"Deus Sema!"
The moment Irene moved, the heavens answered.
A colossal fireball—nearly a hundred meters in diameter—plunged from the sky, roaring straight toward Rain like a falling star.
"…So it really is her."
Rain's pupils contracted the instant he sensed the magic.
There was no mistaking it.
This overwhelming, ancient pressure—this was Irene Belserion.
Yet even as realization struck, confusion flickered through his eyes. Something about her felt… different. Changed. He couldn't put it into words.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
The inferno was already upon him.
"Slash!"
Rain drew Ace in a single, fluid motion.
The blade flashed.
A massive crescent of sword light tore forward, cleaving the descending fireball cleanly in two. The flames scattered violently to either side, detonating against the ground.
This wasn't an ordinary slash.
It was the result of Rain's relentless refinement—a cut that surpassed even the Great Sword Hao.
"…Impressive."
Irene watched the severed flames dissipate, a trace of genuine admiration glinting in her eyes.
"Such sharp swordsmanship. As beautiful as ever."
Her lips curved gently.
"But tell me—how will you deal with what comes next?"
The smile was warm.
Her hands were not.
"Additional Impact.
Scorching Blast.
Detonation.
Ground Rush."
Four enchantments activated simultaneously.
Magic converged from every direction, sealing off Rain's position completely.
There was no path to escape.
"Armament!"
Rain crossed his blade in front of him, Armament Haki surging as he braced himself head-on.
At the same time—
"Command T Magic: Shrink."
The command activated instantly, forcing every trace of hostile magic that touched him to compress to its absolute minimum.
"—!!"
BOOM!!
Even so, the explosion swallowed him whole.
The battlefield vanished beneath a flood of violent light.
"…Damn it."
Rain was blasted backward, barely stabilizing himself mid-air. His expression hardened.
He couldn't afford to hold back anymore.
"Receive—God of Time."
The remnant soul answered his call.
"Time… stand still."
The world froze.
Wind halted. Flames locked in place. Space itself fell silent.
Irene Belserion stood motionless within the frozen domain, caught inside the halted flow of time.
"…Did it work?"
Rain exhaled sharply, tension easing for just a moment.
If she had been even slightly careless, this was his opening.
Because honestly—
He couldn't think of a single weakness she had.
"What—?!"
The next instant, Rain's future vision detonated in his mind.
His expression twisted.
He twisted his body aside on pure instinct.
Bang!
Too slow.
The staff in Irene's hand struck him squarely, sending him flying like a broken doll.
She hadn't even used much force.
Otherwise, Rain knew—he wouldn't be standing right now.
"How… is that possible?"
Rain staggered upright, disbelief flooding his face.
Time had stopped.
So why was she moving?
"…Time magic. An admirable power."
Irene smiled softly.
"But it's meaningless against me."
She tilted her head slightly, almost amused.
"I separated all negative states from my body long ago.
Time stagnation included."
She spoke calmly, as if explaining something trivial.
"…A monster."
Rain laughed bitterly.
There was nothing else he could call her.
"Entertain me a little more," Irene said warmly.
"…?"
Rain frowned.
For some reason, her gaze held no killing intent at all.
Instead, it felt… indulgent. Gentle. Almost fond.
"No. That's impossible."
He shook the thought away immediately.
It had to be an illusion.
The way a cat looks at a mouse before playing with it.
That had to be it.
"…Against Irene, conventional methods are useless."
Rain steadied his breathing.
"Which means my only options are time magic… or combining Command T with my sword."
If even that failed—
He didn't want to think about the rest.
"Oh? You're not attacking anymore?"
Irene's smile deepened.
"Then I suppose it's my turn."
"Godspeed."
Rain vanished.
In the same instant, he appeared directly in front of her.
Ace was already raised.
The blade descended.
Armament Haki wrapped the sword like black steel, while Advanced Conqueror's Haki crackled violently along its edge. Command T magic reinforced the strike to its absolute limit.
"Extreme Additional—Galaxy!"
For the first time, Irene grew serious.
Countless stars ignited in midair, forming a radiant Milky Way that spiraled around her staff. The cosmic enchantment met Rain's blade head-on.
Ping!
Metal rang against metal.
"…Huh?"
Irene froze.
The impact felt… wrong.
Too light.
As if Rain hadn't used any strength at all.
"Heh."
Rain grinned.
"Now you've noticed."
"…This is—!"
Realization dawned.
Too late.
BOOM!!
Five seconds later, the true slash detonated.
The delayed impact smashed into Irene without giving her time to react, the compressed force exploding violently at point-blank range.
He had already woven time magic into his earlier slash, delaying it by five seconds—so the moment she thought she was safe, the attack struck her from the future.
"And it's not over yet."
Rain's eyes burned.
"Command T Magic—Override Slash!"
Every drop of magic within him surged forward, pouring into the strike he had already delivered.
The power finally erupted—fully unleashed.
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