Chapter 129
In front of my eyes, Merle underwent a sudden change due to the Distort she had cast.
The words “Complete Magical Equipment Formation” were engraved in her Distort, and seemed to have triggered some sort of magic spell. I wonder, what kind of trump card would the strongest Arc Witch in Arkrest’s history have?
If this was a life or death battle, I would have just attacked her without waiting for her transformation to finish, but my intention for this battle is to make Merle fight seriously to the full extent of her ability, until she is satisfied.
That’s why I will wait patiently until Merle reveals her trump card. With that said, Merle also expected to be attacked in the middle of the transformation of her equipment, and had prepared safety measures. A white, half transparent defensive barrier in the shape of a sphere surrounded her, with more than a hundred layers deployed.
In addition to being able to reflect physical attacks and magical interference from the outside, her barrier could also absorb and reduce the impact, and defend against mental interference as well. It was so sturdy and durable, it would take myself, Lenia, and Dramina attacking at full power to break through. Unless she is hit by something on the same level as a nuclear explosion, it will likely not have any effect on her.
If I look closely with my dragon eyes, I can see that her Distort has broken down into countless little particles, which settled on her robes and changed them into tighter fitting clothing.
It expanded around her shoulders, covering her in pure white armor that had black jewels embedded in sections of the knees, elbows, and fingertips. From her neck down to her abdomen and back, she was protected by pleated armor.
Decorations that looked like protruding rabbit ears shone from her bright red, long muffler, extended from the white robes that hung from her armor, and fluttered in the wind.
The millions of metal particles that made up the Distort were used to transform her clothing into magical armor, or rather magical clothing, to protect and strengthen her whole body.
The change in arrangement of the metal particle operated on Merle’s own magical energy, and as if numerous magical furnaces and amplification devices had been assembled, her own magical energy increased higher than before.
The magical furnaces contained within the magical clothes transformed by Distort apparently only needed to be triggered once by Merle’s magic, and would continuously generate magic semi-permanently by connecting the furnaces to each other.
The amount of magical energy produced by Merle’s soul, body, and mind were on a completely different level from ordinary people, but by switching to a complete magical form via Distort, she had a way to increase her magic even further.
The metal particles themselves seemed to have regenerative and learning capabilities, and if hit by the same attack many times, it could automatically acquire resistance to the attack, and then make it significantly less effective.
In addition, it is also strengthened by particle granting magic. Even from a simple physical defense standpoint, it would be difficult for any damage to be inflicted using the level of technology in this world.
As the wearer, the functionality of Merle’s whole body was strengthened greatly, allowing herself and Distort to work together as one complete system. With Distort, Merle is able to ward off all outside influence, and since her metabolism is controlled, she has no need for eating, sleeping or excretion while wearing it.
Merle’s mental fatigue should be taken into account, but so long as she wears Distort, she will not age, starve, or sleep, and could technically continue fighting forever.
Humu, are those degeneration furnaces built into the expanded parts of her armor at her shoulders? For people who specialize in gravitational magic, well, they might be able to make something like that, but it really is well done for something made with this current era’s level of technology.
The ancient civilizations reached the stars and thrived as celestial beings, but the current age’s people can barely even navigate between continents, let alone interstellar and interplanetary navigation. So it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Merle is hundreds of years ahead of her time.
Distort still takes some time to set up and cast, but I still wanted to praise her for creating something like this.
The transformation of Distort ended in less than a hundredth of a second, and Merle raised both her hands, covered in thick, white, shell-like gloves, and put them together as she smiled toward me blissfully and somewhat hungrily.
The more she fights, the more happy her smile becomes. It’s good that she’s happy, but it’s already late into the night, so this might even go on until dawn.
「Thanks for waiting, Dran. This is my trump card. This is the ability of my Distort, the essence of my skills. It changes into clothes that protect and strengthen me. Well, it’s closer to armor than clothes, but these are clothes, so I suppose they’re magical clothing?
I didn’t think I’d have the chance to show them off, but thanks to you, it gets to see the light of day. Ah, even if it’s night time right now」
「It is regrettable that if it never sees the light of day, but I think it would be best if you didn’t have to use it for war」
It’s really sad, but there are many examples throughout history where an invention was made with the intention of helping people, but eventually was transformed into a weapon that could kill people more efficiently.
