Chapter 951: Manato vs. Hagane

Despite having already knocked him down, he refused to give in. With a quick, agile twist of his body, he managed to free his legs from the chain. I was taken aback by his newfound agility, but perhaps he had grown during our time apart – or rather, circumstances had forced him to gain more battle experience.

Once the chains were removed from his feet, he executed two somersaults, dragging his shields with him, and then took up his defensive position once more.

"Manato, let's put an end to this. I don't want to fight," Hagane implored.

"I'm sorry, but that's not an option," I replied resolutely. I lunged forward and transformed my Versatile Weapon into a hammer, bringing it down forcefully on his shield.

"CRACK!"

His shield began to splinter, but Hagane remained undeterred. Realizing I had no intention of backing down, he decided to take the offensive as well.