Instead of traveling by carriage like an ordinary noble, I chose a more efficient method—flight.

With my mastery over gravity magic, I lifted myself, along with Mother, Father, and Elise, into the air. Elise cheered in excitement, her small arms stretched out like wings as if she were flying on her own.

"Woooo! We're flying!" Elise giggled, looking down at the city below.

Mother, on the other hand, sighed but said nothing. She had long grown used to my unconventional methods.

Father remained calm, though I caught a slight smirk on his face. "Convenient."

---

A Grand New Home

As we neared our destination, I finally caught sight of our new home.

It was a grand estate, larger than anything we had ever lived in before.

The mansion was built in a refined, noble style, its stone walls lined with intricate carvings of historical battles.

Tall windows gleamed in the sunlight, and a balcony wrapped around the second floor, offering a perfect view of the city.

A well-maintained garden stretched out in front, filled with lush greenery, flowers, and even a fountain in the center.

There was a training area at the back, complete with a courtyard for sword practice and an indoor space likely meant for magic training.

As I descended, placing my family gently on the ground, Elise's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Wow! This place is HUGE!" she exclaimed, immediately running toward the entrance.

Mother and Father exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of pride and disbelief.

I turned to them and smirked. "Welcome home."

---

Ivansia’s Welcome & Ivan’s Training

The large doors to the mansion swung open, and standing there, waiting for us, was Ivansia Raviel.

Her silver hair shimmered under the light, and her red eyes carried their usual sharpness, but there was also a hint of amusement.

"Took you long enough," she said, arms crossed.

I shrugged. "Flying takes less time than a carriage."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Of course it does. I should have expected that from you."

I glanced around the house. "So, how long have you been waiting?"

"Not long. Ivan made sure everything was ready before you arrived."

At the mention of Ivan, I raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of him, how did his training with your father go?"

Ivansia's expression shifted slightly, her red eyes thoughtful.

"Difficult. My father isn't easy on anyone, and he put Ivan through some brutal training."

That much was expected. Duke Denial Raviel was known as a sword magician specializing in fire magic—one of the strongest in the kingdom. Ivan didn’t use a sword, but learning fire magic from someone like that must have been both an honor and a painful experience.

Ivansia continued. "But... Ivan handled it well. He's grown stronger, much stronger. I think even you would be surprised."

I smirked. "Now I'm curious."

She sighed again. "I figured you would be. He's at the Duke mention right now, wrapping up some business. If you want to meet him, you should go now."

---

Heading to Meet Ivan

I turned to my parents. "You two settle in. Elise, explore the house but don't go breaking anything."

Elise pouted. "I never break anything! It's accidents!"

Mother laughed. "Go on, Nether. We'll take care of things here."

Ivan’s Last Spar with Duke Denial Raviel

When I arrived at Duke Denial Raviel’s estate, the first thing I noticed was the scorching heat in the air. It wasn’t the usual warmth of the sun—it was residual fire magic lingering from a fierce battle.

I followed the sensation to the training grounds, where I spotted Ivan and Duke Raviel mid-battle.

Ivan stood with confidence, his black hair damp with sweat, his red eyes focused and unwavering. His magic swirled around him like a violent storm of flames, controlled yet powerful.

Across from him, Duke Denial Raviel, with his commanding presence, remained calm but firm, his own fire magic raging like an inferno.

The two clashed—Ivan’s magic roared forward, meeting the Duke’s counterattack head-on. The force of their spells sent a shockwave across the field.

I whistled. "Not bad."

Ivan, hearing my voice, momentarily glanced in my direction, but the Duke didn’t allow any distractions. He closed the distance and struck with a blazing sword slash.

Ivan barely managed to conjure a wall of fire to block it, but the impact still sent him sliding back.

The Duke lowered his blade, his expression unreadable. "You’re improving, but you still have a long way to go."

Ivan wiped his forehead, exhaling sharply. "Tch. I thought I lasted longer this time."

---

I Challenge the Duke

Seeing their spar come to an end, I stepped forward. "That looked fun. I want in."

Both Ivan and the Duke turned toward me.

"You?" Duke Raviel raised an eyebrow. "You don’t use fire magic. This is a fire-based duel."

I shrugged. "And? I want to fight."

Ivan smirked, knowing exactly what I was up to.

The Duke let out a low chuckle, amusement flashing in his eyes. "Very well, Nether. But don’t complain when you get burned."

I grinned. "You think I’ll let myself get hit? Let’s see who’s complaining by the end."

---

The Fight Begins

Duke Raviel raised his sword, flames bursting from its edge. The sheer heat distorted the air around him, but I wasn’t concerned.

I summoned my gravity magic, shifting my stance. The ground beneath me cracked slightly as I adjusted my weight, my body feeling lighter and faster.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

The Duke vanished.

He moved at a terrifying speed, flames trailing behind him as he closed the gap in an instant, his sword already swinging toward me.

I didn’t dodge.

Instead, I increased my gravity at the last second, planting my feet and reinforcing my body.

Clang!

I caught his flaming sword with both hands. The heat was intense, but my aura shielded me from being burned.

Duke Raviel’s eyes flashed in surprise. "Interesting."

I grinned. "You haven’t seen anything yet."

With a burst of strength, I pushed back, sending him skidding across the training grounds.

His expression turned serious. "Very well. Let’s see how long you can keep up."

And just like that, the real battle began.

Duke Raviel's True Power

As expected, Duke Raviel was on a completely different level.

The moment our real battle started, I realized something—he wasn't even using his full strength earlier.

His fire magic wasn’t just raw destruction. It was controlled, precise, and overwhelming. Each attack forced me on the defensive, and every dodge was a hair’s breadth away from failure.

