...

Clang! Clang!

Cling!

While everyone else was pretty much occupied with their respective battles, Shin was currently sitting on a corner with a sulking face as he watched Arthur battle against a strong opponent that came out of nowhere.

They were already expecting that Mammon was going to appear in this place, trying to plot something while the others were busy dealing with the Black Nagas. And that was also the reason why Shin chose to guard this place alongside Arthur.

But at the same time, they were not expecting that this member of the rumored 'Pandemonium Troupe' was going to appear very prepared.

Right after arriving, Mammon immediately attacked without any hint of hesitation. But no matter how unexpected his move was, it was still nothing to be surprised about when it came to Arthur.

Moreover, he was already tired of waiting and sitting around doing nothing while the others were too busy on their side.

Clang! Clang!

So, when Mammon suddenly appeared and initiated an ambush, Arthur immediately greeted him with a bright and excited smile. "Oi~! You sure take your time at getting in here, Mammon; the Sloth Devil!"

"Oh~! So, you not only know my name now, huh? You even managed to dig out my title too?" said Mammon with a surprised look on his face right after creating some breathing space.

"I guess that sword freak guy does a lot of work to finish your homework," he added with a smirk.

'So, how am I going to get rid of this annoying dragon,' thought Mammon to himself while trying to find a way to break through Arthur's defense.

But right after he turned his head to the side, he suddenly noticed Shin ducking beside him who was also in the middle of unsheathing his sword. "Huh? Since when did he-…?"

Shing!

Mammon didn't expect the sudden move, so he was clearly caught off-guard. But despite the fast and unexpected ambush, he was still able to move his body accordingly and dodge the incoming strike in time.

"That was close," muttered Mammon to himself while leaning his body backward. After that, he quickly did a series of flips, trying to create some distance between him and Shin.

Shin wanted to chase after him since his instincts were telling him that there was a trap waiting for him if he tried to pursue his opponent.

"Tsk! What a sharp guy," cursed Mammon silently when he saw Shin didn't take the bait.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, Shin? I thought I told you not to butt in my fight!" complained Arthur when he saw that.

'Tch! This stubborn moron! Did he already forget why we are here?' said Shin while sheathing his sword and refuting at the same time. "Then do your job right! We are wasting too much time here. We don't know how long Cloe and the others can hold off those snakes!"

"Heh~! So, the famous Dragon God wants to have a showdown with me alone?" said Mammon, interrupting them.

Due to that, both Shin and Arthur couldn't help but look at him while throwing a fierce glare.

"Oh~! There is no need to throw those looks at me. After all, I'm also planning to crush both of you anyway.; both in turns or together," said Mammon provokingly while putting his daggers inside his inventory space before taking out a new pair.

"Eh!? Are those even assassin weapons?" muttered Shin after seeing the weapons Mammon took out.

One of them was an oversized butcher knife with a crimson glowing edge. The other weapon was a variation of a dagger and a scimitar – it had a thin blade but had a broad width alongside a curved guard that was extending all the way to the bottom of its hilt.

"It doesn't matter what kind of weapon he is holding. It also didn't matter how strange it was. All I have to do is beat the crap out of him in the end," said Arthur as he started walking forward.

"And do you dare interfere with my duel once again," he added with a threatening tone.

Hearing that, Shin couldn't help but knit his brow as it was rare for him to see Arthur act like this. Much less seeing him without his easygoing attitude.

"Why so serious? It's not like I steal your prey or anything," said Shin sneeringly before looking for a corner once again to observe the fight.

Meanwhile, Arthur stopped a few meters away from Mammon before flipping his spear and resting it on his shoulders. "Hey, Sloth Devil! I'll make sure to make you pay a hundred times for ambushes that you did to me before!"

After that, he quickly assumed a battle position where he moved his left foot forward, spreading his legs a little. He then raised his left arm with his shield to hide his upper body behind it.

At the same time, the spear resting on his right shoulder suddenly shone with a golden glow as if it was enfolded with a golden flame.

Hu~!

BOOM!

Then a powerful explosion of aura was suddenly released from his body right after he took a breath. And a few moments later, a massive golden figure appeared behind him all of a sudden, manifesting a dragon.

It had diamond-shaped golden scales and a huge pair of bat wings on its back. The claws that it had on its hands and feet were giving off a feeling that they could break through even the toughest metal in this world.

Its massive body not only had the strongest defense but it was also housing a powerful and explosive strength.

