─Teacher!
─Look, I’ve gathered my energy to shape the flesh!
Still, the image of the past 1st Princess is vivid.
A height barely reaching Ezekiel’s waist, boasting about creating a light arrow no bigger than a fork.
─Well done. I look forward to the future.
Ezekiel now faced the present squarely.
“….”
BOOM!
What remained in his memory as a fork-sized arrow was now soaring as a building-sized light arrow.
“…I wasn’t expecting this future.”
Speed, size, energy density… Everything is evenly distributed. The power is undoubtedly immense.
Isn’t this the crystallized energy that allowed Ether to have so many titles and names? It truly deserves to be called the Empire’s hope…
…Now the Empire’s hope was aiming for Ezekiel.
‘If I make a mistake, I’ll really die.’
Crumble! The sunweed in his mouth exploded.
It can’t be helped. This was a gamble he willingly took.
It would have been much easier to alternately attack and defend, but in order to obtain more Sun Elixir from the Emperor, he provoked Ether. Now there was nothing to do but endure.
The intent behind firing such a massive light arrow is clear. This time, it was designed to be unrepellable.
But standing here is Ezekiel.
There’s no way he wouldn’t have a plan.
Haaa—
As Ezekiel exhaled smoke from the sunweed, he simultaneously layered refined mana over his eyes.
His enhanced eyesight sees.
He instantly grasped the size, shape, and composition of the light arrow rushing toward the Dominan Valley…. All of it.
Next is creation.
POP!
Ice molds were created left and right. They were shaped perfectly to match the light arrow’s form, and when Ezekiel pressed his palms together, they covered the light arrow.
BAM!
The first ice mold was instantly shattered.
“Indeed, once is not enough.”
However.
The light arrow that pierced the ice mold had slightly diminished power. Now there was only one thing left to do; repeat the same process until the light arrow stops.
Ezekiel placed his palms together again.
SQUISH!
And then the mold cheerfully swallowed the light arrow.
KABOOM!
He could feel the speed decreasing significantly.
CRASH!
Both the speed and size were reduced.
‘I’m close.’
The light arrow was already right in front of Ezekiel, still not completely powerless. He summoned mana with all his ability.
THUMP!
Ezekiel lifted one foot and stomped the ground.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Simultaneously, the towering ice spikes shot up, striking the light arrow with all their might.
WOOOSH—!
The light arrow skimmed past Ezekiel’s head at the last moment and crashed into the distant wall.
“Haa, haa….”
Ezekiel briefly regained his breath.
“Two times.”
And then he took the brush and began to move his wrist. He was finally at the brink of completing the portrait.
“Now, only two more times left.”
Inspiration is said to come unbidden.
It was not a lie.
He grasped how to portray the Emperor’s appearance.
Cullinan Valley.
“…Block?”
Ether gazed across the valley with a look that suggested she was somewhat confused.
No, if the opponent was merely blocking, Ether wouldn’t be this puzzled.
However, the explosion that shattered the valley was hardly audible. It all but disappeared without a sound.
‘Did he effectively erase my light arrow?’
At first, she thought it was luck.
Then she assumed he had some clever way to rebound it.
But now she had no choice but to acknowledge the fact that he possessed substantial skill too. Did such talent appear in the Empire while she remained oblivious?
No, perhaps he wasn’t even an asset of the Empire.
‘Is he from the Great Forest?’
The Emperor was naturally seeking a match for the 1st Princess, which Ether herself had heard about. It was said that there are exceptional long-range fighters among the elves from the Great Forest.
[ There are only two more times left. ]
“….”
Ether silently gathered her energy.
When the 1st Princess snapped her fingers, a giant balista woven of energy slowly emerged from Ether’s body.
“Hmm…”
The woman pondered.
“Only two times, just those two.”
It wasn’t hesitation due to the limited number of tries. She wasn’t worried about the possibility of losing either.
‘Only two more chances to savor this guy?’
It had been a long time since she encountered someone so intriguing.
Even when she craved amusement from hunting, it was rare to run into a monster that satisfied her. Yet, she didn’t expect to face unexpected fun in a duel.
She was curious.
‘I want to see the resolution to my technique, to observe how everything can be countered.’
Why was there only a measly two times left?
She wished to unleash every technique she knew, defend against them all, meticulously observe how he counters and evades.
Then Ether would research the counter of the counter.
Wouldn’t this ultimately enhance her strength?
‘With that guy, I could become even better.’
Her enormous stature; Ether was no longer a girl, but a woman. She wasn’t too young to suggest changing the rules.
“The last two times, there’s no choice but to do just that.”
If there were only two opportunities left, she had to choose her favorite techniques. Then she could refine them even just a little more.
