206 CCVI. The Second Exhibition (2/2)

At that very moment, Dag dashed toward Dargeon at superhuman speed, releasing purple sparks and a trail of fire, which burned the ground beneath his feet, coming into contact with the Giantbane's scorching blade.

”Aaagh!” yelled Dag, trying to hit Dargeon, who once again managed to raise his shield, despite being taken by surprise.

”Grraagh!” replied Dargeon, as he repeatedly parried his opponent's relentless, fast shots.

The hammer and the axe repeatedly impacted the bulwark, and Dargeon's arm seemed unable to withstand that amount of energy for long.

After the battle scream, the Master Of Defense spread his legs, gaining stability, and his shield was immediately surrounded by an electric aura, which increased its robustness.

But that didn't bother Dag, whose attacks were so quick and steady, that he left no room for action for his opponent.

As the red-hot axe warmed the shield metal, emitting flames, the static energy of the hammer concentrated at a specific point, trying to weaken the material.

The combat was spectacular, and the warriors around them were as mesmerized by the colors unleashed by Dag's attacks.

”As much as he can hit him, Dargeon's Static Bulwark is impassable. Only a spell capable of blocking his arm could uncover his defenses. The fact that he decided to use one of his strongest skills means that Dag's attacks have seriously put him in trouble...” said Egill, addressing Reidar and Gridd, pleased with the power of that shield.

Just after those words, Egill's attention was drawn to a scream from Dag, who released a small amount of gas from his arms, which mingled with the smoke released by the Flames of the Giantbane but did not escape his attentive eyes.

The same smoke became dark liquid, which entered the hammer, further enhancing it.

When he struck Dargeon's shield for the umpteenth time, it was so powerful that it caused a small crack on its surface.

The electric aura around it deactivated and unbalanced him, causing him to fall with his lower back on the ground.

”What?! What the fuck did it happen?” he asked, who still couldn't realize he had lost the fight.

The Berserkrs and Shieldmaidens who attended the scene remained silent, gasping.

Egill stopped talking, continuing to watch Dag, while Reidar and Karl sighed with a satisfied air as if they had bet on his victory.

Dag relaxed, releasing the accumulated power: the Giantbane's blade returned to its normal color, as did Magni's hammer.

After stowed them on the belt magnets, he approached Dargeon, reaching out to him, to help him get up from the ground.

He accepted the help and as soon as he was back on his feet he looked at the front of his shield, discovering the small crack procured by his former pupil.

Soon after, he looked him straight in the eye: he was usually an exuberant and funny man, but at that moment his expression was as serious as never before.

”This shield was built from Skjold's strongest metal, created from minerals taken from inside the highest mountain of the Grey Mountains Chain. In my life, I have faced a lot of opponents, but no one had ever managed to scratch it, especially after activating 'Static Bulwark', my unique skill. You even managed to break it. Where does all this power come from, boy?” he asked, looking at Dag's purple eye.