Meanwhile, its sharp eyes were looking at Mammon in a fierce yet dignified manner. It was as if it was announcing its authority over every being.

Seeing that scene in front of him, Mammon couldn't help but chuckle a little since it had been a while since someone dared to look down at him like this.

But he didn't get angry nor provoked since he was also aware that Arthur at least had the right to treat him like that. After all, he was not even 100% confident that he could win against him in a one-on-one battle; especially if both of them went all-out.

So, there was nothing for him to complain about.

"A dragon, a perfect representation of absolute power. It also has a tough defense and a powerful offense. Such a perfect symbol for someone who is known for his defensive prowess and offensive capabilities," muttered Mammon to himself while staring at the golden dragon behind Arthur.

He then closed his eyes, trying to make his mind clear before summoning his own Aura Manifestation.

Boom!

He didn't even take his battle stance when a powerful pressure was released from his body alongside the massive silhouette that appeared behind him.

It was as if he was trying to show Arthur his superiority.; he was seemingly telling his opponent that he didn't need to assume a battle-ready position to summon his maximum battle potential.

Seeing that, Arthur couldn't help but smirk a little before muttering with a quiet voice. "Heh! Do you think that taking a battle stance is just a way to show my awesomeness?"

"And you don't even know how to properly manifest your own aura," he added with a sneering tone while looking at the huge shadowy figure standing behind Mammon.

He was not sure if his opponent was purposely hiding its real appearance to hide his real battle capabilities. After all, the Aura Manifestation was also a reflection of someone's battle style. And a skilled expert was able to see what kind of opponent they were facing.

But it didn't mean that showing one's Aura Manifestation was a disadvantage. After all, it was also a way to suppress the opponent's mind by pressuring their mental strength.

An Aura Manifestation with a more distinct form had a much powerful mental pressure, so it was better to form a complete Aura Manifestation rather than showing its incomplete form.

Regardless, Arthur didn't have a plan to ponder about it and immediately lunged himself forward.

"Heh! Lucky! I guess he is still as impatient as ever," mumbled Mammon while also making his move.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

During their charge, Mammon immediately used one of the footwork from his arsenal to create multiple copies of himself, trying to confuse Arthur.

Seeing that, Arthur suddenly smirked before accelerating his charge. "Cheap tricks!"

Swoosh!

During his charge, his body was suddenly enfolded with a golden aura that immediately transformed into a huge dragon.

Roar!

'Class Fighting Style: Breaking Through of the Golden Dragon'

The golden dragon opened its mouth devouring all of the afterimages that Mammon had created. But despite destroying all of them, Arthur still failed to hit the main body.

"You are still the same, Siegfried – always been flashy but predictable," said Mammon as he appeared behind Arthur when the golden aura surrounding him disappeared.

Clang!

But despite the perfect timing of his ambush, his attack was still blocked by Arthur. "Says the one who always stabs his opponents from behind!"

With a slight turn, Arthur was able to move his shield behind him and block the incoming attack from behind. And by twisting his waist a little and pivoting towards the same direction, he was able to throw a quick counterattack with his spear.

Swoosh!

"Tsk!"

The spear on Arthur's hand lunged forward and flew straight to his opponent's face. That counter was perfectly performed and left a very small margin of error to take advantage of.

Clang!

But Mammon easily deflected the spear with a casual flick of his scimitar. And at the same time, he also used the body of that spear to guide his scimitar slide straight to Arthur.

Hup!

Seeing that, Arthur quickly pulled his right arm, retrieving his spear back. And alongside his movements, he also moved his shield towards the opposite direction, borrowing the momentum to push his opponent away from him.

Meanwhile, Mammon immediately canceled his attack and quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the shield bash.

After that, he quickly distanced himself away from Arthur since he could sense an immense threat coming from the latter.

"Tsk!" Arthur couldn't help but click his tongue when he saw that. 'D*mn! I thought I already got him!'

On the other hand, Mammon looked at Arthur with a knitted brow before sneering. "I guess you also become sly with your moves. This is going to be interesting."

After that, both of them launched themselves towards each other once again, quickly resuming the battle.

The two of them exchanged a couple of strong blows while also mixing their attacks with their respective skills and combat techniques. And while all of this was happening, Shin was currently busy controlling the 'Spying Stones' in the whole place to record the entire battle from every angle.

But little did know, this battle was going to be the spark of the war between the 'Pandemonium Troupe' and 'Empyrean Talons'.

The third big war that would be engraved in the history of the Virtual World.

...…