If Merle ever releases even a little bit of the technique that is used in Distort, in no time at all, the people of this world would create various new weapons and techniques, and it would be easy to imagine it resulting in a mountain of corpses.
Merle’s face had been lit up with a bright smile ever since the match with me had started, but the implication of my words caused a hint of darkness to cross her face.
When she had created Distort, she herself must have thought those things too, and she’s always been worried about it. I could tell that from just a single look at her face.
「Yes, yes, you’re right. If I use this, a lot of people can be killed too easily, it’s very terrifying. It would really be better if this kind of power didn’t exist.
But I was the one who made Distort. Using my skills and knowledge, I just had to test how far I could go. So you should scorn me…」
「Isn’t that the fate of the people we call engineers and researchers? In regards to the handling and usage of Distort, there’s no other option but to entrust it to your good sense」
Well, even if Merle does lose her sanity and attacks the planet, using magic to shoot holes in it or slice it up, the Dragon Emperors including Ryoukichi would immediately notice it, not to mention the leaders of the spiritual and magical beasts, and the Ocean and Sky Demons who would all be troubled if the world was destroyed, would interfere, and Merle’s attack wouldn’t succeed.
In that way, Merle’s world view is still narrow.
Since she hasn’t had a chance to widen that view yet, I plan on showing her just how wide this world can be, and that there is always someone stronger than her, during today’s match.
「Yes, that’s, that’s how it’ll have to be. Ah, that must be why. That’s why I want to lose to you, Dran. If there were someone stronger than me, then if I ever go wrong, there’d be someone who could stop me, and I wanted that reassurance. Ahaha, I’m so irresponsible, aren’t I?」
At this point, Merle had realized that her obsession with me wasn’t just because she wanted an opponent to go all out with, and showed a self deprecating smile as she began to look dejected. But, humu, it seems Merle is such a sensible person, and possesses a stronger mental fortitude than most normal humans, that she’s made it this far.
I thought it would be fine if I just accepted her full power as is, but unexpectedly, it seems I would have to confront deeper parts of her heart. Shouldn’t I take this more seriously, and face her head on?
「I don’t think you have to blame yourself that much. So far, you haven’t met anyone strong enough to stop you yet, but this is a big, wide world, and I’ll make sure you learn that fact, whether you like it or not.
This world isn’t so small, or not dangerous, that everything will work out so long as you use your full power. Now then, please attack me with all you have. I have enough strength that it won’t be enough unless you do.」
Thanks to my words, in other words, my message to stop thinking about unnecessary things and just come at me with full power, caused Merle’s dejected face, on the verge of tears, to change in an instant into a truly happy smile, and her fighting spirit returned.
So she’s come back to her senses and finally feels like fighting me with all the power and skills she possesses. I don’t mind being her stress reliever.
「Fufu, you’re right. There’s no need for me to talk about unnecessary things and make things awkward. Alright then, here I come, Dran. I’ll show you my seriousness, my full power, my everything!」
「You can’t afford to spare any effort. Exhaust everything you have」
Now, come at me. I will crush you.
「Ooohhhhh!!」
Merle ran toward me while letting out a roar full of fighting spirit. Lightning wrapped around her slender legs, which caused a magnetic field effect and increased her acceleration tremendously.
The distance between us closed in an instant, and the right fist that Merle had raised up high came swinging down toward me mercilessly.
In the moment of collision with her gloved fist, not only did the amount of magical energy increase, every element of magic conceivable would directly target and hit the interior of the body, destroying it from the inside.
But of note in particular was that she was taking into consideration the possibility that her opponent might unexpectedly have fast enough reflexes and some method to defend against her attack, so she could reabsorb any reflected magic and restore it back to herself.
And if her opponent doesn’t reflect or absorb her attack, then the moment they come in contact with her technique and magic, her magic is set to explode violently. It was a refined technique that can end things by countering or absorbing any enemy’s counter attack.
「How stubborn you are」
I muttered that with thoughts of praise, as I met her swinging fist with my dragon claw sword, and repelled it. Magic swirled violently around us like a storm, making my black hair flutter against my cheeks.
Merle further attacked with her left, then right fist, moving both arms without rest, and continuously attacked me without losing even a bit of stamina.
Only because I had my dragon eyes and my physical body strengthened by my dragon powers, I could repeatedly repel her series of attacks with my dragon claw sword.
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