His strikes came faster and fiercer, the heat of his flames becoming unbearable. The ground beneath us turned into molten rock, warping under the pressure of our battle.

It wasn’t just strength—it was experience.

Even with my gravity magic boosting my speed, I could barely keep up. My foresight allowed me to predict his attacks, but even then, I was struggling.

It was time to stop holding back.

---

Activating Absolute Domain

I jumped back, putting distance between us, and took a deep breath.

Then—I activated it.

"Absolute Domain."

A sudden shift occurred.

The air became dense, and the ground beneath my feet seemed to warp slightly as a five-meter radius of absolute control formed around me.

Inside this space—I was nearly invincible.

My gravity magic reached its peak, allowing me to manipulate my weight, speed, and even the trajectory of attacks with insane precision.

Combined with my foresight ability, I could predict every move within this domain seconds before they happened.

For the next hour, I was untouchable.

Duke Raviel’s eyes widened in genuine shock.

"What... is this?" He muttered, staring at the sheer presence of my domain.

That was when I drew my legendary twin swords—the same blades from the elven kingdom.

One black. One white.

The moment they appeared, the atmosphere changed.

The Duke’s expression hardened. "Those swords..."

He recognized them. Of course he did.

The legendary twin blades that had remained untouched for 500 years.

A weapon that no elf, no king, no warrior in the elven kingdom had been able to wield—until me.

I smirked, spinning the blades in my hands as my Absolute Domain pulsed around me.

"Now then, Duke," I said, locking eyes with him. "Let’s see if you can handle me at full power."

---

The True Battle Begins

Duke Raviel took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword.

His aura surged—a roaring inferno that turned the already-molten ground into a sea of fire.

Despite the raging heat, I stepped forward without hesitation.

Because in my Absolute Domain... I had already seen his next move.

And I was ready.

The Clash of Titans

As the Duke’s aura flared like a burning inferno, the air distorted under the sheer intensity of his flames. His entire presence was like that of an unshakable volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.

But inside my Absolute Domain, I was calm. For the next hour, I could not lose.

He moved first. A sudden step forward, flames bursting beneath his feet. His sword, engulfed in an infernal blaze, cut through the air like a meteor falling from the heavens.

I saw it before it happened.

With the smallest shift in gravity, I twisted my body at the perfect angle—his blade passed through empty air, the heat licking at my cheek but never touching.

In that same instant, I struck.

My black sword slashed upward while my white sword curved downward, a seamless dual attack that would leave any opponent overwhelmed.

But the Duke was no ordinary opponent.

He pivoted at the last second, twisting his body mid-air and bringing his sword up in a powerful arc.

CLANG!

The shockwave from our clash shattered the ground beneath us.

I felt my feet sink into the molten earth, but I controlled the gravity around me, floating just above the ground before launching myself forward again.

---

A Battle of Experience vs. Talent

Our swords clashed repeatedly, each strike filled with raw power.

He swung down—a wide, powerful arc meant to burn through anything in its path.

I stepped forward, letting gravity pull me at an unnatural speed, dodging at the last moment. My black sword struck at his waist while my white sword aimed for his shoulder.

But he adapted instantly.

With a sudden burst of flames, he propelled himself backward, his sword creating a defensive wall of fire.

He was fast.

But I was faster.

Before his feet even touched the ground, I had already seen his next move.

Using my foresight, I adjusted my gravity and leapt forward, closing the distance between us in an instant.

His eyes widened.

He had no time to react.

My black sword slashed diagonally across his chest, while my white sword aimed straight for his neck.

But—

At the very last second, he tilted his head, the white sword barely missing his throat.

Instead of stepping back, he stepped forward.

"Ignition Burst!"

A massive explosion erupted from his body, forcing me backward.

The ground cracked, flames surging into the air like a firestorm.

---

The Final Exchange

As the smoke cleared, we both stood several meters apart.

He was breathing heavily. I could see a deep cut on his chest where my black sword had struck, but his grip on his sword was still firm.

I was also feeling the exhaustion.

Even inside my Absolute Domain, maintaining control over every movement and countering his every attack was draining.

But this was it.

One final clash.

We both knew it.

I adjusted my grip on my swords, lowering my stance.

He raised his sword, his flames flaring up one last time.

Then—we moved.

Both of us shot forward, our swords aimed for the decisive blow.

One strike.

One final exchange.

And just before our blades could connect—

"Nee-chan! Duke Raviel!"

A child's voice echoed through the training grounds.

Both of us froze.

At the very last moment, we stopped—our blades hovering just an inch away from each other's throats.

I turned my head slightly.

Standing at the edge of the battlefield was Ivansia, holding Elise in her arms.

Elise was staring at me with wide, innocent eyes. "You two are scary..." she mumbled.

A beat of silence passed.

Then—both the Duke and I burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... to think we'd get so caught up in it," the Duke said, stepping back and lowering his sword.

I did the same, deactivating Absolute Domain.

"I guess we got a little carried away," I admitted, rolling my shoulders.

Ivansia sighed. "A little? It looked like you were about to kill each other!"

Duke Raviel chuckled, patting her head. "A battle between warriors isn't about winning or losing, it's about pushing each other to the limits. And I must admit... Nether, you're even more of a monster than I expected."

I smirked. "You’re not so bad yourself, old man."

He raised an eyebrow. "Old man?"

I turned to Ivansia. "How do you deal with this guy every day?"

She just sighed, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, Elise pouted. "No more scary fights! I want dinner!"

I grinned, picking her up. "Alright, alright. Let’s eat first. I’ll beat the Duke properly next time."

Duke Raviel let out a hearty laugh. "We’ll see about that, boy."

With that, the battle ended—not in victory or defeat, but in mutual respect.

To be continue