed, sweeping toward Julius like a tsunami. Forced to act, Julius positioned the charred sword in front of him, unleashing a wave of black and red flames of equal magnitude to counter the onslaught.

*Crack*

The newly formed blade of the sword shattered again under the strain. Julius swiftly retreated, pulling another charred weapon from the ground to reforge it mid-leap.

"Let's see how many more times you can hold on!"

Kenneth, fully enhanced to his peak state, relentlessly pursued with his attacks. The advancing waves of fire he generated obliterated everything in their path. His meteoric punches from high jumps left vast seas of fire, and with the fiery heavy armor augmenting his every move, his actions carried searing waves of flame that turned everything around him into ashes, truly living up to the name "Ashwarden."

Confronted with such aggressive and continuous attacks, and knowing that a head-on confrontation was futile, Julius immediately switched strategies, abandoning any attempt to retaliate and focusing solely on evasion.

Seven rounds of meditative combat simulations had given him a complete grasp of Kenneth's movement patterns, and combined with his vast combat experience, the acceleration effect from the fire explosions was sufficient for him to become a phantom of black and red across the meadow. His mysterious footwork and agile maneuvers allowed him to dodge each of Kenneth's attacks gracefully.

However, Kenneth was no fool. After several failed assaults, he keenly sensed Julius's intentions.

"Ha, clever boy, hoping to drain my mana?" A flicker of impatience crossed Kenneth's eyes as he halted his movements, ceasing the wasteful expenditure of mana. "Don't forget, I'm the one controlling the game now!"

With a smirk curling at his lips, Kenneth suddenly turned around, his voice carrying across the battlefield with a wave of heat: "Skip the trial, let's move directly to executing the suspects! Call it the Wolf Execution!"

The members of the HoundGuards, momentarily stunned, quickly reacted. They dragged the weakened Hati and Skoll from their cages and threw them into the fenced arena, then began to rouse the three drugged, famished wolves.

"How about it? If you don't defeat me quickly, they'll be torn apart and devoured alive by the wolves!" Kenneth nodded in satisfaction, then spread his arms wide towards Julius,"No more hiding and dodging, face me in full force! Let's truly unleash this hunt!"