Eirin Yagokoro had existed for an incredibly long time, and she had naturally reached the absolute limits of what she could achieve in various fields. Her choice of the bow as a weapon was purely due to personal preference.
In terms of raw physical strength alone, she wasn't particularly terrifying, but it was a different story when aided by the vast mana within her body.
Lancer, having struck the opponent's bow arm, felt a staggering force surge toward him. He nearly lost his grip on the spear and felt his body tilt back unnaturally. He didn't know what her next move would be, but he knew he couldn't let her have her way.
Crack~
"Weapon Overload"
A crack abruptly appeared on the blood-colored bone spear. This was the side effect caused by Lancer infusing the spear with blood vitality. However, a powerful side effect also signified a terrifying ability; the drawback was necessary to maintain balance.
Blood-red flames spread from the spear shaft, scorching all the way to her bow. Eirin frowned, a rare expression for her.
With Eirin strength, ordinary flames couldn't harm her unless they reached an extreme temperature or possessed a very special composition.
The foundation of the blood vitality was the resentment of those Lancer had killed, the combat intent absorbed during battle, and the energy provided by Lancer himself. When this blood vitality was ignited by the flames within the "Awaken Gáe Bolg," it manifested before everyone in a violent, frenzied state.
This eerie energy was constantly eroding Eirin mana. She frowned, and several magic circles appeared around her. Without needing manual operation, terrifying energy began to surge within them. Only a few seconds later, several torrents of mana shot toward Lancer.
The wisest move would naturally be to dodge, provided one could dodge.
Aside from her initial display of great rage, Eirin face remained ice-cold. As the "Sage of the Moon," her most important asset—besides the vast experience and power accumulated over time—was her intellect.
In an instant, she calculated Lancer possible evasion space, and the mana torrents completely sealed off his routes.
Can't dodge? Then I won't!
The blood vitality enhanced by "Oni Transformation" was instantly bolstered once more. It erupted from Lancer body in a geyser-like fashion, asserting its presence in all directions. Lancer didn't do this to waste his limited blood vitality, but because a certain move required it as a foundation.
"Demon Dance"
As a signature skill for hunters using dual blades in the MH world, this move could deal massive damage in a short time. However, in the real world, this move wasn't restricted to dual blades. Following Lancer all-or-nothing attack, Eirin mana torrent finally arrived.
Boom!!!
The terrifying mana was detonated before it could reach Lancer. The spear, surrounded by blood vitality, struck the mana stream in advance. Once the mana detonated, it swept toward Lancer, but just then, the spear—originally thrusting forward—swept horizontally to the side...
The so-called "dance" wasn't truly chaotic, at least not in Lancer view. His spear was actually searching for the weak points of the mana beams. Under repeated strikes, the originally terrifying mana beams were completely detonated, turning into countless fragments before returning to ordinary mana and dissipating.
The shimmering pale blue mana looked incredibly beautiful under the moonlight, but hidden beneath this beautiful scene was a terrifying killing intent. As Lancer shattered the first round of mana beams, a second round was already prepared.
Boom!!!
The surging mana beams were shattered again, but under Eirin manipulation, they seemed infinite. Soon, the ground where Lancer stood was completely destroyed, blown into a large crater.
Relying on the special ability of the "Awaken Gáe Bolg," even such terrifying and dense attacks couldn't completely destroy it. It even burned more vigorously using Lancer blood as fuel. However, no matter how long the weapon could endure, it meant nothing if the master couldn't.
His body, which had been reborn in the Phoenix's flames, was now covered in countless wounds from the mana beams. The injuries to his hands were the most severe, as they were the first to make contact with the exploding mana.
Furthermore, to maintain his stance as time passed, Lancer had to give up protection on non-essential areas. His limbs were scorched black by the mana.
Because of the mana beam attacks, Lancer body was tilted back. To maintain balance, he struggled to lean forward. When the mana attacks finally stopped, he nearly fell forward, but managed to prop himself up with his spear against the ground. Though his body trembled, he at least didn't collapse.
"Tell me! Where is Kaguya! At least then I will give you a swift end."
Indeed, the reason Eirin hadn't killed Lancer yet was to find Kaguya location. As the Sage of the Moon, she also knew teleportation spells, but compared to Yukari Yakumo, whose ability was almost like instinct, she fell short. Finding Kaguya once taken by Yukari was no simple task; the easiest way was through this man.
Facing Eirin, who threatened him with death, Lancer instead let out a mocking smile.
"Kaguya got into trouble because of the Hourai Elixir she refined for my sake. You want me to give up her location? Fine! Come on! Kill me, and maybe you can find out from my corpse!"
If the "Mask of Determination" were still intact, Lancer might have had the strength for one last gamble. But unfortunately, it had already turned to shards in the Phoenix's fire. The only ability Lancer had left to strengthen himself was the "Trial," but the cost was incredibly heavy—not just because of the long cooldown, but primarily because if he failed, the opponent would be strengthened.
He hadn't intended to use this ability, but if he didn't now, he would lose his chance forever. He planned to fight to the death and then look for an opportunity to escape.
However, compared to Lancer who was putting everything on the line, Eirin suddenly realized something was wrong. Lancer words didn't seem right?
Just as Eirin was about to speak again, and Lancer had used the "Trial" to restore his stamina and heal his wounds, two "familiar" auras suddenly appeared.
Then Lancer saw a petite figure block his path.
"Master!!"