Even if the surroundings were turned to ruins.
‘It doesn’t matter at all.’
She had originally evacuated everyone from the Imperial Family. It would be regrettable for the Empire if the lush forest was scorched, but it was fine.
The 1st Princess was indeed the future of the Empire, not the forest.
Ether gathered her energy into her hand once more.
But this time, it wasn’t in the form of a bow.
It was in the shape of a massive spear.
CRACK—
When she clenched it tightly, a menacing sound echoed.
Ether positioned herself, putting her body into it, and finally threw it perfectly.
No, it would be more accurate to say she shot it.
WOOOOOOOSH—!
The spear pierced through space as it advanced.
─Teacher! Teacher!
─Finally, I’ve made the spear! Can you see?
─How is it? Isn’t it incredibly strong?!
“…Oh. It is strong.”
Immediately upon seeing the spear, Ezekiel spat out the sunweed.
‘That’s not something you would block from a standstill.’
Ezekiel wrapped mana around his feet and jumped into the air.
Someone might call it suicide, but it turned out that advancing closer rather than retreating yielded a greater chance of survival against this spear.
─My spear is indeed unique, isn’t it?
─It absorbs everything. The farther it flies, the stronger it gets!
─Do you think I’ll just swallow it whole? How about that?
Since all sorts of resistance are met, conventional projectiles tend to lose power the farther they travel.
But Ether’s spear was different.
It possessed the absurd ability to absorb all the minute energies around it. Thus, approaching quickly to defend was the wisest counter.
SHHHRRR—!
Ezekiel created a barrier to trap the spear.
A 20-sided ice barrier.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The spear that hit the barrier bounced back to the opposite side. It had to be trapped within the barrier until it was completely exhausted of strength.
CRASH—! CRASH—! CRASH—!
With each impact, an enormous explosion resounded.
His entire body felt like it was about to break from the impacts.
Taking damage through the barrier meant he was essentially saying he would absorb the collisions with the mana connected to the barrier. So quite a portion of the shock was taken by Ezekiel.
It might shorten his lifespan, but…
‘I have to endure.’
Ezekiel swallowed the surge of blood.
This is a gamble.
It was a gamble that he started with his life at stake. If he wins, he would reap three times more life!
BOOM!
At that moment, amidst the decaying inner space of the ten-sided barrier, the spear split apart and shot out tiny bead-like pieces.
‘That’s the core.’
The essence of the energy that Ether’s spear absorbed.
─Teacher~ It’s a surprise gift.
─Open it quickly! Hurry!
How many pillars of the Imperial Palace have collapsed from the explosion of this surprise gift? Just collecting those pillars could probably erect an extra palace.
Moreover, that was when she was a child. She must have become incomparably stronger now.
SHHHHRRR—!
Ezekiel immediately withdrew the barrier.
Absorbing that energy with the barrier was insane. It was no different from swallowing a bomb.
‘…I have to stop the explosion itself.’
The more he observed, the more the power exceeded his imagination.
It was potent enough to obliterate not just the valley Ezekiel stood in, but the entire surrounding area.
With no time to waste, Ezekiel retrieved the ice.
SWOOOSH—!
Delicate and intricate ice, laced like spider silk, tailored perfectly as if crafting a path for the core to roll along.
SWISH—! SWISH SWISH SWISH—!
The core began to glide cautiously along the icy path.
“Fortunately, I’ve seen countless surprise gifts before.”
The intel against Ether, and the nontrivial level of the ice magic technique. The combination of both barely allowed for this counter.
SWOOOSH—!
The core twisted and turned along the path made of ice.
If the ice were even a little rough, it would explode.
If the path were not the right width, it would explode.
If the curve were too steep, it would explode.
…Ezekiel invested all of his focus.
The power was far beyond what he experienced as a child, but the principle itself hadn’t changed.
SWOOOSHHHH—!
At the edge of the ice, another layer of ice formed, ultimately paving the way back to Ether. Thus began the road of ice crafted in the air.
SWISH—!
Excessively soft ice possesses strengths greater than that of hardness. The core of Ether began to run away, entrusting itself to the smooth curves of the ice.
COUGH—!
Ezekiel spat blood while smirking.
“Ether, take it back. It’s a return.”
.
.
.
.
.
The distance between the valleys was considerable.
But Ether saw something approaching her at that moment.
SWOOOSHHHH—!
Something cold extending towards her.
“….”
GUGUGUGUGU—!
An orb of energy sped towards her at an incredible speed, but that didn’t matter.
A chilling bloom of elements, a true embodiment of precision.
“…Ice?”
An immense ice magic technique.
In an instant, someone flashed through the woman’s mind.
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