"I understand. Xiu, I am a man too, and in a fight for honor, I will not hold back at all."
"Good, we are all men." The red light on the staff rose again, splitting into six fiery arrows floating in the air, facing Edward, "This is a battle between men. Let’s... begin!"
As soon as Xiu finished speaking, Edward, with his sword, charged at Xiu! Being a swordsman, the best tactic against a magician who needs to recite spells is to attack first!
"Crack!"
But Edward miscalculated. The small thunderballs that Xiu had just conjured blocked the sword's path as it struck! The moment they touched, the explosive thunder traveled up the sword into Edward's body, making his hair stand on end!
Edward was a swordsman, and Xiu a magic apprentice. So, how could Xiu honestly wait until the battle officially started to conjure magic? The defensive "Thunder-Eater Death Soul Prison" was already cast while he spoke. And the next moment, it was time for those fiery arrows to launch!
"Edward, my friend, just back off! Hahaha!"
The six fiery arrows shot out at close range while Edward was paralyzed by the shock! Edward, surprised and unable to dodge, simply collapsed to the ground in front of Xiu. Although the posture was inelegant and full of flaws, at least he avoided the attack.
"Damn, what a stubborn guy!"
With his fatal fiery arrows missing, Xiu's joy turned to irritation. He didn't rush to attack Edward from behind but immediately jumped back two steps, quickly preparing for the next round of magical attacks!
How could Mengdie remain indifferent while these two were fighting? At first, she was somewhat frustrated about what was going on. But she wasn't a fool; understanding a bit of Xiu's words, she immediately guessed that these two were planning to fight a duel over her, an absolutely absurd and lowbrow matter!
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"You two idiots! Stop it right now!!! I am not a woman! Your fighting is absolutely pointless!!!"
Seeing them engaged in a life-and-death struggle, Mengdie had already put the matter of "feminization" behind her. Meanwhile, Father Cotton was shaking his head in disapproval.
But the question was, did Mengdie's yelling have any effect? At the moment, Xiu was fully engaged in reciting his spell, and Edward, despite his body's numbness, charged towards Xiu with his sword. Both completely ignored Mengdie's words! After all, in a duel between two men over a woman, it's almost a requirement for the woman to plead from the sidelines.
"Xiu! Let's settle this like men!"
"Edward! Come on, like a man!"
In an instant, ice crystals began to form around the staff, twinkling under the starlight. The blue-green light on the sword had also formed, turning the obsidian sword into a jadeite sword. Finally, they were on the verge of clashing!
"Two idiots! You are men, and I am even more a man among men!!!"
Suddenly! A small figure, contrary to where she should have been, rushed between the two dueling men! Her speed was so fast that the men couldn't even retract their weapons! In the next instant, the figure swiftly threw punches, one shattering the ice crystals on the staff, the other blasting away the sweeping giant sword! In just a moment, the explosive force sent Xiu and Edward flying five meters apart.
"Xiu! Edward! I told you not to fight, can't you hear?! We are comrades-in-arms, fighting among ourselves before facing the Black Flame Serpent, it seems you really want to die!!!"
Mengdie stood proudly between them, her fists covered in ice fragments and residual greenish sword light, questioning Xiu and Edward relentlessly. Sometimes she really couldn't understand why these two had such a weak sense of urgency. While she was trying to increase her combat ability, they were engaging in this tasteless duel.
"Miss Mengdie! Please don't stop us! This is a duel between 'men.' Normally, a 'girl' just needs to watch worriedly from the side, then await the result!" The ice crystal shattered, Xiu wasted no time in conjuring magic again. The sand and dust at his feet began to slowly swirl and gather. It seemed a man-sized dummy was about to appear!
Having been caught off guard once, Edward wouldn't allow Xiu to use magic again. He pushed off the ground, charging towards Xiu like an arrow released from a bow! But even as he charged, he refused to admit defeat.
"Mengdie! Just watch from the side! Interrupting a fight between 'men' is not what a 'girl' should do!!!"
Finally, veins bulged on Mengdie's forehead.
"(In Chinese) Damn it, even Buddha would be angry!!! You are men, and I·am·also·a·man——!!!"
As Edward was about to pass by her, Mengdie, infuriated by their constant references to her as a "girl," finally lost her temper. She reached out and grabbed the collar of Edward's neck from behind! With her incredible strength, she yanked him back, swung him over her shoulder, and slammed him hard onto the grass.
"Oof... wah! Meng... Mengdie... !!!"
This collision was unexpected and also due to Mengdie's immense strength. Edward, caught off guard, was winded by the impact and lay on the ground, unable to speak. Xiu, seeing Mengdie's actions, was momentarily stunned, blurting out—
"Miss Mengdie???"
Months ago, Mengdie had reluctantly accepted the title "Miss Mengdie." But now, she was enraged, particularly due to issues related to her gender identity. Hearing the word "Miss" unexpectedly, her anger immediately redirected at Xiu! She grabbed Edward by the neck and furiously threw him towards Xiu! With a "thud," the two men dueling over a girl were successively KO'd by that very girl.