The confirmation of Leon's thoughts didn't take long. The sea, which until then had remained unstable, began to react in a more controlled way, the waves no longer colliding irregularly but moving in a continuous and heavy flow. The pressure of mana in the environment increased steadily, making the air denser—something noticeable even to those farther from the frontline.
"They're already going to attack again?"
Trevon, further south, also noticed the change. His gaze turned in the same direction, even with his body still worn out from the previous fight. The cut on his arm was still bleeding, his breathing wasn't fully stabilized, and his mana had already been heavily used, but even so he adjusted his stance. This wasn't something he could ignore. Around him, other knights began to do the same, slowing their offensive pace to follow the change in the environment.
"Prepare yourselves, new enemies are coming."
"Yes, sir."
The surface of the water then split at a single point. There were no multiple enemies emerging at once, only a clean rupture that revealed a single figure. He remained still for a few seconds before advancing toward the coast, unhurried, as if there was no need to accelerate his movements. His presence alone already made the difference in level clear.
Leon kept his gaze fixed on the opponent as his own mana began to adjust, the heat around his body increasing in a controlled manner. The nearby water started reacting even before any direct movement, indicating that the enemy's affinity was likely tied to the maritime environment.
"Let's finish this quickly."
The figure stopped a few meters from the defensive line and raised his hand, and the sea responded immediately. A mass of water rose behind him, compressed to a point where its density no longer seemed natural, ready to be launched against the entire frontline. It wasn't a targeted attack, but a clear attempt to break the defense all at once.
"As if I'd let that happen."
Before the movement could be completed, the heat increased. The water began to lose its form, its structure being affected before it could fully advance. Leon watched the new mage from above his position. He had taken the first step to begin the battle between them.
"Fall back and watch the edges, he didn't come alone."
Trevon, realizing the fight wasn't his, retreated just enough to leave the direct line of confrontation and gave orders to the knights, while still keeping his eyes fixed on the situation. He understood that this fight was no longer his responsibility, but he remained alert, ready to react if necessary.
'This is going to be dangerous… Leon already fought a rank ten a few days ago.'
The rank ten enemy didn't attack immediately after that. He remained in place, observing Leon carefully, as if evaluating something before making a decision. Around them, other battles continued, but with less intensity at that point, as part of the knights had already shifted their attention to this new threat.
"How long has it been, Leon?"
The mage crossed his arms, looking up without much concern on his face. Meanwhile, Leon jumped down from his position and landed on the ground with a soft sound. Creating his fire spear in his hand, he pointed it toward the rank 10 mage, his expression completely serious.
"Who are you again?"
Leon's face was neutral, while the mage's expression seemed to crack. That entire entrance of his meant nothing when Leon said that. He pointed at Leon with a furious and incredulous expression.
"Your rival, your greatest enemy, and the terror that appears in your deepest nightmares."
"I don't have nightmares, and even if I did, I doubt I'd dream about a stranger. By the way, what was your name again?"
"…Talis Varmith."
Talis Varmith kept his gaze fixed on Leon for a few seconds after answering, the irritation still visible in his expression before slowly fading. His posture adjusted, his arms uncrossing as the mana around him began to expand more clearly. The nearby water reacted immediately, small ripples forming around his feet even without direct contact, indicating constant control over the surrounding environment.
[I think you made him angry.]
'But I really don't know him… I think.'
[Let's just ignore that moment, he seems serious now.]
Pushing those thoughts aside, Leon didn't respond immediately to the ripples. His attention was no longer on words, but on how his opponent's mana behaved. The flow was stable, continuous, as if always active regardless of direct action. That made it difficult to predict when an attack would truly begin.
'He's… strange.'
Without changing his expression, his own mana began to intensify around the spear. The heat increased gradually, not enough to spread across the environment, but enough to begin directly interfering with the moisture in the air. Small vapors started to form, especially near the ground.
'Should I move farther back? No, if I retreat any more, I'll get scolded.'
Around them, Trevon maintained a more distant position, observing not only the two of them, but also the rest of the field. Some knights had already begun repositioning according to orders, expanding surveillance along the edges. The initial attack had been contained, but the lack of immediate reinforcements raised doubts.
'He didn't come alone… but he doesn't seem in a hurry either.'
Trevon's attention was divided between the main fight and the surroundings, searching for any sign of unusual movement. Back at the center, Talis raised his hand again, but this time there was no massive formation of water like before. Instead, multiple compressed blades formed around Leon at different angles, all launched at once.
Leon didn't move immediately. Holding his spear, he adjusted his grip, and in the next instant he spun his body, releasing a concentrated wave of heat that intercepted part of the attacks while dodging the rest. The water that came into contact with the heat quickly lost its form, dissipating before fully reaching the target. Talis let out a cold smile upon seeing that movement.
'As expected of Enrico.'